All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 5

Jiggs McGee · 10-14-2020, 09:52 AM

Next season (1934) will mark the 25th season of the two FABL feeder leagues: the high school loop and AIAA college baseball. To celebrate the anniversary let's count down what Jiggs McGee feels are the 25 greatest college ball players of the last quarter century.

#25 CLINT CASSTEVENS - DICKSON COLLEGE 1915-1917 OF .377, 32, 133 7.2 WAR
Casstevens won a college batting title as a freshman, a National Championship as a junior and hit for the cycle a record 3 times including twice in 4 days in 1916. His .460 batting average in 1915 is the 7th highest single season mark ever recorded. Casstevens was selected 13th overall by Montreal in the 1917 draft and won a World Championship Series with the Saints, making him one of the few players with both a College World Series ring and A FABL World Championship Series title. Traded to Pittsburgh in 1922 he would go on to win a Whitney Award with the Miners in 1924. Still active in the minors as a 36 year old now, Casstevens played 1,259 FABL games and is lifetime .309 hitter.

#24 PUG BRYAN - Lincoln 1931-1934 P 26-4, 2.23 12.1 WAR
Bryan is one of two active players from the 1933 season to make this list and the only one on it who still has another year to go before he is draft eligible. A late birthday gives him 4 college seasons and in the 3 he has played so far Bryan has done more than enough to make the list. A year from now I am sure he will be much higher as he has a chance to equal or surpass Tom Barrell's career wins mark of 34. Bryan went 10-1 this season for the Presidents and is 25-4 with a 2.22 career era. He is already 7th all-time in career pitchers WAR and, if he stays healthy next season, stands a great chance of being number one all-time. He was a second team All-American this season.

#23 JAKE JOHNSON - Lubbock State 1927-1929 1B .394, 37, 156 8.4 WAR
Won a National Title in 1928 with Lubbock State when he hit .376, which was actually the lowest total of his career. The first baseman started 150 games for the Hawks batting .394 with 37 homers and 156 rbi's. His 249 college hits rank 14th all-time. He is also 14th all-time in rbi's and 22nd in hitters WAR. A model of consistency Johnson led his conference in homers once and runs scored once while finishing 2nd in batting and those happened in 3 different seasons. Only 16 players have ever had 6 hits in a college game. Johnson is not only one of them but also the only one to ever do it twice. He was a first team All-American in 1929 and a third round pick of Cleveland in that year's draft. Johnson is now 25 and appears stuck in Class A ball but he has hit very well, in very limited action at that level.

#22 TOM BLALOCK - Chicago Poly 1927-1929 P 25-6, 2.20 11.6 WAR
Had an amazing 1928 season as a sophomore, going 9-0 with a 1.37 era and a 297 era+. He is tied for 10th all-time in wins and his 363 career college strikeouts are more than every other pitcher except Tommy Wilcox, Tom Barrell and Huck Moore. He was a second team All-American in 1928 but was slightly overshadowed by Tom Barrell and Chick Stout. In his draft year of 1929 Blalock went 4th overall, behind Barrell, Stout and Vic Crawford, to St Louis. Now approaching his 25th birthday, Blalock has spent the last two seasons in AA and his best bet to make the big leagues might be out of the bullpen.

#21 PABLO REYES - Bayou State 1930-1932 CF .352, 33, 185 9.7 WAR
The Cuban Comet was taken 3rd overall by Montreal last December after an outstanding college career. He is 10th all-time in career WAR in the AIAA and has fast-tracked through the Montreal system to the point where he may make his big league debut this season. Very consistent in college, hitting .367, .319 and .369 in his three seasons with the Cougars. In a 1930 game Reyes became just the 30th (at the time) player to hit 3 homers in a single college game. He was named a first team All-American in 1932.

#20 NELLIE DAWSON - Wisconsin State 1927-1929 OF .399, 38, 142 9.4 WAR
Led his conference in hits and was third in batting average in his draft year of 1929. His 95 hits that season is still tied for the 6th highest single season total in AIAA history. His 243 career hits rank 21st all-time and his career WAR is 12th among hitters. He was a first team All-American in 1927 and a second team selection the following year. Dawson was picked 13th overall by the New York Stars in the 1929 draft. He struggled a bit in AA a year ago and now, at age 25 finds himself back in A ball.

#19 ELMER LAMBERT - George Fox 1915-1917 3B .405, 18, 122 8.7 WAR
It was a different time to be sure but Lambert's amazing freshman campaign of 1915 included a mark that will likely never be broken when he hit .531 that season. Lambert also had a .606 on base percentage that year and while that mark was also expected to stand for quite some time it was surpassed by Freddie Jones in 1929. Lambert came back to earth his other two seasons with the Reds, batting .348 as a sophomore and .335 in his draft year but he still finished with a career batting average over .400. He was selected first overall in the 1917 draft by he Philadelphia Keystones but would only play in 170 FABL games, batting .280. At 36 he is still active in the Keystones system but has not been with the big league club since 1923. He has spent the past three years at AA New Orleans.

#18 JOE ELLICOTT - Indiana A&M 1930-1932 OF .379, 32, 114 10.3 WAR
Ellicott finished second in his conference in batting as a sophomore when he hit a career best .405. A second round pick of Washington last December, Ellicott has split his rookie pro season between Class C and B this year. His 10.3 college WAR is the 8th highest mark of all-time. He was a first team All-American in 1931 and a second team selection the following year.

#17 DELOS DUNN - Liberty College 1916-1918 P 16-12, 1.67 11.9 WAR
The first of 5 Liberty College players to make this list (the most of any school), Dunn ranks 8th all-time in pitcher WAR. He was the 4th overall pick of Baltimore in the 1918 draft but achieved his best FABL seasons after a trade to the New York Gothams including a 20 win season in 1923. In all he was 94-94 as a big league pitcher, retiring in 1932.

#16 JAKE SHADOAN - Liberty College 1927-1929 2B .389, 38, 134 10.7 WAR
Shadoan's draft year was one of the best seasons on all-time as he hit .473 with a .532 on base percentage but lost the Northeast Conference batting title by .001 to Rip Curry. His Liberty College team made the College World Series finals in his final two seasons at Liberty but they came up short both times. His 250 career hits are 13th most all-time and he ranks 7th in career WAR among hitters. He was twice named a Second team All-American. Shadoan was drafted 7th overall by Brooklyn 1929 and is in his 4th big league season with a .328 career average.

#15 JOE HANCOCK - Henry Hudson 1931-1933 P 22-8, 2.51 13.2 WAR
Joins Pug Bryan as the only active in 1933 players on the list. Hancock is eligible to return for his senior season but will likely be a high draft pick in the upcoming December draft. His 13.2 career WAR is the 6th best total among pitchers. Hancock went 10-0 this season after going 9-2 and leading Henry Hudson to the National Championship a year ago. Hancock was named a first team All-American this season.

#14 CHICK STOUT - Rainier College 1927-1929 P 23-5, 1.82 11.0 WAR
Chick Stout's claim to fame might be he beat out Tom Barrell for first team All-American status in 1929. Stout had an incredible, actually a pair of incredible seasons with Rainier College. As a freshman he went 8-1 with a 2.01 era. His record dipped to 4-3 and his era increased slightly as a sophomore but his junior season, going head to head against Barrell for the opportunity to be selected first overall, was nothing short of amazing. Stout went 11-1 with a 1.30 era, a 350 era+ and what was then a record 6.2 WAR. At the draft there were some concerns about his lack of leadership and just how committed to baseball he really was. Barrell ended up going #1 in the 1929 draft but Pittsburgh quickly grabbed Stout with the second pick. Unfortunately he has not yet lived up to his immense talent shown in the college game. Now 25 years old, Stout has spent the past two seasons in the Miners bullpen and at this writing is 8-4 with a 4.89 career era.

#13 AL COLBY - Liberty College 1912-1914 P 22-2 1.58 10.3 WAR
Colby posted a 1.01 era to go with a 7-0 record in his draft year. As of the end of the 1933 season only 3 pitchers have had a lower single season era then that mark

Code:


AIAA SINGLE SEASON ERA LEADERS
1  Tommy Homick   Golden Gate	   1914   0.71
2  Stan Merendino Rainier College  1928   0.81
3  Connie Kesler  N Carolina Tech  1922   0.90
4  Al Colby	  Liberty College  1914   1.01

Colby also posted a 431 era+ that season and was selected 9th overall by Detroit in the 1914 FABL draft. He was traded to St Louis a year later and spent a dozen seasons in the majors with the Pioneers and Brooklyn. Colby became one of the great relievers in the game, notching 128 saves which ranks him 4th all time in FABL.

#12 DAN FOWLER - Commonwealth Catholic 1927-1929 OF .326, 53, 139 10.1 WAR
Despite being born in Texas, Fowler likely has a New England accent by now as he spent 3 seasons at Commonwealth Catholic before being drafted 6th overall by the Boston Minutemen in 1929. He led the Federal Association in walks last season as a rookie while also socking 26 homers. Fowler never made All-American status, partially because of the quality outfielders in the AIAA at the time but also because he was overshadowed by Commonwealth teammate Vic Crawford. The two led their school to the College World Series finals as freshmen in 1927 and Fowler was the model of consistency in his 3 years in the AIAA batting .337,.313 and .328 with 18, 15 and 20 homerun seasons.

#11 HAP GOODWIN - Rainier College 1916-1918 P 22-16, 2.61 13.2 WAR
The west coast kid from California never quite equaled his amazing freshman season at Rainier when he went 10-4 with a 1.37 era and a 5.5 WAR but only 4 pitchers (Tom Barrell, Tommy Wilcox, Huck Moore and Curly Jones) had a higher career college WAR than Goodwin. Imagine what he could have done on a better team as his Majestics squad went 23-27 each of his 3 seasons at the school (In fact Rainier had 6 straight years of going 23-27 from 1916 to 1921..no idea of the odds on a team posting the exact same record 6 years in a row).

Goodwin was drafted second overall by Pittsburgh in 1918 and went 107-147 in 11 seasons. He is still active at age 36, pitching in the minors in the Chicago Cougars organization.

#10 SAM ORR - Henry Hudson 1927-1929 2B .381, 49, 163 12.3 WAR
An All-American as a freshman, Orr narrowly missed a batting title while hitting a career best .425 that season. His 246 career college hits place him 16th all-time in that category and he is often compared to Liberty's Jake Shadoan as the two played the exact same 3 seasons and were second baseman selected high in the 1929 FABL draft. Orr went two spots ahead of Shadoan at #5 to Toronto that season and with a .306 career average in 353 FABL games is one of the few bright spots on the Wolves roster. Orr's 163 career rbi's place him 7th in AIAA history.

#9 JOHN COLLINS - Liberty College 1927-1929 OF .372, 56, 166 11.4 WAR
Another of the great outfielders to play in the final few years of the 1920s, Collins is third all-time in the AIAA behind Calvin Dybas and Vic Crawford with 56 career homeruns and 6th in career rbi's. He was a first team All-American selection twice and helped Liberty College reach the College World Series finals twice. Collins was a second round pick of Montreal in the 1929 draft but was traded to Pittsburgh over the winter. Now 24 years old he has been limited to just 33 big league games but at this writing is batting .403 in his 67 career at bats.
*note on Calvin Dybas. He came close but fell just short of making this list.

#8 DAVE HENRY - Bayou State 1930-1932 OF .420, 43, 182 11.9 WAR
Henry had quite a career at Bayou State. He was a 3 time first team All-American selection. He is 4th all-time in career RBI's, 14th in hits and 17th in homeruns. His .452 batting average in his draft year is the 8th highest single season total of all time but he never won a conference batting title, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in his 3 seasons. Boston selected the 22 year old in the second round of last year's draft and he quickly advanced through the minors being moved up to AA recently.

#7 CURLY JONES - Henry Hudson College 1930-1932 P 20-8, 2.72 13.5 WAR
It only seems like Jones has done it all despite the fact that he is just 22 years old. He pitched Henry Hudson to back to back College World Series Titles, winning the CWS MVP in one of them. He finished his college career fourth all-time in pitcher WAR and fifth in career strikeouts. Jones was drafted first overall by the New York Gothams in December and then he shocked the baseball world by retiring. He was quickly talked out of it and reported to spring training with the Gothams and is presently 6-4 with a 3.81 era in 10 starts split between Class B and A. Everyone expects Jones to be a dominant pitcher in FABL, just as he was in college ball.

#6 TOM BARRELL - GEORGIA BAPTIST 1926-1929 P 34-8, 2.54 15.8 WAR
Barrell is college baseball's all-time leader in wins although he did have the advantage of a fourth season before being draft eligible due to his birthdate. Before we get into his pitching accomplishments it should be noted he made himself into an outstanding hitter, playing the outfield when he wasn't pitching and batting .335 with 11 homers and 50 rbi's as a senior. But that paled compared to his accomplishments on the mound. He is the all-time leader in WAR and innings pitched and second only to Tommy Wilcox in strikeouts. Surprisingly he was never a first team All-American selection as Huck Moore, Wilcox and Chick Stout nosed him out in the three seasons from 1927-29. There was no team named prior to 1927 and only a first team that year but Barrell did earn second team nods in both 1928 and 1929. The Chicago Cougars selected him first overall in the 1929 draft and he was recently traded to Brooklyn in a mega deal that also involved Tommy Wilcox.

#5 HUCK MOORE - Commonwealth Catholic 1925-1927 P 29-6, 1.66 14.2 WAR
11-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his draft year after back to back 9-3 seasons with an even lower ERA in each of them tells all that is needed to be known about Moore's college career. He won a College World Series and was a first team All-American in 1927, which was the first year that designation was given out or he could have won a couple of more. Only Tommy Wilcox has a higher k\9. Only Wilcox and Tom Barrell have more career college strikeouts and a higher career WAR than Moore. His 29 college wins for his career are only surpassed by Barrell, who pitched one more season than Moore. His career 1.66 era is the lowest total based on sufficient innings pitched of all time.

So what happened? Moore was selected 6th overall by the New York Gothams in the 1927 draft but at age 27 has yet to pitch in a big league game. He endured a brutal 1-18, 9.05 campaign in AAA a year ago and is 6-29 with a 6.85 era for his AAA career. The Gothams are making a last ditched effort to try him as a reliever to see if he can contribute in that role.

#4 FREDDIE JONES - Central Ohio 1929-1931 2B .425, 16, 102 12.5 WAR
Jones could flat out hit in college and he has continued to do so in the big leagues, going straight from the campus of Central Ohio University to the St Louis Pioneers without skipping a beat. Drafted second overall in 1931, Jones hit .349 as a rookie last year and is putting up similar numbers this season. A two-time All-American he twice led his conference in batting including a .486 freshman season that remains the second highest single season batting average ever posted in a college season. His on base percentage that year was an AIAA record .625 and he also holds the fifth highest single season on base percentage when he was .541 the following season. Jones 12.5 batter WAR for his career is the highest in AIAA history and his 1929 mark of 5.74 was a record until Harry Smith of Grafton broke it this year.

#3 TOMMY WILCOX - Liberty College 1926-1928 P 20-12, 2.24 14.3 WAR
Before Curly Jones there was Tommy Wilcox. A first team All-American in his draft year when he helped Liberty reach the College World Series Finals, Wilcox was selected first overall by Brooklyn in 1928. Since traded to the Chicago Cougars he is still just 26 years old but already has 67 FABL wins. He is the all-time AIAA career leader in a number of categories including strikeouts and his 14.3 WAR is only surpassed by Tom Barrell but Barrell played 4 seasons of college ball compared to 3 for Wilcox. His incredible mix of pitches confounded college hitters and Wilcox holds the single season strikeout mark of 196 set in 1928, a year after fanning 165 hitters which remains the third most in a season. His career 12.5 K/9 is nearly 2.0 higher than any other college pitcher.

#2 VIC CRAWFORD - Commonwealth Catholic 197-1929 OF .366, 67, 187 12.0 WAR
When I started working on this list I expected Crawford to be number one. He was a first team All-American each of his 3 seasons, led his conference in homers twice including 1929 when he hit 31, one shy of the single season record established by Calvin Dybas in 1913. His 67 career homers are also one shy of Dybas' record. He is the single season RBI leader and one shy of Bill Moore for the career RBI lead. He also owns the single season total base record and is second to Moore in career total bases. Crawford did not win a College World Series championship but did help his team reach the finals in his freshman season. In short, he accomplished almost everything he could in the college game and after being selected 3rd overall by Montreal in 1929 he appears, after a position change to first base, to be in the big leagues to stay following a strong start this season.

#1 BILL MOORE - Lubbock State 1930-1932 1B .439, 54, 188 11.9 WAR
The greatest college baseball player of the past 25 years was a three time first team All-American and his worst season of college ball saw him hit .406 with 13 homers. He led the entire AIAA in batting in two of his three seasons highlighted by a draft year that saw him bat .477 with 22 homers and 72 rbi's. In his draft year Bill Moore won the triple crown, not just for his conference but for the entire AIAA, although his 22 homers only tied him for top spot in that category. Moore is the career leader in total bases and rbi's and fourth all-time in homers while also ranking in the top ten for hits and doubles. Moore was selected 13th overall by Detroit in last December's draft and is batting .335 after half a season at Class B.

There were certainly many others worthy of inclusion on this list so perhaps there will be room for them in another 25 years if a top 50 is ever published.

percy_sutherland · 10-28-2020, 03:11 PM

CHASING A KING

I wanted to write a little about the absolutely awe-inspiring season that the Philadelphia Keystones's first baseman, Rankin Kellogg, is having. At the time of this writing he is hitting .399 (so, yes, he still as a shot at .400) with an on-base percentage of .465 and a slugging percentage of .714. He has 42 home runs, 31 doubles, 12 triples, and has 146 runs batted in and 129 runs scored. Now some gentleman--much smarter than me--has determined that if you add a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage together--which is then called OPS--you have a number that can be used as measuring stick of sorts for hitters. Kellogg's OPS is 1.179. A .700 OPS would be considered average this season, and so Kellogg is well above average, though you didn't need OPS to tell you that.

But it got me to thinking--can we use OPS to put Kellogg's season in a historical perspective. And as a matter of fact, we can.

If the 1933 season were to end today, Kellogg's OPS of 1.179 would rank as the 5th best in league history. Just ahead of Kellogg's 1928 season when he produced an OPS of 1.168 and behind 4 seasons of one man--Max Morris. Here are the top four OPS seasons in FABL history:

1925, Max Morris, 1.306
1921, Max Morris, 1.296
1923, Max Morris, 1.230
1922, Max Morris, 1.215

Max Morris was traded from Cleveland to St. Louis in October of 1919. In July of 1920, Morris ruptured his Achilles tendon and missed the remainder of the season, and so he only played a little more than half of that inaugural St. Louis season.

In 1921, the 26-year-old Morris returned healthy and with a vengeance. Now up to that point Morris had been a good hitter, but he had only been a full-time hitter for one and one-half seasons: 1919 and the injury-shortened 1920. During 1921, Morris was on another level, putting up offensive numbers the league had never before seen. He hit .411 with on-base percentage of .511. He set a new home run record with 53 home runs. He had 145 runs batted in and scored 153 runs. He had 239 hits. And all of it added up to the never before seen OPS of 1.296.

And then in 1922 Morris broke the home run record he had just set in 1921 by hitting 59 home runs. And then he topped that again in 1923 when he hit 60 home runs. He missed over a month of the 1924 season with an injury, but when he came back in 1925, he continued to hit at that same superlative level.

All told, the stretch of seasons that Morris had from 1921 through 1925 was unprecedented and quite frankly, I doubt we'll ever see any like that again. Consider--even with the jaw-dropping numbers that Rankin Kellogg is producing in 1933, he still remains well behind the Max Morris of 1921 through 1925. And paraphrasing the great Ralph Waldo Emerson--when you come at a king, you best not miss.

Max Morris

ayaghmour2 · 10-28-2020, 08:58 PM

While Kellogg's OPS is extremely impressive, interesting enough, his OPS+ (216) is exactly the same as Tom Taylor's 1928 rookie season with the Sailors. Taylor hit .342/.422/.689 (1.111 OPS) with 44 homers, 126 RBI's, and 26 steals in the very pitcher friendly Sailors Memorial Stadium.

Jiggs McGee · 11-03-2020, 10:38 AM

COUGARS MAUL OPPONENTS ON THE FIELD AND AT THE TRADE TABLE

From the desk of Jiggs McGee

The Chicago Cougars have won at least 90 games for three straight seasons and are on the verge on winning their second World Championship Series in 3 years. So how did a team that hit rock bottom just six years ago, posting a FABL worst 59-95 record in 1928 and finish last in the Continental Association again in 1929, suddenly turn it around? Perhaps more than any other team in the history of the sport, the Cougars made a series of shrewd deals to bring a championship team to the Windy City.

Here is how the Cougars acquired their players. The list below includes all position players on their current roster who played at least 50 games this season and all pitchers who threw at least 50 innings. Of the 17 players who fit that description, only 3 were originally drafted as amateurs by the Cougars. 11 were acquired in trades, two were rule five draftees and one was claimed on waivers. In comparison, the Cougars 1933 World Championship opponents from Philadelphia have 11 draft picks among their players that meet the same 50 games or 50 innings criteria.

Here is a look at where the Cougars players came from

Code:

 C   Mike Taylor -     trade with Brooklyn 1932
1B   Bill Ashbaugh -   homegrown, 1925 first round pick
2B   Slim Bloom -      homegrown, 1923 13th round pick
SS   Arnold Bower      trade with Brooklyn 1932
3B   John Kincaid      trade with NY Gothams 1929
LF   Bobby Sprague     trade with NY Gothams 1932
CF   Cy Bryant	       trade with Toronto 1930
RF   Tom Taylor        trade with PHI Sailors 1931 
INF  Russ Combs        trade with Cleveland 1929
INF  Phil Vaughan      Rule 5 pickup 1930 from Chi Chiefs
INF  Forest Sylvester  Waiver pickup from Phi Sailors 1933
OF   Mike Smith        Rule 5 pickup 1928 from Chi Chiefs
P    Tommy Wilox       trade with Brooklyn 1932
P    Dick Luedtke      trade with NY Gothams 1930
P    Dick Lyons        homegrown, 1921 2nd round pick
P    Max Wilder	       trade with Cleveland 1929
P    Jim Crawford      trade with Sacramento (AAA) 1930

Only pitcher Del Lyons and Bill Ashbaugh remain as key contributors to those last place 1928-29 teams and today's club. The turnover and the way the Cougars have managed to fleece their FABL rivals in a series of deals is nothing short of astounding and either makes them extremely lucky or much smarter than the rest of the FABL GMs. Here is a chronological list of the moves that built a championship caliber team out of the ruins of back to back last place finishes.

October 18, 1929 - TRADES BRING WILDER, COMBS AND KINCAID

The Moves: added P Max Wilder and SS Russ Combs from Cleveland for Luke Nixon, Harry Parker, Pat Schuring and Ben Richardson and in a seperate deal with the New York Gothams acquired 3B John Kincaid in exchange for Ben Curtin, Erv Firth and Dean Astle.

On the heels of a second straight last place finish in the CA the Cougars make two deals that begin the transformation of the franchise. Wilder, 31 at the time and coming off a 14-14, 3.97 season for Cleveland after being recently acquired by the Foresters from Montreal, gives the Cougars a solid number two starter behind long-time Cougar hurler Del Lyons.
Wilder would go 11-9 in his first season in Chicago and follow that up with 3 straight seasons of at least 15 wins including 15-10 this year. When a lot of teams are dumping 30 year old players as many seem to begin a quick downturn, the Cougars see something in Wilder and he is still going strong at age 36 and was a key contributor to the 1931 World Championship squad. In the same deal the Cougars add infielder Russ Combs, who was 26 and just coming off a second straight season as the Foresters starting SS. He started for a spell in Chicago but has evolved into a utility infielder who can hit, batting .339 in 351 career games in Chicago.

The price for Wilder and Combs?
Luke Nixon, a minor league first baseman who hit .286 in 149 career games in Cleveland and has since been waived and claimed back by the Cougars. Nixon did get 3 games in Chicago this year but is really just a solid AAA player, batting .329 for Milwaukee this year.
Harry Parker, a former 23rd round pick who was a 20 year old Class B pitcher at the time of the deal. He has since been traded by Cleveland to Pittsburgh and at 24, has yet to make his major league debut.
Pat Schuring, a good glove but light hitting shortstop who was a 21 year old top-100 prospect at the time but now at age 25 seems to be no more than a minor league caliber infielder.
Ben Richardson, a 1927 15th round pick who did serve a purpose in Cleveland but only by being dealt as the now 25 year old catcher was part of the deal that brought T.R. Goins to the shores of Lake Erie.

VERDICT - Chicago adds a middle of the rotation pitcher and a good utility infielder in exchange for 4 players who appear to be nothing more than minor leaguers, with the possible exception of Richardson although even for him the clock is ticking as he approaches his 24th birthday and has 21 career FABL games under his belt.

On the same day the Cougars turn to the New York Gothams, who would become a frequent trade partner, and add another quality piece in 3B John Kincaid. Kincaid was entering his age 25 season and coming off 3 years playing everyday for the Gothams and doing so quite well, batting .328 while being a plus defender at the hot corner. He has been Chicago's everyday third sacker since then and actually improved his career average slightly by hitting .336 in his time with the Cougars.
In return the Gothams added then 24 year old reliever Ben Curtin, who pitched one season out of the New York pen before being flipped to St Louis as a piece in the historic deal that moved Max Morris briefly to the Big Apple. Now 28, Curtin is looking like a solid relief pitcher for the Pioneers.

New York also added two other prospects. One is Erv Firth, a now 26 year old outfielder who hit just .156 in two brief call-ups by the Gothams. The other was Dean Astle, a top 50 prospect at the time who was a 20 year old lefthander. Astle has since been moved to Cleveland and did look impressive in his big league debut this season with the Foresters, going 7-3 with a 2.57 era in 12 starts.

VERDICT- Not as lob-sided as the deal above but you have to think the Gothams would have certainly held on to Kincaid had they been given a do-over.

MARCH 17, 1930 - MINOR LEAGUE TRADE NETS CRAWFORD

Once a year the FABL teams are each allowed to propose a single trade with a independent team and it is hard to imagine many deals being more successful than the Cougars acquisition of Jim Crawford. The then 23 year old righthander was coming of a 12-7 season for Sacramento of the Great Western League. He would go on to win 18 games in the Cougars 1931 Championship season and was 12-9 this past season improving his career mark since joining Chicago four seasons ago to 53-34. The cost was a low level minor league pitcher by the name of Buck Putnam

VERDICT- Chicago adds a key piece to their rapidly improving pitching staff at the cost of a minor league cast-off.

JULY 14, 1930 - DEADLINE DEAL BRINGS DICK LUEDTKE

Shortly before the trade deadline the Cougars, who are heading towards a 4th place finish in 1930 and an improvement of 24 wins over the previous year, make another deal with the New York Gothams. Luedtke is a late developing righthander, having made his FABL debut just the year prior at the age of 27. He was 9-5 with a 3.09 era for the Gothams at the time of the deal and would win 9 more games for Chicago that summer. He is now 32 years old, was named to the CA team for the first all-star game and went 17-11 this season to bring his FABL record to 69-40.

In return Chicago gave up outfielder Earl Johnson and pitcher Lou Gaffin. Both have seen a little action in New York but neither have been overly impressive. Gaffin is now 28 and perhaps he will be a late developing pitcher along the lines of, oh I don't know, let's say Luedtke. Johnson is 26 and has hit .222 over two brief call-ups.

VERDICT - Chicago gets the better of New York in this one. I assume the age of Luedkte allowed the Gothams to consider the deal but tough to justify trading a pitcher who has gone 9-5 with a 3.09 era in his first full season with your club. Perhaps he was expendable as the Gothams were on their way to winning the Federal Association pennant and may have been looking to get younger and, despite losing the World Series to Chicago that year, the Gothams did beat up Luedtke in his only start of the series.

NOVEMBER 3, 1930 - CF CY BRYANT ARRIVES FROM TORONTO

Cy Bryant will not come to mind when one is asked to name the Cougars top players. The 27 year old hit just .264 at the bottom of the order for the Cougars this season but his defense in center field is among the best in the game. Bryant was added in an off-season deal with Toronto in exchange for a then 24 year old shortstop named Clyde Hinzman, who has since hit .259 in three seasons as a backup with the Wolves. Bryant's batting average has dropped each of his 3 years in Chicago but his fielding, which was already great, has improved each season.

VERDICT - This trade is often overshadowed by the Cougars bigger pickups but a very smart move adding a huge piece that has helped the Cougars pitchers look even better.

FEBRUARY 23, 1931 - TOM TAYLOR ARRIVES

Tom Taylor took the sport by storm, winning back to back Whitney Awards his first two seasons in the league and helping the Philadelphia Sailors win a pair of World Championship Series. The second title came in 1930 and it was certainly a down year for Taylor, who after leading the CA in homers, rbi's, WAR and slugging percentage his first two seasons saw his batting average dip to .261 (from .351 the previous year) and his homerun total decline from 38 to 15. Taylor did miss nearly two months with recurring elbow troubles so perhaps the Sailors figured he was damaged goods when they pulled the trigger on a deal to send him to the Cougars for 2B Mack Deal and a pair of minor leaguers.

The trade changed the complexion of the Continental Association as the Sailors went from 3 straight pennants in Taylor's first three seasons to a team struggling to finish at .500 over the past three years. The Cougars on the other hand were already a team on the rise, but since Taylor arrived they have won 91, 97 and 97 games and are, at this writing, 2 wins away from their second World Championship Series victory in three years.

Taylor has not been the player he was his first two years but he has been much better than he was in his final year in Philadelphia, batting .301 while averaging about 17 homers and 100 rbi's a year as a Cougar. He has, for the most part, stayed healthy and is defense in right field is among the best in the game.

So what did Philadelphia get in return for a two-time MVP who was still just 25 years old at the time of the deal. The aforementioned Mack Deal hit .266 as a Star in 2 and a half seasons but spent a good chuck of this year in AAA despite being just 26 years old. Catcher Jim Stevens, 28, has bounced between Philadelphia and AAA San Francisco and is hitting just .194 with the Sailors while center fielder George Jordan, also 28, has played just 18 games for the Sailors over the past three seasons and hit .158.

VERDICT - Pretty obvious the Cougars gambled that Taylor's injury problems were not as serious as the Sailors feared and it paid off big time. While maybe not an MVP anymore, Taylor is a proven winner and on the verge of his 4th World Championship with 2 teams in 6 seasons of big league ball.

MAY 23, 1932 - COUGARS ADD SS BOWER

A minor deal in the big picture but perhaps it opened the discussion on the blockbuster with Brooklyn that would come just two months later. Bower had a good start to his career in Brooklyn but was struggling both at the plate and in the field when the Kings decided there was no longer room for him on the major league roster. Out of options he was dealt to Chicago for outfielder Ed Rhoden, who had decent numbers in AAA but couldn't crack the Cougars outfield.

Since the deal Bower hit very well for the Cougars in 1932 but, like his days in Brooklyn, struggled at the plate and in the field this past season. However, Rhoden has done very little in Brooklyn but has looked okay in the minors.

VERDICT - Not a major trade but the Cougars did add a serviceable piece to fill a position of need at basically no cost.

JULY 25, 1932 - THE BLOCKBUSTER - WILCOX AND TAYLOR FOR A PAIR OF BARRELLS

At the end of last season Cougars fans were wondering what did the team do? After the huge trade that saw the Cougars send pitcher Tom Barrell, his brother Fred, a catcher, and highly touted minor league pitchers Mike Murphy and George DeForest to Brooklyn in exchange for pitcher Tommy Wilcox and catcher Mike Taylor the Cougars crashed while the Kings soared, posting the best record in the entire CA after the trade. It was a huge deal involving two former number one picks in Tom Barrell and Wilcox, a number two overall in Murphy (Taken behind Wilcox) and a number #3 in Fred Barrell.

The deal was supposed to lift Chicago in it's chase to catch the New York Stars and repeat as CA champion while the Kings were reeling, off to a terrible start and had already canned their manager. Instead the Barrell's caught fire, Mike Murphy was amazing down the stretch and Wilcox went into a funk, posting a 6-6 record and a 6.70 era after the deal.

Flash forward to this season and the Cougars GM is back to looking like a genius. Wilcox won 21 games and led the league in ERA while Taylor hit .282 with 21 homers. Meanwhile the Brooklyn Barrell's have struggled and the Kings had another terrible start to the season.

VERDICT - Getting perhaps the best pitcher in baseball in Tommy Wilcox was a huge win for Chicago, even if Wilcox did not pitch like it in 1932. Perhaps this trade will even out over time as the Barrell's and Mike Murphy should be much better than they were this season but like the deal the Sailors made to give up on Tom Taylor, the Kings will quite possibly look back at this day as a franchise altering moment that cost them the opportunity to win several pennants - pennants that it appears will reside in Chicago quite regularly over the next few years.

OCTOBER 3, 1932 SPRAGUE JOINS CHICAGO

The Cougars made one more trade of note immediately after the 1932 season as they added outfielder Bobby Sprague from the New York Gothams for young outfielder Joe Johnson and pitching prospect Mel Leonard. The 26 year old Sprague was coming off of a .342,5,56 season in New York and gave the Cougars somewhat similar numbers this year (.300,5,61) while also being well above average with the glove in the outfield.

VERDICT- Far too early to tell on this one as Johnson, a 25 year old former second round pick, is a top 25 prospect who provides plus defense in centerfield and hit .251 in 107 games as a rookie this year despite missing 2 months with a sprained ankle. Leonard is also a former second round pick but just 21 years old and went 12-13 at two levels of minor leagues this season. He remains a top 60 prospect but his stock has dropped slightly the past couple of seasons. Regardless of how good these two might turn out to be you have to think the Cougars are very happy with the deal as Sprague became a key piece of the their championship team this year.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I glanced briefly to try and find some deals the Cougars did not win on in the past few seasons and I could not come up with much. The closest perhaps is a deal prior to the 1931 season that added a 36 year old Steve Castelini to the Chicago rotation. Castelini was coming off a 19-7 season in New York and struggled with a 10-14 record and a 4.71 era in the Cougars championship season but he did play a role in a pennant for Chicago. He has since been moved to Pittsburgh so perhaps the cost of pitching prospect Ben Turner to pry Castelini from the Gothams was a little steep in hindsight. Turner was not a Gotham prospect for long as the pitcher was moved a month later to Cleveland and is 29-25 over two and a bit seasons for the Foresters. But if the worst deal you made is getting a rental player who helped you win a World Championship in exchange for an upper mid-level prospect then I think you are doing pretty well.

Perhaps this article is as much a warning to other GM's to be very wary of giving up on players too early when talking trade with the Chicago Cougars (I am looking at you Brooklyn, the Sailors and Gothams) as much as it is a testament to the amazing job the Cougars have done in their rebuild.

Jiggs McGee · 11-16-2020, 09:38 PM

MR IRRELEVANT FABL STYLE

There is a long-standing tradition of recognizing the final player selected in the NFL draft each year. The title "Mr Irrelevant" was first bestowed in 1976 when former USC and NFL receiver Paul Salata coined the term and founded an event which would reward the final selection in the draft with a trip to Disneyland in California and an award called the Lowsman Trophy. Over the years many Mr. Irrelevant's have played in the NFL with the most successful perhaps being Tyrone McGriff who was taken with the final pick in what was then a 12 round draft in 1980 by Pittsburgh. He made the NFL all-rookie team and later became an All-Star in the USFL.

So by a suggestion from Sailors GM Alan let's take a look at the Mr Irrelevant's of FABL. We could actually argue there are 2 of them each year. One would be the final pick of the 10th round - the last selection by human GM's before the draft goes fully auto and of course the actual Mr Irrelevant being the final pick of the last round (originally 15 in the human GM era but in later years extended to 25 rounds).

We just completed our 9th draft with human GMs in the league and the most recent 10th round Mr. Irrelevant is Hugh Dresch, a 22 year old catcher out of Golden Gate University. The Keystones selected him after Dresch went undrafted a year ago and returned to the Grizzlies for his senior campaign, a season that saw him bat .219 with 8 homers in 46 games.

So is there a chance that Dresch will ever wear a big league uniform? Well, history says 'yes' as two previous Mr Irrelevant's have suited up for a FABL club already.

The most successful is Rip Crandall, a second baseman selected by the New York Stars out of Milwaukee High School in 1925. He is not a superstar by any means but Crandall is a New York Star, having spent each of the past four seasons as a reserve infielder with the club including 88 games this past season. He is just a .237 career hitter in 256 games but Crandall brings value with his club - he is pretty solid defensively at all four infield positions and has a HIGH work ethic.

The 1926 Mr. 10th Round Irrelevant has also made it to the show. Jack Richardson is now a 25 year old pitcher who spent a bit of time with the St Louis Pioneers in 1931 and 1932, compiling a 4-13 record with a 5.86 era in 23 appearances (20 starts). He pitched a no-hitter as a high school junior in Cleveland and was taken by the New York Gothams with the 16th pick of round 10 in 1926. His claim to fame is he was traded for the legendary Max Morris (well, along with 4 other prospects) in 1940. He peaked at #69 on the top 100 prospect list just before an arm injury cost him the back half of the 1931 season. He has had elbow issues ever since and spent all of 1933 in AAA so he may not make it back to the big leagues.

Other 10th round Mr. Irrelevants are:

1927- JOE KING: A college pitcher out of Lubbock State was drafted by the Keystones but traded to the Chicago Cougars in 1929. He went 13-10 at AA last season and received a late promotion to AAA for the first time in his career last season.

1928- GENE SMITH: The Sailors took the middle infielder from Waco High School and he is still in their system as a 23 year old. He spent 3 and a half years in Class C before a promotion to B last season. Is likely never going to make the big leagues.

1929- DOC KEENAN: The former College of San Diego right hander has progressed very slowly through the Detroit Dynamos system. He has looked very good in Class B, winning 15 games as a 22 year old 3 seasons ago and going 12-15 the following year. He split last season between B and A but seems destined to be a career minor leaguer.

1930 - BERT FOWLER: The Sailors selected the right hander out of Bayou State but cut him before he pitched an inning in the organization. He landed with independent El Paso of the Lone Star Association for a couple of seasons but is now retired.

1931- JOHNNY PHILLIPS: A lefthander out of Lubbock State, Phillips was promoted from A to AA midway through the 1933 season and still has major league dreams at the age of 23.

1932- BOBBY MCHENRY: Centerfielder from Coastal California had a nice rookie pro season in Class C of the New York Stars organization. McHenry hit .277 with 14 stolen bases in his first pro season after being a .344 hitter over 3 seasons of college ball.

MR IRRELEVANT - FULL DRAFT

As for the Mr Irrelevant selections when you look at the whole draft clearly the most successful final pick is Job Readus, a 1917 selection of the Pittsburgh Miners out of Maryland State. The first baseman was the last listed pick of that draft and would go on to play 947 big league games but none were with the Miners, who released him immediately after the draft. He would sign with the New York Stars and hit .314 for his career while being a part of three straight World Championship teams with the Stars. Not bad for the 447th pick of his draft class. I don't believe Readus was actually the final pick of his draft, but anyone selected after him failed to sign so their names are lost to history. Either way, quite a career for Readus considering when he was selected. The draft is no longer over 25 rounds so Readus will likely forever be known as the lowest draft pick ever to win a World Series.

A similar case in 1925 - the first human GM draft year. Ernie Frost was selected with likely the second last pick of that draft (round 15, pick 15) but the final pick likely did not sign so his name is also lost. As for Frost, well the outfielder is still going strong with the team that selected him, the Washington Eagles. A high schooler out of Chicago, Frost has played each of the last two seasons for the Eagles and is a .295 career hitter in 176 big league games. He was the 239th pick of his draft class as the draft was limited to 15 rounds that season.

That is pretty much it for final picks of the draft enjoying any big league success. If you want to follow his career along, the true Mr Irrelevant of this year's draft is Billy Roberts, a second baseman selected 400th overall by the Chicago Cougars out of a junior college. Roberts spent three years playing for Toledo High School and enrolled in Pensacola JC after not being drafted following the 1932 season. The Cougars GM has does not speak very highly of Roberts so his pro career may be very brief.

And that concludes the brief moment in the spotlight for Roberts, Dresch and all of the other Mr Irrelevants of FABL draft history.

percy_sutherland · 11-23-2020, 10:04 AM

WHITHER HANK BARNETT?

As North America tries to shake off it's Winter doldrums, the ball players have gathered in the Florida sunshine to get ready for the 1934 season. The big question in the Montreal camp revolves around second baseman Hank Barnett.

Last October Barnett had made the announcement that he was putting baseball aside and enlisting in the army. As much of a blow as that was to the Saints's plans, one could not help but feel proud of the young Barnett's response to the growing turmoil in Europe.

Over the winter, though, other rumors started to rise to the surface. This reporter was told that Barnett had in fact failed his army physical. Fortunately, you can play baseball--and hit home runs--with flat feet. Barnett returned--hat in hand--to the offices of Jacques Cartier in Montreal and inquired whether he still had a job with the Saints. Cartier--as befitting the kind of man he is--not only gave Barnett a contract to sign, but he also made Hank the highest paid player on the Saints roster.

So as the Saints gather for their first practice games in West Palm Beach this week, one should be able to look out onto the diamond and see Barnett take up his usual position at second base.

Jiggs McGee · 11-23-2020, 10:06 PM

NEW DAY IN NEW YORK

From the desk of Jiggs McGee.
The first pitch of spring training is still 24 hours away but one can't help but feel like the biggest story of the 1934 season has already been written as the New York Gothams shocked the baseball world in acquiring Rabbit Day, arguably the league's best pitcher, from the rebuilding Baltimore Cannons. As word broke earlier today, reaction to the deal was quite varied with a near equal number of GM's feeling the Gothams got a steal as those who felt they had parted with a king's ransom. Either way, the consensus was the New York Gothams, with a rotation headed by a pair of 29 year old's in Day and Jim Lonardo, would be the most imposing one-two combination in the Federal Association.

Between them Lonardo and Day have five 20-win seasons and 5 Allen Awards. Day is coming off a 21-11 season with a 2.77 era and has led the Continental Association in strikeouts six straight years and in victories 3 of the past four season despite pitching for what recently has become one of the worst teams in the league. Day seems to be just hitting his peak as the Cannons drop to the bottom of the CA. His ERA last season was a run and a half better than the team total and he was 14 games over .500 the past two seasons while the rest of the Baltimore pitchers were 50 games under .500 during that span. Just imagine what Day can accomplish with a solid team behind him.

Going the other way were four prospects and three draft picks including the Gothams first, second and fourth round selections next December. The prospects are headed by a polarizing pitcher named Rusty Petrick, who was a first round pick this past December, as well as shortstop Oscar King and outfielders Billy Marshall and Jim Mason. The addition of the two outfielders would later allow the Cannons to, as expected, deal their other marquee veteran in 32 year old Lou Kelly to the Chicago Cougars for three more prospects.

Was the haul enough for the 29 year old Day? Well, that depends upon who you ask and ultimately depends on Petrick. Petrick is a very raw 18 year old out of Sacramento High School, who was tabbed as a late first round pick in the OSA mock draft despite posting a 3-11 career record and some very questionable stats in school ball. Some teams stayed away from him because of a concern that despite such raw tools he appeared to be a very high risk prospect but the Gothams grabbed him with the 10th pick last December. He presently sits at #20 on the Top Prospects list and seems like he could either be the perfect replacement for Day as the ace of the Cannons rotation in a few years or a bust that never accomplishes anything in the game. It is that risk that scares many and makes some of the GM's question if the Cannons might not have been able to get a better, or at least safer return for a pitcher of Day's calibre.

One Continental Association GM summed up Petrick this way: "He's super risky with how raw he is, but the ceiling is immense. He's either going to be the Cannons ace for 15 years or flame out before his 25th birthday. There's going to be no in between here, which makes this trade so interesting." That GM adds he feels this trade could have two winners but it could just as easily have a huge loser as it could go really bad for Baltimore.

Executives from some other teams agree, making comments such as this one. "Scouts see potential in this kid and it will be up to the Cannons' minor league coaches to get him to reach this potential...if it is real. If Petrick doesn’t become a true #1 SP or at worst a solid #2, then Baltimore could be looking at a lot of regret."

But another GM feels the deal will work out just fine for Baltimore even if Petrick does not live up to his potential. "Baltimore got a really good return," explained that executive. "Those 3 picks alone are valuable (particularly if the pool is deeper). Mason looks like a good one. Petrick? I don't know. He's riskier--he's all potential. But I think even without Petrick that's a good return."

A number of other teams were involved in talks with Baltimore before the Cannons eventually consummated the deal with New York. Perhaps the most aggressive team and the one with the most to gain by adding Day would have been the Cleveland Foresters. The one thing the Foresters, with their power-laden lineup led by recent acquisitions Max Morris and T.R. Goins, lacked was a true ace to anchor their rotation. Adding Day might well have been the piece the Foresters needed to mount a serious challenge to the defending champion Chicago Cougars but ultimately the Foresters felt the Cannons demand was more than they could afford to pay.

The rumoured demand was Baltimore wanted both Dean Astle and Ben Turner, a pair of very good young pitchers, along with outfielders Levi Redding and Leo Clark and the Foresters top 3 picks in the next draft. Astle was the sticking point as Cleveland refused to part with the 24 year old lefthander who went 7-3 with a 2.57 era as a rookie. Ironically Astle, who peaked at #12 on the top 100 prospect list, and Turner were both acquired by the Foresters from the New York Gothams in a 1931 trade. A source familiar with the Foresters says the club had to draw the line somewhere and the organization felt adding Day at the cost of two starting pitchers might be too heavy a price to pay while still hoping to challenge the Chicago Cougars for first place. However, a rival CA executive feels the Foresters missed an opportunity in not pulling the trigger.

"I understand why Cleveland would have been reluctant to trade Astle. But if I'm him, I do it. Day is one of the top--if not the top--pitchers in the league. On a good team, he'll look even better. And unlike hitters, I'm not leery of pitchers in their 30s in this league. And 1934 for Cleveland will feature a high power offense. I think lapping the field in home runs is not out of the question. They'll go as far as their pitching will carry them, and Day is a difference maker."

Not all General Manager's feel the deal made sense from the Gothams point of view. To show how varied the thoughts are on this trade an executive with a prominent team in the Federal Association thinks the Gothams might have overpaid, at least in terms of draft capital.

"We wanted him, too," he explained. "We offered a package of good young players with upside and an established veteran that would make the Cannons better now and in the future, but apparently it was draft picks they were after. We wanted to hold on to our draft picks for this next draft. As an organizational philosophy, we only go so far to acquire one player, I don't care how good that player is, and Rabbit Day is one of the best. Losing 3-4 pieces and a host of draft picks for one guy that could blow out his arm tomorrow? No thanks."

That GM later also questioned if Day can be as effective in the Fed, which traditionally has had a lot more offense and plenty of hitter friendly parks when compared to the Continental. "The price was really steep. Day has great numbers, but he hasn't dealt with the big bats of the Fed."

JIGGS TAKE

So what are my thoughts on this deal? I have no qualms at all about the Gothams giving up a bunch to add Day. He is in his prime and my bet is he helps the Gothams win at least a couple of more pennants and quite possibly one this season. I also applaud them for getting the deal done without having to part with top prospect Curly Jones.

From Baltimore's side this potentially could be a great windfall. However, it comes with huge risk which makes me inclined to believe the Cannons acted too soon. Day was their one marketable asset that could generate a number of pieces to help turn their club around. And I think they undersold themselves. If Baltimore could not pry Curly Jones away from the Gothams they should have walked away and said let's table this deal for a month. Spring training has not yet started and the regular season is a month away so there was zero urgency on the part of the Cannons to get a deal done now. I have to believe, especially when we look at the haul of prospects Milt Fritz brought Brooklyn a year ago, that there was a safer deal with close to the same upside out there from someone come April or May. Now Fritz is 5 years younger than Day but, while very good, he is also not the quite the quality of pitcher Day is and I think if they had held firm in the demand for Curly Jones, the Cannons would have found someone willing to make a big offer a month or so into the season. Yes, there is risk that Day continues to pitch well and doesn't get hurt, but in my mind that is a lot less risky than banking on Petrick being a future star.

If Baltimore is 100% confident Petrick is the real deal then this move makes sense but I just don't think anyone can say they are sure about him at this stage. That is another reason to hold off on this deal a month. It would give them a chance to see what Petrick does in Class B or C action while at the same time maybe forcing New York to sweeten the offer if they are set on wanting Day. And if they back off the Cannons could always have circled back to Cleveland or whoever else suddenly feels they are a contender in May.

Even the draft picks make me worry a bit. The likelihood is they will be pick 13 at best because the Gothams, barring some very unexpected circumstances, are going to be contending for the pennant. The draft has changed substantially this season with the folding of the feeder leagues which means the class might be a lot more unpredictable then previous ones. That could be a good thing, but like Petrick it means more risk on the Cannons side - risk that could have been abated somewhat by waiting a month until the draft prospects get some time to show their stuff this spring. If all goes well this deal could be great for Baltimore and kickstart their rebuild, but if it doesn't this could set the franchise back years.

Let's say Petrick is not the pitcher some scouts think he can become. Let's say the 1934 draft is as thin as the 1933 one and Cannons do not land a bluechip prospect with the pick they acquired from New York in round one and don't get anything of real value out of the round 2 and 4 picks. All draft picks are risks but for the reasons mentioned above I believe this class is a bigger risk than past years. Now it could also be a bigger reward if it turns out to be a bumper crop so there remains the possibility this is a huge win for the Cannons. But if it isn't and if Petrick is not able to cut it all are you left with in exchange for Rabbit Day - a pitcher with possibly half a dozen seasons as a dominant starter and maybe 3 or 4 years as a decent middle of the rotation piece- is 3 decent prospects.

Don't get me wrong. Oscar King is a very good defensive shortstop but so far he has not shown he can hit in this league. Jim Mason will turn 26 this season and while he has some pretty good minor league numbers, the former first round pick has to play a big league game. He is a top twenty-five prospect and will likely get a chance to play everyday in Baltimore this season. Billy Marshall is just 22 and put up some big numbers between AA and AAA a year ago so he also looks like a solid outfielder. All three are great components for Baltimore to add in this deal but none of three are worthy of being the centerpiece of a trade like this.

I hope this works out for Baltimore as the franchise has gone far too long without a pennant (since 1914) but if things go south with Petrick and the picks do not pan out getting just those three position players in exchange for Day will be a nightmare for Cannons fans. The reward might end up being there but it is the risk of this deal that has me concerned. I get the swing for the fences approach with Petrick but not with your one truly marketable piece in Rabbit Day. Sometimes you need to shorten your swing a bit and take a couple of sure doubles to rally your team rather than swing for the fences and strike out. As one GM mentioned to me. This could be a trade where both teams win but it could just as easily be a deal where Baltimore loses big. Time will tell. It will certainly be interesting to follow and if Rusty Petrick did not have the eyes of the league on him already he sure does now.

Jiggs McGee · 12-20-2020, 10:00 PM

FROSH PESTILLI LEADS 1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS

There were some drastic changes to the college landscape in Figment Baseball this season with the expansion of the AIAA from a 40 school feeder league to a non-feeder system that now includes 261 Division One schools and more than 200 more at the D-2 and D-3 levels. It was one of the new AIAA division one member teams that provided us with the most exciting player of the 1934 college season. Sal Pestilli, a freshman outfielder who stayed in his native Rhode Island to play his college ball at Narragansett took the AIAA by storm as he posted triple crown winning numbers while leading the entire college ranks in average (.409), homers (16) and rbi's (66). Pestilli, who won't be draft eligible until 1936 is already drawing comparisons to another very talented college outfielder in former Commonwealth Catholic and current Montreal Saint Vic Crawford. It remains to be seen if Pestilli can duplicate Crawford's achievement of being named a first team All-American in each of his 3 seasons but if 1934 is any indication Pestilli is well on his way.

Here is the 1934 All-American Team.

Code:


  		1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS
                       FIRST TEAM
C  Adam Mullins   	Eastern Oklahoma   JR  .317,3,31
1B Joe Crosson    	Miami State	   SO  .277,11,39 
2B Jack Gunter		Mississippi A&M    JR  .322,1,37, 35 SB
SS Tip Harrison		Bluegrass State    SR  .301,6,40  31 SB
3B Phil McKenna		Coastal Cal.	   JR  .306,8,46
OF Sal Pestilli		Narragansett       FR  .409,16,66  33 SB (college triple crown)
OF Bob Donoghue		Iowa A&M	   JR  .317,15,50  11 SB
OF Pete Wood		Eastern State	   FR  .366,2,49   32 SB
P  Phil Gregg		Redwood University JR  12-2, 2.38, 1.16 WHIP 111 K's

                      SECOND TEAM
C  John McLemore   	Tallmadge State   JR  .269,10,43
1B Harry Pickering 	George Fox        JR  .281,6,34, 40 SB
2B Babe Clark	        Marquis College   JR  .301,1,54  32 SB
SS Bill Sorrells        Adirondack State  JR  .307,9,48  39 SB
3B Frank Covarrubias    Piedmont Univ.    SR  .338,2,36  32 SB
OF Izzy Sevilla		Murfreesboro Tech SO  .314,9,50  39 SB
OF Dick Smith           Western Iowa	  JR  .300,12,43 32 SB
OF Larry Ryder	  	George Fox	  SO  .315,12,42 11 SB
P  Clarence Linden      Frankford State   SO  10-3, 2.50, 1.15 WHIP 104 K's

This is the 8th season that the Figment Sporting Journal has named a college All-American team. Let's take a look back at that first class in 1927 and see what they have accomplished since. For that first year of the award there was only a first team selected.

Code:


A LOOK BACK AT THE 1927 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS 

C	Frank Simpson Opelika State
1B	Ted Parker St Patrick's
2B	Sam Orr Henry Hudson
SS	Steve Clarke Chicago Poly
3B	Randy Fargo Boulder State
OF	John Collins Liberty
OF	Vic Crawford Commonwealth Catholic
OF	Nellie Dawson Wisconsin St
P	Huck Moore Commonwealth Catholic

FRANK SIMPSON- 1927 would be the pinnacle of Frank Simpson's baseball career as the catcher from Opelika State never amounted to much in pro ball. It was his only year as a starter for the Wildcats and Simpson made the most of, batting .407 with 7 homers and 43 rbi's in 51 games as he helped Opelika State win the College World Series. He was a 21st round pick of the Boston Minutemen that winter but was released after spring training. The Philadelphia Keystones signed him and he spent 5 seasons in the low minors but never played more than 47 games in any season. Reading the writing that was clearly on the wall Simpson retired following the 1932 season and is now putting his college education to work in his home state of California.

TED PARKER- Like Simpson, the former St Patrick's College star first baseman is no longer involved in baseball. He was a 3 year starter in college and 1927, his sophomore season, was clearly his best year as he led the entire AIAA in hitting with a .436 average while also contributing 11 homers. He struggled through his draft year of 1928 but was selected in the 8th round by the Toronto Wolves. He showed some flashes as a rookie pro at Class C in 1928, hitting for the cycle in a game, but batted just .248 with 11 homers in 121 games that year. He would play just 3 more games in the Toronto system the following year before being released and retiring from the sport.

SAM ORR - Orr was a freshman at Henry Hudson University in 1927 and his .425,19,63 season allowed him to edge out another stellar freshman in Jake Shadoan for All-American honours. While he would not make the All-American team again he did fashion a very strong career for the Explorers and was selected 5th overall by the Toronto Wolves in the 1929 FABL draft, 2 slots ahead of his old college rival Shadoan. After a year in the minors he debut with the Wolves in 1931 and has been a regular in Toronto ever since, fashioning a .296 career batting average in 516 FABL games. At 26 he looks to be hitting the prime of a pretty good career.

STEVE CLARKE - The shortstop on the All-American team has followed Orr much of his career. He was a freshman at Chicago Poly that year, which was his only All-American season. He was drafted in the same draft as Orr, by Toronto and one round after the second baseman. Clarke's path to Toronto has taken longer than Orr's, although they were teammates for much of the 1930 season in Class B Vancouver but Clarke did not get the call to Toronto until midway through last season. He is with the Wolves again this year and a teammate of Orr's but serving as a utility infielder on the club.

RANDY FARGO - The third baseman from Boulder State was a first team All-American in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Grizzlies before being drafted in the 5th round by Cleveland in 1929, following his junior season. He has not had much success at the pro level but remains in the Foresters organization, splitting this season so far between A ball and AA.

JOHN COLLINS - Another of the great group of freshman in 1927, the outfielder from Liberty College would also be named a first team All-American following his sophomore season when he hit .404. He is third all-time in career AIAA homers with 56 and helped the Bells to back to back College World Series finals in his last two seasons with the school. He was a 1929 second round pick of Montreal and was a consistent top 100 prospect before the Saints traded him at the 1932 draft to move up and select another future All-American outfielder in Pablo Reyes. Collins got a brief taste of big league ball with the Saints in 1930 but did not get back to the majors until Pittsburgh promoted him last season. He is still trying to establish himself as an everyday player at age 25 but does have a .398 career FABL average with 3 homers in 83 big league at bats.

VIC CRAWFORD - The three time first team All-American from Commonwealth Catholic was recently named the second greatest college player in the first 25 years of the AIAA. Only Calvin Dybas hit more career homers in college than the 67 Crawford belted and he was MVP of the 1927 College World Series despite being on the losing end. Taken third overall by the Montreal Saints in the 1929 FABL draft, Crawford made the first All-Star team in FABL history and is a .298 hitter with 15 homers in 291 career big league games. Playing half his games in the cavernous Parc Cartier has certainly affected his power numbers but Crawford is clearly a quality FABL hitter.

NELLIE DAWSON - Clearly the forgotten man of that amazing group of freshman outfielders, the former Wisconsin State Brewer was selected 13th overall by the New York Stars - practically right in the middle between fellow All-American outfielders Crawford and Collins, but he has yet to make his big league debut. Dawson, who was also a second team All-American his sophomore season, remains in the Stars system and has split this season between AA and AAA. He can still hit, batting .402 in his minor league stops this season, after twice hitting over .400 in college and finishing with a .399 career average in the AIAA.

HUCK MOORE - Moore was a junior at Commonwealth Catholic that season and went 11-0 with a 1.83 ERA and co-held the single season college record for wins until it was broken in 1931 by Bob Cummings from College of San Diego. He 29 career college wins are second only to Tom Barrell, but Barrell who was 10-3 that season, needed 4 years to Moore's three of college ball. Moore won a college World Series with the Knights in 1926 and led them to the finals again in 1927 before being drafted 6th overall by the New York Gothams. He came into pro ball with very high expectations and looked quite good in A ball (12-10, 3.10) in 1928 but has struggled at higher levels including a terrible 1-18, 9.05 season at AAA Toledo in 1932. Now 28 years old he remains in Toledo and is still struggling this season with a 7-6 record but a 7.27 era out of the Tornados bullpen. He did make one FABL appearance, a start a year ago and was very good allowing just 1 earned in 5 innings of work but was tagged with the loss. So far it has been Moore's only taste of the big leagues.

So you can see from the above look back at the 1927 All-Americans that being named a top college player is no guarantee of future success as a professional. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 1934 All-Americans, especially Sal Pestilli. Sal, by the way is one of three brothers looking to make their marks on big league baseball. All three are outfielders with Alf being the oldest. Alf is a junior and draft eligible this season after hitting .294 with 12 homers and 44 rbi's playing alongside Sal at Narragansett College. Alf, who was born in Italy before the family came to the US and settled in Rhode Island, is not considered a high draft prospect. The youngest brother is 14 year old Tony, who just completed his freshman season at Westerly (RI) high school. Tony, who likely has his eyes focused on a college career at Narragansett like his brothers, hit .485 in 23 games of prep competition this year.

Jiggs McGee · 12-22-2020, 03:49 PM

FRESHMAN PHENOM NAMED HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jiggs McGee will be naming a High School All-America team this year joining a tradition that is now 9 years old for the college ranks. Before we get to the prep team the Figment Sporting Journal has named it's High School player of the year. Just like in the college ranks when Sal Pestilli won the award as a freshman by leading the AIAA in all three triple crown categories the winner in the high school ranks is also a player who won't be draft eligible until 1936.

15 year old Walt Messer, a sophomore at McKinley Tech in Washington DC has been named the National High School Player of the Year. The first baseman, who is drawing early comparisons to Max Morris, led the nation in the big three offensive categories with a .613 batting average to go with 15 homers and 51 rbi's in just 25 games. It is early but preliminary scouting reports released by the OSA state Messer "could make multiple trips to the All-Star Game." The 1936 draft will be very interesting if both Messer and Pestilli continue to develop as expected.

The rest of the Prep All-Americans are listed below. Instead of a first and second team like in the college ranks the High School group will consist of 18 players that includes 2 catchers, six infielders, 5 outfielders and 5 pitchers.

THE FIVE PITCHERS ARE:
PETE PAPENFUS: The sophomore at West Plains High School in West Plains, Missouri led the nation in just about every pitching category including strike outs, ERA and FIP. He was 10-0 with a 0.53 ERA and averaged a high school best 16.7 k/9. If he continues to develop the 16 year old should be a high draft pick in 1936. His FIP was 0.21 and no one else, not even Rufus Barrell was close to that number.

RUFUS BARRELL II: Few high school players are better known than the junior from baseball's first family. The lefthander from Macon High School and was 12-0 with 0.81 era while fanning 185 batters in 122 innings of work. With the talent in the family already there is a lot of pressure on Barrell to live up to the name but some think the 6'4" 17 year old has a chance to be an even better pitcher than his uncle (Brooklyn King ace Tom Barrell).

WALLY DOYLE: One of the two dominant pitchers from the state of Texas that scouts have been flocking to see. The sophomore from Waco High School has a gun for a left arm, averaging 14.3 k/9 and 187 strikeouts total - second only to fellow sophomore Papenfus. Doyle was 9-2 with a 1.15 era for Waco this season.

DEL BURNS: A senior from Houston High School, Burns was 11-0 with a 0.81 era in 16 starts this season. His 0.75 WHIP was only surpassed by Barrell and Papenfus and he was fifth in the nation with a 13.5 K/9. OSA projects Burns to be a fourth round pick in their preliminary mock draft but some scouts feel he has frontline starter potential.

JOHNNY SLANEY: Another lefthander, the 17 year old senior from Greensboro, North Carolina has already committed to Golden Gate-Chico after a 10-0, 0.83 season for the Greensboro High Wildcats. Slaney was one of just 6 high school pitchers with a FIP below 1.00. He is listed as a possible second round pick on the initial OSA mock draft.

Honorable Mention: Jack Goff from Brooklyn(NY) Tilden, George Garrison from Carthage(ILL) and Manny Franco from Old Westbury (NY).

CATCHERS

WOODY STONE: The senior from Dunlap High School in Tennessee is projected in early mock drafts to be a first round pick and could challenge another Tennessee native in Adam Mullins of Eastern Oklahoma University to be the first catcher drafted. Stone has committed to College of San Diego if he does not turn pro. Slashed .541/.586/.806 in 23 games this season for the Dunlap Indians. OSA's scouting report calls him "an above average, everyday big league player."

BILL VAN NESS: The junior from Suffolk (Virginia) High School hit .525 for his team this season and led all high school catchers with a .597 on base percentage. OSA feels he can be an above average player with great contact ability.
Honorable Mention: Ken Vance from Northwood (NH) and Bill Watson from Paoli (IN)

INFIELDERS

WALT MESSER: 1B- McKinley Tech, Washington DC. Is it too early to draw comparisons to Max Morris for the sophomore? Just 15 years old he led the nation in all 3 triple crown categories, batting .613 with 15 homers and 51 rbi's in 25 games and was named the National High School Player of the Year.

CHUCK ADAMS: 1B- Memphis HS, Memphis, Tennessee. Another underclassman who posted huge numbers as the junior first baseman hit .594 with 12 homers in 22 games. He also showed some speed with 19 stolen bases.

RED JOHNSON: 1B- Central Catholic, Portland, Oregon. A junior, Johnson hit .566 with 11 homers in 24 games.

JIM LIGHTBODY: 2B- Alexandria HS, Alexandria, La. Baseball is in his blood as Lightbody is a cousin of current FABL outfielders Doug and Frank. Lightbody hit .514 as a junior and seems to have the same sweet swing as his cousins.

ELMER MILLER: 2B- Medford HS, Medford, Ma. The senior has committed to attend Bluegrass State next season after hitting .517 with 32 stolen bases in 26 high school games this year.

ROOSEVELT BREWER: 2B- Washington HS, Chicago, Il. Another of the talented freshman that entered the high school ranks this season, Brewer is not draft eligible until 1937 but some scouts are already saying his middle infield defense and speed could allow him to develop into a future all-star. He hit .536 with 4 homers this season.

Honorable Mention: Earl Kimmel, Junior 1B from Dallas(Tx) High School and Luke Micheals, freshman SS from Santa Barbara(Cal) High School.

OUTFIELDERS

SI CROCKER: East HS, Buffalo, NY. Tied for second in homers with 12 and finished second in rbi's in the nation this season while batting.518. The sophomore is draft eligible in 1936 and has a very high ceiling.

LYLE BURCH: Berea HS, Berea, OH. Another sophomore, Burch hit .548 with 34 stolen bases this season and early scouting projections see him as a solid big league centerfielder and lead-off man.

BILL MURNANE: Stone Mountain HS, Stone Mountain Ga. Just 15 years old the freshman hit .529 with 4 homers and 41 rbi's while stealing 21 bases in 26 games this season. He is not draft eligible until 1937.

BOB MULLINS: Tilden HS, Brooklyn, NY. The ceiling is high for the senior outfielder, who is tabbed for the third round in the December draft according to the early OSA Mock rankings. His high school teammate, pitcher Jack Goff, who is an honorable mention on this list, is also projected to be a high draft pick. Mullins hit .500 this season with 5 homers in 26 games but he is projected to have decent power when he grows into his 6'1" frame. Has a verbal commitment to attend Constitution State in Hartford, which is where the 18 year old was born.

JIM ALLAIRE: Webster HS, Webster, Mass. The senior from Canada moved to Massachusetts to further his baseball career. While he is not projected to have a lot of power he should make good contact at the next level and has plus speed. He has committed to Charleston Tech if he does not sign after the draft. Hit .548 with 32 stolen bases this season.

Honorable Mention: Dan Rogers, Senior from Canton South High School, Canton (OH); Ducky Pugh, Senior from Fairland (OK) HS; and Charlie Woodbury, Sophomore from Scranton (PA) HS.

Code:



	 1934 FABL HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICANS
          NAME		 CLASS	         SCHOOL
C	Woody Stone      Senior		Dunlap (Tn)
C	Bill Van Ness    Junior		Suffolk (Va)
INF	Walt Messer       Sophomore	McKinley Tech, Washington DC
INF	Chuck Adams      Junior		Memphis (Tn) 
INF	Red Johnson      Junior		Central Catholic, Portland, Oregon
INF	Jim Lightbody    Junior		Alexandria (La)
INF	Elmer Miller     Senior		Medford (MA)
INF	Roosevelt Brewer Freshman	Washington HS, Chicago, IL
OF	Si Crocker       Sophomore	East HS, Buffalo, NY
OF	Lyle Burch       Sophomore	Berea (OH)
OF	Bill Murnane     Freshman	Stone Mountain (GA)
OF	Bob Mullins      Senior		Tilden HS, Brooklyn, NY
OF	Jim Allaire      Senior		Webster (MA)
P	Pete Papenfus    Sophomore	West Plains (Mo)
P	Rufus Barrell II Junior		Macon (Ga)
P	Wally Doyle      Sophomore	Waco (Tx)
P	Del Burns        Senior		Houston (Tx)
P	Johnny Slaney    Senior		Greensboro (NC)

Jiggs McGee · 12-22-2020, 10:50 PM

SOMEBODY HAS BEEN BUSY RECRUITING

With the demise of feeders one good thing is we now have a lot more college baseball programs to follow and it appears a few of the ones we had not heard of before are trying to make some waves this season. The most active schools in landing high school senior commitments for next year are Bluegrass State and Eastern State with 11 each, followed closely by Grange College. Mississippi A&M, with 7, is the most active of the schools we have grown to know over the past 8 seasons. Must be something about Louisville as both Bluegrass State and Grange College are located there.

It likely doesn't mean much as pretty much all of their commits will bypass college and sign with a FABL team after the draft but I thought I would take a quick look at the recruiting classes for the most active schools. First, here is a list of the schools with the most high school recruits.

Code:

 SCHOOL		  # OF RECRUITS    TOP RECRUIT			      MOCK DRAFT
Bluegrass State	       11     2B Elmer Miller, Medford(MA) HS          not ranked
Eastern State	       11     1B Sig Stofer, Atlantic City (NJ) HS     4th round
Grange College         10    RHP Ace Harmon, Los Angeles (CA) HS       3rd round
Portland Tech		8    LHP Lou Johnson  Austin (TX) HS           2nd round
Mississippi A&M		7     OF Ducky Pugh, Fairland (OK) HS          3rd round
Amarillo Methodist  	6    LHP Pat Witkins, Amherst (NH) HS          not ranked
CCLA			6     OF Tony Hendricks, Reading (PA) HS       2nd round 
Central Kentucky	6     OF Fred Galloway, Evansville (IN) HS     1st round
Constitution State	6     OF Bob Mullins, Brooklyn (NY) Tilden HS  2nd round
Maryland State		6     OF Martin Brown, Staunton (IL) HS	       not ranked
Opelika State	 	6     3B Joe Bell, Slayton (MN) HS	       3rd round
Red River State		6     OF Heinie Billings, Macon (GA) HS        3rd round
Redwood University	6     SS Milo Stockbridge, Chicago (IL) Leo HS not ranked

Bluegrass State in Louisville invaded the northeast in search of middle infield help and they landed a pair of pretty good ones in Medford (MA) second baseman Elmer Miller (.517,1,32) and shortstop Guy Williams (.383,2,24) from Peckham Technical in Buffalo, New York. Williams will have big shoes to replace as the Mustangs will be losing senior SS Tip Harrison, who is ranked as a top 10 pick in the OSA Mock Draft.

The Eastern State Monitors also landed 11 recruits led by the top ranked high school first baseman in the nation in Sig Stofer. The 18 year old, who is a 4th round pick according to the OSA Mock Draft decided to exchange the beaches of Atlantic City for the campus in Virginia Beach, although odds are that Stofer, who tied for the high school lead with 11 homers this season, will be in the minor leagues next season.

Righthander Ace Harmon, who went 10-2 this season for Los Angeles (CA) High School headlines the 10 commits that Grange College landed this summer. Must be something about Louisville as both Bluegrass State and Grange College are located in the Kentucky city. The Mustangs (same nickname as Bluegrass State as well) also landed Tony 'Pooch' Puccinello from Bryant High School in Queens, New York. Puccinello was 7-3 as a senior and some scouts feel he stands a good chance of pitching quite effectively in the major leagues some day. To further enhance their class, Grange also inked Jack Loomis, an outfielder from St Albans High School in Washington DC who is tabbed as a possible 3rd round selection in the Mock Draft.

The Portland Tech Magpies come in at fourth with 8 recruits. The best of which is long slender lefthander Lou Johnson, who was 8-2 for Austin High School in Texas. Johnson is pegged as the number one high school pitcher in the nation, at least according to the OSA Mock Draft.

A school Figment followers are very familiar with is Mississippi A&M, which comes in fifth with 7 recruits. The Generals have been dubbed Outfield U because of the large number of quality outfielders they have developed through the years including the Lightbody brothers, Doug and Frank, as well as Jim Renfroe. The Generals recruiting class is led by centerfielder Ducky Pugh, a potential 3rd round pick according to OSA who is already drawing comparisons to what Pittsburgh Miners centerfielder Jim Renfroe was like until injuries derailed his career. Ducky has huge upside after hitting .550 for his high school team in Fairland, Oklahoma. Mississippi A&M also landed a potential fourth rounder in first baseman Paul Sammons, who hit .505 with 10 homers for Western High School in Louisville. Surprised that Bluegrass State and Grange College let him escape from right under their noses.

That's all for now. Expect more previews as we approach the December 1934 FABL first year player draft.

Jiggs McGee · 12-28-2020, 09:04 PM

ST BLANE PITCHERS LOOK TO MAKE THEIR MARK

Ask anyone who the most famous pitcher to come out of St Blane University and there will likely be some debate. The Fighting Saints have produced four 100 game winners in FABL including current star pitchers Jim Lonardo of the New York Gothams and Dick Richards of the cross-town Stars. The 30 year old Lonardo, with 3 Allen Awards, has some bragging rights on Richards, who has only won 1 of them so far but Richards can point to his 4 World Championship Series rings earned with the Stars as his rebuttal. Lonardo (St Blane class of 1925) currently boasts a 114-79 career record while the 35 year old Richards (Class of 1920) is 157-84 at the time of this writing. Both are still active and sure to add to that total. St Blane can also brag of Sammy Butler (Class of 1915), who won 139 games and 3 World Championships with the Gothams as well as former Chicago Chief hurler Al Wood (Class of 1914), who went 111-126 over 10 seasons with the Windy City club. In all a total of 10 former St. Blane pitchers have plyed their trade in a big league uniform. Several others dot the minor league systems of various FABL clubs with the most promising perhaps being Ray Perry (Class of 1928), a former 14th round pick who is presently pitching in AAA in the Philadelphia Keystones organization.

That number is sure to swell in the near future as three Fighting Saints pitchers are expected to be high FABL draft picks this season led by Bobo White, who has established a number of school records and is pegged the top pitcher available this December according to the league's scouting service OSA's mock draft. After going 19-1 in his first two seasons for St Blane, White went 9-5 this spring. His 28 career wins as a Fighting Saint snapped the school mark of 21 previously set by Bill Stonehouse, a 1929 3rd round pick of the Keystones, who is still languishing in the low minors. There is talk White might be the highest drafted St Blane pitcher ever, but he will need to go in the first four picks to accomplish that as Bob Paxton, who went 43-50 over a career that included stops with Keystones and Detroit, was Philadelphia's first round pick, 5th overall in 1918. Sammy Butler was also a first round pick, taken 10th overall by the Gothams in 1916. Surprisingly, neither Richards nor Lonardo were taken in the first round. Richards went in the 3rd to the New York Stars in 1920 while the Gothams got the steal of the 1925 draft in taking Lonardo in the 10th round that winter.

It is not just White who is expected to be drafted very high this year as Gus Goulding, who went 8-3, 2.61 this season, is tabbed as a second round pick and Brad Daniels, who posted a 10-5, 3.33 mark this spring, is rated as a 5th round selection by OSA. All 3 had outstanding seasons a year ago in the final year of feeders as White was 8-1, 1.48, Goulding 10-2, 2.49 and Daniels 8-3, 1.61. Each receives a glowing review according to OSA's preliminary scouting reports. White, a 20 year old from Fairfield, Connecticut, is said to have "a golden arm and should be a top of the rotation pitcher." The 21 year old Goulding, who hails from Indianapolis, is given a very similar grade by the OSA and Daniels, a Grandwood Park, Illinois native, is projected to be a mid-rotation starter.

It will take quite a career for any of the three to outshine Richards and Lonardo but the scouts certainly feel they are capable of doing so. Here is a list of all former St Blane pitchers to appear in a FABL game.

Code:


          ST BLANE PITCHERS TO MAKE THE MAJOR LEAGUES
NAME		COLL YRS   DRAFTED     FABL REC   YEARS    TEAMS 
Dick Richards   1919-20    3rd rd        157-84   1923-present   NY Stars	    
Jim Lonardo     1923-25    10th rd       114-79   1928-present   NY Gothams 		 
Sammy Butler    1913-15	   1st-pick 10   139-148  1916-29        NY Gothams                      
Al Wood         1912-14    4th rd        111-126  1918-28        CHI Chiefs			 
Bob Paxton      1916-18    1st-pick 5     47-65  1919-31        Keystones, Detroit		 
Johnny Taylor   1915-17    4th rd         43-50   1920-25       Detroit, Cleveland		 
Allen Purvis    1922-23    5th rd          8-9    1928,1931-pr   NYG, Clev, Montreal		 
John Beltre     1916-20    8th rd          8-8    1923,1926-28  Chi Cougars, Phi Sailors  		
Del Smith       1919-21    9th rd         6-17   1925-26        Pittsburgh, Cleveland		
George Reeves   1924-26    8th rd          0-1	 1933-present   Keystones

GRANGE COLLEGE IS QUICKLY MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF

The Grange College Mustangs are one of the new kids on the block as the college ranks have swelled immensely from the 40 teams we had in the feeder league days but they are very quickly making themselves known. We have no standings or college World Series anymore without feeders but it is a safe bet to assume the Louisville, Kentucky school must have been one of, if not the most dominant team in AIAA division one this season. No fewer than seven Grange College players are ranked in this year's draft class and 5 more have already made their presence felt as players eligible for the next two drafts. This season, only 3 other schools: St Blane, George Fox and Eastern State, had as many as 3 players eligible for the 1934 draft. As mentioned above the three St Blane pitchers are all very highly regarded so that was likely another school that would have contended for the National Championship.

But let's take a look the seven players vying to be the first one ever from Grange College to be drafted by and perhaps one day play in FABL. Here are their stats and what the OSA says about each of them.

JOE BRADBURY: OF - (.308,7,49) A Cincinnati native with great speed and should possess the hitting ability to make the big leagues.

PAT BUCHANAN: OF - (.290,2,39) The Oswego, NY native is considered an average hitter with a good eye. More a journeyman than an elite player.

BOB CRAWFORD: OF - (.280,4,49) OSA feels the 21 year old from Milwaukee will be able to contribute to a big league club, but more as a supplement than a star.

JIM HORNER: RHP - (7-3, 3.42) Has 6 pitches with 3 expected to be major league quality. Needs to rely on his command rather than pure stuff and there is concern the Henderson, Kentucky native may not have the stamina to go deep into ballgames.

ALEX KING: RHP - (4-4, 4.29) The Wheeling, West Virginia native is considered a borderline pick who is not expected to be more than an organization depth piece.

BEN MARTIN: OF -(.277,8,51) Outgoing 21 year old from Los Angeles can always be counted on to talk to reporters but has limited pro potential.

SNOOKS SMITH: OF - (.257,3,37) One of the few college players born in Alaska as his grandparents both headed north during the gold rush, Smith is a solid defensive outfielder with decent speed but his ceiling is a bench role.

Of the seven, Bradbury is the most highly touted. He is the only one to make the OSA 5 round mock draft, fitting in somewhere in the middle of round four.

from the August 6, 1934 edition of The Toledo Blade.

OHIO POLY STAR LOOKS TO FOLLOW IN FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS

Howard Brown toiled for 14 years in the minor leagues, peaking at AAA where he played parts of three seasons for the Cleveland Foresters top farm team in Cincinnati. Brown, a corner outfielder, hit .253 in 268 games in Cincinnati and played an additional 536 games in AA, primarily for the Toledo Tornados. A Chicago native, Brown has settled in Ohio, the state he played most of his pro ball in, and raised a family that includes son Howard Jr.
Junior was born in Toledo during his dad's playing days and is hoping to follow in his father's footsteps and become a professional ballplayer. It looks like the 22 year old stands a pretty good chance of even surpassing his dad and perhaps one day making it to FABL. After starring at Libbey High School the younger Brown stayed in Toledo to play his college ball at Ohio Poly University. He just completed his junior season with the Cardinals where he hit .305 and showed a little power as well with 7 homers in 40 games. The league scouting service projects Brown could be a .330 hitter one day in the big leagues and a "worthwhile development project". Blessed with much more speed than his old man - Brown stole 33 bases for the Cardinals this season - his outstanding range and ability to chase down fly balls may be his biggest strength. He and his father are now fully focused on December and the annual FABL draft.
"There was no draft in my day," laughed the elder Brown. "so I guess Junior will get bragging rights no matter when he is selected. But right now the old man is the only one in the family who can say he played Triple A ball. Of course we are all hoping that changes real soon."
To no surprise Junior grew up a fan of the Cleveland Foresters but says he will be happy going to any team. "My dad has an old photograph with Max Morris and he is holding me in it. I must have been 2 or 3 so I don't remember much of it but my dad jokes I have been to Foresters spring training before, and it would sure be something to go back there as a ballplayer."

Jiggs McGee · 01-11-2021, 09:01 PM

I think it has been a while since I looked back at an old draft class and I believe 1920 is the last one I did so let's get back on track and see how the first round selections of the 1921 draft made out.

1- HOWIE SHIFFLETT 2B- Philadelphia Keystones: The 18 year old shortstop put up some pretty solid numbers while with Houston High School but it took him a long time to get to the major leagues. At one point he was the #3 rated prospect in the game and he finally made his big league debut six years after his draft year. Since then he has played regularly for the Keystones but really is just an average big league second baseman, batting .295 and averaging about 7 homers a season. His defense is a little suspect and he is not what you would think a first overall pick should be, but it was a weak draft year and the Keystones did get a serviceable major league piece.

2- BERT FLORES RHP- Toronto Wolves: In the past I have talked about the AI years Toronto GM's penchant for drafting pitchers who ultimately underachieved and they got another one in 1921 with the selection of Flores. He was decent but not overly impressive in high school ball in Louisville. Flores peaked as the #7 rated prospect in 1927 and actually had a pretty strong sophomore season on a weak Toronto team in 1929, going 17-17 with a 3.26 era. That would be the zenith of his big league career as he struggled (to put it mildly) through a 1-12, 7.54 1930 season in a year he was plagued by a nagging hamstring injury. The Wolves released him early the following season and since then he has bounced around with a couple of independent teams finding a home with the Denver Plainsmen of the Western Association. It is extremely unlikely that, at age 32, he ever finds his way back to the majors so he finishes with a 27-47 career record. It should be noted Toronto had much better success with their second round pick as they went with Birdie Smith out of Brunswick University. Smith, who is still going strong with the Wolves at age 34, is the second most successful pitcher in his draft class posting a 150-184 mark to date. The Cougars Dick Lyons, who was taken 5 picks after Smith and is 112-88 with an all-star game selection, would likely be considered the best pitcher selection of this draft.

3- GUSTAVO MUNOZ SS- Pittsburgh Miners: Another high school selection, Munoz lasted just 2 seasons in the Miners system before being released. Obviously not a good look for the organization with a high first round draft pick. He bounced around with a couple of teams before finally get a big league chance with Detroit where he hit .309 as a 26 year old rookie. He was a regular on the Dynamos 1929 World Championship team but his playing time decreased substantially after that and he spent all of the 1934 season in AAA. He does have a .304 career average in 355 FABL games.

4- PETE LAYTON 2B- New York Stars: In hindsight the middle infielder from College of San Diego clearly should have gone #1. He has been a huge piece of the Stars success over the past decade, making two all-star teams, winning 4 World Championship Series and being named MVP of the 1932 Series. Now 34, Layton has a .333 career batting average and 1,851 hits in 1,454 FABL games and appears to still be going strong after hitting .329 this season - the 8th straight year he surpassed the .300 mark. Layton also won a batting title in 1928 and has a .375 career postseason batting average in 20 games.

5- FRANK PLATT OF - Detroit Dynamos: Now retired, Platt spent parts of 8 seasons in Detroit after being selected out of Brunswick, including 3 years as a starter in Detroit. He had back to back 200 hit seasons including 1927 when he led the Fed with 225 hits and also topped the loop with 35 steals. He was on the 1929 World Championship Detroit squad but only appeared in 16 games that season. Platt played 612 big league games and hit .324 but after his impressive run from 1925-26 much more was expected from him.

6- CHRIS ODLE 3B - New York Gothams: Out of Wilkes-Barre High School, Odle was released by the Gothams this past April and has not caught on anywhere else. He spent 7 seasons with the club including 3 as their starting third baseman and hit .274 in 560 FABL games. Certainly nothing special but no worse than most of those draft near him.

7- ROCKY EDWARDS 2B - Chicago Cougars: Edwards had 3 decent seasons for the Cougars but then fell off the map when they dealt him to Brooklyn at age 26. The Coastal California product hit .303 in 430 games with the Cougars and .214 after he left them. He retired following the 1933 season with career that encompassed 484 FABL games.

8- LEO REYNOLDS P - Baltimore Cannons: Reynolds perhaps could have been so much more than he turned out to be as it appears a devastating elbow injury greatly altered his career. He was MVP of the 1921 College World Series with the Northern California Miners as a junior before the Cannons selected him but Reynolds failed to sign and returned to the Miners for his senior season. Baltimore drafted him again the following season but in the second round this time and he did eventually sign. Fast tracked to AAA out spring camp, Reynolds won his first 4 decisions as a professional at that level and was in Baltimore midway through his rookie pro season. He was 6-11 with a 3.53 era until he hurt his elbow late in the season and missed over a year. While Reynolds did pitch for Baltimore again he never lived up to the promise he appeared to show as a rookie pro, going 2-7 with a 4.57 era in 1924 and pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen in 1926 but that was the extent of his big league time. He does remain in the Baltimore system at age 33 but has yet to make it back to the major leagues, spending most of his time at AA Erie. Johnson is 11-22 with 3 saves and a 4.00 in parts of 3 big league seasons.

9- DICK ALEXANDER P - Boston Minutemen: Alexander went 7-1, 1.79 in his draft year and along with Reynolds helped lead Northern California to a College World Series title. He made his major league debut less than 2 years later but never really caught on with the Minutemen. He was in the rotation for 3 seasons and went 14-7 in 1928 but was moved to the bullpen by 1931 and spent all of last season, at age 33, in AAA> His FABL mark is 54-61 with a 4.19 era.

10- ALEX DIAZ C- Philadelphia Sailors: Other than Pete Layton, the product of Lynn High School has been the most successful first rounder in this draft. 1300 career games and counting with a .290 batting average while with the Sailors. He won a pair of World Championship Series and was MVP of the 1928 Fall Classic. Simply a very good, steady big league catcher for the past decade.

11- LARRY CRAIG 2B- Brooklyn Kings: Ended up playing 259 big league games and hitting .267, but none with the team that drafted him. After one season of class A ball the Kings released the former Dickson College Maroon. The St Louis Pioneers along with Indy teams Portland and Sacramento also signed him for a spell only to quickly release Craig as well. He did eventually catch on with the Sailors in 1923 and spent parts of 5 seasons as a backup with Philadelphia, earning a pair of World Championship Series rings. The Sailors cut ties with him prior to the 1933 season and he has been with Pueblo of the Western Association ever since.

12- ART ROE P - Cleveland Foresters: Had a decent career at Rainier College and has accomplished a lot in the minors over his career including throwing a no-hitter in 1926 and being a part of 3 minor league pennant winners while winning 144 games. His big league career was much less impressive. He pitched 2 innings for the 1926 Foresters and went 6-6 for the club as a swingman the following season. After being waived he was picked up by Brooklyn and in 1929 went 2-3 with a 6.69 era in 6 starts for the Kings before being released. Now 34, he is pitching for independent Syracuse of the Union League.

13- ED PINKHAM C - Chicago Chiefs: The Oakland High Schooler was dealt to Montreal while still in the minors and ended up spending 7 seasons with the Saints, primarily in a backup role. Washington claimed him off waivers at the start of the season and he appeared in 82 games for the Eagles this season, second most of his career. Pinkham has hit .274 in 491 FABL games and is an average backup catcher.

14- GUS PERRY P -Montreal Saints: Perry won a pair of College World Series titles with Liberty College but went back to school after Montreal released him in his first spring camp. He would be selected by the Sailors in the second round of the 1922 draft and spend half a dozen years in their organization including a 10-14 season in 1925 with the big league club. He ran into some injury troubles after that and never pitched in the majors again, having to settle for a 16-26 record with a 5.75 era in 33 appearances over 3 seasons. He is now 34 and still going strong, having spent the past 5 seasons with independent Pueblo of the Western Association, posting 70-47 record over the time for the Mountaineers.

15- MIKE HICKS P - Washington Eagles: The 1921 draft must have had some tough player agents as Hicks was the third pick of the opening round who refused to sign joining fellow pitchers Leo Reynolds and Gus Perry. After 3 seasons at Northern Mississippi Hicks transferred to Commonwealth Catholic for his senior campaign after refusing to sign with the Eagles. Montreal grabbed him in the second round of the 1922 draft but released him midway through his rookie pro season. Hicks eventually caught on with Pittsburgh and spent 6 seasons in the Miners bullpen, appearing in 231 FABL games - all in relief. He was 25-23 with 27 saves before being cut loose after the 1931 season. He is now 33 and has spent the last two seasons pitching for independent Portland of the Great Western League.

16- CHARLIE JOHNSON P - St Louis Pioneers: Johnson, like 14th pick Gus Perry, had quite the college pedigree as he helped pitch Liberty College to back to back national titles in 1919 and 1920. Injuries hounded him as a pro including missing nearly all of the 1922 season with shoulder troubles. Despite that Johnson had some strong minor league seasons including going 24-3 for AA Dayton as a 23 year old in 1924. Midway through the 1925 season he was dealt to the New York Gothams in a trade that brought Hal Galvan to St Louis. He debuted with the Gothams that year and went 11-5 with a 3.01 era in 1926 - the only season he was a starter. Johnson then settled in the New York bullpen and led the Fed in saves with 14 in 1931 but dealt with numerous injuries through his days in New York. He was dealt to Cleveland prior to the 1933 season and spent the past two seasons pitching in AAA Cincinnati. Now 34 years old he is 25-25 with 43 saves and a 3.61 era in 196 big league appearances.

SUMMARY

So Pete Layton and Alex Diaz were the only solid major leaguers to come out of the first round of the 1921 draft which appears to have been a very thin crop overall. Frank Vance is about the best of the remaining hitters - he went in round two to Detroit. I already mentioned pitchers Dick Lyons and Birdie Smith, who were both very good second round picks but beyond that there really is not much that stands out. Perhaps third rounders Tom Hopkins, who enjoyed a few seasons in Pittsburgh or Ed Roberts, who remains Baltimore's option at third base all these years later.

It would be easy to criticize a number of teams for bad first round picks - especially those that released guys very shortly after drafting them - but the truth is, other than a very select few, this was simply a very poor crop of players in the 1921 draft.

Jiggs McGee · 01-14-2021, 10:36 AM

DID FORESTERS COMEBACK SAVE BASEBALL IN CLEVELAND?

If we have learned one thing the past couple of months it is to never count the Cleveland Foresters out. Reeling after blowing an 8 game lead in August, the Foresters regrouped and went 15-1 down the stretch to hold of Brooklyn for the Continental Association Pennant. Next up was the World Championship Series and Cleveland dug itself a hole in dropping three of the first four games before once again showing incredible resilience and roaring back to win three straight to give long suffering Foresters fans their first World Championship in franchise history. But one challenge remains and that is the uphill battle fans have been fighting to save their beloved Foresters.

Foresters owner Elmer Marshall has been battling Cleveland city administrators for quite some time to try and coax them into using taxpayer money to fund a new stadium for the club. It is no secret Forester Field is at the very least in need of a facelift, but Marshall wants the 24 year old building razed and a new home built - at taxpayer money of course - for his club. With the city, like most across the nation, still reeling from the fallout of the Stock Market crash there does not appear to be much money to spare so Marshall has taken it upon himself over the past couple of months to go on a national tour in hopes of finding a city council more receptive to giving into his demands. So instead of witnessing perhaps the best, and certainly the most exciting, couple of months of Forester baseball, Marshall has spent his time riding the rails, and being wined and dined by bureaucrats in places like Cincinnati, Buffalo and even Charlotte as they each make their pitch for his ballclub.

Marshall had okayed the club spending money to bring in veteran stars like Max Morris, T.R. Goins and Charlie Berry in hopes of making the team just good enough that it would create an uprising were Cleveland city council not to cave in on his demands of a new Stadium. Perhaps, he accomplished that task just a little too well as the Foresters were not only competitive, but they completed one of the greatest comebacks in World Championship Series history and ended a championship drought that stretched 45 years and two leagues. Cleveland, which joined the old Border Association in 1890, won it's CA 4th pennant earlier this month but up until yesterday had never won the World Championship Series. One has to think that Cleveland's accomplishment derailed Marshall's plans as even he could not want to face the venom he would certainly receive were he to move the club now, would he?

As for the Foresters it took a few games but their talented offense finally took control of the series, scoring 18 runs in Game Seven alone after getting 18 in the first four games. Now 18 in four games is nothing to complain about unless your pitching had a complete melt down, as the Foresters did, early in the series. The momentum turned in Game Five when Roger Perry shut the New York Gothams bats down, allowing just 1 hit over 7 innings of work as he combined with reliever Frank Phillips on a 4-0 shutout that was so impressive it prompted manager Jim Wilson to give the ball to the 27 year old again in Game Seven instead of Dean Astle, who had struggled in losing games one and four. Charlie Berry, the midseason acquisition from Boston acquired to solve the Foresters woes at third base, continued his strong series with a pair of hits in the game five win while Max Morris also delivered two hits including his second homerun of the series.

As much as we talk about the offense of this series, it was those 7 innings of 1 hit ball from Roger Perry in Game Five that turned the series and if the Foresters stay in Cleveland may ultimately be the reason why. The tide turned in that fifth game as the Foresters were able to prolong the series in order to return home. Game Six and Game Seven were both the T.R. Goins show as the 33 year old catcher, dominated New York pitching with 8 hits, 7 rbi's and 7 runs scored in those two games alone. For my money Goins was hands down the star of the series and should have been named it's MVP but one can't argue with the sentimentality of giving the award to Mighty Mo. Morris had a very good series, hitting .419 with 3 homers and 7 rbi's to add his first Series MVP award to a trophy case that also includes 8 (with possibly a 9th coming this year) Association MVP awards and 2 World Championship rings.

Roger Perry aside, the name of the game this Series was clearly "Offense". Cleveland scored 48 runs and the two clubs combined for 81 in the seven games. Individual records were established such as Charlie Berry's marks of 25 total bases and 13 rbi's while Max Morris equaled a 39 year old record by scoring 10 runs in the series and T.R. Goins came 1 hit shy of Carlos Cano's 1930 record for hits in a series with 15. Six times a player has hit 3 homeruns in a series and two of them occurred this year with Morris and Berry each socking 3. For Morris, he becomes the only player to hit 3 homers in a World Championship Series twice, having first done it in 1921 for St Louis. With 7 round-trippers in Series play, Morris takes sole possession of the career leaderboard in that category. He had entered the series tie with Rankin Kellogg and Tom Taylor with 4 each. As for career RBI's Morris is second all-time with 21, trailing only current teammate T.R. Goins, who has 24.

The question now is do the veteran Cleveland sluggers have another title left in their tank, but certainly for fans along the southern shores of Lake Erie the bigger question is "Will they still be able to witness the attempt in person?"

Jiggs McGee · 01-18-2021, 01:32 PM

WHO IS NUMBER ONE? LOOKING AT THE 1934 DRAFT

By Jiggs McGee

I recently discovered the OSA mock draft is dynamic rather than static and it has been changing with alarming regularity. The 16 FABL General Managers already had their work cut out for them this December with the elimination of feeder leagues and the need to adjust to a new system for scouting and selecting high school and college talent. The mock draft compiled by the so-called experts at OSA is not static as I had originally believed. This reporter's assumption was that the mock draft was created once on draft class reveal day and then updated with a final mock draft on the day of the draft but this fall has proven that is not the case as the top name on the list seems to change almost daily. As a result the Washington Eagles, who own the first pick this year after their 55-99 season in the Federal Association, likely have a larger the normal list of candidates to narrow down from.

The original news article revealing the draft class list these 10 players as ones worthy of consideration:

Many of those listed above have spent time at number one on the mock draft and there are some other fast risers to consider such as outfielder Ruben Sanchez, who has gone from 14th in an earlier mock draft to 7th in today's list. Catchers have been very prominent with Eastern Oklahoma University's Adam Mullins spending most of the past couple of months in the top three slots and has taken over number one in today's rankings. Woody Stone, a high school prospect out of Dunlap High School in Tennessee is rising very quickly up the charts of late.

It is perhaps noteworthy to realize the last time the Washington Eagles picked first overall in the draft they selected a high school catcher by the name of T.R. Goins, who was recently named the Continental Association player of the year. Could history repeat itself and the Eagles once again draft a catcher number one overall?

However, looking at the recent history of the draft you have to think a pitcher will go number one as four of the last six years the first selection has been a pitcher. If this trend continues odds are it will be Bobo White who hears his name called first. The 20 year old righthander posted a 9-5 record with a 2.78 era for St Blane College this season and OSA has suggested he has the potential to be a truly elite arm. White is ranked 6th in the mock draft as of this writing.

It is interesting to note that White is the only pitcher the OSA mock draft considers to be a first round candidate. There are several deemed second round picks but looking at last season when there was a run on pitching with each of the top five and six of the first seven being moundsmen you have to think that Lou Johnson, Gus Goulding, George M Brooks and Lou Barker might all go in the first round instead of the top half of the second as OSA projects.

Here are the all-time first overall draft selections. A lot of big names on this list but also a few that really busted.

Code:

 
     HISTORY OF NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICKS
YEAR   PLAYER         POS      TEAM			 SCHOOL 
1933 Joe Hancock	P  Toronto Wolves      		 Henry Hudson
1932 Curly Jones	P  New York Gothams     	Henry Hudson
1931 Harry Barrell	SS Cleveland Foresters		Atlanta HS
1930 Jack Flint		C  St Louis Pioneers		Lubbock State
1929 Tom Barrell	P  Chicago Cougars		Georgia Baptist
1928 Tom Wilcox		P  Brooklyn Kings		Liberty College
1927 Cliff Moss		OF Montreal Saints		Pierpont
1926 Karl Stevens	OF Cleveland Foresters		Rainier College
1925 Al Wheeler		OF Detroit Dynamos		Decatur HS
1924 Walker Moore 	P  Philadelphia Keystones	Mobile HS
1923 Lee Smith		OF Philadelphia Keystones	Garden State
1922 Ranking Kellogg    1B Philadelphia Keystones	Memphis HS
1921 Howie Shifttlett   2B Philadelphia Keystones   	Houston HS
1920 David Merchant     OF Philadelphia Sailors		Chicago Poly
1919 T.R. Goins         C  Washington Eagles		Cincinnati HS
1918 Dick Dover		P  Brooklyn Kings		Dickson College
1917 Elmer Lambert      3B Philadelphia Keystones	George Fox Univ.
1916 Roger Landry	SS St Louis Pioneers		Detroit HS
1915 Dan Waldman	P  Philadelphia Sailors		Nashville HS
1914 Jim Shelton	OF Chicago Chiefs		St Patrick's College
1913 Max Morris		1B Cleveland Foresters		Cleveland HS
1912 Eddie Andrews	2B Philadelphia Keystones	Nashville HS
1911 Mark Robinson	SS Philadelphia Sailors		Berkeley HS

So who will join the list above from the 1934 class? The Washington Eagles have remained mum and given no indication at all of their leanings but you have to think it is one of the following players:

BOBO WHITE - Pitcher, St Blane College: There seem to be a number of very good pitching prospects available, even if OSA feels hitters are worthy of a higher ranking. White was 8-1 as a sophomore last season in the final year of feeders and ranked among the leaders in most pitching categories this season. He has good size (6'1") and can approach 90 mph with his fastball. As much as it would be a great story to see the Eagles get a catcher with this draft to see if he can approach T.R. Goins legacy, you have to think the lure of a potential franchise pitcher is too much to pass up.

ADAM MULLINS - Catcher, Eastern Oklahoma University: Washington could use an upgrade at catcher as I have doubts about their top catching prospect Ben Richardson ever becoming even an average big leaguer, so perhaps the thought of replacing TR Goins with Mullins might creep into the minds of the Eagles brass. Mullins had a terrific season hitting .317 against great competition with the Pioneers and was a first team AIAA All-American selection.

WOODY STONE - Catcher, Dunlap (TN) High School: Has committed to College of San Diego and will likely demand a big signing bonus but Stone is one of several players who have seem their stock rise on the OSA mock draft over recent weeks. A high school All-American, Stone slashed .541/.586/.806 in 23 games this season for the Dunlap Indians. OSA's scouting report calls him "an above average, everyday big league player."

CHARLIE ARTUSO - Shortstop, Lebanon (TN) High School: Like catcher, shortstop is a position of need at the big league level for the Washington Eagles but it is also a position they have used a number of high draft picks on so they are stocked with some shortstop talent in the system. Among those picks are 1930 third overall selection Jim Beard and last season's 6th overall pick Johnnie Sundberg. There are a number of quality shortstops available in this draft with OSA projecting 3 to be first round quality talent in Jim Hensley, Lew McClendeon and Artuso. Artuso is rated the best of the bunch by OSA and presently slots in at #4 on their mock draft. The Coastal State commit hit .477 with 23 stolen bases in 25 games this season for Lebanon High and while scouts speak very highly of his contact potential and his speed, it is Artuso's work with the glove that is said to set him above the other shortstops in this draft class.

BENNIE GRIFFITH - Centerfield. All Hallows College: Centerfield is not a position of need for the Eagles with 29 year old Wally Flowers entrenched at the position in Washington but Griffith has been drawing plenty of attention from OSA of late. Blessed with what OSA calls 'dangerous" speed, Griffith possess an above average ability to put the ball in play and get hits as his .323 batting average, fourth best amongst draft eligible college hitters, attests to. The only thing that might cause teams to shy away from the 22 year old Yonkers, New York native is the school he played it is just an average level AIAA college.

Regardless of who the Eagles pick there will be a lot of excitement throughout the first round as it appears to have a very interesting collection of players to choose from. My bet is half a dozen pitchers go in the opening round but there also could be a run on shortstops as there appears to be a half dozen that might also sneak into the opening round. Centerfield is another position of depth this draft, as are the corner outfield positions but most teams in the league are not lacking at all in outfield talent so expect some to slide due to the anticipated run on pitching.

Hrycaj · 01-18-2021, 04:39 PM

F.A.B.L Top Hitters under 27 years of age

Catcher:
In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Bobby Gentry 25 yrs., Boston: 379 hits; 63 2B, .308/.339/.413, 7.5 WAR
Clarence Howerton 25 yrs., St. Louis: 301 Hits, 27 3B, .275/.336/.387, 6.0 WAR
George Cleaves 20 yrs., Pittsburgh: 164 hits, 42 2B, .293/.337/.384, 3.3 WAR
John Wicklund 25 yrs., New York (FA): 140 hits, 13 HR, .301/.366/.458, 4.6 WAR

This is really a case of established guys vs. newcomers. Both Gentry and Howerton have over 300 games under their belts. In that time both players have established themselves as solid everyday catching options. Both guys were selected in the 1927 draft with Gentry going in the 7th round and Howerton going in the 14th. Great late draft value here.

Then you have the cases of Cleaves and Wicklund who have played in just under half as many games but have put up some eye popping numbers. Cleaves was the 4th overall pick in the 1931 draft and in 146 games has already 164 hits with 42 doubles and a 3.3 WAR. Cleaves looks like he is on his way to stardom. Wicklund was another late round pick going in the 15th round of the same 1927 draft that Gentry and Howerton were a part of. Wicklund has only played in 125 games but he already has 140 hits and 13 homers which is tied with Gentry for the most out of the 4 players in discussion. Similar to Cleaves, the entirety of Wicklund’s success can be traced to last season’s performance. The question will be if their breakout seasons are repeatable or not.

First Base:
In the discussion: (Career numbers)

Fred McCormick 25 yrs., St. Louis: 799 hits, 152 2B, 68 3B, 43 HR, .343/.408/.522, 17.7 WAR
Vic Crawford 26 years., Montreal: 398 hits, 108 2B, 18 HR, .295/.351/.427, 6.9 WAR

There really is no discussion here. McCormick is not only the best first baseman in the league under the age of 27 he is one of the top 10 hitters in the league regardless of position and age. Originally drafted by the Gothams in the 11th round of the 1927 draft McCormick quickly rocketed up prospect boards settling at #5 when he became the main piece in the deal that sent Max Morris to New York. The very next season McCormick earned a starting spot in the Pioneer lineup and he hasn’t looked back since. Having just turned 25 after the 1934 season McCormick looks like he can be an all-time great.

A distant second on this list would be the 3rd overall pick from the 1929 draft Vic Crawford. Crawford is a fine up and coming player in his own right, he has logged a combined 6.1 WAR over the last two seasons and is a doubles machine leading the the CA in that category in 1933. With two consecutive solid offensive seasons under his belt it is easy to predict great things from Crawford moving forward.

Second Base:
In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Jake Shadoan 26 yrs., Brooklyn: 934 hits, 134 2B, 37 HR, .339/.376/.448, 15.1 WAR
Sam Orr 26 yrs., Toronto: 726 hits: 119 2B, 36 3B, .296/.339/.389, 14.0 WAR
Freddie Jones 24 yrs., St. Louis: 590 hits, 200 more BB than K’s, .361/.352/.441, 19.0 WAR

Second Base is loaded with young talent. Left off the discussion list were Brooks Meeks of Cleveland, Henry Clayton of Pittsburgh and Jack Winston of New York (FA). All three players have done some nice things in the league but they simply fail in comparison to the big three at the top of the list.

Drafted 7th overall in the 1929 draft by Brooklyn, Jake Shadoan was always expected to be a fine hitter. He cracked into the FABL during his age 22 season and has never logged a season where his batting average has been under .300. In 3 of his 5 FABL seasons Shadoan has logged over 200 hits in a season. He has led the CA in the hits category for the last 2 seasons. Shadoan is definitely a main component of the offensive attack in Brooklyn.

Sam Orr was drafted two spots ahead of Shadoan by Toronto in 1929. Orr earned his starting spot at the beginning of the 1931 season and promptly logged career highs in hits (199) doubles (34) and stolen bases (18). Orr has been a very productive regular for the Wolves and a bright part of their future.

As good as Shadoan and Orr are they may be tier 1B players next to Freddie Jones of St. Louis. In 3 FABL seasons Jones has demonstrated that if he doesn’t swing at a pitch then it is not a strike. Blessed with an impeccable to work the count in his favor, Jones has decreased his total strikeouts and increased his walks in each successive season. Currently he has 200 more career walks than strikeouts. The former 2nd overall pick (1931) owns a career .361 batting average and a WAR of 19.0 making him one of the best, exciting hitters in the league.

Third Base:
In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Ed Stewart 26 yrs., Pittsburgh: 701 hits, 15 3B, 86 HR, .289/.338/.434, 17.9 WAR
Hank Barnett 25 yrs., Montreal: 566 hits, 89 2B, 57 Hr, .274/.345/.417, 13.0 WAR
Johnny McDowell 26 yrs., New York (FA): 323 Hits, 38 2B, 22 3B, .306/.345/..386 4.1 WAR
John Langille 23 yrs., Brooklyn: 197 Hits, 57 2B, 11 HR, .352/.397/.530, 6.1 WAR

The third base crop is much like the catchers group. You have the established steady players vs. the one year breakout guys. Steady Eddie Stewart heads the established guys with 4 full seasons under his belt. In that time he has compiled over 700 hits and has hit over 15 homers in each of those seasons. Stewart’s WAR puts him in the same category as Shadoan and McCormick but this is more of a function to his solid defense as he is not in the same offensive category of those players. Stiil, really good value for an 11th round draft pick.

Hank Barnett saw his first action as a 20 year old. The 6th round pick in the ‘27 draft hit .305 in 54 games for the Saints. He has been a rollercoaster ever since. From .305 his average dipped to .251 and then back up to .284 as a full time regular. In his 23 year old season it dropped once again to .247 and was back up to .286 last season. His 57 career home runs in 556 games still makes him a player that you want to continue to give opportunities to.

Then there are the breakouts. The 26 year old McDowell, who plays for the Gothams, doesn’t have the power usually associated with a corner position. What Johnny does have though is gap to gap power combined with good speed. Mc Dowell does not yet have the body of work that Stewart and Barnett have but he is on his way.

John Langlille was one of the pieces in the deal that sent Milt Fritz to Montreal. At the time of the deal Langille was the #51 ranked prospect in the FABL and the lowest ranked one in that particular deal. After a 25 game cup of coffee to finish out the 1933 season, Langille really made his mark in 1934 leading the FABL in doubles on his way to posting a 5.3 WAR for the season. While Langille may not have the body of work as the 3 other players in discussion his star may be the brightest out of all of them.

Shortstop:

Harry Barrell 20 yrs., Brooklyn: 372 hits, 71 2B, 76/24 BB/K, .333/.373/.426, 17.3 WAR
George Dawson 23 yrs., Cleveland: 334 hits, 34 2B, 40 SB, .297/.342/.361, 11.2 WAR
Ray Russell 26 yrs., St. Louis: 393 hits, 66 2B, 14 3B, 24 HR, .306/.369/.435 7.3 WAR

Much like the first base discussion there is the clear top player followed by a couple of players that are really good but can’t offer any real comparison. The top dog here is the young SS from Brooklyn, Harry Barrell. Making his debut as a 19 year old the former 1st overall pick (Cleveland, 1931) took the league by storm. Almost a full quarter of his hits were for extra bases as he raced out to a 8.5 WAR, good for 3rd in the FABL. His sophomore season was even better as Barrell increased his production in every offensive category solidifying himself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the FABL. In just 273 career games Harry has already compiled a combined WAR of 17.3. If Harry can stay healthy and continue to produce at his current rate he could go down and find himself mentioned as one of the greatest to ever play the SS position.

George Dawson was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1929 draft by Cleveland, and like Barrell, has just completed his second season. The numbers in comparison are respectable. Dawson has been able to exhibit some gap power and has been able to use his speed to provide some added value. Obviously everyone in comparison to Barrell are going to be found wanting but many teams would be more than happy with Dawson playing SS for their respective club. The other 1B player on the list would be the often injured Ray Russell of the St. Louis Pioneers. Russell was a 4th round selection of the Pioneers in 1929 and made his FABL debut in 1931. Simply put when he is on the field he is an offensive asset that likes to hit ‘em in the gaps. Unfortunately, Russell has had all manner of injuries that have kept him from the lineup for significant amounts of time.

Left Field:
In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Leon Drake 25 yrs., Cleveland: 355 hits, 65 2B, 40 3B 38 HR, .253/.335/.438, 9.7 WAR
Pete Day 23 yrs., Boston: 212 hits, 39 2B, 77/37 BB/K, .344/.416/.498, 7.3 WAR
Al Horton 25 yrs, Baltimore: 221 hits, 37 2B, .311/.363/.432, 4.5 WAR
Rip Curry 25 yrs., Philadelphia (FA): 164 hits, 27 2B, .337/.391/.424, 3.3 WAR
Joe Owens 22 yrs., Pittsburgh: 223 hits, 30 2B, 12 3B, .299/.380/.375, 3.3 WAR

Not a lot of run away candidates with the LF group. If you are looking for power at the sake of average then Cleveland’s Leon Drake is your man. Drake was a Rule V pick plucked from the Chiefs organization that has found a nice home in the Cleveland outfield. Although Drake doesn’t exhibit any stolen base speed he is a very smart baserunner that knows when to turn a double into a triple as he logged 40 of them in his young career. The real number though is the 21 homers Drake hit in 1934. In his previous 4 seasons he had a combined 17 long balls so this was definitely a breakout year that Drake would love to repeat.

Boston’s Pete Day came to the club in a deal that sent Dan Fowler to the Foresters near the 1931 trade deadline. Day earned the opportunity to fill the LF void in Boston the very next season and did not disappoint. 212 hits with a 7.3 WAR in his rookie season is a fantastic start to what could be a fabulous career if he can repeat it.

Horton, Curry and Owens all have similar stats and career WAR numbers that will inevitably draw comparisons to each other. Owns is the youngest of the bunch at 22 so would probably be viewed as the player with the best upside. All three though are solid additions to their teams respective outfields.

Center Field:

In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Dan Fowler 26 yrs., Cleveland: 471 hits, 60 2B, 74 HR, .279/.379/.461, 14.9 WAR
Bob Worley 26 yrs., Montreal: 369 hits, 32 2B, 35 HR, .245/.310/.348, 8.1 WAR
Chick Donnelly 23 yrs., Boston: 241 hits, 47 2B, .364/.406/.474, 7.7 WAR

Out of the CF group Dan Fowler who Cleveland picked up at the trade deadline in 1933 from Boston leads this group in the power department. In 5 FABL seasons Fowler has hit over 20 homers 3 different seasons. Fowler also has a very good eye and has twice logged over 100 walks in a season and has never struck out more than he has walked at the end of any season. Fowler looks to be a player that can make a run at hitting over 300 home runs in his career.

Worley split his time between CF and RF in 1934 but he has played more in CF overall so we will put him here. You aren’t going to get an extremely high average with Worley but the power is developing. In his last two seasons Worley has hit a combined 30 home runs. Worley found himself in Montreal via a trade with the Stars for SP Charlie Stedman. At 26 years of age the time for Worley to solidify himself is probably fast approaching.

Chick Donnelly was the 11th round surprise for the Minutemen. Drafted out of high school Donnelly spent 4 years in the minors before earning the starting spot in CF the season after the club dealt Fowler to Cleveland. In his rookie season Donnely recorded a franchise record 241 hits and led the FA in doubles for the 1934 season with 49. Like many players on this list the challenge will be to repeat the performance.

Right Field:
In the discussion: (Career Numbers)

Al Wheeler 26 yrs., Detroit: 1336 hits, 169 2B, 78 3B, 199 HR, .326/.408/.552, 42.4 WAR
Bobby Barrell 24 yrs., Philadelphia (FA): 862 hits, 156 2B, 96 HR, .342/.390/.551, 28.3 WAR

No offense to the Gotham's Mahlon Strong who spent a billion years as the #1 prospect in the FABL or Washington’s Larry Vestal as they are both strong players. Strong has especially shown some nice things and could be a star if he can stay as healthy as he did in 1934. However, this is all about Wheeler and a bit about Barrell.

OSA ranks Bobby as the second best player in the FABL and Wheeler as the 9th best player. Looking at the stats however, it is clear that both players are among the best hitters in the league regardless of age or position. Wheeler was the top overall selection by Detroit in the 1925 draft out of high school. He made his debut as a 20 year old in 1928 and immediately began putting up solid consistent numbers. In 7 seasons Wheeler has only hit under 20 doubles once. He has hit over 10 triples 5 times, He has had double digit home runs each season and he is yet another player that has never struck out more than he has walked in a season. Wheeler has been the model of consistency and has a real shot at hitting over 400 home runs for his career.

Then you have the Georgia Jolter, who was drafted 6th overall in the 1928 draft by the Philadelphia Keystones. Bobby Barrell has already amassed 862 hits in his 4 FABL seasons. 96 of those hits have landed in the seats. Bobby is another player who has a fantastic feel of the strike zone and not even struck out 100 times in his young career. With his advanced feel of the strike zone and his ability to put the ball in play it would not be a surprise to see Bobby eclipse 3000 hit plateau in his career.

Jiggs McGee · 01-23-2021, 11:04 PM

December 5, 1934

Another FABL drafts is in the books and everyone in the league deserves credit for plowing through 10 rounds of human selections in matter of about 48 hours. That is both a testament to the quality of GM's in the league and also the excitement level the annual FABL draft creates. With no ratings visible the draft is much more of a challenge as it is not simply pick the guy with the most potential stars and every pick can mean something. In this case the challenge was compounded with it being the first draft in a league that no longer includes feeder college and high school leagues. Instead we used game generated players (along with a number of holdovers from last seasons feeder clubs) so it was a new experience for each GM as they tried to decide how much weight to give the game created stats verse the scouting reports - and do you trust your Scouting Director or the OSA league scout more?

This draft, like the past couple of years, was expected to see the early rounds dominated by pitching and the first 3 picks certainly followed that script with everyone's number one Bobo White of St Blane College going first overall. White, who played at St Blane last season when they were a feeder league school went to Washington and his Fighting Saints teammate Gus Goulding was selected immediately after him by the Baltimore Cannons. Detroit kept the pitching trend going but went off the books a bit by taking a third former feeder league player, in this case a high schooler, by the name of Del Burns third overall despite the fact that Burns did not appear in the OSA's five round mock draft. That is the beauty about no ratings, as each GM values certain things a little more than others and it will be very interesting to see how Burns' career pans out.

We finally had the first game created (non-feeder player) taken fourth overall when Toronto - under the guidance of the league office after their GM disappeared prior to the draft - selected Lebanon, Tennessee High School shortstop Charlie Artuso.

Here is a list of first round selections from this year's FABL amateur player draft.

Code:


PICK TEAM	NAME	 POS	SCHOOL			HOMETOWN	  MOCKDRAFT PROJ
1  WASH	  Bobo White	  P	St Blane College	Fairfield, CT		 7
2  BAL	  Gus Goulding	  P	St Blane College	Indianapolis, IN	17
3  DET	  Del Burns	  P	Houston HS 	        Green River, WY		Not ranked
4  TOR	  Charlie Artuso  SS	Lebanon HS		Lebanon, TN		 5
5 Chiefs  Bennie Griffith CF	All Hallows University	Yonkers, NY		 3
6  MON	  Adam Mullins	  C 	Eastern Oklahoma	Memphis, TN		 2
7  PIT	  Lew Seals	  CF	Bluegrass State		Hinsdale, IL		 4
8  PHS	  Woody Stone	  C	Dunlap HS TENN		River Grove, IL		 1
9  PHK	  George M Brooks P	Georgia Baptist		Rochester, NY		23
10 NYS	  Lou Barker	  P	Lubbock State		Montgomery City, MO	22
11 BOS	  Bob Donoghue	  LF	Iowa A&M		Indianola, IA		11
12Cougars Carlos Montes	  CF	Citronelle HS  		Cienfuegos, CUBA	12
13 STL	  Art Cascone	  LF	Bigsby College		Brooklyn, NY		16
14 BKN	  Dan Rogers	  RF	Canton South HS		East Canton, OH		 9
15 BAL	  Jim Hensley	  SS	Walton HS		New York, NY		 8
16 BOS	  Joe Nichols	  2B	Golden Gate Univ	Oakridge, TN		13

The breakdown by position for the first round was 5 pitchers, 2 catchers, a second baseman, 2 shortstops and 6 outfielders. Last year the first outfielder was not selected until the opening pick of the second round and it took until the 42nd pick before the 6th outfielder was drafted. The last time 6 outfielders went in the opening round was 1929 when Vic Crawford, Dan Fowler, Amos LeBlanc, Bobby Many, Nellie Dawson and Lou Williams all heard their names called in the first round.

SOME RANDOM OBSERVATIONS FROM THE DRAFT

A year ago we had 3 pitching teammates from Hartford High School selected very high in the draft with John Edwards going 3rd overall to Baltimore, Al Miller 4th to the Chicago Chiefs and Pepper Tuttle going in the fourth round to Brooklyn. These year a trio of St Blane Fighting Saints collegians did even better with Washington selecting Bobo White first overall, Gus Goulding going second to Baltimore and Brad Daniels going in the third round, 38th overall to Montreal.

The first round was likely a record setting one for the state of Tennessee. No fewer than 4 Tennessee natives were taken in the opening round led by Lebanon High School shortstop Charlie Artuso at #4 to Toronto. Adam Mullins, a Memphis native playing for Eastern Oklahoma University was selected 6th by Montreal and Oakridge born Joe Nichols, a second baseman with Golden Gate University was the final pick of the first round by Boston. The fourth is Dunlap High School catcher Woody Stone who went 8th to the Philadelphia Sailors. Stone, who was number one on the mock draft, was born in Illinois but grew up in Tennessee.

Outfielder Carlos Montes became just the fourth Cuban born player to be selected in the first round when the Chicago Cougars selected the 18 year old 12 overall out of Citronelle High School in Alabama. All three previous first round selections from Cuba were also outfielders: Carlos Cano and Sandy Lovelle, both in 1919 and Pablo Reyes, who was taken by Montreal third overall two years ago. We also saw Baltimore draft Mexican born outfielder Ruben Sanchez out of Hamilton High School in Los Angeles 18th overall. Sanchez will look to join Pedro Valenzuela as the only Mexicans to ever play in FABL. Valenzuela, a second baseman, spent over a decade in the league with the Chicago Chiefs after being drafted in the first round in 1911 out of Knoxville High School.

The biggest reach in the draft according to the OSA mock draft is Houston High School pitcher Del Burns, who was selected third overall by Detroit despite not appearing in the mock draft. He was the only first round pick ranked outside of the top 23 in the mock draft.

The biggest dropper in the mock draft was 14th ranked Heinie Billings. The centerfielder from Macon High School in Georgia was not drafted until the 4th round, 54th overall by Montreal despite being projected as a first round pick by the mock draft.

Two sons of former FABL players were taken in the opening 3 rounds of the draft led by second round selection Jack Goff to Toronto with the 20th pick overall. The high school pitcher is the son of former Brooklyn and New York Gotham ace and current Kings bench coach Danny Goff. Cleveland drafted "The Pup", Mel Hancock Jr. with the final pick of the third round. Mel Senior who was known as "The Bulldog" played in 1133 FABL games with Brooklyn and Washington. In addition Boston selected Howard Brown Jr in the third round. His father, like Junior, was an outfielder and spent time in the Cleveland system but peaked at AAA.

The New York City area dominated the early rounds of the draft with nine area players selected in the first 3 rounds led by Bennie Griffith, a Yonkers native taken 5th overall by the Chicago Chiefs. Brooklyn born Bigsby College outfielder Art Cascone, Walton High School in New York's Jim Hensley, Tilden High School in Brooklyn teammates Jack Goff and Bob Mullins, NYC native Dick Gentry of North Carolina Tech, Brooklyn born Bill Sorrells of Adirondack State, NYC native Jack Wood of Henry Hudson University and New York born shortstop Ivan Cameron round out the group.

I will have more on the draft over the next couple of days after the final 15 rounds are completed. This league has human GM's draft the first 10 rounds and then the game AI takes over to complete the 25 round draft.

Tiger Fan · 01-24-2021, 08:33 AM

I have been going through the FABL league history and discovering so many interesting players that I thought this would be a good thread to share what I run across. I will try to add a story I discover about one guy every day or so.

Let's begin with a pitcher from the early days of the sport

PRETZELS CRONAUER

Pretzels caught my attention because I was looking at foreign born players and I had well expected a Canadian to top the list of most pitching wins by a player born outside of the US. Instead it is the German born Cronauer who holds that distinction. Pretzels went 185-135 over 10 seasons starting in 1884.

Code:


WINS BY A NON AMERICAN BORN PITCHER
Pretzels Cronauer	185-135  Germany  1884-93
Frank Maroney		173-127  Ireland  1882-94
Jim Cannon		169-189	 Scotland 1878-87
Charles Atkinson	133-163  Canada   1890-99
Adolph Cash		111-103  Canada   1890-96
Hartigan O'Carroll	103-103  Ireland  1876-96
Johnson Lee		 90-100  Canada   1911-16
Al Allen Jr.		 56-50   Canada   1926-current

Pretzels was a key piece of one of the old Century League's powerhouse team called the Providence Gems just prior to the birth of FABL. He broke in with the Gems at the age of 20 in 1884 and would help them to 3 straight league titles begin in 1886 when he went 29-6. Over a 3 year span Cronauer won 94 games and his 43 wins in 1888 are one shy of the FABL record set by Jack Manning of the New York Gothams in 1885.

Code:


PITCHING WINS IN A SINGLE SEASON
Jack Manning 	   44-9   1885  New York Gothams 
Pretzels Cronauer  43-22  1888  Providence Gems
Jason Young	   42-33  1881  Boston Pilgrims
Pete Hood	   41-9   1885  New York Gothams
Eddie Jordan	   38-22  1888  Chicago Chiefs
Charles Wilson     37-12  1896  Philadelphia Stars
Price Adams	   37-7   1898  Philadelphia Stars

The Gems could not be beat on the field those three years but it was the heart of the battle between the Century League and Border Association and they succumbed to bankruptcy due to overspending and mismanagement. William Whitney's Chicago Chiefs purchased the contract of most Providence players but they immediately sold Cronauer to the Boston Minutemen. He spent just one season in Boston compiling a 14-23 record before Whitney brought him to Chicago and his final 2 years as a solid contributor where with the Chiefs, winning 20 games in 1890 and 26 the following season.

In 1892 peace came to the sport as FABL was formed but Cronauer, despite being just 28 years of age would never win a game in FABL. He pitched just 28 innings over the next 2 seasons with 4 teams and his career was over. No known injury. He just stopped being an effective pitcher but he left a legacy that included 3 Century League titles, a no-hitter thrown in 1885 and a 43 victory season as well as the greatest German born baseball player in FABL history.

Incidentally there have been 9 German born players to play at least one major league game. The only active German born player has not yet made it to the big leagues. Heinie Buehler, is a 23 year old catcher who played at Commonwealth Catholic before being drafted by the Montreal Saints in the 25th round in 1932. Buehler had a decent season split between Class A and B a year ago, hitting .331 in 95 games.

Tiger Fan · 01-25-2021, 12:00 AM

FRANK SIMPSON

In real life Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak is one of those special records in baseball, and one that may never be broken. FABL has it's great hitting streak as well but it sits at 47 games and has stood for three and a half decades since Rich Rowley of Toronto hit safely in 1900. A couple of years back Philadelphia Keystones outfielder Lee Smith challenged Rowley's mark, but ultimately fell 3 games short. In FABL it is only in the minor leagues that DiMaggio's streak was surpassed and that was by a 31 year old journeyman named Ollie Miller, who had a 57 game streak in 1908 while playing for Evansville of the Class A Heartland League. 31 at the time, Miller's big league career had already ended with him playing just 141 games over two seasons for Washington and Toronto, batting just .231 for his big league career. The previous Heartland League standard was also quite impressive but lasted just one season as Al Eide of Lincoln had a 54 game streak. Eide was 27 at the time and would make his FABL debut the following season with the New York Stars. The Garden View, Pennsylvania native would end up playing 1,334 games in the big leagues with the Stars and Washington, finishing with a .281 career batting average.

But while those streaks are certainly impressive, in this write-up I want to talk about a player who, despite having just 76 professional base hits and none in the major leagues, owns one of the most impressive hitting streaks in baseball history. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment in college baseball was Frank Simpson's 53 game hitting streak that spanned the 1926 and 1927 AIAA seasons. His is one of just 5 streaks in organized baseball to surpass the half century mark and is the only one achieved after the end of the so-called Dead Ball Era. Prior to Simpson run at Opelika State the AIAA record for consecutive games with at least one hit was 43, established by Bob Garrett of Lubbock State in 1915.

Code:


HITTING STREAKS OF 50 GAMES PLUS ALL LEVELS
Ollie Miller     57   1908  Heartland League    Evansville
Al Eide	         54   1907  Heartland League    Lincoln
Bill Williams    54   1908  Middle Atlantic Lg  Reading
Bill Smith	 53   1919  Eastern Association  Dayton
Frank Simpson	 53   1927  AIAA		 Opelika State

COLLEGE HITTING STREAKS
Frank Simpson 	 53   1927  Opelika State
Bob Garrett	 43   1915  Lubbock State
Lee Sparks	 41   1925  Grafton
Jack Manzella    36   1925  Travis College

Simpson's career never lived up to the expectations after the hitting streak. A first baseman in college, he played in just 21 games his first two seasons with the Wildcats and went 4-for-6 in 7 plate appearances as a sophomore but started every game his senior year and hit .409, tied for fourth in the Continental Conference as he helped lead Opelika State to it's first of two National Titles. It should be noted that Simpson was originally named to the 1927 All-American team as a catcher until it was discovered in the league history that he only played first base that season so he was subsequently replaced on the team by Bill Holland of St. Matthews.

Despite his outstanding season he was not highly touted in the 1927 FABL draft and did not get selected until the 21st round when the Boston Minutemen picked him. Simpson's stay in the Minutemen organization was very brief as he was cut in the spring in 1928 before ever playing a game at any level in the organization. However he caught on, literally with the Philadelphia Keystones, who signed him with plans to use the first baseman as a catcher. He would spend 5 seasons catching in the Keystones organization but never advance past Class B, finishing with 136 pro games and a .253 career batting average.

I looked back at my draft list for 1927 and he did not make my scouting director Rube Carter's top 100 list or my list of roughly 200 names that I saved for that draft so obviously his scouting report must have been bad. It was in the early years for human GMs in our world so perhaps we all relied much more on the scouting reports as you figure a .407 average, even playing just the 1 season, should have been noticed and drafted a little higher by someone. It was at the peak for offense in college ball as AIAA clubs posted team batting average totals that had not been seem for well over a decade. Here are the players who hit over .400 that college season.

Code:


1927 AIAA BATTING LEADERS
NAME		AVG	SCHOOL			DRAFTED
Ted Parker      .436    St Patrick's	    1928 Round 8
Ray Barnes	.425    Boulder State	    1929 Round 1 pick 11
Sam Orr		.425    Henry Hudson	    1929 Round 1 pick 5
Ken Allen	.415    St Matthew's	    1929 Round 4
Harry Humphrey  .413	Whitney College     1927 Round 1 pick 3
Johnny McCann   .411    St Blane	    1929 Round 3	
Frank Simpson	.409    Opelika State	    1927 Round 21
Steve Clarke	.409    Chicago Poly	    1929 Round 2
Johnny McCann   .407	Georgia Baptist	    1929 Round 3
Charlie Steele  .406    St Pancras	    1928 Round 6
Ron Wilson	.402	St Matthew's        1929 Round 5
Nellie Dawson	.402	Wisconsin State     1929 Round 1 pick 13

So as you can see from above Frank Simpson was one of only two draft eligible players in 1927 to hit over .400 and he did not get selected until the 21st round of the draft. The poor scouting assessment obviously proved accurate because of his very brief career but one has to wonder if he went in the first couple of rounds would he have been given more of a chance?

Either way, Frank Simpson will be remembered for one incredible accomplishment in the college ranks.

Jiggs McGee · 01-25-2021, 09:01 PM

HOW DID ALL-AMERICANS FARE IN 1934 DRAFT

Ten of the 18 AIAA 1934 All-Americans were draft eligible this year but National Player of the Year Sal Pestilli was not one of them. The freshman outfielder, who dominated the college ranks this season, is still two years away from his daft year. Pestilli's older brother Alf, a teammate of Sal's at Narragansett College was drafted by Toronto but he was not an All-American like his younger brother.

Here is where each of the draft eligible All-Americans were selected in the 1934 FABL Draft.

FIRST TEAM

Catcher Adam Mullins: Eastern Oklahoma (.317,3,31)- Mullins was the first catcher taken, going sixth overall to the Montreal Saints after much pre-draft debate on if he, or fellow Tennessee native and High School All-American Woody Stone, would be the first catcher drafted. He became the first player ever drafted out of Eastern Oklahoma

Second base Jack Gunter: Mississippi A&M (.322,1,37)- There was not a lot of depth at second base in this draft and Gunter dropped all the way to the 11th round before the Washington Eagles selected him.

Shortstop Tip Harrison: Bluegrass State (.301,6,40)- The lone senior to be named a First Team All-American, Harrison was selected by the Brooklyn Kings in the second round 29th overall. It was a pretty good crop of shortstops and while Harrison was the first college shortstop to be selected, three high school shortstops went ahead of him in the draft.

Third base Phil McKenna: Coastal California (.306,8,46)- McKenna lasted until the fifth round when the Chicago Cougars grabbed him. He was the the third college third baseman selected following second rounder Harry Bull of Daniel Boone College and senior Frank Covarrubias, a 4th round pick out of Piedmont University.

Outfielder Bob Donoghue: Iowa A&M (.317,15,50)- Donoghue was the first corner outfielder selected, going 11th overall to the Boston Minutemen.

Pitcher Phil Gregg: Redwood University (12-2, 2.38)- Gregg slid all the way to the fourth round when the Washington Eagles called his name. 11 other college pitchers were drafted ahead of Gregg including Bobo White and Gus Goulding, both of St. Blane College, who went first and second in the draft.

SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

Catcher John McLemore: Tallmadge State (.269,10,43)- The junior from Cape May, New Jersey had a long wait before he finally heard his name called by the Chicago Cougars in the 12th round of the draft.

First Base Harry Pickering: George Fox (.281,6,34)- Another Washington Eagles draft pick as Pickering, from nearby Charlottesville, Virginia was taken in the 6th round and was the second college first baseman to be selected. The first was his George Fox University teammate Willie Jones who went to Cleveland at the end of round four.

Second Base Babe Clark: Marquis College (.301,1,54)- Clark was the final All-American to be selected as he lasted until the 24th round when the Baltimore Cannons finally selected the New Haven, Connecticut native.

Shortstop Bill Sorrells: Adirondack State (.307,9,48)- Sorrells went one selection after the first team shortstop Tip Harrison, as the Brooklyn native was picked 30th overall by Boston.

Third Base Frank Covarrubias: Piedmont Univ.(.338,2,36)- The native of Huntington, West Virginia and only Senior on the second team went late in the fourth round, 63rd overall to the Baltimore Cannons.

Outfielder Dick Smith: Western Iowa (.300,12,43)- Smith, a junior from Saginaw, Michigan was taken in the fifth round, 73rd overall by the Philadelphia Keystones.

Here is one more look at the complete 1934 College All-American selections:

Code:


  		1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS
                       FIRST TEAM
C  Adam Mullins   	Eastern Oklahoma   JR  .317,3,31
1B Joe Crosson    	Miami State	   SO  .277,11,39 
2B Jack Gunter		Mississippi A&M    JR  .322,1,37, 35 SB
SS Tip Harrison		Bluegrass State    SR  .301,6,40  31 SB
3B Phil McKenna		Coastal Cal.	   JR  .306,8,46
OF Sal Pestilli		Narragansett       FR  .409,16,66  33 SB (college triple crown)
OF Bob Donoghue		Iowa A&M	   JR  .317,15,50  11 SB
OF Pete Wood		Eastern State	   FR  .366,2,49   32 SB
P  Phil Gregg		Redwood University JR  12-2, 2.38, 1.16 WHIP 111 K's

                      SECOND TEAM
C  John McLemore   	Tallmadge State   JR  .269,10,43
1B Harry Pickering 	George Fox        JR  .281,6,34, 40 SB
2B Babe Clark	        Marquis College   JR  .301,1,54  32 SB
SS Bill Sorrells        Adirondack State  JR  .307,9,48  39 SB
3B Frank Covarrubias    Piedmont Univ.    SR  .338,2,36  32 SB
OF Izzy Sevilla		Murfreesboro Tech SO  .314,9,50  39 SB
OF Dick Smith           Western Iowa	  JR  .300,12,43 32 SB
OF Larry Ryder	  	George Fox	  SO  .315,12,42 11 SB
P  Clarence Linden      Frankford State   SO  10-3, 2.50, 1.15 WHIP 104 K's

Jiggs McGee · 01-26-2021, 12:25 AM

A WAY TOO EARLY 1935 MOCK DRAFT

The contracts have yet to be signed by most of the 1934 draftees but the 16 FABL scouting directors are already looking ahead to next December and the next crop of draft prospects. Let's join them and make a very early attempt at identifying the top 10 prospects for the 1935 draft. Keep in mind this group, while very talented already, is an unfinished one as a total of 400 players will be drafted next December but there are only 245 listed so far as draft eligible. More will arrive when the complete draft pool is revealed sometime in June after the high school and college seasons are completed.

But as things stand right now here are my first round selections.

1- RUFUS BARRELL II LHP MACON (GA) HIGH SCHOOL

A part of baseball's first family, the grandson of scouting guru Rufus Barrell and son of gridiron star Joe Barrell, Deuce was dominant as a junior on the Macon (Georgia) High School team last season, going a perfect 12-0, with a 0.81 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 122 innings and led high school arms in virtually every pitching category. Scouts have been drooling over him since his freshman year and whoever finishes last in the Continental Association will likely be just as happy as the pennant winner will be since Rufus already seems a lock to go first overall. He was a high school All-American selection as a junior and is expected to challenge for National High School Player of the Year this season.
It has been an incredible run of highly touted pitching talent over the past half dozen years including Bobo White, Joe Hancock, Dick Higgins, Curly Jones and Lefty Allen but Barrell might prove to be better than all of them.

2- GEORGE GARRISON RHP CATHAGE (IL) HIGH SCHOOL

This year the Continental Association cellar dweller gets the number one pick but there is a great consolation prize for the bottom feeder in the Federal Association. I don't think you will find a scout alive who would say he prefers George Garrison over Rufus Barrell but every one of them will tell you Garrison is an outstanding prospect. Born in Arkansas, Garrison grew up in Illinois and holds dual American-Canadian citizenship. With a late birthday (October) he will be one of the youngest players in the draft pool and is coming off an 11-0 season with a 0.94 era and 153 strikeouts in 115 innings, which earned him honourable mention for the High School All-American team as a junior.

3- LEON CAVASOS LHP ST EDMUND PREP, BROOKLYN, NY

The run on high school arms continues with Cavasos, a groundball specialist who saw limited action as a junior. He was 5-1 with a 1.33 era in 9 starts and fanned 80 while walking 17 in 74 innings of work. He has outstanding control and a great mental makeup to take on the responsibility of fronting a rotation.

4- FREDDY BARTLE CF AMARILLO METHODIST UNIVERSITY

Speedy centerfielder stole 37 bases in 58 games and should be a plus defender. 30 of his 67 hits (.268 average) were for extra bases and he does have a good eye at the plate. There is some concern about the New Bedford, Massachusetts native's effort so he will need a big season to remain this high in the rankings.

5- MARK BURNS 3B BRUNSWICK COLLEGE

Burns is looking like he has the potential to be a much better prospect than any of the third baseman from this past season's class. A Maryland native who looks to be an offensive force while also handling defensive chores at the hot corner with ease, Burns hit .267 with 8 homers and 49 rbi's in 58 college games this past season as a sophomore.

6- BILL KEITH RHP ST BENEDICT HIGH SCHOOL, CHICAGO

Bill moved down from Milwaukee for high school to have the opportunity to pitch against higher competition and he was dominant as a junior, posting a 9-1 record with a 1.19 era and 122 strikeouts vs just 16 walks in 98 innings of work. His changeup is the best of his three pitches and he is blessed with terrific control and the ability to induce ground balls. He will be hard pressed to surpass the top three pitchers but looks to fit comfortably into the second tier of arms.

7- BILL SEABOLT RHP CENTRAL OHIO UNIVERSITY

The top college arm, Seabolt is a 20 year old native of Brooklyn, New York who went 8-5 with a 3.04 era this past season for the Aviators. He possesses a 5 pitch repertoire but there is concern about his stuff.

8- JIM LIGHTBODY 2B ALEXANDRIA (LA) HIGH SCHOOL

A cousin of current FABL outfield brothers Doug and Frank Lightbody, Jim seems to possess the same sweet swing that won Doug a pair of Continental Association batting titles. He boasts plus speed as he stole 34 bases in 26 high school games a year ago while batting .514 and earned a spot on the High School All-American team.

9- JACK HALE RHP MIAMI STATE

In a mock draft leaning heavily on high school players the 20 year old Hale looks like an ideal selection for a team wanting a lower risk option out of it's first round pick. The El Dorado, Arkansas native was 7-4 with a 3.77 era in 14 starts for the Gulls last season.

10- RED JOHNSON 1B CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, PORTLAND, OREGON

It will be an interesting battle between Red Johnson and Memphis High School first baseman Chuck Adams to see who gets drafted first. Adams had slightly better numbers as a junior (.594,12,46) compared to Johnson (.566,11,40) as both were named High School All-Americans. Scouts give a slight nod to Johnson as having the higher pro potential but I could see both sneaking into the first round despite the fact a first baseman has not been selected in the opening round since Toronto drafted Pete Hunt in 1932.

OUTLOOK - It appears to be another draft where a lot of pitchers will go in the opening round and there are several others who presently slot just outside the top ten like Sadler College's Frank Barker or Joe Boyd, a 17 year old from Morris High School in the Bronx. There are some other position players to watch closely as well such as a pair of Mississippi catchers in Northern Mississippi University's Eddie Miller or Ed Wallace of Senetobia High School. I am not sure we will see a situation like this season when a college and high school catcher from Tennessee both spent time at #1 in the OSA mock draft and were each selected in the first 8 picks of the draft, but Miller and Wallace each could be gone by the midway point of the second round.

Outfielders worth watching include Larry Ryder of George Fox University, Jim Hanshaw of Calumet Catholic College or Cambridge (MA) High Schooler Eli Harkless. I would suggest FABL fans also remember the names of Artie Carter, a high school first baseman from Millville, Massachusetts and Garden State University second sacker Austin Moore.

There will be more updates on the 1935 draft class over the summer.

10-14-2020, 09:52 AM	#81
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	25 Greatest College Baseball Players Next season (1934) will mark the 25th season of the two FABL feeder leagues: the high school loop and AIAA college baseball. To celebrate the anniversary let's count down what Jiggs McGee feels are the 25 greatest college ball players of the last quarter century. #25 CLINT CASSTEVENS - DICKSON COLLEGE 1915-1917 OF .377, 32, 133 7.2 WAR Casstevens won a college batting title as a freshman, a National Championship as a junior and hit for the cycle a record 3 times including twice in 4 days in 1916. His .460 batting average in 1915 is the 7th highest single season mark ever recorded. Casstevens was selected 13th overall by Montreal in the 1917 draft and won a World Championship Series with the Saints, making him one of the few players with both a College World Series ring and A FABL World Championship Series title. Traded to Pittsburgh in 1922 he would go on to win a Whitney Award with the Miners in 1924. Still active in the minors as a 36 year old now, Casstevens played 1,259 FABL games and is lifetime .309 hitter. #24 PUG BRYAN - Lincoln 1931-1934 P 26-4, 2.23 12.1 WAR Bryan is one of two active players from the 1933 season to make this list and the only one on it who still has another year to go before he is draft eligible. A late birthday gives him 4 college seasons and in the 3 he has played so far Bryan has done more than enough to make the list. A year from now I am sure he will be much higher as he has a chance to equal or surpass Tom Barrell's career wins mark of 34. Bryan went 10-1 this season for the Presidents and is 25-4 with a 2.22 career era. He is already 7th all-time in career pitchers WAR and, if he stays healthy next season, stands a great chance of being number one all-time. He was a second team All-American this season. #23 JAKE JOHNSON - Lubbock State 1927-1929 1B .394, 37, 156 8.4 WAR Won a National Title in 1928 with Lubbock State when he hit .376, which was actually the lowest total of his career. The first baseman started 150 games for the Hawks batting .394 with 37 homers and 156 rbi's. His 249 college hits rank 14th all-time. He is also 14th all-time in rbi's and 22nd in hitters WAR. A model of consistency Johnson led his conference in homers once and runs scored once while finishing 2nd in batting and those happened in 3 different seasons. Only 16 players have ever had 6 hits in a college game. Johnson is not only one of them but also the only one to ever do it twice. He was a first team All-American in 1929 and a third round pick of Cleveland in that year's draft. Johnson is now 25 and appears stuck in Class A ball but he has hit very well, in very limited action at that level. #22 TOM BLALOCK - Chicago Poly 1927-1929 P 25-6, 2.20 11.6 WAR Had an amazing 1928 season as a sophomore, going 9-0 with a 1.37 era and a 297 era+. He is tied for 10th all-time in wins and his 363 career college strikeouts are more than every other pitcher except Tommy Wilcox, Tom Barrell and Huck Moore. He was a second team All-American in 1928 but was slightly overshadowed by Tom Barrell and Chick Stout. In his draft year of 1929 Blalock went 4th overall, behind Barrell, Stout and Vic Crawford, to St Louis. Now approaching his 25th birthday, Blalock has spent the last two seasons in AA and his best bet to make the big leagues might be out of the bullpen. #21 PABLO REYES - Bayou State 1930-1932 CF .352, 33, 185 9.7 WAR The Cuban Comet was taken 3rd overall by Montreal last December after an outstanding college career. He is 10th all-time in career WAR in the AIAA and has fast-tracked through the Montreal system to the point where he may make his big league debut this season. Very consistent in college, hitting .367, .319 and .369 in his three seasons with the Cougars. In a 1930 game Reyes became just the 30th (at the time) player to hit 3 homers in a single college game. He was named a first team All-American in 1932. #20 NELLIE DAWSON - Wisconsin State 1927-1929 OF .399, 38, 142 9.4 WAR Led his conference in hits and was third in batting average in his draft year of 1929. His 95 hits that season is still tied for the 6th highest single season total in AIAA history. His 243 career hits rank 21st all-time and his career WAR is 12th among hitters. He was a first team All-American in 1927 and a second team selection the following year. Dawson was picked 13th overall by the New York Stars in the 1929 draft. He struggled a bit in AA a year ago and now, at age 25 finds himself back in A ball. #19 ELMER LAMBERT - George Fox 1915-1917 3B .405, 18, 122 8.7 WAR It was a different time to be sure but Lambert's amazing freshman campaign of 1915 included a mark that will likely never be broken when he hit .531 that season. Lambert also had a .606 on base percentage that year and while that mark was also expected to stand for quite some time it was surpassed by Freddie Jones in 1929. Lambert came back to earth his other two seasons with the Reds, batting .348 as a sophomore and .335 in his draft year but he still finished with a career batting average over .400. He was selected first overall in the 1917 draft by he Philadelphia Keystones but would only play in 170 FABL games, batting .280. At 36 he is still active in the Keystones system but has not been with the big league club since 1923. He has spent the past three years at AA New Orleans. #18 JOE ELLICOTT - Indiana A&M 1930-1932 OF .379, 32, 114 10.3 WAR Ellicott finished second in his conference in batting as a sophomore when he hit a career best .405. A second round pick of Washington last December, Ellicott has split his rookie pro season between Class C and B this year. His 10.3 college WAR is the 8th highest mark of all-time. He was a first team All-American in 1931 and a second team selection the following year. #17 DELOS DUNN - Liberty College 1916-1918 P 16-12, 1.67 11.9 WAR The first of 5 Liberty College players to make this list (the most of any school), Dunn ranks 8th all-time in pitcher WAR. He was the 4th overall pick of Baltimore in the 1918 draft but achieved his best FABL seasons after a trade to the New York Gothams including a 20 win season in 1923. In all he was 94-94 as a big league pitcher, retiring in 1932. #16 JAKE SHADOAN - Liberty College 1927-1929 2B .389, 38, 134 10.7 WAR Shadoan's draft year was one of the best seasons on all-time as he hit .473 with a .532 on base percentage but lost the Northeast Conference batting title by .001 to Rip Curry. His Liberty College team made the College World Series finals in his final two seasons at Liberty but they came up short both times. His 250 career hits are 13th most all-time and he ranks 7th in career WAR among hitters. He was twice named a Second team All-American. Shadoan was drafted 7th overall by Brooklyn 1929 and is in his 4th big league season with a .328 career average. #15 JOE HANCOCK - Henry Hudson 1931-1933 P 22-8, 2.51 13.2 WAR Joins Pug Bryan as the only active in 1933 players on the list. Hancock is eligible to return for his senior season but will likely be a high draft pick in the upcoming December draft. His 13.2 career WAR is the 6th best total among pitchers. Hancock went 10-0 this season after going 9-2 and leading Henry Hudson to the National Championship a year ago. Hancock was named a first team All-American this season. #14 CHICK STOUT - Rainier College 1927-1929 P 23-5, 1.82 11.0 WAR Chick Stout's claim to fame might be he beat out Tom Barrell for first team All-American status in 1929. Stout had an incredible, actually a pair of incredible seasons with Rainier College. As a freshman he went 8-1 with a 2.01 era. His record dipped to 4-3 and his era increased slightly as a sophomore but his junior season, going head to head against Barrell for the opportunity to be selected first overall, was nothing short of amazing. Stout went 11-1 with a 1.30 era, a 350 era+ and what was then a record 6.2 WAR. At the draft there were some concerns about his lack of leadership and just how committed to baseball he really was. Barrell ended up going #1 in the 1929 draft but Pittsburgh quickly grabbed Stout with the second pick. Unfortunately he has not yet lived up to his immense talent shown in the college game. Now 25 years old, Stout has spent the past two seasons in the Miners bullpen and at this writing is 8-4 with a 4.89 career era. #13 AL COLBY - Liberty College 1912-1914 P 22-2 1.58 10.3 WAR Colby posted a 1.01 era to go with a 7-0 record in his draft year. As of the end of the 1933 season only 3 pitchers have had a lower single season era then that mark Code: AIAA SINGLE SEASON ERA LEADERS 1 Tommy Homick Golden Gate 1914 0.71 2 Stan Merendino Rainier College 1928 0.81 3 Connie Kesler N Carolina Tech 1922 0.90 4 Al Colby Liberty College 1914 1.01 Colby also posted a 431 era+ that season and was selected 9th overall by Detroit in the 1914 FABL draft. He was traded to St Louis a year later and spent a dozen seasons in the majors with the Pioneers and Brooklyn. Colby became one of the great relievers in the game, notching 128 saves which ranks him 4th all time in FABL. #12 DAN FOWLER - Commonwealth Catholic 1927-1929 OF .326, 53, 139 10.1 WAR Despite being born in Texas, Fowler likely has a New England accent by now as he spent 3 seasons at Commonwealth Catholic before being drafted 6th overall by the Boston Minutemen in 1929. He led the Federal Association in walks last season as a rookie while also socking 26 homers. Fowler never made All-American status, partially because of the quality outfielders in the AIAA at the time but also because he was overshadowed by Commonwealth teammate Vic Crawford. The two led their school to the College World Series finals as freshmen in 1927 and Fowler was the model of consistency in his 3 years in the AIAA batting .337,.313 and .328 with 18, 15 and 20 homerun seasons. #11 HAP GOODWIN - Rainier College 1916-1918 P 22-16, 2.61 13.2 WAR The west coast kid from California never quite equaled his amazing freshman season at Rainier when he went 10-4 with a 1.37 era and a 5.5 WAR but only 4 pitchers (Tom Barrell, Tommy Wilcox, Huck Moore and Curly Jones) had a higher career college WAR than Goodwin. Imagine what he could have done on a better team as his Majestics squad went 23-27 each of his 3 seasons at the school (In fact Rainier had 6 straight years of going 23-27 from 1916 to 1921..no idea of the odds on a team posting the exact same record 6 years in a row). Goodwin was drafted second overall by Pittsburgh in 1918 and went 107-147 in 11 seasons. He is still active at age 36, pitching in the minors in the Chicago Cougars organization. #10 SAM ORR - Henry Hudson 1927-1929 2B .381, 49, 163 12.3 WAR An All-American as a freshman, Orr narrowly missed a batting title while hitting a career best .425 that season. His 246 career college hits place him 16th all-time in that category and he is often compared to Liberty's Jake Shadoan as the two played the exact same 3 seasons and were second baseman selected high in the 1929 FABL draft. Orr went two spots ahead of Shadoan at #5 to Toronto that season and with a .306 career average in 353 FABL games is one of the few bright spots on the Wolves roster. Orr's 163 career rbi's place him 7th in AIAA history. #9 JOHN COLLINS - Liberty College 1927-1929 OF .372, 56, 166 11.4 WAR Another of the great outfielders to play in the final few years of the 1920s, Collins is third all-time in the AIAA behind Calvin Dybas and Vic Crawford with 56 career homeruns and 6th in career rbi's. He was a first team All-American selection twice and helped Liberty College reach the College World Series finals twice. Collins was a second round pick of Montreal in the 1929 draft but was traded to Pittsburgh over the winter. Now 24 years old he has been limited to just 33 big league games but at this writing is batting .403 in his 67 career at bats. note on Calvin Dybas. He came close but fell just short of making this list. #8 DAVE HENRY - Bayou State 1930-1932 OF .420, 43, 182 11.9 WAR* Henry had quite a career at Bayou State. He was a 3 time first team All-American selection. He is 4th all-time in career RBI's, 14th in hits and 17th in homeruns. His .452 batting average in his draft year is the 8th highest single season total of all time but he never won a conference batting title, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in his 3 seasons. Boston selected the 22 year old in the second round of last year's draft and he quickly advanced through the minors being moved up to AA recently. #7 CURLY JONES - Henry Hudson College 1930-1932 P 20-8, 2.72 13.5 WAR It only seems like Jones has done it all despite the fact that he is just 22 years old. He pitched Henry Hudson to back to back College World Series Titles, winning the CWS MVP in one of them. He finished his college career fourth all-time in pitcher WAR and fifth in career strikeouts. Jones was drafted first overall by the New York Gothams in December and then he shocked the baseball world by retiring. He was quickly talked out of it and reported to spring training with the Gothams and is presently 6-4 with a 3.81 era in 10 starts split between Class B and A. Everyone expects Jones to be a dominant pitcher in FABL, just as he was in college ball. #6 TOM BARRELL - GEORGIA BAPTIST 1926-1929 P 34-8, 2.54 15.8 WAR Barrell is college baseball's all-time leader in wins although he did have the advantage of a fourth season before being draft eligible due to his birthdate. Before we get into his pitching accomplishments it should be noted he made himself into an outstanding hitter, playing the outfield when he wasn't pitching and batting .335 with 11 homers and 50 rbi's as a senior. But that paled compared to his accomplishments on the mound. He is the all-time leader in WAR and innings pitched and second only to Tommy Wilcox in strikeouts. Surprisingly he was never a first team All-American selection as Huck Moore, Wilcox and Chick Stout nosed him out in the three seasons from 1927-29. There was no team named prior to 1927 and only a first team that year but Barrell did earn second team nods in both 1928 and 1929. The Chicago Cougars selected him first overall in the 1929 draft and he was recently traded to Brooklyn in a mega deal that also involved Tommy Wilcox. #5 HUCK MOORE - Commonwealth Catholic 1925-1927 P 29-6, 1.66 14.2 WAR 11-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his draft year after back to back 9-3 seasons with an even lower ERA in each of them tells all that is needed to be known about Moore's college career. He won a College World Series and was a first team All-American in 1927, which was the first year that designation was given out or he could have won a couple of more. Only Tommy Wilcox has a higher k\9. Only Wilcox and Tom Barrell have more career college strikeouts and a higher career WAR than Moore. His 29 college wins for his career are only surpassed by Barrell, who pitched one more season than Moore. His career 1.66 era is the lowest total based on sufficient innings pitched of all time. So what happened? Moore was selected 6th overall by the New York Gothams in the 1927 draft but at age 27 has yet to pitch in a big league game. He endured a brutal 1-18, 9.05 campaign in AAA a year ago and is 6-29 with a 6.85 era for his AAA career. The Gothams are making a last ditched effort to try him as a reliever to see if he can contribute in that role. #4 FREDDIE JONES - Central Ohio 1929-1931 2B .425, 16, 102 12.5 WAR Jones could flat out hit in college and he has continued to do so in the big leagues, going straight from the campus of Central Ohio University to the St Louis Pioneers without skipping a beat. Drafted second overall in 1931, Jones hit .349 as a rookie last year and is putting up similar numbers this season. A two-time All-American he twice led his conference in batting including a .486 freshman season that remains the second highest single season batting average ever posted in a college season. His on base percentage that year was an AIAA record .625 and he also holds the fifth highest single season on base percentage when he was .541 the following season. Jones 12.5 batter WAR for his career is the highest in AIAA history and his 1929 mark of 5.74 was a record until Harry Smith of Grafton broke it this year. #3 TOMMY WILCOX - Liberty College 1926-1928 P 20-12, 2.24 14.3 WAR Before Curly Jones there was Tommy Wilcox. A first team All-American in his draft year when he helped Liberty reach the College World Series Finals, Wilcox was selected first overall by Brooklyn in 1928. Since traded to the Chicago Cougars he is still just 26 years old but already has 67 FABL wins. He is the all-time AIAA career leader in a number of categories including strikeouts and his 14.3 WAR is only surpassed by Tom Barrell but Barrell played 4 seasons of college ball compared to 3 for Wilcox. His incredible mix of pitches confounded college hitters and Wilcox holds the single season strikeout mark of 196 set in 1928, a year after fanning 165 hitters which remains the third most in a season. His career 12.5 K/9 is nearly 2.0 higher than any other college pitcher. #2 VIC CRAWFORD - Commonwealth Catholic 197-1929 OF .366, 67, 187 12.0 WAR When I started working on this list I expected Crawford to be number one. He was a first team All-American each of his 3 seasons, led his conference in homers twice including 1929 when he hit 31, one shy of the single season record established by Calvin Dybas in 1913. His 67 career homers are also one shy of Dybas' record. He is the single season RBI leader and one shy of Bill Moore for the career RBI lead. He also owns the single season total base record and is second to Moore in career total bases. Crawford did not win a College World Series championship but did help his team reach the finals in his freshman season. In short, he accomplished almost everything he could in the college game and after being selected 3rd overall by Montreal in 1929 he appears, after a position change to first base, to be in the big leagues to stay following a strong start this season. #1 BILL MOORE - Lubbock State 1930-1932 1B .439, 54, 188 11.9 WAR The greatest college baseball player of the past 25 years was a three time first team All-American and his worst season of college ball saw him hit .406 with 13 homers. He led the entire AIAA in batting in two of his three seasons highlighted by a draft year that saw him bat .477 with 22 homers and 72 rbi's. In his draft year Bill Moore won the triple crown, not just for his conference but for the entire AIAA, although his 22 homers only tied him for top spot in that category. Moore is the career leader in total bases and rbi's and fourth all-time in homers while also ranking in the top ten for hits and doubles. Moore was selected 13th overall by Detroit in last December's draft and is batting .335 after half a season at Class B. There were certainly many others worthy of inclusion on this list so perhaps there will be room for them in another 25 years if a top 50 is ever published. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

10-28-2020, 03:11 PM	#82
percy_sutherland Bat Boy Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 11	September 11th, 1933: From the Desk of Percy Sutherland CHASING A KING I wanted to write a little about the absolutely awe-inspiring season that the Philadelphia Keystones's first baseman, Rankin Kellogg, is having. At the time of this writing he is hitting .399 (so, yes, he still as a shot at .400) with an on-base percentage of .465 and a slugging percentage of .714. He has 42 home runs, 31 doubles, 12 triples, and has 146 runs batted in and 129 runs scored. Now some gentleman--much smarter than me--has determined that if you add a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage together--which is then called OPS--you have a number that can be used as measuring stick of sorts for hitters. Kellogg's OPS is 1.179. A .700 OPS would be considered average this season, and so Kellogg is well above average, though you didn't need OPS to tell you that. But it got me to thinking--can we use OPS to put Kellogg's season in a historical perspective. And as a matter of fact, we can. If the 1933 season were to end today, Kellogg's OPS of 1.179 would rank as the 5th best in league history. Just ahead of Kellogg's 1928 season when he produced an OPS of 1.168 and behind 4 seasons of one man--Max Morris. Here are the top four OPS seasons in FABL history: 1925, Max Morris, 1.306 1921, Max Morris, 1.296 1923, Max Morris, 1.230 1922, Max Morris, 1.215 Max Morris was traded from Cleveland to St. Louis in October of 1919. In July of 1920, Morris ruptured his Achilles tendon and missed the remainder of the season, and so he only played a little more than half of that inaugural St. Louis season. In 1921, the 26-year-old Morris returned healthy and with a vengeance. Now up to that point Morris had been a good hitter, but he had only been a full-time hitter for one and one-half seasons: 1919 and the injury-shortened 1920. During 1921, Morris was on another level, putting up offensive numbers the league had never before seen. He hit .411 with on-base percentage of .511. He set a new home run record with 53 home runs. He had 145 runs batted in and scored 153 runs. He had 239 hits. And all of it added up to the never before seen OPS of 1.296. And then in 1922 Morris broke the home run record he had just set in 1921 by hitting 59 home runs. And then he topped that again in 1923 when he hit 60 home runs. He missed over a month of the 1924 season with an injury, but when he came back in 1925, he continued to hit at that same superlative level. All told, the stretch of seasons that Morris had from 1921 through 1925 was unprecedented and quite frankly, I doubt we'll ever see any like that again. Consider--even with the jaw-dropping numbers that Rankin Kellogg is producing in 1933, he still remains well behind the Max Morris of 1921 through 1925. And paraphrasing the great Ralph Waldo Emerson--when you come at a king, you best not miss. Max Morris

10-28-2020, 08:58 PM	#83
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	While Kellogg's OPS is extremely impressive, interesting enough, his OPS+ (216) is exactly the same as Tom Taylor's 1928 rookie season with the Sailors. Taylor hit .342/.422/.689 (1.111 OPS) with 44 homers, 126 RBI's, and 26 steals in the very pitcher friendly Sailors Memorial Stadium. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

11-03-2020, 10:38 AM	#84
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	COUGARS MAUL OPPONENTS ON THE FIELD AND AT THE TRADE TABLE From the desk of Jiggs McGee The Chicago Cougars have won at least 90 games for three straight seasons and are on the verge on winning their second World Championship Series in 3 years. So how did a team that hit rock bottom just six years ago, posting a FABL worst 59-95 record in 1928 and finish last in the Continental Association again in 1929, suddenly turn it around? Perhaps more than any other team in the history of the sport, the Cougars made a series of shrewd deals to bring a championship team to the Windy City. Here is how the Cougars acquired their players. The list below includes all position players on their current roster who played at least 50 games this season and all pitchers who threw at least 50 innings. Of the 17 players who fit that description, only 3 were originally drafted as amateurs by the Cougars. 11 were acquired in trades, two were rule five draftees and one was claimed on waivers. In comparison, the Cougars 1933 World Championship opponents from Philadelphia have 11 draft picks among their players that meet the same 50 games or 50 innings criteria. Here is a look at where the Cougars players came from Code: C Mike Taylor - trade with Brooklyn 1932 1B Bill Ashbaugh - homegrown, 1925 first round pick 2B Slim Bloom - homegrown, 1923 13th round pick SS Arnold Bower trade with Brooklyn 1932 3B John Kincaid trade with NY Gothams 1929 LF Bobby Sprague trade with NY Gothams 1932 CF Cy Bryant trade with Toronto 1930 RF Tom Taylor trade with PHI Sailors 1931 INF Russ Combs trade with Cleveland 1929 INF Phil Vaughan Rule 5 pickup 1930 from Chi Chiefs INF Forest Sylvester Waiver pickup from Phi Sailors 1933 OF Mike Smith Rule 5 pickup 1928 from Chi Chiefs P Tommy Wilox trade with Brooklyn 1932 P Dick Luedtke trade with NY Gothams 1930 P Dick Lyons homegrown, 1921 2nd round pick P Max Wilder trade with Cleveland 1929 P Jim Crawford trade with Sacramento (AAA) 1930 Only pitcher Del Lyons and Bill Ashbaugh remain as key contributors to those last place 1928-29 teams and today's club. The turnover and the way the Cougars have managed to fleece their FABL rivals in a series of deals is nothing short of astounding and either makes them extremely lucky or much smarter than the rest of the FABL GMs. Here is a chronological list of the moves that built a championship caliber team out of the ruins of back to back last place finishes. October 18, 1929 - TRADES BRING WILDER, COMBS AND KINCAID The Moves: added P Max Wilder and SS Russ Combs from Cleveland for Luke Nixon, Harry Parker, Pat Schuring and Ben Richardson and in a seperate deal with the New York Gothams acquired 3B John Kincaid in exchange for Ben Curtin, Erv Firth and Dean Astle. On the heels of a second straight last place finish in the CA the Cougars make two deals that begin the transformation of the franchise. Wilder, 31 at the time and coming off a 14-14, 3.97 season for Cleveland after being recently acquired by the Foresters from Montreal, gives the Cougars a solid number two starter behind long-time Cougar hurler Del Lyons. Wilder would go 11-9 in his first season in Chicago and follow that up with 3 straight seasons of at least 15 wins including 15-10 this year. When a lot of teams are dumping 30 year old players as many seem to begin a quick downturn, the Cougars see something in Wilder and he is still going strong at age 36 and was a key contributor to the 1931 World Championship squad. In the same deal the Cougars add infielder Russ Combs, who was 26 and just coming off a second straight season as the Foresters starting SS. He started for a spell in Chicago but has evolved into a utility infielder who can hit, batting .339 in 351 career games in Chicago. The price for Wilder and Combs? Luke Nixon, a minor league first baseman who hit .286 in 149 career games in Cleveland and has since been waived and claimed back by the Cougars. Nixon did get 3 games in Chicago this year but is really just a solid AAA player, batting .329 for Milwaukee this year. Harry Parker, a former 23rd round pick who was a 20 year old Class B pitcher at the time of the deal. He has since been traded by Cleveland to Pittsburgh and at 24, has yet to make his major league debut. Pat Schuring, a good glove but light hitting shortstop who was a 21 year old top-100 prospect at the time but now at age 25 seems to be no more than a minor league caliber infielder. Ben Richardson, a 1927 15th round pick who did serve a purpose in Cleveland but only by being dealt as the now 25 year old catcher was part of the deal that brought T.R. Goins to the shores of Lake Erie. VERDICT - Chicago adds a middle of the rotation pitcher and a good utility infielder in exchange for 4 players who appear to be nothing more than minor leaguers, with the possible exception of Richardson although even for him the clock is ticking as he approaches his 24th birthday and has 21 career FABL games under his belt. On the same day the Cougars turn to the New York Gothams, who would become a frequent trade partner, and add another quality piece in 3B John Kincaid. Kincaid was entering his age 25 season and coming off 3 years playing everyday for the Gothams and doing so quite well, batting .328 while being a plus defender at the hot corner. He has been Chicago's everyday third sacker since then and actually improved his career average slightly by hitting .336 in his time with the Cougars. In return the Gothams added then 24 year old reliever Ben Curtin, who pitched one season out of the New York pen before being flipped to St Louis as a piece in the historic deal that moved Max Morris briefly to the Big Apple. Now 28, Curtin is looking like a solid relief pitcher for the Pioneers. New York also added two other prospects. One is Erv Firth, a now 26 year old outfielder who hit just .156 in two brief call-ups by the Gothams. The other was Dean Astle, a top 50 prospect at the time who was a 20 year old lefthander. Astle has since been moved to Cleveland and did look impressive in his big league debut this season with the Foresters, going 7-3 with a 2.57 era in 12 starts. VERDICT- Not as lob-sided as the deal above but you have to think the Gothams would have certainly held on to Kincaid had they been given a do-over. MARCH 17, 1930 - MINOR LEAGUE TRADE NETS CRAWFORD Once a year the FABL teams are each allowed to propose a single trade with a independent team and it is hard to imagine many deals being more successful than the Cougars acquisition of Jim Crawford. The then 23 year old righthander was coming of a 12-7 season for Sacramento of the Great Western League. He would go on to win 18 games in the Cougars 1931 Championship season and was 12-9 this past season improving his career mark since joining Chicago four seasons ago to 53-34. The cost was a low level minor league pitcher by the name of Buck Putnam VERDICT- Chicago adds a key piece to their rapidly improving pitching staff at the cost of a minor league cast-off. JULY 14, 1930 - DEADLINE DEAL BRINGS DICK LUEDTKE Shortly before the trade deadline the Cougars, who are heading towards a 4th place finish in 1930 and an improvement of 24 wins over the previous year, make another deal with the New York Gothams. Luedtke is a late developing righthander, having made his FABL debut just the year prior at the age of 27. He was 9-5 with a 3.09 era for the Gothams at the time of the deal and would win 9 more games for Chicago that summer. He is now 32 years old, was named to the CA team for the first all-star game and went 17-11 this season to bring his FABL record to 69-40. In return Chicago gave up outfielder Earl Johnson and pitcher Lou Gaffin. Both have seen a little action in New York but neither have been overly impressive. Gaffin is now 28 and perhaps he will be a late developing pitcher along the lines of, oh I don't know, let's say Luedtke. Johnson is 26 and has hit .222 over two brief call-ups. VERDICT - Chicago gets the better of New York in this one. I assume the age of Luedkte allowed the Gothams to consider the deal but tough to justify trading a pitcher who has gone 9-5 with a 3.09 era in his first full season with your club. Perhaps he was expendable as the Gothams were on their way to winning the Federal Association pennant and may have been looking to get younger and, despite losing the World Series to Chicago that year, the Gothams did beat up Luedtke in his only start of the series. NOVEMBER 3, 1930 - CF CY BRYANT ARRIVES FROM TORONTO Cy Bryant will not come to mind when one is asked to name the Cougars top players. The 27 year old hit just .264 at the bottom of the order for the Cougars this season but his defense in center field is among the best in the game. Bryant was added in an off-season deal with Toronto in exchange for a then 24 year old shortstop named Clyde Hinzman, who has since hit .259 in three seasons as a backup with the Wolves. Bryant's batting average has dropped each of his 3 years in Chicago but his fielding, which was already great, has improved each season. VERDICT - This trade is often overshadowed by the Cougars bigger pickups but a very smart move adding a huge piece that has helped the Cougars pitchers look even better. FEBRUARY 23, 1931 - TOM TAYLOR ARRIVES Tom Taylor took the sport by storm, winning back to back Whitney Awards his first two seasons in the league and helping the Philadelphia Sailors win a pair of World Championship Series. The second title came in 1930 and it was certainly a down year for Taylor, who after leading the CA in homers, rbi's, WAR and slugging percentage his first two seasons saw his batting average dip to .261 (from .351 the previous year) and his homerun total decline from 38 to 15. Taylor did miss nearly two months with recurring elbow troubles so perhaps the Sailors figured he was damaged goods when they pulled the trigger on a deal to send him to the Cougars for 2B Mack Deal and a pair of minor leaguers. The trade changed the complexion of the Continental Association as the Sailors went from 3 straight pennants in Taylor's first three seasons to a team struggling to finish at .500 over the past three years. The Cougars on the other hand were already a team on the rise, but since Taylor arrived they have won 91, 97 and 97 games and are, at this writing, 2 wins away from their second World Championship Series victory in three years. Taylor has not been the player he was his first two years but he has been much better than he was in his final year in Philadelphia, batting .301 while averaging about 17 homers and 100 rbi's a year as a Cougar. He has, for the most part, stayed healthy and is defense in right field is among the best in the game. So what did Philadelphia get in return for a two-time MVP who was still just 25 years old at the time of the deal. The aforementioned Mack Deal hit .266 as a Star in 2 and a half seasons but spent a good chuck of this year in AAA despite being just 26 years old. Catcher Jim Stevens, 28, has bounced between Philadelphia and AAA San Francisco and is hitting just .194 with the Sailors while center fielder George Jordan, also 28, has played just 18 games for the Sailors over the past three seasons and hit .158. VERDICT - Pretty obvious the Cougars gambled that Taylor's injury problems were not as serious as the Sailors feared and it paid off big time. While maybe not an MVP anymore, Taylor is a proven winner and on the verge of his 4th World Championship with 2 teams in 6 seasons of big league ball. MAY 23, 1932 - COUGARS ADD SS BOWER A minor deal in the big picture but perhaps it opened the discussion on the blockbuster with Brooklyn that would come just two months later. Bower had a good start to his career in Brooklyn but was struggling both at the plate and in the field when the Kings decided there was no longer room for him on the major league roster. Out of options he was dealt to Chicago for outfielder Ed Rhoden, who had decent numbers in AAA but couldn't crack the Cougars outfield. Since the deal Bower hit very well for the Cougars in 1932 but, like his days in Brooklyn, struggled at the plate and in the field this past season. However, Rhoden has done very little in Brooklyn but has looked okay in the minors. VERDICT - Not a major trade but the Cougars did add a serviceable piece to fill a position of need at basically no cost. JULY 25, 1932 - THE BLOCKBUSTER - WILCOX AND TAYLOR FOR A PAIR OF BARRELLS At the end of last season Cougars fans were wondering what did the team do? After the huge trade that saw the Cougars send pitcher Tom Barrell, his brother Fred, a catcher, and highly touted minor league pitchers Mike Murphy and George DeForest to Brooklyn in exchange for pitcher Tommy Wilcox and catcher Mike Taylor the Cougars crashed while the Kings soared, posting the best record in the entire CA after the trade. It was a huge deal involving two former number one picks in Tom Barrell and Wilcox, a number two overall in Murphy (Taken behind Wilcox) and a number #3 in Fred Barrell. The deal was supposed to lift Chicago in it's chase to catch the New York Stars and repeat as CA champion while the Kings were reeling, off to a terrible start and had already canned their manager. Instead the Barrell's caught fire, Mike Murphy was amazing down the stretch and Wilcox went into a funk, posting a 6-6 record and a 6.70 era after the deal. Flash forward to this season and the Cougars GM is back to looking like a genius. Wilcox won 21 games and led the league in ERA while Taylor hit .282 with 21 homers. Meanwhile the Brooklyn Barrell's have struggled and the Kings had another terrible start to the season. VERDICT - Getting perhaps the best pitcher in baseball in Tommy Wilcox was a huge win for Chicago, even if Wilcox did not pitch like it in 1932. Perhaps this trade will even out over time as the Barrell's and Mike Murphy should be much better than they were this season but like the deal the Sailors made to give up on Tom Taylor, the Kings will quite possibly look back at this day as a franchise altering moment that cost them the opportunity to win several pennants - pennants that it appears will reside in Chicago quite regularly over the next few years. OCTOBER 3, 1932 SPRAGUE JOINS CHICAGO The Cougars made one more trade of note immediately after the 1932 season as they added outfielder Bobby Sprague from the New York Gothams for young outfielder Joe Johnson and pitching prospect Mel Leonard. The 26 year old Sprague was coming off of a .342,5,56 season in New York and gave the Cougars somewhat similar numbers this year (.300,5,61) while also being well above average with the glove in the outfield. VERDICT- Far too early to tell on this one as Johnson, a 25 year old former second round pick, is a top 25 prospect who provides plus defense in centerfield and hit .251 in 107 games as a rookie this year despite missing 2 months with a sprained ankle. Leonard is also a former second round pick but just 21 years old and went 12-13 at two levels of minor leagues this season. He remains a top 60 prospect but his stock has dropped slightly the past couple of seasons. Regardless of how good these two might turn out to be you have to think the Cougars are very happy with the deal as Sprague became a key piece of the their championship team this year. FINAL THOUGHTS I glanced briefly to try and find some deals the Cougars did not win on in the past few seasons and I could not come up with much. The closest perhaps is a deal prior to the 1931 season that added a 36 year old Steve Castelini to the Chicago rotation. Castelini was coming off a 19-7 season in New York and struggled with a 10-14 record and a 4.71 era in the Cougars championship season but he did play a role in a pennant for Chicago. He has since been moved to Pittsburgh so perhaps the cost of pitching prospect Ben Turner to pry Castelini from the Gothams was a little steep in hindsight. Turner was not a Gotham prospect for long as the pitcher was moved a month later to Cleveland and is 29-25 over two and a bit seasons for the Foresters. But if the worst deal you made is getting a rental player who helped you win a World Championship in exchange for an upper mid-level prospect then I think you are doing pretty well. Perhaps this article is as much a warning to other GM's to be very wary of giving up on players too early when talking trade with the Chicago Cougars (I am looking at you Brooklyn, the Sailors and Gothams) as much as it is a testament to the amazing job the Cougars have done in their rebuild. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

11-16-2020, 09:38 PM	#85
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	Mr Irrelevant MR IRRELEVANT FABL STYLE There is a long-standing tradition of recognizing the final player selected in the NFL draft each year. The title "Mr Irrelevant" was first bestowed in 1976 when former USC and NFL receiver Paul Salata coined the term and founded an event which would reward the final selection in the draft with a trip to Disneyland in California and an award called the Lowsman Trophy. Over the years many Mr. Irrelevant's have played in the NFL with the most successful perhaps being Tyrone McGriff who was taken with the final pick in what was then a 12 round draft in 1980 by Pittsburgh. He made the NFL all-rookie team and later became an All-Star in the USFL. So by a suggestion from Sailors GM Alan let's take a look at the Mr Irrelevant's of FABL. We could actually argue there are 2 of them each year. One would be the final pick of the 10th round - the last selection by human GM's before the draft goes fully auto and of course the actual Mr Irrelevant being the final pick of the last round (originally 15 in the human GM era but in later years extended to 25 rounds). We just completed our 9th draft with human GMs in the league and the most recent 10th round Mr. Irrelevant is Hugh Dresch, a 22 year old catcher out of Golden Gate University. The Keystones selected him after Dresch went undrafted a year ago and returned to the Grizzlies for his senior campaign, a season that saw him bat .219 with 8 homers in 46 games. So is there a chance that Dresch will ever wear a big league uniform? Well, history says 'yes' as two previous Mr Irrelevant's have suited up for a FABL club already. The most successful is Rip Crandall, a second baseman selected by the New York Stars out of Milwaukee High School in 1925. He is not a superstar by any means but Crandall is a New York Star, having spent each of the past four seasons as a reserve infielder with the club including 88 games this past season. He is just a .237 career hitter in 256 games but Crandall brings value with his club - he is pretty solid defensively at all four infield positions and has a HIGH work ethic. The 1926 Mr. 10th Round Irrelevant has also made it to the show. Jack Richardson is now a 25 year old pitcher who spent a bit of time with the St Louis Pioneers in 1931 and 1932, compiling a 4-13 record with a 5.86 era in 23 appearances (20 starts). He pitched a no-hitter as a high school junior in Cleveland and was taken by the New York Gothams with the 16th pick of round 10 in 1926. His claim to fame is he was traded for the legendary Max Morris (well, along with 4 other prospects) in 1940. He peaked at #69 on the top 100 prospect list just before an arm injury cost him the back half of the 1931 season. He has had elbow issues ever since and spent all of 1933 in AAA so he may not make it back to the big leagues. Other 10th round Mr. Irrelevants are: 1927- JOE KING: A college pitcher out of Lubbock State was drafted by the Keystones but traded to the Chicago Cougars in 1929. He went 13-10 at AA last season and received a late promotion to AAA for the first time in his career last season. 1928- GENE SMITH: The Sailors took the middle infielder from Waco High School and he is still in their system as a 23 year old. He spent 3 and a half years in Class C before a promotion to B last season. Is likely never going to make the big leagues. 1929- DOC KEENAN: The former College of San Diego right hander has progressed very slowly through the Detroit Dynamos system. He has looked very good in Class B, winning 15 games as a 22 year old 3 seasons ago and going 12-15 the following year. He split last season between B and A but seems destined to be a career minor leaguer. 1930 - BERT FOWLER: The Sailors selected the right hander out of Bayou State but cut him before he pitched an inning in the organization. He landed with independent El Paso of the Lone Star Association for a couple of seasons but is now retired. 1931- JOHNNY PHILLIPS: A lefthander out of Lubbock State, Phillips was promoted from A to AA midway through the 1933 season and still has major league dreams at the age of 23. 1932- BOBBY MCHENRY: Centerfielder from Coastal California had a nice rookie pro season in Class C of the New York Stars organization. McHenry hit .277 with 14 stolen bases in his first pro season after being a .344 hitter over 3 seasons of college ball. MR IRRELEVANT - FULL DRAFT As for the Mr Irrelevant selections when you look at the whole draft clearly the most successful final pick is Job Readus, a 1917 selection of the Pittsburgh Miners out of Maryland State. The first baseman was the last listed pick of that draft and would go on to play 947 big league games but none were with the Miners, who released him immediately after the draft. He would sign with the New York Stars and hit .314 for his career while being a part of three straight World Championship teams with the Stars. Not bad for the 447th pick of his draft class. I don't believe Readus was actually the final pick of his draft, but anyone selected after him failed to sign so their names are lost to history. Either way, quite a career for Readus considering when he was selected. The draft is no longer over 25 rounds so Readus will likely forever be known as the lowest draft pick ever to win a World Series. A similar case in 1925 - the first human GM draft year. Ernie Frost was selected with likely the second last pick of that draft (round 15, pick 15) but the final pick likely did not sign so his name is also lost. As for Frost, well the outfielder is still going strong with the team that selected him, the Washington Eagles. A high schooler out of Chicago, Frost has played each of the last two seasons for the Eagles and is a .295 career hitter in 176 big league games. He was the 239th pick of his draft class as the draft was limited to 15 rounds that season. That is pretty much it for final picks of the draft enjoying any big league success. If you want to follow his career along, the true Mr Irrelevant of this year's draft is Billy Roberts, a second baseman selected 400th overall by the Chicago Cougars out of a junior college. Roberts spent three years playing for Toledo High School and enrolled in Pensacola JC after not being drafted following the 1932 season. The Cougars GM has does not speak very highly of Roberts so his pro career may be very brief. And that concludes the brief moment in the spotlight for Roberts, Dresch and all of the other Mr Irrelevants of FABL draft history. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

11-23-2020, 10:04 AM	#86
percy_sutherland Bat Boy Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 11	Sunday, March 20th, 1934 WHITHER HANK BARNETT? As North America tries to shake off it's Winter doldrums, the ball players have gathered in the Florida sunshine to get ready for the 1934 season. The big question in the Montreal camp revolves around second baseman Hank Barnett. Last October Barnett had made the announcement that he was putting baseball aside and enlisting in the army. As much of a blow as that was to the Saints's plans, one could not help but feel proud of the young Barnett's response to the growing turmoil in Europe. Over the winter, though, other rumors started to rise to the surface. This reporter was told that Barnett had in fact failed his army physical. Fortunately, you can play baseball--and hit home runs--with flat feet. Barnett returned--hat in hand--to the offices of Jacques Cartier in Montreal and inquired whether he still had a job with the Saints. Cartier--as befitting the kind of man he is--not only gave Barnett a contract to sign, but he also made Hank the highest paid player on the Saints roster. So as the Saints gather for their first practice games in West Palm Beach this week, one should be able to look out onto the diamond and see Barnett take up his usual position at second base.

11-23-2020, 10:06 PM	#87
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	Cannons trade Rabbit Day NEW DAY IN NEW YORK From the desk of Jiggs McGee. The first pitch of spring training is still 24 hours away but one can't help but feel like the biggest story of the 1934 season has already been written as the New York Gothams shocked the baseball world in acquiring Rabbit Day, arguably the league's best pitcher, from the rebuilding Baltimore Cannons. As word broke earlier today, reaction to the deal was quite varied with a near equal number of GM's feeling the Gothams got a steal as those who felt they had parted with a king's ransom. Either way, the consensus was the New York Gothams, with a rotation headed by a pair of 29 year old's in Day and Jim Lonardo, would be the most imposing one-two combination in the Federal Association. Between them Lonardo and Day have five 20-win seasons and 5 Allen Awards. Day is coming off a 21-11 season with a 2.77 era and has led the Continental Association in strikeouts six straight years and in victories 3 of the past four season despite pitching for what recently has become one of the worst teams in the league. Day seems to be just hitting his peak as the Cannons drop to the bottom of the CA. His ERA last season was a run and a half better than the team total and he was 14 games over .500 the past two seasons while the rest of the Baltimore pitchers were 50 games under .500 during that span. Just imagine what Day can accomplish with a solid team behind him. Going the other way were four prospects and three draft picks including the Gothams first, second and fourth round selections next December. The prospects are headed by a polarizing pitcher named Rusty Petrick, who was a first round pick this past December, as well as shortstop Oscar King and outfielders Billy Marshall and Jim Mason. The addition of the two outfielders would later allow the Cannons to, as expected, deal their other marquee veteran in 32 year old Lou Kelly to the Chicago Cougars for three more prospects. Was the haul enough for the 29 year old Day? Well, that depends upon who you ask and ultimately depends on Petrick. Petrick is a very raw 18 year old out of Sacramento High School, who was tabbed as a late first round pick in the OSA mock draft despite posting a 3-11 career record and some very questionable stats in school ball. Some teams stayed away from him because of a concern that despite such raw tools he appeared to be a very high risk prospect but the Gothams grabbed him with the 10th pick last December. He presently sits at #20 on the Top Prospects list and seems like he could either be the perfect replacement for Day as the ace of the Cannons rotation in a few years or a bust that never accomplishes anything in the game. It is that risk that scares many and makes some of the GM's question if the Cannons might not have been able to get a better, or at least safer return for a pitcher of Day's calibre. One Continental Association GM summed up Petrick this way: "He's super risky with how raw he is, but the ceiling is immense. He's either going to be the Cannons ace for 15 years or flame out before his 25th birthday. There's going to be no in between here, which makes this trade so interesting." That GM adds he feels this trade could have two winners but it could just as easily have a huge loser as it could go really bad for Baltimore. Executives from some other teams agree, making comments such as this one. "Scouts see potential in this kid and it will be up to the Cannons' minor league coaches to get him to reach this potential...if it is real. If Petrick doesn’t become a true #1 SP or at worst a solid #2, then Baltimore could be looking at a lot of regret." But another GM feels the deal will work out just fine for Baltimore even if Petrick does not live up to his potential. "Baltimore got a really good return," explained that executive. "Those 3 picks alone are valuable (particularly if the pool is deeper). Mason looks like a good one. Petrick? I don't know. He's riskier--he's all potential. But I think even without Petrick that's a good return." A number of other teams were involved in talks with Baltimore before the Cannons eventually consummated the deal with New York. Perhaps the most aggressive team and the one with the most to gain by adding Day would have been the Cleveland Foresters. The one thing the Foresters, with their power-laden lineup led by recent acquisitions Max Morris and T.R. Goins, lacked was a true ace to anchor their rotation. Adding Day might well have been the piece the Foresters needed to mount a serious challenge to the defending champion Chicago Cougars but ultimately the Foresters felt the Cannons demand was more than they could afford to pay. The rumoured demand was Baltimore wanted both Dean Astle and Ben Turner, a pair of very good young pitchers, along with outfielders Levi Redding and Leo Clark and the Foresters top 3 picks in the next draft. Astle was the sticking point as Cleveland refused to part with the 24 year old lefthander who went 7-3 with a 2.57 era as a rookie. Ironically Astle, who peaked at #12 on the top 100 prospect list, and Turner were both acquired by the Foresters from the New York Gothams in a 1931 trade. A source familiar with the Foresters says the club had to draw the line somewhere and the organization felt adding Day at the cost of two starting pitchers might be too heavy a price to pay while still hoping to challenge the Chicago Cougars for first place. However, a rival CA executive feels the Foresters missed an opportunity in not pulling the trigger. "I understand why Cleveland would have been reluctant to trade Astle. But if I'm him, I do it. Day is one of the top--if not the top--pitchers in the league. On a good team, he'll look even better. And unlike hitters, I'm not leery of pitchers in their 30s in this league. And 1934 for Cleveland will feature a high power offense. I think lapping the field in home runs is not out of the question. They'll go as far as their pitching will carry them, and Day is a difference maker." Not all General Manager's feel the deal made sense from the Gothams point of view. To show how varied the thoughts are on this trade an executive with a prominent team in the Federal Association thinks the Gothams might have overpaid, at least in terms of draft capital. "We wanted him, too," he explained. "We offered a package of good young players with upside and an established veteran that would make the Cannons better now and in the future, but apparently it was draft picks they were after. We wanted to hold on to our draft picks for this next draft. As an organizational philosophy, we only go so far to acquire one player, I don't care how good that player is, and Rabbit Day is one of the best. Losing 3-4 pieces and a host of draft picks for one guy that could blow out his arm tomorrow? No thanks." That GM later also questioned if Day can be as effective in the Fed, which traditionally has had a lot more offense and plenty of hitter friendly parks when compared to the Continental. "The price was really steep. Day has great numbers, but he hasn't dealt with the big bats of the Fed." JIGGS TAKE So what are my thoughts on this deal? I have no qualms at all about the Gothams giving up a bunch to add Day. He is in his prime and my bet is he helps the Gothams win at least a couple of more pennants and quite possibly one this season. I also applaud them for getting the deal done without having to part with top prospect Curly Jones. From Baltimore's side this potentially could be a great windfall. However, it comes with huge risk which makes me inclined to believe the Cannons acted too soon. Day was their one marketable asset that could generate a number of pieces to help turn their club around. And I think they undersold themselves. If Baltimore could not pry Curly Jones away from the Gothams they should have walked away and said let's table this deal for a month. Spring training has not yet started and the regular season is a month away so there was zero urgency on the part of the Cannons to get a deal done now. I have to believe, especially when we look at the haul of prospects Milt Fritz brought Brooklyn a year ago, that there was a safer deal with close to the same upside out there from someone come April or May. Now Fritz is 5 years younger than Day but, while very good, he is also not the quite the quality of pitcher Day is and I think if they had held firm in the demand for Curly Jones, the Cannons would have found someone willing to make a big offer a month or so into the season. Yes, there is risk that Day continues to pitch well and doesn't get hurt, but in my mind that is a lot less risky than banking on Petrick being a future star. If Baltimore is 100% confident Petrick is the real deal then this move makes sense but I just don't think anyone can say they are sure about him at this stage. That is another reason to hold off on this deal a month. It would give them a chance to see what Petrick does in Class B or C action while at the same time maybe forcing New York to sweeten the offer if they are set on wanting Day. And if they back off the Cannons could always have circled back to Cleveland or whoever else suddenly feels they are a contender in May. Even the draft picks make me worry a bit. The likelihood is they will be pick 13 at best because the Gothams, barring some very unexpected circumstances, are going to be contending for the pennant. The draft has changed substantially this season with the folding of the feeder leagues which means the class might be a lot more unpredictable then previous ones. That could be a good thing, but like Petrick it means more risk on the Cannons side - risk that could have been abated somewhat by waiting a month until the draft prospects get some time to show their stuff this spring. If all goes well this deal could be great for Baltimore and kickstart their rebuild, but if it doesn't this could set the franchise back years. Let's say Petrick is not the pitcher some scouts think he can become. Let's say the 1934 draft is as thin as the 1933 one and Cannons do not land a bluechip prospect with the pick they acquired from New York in round one and don't get anything of real value out of the round 2 and 4 picks. All draft picks are risks but for the reasons mentioned above I believe this class is a bigger risk than past years. Now it could also be a bigger reward if it turns out to be a bumper crop so there remains the possibility this is a huge win for the Cannons. But if it isn't and if Petrick is not able to cut it all are you left with in exchange for Rabbit Day - a pitcher with possibly half a dozen seasons as a dominant starter and maybe 3 or 4 years as a decent middle of the rotation piece- is 3 decent prospects. Don't get me wrong. Oscar King is a very good defensive shortstop but so far he has not shown he can hit in this league. Jim Mason will turn 26 this season and while he has some pretty good minor league numbers, the former first round pick has to play a big league game. He is a top twenty-five prospect and will likely get a chance to play everyday in Baltimore this season. Billy Marshall is just 22 and put up some big numbers between AA and AAA a year ago so he also looks like a solid outfielder. All three are great components for Baltimore to add in this deal but none of three are worthy of being the centerpiece of a trade like this. I hope this works out for Baltimore as the franchise has gone far too long without a pennant (since 1914) but if things go south with Petrick and the picks do not pan out getting just those three position players in exchange for Day will be a nightmare for Cannons fans. The reward might end up being there but it is the risk of this deal that has me concerned. I get the swing for the fences approach with Petrick but not with your one truly marketable piece in Rabbit Day. Sometimes you need to shorten your swing a bit and take a couple of sure doubles to rally your team rather than swing for the fences and strike out. As one GM mentioned to me. This could be a trade where both teams win but it could just as easily be a deal where Baltimore loses big. Time will tell. It will certainly be interesting to follow and if Rusty Petrick did not have the eyes of the league on him already he sure does now. Attached Images __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

12-20-2020, 10:00 PM	#88
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 College All-American Team FROSH PESTILLI LEADS 1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS There were some drastic changes to the college landscape in Figment Baseball this season with the expansion of the AIAA from a 40 school feeder league to a non-feeder system that now includes 261 Division One schools and more than 200 more at the D-2 and D-3 levels. It was one of the new AIAA division one member teams that provided us with the most exciting player of the 1934 college season. Sal Pestilli, a freshman outfielder who stayed in his native Rhode Island to play his college ball at Narragansett took the AIAA by storm as he posted triple crown winning numbers while leading the entire college ranks in average (.409), homers (16) and rbi's (66). Pestilli, who won't be draft eligible until 1936 is already drawing comparisons to another very talented college outfielder in former Commonwealth Catholic and current Montreal Saint Vic Crawford. It remains to be seen if Pestilli can duplicate Crawford's achievement of being named a first team All-American in each of his 3 seasons but if 1934 is any indication Pestilli is well on his way. Here is the 1934 All-American Team. Code: 1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS FIRST TEAM C Adam Mullins Eastern Oklahoma JR .317,3,31 1B Joe Crosson Miami State SO .277,11,39 2B Jack Gunter Mississippi A&M JR .322,1,37, 35 SB SS Tip Harrison Bluegrass State SR .301,6,40 31 SB 3B Phil McKenna Coastal Cal. JR .306,8,46 OF Sal Pestilli Narragansett FR .409,16,66 33 SB (college triple crown) OF Bob Donoghue Iowa A&M JR .317,15,50 11 SB OF Pete Wood Eastern State FR .366,2,49 32 SB P Phil Gregg Redwood University JR 12-2, 2.38, 1.16 WHIP 111 K's SECOND TEAM C John McLemore Tallmadge State JR .269,10,43 1B Harry Pickering George Fox JR .281,6,34, 40 SB 2B Babe Clark Marquis College JR .301,1,54 32 SB SS Bill Sorrells Adirondack State JR .307,9,48 39 SB 3B Frank Covarrubias Piedmont Univ. SR .338,2,36 32 SB OF Izzy Sevilla Murfreesboro Tech SO .314,9,50 39 SB OF Dick Smith Western Iowa JR .300,12,43 32 SB OF Larry Ryder George Fox SO .315,12,42 11 SB P Clarence Linden Frankford State SO 10-3, 2.50, 1.15 WHIP 104 K's This is the 8th season that the Figment Sporting Journal has named a college All-American team. Let's take a look back at that first class in 1927 and see what they have accomplished since. For that first year of the award there was only a first team selected. Code: A LOOK BACK AT THE 1927 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS C Frank Simpson Opelika State 1B Ted Parker St Patrick's 2B Sam Orr Henry Hudson SS Steve Clarke Chicago Poly 3B Randy Fargo Boulder State OF John Collins Liberty OF Vic Crawford Commonwealth Catholic OF Nellie Dawson Wisconsin St P Huck Moore Commonwealth Catholic FRANK SIMPSON- 1927 would be the pinnacle of Frank Simpson's baseball career as the catcher from Opelika State never amounted to much in pro ball. It was his only year as a starter for the Wildcats and Simpson made the most of, batting .407 with 7 homers and 43 rbi's in 51 games as he helped Opelika State win the College World Series. He was a 21st round pick of the Boston Minutemen that winter but was released after spring training. The Philadelphia Keystones signed him and he spent 5 seasons in the low minors but never played more than 47 games in any season. Reading the writing that was clearly on the wall Simpson retired following the 1932 season and is now putting his college education to work in his home state of California. TED PARKER- Like Simpson, the former St Patrick's College star first baseman is no longer involved in baseball. He was a 3 year starter in college and 1927, his sophomore season, was clearly his best year as he led the entire AIAA in hitting with a .436 average while also contributing 11 homers. He struggled through his draft year of 1928 but was selected in the 8th round by the Toronto Wolves. He showed some flashes as a rookie pro at Class C in 1928, hitting for the cycle in a game, but batted just .248 with 11 homers in 121 games that year. He would play just 3 more games in the Toronto system the following year before being released and retiring from the sport. SAM ORR - Orr was a freshman at Henry Hudson University in 1927 and his .425,19,63 season allowed him to edge out another stellar freshman in Jake Shadoan for All-American honours. While he would not make the All-American team again he did fashion a very strong career for the Explorers and was selected 5th overall by the Toronto Wolves in the 1929 FABL draft, 2 slots ahead of his old college rival Shadoan. After a year in the minors he debut with the Wolves in 1931 and has been a regular in Toronto ever since, fashioning a .296 career batting average in 516 FABL games. At 26 he looks to be hitting the prime of a pretty good career. STEVE CLARKE - The shortstop on the All-American team has followed Orr much of his career. He was a freshman at Chicago Poly that year, which was his only All-American season. He was drafted in the same draft as Orr, by Toronto and one round after the second baseman. Clarke's path to Toronto has taken longer than Orr's, although they were teammates for much of the 1930 season in Class B Vancouver but Clarke did not get the call to Toronto until midway through last season. He is with the Wolves again this year and a teammate of Orr's but serving as a utility infielder on the club. RANDY FARGO - The third baseman from Boulder State was a first team All-American in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Grizzlies before being drafted in the 5th round by Cleveland in 1929, following his junior season. He has not had much success at the pro level but remains in the Foresters organization, splitting this season so far between A ball and AA. JOHN COLLINS - Another of the great group of freshman in 1927, the outfielder from Liberty College would also be named a first team All-American following his sophomore season when he hit .404. He is third all-time in career AIAA homers with 56 and helped the Bells to back to back College World Series finals in his last two seasons with the school. He was a 1929 second round pick of Montreal and was a consistent top 100 prospect before the Saints traded him at the 1932 draft to move up and select another future All-American outfielder in Pablo Reyes. Collins got a brief taste of big league ball with the Saints in 1930 but did not get back to the majors until Pittsburgh promoted him last season. He is still trying to establish himself as an everyday player at age 25 but does have a .398 career FABL average with 3 homers in 83 big league at bats. VIC CRAWFORD - The three time first team All-American from Commonwealth Catholic was recently named the second greatest college player in the first 25 years of the AIAA. Only Calvin Dybas hit more career homers in college than the 67 Crawford belted and he was MVP of the 1927 College World Series despite being on the losing end. Taken third overall by the Montreal Saints in the 1929 FABL draft, Crawford made the first All-Star team in FABL history and is a .298 hitter with 15 homers in 291 career big league games. Playing half his games in the cavernous Parc Cartier has certainly affected his power numbers but Crawford is clearly a quality FABL hitter. NELLIE DAWSON - Clearly the forgotten man of that amazing group of freshman outfielders, the former Wisconsin State Brewer was selected 13th overall by the New York Stars - practically right in the middle between fellow All-American outfielders Crawford and Collins, but he has yet to make his big league debut. Dawson, who was also a second team All-American his sophomore season, remains in the Stars system and has split this season between AA and AAA. He can still hit, batting .402 in his minor league stops this season, after twice hitting over .400 in college and finishing with a .399 career average in the AIAA. HUCK MOORE - Moore was a junior at Commonwealth Catholic that season and went 11-0 with a 1.83 ERA and co-held the single season college record for wins until it was broken in 1931 by Bob Cummings from College of San Diego. He 29 career college wins are second only to Tom Barrell, but Barrell who was 10-3 that season, needed 4 years to Moore's three of college ball. Moore won a college World Series with the Knights in 1926 and led them to the finals again in 1927 before being drafted 6th overall by the New York Gothams. He came into pro ball with very high expectations and looked quite good in A ball (12-10, 3.10) in 1928 but has struggled at higher levels including a terrible 1-18, 9.05 season at AAA Toledo in 1932. Now 28 years old he remains in Toledo and is still struggling this season with a 7-6 record but a 7.27 era out of the Tornados bullpen. He did make one FABL appearance, a start a year ago and was very good allowing just 1 earned in 5 innings of work but was tagged with the loss. So far it has been Moore's only taste of the big leagues. So you can see from the above look back at the 1927 All-Americans that being named a top college player is no guarantee of future success as a professional. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 1934 All-Americans, especially Sal Pestilli. Sal, by the way is one of three brothers looking to make their marks on big league baseball. All three are outfielders with Alf being the oldest. Alf is a junior and draft eligible this season after hitting .294 with 12 homers and 44 rbi's playing alongside Sal at Narragansett College. Alf, who was born in Italy before the family came to the US and settled in Rhode Island, is not considered a high draft prospect. The youngest brother is 14 year old Tony, who just completed his freshman season at Westerly (RI) high school. Tony, who likely has his eyes focused on a college career at Narragansett like his brothers, hit .485 in 23 games of prep competition this year. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

12-22-2020, 03:49 PM	#89
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 High School All-Americans FRESHMAN PHENOM NAMED HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jiggs McGee will be naming a High School All-America team this year joining a tradition that is now 9 years old for the college ranks. Before we get to the prep team the Figment Sporting Journal has named it's High School player of the year. Just like in the college ranks when Sal Pestilli won the award as a freshman by leading the AIAA in all three triple crown categories the winner in the high school ranks is also a player who won't be draft eligible until 1936. 15 year old Walt Messer, a sophomore at McKinley Tech in Washington DC has been named the National High School Player of the Year. The first baseman, who is drawing early comparisons to Max Morris, led the nation in the big three offensive categories with a .613 batting average to go with 15 homers and 51 rbi's in just 25 games. It is early but preliminary scouting reports released by the OSA state Messer "could make multiple trips to the All-Star Game." The 1936 draft will be very interesting if both Messer and Pestilli continue to develop as expected. The rest of the Prep All-Americans are listed below. Instead of a first and second team like in the college ranks the High School group will consist of 18 players that includes 2 catchers, six infielders, 5 outfielders and 5 pitchers. THE FIVE PITCHERS ARE: PETE PAPENFUS: The sophomore at West Plains High School in West Plains, Missouri led the nation in just about every pitching category including strike outs, ERA and FIP. He was 10-0 with a 0.53 ERA and averaged a high school best 16.7 k/9. If he continues to develop the 16 year old should be a high draft pick in 1936. His FIP was 0.21 and no one else, not even Rufus Barrell was close to that number. RUFUS BARRELL II: Few high school players are better known than the junior from baseball's first family. The lefthander from Macon High School and was 12-0 with 0.81 era while fanning 185 batters in 122 innings of work. With the talent in the family already there is a lot of pressure on Barrell to live up to the name but some think the 6'4" 17 year old has a chance to be an even better pitcher than his uncle (Brooklyn King ace Tom Barrell). WALLY DOYLE: One of the two dominant pitchers from the state of Texas that scouts have been flocking to see. The sophomore from Waco High School has a gun for a left arm, averaging 14.3 k/9 and 187 strikeouts total - second only to fellow sophomore Papenfus. Doyle was 9-2 with a 1.15 era for Waco this season. DEL BURNS: A senior from Houston High School, Burns was 11-0 with a 0.81 era in 16 starts this season. His 0.75 WHIP was only surpassed by Barrell and Papenfus and he was fifth in the nation with a 13.5 K/9. OSA projects Burns to be a fourth round pick in their preliminary mock draft but some scouts feel he has frontline starter potential. JOHNNY SLANEY: Another lefthander, the 17 year old senior from Greensboro, North Carolina has already committed to Golden Gate-Chico after a 10-0, 0.83 season for the Greensboro High Wildcats. Slaney was one of just 6 high school pitchers with a FIP below 1.00. He is listed as a possible second round pick on the initial OSA mock draft. Honorable Mention: Jack Goff from Brooklyn(NY) Tilden, George Garrison from Carthage(ILL) and Manny Franco from Old Westbury (NY). CATCHERS WOODY STONE: The senior from Dunlap High School in Tennessee is projected in early mock drafts to be a first round pick and could challenge another Tennessee native in Adam Mullins of Eastern Oklahoma University to be the first catcher drafted. Stone has committed to College of San Diego if he does not turn pro. Slashed .541/.586/.806 in 23 games this season for the Dunlap Indians. OSA's scouting report calls him "an above average, everyday big league player." BILL VAN NESS: The junior from Suffolk (Virginia) High School hit .525 for his team this season and led all high school catchers with a .597 on base percentage. OSA feels he can be an above average player with great contact ability. Honorable Mention: Ken Vance from Northwood (NH) and Bill Watson from Paoli (IN) INFIELDERS WALT MESSER: 1B- McKinley Tech, Washington DC. Is it too early to draw comparisons to Max Morris for the sophomore? Just 15 years old he led the nation in all 3 triple crown categories, batting .613 with 15 homers and 51 rbi's in 25 games and was named the National High School Player of the Year. CHUCK ADAMS: 1B- Memphis HS, Memphis, Tennessee. Another underclassman who posted huge numbers as the junior first baseman hit .594 with 12 homers in 22 games. He also showed some speed with 19 stolen bases. RED JOHNSON: 1B- Central Catholic, Portland, Oregon. A junior, Johnson hit .566 with 11 homers in 24 games. JIM LIGHTBODY: 2B- Alexandria HS, Alexandria, La. Baseball is in his blood as Lightbody is a cousin of current FABL outfielders Doug and Frank. Lightbody hit .514 as a junior and seems to have the same sweet swing as his cousins. ELMER MILLER: 2B- Medford HS, Medford, Ma. The senior has committed to attend Bluegrass State next season after hitting .517 with 32 stolen bases in 26 high school games this year. ROOSEVELT BREWER: 2B- Washington HS, Chicago, Il. Another of the talented freshman that entered the high school ranks this season, Brewer is not draft eligible until 1937 but some scouts are already saying his middle infield defense and speed could allow him to develop into a future all-star. He hit .536 with 4 homers this season. Honorable Mention: Earl Kimmel, Junior 1B from Dallas(Tx) High School and Luke Micheals, freshman SS from Santa Barbara(Cal) High School. OUTFIELDERS SI CROCKER: East HS, Buffalo, NY. Tied for second in homers with 12 and finished second in rbi's in the nation this season while batting.518. The sophomore is draft eligible in 1936 and has a very high ceiling. LYLE BURCH: Berea HS, Berea, OH. Another sophomore, Burch hit .548 with 34 stolen bases this season and early scouting projections see him as a solid big league centerfielder and lead-off man. BILL MURNANE: Stone Mountain HS, Stone Mountain Ga. Just 15 years old the freshman hit .529 with 4 homers and 41 rbi's while stealing 21 bases in 26 games this season. He is not draft eligible until 1937. BOB MULLINS: Tilden HS, Brooklyn, NY. The ceiling is high for the senior outfielder, who is tabbed for the third round in the December draft according to the early OSA Mock rankings. His high school teammate, pitcher Jack Goff, who is an honorable mention on this list, is also projected to be a high draft pick. Mullins hit .500 this season with 5 homers in 26 games but he is projected to have decent power when he grows into his 6'1" frame. Has a verbal commitment to attend Constitution State in Hartford, which is where the 18 year old was born. JIM ALLAIRE: Webster HS, Webster, Mass. The senior from Canada moved to Massachusetts to further his baseball career. While he is not projected to have a lot of power he should make good contact at the next level and has plus speed. He has committed to Charleston Tech if he does not sign after the draft. Hit .548 with 32 stolen bases this season. Honorable Mention: Dan Rogers, Senior from Canton South High School, Canton (OH); Ducky Pugh, Senior from Fairland (OK) HS; and Charlie Woodbury, Sophomore from Scranton (PA) HS. Code: 1934 FABL HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICANS NAME CLASS SCHOOL C Woody Stone Senior Dunlap (Tn) C Bill Van Ness Junior Suffolk (Va) INF Walt Messer Sophomore McKinley Tech, Washington DC INF Chuck Adams Junior Memphis (Tn) INF Red Johnson Junior Central Catholic, Portland, Oregon INF Jim Lightbody Junior Alexandria (La) INF Elmer Miller Senior Medford (MA) INF Roosevelt Brewer Freshman Washington HS, Chicago, IL OF Si Crocker Sophomore East HS, Buffalo, NY OF Lyle Burch Sophomore Berea (OH) OF Bill Murnane Freshman Stone Mountain (GA) OF Bob Mullins Senior Tilden HS, Brooklyn, NY OF Jim Allaire Senior Webster (MA) P Pete Papenfus Sophomore West Plains (Mo) P Rufus Barrell II Junior Macon (Ga) P Wally Doyle Sophomore Waco (Tx) P Del Burns Senior Houston (Tx) P Johnny Slaney Senior Greensboro (NC) __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

12-22-2020, 10:50 PM	#90
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 Draft Preview - College Recruiting SOMEBODY HAS BEEN BUSY RECRUITING With the demise of feeders one good thing is we now have a lot more college baseball programs to follow and it appears a few of the ones we had not heard of before are trying to make some waves this season. The most active schools in landing high school senior commitments for next year are Bluegrass State and Eastern State with 11 each, followed closely by Grange College. Mississippi A&M, with 7, is the most active of the schools we have grown to know over the past 8 seasons. Must be something about Louisville as both Bluegrass State and Grange College are located there. It likely doesn't mean much as pretty much all of their commits will bypass college and sign with a FABL team after the draft but I thought I would take a quick look at the recruiting classes for the most active schools. First, here is a list of the schools with the most high school recruits. Code: SCHOOL # OF RECRUITS TOP RECRUIT MOCK DRAFT Bluegrass State 11 2B Elmer Miller, Medford(MA) HS not ranked Eastern State 11 1B Sig Stofer, Atlantic City (NJ) HS 4th round Grange College 10 RHP Ace Harmon, Los Angeles (CA) HS 3rd round Portland Tech 8 LHP Lou Johnson Austin (TX) HS 2nd round Mississippi A&M 7 OF Ducky Pugh, Fairland (OK) HS 3rd round Amarillo Methodist 6 LHP Pat Witkins, Amherst (NH) HS not ranked CCLA 6 OF Tony Hendricks, Reading (PA) HS 2nd round Central Kentucky 6 OF Fred Galloway, Evansville (IN) HS 1st round Constitution State 6 OF Bob Mullins, Brooklyn (NY) Tilden HS 2nd round Maryland State 6 OF Martin Brown, Staunton (IL) HS not ranked Opelika State 6 3B Joe Bell, Slayton (MN) HS 3rd round Red River State 6 OF Heinie Billings, Macon (GA) HS 3rd round Redwood University 6 SS Milo Stockbridge, Chicago (IL) Leo HS not ranked Bluegrass State in Louisville invaded the northeast in search of middle infield help and they landed a pair of pretty good ones in Medford (MA) second baseman Elmer Miller (.517,1,32) and shortstop Guy Williams (.383,2,24) from Peckham Technical in Buffalo, New York. Williams will have big shoes to replace as the Mustangs will be losing senior SS Tip Harrison, who is ranked as a top 10 pick in the OSA Mock Draft. The Eastern State Monitors also landed 11 recruits led by the top ranked high school first baseman in the nation in Sig Stofer. The 18 year old, who is a 4th round pick according to the OSA Mock Draft decided to exchange the beaches of Atlantic City for the campus in Virginia Beach, although odds are that Stofer, who tied for the high school lead with 11 homers this season, will be in the minor leagues next season. Righthander Ace Harmon, who went 10-2 this season for Los Angeles (CA) High School headlines the 10 commits that Grange College landed this summer. Must be something about Louisville as both Bluegrass State and Grange College are located in the Kentucky city. The Mustangs (same nickname as Bluegrass State as well) also landed Tony 'Pooch' Puccinello from Bryant High School in Queens, New York. Puccinello was 7-3 as a senior and some scouts feel he stands a good chance of pitching quite effectively in the major leagues some day. To further enhance their class, Grange also inked Jack Loomis, an outfielder from St Albans High School in Washington DC who is tabbed as a possible 3rd round selection in the Mock Draft. The Portland Tech Magpies come in at fourth with 8 recruits. The best of which is long slender lefthander Lou Johnson, who was 8-2 for Austin High School in Texas. Johnson is pegged as the number one high school pitcher in the nation, at least according to the OSA Mock Draft. A school Figment followers are very familiar with is Mississippi A&M, which comes in fifth with 7 recruits. The Generals have been dubbed Outfield U because of the large number of quality outfielders they have developed through the years including the Lightbody brothers, Doug and Frank, as well as Jim Renfroe. The Generals recruiting class is led by centerfielder Ducky Pugh, a potential 3rd round pick according to OSA who is already drawing comparisons to what Pittsburgh Miners centerfielder Jim Renfroe was like until injuries derailed his career. Ducky has huge upside after hitting .550 for his high school team in Fairland, Oklahoma. Mississippi A&M also landed a potential fourth rounder in first baseman Paul Sammons, who hit .505 with 10 homers for Western High School in Louisville. Surprised that Bluegrass State and Grange College let him escape from right under their noses. That's all for now. Expect more previews as we approach the December 1934 FABL first year player draft. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

12-28-2020, 09:04 PM	#91
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 Draft Preview - Some stories to follow ST BLANE PITCHERS LOOK TO MAKE THEIR MARK Ask anyone who the most famous pitcher to come out of St Blane University and there will likely be some debate. The Fighting Saints have produced four 100 game winners in FABL including current star pitchers Jim Lonardo of the New York Gothams and Dick Richards of the cross-town Stars. The 30 year old Lonardo, with 3 Allen Awards, has some bragging rights on Richards, who has only won 1 of them so far but Richards can point to his 4 World Championship Series rings earned with the Stars as his rebuttal. Lonardo (St Blane class of 1925) currently boasts a 114-79 career record while the 35 year old Richards (Class of 1920) is 157-84 at the time of this writing. Both are still active and sure to add to that total. St Blane can also brag of Sammy Butler (Class of 1915), who won 139 games and 3 World Championships with the Gothams as well as former Chicago Chief hurler Al Wood (Class of 1914), who went 111-126 over 10 seasons with the Windy City club. In all a total of 10 former St. Blane pitchers have plyed their trade in a big league uniform. Several others dot the minor league systems of various FABL clubs with the most promising perhaps being Ray Perry (Class of 1928), a former 14th round pick who is presently pitching in AAA in the Philadelphia Keystones organization. That number is sure to swell in the near future as three Fighting Saints pitchers are expected to be high FABL draft picks this season led by Bobo White, who has established a number of school records and is pegged the top pitcher available this December according to the league's scouting service OSA's mock draft. After going 19-1 in his first two seasons for St Blane, White went 9-5 this spring. His 28 career wins as a Fighting Saint snapped the school mark of 21 previously set by Bill Stonehouse, a 1929 3rd round pick of the Keystones, who is still languishing in the low minors. There is talk White might be the highest drafted St Blane pitcher ever, but he will need to go in the first four picks to accomplish that as Bob Paxton, who went 43-50 over a career that included stops with Keystones and Detroit, was Philadelphia's first round pick, 5th overall in 1918. Sammy Butler was also a first round pick, taken 10th overall by the Gothams in 1916. Surprisingly, neither Richards nor Lonardo were taken in the first round. Richards went in the 3rd to the New York Stars in 1920 while the Gothams got the steal of the 1925 draft in taking Lonardo in the 10th round that winter. It is not just White who is expected to be drafted very high this year as Gus Goulding, who went 8-3, 2.61 this season, is tabbed as a second round pick and Brad Daniels, who posted a 10-5, 3.33 mark this spring, is rated as a 5th round selection by OSA. All 3 had outstanding seasons a year ago in the final year of feeders as White was 8-1, 1.48, Goulding 10-2, 2.49 and Daniels 8-3, 1.61. Each receives a glowing review according to OSA's preliminary scouting reports. White, a 20 year old from Fairfield, Connecticut, is said to have "a golden arm and should be a top of the rotation pitcher." The 21 year old Goulding, who hails from Indianapolis, is given a very similar grade by the OSA and Daniels, a Grandwood Park, Illinois native, is projected to be a mid-rotation starter. It will take quite a career for any of the three to outshine Richards and Lonardo but the scouts certainly feel they are capable of doing so. Here is a list of all former St Blane pitchers to appear in a FABL game. Code: ST BLANE PITCHERS TO MAKE THE MAJOR LEAGUES NAME COLL YRS DRAFTED FABL REC YEARS TEAMS Dick Richards 1919-20 3rd rd 157-84 1923-present NY Stars Jim Lonardo 1923-25 10th rd 114-79 1928-present NY Gothams Sammy Butler 1913-15 1st-pick 10 139-148 1916-29 NY Gothams Al Wood 1912-14 4th rd 111-126 1918-28 CHI Chiefs Bob Paxton 1916-18 1st-pick 5 47-65 1919-31 Keystones, Detroit Johnny Taylor 1915-17 4th rd 43-50 1920-25 Detroit, Cleveland Allen Purvis 1922-23 5th rd 8-9 1928,1931-pr NYG, Clev, Montreal John Beltre 1916-20 8th rd 8-8 1923,1926-28 Chi Cougars, Phi Sailors Del Smith 1919-21 9th rd 6-17 1925-26 Pittsburgh, Cleveland George Reeves 1924-26 8th rd 0-1 1933-present Keystones GRANGE COLLEGE IS QUICKLY MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF The Grange College Mustangs are one of the new kids on the block as the college ranks have swelled immensely from the 40 teams we had in the feeder league days but they are very quickly making themselves known. We have no standings or college World Series anymore without feeders but it is a safe bet to assume the Louisville, Kentucky school must have been one of, if not the most dominant team in AIAA division one this season. No fewer than seven Grange College players are ranked in this year's draft class and 5 more have already made their presence felt as players eligible for the next two drafts. This season, only 3 other schools: St Blane, George Fox and Eastern State, had as many as 3 players eligible for the 1934 draft. As mentioned above the three St Blane pitchers are all very highly regarded so that was likely another school that would have contended for the National Championship. But let's take a look the seven players vying to be the first one ever from Grange College to be drafted by and perhaps one day play in FABL. Here are their stats and what the OSA says about each of them. JOE BRADBURY: OF - (.308,7,49) A Cincinnati native with great speed and should possess the hitting ability to make the big leagues. PAT BUCHANAN: OF - (.290,2,39) The Oswego, NY native is considered an average hitter with a good eye. More a journeyman than an elite player. BOB CRAWFORD: OF - (.280,4,49) OSA feels the 21 year old from Milwaukee will be able to contribute to a big league club, but more as a supplement than a star. JIM HORNER: RHP - (7-3, 3.42) Has 6 pitches with 3 expected to be major league quality. Needs to rely on his command rather than pure stuff and there is concern the Henderson, Kentucky native may not have the stamina to go deep into ballgames. ALEX KING: RHP - (4-4, 4.29) The Wheeling, West Virginia native is considered a borderline pick who is not expected to be more than an organization depth piece. BEN MARTIN: OF -(.277,8,51) Outgoing 21 year old from Los Angeles can always be counted on to talk to reporters but has limited pro potential. SNOOKS SMITH: OF - (.257,3,37) One of the few college players born in Alaska as his grandparents both headed north during the gold rush, Smith is a solid defensive outfielder with decent speed but his ceiling is a bench role. Of the seven, Bradbury is the most highly touted. He is the only one to make the OSA 5 round mock draft, fitting in somewhere in the middle of round four. from the August 6, 1934 edition of The Toledo Blade. OHIO POLY STAR LOOKS TO FOLLOW IN FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS Howard Brown toiled for 14 years in the minor leagues, peaking at AAA where he played parts of three seasons for the Cleveland Foresters top farm team in Cincinnati. Brown, a corner outfielder, hit .253 in 268 games in Cincinnati and played an additional 536 games in AA, primarily for the Toledo Tornados. A Chicago native, Brown has settled in Ohio, the state he played most of his pro ball in, and raised a family that includes son Howard Jr. Junior was born in Toledo during his dad's playing days and is hoping to follow in his father's footsteps and become a professional ballplayer. It looks like the 22 year old stands a pretty good chance of even surpassing his dad and perhaps one day making it to FABL. After starring at Libbey High School the younger Brown stayed in Toledo to play his college ball at Ohio Poly University. He just completed his junior season with the Cardinals where he hit .305 and showed a little power as well with 7 homers in 40 games. The league scouting service projects Brown could be a .330 hitter one day in the big leagues and a "worthwhile development project". Blessed with much more speed than his old man - Brown stole 33 bases for the Cardinals this season - his outstanding range and ability to chase down fly balls may be his biggest strength. He and his father are now fully focused on December and the annual FABL draft. "There was no draft in my day," laughed the elder Brown. "so I guess Junior will get bragging rights no matter when he is selected. But right now the old man is the only one in the family who can say he played Triple A ball. Of course we are all hoping that changes real soon." To no surprise Junior grew up a fan of the Cleveland Foresters but says he will be happy going to any team. "My dad has an old photograph with Max Morris and he is holding me in it. I must have been 2 or 3 so I don't remember much of it but my dad jokes I have been to Foresters spring training before, and it would sure be something to go back there as a ballplayer." __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

01-11-2021, 09:01 PM	#92
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	A look back at the 1921 Draft I think it has been a while since I looked back at an old draft class and I believe 1920 is the last one I did so let's get back on track and see how the first round selections of the 1921 draft made out. 1- HOWIE SHIFFLETT 2B- Philadelphia Keystones: The 18 year old shortstop put up some pretty solid numbers while with Houston High School but it took him a long time to get to the major leagues. At one point he was the #3 rated prospect in the game and he finally made his big league debut six years after his draft year. Since then he has played regularly for the Keystones but really is just an average big league second baseman, batting .295 and averaging about 7 homers a season. His defense is a little suspect and he is not what you would think a first overall pick should be, but it was a weak draft year and the Keystones did get a serviceable major league piece. 2- BERT FLORES RHP- Toronto Wolves: In the past I have talked about the AI years Toronto GM's penchant for drafting pitchers who ultimately underachieved and they got another one in 1921 with the selection of Flores. He was decent but not overly impressive in high school ball in Louisville. Flores peaked as the #7 rated prospect in 1927 and actually had a pretty strong sophomore season on a weak Toronto team in 1929, going 17-17 with a 3.26 era. That would be the zenith of his big league career as he struggled (to put it mildly) through a 1-12, 7.54 1930 season in a year he was plagued by a nagging hamstring injury. The Wolves released him early the following season and since then he has bounced around with a couple of independent teams finding a home with the Denver Plainsmen of the Western Association. It is extremely unlikely that, at age 32, he ever finds his way back to the majors so he finishes with a 27-47 career record. It should be noted Toronto had much better success with their second round pick as they went with Birdie Smith out of Brunswick University. Smith, who is still going strong with the Wolves at age 34, is the second most successful pitcher in his draft class posting a 150-184 mark to date. The Cougars Dick Lyons, who was taken 5 picks after Smith and is 112-88 with an all-star game selection, would likely be considered the best pitcher selection of this draft. 3- GUSTAVO MUNOZ SS- Pittsburgh Miners: Another high school selection, Munoz lasted just 2 seasons in the Miners system before being released. Obviously not a good look for the organization with a high first round draft pick. He bounced around with a couple of teams before finally get a big league chance with Detroit where he hit .309 as a 26 year old rookie. He was a regular on the Dynamos 1929 World Championship team but his playing time decreased substantially after that and he spent all of the 1934 season in AAA. He does have a .304 career average in 355 FABL games. 4- PETE LAYTON 2B- New York Stars: In hindsight the middle infielder from College of San Diego clearly should have gone #1. He has been a huge piece of the Stars success over the past decade, making two all-star teams, winning 4 World Championship Series and being named MVP of the 1932 Series. Now 34, Layton has a .333 career batting average and 1,851 hits in 1,454 FABL games and appears to still be going strong after hitting .329 this season - the 8th straight year he surpassed the .300 mark. Layton also won a batting title in 1928 and has a .375 career postseason batting average in 20 games. 5- FRANK PLATT OF - Detroit Dynamos: Now retired, Platt spent parts of 8 seasons in Detroit after being selected out of Brunswick, including 3 years as a starter in Detroit. He had back to back 200 hit seasons including 1927 when he led the Fed with 225 hits and also topped the loop with 35 steals. He was on the 1929 World Championship Detroit squad but only appeared in 16 games that season. Platt played 612 big league games and hit .324 but after his impressive run from 1925-26 much more was expected from him. 6- CHRIS ODLE 3B - New York Gothams: Out of Wilkes-Barre High School, Odle was released by the Gothams this past April and has not caught on anywhere else. He spent 7 seasons with the club including 3 as their starting third baseman and hit .274 in 560 FABL games. Certainly nothing special but no worse than most of those draft near him. 7- ROCKY EDWARDS 2B - Chicago Cougars: Edwards had 3 decent seasons for the Cougars but then fell off the map when they dealt him to Brooklyn at age 26. The Coastal California product hit .303 in 430 games with the Cougars and .214 after he left them. He retired following the 1933 season with career that encompassed 484 FABL games. 8- LEO REYNOLDS P - Baltimore Cannons: Reynolds perhaps could have been so much more than he turned out to be as it appears a devastating elbow injury greatly altered his career. He was MVP of the 1921 College World Series with the Northern California Miners as a junior before the Cannons selected him but Reynolds failed to sign and returned to the Miners for his senior season. Baltimore drafted him again the following season but in the second round this time and he did eventually sign. Fast tracked to AAA out spring camp, Reynolds won his first 4 decisions as a professional at that level and was in Baltimore midway through his rookie pro season. He was 6-11 with a 3.53 era until he hurt his elbow late in the season and missed over a year. While Reynolds did pitch for Baltimore again he never lived up to the promise he appeared to show as a rookie pro, going 2-7 with a 4.57 era in 1924 and pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen in 1926 but that was the extent of his big league time. He does remain in the Baltimore system at age 33 but has yet to make it back to the major leagues, spending most of his time at AA Erie. Johnson is 11-22 with 3 saves and a 4.00 in parts of 3 big league seasons. 9- DICK ALEXANDER P - Boston Minutemen: Alexander went 7-1, 1.79 in his draft year and along with Reynolds helped lead Northern California to a College World Series title. He made his major league debut less than 2 years later but never really caught on with the Minutemen. He was in the rotation for 3 seasons and went 14-7 in 1928 but was moved to the bullpen by 1931 and spent all of last season, at age 33, in AAA> His FABL mark is 54-61 with a 4.19 era. 10- ALEX DIAZ C- Philadelphia Sailors: Other than Pete Layton, the product of Lynn High School has been the most successful first rounder in this draft. 1300 career games and counting with a .290 batting average while with the Sailors. He won a pair of World Championship Series and was MVP of the 1928 Fall Classic. Simply a very good, steady big league catcher for the past decade. 11- LARRY CRAIG 2B- Brooklyn Kings: Ended up playing 259 big league games and hitting .267, but none with the team that drafted him. After one season of class A ball the Kings released the former Dickson College Maroon. The St Louis Pioneers along with Indy teams Portland and Sacramento also signed him for a spell only to quickly release Craig as well. He did eventually catch on with the Sailors in 1923 and spent parts of 5 seasons as a backup with Philadelphia, earning a pair of World Championship Series rings. The Sailors cut ties with him prior to the 1933 season and he has been with Pueblo of the Western Association ever since. 12- ART ROE P - Cleveland Foresters: Had a decent career at Rainier College and has accomplished a lot in the minors over his career including throwing a no-hitter in 1926 and being a part of 3 minor league pennant winners while winning 144 games. His big league career was much less impressive. He pitched 2 innings for the 1926 Foresters and went 6-6 for the club as a swingman the following season. After being waived he was picked up by Brooklyn and in 1929 went 2-3 with a 6.69 era in 6 starts for the Kings before being released. Now 34, he is pitching for independent Syracuse of the Union League. 13- ED PINKHAM C - Chicago Chiefs: The Oakland High Schooler was dealt to Montreal while still in the minors and ended up spending 7 seasons with the Saints, primarily in a backup role. Washington claimed him off waivers at the start of the season and he appeared in 82 games for the Eagles this season, second most of his career. Pinkham has hit .274 in 491 FABL games and is an average backup catcher. 14- GUS PERRY P -Montreal Saints: Perry won a pair of College World Series titles with Liberty College but went back to school after Montreal released him in his first spring camp. He would be selected by the Sailors in the second round of the 1922 draft and spend half a dozen years in their organization including a 10-14 season in 1925 with the big league club. He ran into some injury troubles after that and never pitched in the majors again, having to settle for a 16-26 record with a 5.75 era in 33 appearances over 3 seasons. He is now 34 and still going strong, having spent the past 5 seasons with independent Pueblo of the Western Association, posting 70-47 record over the time for the Mountaineers. 15- MIKE HICKS P - Washington Eagles: The 1921 draft must have had some tough player agents as Hicks was the third pick of the opening round who refused to sign joining fellow pitchers Leo Reynolds and Gus Perry. After 3 seasons at Northern Mississippi Hicks transferred to Commonwealth Catholic for his senior campaign after refusing to sign with the Eagles. Montreal grabbed him in the second round of the 1922 draft but released him midway through his rookie pro season. Hicks eventually caught on with Pittsburgh and spent 6 seasons in the Miners bullpen, appearing in 231 FABL games - all in relief. He was 25-23 with 27 saves before being cut loose after the 1931 season. He is now 33 and has spent the last two seasons pitching for independent Portland of the Great Western League. 16- CHARLIE JOHNSON P - St Louis Pioneers: Johnson, like 14th pick Gus Perry, had quite the college pedigree as he helped pitch Liberty College to back to back national titles in 1919 and 1920. Injuries hounded him as a pro including missing nearly all of the 1922 season with shoulder troubles. Despite that Johnson had some strong minor league seasons including going 24-3 for AA Dayton as a 23 year old in 1924. Midway through the 1925 season he was dealt to the New York Gothams in a trade that brought Hal Galvan to St Louis. He debuted with the Gothams that year and went 11-5 with a 3.01 era in 1926 - the only season he was a starter. Johnson then settled in the New York bullpen and led the Fed in saves with 14 in 1931 but dealt with numerous injuries through his days in New York. He was dealt to Cleveland prior to the 1933 season and spent the past two seasons pitching in AAA Cincinnati. Now 34 years old he is 25-25 with 43 saves and a 3.61 era in 196 big league appearances. SUMMARY So Pete Layton and Alex Diaz were the only solid major leaguers to come out of the first round of the 1921 draft which appears to have been a very thin crop overall. Frank Vance is about the best of the remaining hitters - he went in round two to Detroit. I already mentioned pitchers Dick Lyons and Birdie Smith, who were both very good second round picks but beyond that there really is not much that stands out. Perhaps third rounders Tom Hopkins, who enjoyed a few seasons in Pittsburgh or Ed Roberts, who remains Baltimore's option at third base all these years later. It would be easy to criticize a number of teams for bad first round picks - especially those that released guys very shortly after drafting them - but the truth is, other than a very select few, this was simply a very poor crop of players in the 1921 draft. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 01-11-2021 at 09:02 PM.

01-14-2021, 10:36 AM	#93
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 World Championship Series DID FORESTERS COMEBACK SAVE BASEBALL IN CLEVELAND? If we have learned one thing the past couple of months it is to never count the Cleveland Foresters out. Reeling after blowing an 8 game lead in August, the Foresters regrouped and went 15-1 down the stretch to hold of Brooklyn for the Continental Association Pennant. Next up was the World Championship Series and Cleveland dug itself a hole in dropping three of the first four games before once again showing incredible resilience and roaring back to win three straight to give long suffering Foresters fans their first World Championship in franchise history. But one challenge remains and that is the uphill battle fans have been fighting to save their beloved Foresters. Foresters owner Elmer Marshall has been battling Cleveland city administrators for quite some time to try and coax them into using taxpayer money to fund a new stadium for the club. It is no secret Forester Field is at the very least in need of a facelift, but Marshall wants the 24 year old building razed and a new home built - at taxpayer money of course - for his club. With the city, like most across the nation, still reeling from the fallout of the Stock Market crash there does not appear to be much money to spare so Marshall has taken it upon himself over the past couple of months to go on a national tour in hopes of finding a city council more receptive to giving into his demands. So instead of witnessing perhaps the best, and certainly the most exciting, couple of months of Forester baseball, Marshall has spent his time riding the rails, and being wined and dined by bureaucrats in places like Cincinnati, Buffalo and even Charlotte as they each make their pitch for his ballclub. Marshall had okayed the club spending money to bring in veteran stars like Max Morris, T.R. Goins and Charlie Berry in hopes of making the team just good enough that it would create an uprising were Cleveland city council not to cave in on his demands of a new Stadium. Perhaps, he accomplished that task just a little too well as the Foresters were not only competitive, but they completed one of the greatest comebacks in World Championship Series history and ended a championship drought that stretched 45 years and two leagues. Cleveland, which joined the old Border Association in 1890, won it's CA 4th pennant earlier this month but up until yesterday had never won the World Championship Series. One has to think that Cleveland's accomplishment derailed Marshall's plans as even he could not want to face the venom he would certainly receive were he to move the club now, would he? As for the Foresters it took a few games but their talented offense finally took control of the series, scoring 18 runs in Game Seven alone after getting 18 in the first four games. Now 18 in four games is nothing to complain about unless your pitching had a complete melt down, as the Foresters did, early in the series. The momentum turned in Game Five when Roger Perry shut the New York Gothams bats down, allowing just 1 hit over 7 innings of work as he combined with reliever Frank Phillips on a 4-0 shutout that was so impressive it prompted manager Jim Wilson to give the ball to the 27 year old again in Game Seven instead of Dean Astle, who had struggled in losing games one and four. Charlie Berry, the midseason acquisition from Boston acquired to solve the Foresters woes at third base, continued his strong series with a pair of hits in the game five win while Max Morris also delivered two hits including his second homerun of the series. As much as we talk about the offense of this series, it was those 7 innings of 1 hit ball from Roger Perry in Game Five that turned the series and if the Foresters stay in Cleveland may ultimately be the reason why. The tide turned in that fifth game as the Foresters were able to prolong the series in order to return home. Game Six and Game Seven were both the T.R. Goins show as the 33 year old catcher, dominated New York pitching with 8 hits, 7 rbi's and 7 runs scored in those two games alone. For my money Goins was hands down the star of the series and should have been named it's MVP but one can't argue with the sentimentality of giving the award to Mighty Mo. Morris had a very good series, hitting .419 with 3 homers and 7 rbi's to add his first Series MVP award to a trophy case that also includes 8 (with possibly a 9th coming this year) Association MVP awards and 2 World Championship rings. Roger Perry aside, the name of the game this Series was clearly "Offense". Cleveland scored 48 runs and the two clubs combined for 81 in the seven games. Individual records were established such as Charlie Berry's marks of 25 total bases and 13 rbi's while Max Morris equaled a 39 year old record by scoring 10 runs in the series and T.R. Goins came 1 hit shy of Carlos Cano's 1930 record for hits in a series with 15. Six times a player has hit 3 homeruns in a series and two of them occurred this year with Morris and Berry each socking 3. For Morris, he becomes the only player to hit 3 homers in a World Championship Series twice, having first done it in 1921 for St Louis. With 7 round-trippers in Series play, Morris takes sole possession of the career leaderboard in that category. He had entered the series tie with Rankin Kellogg and Tom Taylor with 4 each. As for career RBI's Morris is second all-time with 21, trailing only current teammate T.R. Goins, who has 24. The question now is do the veteran Cleveland sluggers have another title left in their tank, but certainly for fans along the southern shores of Lake Erie the bigger question is "Will they still be able to witness the attempt in person?" __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

01-18-2021, 01:32 PM	#94
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 Draft Preview - Who will go #1? WHO IS NUMBER ONE? LOOKING AT THE 1934 DRAFT By Jiggs McGee I recently discovered the OSA mock draft is dynamic rather than static and it has been changing with alarming regularity. The 16 FABL General Managers already had their work cut out for them this December with the elimination of feeder leagues and the need to adjust to a new system for scouting and selecting high school and college talent. The mock draft compiled by the so-called experts at OSA is not static as I had originally believed. This reporter's assumption was that the mock draft was created once on draft class reveal day and then updated with a final mock draft on the day of the draft but this fall has proven that is not the case as the top name on the list seems to change almost daily. As a result the Washington Eagles, who own the first pick this year after their 55-99 season in the Federal Association, likely have a larger the normal list of candidates to narrow down from. The original news article revealing the draft class list these 10 players as ones worthy of consideration: Many of those listed above have spent time at number one on the mock draft and there are some other fast risers to consider such as outfielder Ruben Sanchez, who has gone from 14th in an earlier mock draft to 7th in today's list. Catchers have been very prominent with Eastern Oklahoma University's Adam Mullins spending most of the past couple of months in the top three slots and has taken over number one in today's rankings. Woody Stone, a high school prospect out of Dunlap High School in Tennessee is rising very quickly up the charts of late. It is perhaps noteworthy to realize the last time the Washington Eagles picked first overall in the draft they selected a high school catcher by the name of T.R. Goins, who was recently named the Continental Association player of the year. Could history repeat itself and the Eagles once again draft a catcher number one overall? However, looking at the recent history of the draft you have to think a pitcher will go number one as four of the last six years the first selection has been a pitcher. If this trend continues odds are it will be Bobo White who hears his name called first. The 20 year old righthander posted a 9-5 record with a 2.78 era for St Blane College this season and OSA has suggested he has the potential to be a truly elite arm. White is ranked 6th in the mock draft as of this writing. It is interesting to note that White is the only pitcher the OSA mock draft considers to be a first round candidate. There are several deemed second round picks but looking at last season when there was a run on pitching with each of the top five and six of the first seven being moundsmen you have to think that Lou Johnson, Gus Goulding, George M Brooks and Lou Barker might all go in the first round instead of the top half of the second as OSA projects. Here are the all-time first overall draft selections. A lot of big names on this list but also a few that really busted. Code: HISTORY OF NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICKS YEAR PLAYER POS TEAM SCHOOL 1933 Joe Hancock P Toronto Wolves Henry Hudson 1932 Curly Jones P New York Gothams Henry Hudson 1931 Harry Barrell SS Cleveland Foresters Atlanta HS 1930 Jack Flint C St Louis Pioneers Lubbock State 1929 Tom Barrell P Chicago Cougars Georgia Baptist 1928 Tom Wilcox P Brooklyn Kings Liberty College 1927 Cliff Moss OF Montreal Saints Pierpont 1926 Karl Stevens OF Cleveland Foresters Rainier College 1925 Al Wheeler OF Detroit Dynamos Decatur HS 1924 Walker Moore P Philadelphia Keystones Mobile HS 1923 Lee Smith OF Philadelphia Keystones Garden State 1922 Ranking Kellogg 1B Philadelphia Keystones Memphis HS 1921 Howie Shifttlett 2B Philadelphia Keystones Houston HS 1920 David Merchant OF Philadelphia Sailors Chicago Poly 1919 T.R. Goins C Washington Eagles Cincinnati HS 1918 Dick Dover P Brooklyn Kings Dickson College 1917 Elmer Lambert 3B Philadelphia Keystones George Fox Univ. 1916 Roger Landry SS St Louis Pioneers Detroit HS 1915 Dan Waldman P Philadelphia Sailors Nashville HS 1914 Jim Shelton OF Chicago Chiefs St Patrick's College 1913 Max Morris 1B Cleveland Foresters Cleveland HS 1912 Eddie Andrews 2B Philadelphia Keystones Nashville HS 1911 Mark Robinson SS Philadelphia Sailors Berkeley HS So who will join the list above from the 1934 class? The Washington Eagles have remained mum and given no indication at all of their leanings but you have to think it is one of the following players: BOBO WHITE - Pitcher, St Blane College: There seem to be a number of very good pitching prospects available, even if OSA feels hitters are worthy of a higher ranking. White was 8-1 as a sophomore last season in the final year of feeders and ranked among the leaders in most pitching categories this season. He has good size (6'1") and can approach 90 mph with his fastball. As much as it would be a great story to see the Eagles get a catcher with this draft to see if he can approach T.R. Goins legacy, you have to think the lure of a potential franchise pitcher is too much to pass up. ADAM MULLINS - Catcher, Eastern Oklahoma University: Washington could use an upgrade at catcher as I have doubts about their top catching prospect Ben Richardson ever becoming even an average big leaguer, so perhaps the thought of replacing TR Goins with Mullins might creep into the minds of the Eagles brass. Mullins had a terrific season hitting .317 against great competition with the Pioneers and was a first team AIAA All-American selection. WOODY STONE - Catcher, Dunlap (TN) High School: Has committed to College of San Diego and will likely demand a big signing bonus but Stone is one of several players who have seem their stock rise on the OSA mock draft over recent weeks. A high school All-American, Stone slashed .541/.586/.806 in 23 games this season for the Dunlap Indians. OSA's scouting report calls him "an above average, everyday big league player." CHARLIE ARTUSO - Shortstop, Lebanon (TN) High School: Like catcher, shortstop is a position of need at the big league level for the Washington Eagles but it is also a position they have used a number of high draft picks on so they are stocked with some shortstop talent in the system. Among those picks are 1930 third overall selection Jim Beard and last season's 6th overall pick Johnnie Sundberg. There are a number of quality shortstops available in this draft with OSA projecting 3 to be first round quality talent in Jim Hensley, Lew McClendeon and Artuso. Artuso is rated the best of the bunch by OSA and presently slots in at #4 on their mock draft. The Coastal State commit hit .477 with 23 stolen bases in 25 games this season for Lebanon High and while scouts speak very highly of his contact potential and his speed, it is Artuso's work with the glove that is said to set him above the other shortstops in this draft class. BENNIE GRIFFITH - Centerfield. All Hallows College: Centerfield is not a position of need for the Eagles with 29 year old Wally Flowers entrenched at the position in Washington but Griffith has been drawing plenty of attention from OSA of late. Blessed with what OSA calls 'dangerous" speed, Griffith possess an above average ability to put the ball in play and get hits as his .323 batting average, fourth best amongst draft eligible college hitters, attests to. The only thing that might cause teams to shy away from the 22 year old Yonkers, New York native is the school he played it is just an average level AIAA college. Regardless of who the Eagles pick there will be a lot of excitement throughout the first round as it appears to have a very interesting collection of players to choose from. My bet is half a dozen pitchers go in the opening round but there also could be a run on shortstops as there appears to be a half dozen that might also sneak into the opening round. Centerfield is another position of depth this draft, as are the corner outfield positions but most teams in the league are not lacking at all in outfield talent so expect some to slide due to the anticipated run on pitching. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 01-18-2021 at 01:40 PM.

01-18-2021, 04:39 PM	#95
Hrycaj All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,495	F.A.B.L. Top Hitters Under 27. F.A.B.L Top Hitters under 27 years of age Catcher: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Bobby Gentry 25 yrs., Boston: 379 hits; 63 2B, .308/.339/.413, 7.5 WAR Clarence Howerton 25 yrs., St. Louis: 301 Hits, 27 3B, .275/.336/.387, 6.0 WAR George Cleaves 20 yrs., Pittsburgh: 164 hits, 42 2B, .293/.337/.384, 3.3 WAR John Wicklund 25 yrs., New York (FA): 140 hits, 13 HR, .301/.366/.458, 4.6 WAR This is really a case of established guys vs. newcomers. Both Gentry and Howerton have over 300 games under their belts. In that time both players have established themselves as solid everyday catching options. Both guys were selected in the 1927 draft with Gentry going in the 7th round and Howerton going in the 14th. Great late draft value here. Then you have the cases of Cleaves and Wicklund who have played in just under half as many games but have put up some eye popping numbers. Cleaves was the 4th overall pick in the 1931 draft and in 146 games has already 164 hits with 42 doubles and a 3.3 WAR. Cleaves looks like he is on his way to stardom. Wicklund was another late round pick going in the 15th round of the same 1927 draft that Gentry and Howerton were a part of. Wicklund has only played in 125 games but he already has 140 hits and 13 homers which is tied with Gentry for the most out of the 4 players in discussion. Similar to Cleaves, the entirety of Wicklund’s success can be traced to last season’s performance. The question will be if their breakout seasons are repeatable or not. First Base: In the discussion: (Career numbers) Fred McCormick 25 yrs., St. Louis: 799 hits, 152 2B, 68 3B, 43 HR, .343/.408/.522, 17.7 WAR Vic Crawford 26 years., Montreal: 398 hits, 108 2B, 18 HR, .295/.351/.427, 6.9 WAR There really is no discussion here. McCormick is not only the best first baseman in the league under the age of 27 he is one of the top 10 hitters in the league regardless of position and age. Originally drafted by the Gothams in the 11th round of the 1927 draft McCormick quickly rocketed up prospect boards settling at #5 when he became the main piece in the deal that sent Max Morris to New York. The very next season McCormick earned a starting spot in the Pioneer lineup and he hasn’t looked back since. Having just turned 25 after the 1934 season McCormick looks like he can be an all-time great. A distant second on this list would be the 3rd overall pick from the 1929 draft Vic Crawford. Crawford is a fine up and coming player in his own right, he has logged a combined 6.1 WAR over the last two seasons and is a doubles machine leading the the CA in that category in 1933. With two consecutive solid offensive seasons under his belt it is easy to predict great things from Crawford moving forward. Second Base: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Jake Shadoan 26 yrs., Brooklyn: 934 hits, 134 2B, 37 HR, .339/.376/.448, 15.1 WAR Sam Orr 26 yrs., Toronto: 726 hits: 119 2B, 36 3B, .296/.339/.389, 14.0 WAR Freddie Jones 24 yrs., St. Louis: 590 hits, 200 more BB than K’s, .361/.352/.441, 19.0 WAR Second Base is loaded with young talent. Left off the discussion list were Brooks Meeks of Cleveland, Henry Clayton of Pittsburgh and Jack Winston of New York (FA). All three players have done some nice things in the league but they simply fail in comparison to the big three at the top of the list. Drafted 7th overall in the 1929 draft by Brooklyn, Jake Shadoan was always expected to be a fine hitter. He cracked into the FABL during his age 22 season and has never logged a season where his batting average has been under .300. In 3 of his 5 FABL seasons Shadoan has logged over 200 hits in a season. He has led the CA in the hits category for the last 2 seasons. Shadoan is definitely a main component of the offensive attack in Brooklyn. Sam Orr was drafted two spots ahead of Shadoan by Toronto in 1929. Orr earned his starting spot at the beginning of the 1931 season and promptly logged career highs in hits (199) doubles (34) and stolen bases (18). Orr has been a very productive regular for the Wolves and a bright part of their future. As good as Shadoan and Orr are they may be tier 1B players next to Freddie Jones of St. Louis. In 3 FABL seasons Jones has demonstrated that if he doesn’t swing at a pitch then it is not a strike. Blessed with an impeccable to work the count in his favor, Jones has decreased his total strikeouts and increased his walks in each successive season. Currently he has 200 more career walks than strikeouts. The former 2nd overall pick (1931) owns a career .361 batting average and a WAR of 19.0 making him one of the best, exciting hitters in the league. Third Base: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Ed Stewart 26 yrs., Pittsburgh: 701 hits, 15 3B, 86 HR, .289/.338/.434, 17.9 WAR Hank Barnett 25 yrs., Montreal: 566 hits, 89 2B, 57 Hr, .274/.345/.417, 13.0 WAR Johnny McDowell 26 yrs., New York (FA): 323 Hits, 38 2B, 22 3B, .306/.345/..386 4.1 WAR John Langille 23 yrs., Brooklyn: 197 Hits, 57 2B, 11 HR, .352/.397/.530, 6.1 WAR The third base crop is much like the catchers group. You have the established steady players vs. the one year breakout guys. Steady Eddie Stewart heads the established guys with 4 full seasons under his belt. In that time he has compiled over 700 hits and has hit over 15 homers in each of those seasons. Stewart’s WAR puts him in the same category as Shadoan and McCormick but this is more of a function to his solid defense as he is not in the same offensive category of those players. Stiil, really good value for an 11th round draft pick. Hank Barnett saw his first action as a 20 year old. The 6th round pick in the ‘27 draft hit .305 in 54 games for the Saints. He has been a rollercoaster ever since. From .305 his average dipped to .251 and then back up to .284 as a full time regular. In his 23 year old season it dropped once again to .247 and was back up to .286 last season. His 57 career home runs in 556 games still makes him a player that you want to continue to give opportunities to. Then there are the breakouts. The 26 year old McDowell, who plays for the Gothams, doesn’t have the power usually associated with a corner position. What Johnny does have though is gap to gap power combined with good speed. Mc Dowell does not yet have the body of work that Stewart and Barnett have but he is on his way. John Langlille was one of the pieces in the deal that sent Milt Fritz to Montreal. At the time of the deal Langille was the #51 ranked prospect in the FABL and the lowest ranked one in that particular deal. After a 25 game cup of coffee to finish out the 1933 season, Langille really made his mark in 1934 leading the FABL in doubles on his way to posting a 5.3 WAR for the season. While Langille may not have the body of work as the 3 other players in discussion his star may be the brightest out of all of them. Shortstop: Harry Barrell 20 yrs., Brooklyn: 372 hits, 71 2B, 76/24 BB/K, .333/.373/.426, 17.3 WAR George Dawson 23 yrs., Cleveland: 334 hits, 34 2B, 40 SB, .297/.342/.361, 11.2 WAR Ray Russell 26 yrs., St. Louis: 393 hits, 66 2B, 14 3B, 24 HR, .306/.369/.435 7.3 WAR Much like the first base discussion there is the clear top player followed by a couple of players that are really good but can’t offer any real comparison. The top dog here is the young SS from Brooklyn, Harry Barrell. Making his debut as a 19 year old the former 1st overall pick (Cleveland, 1931) took the league by storm. Almost a full quarter of his hits were for extra bases as he raced out to a 8.5 WAR, good for 3rd in the FABL. His sophomore season was even better as Barrell increased his production in every offensive category solidifying himself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the FABL. In just 273 career games Harry has already compiled a combined WAR of 17.3. If Harry can stay healthy and continue to produce at his current rate he could go down and find himself mentioned as one of the greatest to ever play the SS position. George Dawson was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1929 draft by Cleveland, and like Barrell, has just completed his second season. The numbers in comparison are respectable. Dawson has been able to exhibit some gap power and has been able to use his speed to provide some added value. Obviously everyone in comparison to Barrell are going to be found wanting but many teams would be more than happy with Dawson playing SS for their respective club. The other 1B player on the list would be the often injured Ray Russell of the St. Louis Pioneers. Russell was a 4th round selection of the Pioneers in 1929 and made his FABL debut in 1931. Simply put when he is on the field he is an offensive asset that likes to hit ‘em in the gaps. Unfortunately, Russell has had all manner of injuries that have kept him from the lineup for significant amounts of time. Left Field: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Leon Drake 25 yrs., Cleveland: 355 hits, 65 2B, 40 3B 38 HR, .253/.335/.438, 9.7 WAR Pete Day 23 yrs., Boston: 212 hits, 39 2B, 77/37 BB/K, .344/.416/.498, 7.3 WAR Al Horton 25 yrs, Baltimore: 221 hits, 37 2B, .311/.363/.432, 4.5 WAR Rip Curry 25 yrs., Philadelphia (FA): 164 hits, 27 2B, .337/.391/.424, 3.3 WAR Joe Owens 22 yrs., Pittsburgh: 223 hits, 30 2B, 12 3B, .299/.380/.375, 3.3 WAR Not a lot of run away candidates with the LF group. If you are looking for power at the sake of average then Cleveland’s Leon Drake is your man. Drake was a Rule V pick plucked from the Chiefs organization that has found a nice home in the Cleveland outfield. Although Drake doesn’t exhibit any stolen base speed he is a very smart baserunner that knows when to turn a double into a triple as he logged 40 of them in his young career. The real number though is the 21 homers Drake hit in 1934. In his previous 4 seasons he had a combined 17 long balls so this was definitely a breakout year that Drake would love to repeat. Boston’s Pete Day came to the club in a deal that sent Dan Fowler to the Foresters near the 1931 trade deadline. Day earned the opportunity to fill the LF void in Boston the very next season and did not disappoint. 212 hits with a 7.3 WAR in his rookie season is a fantastic start to what could be a fabulous career if he can repeat it. Horton, Curry and Owens all have similar stats and career WAR numbers that will inevitably draw comparisons to each other. Owns is the youngest of the bunch at 22 so would probably be viewed as the player with the best upside. All three though are solid additions to their teams respective outfields. Center Field: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Dan Fowler 26 yrs., Cleveland: 471 hits, 60 2B, 74 HR, .279/.379/.461, 14.9 WAR Bob Worley 26 yrs., Montreal: 369 hits, 32 2B, 35 HR, .245/.310/.348, 8.1 WAR Chick Donnelly 23 yrs., Boston: 241 hits, 47 2B, .364/.406/.474, 7.7 WAR Out of the CF group Dan Fowler who Cleveland picked up at the trade deadline in 1933 from Boston leads this group in the power department. In 5 FABL seasons Fowler has hit over 20 homers 3 different seasons. Fowler also has a very good eye and has twice logged over 100 walks in a season and has never struck out more than he has walked at the end of any season. Fowler looks to be a player that can make a run at hitting over 300 home runs in his career. Worley split his time between CF and RF in 1934 but he has played more in CF overall so we will put him here. You aren’t going to get an extremely high average with Worley but the power is developing. In his last two seasons Worley has hit a combined 30 home runs. Worley found himself in Montreal via a trade with the Stars for SP Charlie Stedman. At 26 years of age the time for Worley to solidify himself is probably fast approaching. Chick Donnelly was the 11th round surprise for the Minutemen. Drafted out of high school Donnelly spent 4 years in the minors before earning the starting spot in CF the season after the club dealt Fowler to Cleveland. In his rookie season Donnely recorded a franchise record 241 hits and led the FA in doubles for the 1934 season with 49. Like many players on this list the challenge will be to repeat the performance. Right Field: In the discussion: (Career Numbers) Al Wheeler 26 yrs., Detroit: 1336 hits, 169 2B, 78 3B, 199 HR, .326/.408/.552, 42.4 WAR Bobby Barrell 24 yrs., Philadelphia (FA): 862 hits, 156 2B, 96 HR, .342/.390/.551, 28.3 WAR No offense to the Gotham's Mahlon Strong who spent a billion years as the #1 prospect in the FABL or Washington’s Larry Vestal as they are both strong players. Strong has especially shown some nice things and could be a star if he can stay as healthy as he did in 1934. However, this is all about Wheeler and a bit about Barrell. OSA ranks Bobby as the second best player in the FABL and Wheeler as the 9th best player. Looking at the stats however, it is clear that both players are among the best hitters in the league regardless of age or position. Wheeler was the top overall selection by Detroit in the 1925 draft out of high school. He made his debut as a 20 year old in 1928 and immediately began putting up solid consistent numbers. In 7 seasons Wheeler has only hit under 20 doubles once. He has hit over 10 triples 5 times, He has had double digit home runs each season and he is yet another player that has never struck out more than he has walked in a season. Wheeler has been the model of consistency and has a real shot at hitting over 400 home runs for his career. Then you have the Georgia Jolter, who was drafted 6th overall in the 1928 draft by the Philadelphia Keystones. Bobby Barrell has already amassed 862 hits in his 4 FABL seasons. 96 of those hits have landed in the seats. Bobby is another player who has a fantastic feel of the strike zone and not even struck out 100 times in his young career. With his advanced feel of the strike zone and his ability to put the ball in play it would not be a surprise to see Bobby eclipse 3000 hit plateau in his career. __________________ Click on my signature to read about the great game of baseball in Normington.

01-23-2021, 11:04 PM	#96
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	December 5, 1934. Figment Draft Day December 5, 1934 Another FABL drafts is in the books and everyone in the league deserves credit for plowing through 10 rounds of human selections in matter of about 48 hours. That is both a testament to the quality of GM's in the league and also the excitement level the annual FABL draft creates. With no ratings visible the draft is much more of a challenge as it is not simply pick the guy with the most potential stars and every pick can mean something. In this case the challenge was compounded with it being the first draft in a league that no longer includes feeder college and high school leagues. Instead we used game generated players (along with a number of holdovers from last seasons feeder clubs) so it was a new experience for each GM as they tried to decide how much weight to give the game created stats verse the scouting reports - and do you trust your Scouting Director or the OSA league scout more? This draft, like the past couple of years, was expected to see the early rounds dominated by pitching and the first 3 picks certainly followed that script with everyone's number one Bobo White of St Blane College going first overall. White, who played at St Blane last season when they were a feeder league school went to Washington and his Fighting Saints teammate Gus Goulding was selected immediately after him by the Baltimore Cannons. Detroit kept the pitching trend going but went off the books a bit by taking a third former feeder league player, in this case a high schooler, by the name of Del Burns third overall despite the fact that Burns did not appear in the OSA's five round mock draft. That is the beauty about no ratings, as each GM values certain things a little more than others and it will be very interesting to see how Burns' career pans out. We finally had the first game created (non-feeder player) taken fourth overall when Toronto - under the guidance of the league office after their GM disappeared prior to the draft - selected Lebanon, Tennessee High School shortstop Charlie Artuso. Here is a list of first round selections from this year's FABL amateur player draft. Code: PICK TEAM NAME POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN MOCKDRAFT PROJ 1 WASH Bobo White P St Blane College Fairfield, CT 7 2 BAL Gus Goulding P St Blane College Indianapolis, IN 17 3 DET Del Burns P Houston HS Green River, WY Not ranked 4 TOR Charlie Artuso SS Lebanon HS Lebanon, TN 5 5 Chiefs Bennie Griffith CF All Hallows University Yonkers, NY 3 6 MON Adam Mullins C Eastern Oklahoma Memphis, TN 2 7 PIT Lew Seals CF Bluegrass State Hinsdale, IL 4 8 PHS Woody Stone C Dunlap HS TENN River Grove, IL 1 9 PHK George M Brooks P Georgia Baptist Rochester, NY 23 10 NYS Lou Barker P Lubbock State Montgomery City, MO 22 11 BOS Bob Donoghue LF Iowa A&M Indianola, IA 11 12Cougars Carlos Montes CF Citronelle HS Cienfuegos, CUBA 12 13 STL Art Cascone LF Bigsby College Brooklyn, NY 16 14 BKN Dan Rogers RF Canton South HS East Canton, OH 9 15 BAL Jim Hensley SS Walton HS New York, NY 8 16 BOS Joe Nichols 2B Golden Gate Univ Oakridge, TN 13 The breakdown by position for the first round was 5 pitchers, 2 catchers, a second baseman, 2 shortstops and 6 outfielders. Last year the first outfielder was not selected until the opening pick of the second round and it took until the 42nd pick before the 6th outfielder was drafted. The last time 6 outfielders went in the opening round was 1929 when Vic Crawford, Dan Fowler, Amos LeBlanc, Bobby Many, Nellie Dawson and Lou Williams all heard their names called in the first round. SOME RANDOM OBSERVATIONS FROM THE DRAFT A year ago we had 3 pitching teammates from Hartford High School selected very high in the draft with John Edwards going 3rd overall to Baltimore, Al Miller 4th to the Chicago Chiefs and Pepper Tuttle going in the fourth round to Brooklyn. These year a trio of St Blane Fighting Saints collegians did even better with Washington selecting Bobo White first overall, Gus Goulding going second to Baltimore and Brad Daniels going in the third round, 38th overall to Montreal. The first round was likely a record setting one for the state of Tennessee. No fewer than 4 Tennessee natives were taken in the opening round led by Lebanon High School shortstop Charlie Artuso at #4 to Toronto. Adam Mullins, a Memphis native playing for Eastern Oklahoma University was selected 6th by Montreal and Oakridge born Joe Nichols, a second baseman with Golden Gate University was the final pick of the first round by Boston. The fourth is Dunlap High School catcher Woody Stone who went 8th to the Philadelphia Sailors. Stone, who was number one on the mock draft, was born in Illinois but grew up in Tennessee. Outfielder Carlos Montes became just the fourth Cuban born player to be selected in the first round when the Chicago Cougars selected the 18 year old 12 overall out of Citronelle High School in Alabama. All three previous first round selections from Cuba were also outfielders: Carlos Cano and Sandy Lovelle, both in 1919 and Pablo Reyes, who was taken by Montreal third overall two years ago. We also saw Baltimore draft Mexican born outfielder Ruben Sanchez out of Hamilton High School in Los Angeles 18th overall. Sanchez will look to join Pedro Valenzuela as the only Mexicans to ever play in FABL. Valenzuela, a second baseman, spent over a decade in the league with the Chicago Chiefs after being drafted in the first round in 1911 out of Knoxville High School. The biggest reach in the draft according to the OSA mock draft is Houston High School pitcher Del Burns, who was selected third overall by Detroit despite not appearing in the mock draft. He was the only first round pick ranked outside of the top 23 in the mock draft. The biggest dropper in the mock draft was 14th ranked Heinie Billings. The centerfielder from Macon High School in Georgia was not drafted until the 4th round, 54th overall by Montreal despite being projected as a first round pick by the mock draft. Two sons of former FABL players were taken in the opening 3 rounds of the draft led by second round selection Jack Goff to Toronto with the 20th pick overall. The high school pitcher is the son of former Brooklyn and New York Gotham ace and current Kings bench coach Danny Goff. Cleveland drafted "The Pup", Mel Hancock Jr. with the final pick of the third round. Mel Senior who was known as "The Bulldog" played in 1133 FABL games with Brooklyn and Washington. In addition Boston selected Howard Brown Jr in the third round. His father, like Junior, was an outfielder and spent time in the Cleveland system but peaked at AAA. The New York City area dominated the early rounds of the draft with nine area players selected in the first 3 rounds led by Bennie Griffith, a Yonkers native taken 5th overall by the Chicago Chiefs. Brooklyn born Bigsby College outfielder Art Cascone, Walton High School in New York's Jim Hensley, Tilden High School in Brooklyn teammates Jack Goff and Bob Mullins, NYC native Dick Gentry of North Carolina Tech, Brooklyn born Bill Sorrells of Adirondack State, NYC native Jack Wood of Henry Hudson University and New York born shortstop Ivan Cameron round out the group. I will have more on the draft over the next couple of days after the final 15 rounds are completed. This league has human GM's draft the first 10 rounds and then the game AI takes over to complete the 25 round draft. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 01-23-2021 at 11:15 PM.

01-24-2021, 08:33 AM	#97
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,711	FABL Player of the Day I have been going through the FABL league history and discovering so many interesting players that I thought this would be a good thread to share what I run across. I will try to add a story I discover about one guy every day or so. Let's begin with a pitcher from the early days of the sport PRETZELS CRONAUER Pretzels caught my attention because I was looking at foreign born players and I had well expected a Canadian to top the list of most pitching wins by a player born outside of the US. Instead it is the German born Cronauer who holds that distinction. Pretzels went 185-135 over 10 seasons starting in 1884. Code: WINS BY A NON AMERICAN BORN PITCHER Pretzels Cronauer 185-135 Germany 1884-93 Frank Maroney 173-127 Ireland 1882-94 Jim Cannon 169-189 Scotland 1878-87 Charles Atkinson 133-163 Canada 1890-99 Adolph Cash 111-103 Canada 1890-96 Hartigan O'Carroll 103-103 Ireland 1876-96 Johnson Lee 90-100 Canada 1911-16 Al Allen Jr. 56-50 Canada 1926-current Pretzels was a key piece of one of the old Century League's powerhouse team called the Providence Gems just prior to the birth of FABL. He broke in with the Gems at the age of 20 in 1884 and would help them to 3 straight league titles begin in 1886 when he went 29-6. Over a 3 year span Cronauer won 94 games and his 43 wins in 1888 are one shy of the FABL record set by Jack Manning of the New York Gothams in 1885. Code: PITCHING WINS IN A SINGLE SEASON Jack Manning 44-9 1885 New York Gothams Pretzels Cronauer 43-22 1888 Providence Gems Jason Young 42-33 1881 Boston Pilgrims Pete Hood 41-9 1885 New York Gothams Eddie Jordan 38-22 1888 Chicago Chiefs Charles Wilson 37-12 1896 Philadelphia Stars Price Adams 37-7 1898 Philadelphia Stars The Gems could not be beat on the field those three years but it was the heart of the battle between the Century League and Border Association and they succumbed to bankruptcy due to overspending and mismanagement. William Whitney's Chicago Chiefs purchased the contract of most Providence players but they immediately sold Cronauer to the Boston Minutemen. He spent just one season in Boston compiling a 14-23 record before Whitney brought him to Chicago and his final 2 years as a solid contributor where with the Chiefs, winning 20 games in 1890 and 26 the following season. In 1892 peace came to the sport as FABL was formed but Cronauer, despite being just 28 years of age would never win a game in FABL. He pitched just 28 innings over the next 2 seasons with 4 teams and his career was over. No known injury. He just stopped being an effective pitcher but he left a legacy that included 3 Century League titles, a no-hitter thrown in 1885 and a 43 victory season as well as the greatest German born baseball player in FABL history. Incidentally there have been 9 German born players to play at least one major league game. The only active German born player has not yet made it to the big leagues. Heinie Buehler, is a 23 year old catcher who played at Commonwealth Catholic before being drafted by the Montreal Saints in the 25th round in 1932. Buehler had a decent season split between Class A and B a year ago, hitting .331 in 95 games. Attached Images __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 01-24-2021 at 08:39 AM.

01-25-2021, 12:00 AM	#98
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,711	FABL Bio of the Day FRANK SIMPSON In real life Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak is one of those special records in baseball, and one that may never be broken. FABL has it's great hitting streak as well but it sits at 47 games and has stood for three and a half decades since Rich Rowley of Toronto hit safely in 1900. A couple of years back Philadelphia Keystones outfielder Lee Smith challenged Rowley's mark, but ultimately fell 3 games short. In FABL it is only in the minor leagues that DiMaggio's streak was surpassed and that was by a 31 year old journeyman named Ollie Miller, who had a 57 game streak in 1908 while playing for Evansville of the Class A Heartland League. 31 at the time, Miller's big league career had already ended with him playing just 141 games over two seasons for Washington and Toronto, batting just .231 for his big league career. The previous Heartland League standard was also quite impressive but lasted just one season as Al Eide of Lincoln had a 54 game streak. Eide was 27 at the time and would make his FABL debut the following season with the New York Stars. The Garden View, Pennsylvania native would end up playing 1,334 games in the big leagues with the Stars and Washington, finishing with a .281 career batting average. But while those streaks are certainly impressive, in this write-up I want to talk about a player who, despite having just 76 professional base hits and none in the major leagues, owns one of the most impressive hitting streaks in baseball history. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment in college baseball was Frank Simpson's 53 game hitting streak that spanned the 1926 and 1927 AIAA seasons. His is one of just 5 streaks in organized baseball to surpass the half century mark and is the only one achieved after the end of the so-called Dead Ball Era. Prior to Simpson run at Opelika State the AIAA record for consecutive games with at least one hit was 43, established by Bob Garrett of Lubbock State in 1915. Code: HITTING STREAKS OF 50 GAMES PLUS ALL LEVELS Ollie Miller 57 1908 Heartland League Evansville Al Eide 54 1907 Heartland League Lincoln Bill Williams 54 1908 Middle Atlantic Lg Reading Bill Smith 53 1919 Eastern Association Dayton Frank Simpson 53 1927 AIAA Opelika State COLLEGE HITTING STREAKS Frank Simpson 53 1927 Opelika State Bob Garrett 43 1915 Lubbock State Lee Sparks 41 1925 Grafton Jack Manzella 36 1925 Travis College Simpson's career never lived up to the expectations after the hitting streak. A first baseman in college, he played in just 21 games his first two seasons with the Wildcats and went 4-for-6 in 7 plate appearances as a sophomore but started every game his senior year and hit .409, tied for fourth in the Continental Conference as he helped lead Opelika State to it's first of two National Titles. It should be noted that Simpson was originally named to the 1927 All-American team as a catcher until it was discovered in the league history that he only played first base that season so he was subsequently replaced on the team by Bill Holland of St. Matthews. Despite his outstanding season he was not highly touted in the 1927 FABL draft and did not get selected until the 21st round when the Boston Minutemen picked him. Simpson's stay in the Minutemen organization was very brief as he was cut in the spring in 1928 before ever playing a game at any level in the organization. However he caught on, literally with the Philadelphia Keystones, who signed him with plans to use the first baseman as a catcher. He would spend 5 seasons catching in the Keystones organization but never advance past Class B, finishing with 136 pro games and a .253 career batting average. I looked back at my draft list for 1927 and he did not make my scouting director Rube Carter's top 100 list or my list of roughly 200 names that I saved for that draft so obviously his scouting report must have been bad. It was in the early years for human GMs in our world so perhaps we all relied much more on the scouting reports as you figure a .407 average, even playing just the 1 season, should have been noticed and drafted a little higher by someone. It was at the peak for offense in college ball as AIAA clubs posted team batting average totals that had not been seem for well over a decade. Here are the players who hit over .400 that college season. Code: 1927 AIAA BATTING LEADERS NAME AVG SCHOOL DRAFTED Ted Parker .436 St Patrick's 1928 Round 8 Ray Barnes .425 Boulder State 1929 Round 1 pick 11 Sam Orr .425 Henry Hudson 1929 Round 1 pick 5 Ken Allen .415 St Matthew's 1929 Round 4 Harry Humphrey .413 Whitney College 1927 Round 1 pick 3 Johnny McCann .411 St Blane 1929 Round 3 Frank Simpson .409 Opelika State 1927 Round 21 Steve Clarke .409 Chicago Poly 1929 Round 2 Johnny McCann .407 Georgia Baptist 1929 Round 3 Charlie Steele .406 St Pancras 1928 Round 6 Ron Wilson .402 St Matthew's 1929 Round 5 Nellie Dawson .402 Wisconsin State 1929 Round 1 pick 13 So as you can see from above Frank Simpson was one of only two draft eligible players in 1927 to hit over .400 and he did not get selected until the 21st round of the draft. The poor scouting assessment obviously proved accurate because of his very brief career but one has to wonder if he went in the first couple of rounds would he have been given more of a chance? Either way, Frank Simpson will be remembered for one incredible accomplishment in the college ranks. Attached Images __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

01-25-2021, 09:01 PM	#99
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1934 Draft Recap - How the College All-Americans fared HOW DID ALL-AMERICANS FARE IN 1934 DRAFT Ten of the 18 AIAA 1934 All-Americans were draft eligible this year but National Player of the Year Sal Pestilli was not one of them. The freshman outfielder, who dominated the college ranks this season, is still two years away from his daft year. Pestilli's older brother Alf, a teammate of Sal's at Narragansett College was drafted by Toronto but he was not an All-American like his younger brother. Here is where each of the draft eligible All-Americans were selected in the 1934 FABL Draft. FIRST TEAM Catcher Adam Mullins: Eastern Oklahoma (.317,3,31)- Mullins was the first catcher taken, going sixth overall to the Montreal Saints after much pre-draft debate on if he, or fellow Tennessee native and High School All-American Woody Stone, would be the first catcher drafted. He became the first player ever drafted out of Eastern Oklahoma Second base Jack Gunter: Mississippi A&M (.322,1,37)- There was not a lot of depth at second base in this draft and Gunter dropped all the way to the 11th round before the Washington Eagles selected him. Shortstop Tip Harrison: Bluegrass State (.301,6,40)- The lone senior to be named a First Team All-American, Harrison was selected by the Brooklyn Kings in the second round 29th overall. It was a pretty good crop of shortstops and while Harrison was the first college shortstop to be selected, three high school shortstops went ahead of him in the draft. Third base Phil McKenna: Coastal California (.306,8,46)- McKenna lasted until the fifth round when the Chicago Cougars grabbed him. He was the the third college third baseman selected following second rounder Harry Bull of Daniel Boone College and senior Frank Covarrubias, a 4th round pick out of Piedmont University. Outfielder Bob Donoghue: Iowa A&M (.317,15,50)- Donoghue was the first corner outfielder selected, going 11th overall to the Boston Minutemen. Pitcher Phil Gregg: Redwood University (12-2, 2.38)- Gregg slid all the way to the fourth round when the Washington Eagles called his name. 11 other college pitchers were drafted ahead of Gregg including Bobo White and Gus Goulding, both of St. Blane College, who went first and second in the draft. SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS Catcher John McLemore: Tallmadge State (.269,10,43)- The junior from Cape May, New Jersey had a long wait before he finally heard his name called by the Chicago Cougars in the 12th round of the draft. First Base Harry Pickering: George Fox (.281,6,34)- Another Washington Eagles draft pick as Pickering, from nearby Charlottesville, Virginia was taken in the 6th round and was the second college first baseman to be selected. The first was his George Fox University teammate Willie Jones who went to Cleveland at the end of round four. Second Base Babe Clark: Marquis College (.301,1,54)- Clark was the final All-American to be selected as he lasted until the 24th round when the Baltimore Cannons finally selected the New Haven, Connecticut native. Shortstop Bill Sorrells: Adirondack State (.307,9,48)- Sorrells went one selection after the first team shortstop Tip Harrison, as the Brooklyn native was picked 30th overall by Boston. Third Base Frank Covarrubias: Piedmont Univ.(.338,2,36)- The native of Huntington, West Virginia and only Senior on the second team went late in the fourth round, 63rd overall to the Baltimore Cannons. Outfielder Dick Smith: Western Iowa (.300,12,43)- Smith, a junior from Saginaw, Michigan was taken in the fifth round, 73rd overall by the Philadelphia Keystones. Here is one more look at the complete 1934 College All-American selections: Code: 1934 AIAA ALL-AMERICANS FIRST TEAM C Adam Mullins Eastern Oklahoma JR .317,3,31 1B Joe Crosson Miami State SO .277,11,39 2B Jack Gunter Mississippi A&M JR .322,1,37, 35 SB SS Tip Harrison Bluegrass State SR .301,6,40 31 SB 3B Phil McKenna Coastal Cal. JR .306,8,46 OF Sal Pestilli Narragansett FR .409,16,66 33 SB (college triple crown) OF Bob Donoghue Iowa A&M JR .317,15,50 11 SB OF Pete Wood Eastern State FR .366,2,49 32 SB P Phil Gregg Redwood University JR 12-2, 2.38, 1.16 WHIP 111 K's SECOND TEAM C John McLemore Tallmadge State JR .269,10,43 1B Harry Pickering George Fox JR .281,6,34, 40 SB 2B Babe Clark Marquis College JR .301,1,54 32 SB SS Bill Sorrells Adirondack State JR .307,9,48 39 SB 3B Frank Covarrubias Piedmont Univ. SR .338,2,36 32 SB OF Izzy Sevilla Murfreesboro Tech SO .314,9,50 39 SB OF Dick Smith Western Iowa JR .300,12,43 32 SB OF Larry Ryder George Fox SO .315,12,42 11 SB P Clarence Linden Frankford State SO 10-3, 2.50, 1.15 WHIP 104 K's __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 01-26-2021 at 12:18 AM.

01-26-2021, 12:25 AM	#100
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	1935 Draft Preview A WAY TOO EARLY 1935 MOCK DRAFT The contracts have yet to be signed by most of the 1934 draftees but the 16 FABL scouting directors are already looking ahead to next December and the next crop of draft prospects. Let's join them and make a very early attempt at identifying the top 10 prospects for the 1935 draft. Keep in mind this group, while very talented already, is an unfinished one as a total of 400 players will be drafted next December but there are only 245 listed so far as draft eligible. More will arrive when the complete draft pool is revealed sometime in June after the high school and college seasons are completed. But as things stand right now here are my first round selections. 1- RUFUS BARRELL II LHP MACON (GA) HIGH SCHOOL A part of baseball's first family, the grandson of scouting guru Rufus Barrell and son of gridiron star Joe Barrell, Deuce was dominant as a junior on the Macon (Georgia) High School team last season, going a perfect 12-0, with a 0.81 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 122 innings and led high school arms in virtually every pitching category. Scouts have been drooling over him since his freshman year and whoever finishes last in the Continental Association will likely be just as happy as the pennant winner will be since Rufus already seems a lock to go first overall. He was a high school All-American selection as a junior and is expected to challenge for National High School Player of the Year this season. It has been an incredible run of highly touted pitching talent over the past half dozen years including Bobo White, Joe Hancock, Dick Higgins, Curly Jones and Lefty Allen but Barrell might prove to be better than all of them. 2- GEORGE GARRISON RHP CATHAGE (IL) HIGH SCHOOL This year the Continental Association cellar dweller gets the number one pick but there is a great consolation prize for the bottom feeder in the Federal Association. I don't think you will find a scout alive who would say he prefers George Garrison over Rufus Barrell but every one of them will tell you Garrison is an outstanding prospect. Born in Arkansas, Garrison grew up in Illinois and holds dual American-Canadian citizenship. With a late birthday (October) he will be one of the youngest players in the draft pool and is coming off an 11-0 season with a 0.94 era and 153 strikeouts in 115 innings, which earned him honourable mention for the High School All-American team as a junior. 3- LEON CAVASOS LHP ST EDMUND PREP, BROOKLYN, NY The run on high school arms continues with Cavasos, a groundball specialist who saw limited action as a junior. He was 5-1 with a 1.33 era in 9 starts and fanned 80 while walking 17 in 74 innings of work. He has outstanding control and a great mental makeup to take on the responsibility of fronting a rotation. 4- FREDDY BARTLE CF AMARILLO METHODIST UNIVERSITY Speedy centerfielder stole 37 bases in 58 games and should be a plus defender. 30 of his 67 hits (.268 average) were for extra bases and he does have a good eye at the plate. There is some concern about the New Bedford, Massachusetts native's effort so he will need a big season to remain this high in the rankings. 5- MARK BURNS 3B BRUNSWICK COLLEGE Burns is looking like he has the potential to be a much better prospect than any of the third baseman from this past season's class. A Maryland native who looks to be an offensive force while also handling defensive chores at the hot corner with ease, Burns hit .267 with 8 homers and 49 rbi's in 58 college games this past season as a sophomore. 6- BILL KEITH RHP ST BENEDICT HIGH SCHOOL, CHICAGO Bill moved down from Milwaukee for high school to have the opportunity to pitch against higher competition and he was dominant as a junior, posting a 9-1 record with a 1.19 era and 122 strikeouts vs just 16 walks in 98 innings of work. His changeup is the best of his three pitches and he is blessed with terrific control and the ability to induce ground balls. He will be hard pressed to surpass the top three pitchers but looks to fit comfortably into the second tier of arms. 7- BILL SEABOLT RHP CENTRAL OHIO UNIVERSITY The top college arm, Seabolt is a 20 year old native of Brooklyn, New York who went 8-5 with a 3.04 era this past season for the Aviators. He possesses a 5 pitch repertoire but there is concern about his stuff. 8- JIM LIGHTBODY 2B ALEXANDRIA (LA) HIGH SCHOOL A cousin of current FABL outfield brothers Doug and Frank Lightbody, Jim seems to possess the same sweet swing that won Doug a pair of Continental Association batting titles. He boasts plus speed as he stole 34 bases in 26 high school games a year ago while batting .514 and earned a spot on the High School All-American team. 9- JACK HALE RHP MIAMI STATE In a mock draft leaning heavily on high school players the 20 year old Hale looks like an ideal selection for a team wanting a lower risk option out of it's first round pick. The El Dorado, Arkansas native was 7-4 with a 3.77 era in 14 starts for the Gulls last season. 10- RED JOHNSON 1B CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, PORTLAND, OREGON It will be an interesting battle between Red Johnson and Memphis High School first baseman Chuck Adams to see who gets drafted first. Adams had slightly better numbers as a junior (.594,12,46) compared to Johnson (.566,11,40) as both were named High School All-Americans. Scouts give a slight nod to Johnson as having the higher pro potential but I could see both sneaking into the first round despite the fact a first baseman has not been selected in the opening round since Toronto drafted Pete Hunt in 1932. OUTLOOK - It appears to be another draft where a lot of pitchers will go in the opening round and there are several others who presently slot just outside the top ten like Sadler College's Frank Barker or Joe Boyd, a 17 year old from Morris High School in the Bronx. There are some other position players to watch closely as well such as a pair of Mississippi catchers in Northern Mississippi University's Eddie Miller or Ed Wallace of Senetobia High School. I am not sure we will see a situation like this season when a college and high school catcher from Tennessee both spent time at #1 in the OSA mock draft and were each selected in the first 8 picks of the draft, but Miller and Wallace each could be gone by the midway point of the second round. Outfielders worth watching include Larry Ryder of George Fox University, Jim Hanshaw of Calumet Catholic College or Cambridge (MA) High Schooler Eli Harkless. I would suggest FABL fans also remember the names of Artie Carter, a high school first baseman from Millville, Massachusetts and Garden State University second sacker Austin Moore. There will be more updates on the 1935 draft class over the summer. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports