Tiger Fan
Hall Of Famer
February 12, 1951
FEBRUARY 12, 1951
BIRD AND BARRELL QUALIFY FOR HALL OF FAME
Veterans Committee Adds Hise
The baseball Hall of Fame in Boone County, IL., swells its ranks by three with news that Tom Bird, Tom Barrell and Gil Hise have been voted into the baseball museum. Bird and Barrell which each selected on the standard ballot -the only two of the 13 finalists to receive the necessary votes for induction- while Hise, a turn of the century shortstop, was added by the veterans committee.
*** Bird was a Favourite of Chicago Scribes ***
How do you get to the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame?
Just hit 500 homers, get 3000 hits, win 300 games or perhaps just save 300 games. Not an easy task, is it? But occasionally your game was so dominant and so well-rounded you don't need those milestones -- and that is what happened to the gifted catcher Tom Bird, who retired at the age of 37.
Tom Bird was recently inducted into the coveted shrine of hardball heroes by the Baseball Writers Association. Bird was always a favorite of the beat writers -- always quick with a quip and always willing to talk about the game -- but that's not why he got elected to the Hall of Fame. Bird played a good brand of baseball, too. He played in 1451 games, had 1558 hits, 146 home runs, 805 RBIs and scored 874 runs while batting .308 in his career.
Reminiscing about his life in baseball, Bird said it all began by hitting grand slam homers in the last of the ninth in his backyard and ended up in the Hall of Fame. "It was quite a trip. I can't believe they pay us money to play a kid's game. Thank goodness I was good at it. I only got a high school education and I had to cheat to get that. Who knows what I would have done without baseball. I was just a poor old country boy. For the longest time I even thought the last words of the national anthem were 'play ball'."
***Barrell Makes Hall a Family Affair ****
Tom Barrell was inducted into the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame today. Present at his induction ceremony were several former managers who had glowing words to say about baseball's newest immortal.
"He is the only man I've ever seen pitch a shutout on a day when he had absolutely nothing," declared fellow Hall of Famer and former Barrell skipper Powell Slocum.
"Tom pitched as well as he had to. He didn't worry about his ERA. He pitched to win. He was businesslike and he reacted to the score, so he didn't mind giving up a run or two. When it got close, he was tougher."
"To be a successful manager, you have to have faith in God above and a Tom Barrell on the mound."
Barrell retired at the age of 37. During his fabulous career he put up a 179-111 won-lost record with 1257 strikeouts in 2722.2 innings and compiled an impressive 3.68 ERA. He was dominant from 1934-36 and became the only pitcher ever to win three straight Allen Awards. Barrell joins his father, the late scouting legend Rufus Barrell, in the Hall of Fame.
*** Hise Was Defensive Wizard In Early Era ***
The Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame honors those players who are the best at their position, those special individuals whose skills make them unforgettable in the eyes of baseball fans everywhere. Another such player was recognized today, as shortstop Gil Hice was enshrined at his induction ceremony.
There was no mistaking the look of pride on Gil Hice's face as he saw his statue for the first time and the plaque recounting the many accomplishments over his 2201-game career. Hice played until he was 39 and had a lifetime .280 batting average with 23 home runs. Baseball's newest Hall of Famer batted in 1051 runs and scored 962 times. Hice was a defensive marvel and it was that aspect of his game that earned him his spot amongst the immortals of the game.
Fans of all ages watched in appreciation as Hice blinked back tears. "I really don't know what to say during such an enormous moment," he managed to finally say, "because words cannot describe all the feelings and thoughts running through my head. The love and appreciation from all my fellow players and all the fans out there has been overwhelming, but I would not be here today without the love and support of my family. My greatest thanks goes to them."
1951 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT
The results are now known but I thought I would share my Hall of Fame ballot with the readers.
C Tom Bird (3rd Ballot, 47%)
Teams: St. Louis Pioneers, Montreal Saints, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati Cannons
Drafted: Undrafted (1929)
Career Stats: .308/.416/.470 (145 OPS+), 1,451 G, 6,113 PA, 874 R, 325 2B, 27 3B, 146 HR, 805 RBI, 958 BB, 3 SB, 150 WRC+, 56.5 WAR
Accolades: 10 All-Star Selections, 3 Championships, 1 World Championship Series MVP
Chiefs Leaderboard: Average (5th, .313), OBP (1st, .422), Slugging (5th, .481), OPS (1st, .903), Homers (5th, 127), Walks (3rd, 797)
Chiefs Single Season Records: OBP (1st, .458, 1937; 2nd, .457, 1938), Slugging (5th, .552, 1937), OPS (3rd, 1.010, 1937; 4th, 1.007, 1938), Walks (3rd, 116, 1937; 4th, 111, 1938)
Association Season Highs: Walks (1; 1937), OBP (1; 1938), OPS (1; 1938), WRC+ (1; 1938), wOBA (1; 1938)
Perhaps the most controversial member of the ballot, I have and will continue to be in the camp that firmly believes Tom Bird belongs in the Hall. The bat is just too good, as in ten seasons where he appeared in 100 or more games, he had more seasons with a WRC+ of 160 or better (4; 1937, 1938, 1939, 1944) then seasons with a WRC+ below 125 (2; 1936, 1943). And in one of those seasons it was 124! For pretty much every season he played, Bird was at least 25% better then the average hitter, and the average hitter wasn't dealing with the daily struggles of trying to catch FABL pitchers. This season we had just four FABL catchers with a WRC+ above 125. One is Hall-of-Famer George Cleaves. A second is his half-brother Roger. Both have the same amount of seasons with a WRC+ below 124 as Bird. The third is the leader, Larry McClure and his 162, who's a rookie and can't have a season below 124. The 4th is Pete Casstevens, who's 126 replaces his previous career high of 114.
1950 was a rare productive season for catchers at the plate, as even one year ago just George Cleaves (149) was over 110! Bird's worst season was 116. Simply put, it is tough enough for a catcher to get one season above 110, let alone an entire career's worth! The work Bird did at the bat was somewhat overshadowed by the elder catching Cleaves, but there's more then enough room in the Hall for two excellent offensive catchers! I hope this is the year he gets in, or you're going to be hearing a lot more from me on Bird next year. My hope is that with a much weaker class, he finally gets over the hump.
RHP Charlie Stedman (3rd Ballot, 38%)
Teams: Montreal Saints, New York Stars, Boston Minutemen, Pittsburgh Miners
Drafted: 1st Round, 14th Overall (1923) by the Chicago Chiefs
Career Stats: 250-221, 4,360.1 IP, 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 1,310 BB, 1,799 K, 1.4 K/BB, 3.62 FIP (86 FIP-), 91..4 WAR
Accolades: 3 All-Star Selections, 1 Allen Awards, 1 Championship
Miners Leaderboard: Wins (t-10th, 107), WAR (6th, 40.2), Strikeouts (7th, 779), K/BB (9th, 1.4)
Saints Leaderboard: WAR (7th, 27.6), Shutouts (t-6th, 12)
Association Season Highs: HR/9 (2; 1931, 1937), FIP- (4; 1929, 1930, 1937, 1938), WAR (1937)
With a loaded ballot last year I had to take Charlie Stedman off mine, but with three new additions and personal favorite Dick Lyons failing to make it over the minimum percentage to stay on, there was plenty of room for Hard Luck Chuck. A durable and steady pitcher, Stedman debuted in 1926 with Montreal, but really made his mark during the 1929 season. It was the first of his two 20-win seasons, as Montreal's ace went 21-10 with a 2.99 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. His 3.42 FIP was a bit higher then his ERA, but his 76 FIP- led the association, the first of four times he did that. Leading in FIP- is arguably more impressive then ERA+, as I've watched enough Cougar baseball to realize how much a good defense can help a pitching staff. Stedman's ability to keep the ball in the park, whether it was in the spacious Parc Cartier or any of the homer friendly Fed parks he played in at the back of his career. It took until he was 38 for him to allow more then 15 homers in a season, and even with 21 in 1940, he threw 312.1 innings, so his 0.6 HR/9 was still well above average.
Eating innings is another thing Stedman excelled in, especially towards the end of his career. With the Miners, he made 39 starts in his first four full seasons, and throughout his career he surpassed the 250 inning mark 11 times. Upping the minimum to 270, he still managed that 9 times, but most impressive was 3 300 inning seasons, all coming after his 35th birthday. Stedman was one of the most unique pitchers FABL has seen, as he had almost no decline in his advanced age, even with an increased workload as his hair turned grey. His longevity allowed him to win 250 games, strikeout 1,799 batters, and his quality allowed him to maintain a 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP, all while accumulating 91.4 wins above replacement. Among FABL pitchers, he's tied for the 25th most wins and 14th most WAR, trailing just Rabbit Day (93.2) and Jim Lonardo (93), both Hall-of-Famers, among players who debuted in the Modern Era (1926 and on). For me, the standard with pitchers is being better then George Johnson, and I think that's a bar Stedman is able to clear.
1B Dick Walker (2nd Ballot, 27%)
Okay, now that there is no Dick Lyons on the ballot, my one goal is to get Dick Walker elected. One of the most unique players FABL has ever seen, Dick Walker is anything but the prototypical first basem*n. Known most for his time with the Philadelphia Sailors, I'm sure most of our readers did not know that it was actually the Toronto Wolves who drafted Dick Walker, even if they decided not to add him to the organization. I'm sure if they knew he would turn into the consistent, athletic ,and disciplined star he turned into, they never would have let him go, but considering he sat on the open market for a few months after the draft, you can blame the other fourteen teams as well for not giving Walker a chance.
Teams: Philadelphia Sailors, Chicago Cougars
Drafted: 12th Round, 187th Overall (1924) by the Toronto Wolves
Career Stats: .272/.379/.426 (123 OPS+), 2,784 G, 11,961 PA, 1,840 R, 433 2B, 272 3B, 193 HR, 1,262 RBI, 1,769 BB, 422 SB, 125 WRC+, 75.9 WAR
Accolades: 5 All-Star Selections, 2 Championships
FABL Leaderboard: Runs (6th, 1,840), Walks (2nd, 1,769)
FABL Single Season Records: (t-6th, 141)
Sailors Leaderboard: OBP (5th, 382), Slugging (5th, .443), OPS (4th, .825), WAR (3rd, 52.8), Runs (1st, 1,314), Hits (3rd, 1,995), Doubles (4th, 325), Triples (1st, 209), Home Runs (1st, 136), RBIs (2nd, 959), Steals (3rd, 298), Walks (1st, 1,189)
Sailors Single Season Records: Slugging (5th, 1930, .534), OPS (7th, 1930, .924); Runs (3rd, 1936, 135; 9th, 1939, 121; 10th, 1930, 120), Triples (2nd, 1930, 26; t-8th, 1935, 21), Home Runs (7th, 1938, 16), Walks (5th, 1939, 126; 7th, 1931, 115; 8th, 1935, 112; 9th, 1939, 109; 10th, 1936, 104)
Cougars Single Season Records: Walks (1st, 1944, 141; 4th, 1945, 108)
Association Season Highs: Plate Appearances (3; 1931, 1943, 1944), Runs (2; 1943. 1944), Triples (1; 1935), BB (9; 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945), Steals (5; 1931, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1939)[/B]
He debuted to very little fanfare in 1928, where he became the Sailors everyday first basem*n despite never playing above A ball. It certainly showed, as he hit just .248/.296/.370 (84 OPS+) in 128 games as a rookie. He turned 22 at the end of the season, and still managed to walk (32) just as often as he struck out. That and 65 runs, 24 doubles, 15 triples, 54 RBIs, and 7 steals was the first peek at the type of player Walker could become. The work he did in the offseason set up a 18 season stretch of above average WRC+. He didn't quite hit his stride in year two, but after being an afterthought on the 1928 Sailors Championship team, he was a key contributor of the squad that one in 1930.
Walker's breakout featured a .327/.390/.534 (134 OPS+) batting line with 120 runs, 37 doubles, 23 triples, 13 homers, 90 RBIs, 66 walks, and 24 steals. This was the first of his six 5+ WAR seasons, accumulating 5.4 wins above replacement as he started all 154 of the Sailors contests. He went on to go 14-for-33 in the against the Gothams in the series, scoring six runs and tripling with two and no strikeouts. And while the Sailors didn't factor much in the 1931 season, Walker had one of his best seasons, leading the league in walks (115) and steals (27) after hitting .300/.412/.444 (137 OPS+) in a league high 711 trips to the plate. For the next nine seasons, he was a key piece of the Sailors lineup, producing many seasons with an impressive tally of runs, walks, steals, doubles, triples, homers, and RBIs.
Then in 1941, Walker seemed to fall out of the Sailors plans, as he was playing sparingly with current third basem*n Marion Boismenu emerging at first. This led to an early season trade to the Chicago Cougars, who took advantage of Walker in their playoff run. The 34-year-old hit .270/.378/.473 (135 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 5 triples, 12 homers, 42 RBIs, 66 runs, and 10 steals, effectively leading a talented Cougars roster to a Continental Association championship. The Cougars failed to top the Boston Minutemen, dropping four of the seven games by a single run. He returned to a platoon with Ray Ford for the 1942 season, but when Ford was called away for the army, Walker managed to keep the position to himself. He led the CA in PAs for each of the next two seasons, producing an impressive 134 WRC+ in 1943. Walker led the league with 101 runs and 92 walks, hitting .270/.369/.415 (135 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 13 triples, 11 homers, 23 steals, and 64 RBIs. He led the league in walks again in 1944 with a Cougar high 141. 141 was also tied for the 6th most by a FABL hitter ever, and while he didn't quite match that the following season his 108 in 1945 again led the CA and were the 4th most by a Cougar.
When everyone came back from the war, Walker's playing time dropped a bit in 1946, but he hit more then enough to stay in the lineup. Making 509 trips to the plate, his fewest in four seasons, he hit a Cougar best .262/.381/.467 (144 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 17 triples, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, 78 runs, and 21 steals. He struggled as a 40-year-old in 1947 before transitioning to a part-time role, and after his first sub 100 WRC+ season since his debut year, he decided it was time to call it quits. He finished three walks shy of Max Morris' FABL record 1,772, but the feared slugger got almost 100 more intentional free passes then the aptly named Walker. Along with the 1,669 walks, he had a deep chest of counting stats, collecting 1,840 runs, 2,742 hits, 433 doubles, 272 triples, 193 homers, 1,262 RBIs, 422 steals, and 75.9 WAR. His 1,840 runs was good for sixth all time, and his .272/.379/.426 (123 OPS+) career triple slash was well above average. His name is all over the Sailors record books, from his obvious lead in walks to his franchise high 126 homers. Unlike last year's ballot, which had leaderboard entrants in Jim Lonardo and Al Wheeler, there's no one on this ballot who can boast the career numbers as Walker, and I'm hoping he's one of the guys who can get in this season.
Rabbit Day (1936 - 1944)
The acquisition of Rabbit Day in late June of 1936 was the proximate cause of the three-season run in which the Chiefs won two championships. Bird pitched in 297 games for the Chiefs, starting 255 of them. He had a record of 139-98-10, including a league-leading 26 wins in 1938. He won the Allen Award in 1936, and finished in the top-3 of the voting in two other seasons.C - Tom Bird (1936 - 1944)
Both Tom Bird (1,165) and Hank Odegaard (1,050) have caught over 1,000 games for the Chiefs in the modern era. Bird batted .313 with an OPS of .903. Bird won two rings, played in eight all-star games, and finished in the top-3 for Whitney voting three times.1B - Ron Rattigan (1935 - 1947)
Tim Hopkins has an OPS of .871 and has hit 167 home runs for the Chiefs. The 167 home runs ties the number hit by Ron Rattigan during his long career in Chicago. Rattigan had an .827 OPS in 1,827 games. He played in 7 all-star games and was a part of two championship clubs.2B - Pete Layton (1936 - 1938)
Layton had a relatively short career in Chicago, playing in 356 games. That's fewer games than the current starter Artie D'Alessandro (523), and even fewer than Freddie Jones (421) and Ducky Jordan (403). But no one had a larger impact than Pete Layton. He batted .345 with a .933 OPS. He also is the modern leader at second base for home runs (50) and WAR (11.58). For comparison, D'Alessandro has a WAR of 11.29 in nearly 100 more games played. In his three Chicago season, Layton won two championships, was the Series MVP in 1938, and played in two all-star games.3B - Bob Martin (1928 - 1949)
The only question for Martin is where he appears on this list. He played in 2,437 games for the Chiefs--1,092 at first base and 1,203 at third. So you could say Martin was both the best first baseman and best third baseman for the Chiefs in the modern era. For his career, Martin hit .324 with a .885 OPS and is the current Chiefs leader in games played and hits (3,314). An honorable mention will go to Hank Barnett (1938 - 1942). In Barnett's five seasons, he finished in the top-3 of Whitney voting three times, winning in 1942. He was part of the 1938 championship team and played in five all-star games.SS - Frank Davis (1940 - 1944)
It's not a secret that the Chiefs have not had much success in finding a regular short stop. In 1940, the Chiefs acquired 23-year-old Davis from Montreal, thereby solidifying the position for the next four seasons. Davis brought a good glove to go along with a league-average bat (.283 AVG, .683 OPS), and over his full four seasons in Chicago, Davis started 615 of the possible 616 games.LF - Jim Hampton (1926 - 1941)
In 2,005 games, Hampton collected 2,514 hits of which 170 were home runs, 432 were doubles, and 121 were triples, which results in a .328 AVG and .869 OPS. Hampton was also part of the two championship clubs in the 1930s. Hampton only appeared in two all-star games--which says more about how much outfield talent is in the FABL than anything about Hampton himself. Both Hampton and Bird are on the 1952 Hall of Fame ballot.CF - Bill May (1938 - 1950)
The Chiefs have had two primary center fielders in the modern era. In the 1920s it was Bert Hartman (.283 AVG, .735), and in the 1930s, Bill May (.297 AVG, .723 OPS). Both played in over 1,000 games: 1,246 (and counting) for Bill May and 1,107 for Bert Hartman. We'll give May the nod for the two championship clubs he was a part of (1938 and 1949).RF - Cliff Moss (1935 - 1940)
There are a number of acquisitions which can be pointed to as driving the renaissance in Chiefs baseball that occurred in the second-half of the 1930s. But before Tom Bird, before Pete Layton, before Hank Barnett, and before Rabbit Day, there was Cliff Moss. Moss was acquired in a seemingly minor trade during the first week of the 1935 season from Montreal, were he had lost his starting outfield job. And as it turns out--Moss has a swing that was tailor-made for Whitney Park. In 713 games for the Chiefs, Moss hit 116 home runs, had 18.86 WAR, a .295 AVG, and a .873 OPS.
GOTHAMS MODERN ERA ALL-STAR TEAM
It's that time of year. Equipment is shipping to spring training sites and players are making their way south. We baseball writers are putting a new ribbon in the typewriter and stocking up on paper. Still there is the need to fill newspaper columns. Usually we dust off the standbys - who's in the best shape of their career, what rookie is likely to make and impact, how will the big hot stove deals work out. But this year I suppose that many of my colleagues around the nation will be compiling lists of the best players of the modern era, generally considered those seasons starting in 1926. We've now completed 25 such seasons, so who am I to buck a trend. He's my look at the New York Gothams since 1926.
Overall the team has been a true rollercoaster ride. Hitting the top of the FA seven times, more than any other team, and winning two championships. On the other hand, in between those lofty finishes has been a collection of bottom dwellers. They've finished 7th or 8th nine times, following long time, and returning, GM Tom Ward's "all or nothing" philosophy. Along the way they've set attendance records and have seen a number of stars pass through the clubhouse. Let's take a look at the best at each position.
Catcher - Pete Casstevens held down the starting spot for seven seasons, easily the longest stretch during this time period.
1st Base - Current manager Bud Jameson's long consistent career gets the nod over Red Johnson's power numbers over half the time. Johnson will make the next list.
2nd Base - Though now moved to 3rd and giving credit to his wartime service, Roosevelt Brewer is the closest the team has had as an heir to legend Ed Ziehl, who gave up everyday duties at the start of this era.
3rd Base - Not a position that has had any long term continuity. I'll give the nod to Johnny McDowell over Billy Dalton.
Shortstop - Give us a few more years and Cecil LaBonte will likely lock up this position, but for now I suppose it is Mule Monier.
Outfield - A bit of a cheat here but I'll give you my top three and not by specific positions. Walt Messer of course is the first. Drafted to be a 1B, Walt moved to the outfield to make way for Red Johnson. Despite 2 years in the military Walt is the top outfielder in this era. Also deserving notice is Carlos Cano who played at the beginning of the modern era. And finally there is the strange case of Mahlon Strong. The oft-injured RF could have been the best of them all but for annual injuries robbing him of games.
Pitcher - With a clear argument for best Gothams pitcher, Jim Lonardo is the choice here. Right behind him and closing fast though is current ace Ed Bowman.
There it is. My selections for the Gothams team of the modern era.
MODERN ERA MINERS ALL-STAR TEAM
C George Cleaves
1B Mahlon Strong
2B Jack Cleaves
3B Ed Stewart
SS Irv Clifford
LF Joe Owens
CF Pablo Reyes
RF Frank Lightbody
SP Lefty Allen
KEYSTONES ALL-MODERN ERA TEAM:
C Carl Ames (Roger Cleaves is rapidly advancing)
1B Rankin Kellogg
2B Billy Woytek
SS Cliff Herman
(I had to dig deep for that one, but he was the starting shortstop on the '27 Champs)
3B Hank Koblenz
LF Rip Curry (Curry over Phil Sandman)
CF Lee Smith (Smith over Grover Lee)
RF Bobby Barrell
P Jim Whiteley
(narrowly over George M Brooks with an honorable mention to 1933 Game 7 hero Bill Ross)
CHICAGO COUGARS ALL-STAR TEAM OF THE PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS
Cougars Modern Era Team:
C: Harry Mead (1937-Present)
1B: Bill Ashbaugh (1927-1938)
2B: Billy Hunter (1937-Present)
3B: John Lawson (1936-1942)
SS: Skipper Schneider (1940-Present)
OF: Leo Mitchell (1935-Present)
OF: Carlos Montes (1937-1949)
OF: Rich Langton (1935-1946)
P: Dick Lyons (1926-1945)
P: Pete Papenfus (1938-Present)
P: Harry Parker (1938-1950)
TALES FROM THE LAIR
Some Advice For Fans --We have been hearing rumours on the streets of Toronto about the dissatisfaction with both the headmen for the Dukes and Wolves - brothers Jack and Fred Barrell. I would say to fans "Look at what you have for the long run, don't bite your nose to spite your face." Both Jack and Fred are well respect in the NAHC and FABL amongst their peers. If either was released from their current contracts their period of unemployment would be short. Another team would snap them up in a heartbeat. They are both men of great knowledge of their individual sport along with being fine leaders and strategists.
Let us look first at the Dukes. Last year, after a championship year, Jack led the team to 34-24-12 record in the first 70 game regular season. They were upset in the semis by the eventual champions from Montreal, that is what the can happen in a best-of-seven series. This season has been a struggle for the team at 17-20-6 currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs. The team has been, in Barrell's term, "inconsistent" from the start to this point in the season. Jack states often that they very seldom work on the offensive side of the game during practice because they have enough natural talent on attack, it is more important to work on keeping the puck out of their net between games.
The staff does not have sticks in hand or skates on during the games they only provide the framework for players to follow on the ice. Toronto's ability for the "natural talent" to put the puck in the net has fallen off precipitously this year. One example, and there are many, is Les Carlson who has fallen from 37-44-81 in 69 games last season to 15-26-41 through 49 in 1950-51. He had 22 power play markers last season now he has 4 through two-thirds of the season. Although Carlson's point total has dropped this season he is the only regular who has been on ice for more goals for than against -- even Quinton Pollack at 24-24-48 is -2.
That leads to my suggestion for Jack Barrell. Perhaps he consider in the final third of the season opening up the offense a little as defense first is not working this year. The goaltending has been solid with Gordie Broadway leading the way. As Broadway is nearing the end of his NAHC days the future seems secure in net with Scott Renes and Charlie Dell.
On thing this writer has seen and heard all year is that the dressing room is not a happy place with many players fighting amongst themselves, a claim denied by Barrell. If he has indeed lost the room it speaks poorly of his player management skills. I will no speculate on that in absence of true fact but if there is trouble Barrell should inform the GM who is the source of said trouble. The GM should depose of this asset following the hockey adage of "Trade a troublemaker to the team ahead of you, pretty soon they are behind you." Have faith in Barrel. He will correct things in his control.
As spring training nears, Wolves boss Fred Barrell is bearing the ire of a portion of the fans after a 100 loss season. Fred with his catching background is in the right position for the Wolves. Learning the inner workings of being a manager at the top level, in the FABL, is no easy task. He was taking over an aging team that had enjoyed a fine run in the mid to late Forties. Management had to know the string was nearing an end, and that it was probable that tough years were ahead. Hopefully the roster turnover has begun and Fred will now be managing a group on its way up rather than continuing to fall. His two years have taught him a lot along with visibly aging the 45 year old. Brett believes he is the right man to guide the team in the new decade. Brett has learned from his sources that Bernie Millard has approved a contract extension for Barrell along with some other staff members that will be announced before the team gathers in Florida.
Joining a growing trend, I present the Wolves All-Star team of the Modern Era.
[size="4" WOLVES MODERN ERA TEAM (1926-50)
C: Clarence Howerton
1B: Fred McCormick
2B: Sam Orr
3B: Walt Pack
SS: Charlie Artuso narrowly edging out Tom Roberts due to his glove
LF: Larry Vestal
CF: Fred Malley
RF: Jack Mack soon to be replaced by Giordano or Copeland?
SP: Joe Hanco*ck with Garrison lurking
RP: Lou Jayson
DYNAMOS GM REFLECTS ON PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS
It has been all the rage this week for FABL clubs to celebrate their all-stars of the past two and a half decades as we mark the end of the 25th season of baseball's Modern-Era. This reporter sat down with current Dynamos General Manager Tiger Fan to discuss an all Detroit team but instead the conversation quickly transitioned to the top players the much travelled GM has had the pleasure to work with over the past two and a half decades.
Tiger Fan made his debut at the dawn of the modern era (human GM phase) as the head executive for the Brooklyn Kings in 1926. He spent 13 seasons in Brooklyn, winning 4 pennants and the 1937 World Championship Series with the Kings and was the architect of the Kings five-straight seasons with at least 90 victories in the mid-1930s. He moved to Cincinnati in 1940 -the same year the woeful Cannons bolted Baltimore for the Queen City- and helped the Cannons win three consecutive pennants and a pair of WCS titles before leaving for Detroit to join the Dynamos in 1946.
Tiger Fan noted he loved seeing these franchise lists but when asked for his thoughts on an all-Detroit team, he deferred noting "I don't feel I have been here long enough to earn the right to name a 25th anniversary Dynamos team."
Since he did not really have a single team to identify with, our conversation turned towards the best players he has had on his various teams through the years and as a result here is his All-Time Tiger Fan team. The GM's top players at each position based on their tenure with him in one, or many cases, more clubs.
C- Fred Barrell - Adam Mullins did some big things for me in Cincinnati and may still contribute for another couple years in Detroit but Barrell was a key piece on the 5 straight 90-win season, three pennant winning Kings. And he spent some time as my SD in Detroit. Plus his son Freddy is a soon to be Dynamos minor leaguer.
1B- Chuck Adams - I traded for him twice and he was a big piece of the 3 straight pennants in Cincinnati. Came close to selecting Dan Barrell here, who was a longtime minor leaguer of mine that I nearly lost in the rule 5 draft. Fortunately he was returned and had a couple big years at the plate and contributed to the 3 Kings flags.
2B- Jake Shadoan - I have not had a lot of great second basem*n over the years and Shadoan really only had a few years of excellence, highlighted by a 1933 batting title and leading the CA in hits the following season. He was the guy I wanted with the 7th pick in the 1929 draft as was a huge fan of him in the feeder leagues at Liberty College. Did not have the career anticipated but still played a key role in the Kings run. Ten years from now I hope Del Johnson has replaced him.
SS- Harry Barrell - best shortstop of his era in my opinion and another key piece of the Kings pennant winners.
3B- Frank Vance and John Langille (Tie)- fitting they tied as both played similar roles on the Kings flag winning clubs. Langille was shifted to second to make room for Vance after the big trade and Langille was the hero of the '37 WCS win over Pittsburgh.
OF- Al Wheeler - The acquisition of Wheeler, Vance and some guy named Jack Beach for 5 players and 8 draft picks was the key piece that made the Kings a title team. And then Wheeler later joined me in Cincinnati for two more pennants. To top it off, his son Steve Wheeler is now a Dynamos prospect.
OF- Edwin Hackberry - I have only had him a short time in Detroit but Hack is already a star and one of my favourite players on the Dynamos.
OF- Doug Lightbody- The original Kings star and my first-ever draft pick as a FABL general a manager. Lightbody is, I believe, the first to go straight from college to the show and he was on pace to win a batting title as a rookie before his first of many injuries. The Mississippi Mouth was my first favourite player in FABL and it was great to see him top 2000 hits even if it was with the Keystones after I carried him as long as I could in Cincinnati. Two batting titles, a Whitney Award and plenty of lost possibilities had he just stayed healthy.
P- Tie Tom Barrell and his nephew Deuce Barrell. Carl Potter may pass them both someday but for now it is more Barrell's on the list. Tom was the greatest pitcher in the game for 3 years and key piece of the Kings run. Then, after his career was derailed in Pittsburgh, I brought him to Cincinnati and he won a WCS game for us in his final season after going 27-13 for us over two years following his rescue from the Miners bullpen. Shame he retired at 37 as would love to have seen him get to 200 wins. Deuce is, well Deuce - already has 192 wins at age 33 and that his despite missing all of his age 26 season following a devastating spring training injury. Deuce was the Cannons greatest asset before I arrived in Cincinnati and hopefully he finishes his career as the greatest Cincinnati Cannon ever and rival to Rabbit Day for the franchise's best pitcher.
SANTIAGO PREVAILS IN CUBAN WINTER LEAUE
The Santiago Scorpions are the Cuban Winter League champions after defeating Santa Clara 8-6 in last week's title game. The Scorpions, supplied players by Cincinnati and St. Louis, were paced by Happy Wright's 3 hits, including a pair of rbi doubles, in the victory in the winner take all championship game. At 27-15, the Eastern League champions finished with the best regular season record in the 8-team loop with Wright claiming the batting title for the league.
The Most Valuable Player Award went to Marshall Thomas of the Camaguey Coyotes. The 22-year-old Boston Minutemen prospect hit .376 with 13 homers and garnered 7 of the 8 first place votes. Wright collected the other one.
FREE-WHEELING STYLE SUITING BEES
The Boston Bees have long held a reputation for focusing on defense first, second and third. The backbone of the Boston glory teams early last decade was goaltending and defense, although have a dominant line of Wilbur Chandler, Tommy Hart and Waldemar Rupp didn't hurt either, but defense was what carried Boston to five Challenge Cups and nine straight playoff appearances. That streak came to an end a year ago as the Bees sank to last place in the league but despite the struggles the goaltending and defense were still a strong suit.
This year the Bees, who finished tied for last with 171 goals scored last season, have opened their normally tight-checking style of play a game focusing much more on offense. With 16 games remaining this season the Bees have already scored 167 times -tops in the league. This new approach has had its downside as well with only the woeful Chicago Packers having surrendered more than the 160 goals Boston has allowed this season, but the style does have the Bees in the thick of the playoff race after a dreadful campaign a year ago.
Rupp is long gone but some of the offense continues to come from veterans Chandler and Hart. Chandler, who has had injury problems in recent seasons, has been for the most part healthy this time around and leads the team with 44 points in 48 games, two more than he accumulated in 55 games a year ago. Hart is 33, and averaged over a point a game for the better part of a decade but has seen his production drop of late although three goals in the last two games give Bees fans some hopes for a strong finish. Boston will need a big finish as the Bees, while six points ahead of fifth place Toronto, have 16 games remaining to play while the Dukes have 19 contests left. To make the playoffs, the Bees will need to keep the offense flying and that means the secondary scorers who have emerged recently must continue to shoulder much of the offensive load.
Those secondary scorers are lead by Jacob Gron and Robert Walker. Gron is 27 and has a career high 21 goals already in this his fifth season in Boston while the 26-year-old Walker is on pace for a career year with 38 points in 38 games. Gron and Walker's rise has been foreshadowed with recent showings but the biggest surprise has to be the play of Mike Brunell. A 26-year-old who had a brief taste of the NAHC a year ago after apprenticing for 7 seasons with Pittsburgh of the HAA, Brunell should be the runaway favourite for rookie of the year this season with 16 goals and 38 points in 51 games. The Toronto native was the Bees second round pick in the 1944 draft but was late to develop his offensive touch and scored just 35 goals in 191 minor league games entering last season. He broke out with 26 goals and 50 points in 63 games for the Pittsburgh Rovers last year, numbers good enough to earn him 9 games in Boston where he scored 3 goals. This year he did not score in training camp and was held off the scoresheet in a season opening loss to Toronto before exploding for 3 goals and 3 assists in the Bees next two games and he has never looked back.
NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7
Toronto 5 at 0 Detroit : A statement game from the Dukes who, with head coach Jack Barrell's job rumoured to be on the line, blanked Detroit 5-0 behind a Quinton Pollack hat trick. It was a quiet night for Dukes rookie goaltender Scott Renes, who faced just 16 Motors shots in earning his first career NAHC shutout.
Montreal at New York : Leave it to the league leading New York Shamrocks to cool off the Montreal Valiants. That Shamrocks fifth win a row snapped the Vals 12 game unbeaten string as the hosts held off the Montreal six by a 2-1 score. Jocko Gregg, with his 21st and Alexandre Lapalme scored for the Greenshirts with Ed McRae notching the lone Montreal marker.
Boston 2 at 0 Chicago :Oscar James stopped all 18 Chicago shots while Mark Dyck and veteran Wilbur Chandler handled the goal scoring duties in a 2-0 Boston win in the Windy City.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8
New York 5 at 2 Montreal : New York makes it six wins in a row by beating the Valiants for the second time in two nights. Geoff Hartnell set up 3 goals while Alex Sorrell made 40 saves the Shamrocks won despite being outshot 42-32.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10
Boston 6 at 2 Detroit : Detroit gets hammered for the second time this week as Tommy Hart scores twice to lead Boston to a 6-2 win over the Motors in a game that saw the Bees fire 43 shots on the Detroit net.
New York 3 at 5 Chicago : An upset in Chicago as the Packers win for just the 7th time this season and snap the first place Shamrocks six game winning streak. Tommy Burns and Max Ducharme each contributed a goal and an assists to the Chicago victory. It was a rough night for the normally dependable Alex Sorrell in the New York net, allowing 5 goals on just 22 shots.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11
New York 2 at 5 Detroit : Detroit breaks out of its mini-slump and the Shamrocks fall for the second time this weekend in a 5-2 Motors victory. Lou Barber scored twice to lead the Detroit offense
Chicago 1 at 5 Montreal :Clarence Skinner and Adam Sandford each had a four point night and Tom Brockers made 34 saves to pace Montreal past the Packers 5-1.
Boston 4 at 3 Toronto : A big win for the Bees, who hold off Toronto 4-3 and move six points ahead of the Dukes in the battle for fourth place and the final NAHC playoff berth.
UPCOMING GAMES
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14
Montreal at Toronto
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15
Toronto at Montreal
Chicago at Boston
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17
New York at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18
Detroit at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto
DUKES FALL FURTHER BEHIND FOURTH PLACE
In a short week for Toronto with only two games the team now sits 8 points in arrears of Boston for the final spot in the playoffs. The week started very well in Detroit when the Dukes probably played their best game of the season, certainly the best showing in 1951. Toronto was superior on the night in all phases of the game effectively shutting down the Motors freewheeling style for 60 minutes, Coach Barrell surprised many with his choice to start Scott Renes in net. Renes proved equal to the task thanks in large part to the players in front of him limiting Detroit to a total of only 16 shots on goal for the game. After a scoreless first in which Toronto held an advantage in chances out shooting the home squad 10-5. The middle period saw the the Dukes really take the play to the Motors, Detroit seemed to hemmed in their own zone for the entire 20 minutes. Toronto had 19 shots on Millard Touhey in the 20 minutes while Renes was only tested thrice by Motors' shooters. Les Carlson finally found the back of the net at 4:16 assisted by Joe Camposano, his first NAHC point, along with Maurice Charette. The last 10 minutes of the period became the Quinton Pollack show as he took over the game. He started a natural hattrick at 10:39 when he sent in alone on a long feed from D Charlie Brown. Pollack added goals at 16:15 then 18:48 on the power play to put the Dukes up 4-0 after two periods. Maurice Charette completed the scoring 94 seconds into the third with his 5th of the season. Toronto then put all their efforts into defending in front of Renes. The team effort secured his first big league shutout after turning aside 8 shots in the third.
At home Sunday the Dukes played host to the team they are chasing in the standings, the Boston Bees. A bad 5 minutes proved to the team's undoing in this 4 point game. It seems to be early to be talking about 4 point or must win games in February but this is the position Toronto has put itself in this year. In yet another calm affair between these two, Clyde Lumsen brought the crowd to its feet just before the first was half over with his 5th goal this season. Boston only managed a solitary shot on Broadway in the first while testing Oscar James 10 times. The Dukes downfall began at the 13:55 mark of the second Craig Simpson tallied his 14th with Les Carlson in the box for holding, Tommy Hart scored 40 seconds later then Jacob Gron made it 3-1 with a 1:46 left in the period. Doug Zimmerman's goal from Ken Jamieson, Trevor Parker narrowed the gap to one at 7:53 while up a man. Forced to open up for the tying goal Mike Navarro was caught holding allowing Mark Dyck to make 4-2 with 6 minutes left on a nice setup from Mike Brunell, Simpson. Navarro made it 4-3 with just under 2 minutes to go, Toronto could not manage the equalizer even with Broadway on the bench for an extra attacker. Boston took home 2 points much to the disappointment of the 13387 on hand.
Coach Barrell- "After undoubtably our best effort of the year in Detroit 5 minutes killed us on Sunday. We started running around in our own end then Boston made us pay, dearly. We have our work cut out for us in the last 6 weeks, with 19 games left I think at minimum we have to go 13-6 or we will be going home far too early until next fall. I see the team turning around in a positive manner, we just have to avoid the mental lapses. The good thing is we have 3 in hand on Boston, those games are useless unless we win all 3. Four games this week, back to back with both Montreal then Chicago. Winning all 4 is the goal but taking at least 6 points seems to be the least we can come away with this week. Few things to work on before Wednesday."
FBL ALLSTAR ROSTERS ANNOUNCED
The 1950 FBL All-Star Game rosters were named today. The Western Conference will be lead by rookie sensation Luther Gordon of the Chicago Panthers. Gordon will be one of two Panthers on the Western Division team, joined by guard Joe Hampton. Gordon was an obvious selection, as his 26.7 points lead all FBL players, and his 17.2 rebounds are a tenth of a rebound shy of third. Hampton, on the other hand, gets more of his value passing to guys like Gordon, as his 8.3 assists are fourth in the FBL. He averages close to a triple double per game, with 10.9 points and 9.4 rebounds to go along with it. It's the 4th selection for Hampton, who has done a great job running the Panthers offense since he left the ABC after the 1946 season
Ivan Sisco has been the most reliable player for Eastern Division leading Washington Statesmen and he will headline the list of starters for the East. The New York Knights are the only club to have two players selected to the starting lineup. That would be the forward duo of Scott Lagasse and Gary Harrison.
Here is a look at the rosters:
Western Division Starters:
C Larry Yim (Brawlers)
PF Luther Gordon (Panthers)
SF Ziggy Rickard (Crushers)
SG Major Belk (Falcons)
PG Israel Slusher (Mustangs)
Western Division Bench:
C Marlin Patterson (Rockets)
PF Ward Messer (Mustangs)
SF Carl Casswell (Rockets)
SG Herb Hobbs (Crushers)
PG Joe Hampton (Panthers)
C Lon Porter (Falcons)
C Peter Collett (Mustangs)
Eastern Division Starters:
C Ivan Sisco (Statesmen)
PF Scott Lagasse (Knights)
SF Gary Harrison (Knights)
SG Morgan Melcher (Centurions)
PG Jerry Hubbard (Phantoms)
Eastern Division Bench:
C David Aponte (Phantoms)
PF Brian Threadgill (Centurions)
SF Gerald Carter (Centurions)
SG Roman Sollars (Knights)
PG Bobby Ray Cornett (Barons)
PF Joshua Samuels (Barons)
C Jed Clyde (Centurions)
RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 5
at Lubbock State 49, #18 Pittsburgh State 39
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 6
no games involving top 25
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7
at Potomac College 53, #4 Frankford State 45
at Bluegrass State 62, #7 Noble Jones College 59
#9 Opelika State 65, at Central Kentucky 59
#13 Brunswick 65, at #14 Ellery 53
Pierpont 55, at #22 Dickson 43
at #24 Utah A&M 56, Provo Tech 45
at Mississippi A&M 44, #25 Baton Rouge State 42
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8
#1 Western Iowa 68, at #19 St. Ignatius 44
#5 Carolina Poly 56, at Alexandria 40
at #8 Indiana A&M 66, #12 Central Ohio 57
at #11 North Carolina Tech 46, Coastal State 41
at #16 Charleston Tech 60, Columbia Military Academy 53
#17 Lambert College 52, at Wichita Baptist 50
at #20 Detroit City College 62, Wisconsin State 50
at #21 Mobile Maritime 53, Huntington State 43
Lexington State 44, at #23 Chesapeake State 43
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9
#6 CC Los Angeles 44, at Spokane State 34
at #10 Coastal California 41, Portland Tech 40
at #15 St. Blane 73, College of Omaha 56
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10
at #1 Western Iowa 55, Wisconsin State 51
#3 Whitney College 78, at #19 St. Ignatius 75
#5 Carolina Poly 54, at Petersburg 52
at #7 Noble Jones College 55, Alabama Baptist 46
#8 Indiana A&M 64, at St. Magnus 59
at #9 Opelika State 50, #25 Baton Rouge State 47
at #11 North Carolina Tech 61, Alexandria 49
Lincoln 63, at #12 Central Ohio 54
at Grafton 52, #13 Brunswick 50
at #14 Ellery 58, Sadler 36
at #16 Charleston Tech 55, Richmond State 49
#17 Lambert College 64, at Eastern Oklahoma 45
at #20 Detroit City College 58, Minnesota Tech 56
#21 Mobile Maritime 57, at Central Carolina 38
at Columbia Military Academy 49, #23 Chesapeake State 43
#24 Utah A&M 48, at Colorado Poly 39
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11
at Lane State 63, #2 Rainier College 60
at #4 Frankford State 49, Caesar Rodney 36
#6 CC Los Angeles 59, at #10 Coastal California 57
EDMONDS WILL DEFEND MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE MARCH 17
World Middleweight Champion John Edmonds has picked St. Patrick's Day for his latest title defense. The 32-year-old native of Muncie, IN. is set to met Memphis Millard Shelton at Thompson Palladium in Detroit on March 17. It will be the third title defense for Edmonds, who last faced Frank Melanson in New York City in late September.
Edmonds, who owns a 33-3 career record, beat Bill Boggs in New York last March to claim the ABF world title vacated with the death of French middleweight Edouard Desmarais in a 1949 plane crash. After beating Boggs, Edmonds successfully defended his belt in May with a 9th round knockout of Italian Hugo Canio and then outpointed Frank Melanson in Melanson's comeback attempt on September 29.
It marks the second time Edmonds has held the belt as he was briefly champion in 1947 after upsetting Melanson in the then-champ's hometown of Pittsburgh but he lost the rematch to the Tank five months later.
Shelton, a 30-year-old from Memphis. TN., enters the bout with a 30-5 record but has won 19 of his last twenty outings with the lone blemish being a disqualification for repeated low blows in a bout that turned into a street fight against Frankie Townsley nearly two years ago. Shleton is ranked as the #4 contender to Edmonds middleweight crown in the most recent TWIFS quarterly rankings.
RECENT KEY RESULTS
- 29-year-old Cannon Cooper looks like he still has some fight left in him. The Rockford, IL. power puncher, who has had his ups and downs throughout his career, looked very good in schooling 21-year-old Evan Rivers, flooring the youngster in the fifth round before claiming a TKO victory when the referee stopped the one-sided bout in the sixth. The victory improves Cooper's record 33-6-1 and is expected to keep him among the top contenders to the heavyweight title.
Cooper had a title shot last July but was knocked out in the 11th round by Sawyer. With Sawyer said to be pondering retirement the path to the title, which has belonged to the Cajun Crusher for over a decade, may become much clearer for Cooper. Thomas was no slouch, one of the group of highly touted young heavyweights along with Joey Tierney, Brad Harris and Max Bradley but he was overmatched on this evening. Rivers, who hails from Tulsa, OK., sees his record dip to 18-2-3.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
- February 17, 1951- Buffalo, NY: Heavyweight veteran Mark Fountain (25-9-1) vs Tommy Cline (17-4)
- February 24, 1951- Boston, MA: World Welterweight Champion Ira Mitchell (27-5) defends his title against Danny Rutledge (22-1-1)
- February 28, 1951- National Auditorium, Washington DC - welterweight Rudy Perry (30-6-1) vs Dale Roy (37-8-1)
- February 28, 1951- Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago - Middleweight Mark McCoy (22-2) vs Calvin Collins (8-0)
- March 17, 1951 - Thompson Palladium, Detroit - World Middleweight champion John Edmonds (33-3) defends his title against Millard Shelton (30-5)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/11/1951
- The Secretary of Treasury has called for sharp increases in income tax, while also doubling Federal gasoline tax and nearly tripling tax on automobiles. Alcohol and cigarettes will also be subject to large increases in the tax program aimed at meeting President Truman's budget demands.
- Meanwhile the auto industry is also hurt by cutbacks on the supply of steel for non-defense use, which are expected to cut production of new cars for civilian use by 25 to 40%
- Back to work court orders have most rail strikers back on the job.
- More atomic tests in the desert rocked the city of Las Vegas, some 75 miles away, blowing out windows in a number of buildings.
- In Korea, UN forces bolstered by tank support, are slowly advancing and have made their way into Seoul and in some spots within 25 miles of the 38th Parallel.
- Secretary of State Acheson charges that Soviet satellite nations are building up great armies, far above the peace treaty limitations.
- Japan has accepted an American offer of protection, including stationing American troops in that country, after a peace treat has been signed.
- Former President Herbert Hoover, declaring that air and sea might are America's best weapons against aggression, said that land war against Russia would risk "the loss of all civilization."
- Congress remains at odds over the proposal on American troop commitments for the defense of Western Europe, as Senator Taft attacked President Truman as too "reckless" to be entrusted with uncurbed powers to send troops to Europe.
__________________
Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles
Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal
MY FIGMENT LEAGUE BROOKLYN KINGS DYNASTY
PAST DYNASTYS
My History of Hockey Replay
Tiger Fan's Sporting News : the mid 1940's
Tiger Fan's All Sport Replay: The 1920s
History of Sports 1901-15
Historical Tutorial and Feedback League
My first fictional attempt
The HOB4: The last of my series of history of baseball replays that go back to OOTP2 and the old message board.
Last edited by Tiger Fan; 05-27-2024 at 02:08 PM.
