All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 51 (2024)

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JAUNARY 14 , 1952

CHIEFS WIN FABL DRAFT LOTTERY, LAND CATCHING PHENOM

The lottery, instituted for the 1946 draft as means of encouraging teams to continuously strive to improve, is a weighted draw where the two teams in each association with the greatest improvement over their previous season's record get 3 balls in the lottery, the next two each get two entries and the three clubs with the least improvement (or biggest drop-off) get just a single entry in the draw. The balls are then drawn out at random with picks being alternated between leagues. This year the Federal Association gets the odd numbered selections including the first overall pick. The lottery is repeated for the second round of the draft and the two pennant winners automatically select 15th and 16th in each round. From rounds three until the conclusion of the draft the order of finish in the standings is used to determine the draft order.

***Catcher Czerwinski Selected #1 ***

The list of catchers drafted first overall is very short with only Hall of Famer T.R. Goins (1919 Washington) and Jack Flint (1930 St Louis) being number one picks. In fact, Czerwinski is only the 9th catcher drafted among the top five picks joining an exclusive list

The Kansas City Kings had the second pick and surprised a few people with the decision to select college shortstop Claude Richerson out of Ruston Tech. The Kings were targeting a shortstop in the draft but there was some speculation that picking second they would opt for high school pitcher Mike Fresh, who topped the mock draft and the draft boards of many scouts. The Kings have a history of looking at pitchers high in the draft but felt Richerson was too good to pass up. The 20-year-old was an All-American last year after batting .301 with 22 homers in 62 college games.

The Philadelphia Keystones, desperate for some pitching to go with the large collection of sluggers they possess, although age may be catching up with some of them, jumped at the chance to take Fresh, a Massachusetts high schooler who is still just 16 years old but is a two-time High School All-American and was the winner of the 1950 Adwell Award when, as a sophom*ore, he was named the top high school player in the country.

A pair of college pitchers who may be ready for the big leagues as soon as sometime this season went fourth and fifth with the Cincinnati Cannons grabbing Bayou State lefthander Jake Pearson, a first team All-American, with pick four and Detroit following with Darnell State's Red Sheridan, who was the first team All-American pitcher as a freshman two years ago.

A run on pitchers reminiscent of the early 1930s continued with a pair of high school arms going sixth and seventh. The Cleveland Foresters drafted Jim Cooper, an 18-year-old from Brooklyn while the New York Gothams made it five straight pitchers with the news that they were drafted Baltimore high school hurler Ted Kukulski with the seventh pick.

Toronto broke the pitching trend when the Wolves called the name of California high school outfield John Samuel, who was an honourable mention for high school All-American status in 1951 after making the team in both his freshman and sophom*ore seasons. Pittsburgh selected slugging high school first baseman Eddie Black, a 17-year-old from Richmond, Virginia before the New York Stars snapped up 1950 Christian Trophy winning outfielder Dutch Wilson. The smooth-swinger from Minnesota Tech has been called the best hitter the Great Lakes Alliance has produced since Freddie Jones was playing for Central Ohio in 1931. Like Jones, Wilson is a two-time collegiate All-American.

There is no shortage of high end young outfielders in the Boston Minutemen system but the club felt they could not pass on selecting another one when Stew Manning was still available at pick 11. The 18-year-old New Jersey high schooler has plenty of power according to OSA, which feels he can make an impact on a top-tier club when he matures. Manning was a high school All-American selection last spring.

The 12th pick was the second California high school player to go in the opening round, and both went to Canadian teams as the Montreal Saints drafted 17-year-old pitcher Allen Barnet. The San Francisco native was an honourable mention for the High School All-American team in 1951 and OSA feels he could end up near the top of a big league rotation some day.

The Washington Eagles were up next with the 13th pick and they stayed close to home with the selection of a local product. Gil Woodruff, a 17-year-old righthander from St. John's High School in Washington, DC, was the Eagles pick. Woodruff becomes the fifth Washington born player to be selected by his hometown team and the highest local product ever drafted by the Eagles. He also joins Bill Moore as the only DC born players to ever be selected in the opening round. Moore was drafted 13th by Boston in 1932.

With the 14th selection the Chicago Cougars went for a power bat in Oklahoma high school outfielder Elmer "Fudd" Hoffman. The 6'5" giant smacked 15 homers in 25 games for Wagoner High last season but he comes with a lot of baggage in the form of just a terrible personality according to many observers.

The two pennant winners closed out the first round with each selecting a pitcher, making for a total of 9 arms drafted in the opening 16 picks. Both were from the high school ranks with the St Louis Pioneers calling the name of William Redmann before the Philadelphia Sailors opted for Harry Cahill. Both are 17 years old and each his considered a terrific leader. Redmann hails from Tennessee and OSA raves about his command but has questions surrounding his stamina. Cahill was born in Seattle and OSA voices a similar concern regarding his ability to go deep in games but praises his elite stuff.

Twelve of the sixteen players selected in the opening round were from the high school ranks with four outfielders, two infielders and a catcher joining the nine hurlers drafted.

Ranking FABL's Top Selection (1925-1934)

With the draft underway, most front office's are highly focuses on finding an organization's next star that could lead them to the promised land. Now, the #1 pick is decided by lottery, but when the Modern Era first began in 1925, it was alternated between association's, with the last place finisher making the top selection. A lot of former 1st Overall Picks are still playing, but we'll be taking a look at the first ten first overall selections of the FABL Amateur Draft. Here's how we'd rank them:

Career Stats: 2,427 G, 10,441 PA, 2,925 H, 503 2B, 118 3B, 50 HR, 1,067 RBI, 760 BB, 113 SB, .305/.355/.397 (108 OPS+, 110 WRC+, 454.1 ZR (SS), 1.107 EFF, 108.4 WAR

This may be a controversial ranking, as I'm sure many would have expected Hall-of-Famer Al Wheeler to lead the list, but it's hard to look past the longtime King and current Minutemen shortstop Harry Barrell. Barrell, set to be the third (after Bobby, who will retire first) member of his family inducted into the Hall-of-Fame as a player, was commonly the best shortstop in the game, and will be remembered as one of the All-Time greats for his acrobatics at baseball's toughest position. Only two players who appeared in a game after his debut, brother Bobby (115.4) and home run leader Max Morris (129.0) have accumulated more WAR then Harry's 108.4, currently good for 15th in FABL history. He's a win below Thomas Watkins (109.4) for 14th, and with some luck he could end up between 10th and 12th depending on how much gas is left in his tank. Recently 38, he was still a plus defender for the Minutemen (5.2 ZR, 1.014) this year, and he hit a solid .280/.353/.365 (88 OPS+) with a slightly below average 99 WRC+ in 136 games. He doesn't have the big power numbers of Wheeler, just 50 since his debut at 19 with the Kings.

It's funny, the Foresters have both the best and worst first overall selection for the period we are observing, but neither played a FABL game for the organization. They traded Harry less then a year after selecting him in one of the most lopsided trades ever. Heinie Bretz was plagued with injuries, and the picks the Foresters got became Levi Redding and Al Heard, who became nothing more then fourth outfielders. Sure, they used Redding to get Eddie Quinn, who had three good years in the mid 30s for them, but that pales in comparison to the top shortstop. It's always an interesting "What-If" story to see if the Foresters held on to the guy that lead FABL in WAR in each of his first three seasons, and is set to be just the 15th (or 16th if Fred McCormick gets there first) FABL player to reach the 3,000 hit mark.

1925 1st Overall Pick: Al Wheeler (Hall-of-Fame)
FABL Teams: Dynamos (1928-1935), Kings (1935-1943), Chiefs (1943-1944), Cannons (1944-1947)
Accolades: 3 Whitney Awards, 5 All-Star Selections, 3 World Championships

Career Stats: 2,951 G, 12,792 PA, 3,248 H, 422 2B, 124 3B, 516 HR, 2,014 RBI, 1,623 BB, 64 SB, .295/.383/.496 (139 OPS+), 136 WRC+, -84.5 ZR (RF), .980 EFF, 78.7 WAR

You could definitely make the case that Wheeler deserves the top spot, but I'm a pitching and defense guy and shortstop is a much harder spot to fill then corner outfield. A well-traveled slugger, Wheeler debuted in 1928 for the team that selected him to kick off the Modern Era's start, and he spent a significant time as Harry Barrell's teammate with the Brooklyn Kings. Almost all his best work came in Detroit, but he had a nice resurgence in Cincinnati before calling it quits in 1947. Traded in three midseason deals, from a ten piece package that sent him to Brooklyn to the 7th Round pick that led to a Cannons championship, many players are linked to "The Wonder Wheel" through trade or the titles he brought teams. Though his best work came in Detroit, where he slashed .325/.407/.549 (150 OPS+) with 204 homers and 821 RBIs. His HOF plaque should boast a Dynamo hat, even if he played more with the Kings, and if he got just one more season (or half season) in Detroit he would have had the rare honor of leading two teams in home runs. One of the most feared sluggers the game has seen, Wheeler did more then live up to the #1 overall selection, and no position player from that draft selected after him was able to surpass his stellar career.

1929 1st Overall Pick: Tom Barrell (Hall-of-Fame)
FABL Teams: Cougars (1932), Kings (1932-1940), Miners (1941-1943), Cannons (1944-1945)
Accolades: 3 Allen Awards, 4 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships

Career Stats: 179-111, 6 SV, 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), 3.66 FIP (91 FIP-), 409 G, 2,722.2 IP, 724 BB, 1,257 K, 1.27 WHIP, 48.9 WAR

As far as I know, Tom Barrell is the only #1 overall pick to be traded for another #1 overall pick, as he was a part of the ill-fated Cougars/Kings swap that sent Mike Taylor and Tommy Wilcox to the Windy City for a four prospect package. At the time, Barrell already debuted for the Cougars, but they were looking to defend their title and were willing to sacrifice some of the future for what was at the time arguably the best pitcher/catcher duo. Of course, we all know how that ended up, as Wilcox can barely feel his arm while Tom can use what's left of his arm to shine his Hall-of-Fame plaque.

It's hard to find a better three year stretch then Tom's 1934 to 1936, which is pretty much the reason he has the previously mentioned plaque. Leading the CA all three times in FIP- and WAR, it was far more dominant then the recent three year run that Adrian Czerwinski went on, and even if the '36 award was a little sketchy, he was far more deserving of the trifecta then Cleveland's ace. Unfortunately, injuries got him not long after, as he really only had three or four decent seasons after his 3rd Allen, and two of them were more lucky and good with the Cannons as he toyed with the war weakened Conti lineups. He earned the three spot here due to his immense talent and dominant peak, as since we've only seen Deuce Barrell able to replicate. Even with little success on the wrong side of 30, Tom finished with 179 wins and a 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), striking out 1,257 hitters. Considering his lofty expectations, he didn't really live up to all the hype, but you can't blame him for the arm injuries, and for a short time he was on top of the baseball world.

1933 1st Overall Pick: Joe Hanco*ck (Still Active)
FABL Teams: Wolves (1936-1951), Dynamos (1951)
Accolades: 1 Allen Award, 6 All-Star Selections, 1 World Championship

Career Stats: 214-166, 2 SV, 3.28 ERA (120 ERA+), 3.30 FIP (83 FIP-), 469 G, 3,502.1 IP, 1,069 BB, 1,498 K, 1.30 WHIP, 77.2 WAR

If it wasn't for a deadline deal this season, Joe Hanco*ck would be the only member of the group to spend his entire FABL career with one team. Hanco*ck was a Wolf until he was almost 39, traded this summer to the Detroit Dynamos for a three player package headlined by a rotation replacement in George Avery, who went 6-3 with a 3.51 ERA (121 ERA+) in 74.1 innings. Most of the innings came in the rotation, and while he showed some promise, the odds of him becoming the next Joe Hanco*ck are slim to none.

Hanco*ck doesn't have the peak Tom Barrell did, but the fact that he's still pitching at 39 and leads Barrell in most of the counting stats speaks to his longevity. It was really a toss-up between the two, and Hanco*ck could theoretically pass him in my mind if he keeps pitches. He did win the Allen in '39 and had a nice little run from his debut through his 20-win campaign before his enlistment, he may not have done enough to prove his case to Hall-of-Fame voters. The war taking two years away from him makes his 214 wins more impressive, and he'd likely reach 250 with two extra prime seasons. He never quite regained his pre-way form, though Hanco*ck's maintained FIP- of 90 since he led the league at 26 with an elite 78 (3,36 FIP). And despite just one Allen Award, he's led the league in wins three times, with a pair of 20-game seasons and a career best 22 the year he took home the award.

I'm sure he was partially glad to get out of Toronto this season, and after spending 14 seasons in Toronto he ranks 2nd in strikeouts (1,455) and starts (432), 3rd in wins (204), innings (3,394.2), and WAR (75.1), 4th in complete games (163) and shutouts (23). Co-ace George Garrison (151-151, 3.38, 1,249) may pass him in some of those categories, but that doesn't limit the impact he had on both competitive and uncompetitive Wolves teams throughout his career. Sure, he was rarely the best, but Hanco*ck has yet to have a below average ERA+ or FIP-. If he can pitch his way into the hall, perhaps he'll have a chance to overtake Barrell in a later ranking, but just like for most of his career, he's going to have to settle for second best. And second best with Joe Hanco*ck is nothing to be ashamed of. It gets you results and quality innings, and it certainly wasn't his fault (10-4, 2.59, 43) the Dynamos couldn't outlast the Pioneers and Gothams in a pennant race for the ages.

1927 1st Overall Pick: Cliff Moss
FABL Teams: Saints (1928-1935), Chiefs (1935-1940), Cougars (1941-1945)
Accolades: 4 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships

Career Stats: 2,203 G, 8,702 PA, 2,221 H, 318 2B, 71 3B, 284 HR, 1,166 RBI, 924 BB, 37 SB, .290/.366/.462 (126 OPS+), 124 WRC+, 11.7 ZR (RF), 1.011 EFF, 48.9 WAR

It's hard to be underrated as a #1 Overall Pick, but I've always felt like the reliable Cliff Moss never got enough credit for being one of the most consistent sluggers. Sure, he's not what you picture when you think #1 pick, and his career isn't what you're shooting for in the top spot, he was still the right call at #1. A few players from the class ended up better then him, namely future Hall-of-Famer Fred McCormick, multiple time teammate and Saints draft mate Hank Barnett, and pitcher Dean Astle, but aside from 2nd Rounder Ed Wood, none of the players were selected in the first five rounds.

Being a slugger, Moss had the disservice of starting his career in Montreal, as the Parc Cartier does a great job suppressing power. So much so that the 26 he hit in 1930 were tied for the third most in a season, with his 24 the year prior part of a tie for sixth. His 104 homers as a Saint actually rank 7th in team history, despite just one player in the top 10, slumping Slugger Maurice Carter (92, 2,197) having made fewer trips to the plate then Moss' 3,760. The park was so bad for Moss that in his last two seasons he hit just 9 total homers, and poor offensive production moved him to the bench. Then in 1935, he got the gift he wanted, as the GM who selected him was now in Chicago, and he brought the familiar Moss to the Chiefs. His career was revived, as Moss slashed .331/.422/.579 (160 OPS+) after the trade, clonking 19 homers in just 365 trips to the plate. From that point on, Moss never saw a OPS+ or WRC+ below 100, and he hit a superb .295/.377/.495 (133 OPS+) in his six seasons with the Chiefs. His defense was passable, leading to some down ballot Whitney votes, and then like many 34-year-old veterans he was traded to the crosstown Cougars.

Moss was more passable then good his first two seasons, but he turned things on as he got closer to 40. Three of his best seasons were after 36, posting WRC+ of 142, 147, and 135 from '43 to '45. The 147 is second only to his 154 in his only midseason trade, and the other two ranked third and tied for fifth in a season. His 284 career homers are good for 12th all-time, and it's not hard to imagine him getting closer to 400 if he spent his early years in Chicago, and he would have had 30 had he not retired despite hitting .300 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs in his final season. He's already been on and left the ballot for the Hall, but his career was certainly a successful one, and you can even argue he made the difference for the Chiefs in their title wins in '36 and '38.

1928 1st Overall Pick: Tommy Wilcox
FABL Teams: Kings (1929-1932), Cougars (1932-1936)
Accolades: 1 Allen Award, 3 All-Star Selections

Career Stats: 91-84, SV, 3.95 ERA (107 ERA+), 3.84 FIP (90 FIP-), 205 G, 1,554 IP, 428 BB, 531 K, 1.36 WHIP, 28.3 WAR

It's hard for me to not tear up a bit when writing about Tommy Wilcox, as I'll never be able to forgive Dick Pozza for ruining his arm during the 1934 season. That's not what he's remembered most for, nor his 1933 Allen in a pennant winning season for the Cougars, but for being part of the Tom Barrell trade that might have cursed the Cougars for good.

Fresh off a championship, the Cougars were going for more, but a tough New York Stars team stood in their way. In an effort to improve the staff and lineup, Wilcox and catcher Mike Taylor were brought in from Brooklyn. At the time, the 25-year-old knuckleballer was 9-9 with a 3.19 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP with 29 walks and 53 strikeouts, and he was arguably the frontrunner for the Allen Award.

In what could have been a win-win trade, Wilcox absolutely imploded, going 6-6 with a 6.70 ERA (62 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 18 walks and 28 strikeouts. Considering the Cougars missed the postseason by just two games, it's fair to say the trade cost them a title, as Barrell went 8-3 with a 2.48 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts for the Kings. That would've have been perfect, but instead, the Cougars have still failed to win a title since. Of course, his Allen which led to a pennant the following season made it seem like everything was going to be okay, but the joy proved to be short lived. After being forced to pitch in three games in a short period, including an All-Star game when he was already gassed, the ironed arm Wilcox (no prior injuries more then 4 days) ruptured his UCL. He was never the same when he returned, and the top rotation arm who was dominant for most of his first five seasons was out of the majors before he turned 30.

Funny enough, his 107 ERA+ was just two points worse then Barrell, and the beginning of his career was so good he still ranked 5th in the draft class in WAR among pitchers. Among hitters, only Bobby Barrell (who was injured on draft-day and has more WAR then literally anyone) bested Wilcox, so all things considered this was the right pick. You can't plan for injuries, and considering at 26 he went 21-11 with a 2.58 ERA (140 ERA+), 2.91 FIP (80 FIP-), and 1.02 WHIP, he clearly had talent. He struck out 113 and walked just 43, leading the CA in wins, ERA, FIP-, WHIP, K/BB (2.6), and WAR (6.8). It's a shame FABL fans were robbed of more gems, he finished with 120 complete games and 16 shutouts, and perhaps if that ill-fated trade was never made, we'd be discussing Wilcox's Hall-of-Fame career in Brooklyn.

1930 1st Overall Pick: Jack Flint
FABL Teams: Pioneers (1833-1938), Gothams (1939), Cannons (1940), Minutemen (1941-1943)
Accolades: 2 All-Star Selections, 1 World Championship

Career Stats: 990 G, 3,832 PA, 1,036 H, 154 2B, 14 3B, 32 HR, 471 RBI, 248 BB, SB SB, .292/.338/.371 (93 OPS+), 94 WRC+, 2.8 ZR (C),.989 EFF, 15.9 WAR

The 1930 draft did not seem to have much talent, headlined by Lubbock State's Jack Flint who went #1 to the Pioneers. The lack of talent is evident now, with the "best" players above Flint Jim Beard, Jake Smith, and Rip Curry. Bill Ross was the only other player worth more WAR then Flint, who at just 15.9 was fifth in the class. Surpassing 500 PAs just once in his eleven season career, Flint flip-flopped between backup and starter, getting around 100 or 50 starts in most of his campaigns. A pretty highly touted prospect, he was in the majors in 1933, and had a nice three year run with the Pioneers from 1936 to 1938. Most of his time was in St. Louis appearing in 492 games and hitting a solid .314/.361/.393 (100 OPS+). During the '38 season he was replaced by longtime catcher Heinie Zimmer, though he got starting at bats elsewhere.

Shipped to the Gothams in a minor offseason deal, he spent one season in New York before being included in the blockbuster trade that sent Gus Goulding to the Big Apple. Flint joined the Cannons for their first season in Cincinnati, before he was sent to Boston for a pair of picks. He did not do well, hitting .245/.301/.295 (66 OPS+) in 478 trips to the plate, but if you ask him which season is his favorite, he'll tell you its that one. That's because the Minutemen won the World Championship Series, and Flint caught six of seven games. After the title, his playing time dropped gradually, and after entering the Army at 34, he decided he would not return to baseball when his term was over. He ended his 11-year career with a respectable .292/.338/.371 (93 OPS+) line, good enough for a solid defensive catcher. He's the first of these first selections to never really show why he went #1, but for a while he was a middle-of-the-road starter that was usually better then half the league's starters.

1932 1st Overall Pick: Curly Jones
FABL Teams: Gothams (1935-1936), Kings (1936-1938), Dynamos (1939), Kings (1939-1944)
GWL Teams: Thunderbirds (1946-1947)
Accolades: 1 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships

Career Stats: 59-67, 18 SV, 3.98 ERA (99 ERA+), 4.14 FIP (104 FIP-), 374 G, 1,320 IP, 745 BB, 551 K, 1.58 WHIP, 9.5 WAR

Sometimes you can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn't matter one bit if you don't have the drive to improve on it. Despite having all that talent, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised Curly Jones ended up not panning out, as the Georgia native was ready to call it quits before throwing a single pitch. Though a conversation with a very important Barrell encouraged him to give baseball a shot. The well-traveled Jones was expected to be an ace, consistently ranked among the top five FABL prospects before his debut at 24. It did not go great, as despite a 12-6 record, his ERA was nearly 5 (4.92, 94) and he allowed 72 walks to just 60 strikeouts.

Those control issues stuck with him his whole career, as in 13 starts with the Gothams the next season his 15.1 BB% was nearly twice as high as his 7.8 K%. Jones was then sent to the Kings in return for two players and a pick, the team he spent most of his career with. He had a brief interruption with the Dynamos in '39, but aside from that he only played in Brooklyn from '37 to '44. Most of that was as a reliever, where he actually had a few solid seasons after 30. When you're picking #1, the last thing you want is a solid reliever, as Curly never made more then 25 starts or threw more then 200 innings in his 12 year career. He even played a little in the GWL, though the starts weren't great, and he called it quits with less then 1,500 innings of mileage on his arm.

1934 1st Overall Pick: Bobo White
FABL Teams: Eagles (1937-1940), Dynamos (1941, 1943)
Accolades: N/A

Career Stats: 44-58, 4.97 ERA (84 ERA+), 4.74 FIP (113 FIP-), 134 G, 923.1 IP, 440 BB, 309 K, 1.63 WHIP, 5.9 WAR

Another pitcher who was supposed to be an ace, Bobo White didn't have the lofty prospect grading that Curly had, but he was a consistent top 100 prospect who spent most of his time in the top half. A starter for nearly all his career, Bobo debuted for the Eagles in 1937, making the Opening Day roster and making 36 starts. It wasn't a great debut season, as he was 12-14 with a 5.24 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.66 WHIP, 106 walks, and 121 strikeouts. Like Curly, he walked too many guys, and in each of his next five seasons he walked a lot more guys then he struck out. This prevented him from ever having an above average ERA+ with the Eagles, and at 27 they were ready to give up on him. They sent him to Detroit for a late round pick before the 1941 season, and he pitched a little in '41 and '43. '41 was awful, '43 was good, but it was just two starts and he survived walking 7 with just a single strikeout. He didn't pitch at all the next four seasons, but had a late career resurgence as a minor league reliever. He pitched for five different teams in a two year period, but poor starter turned minor-league reliever isn't the ideal career trajectory for a player taken first in his class.

1926 1st Overall Pick: Karl Stevens
FABL Teams: Foresters (1930-1931)
Accolades: N/A

Career Stats: 14 G, 47 PA, 7 H, 4 2B, 3B, 6 RBI, 9 BB, .184/.340/.342 (91 OPS+), 98 WRC+, -0.1 ZR (LF), 1.041 EFF, 0.1 WAR

You can forgive your Forester fan friends if they don't remember Karl Stevens, who was the clear dud of the first ten Modern Era picks. To be fair, the '26 class was very weak, as aside from Fred Barrell, Sam Sheppard, Walt Wells, and Ben Turner, there weren't many quality players they could have ended up with. But there were plenty of less-then-quality players that were leaps and bounds better then Stevens.

In the Foresters defense, Stevens hit an outstanding .346/.414/.612 (175 OPS+) in college with 45 doubles, 32 homers, and 125 RBIs, so there was clearly a lot of offensive potential here. He crushed minor league pitching, but once he got to the majors, he started to see more time on the bench instead of in the lineup. At this point, he hit well in the minors, but for one reason or another he didn't really get a chance. He never played for a FABL team after the 1931 season, wasting away in the minors from 1932 to 1937, calling it quits with just 14 career FABL games at 33 in 1938.

ALL-STARS RALLY LATE TO BEAT VALIANTS

Montreal was outshot by the all-stars 61-43 in a game in which little attention was paid to defensive play by either side. The Vals Arlen Doherty scored the only goal of the first period, tucking the puck short-side on Detroit's Millard Touhey with a shot from near the bottom of the right circle. Nickolas Roch and Shel Herron drew the assists and the goal would stand up as the only one of the game until Orval Cabbell, the New York Shamrocks star center, whistled a wrist shot from the high slot past Brockers with just 2:15 remaining in the contest. Toronto's Les Carlson and Detroit defenseman Tyson Beddoes earned assists on the tying marker.

It looked like we would have a second straight tie game - Montreal and the Stars skated to a 2-2 draw a year ago- but Lou Galbraith had other ideas. Set up by Packers defenseman Bert McColley, the Toronto winger ripped a one-time from the top of the left circle that caught Brockers by surprise and gave the All-Stars the 2-1 victory. Tyson Beddoes, the offensive minded Detroit defenseman, who assisted on the tying goal, was named the first star of the game with Doherty and Carlson claiming second and third star honours.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
TUESDAY JANUARY 8

Boston 0 at 4 Chicago : Michael Cleghorn made 20 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the Packers blanked Boston 4-0. Leon Seguin, Sam Furr, Jeremy MacLean and Phil Stukas handled the scoring for the winners.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9

Toronto 2 at 5 New York : The Shamrocks are now a perfect 4-0 in 1952 after a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Dukes. Geoff Hartnell scored twice for New York with Orval Cabbell and Rusty Mullins each earning a pair of helpers. Les Carlson had both Toronto goals.

THURSDAY JANUARY 10

New York 1 at 3 Detroit : The Motors snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory on home ice over New York. Millard Touhey made 38 saves while Nick Tardif had two assists to pace Detroit.

SATURDAY JANUARY 12

Chicago 2 at 2 Montreal : Back in action a night after hosting the All-Star Game, the Montreal Valiants skated to a 2-2 tie with Chicago. Kip Bedard opened the scoring and Rey Sclisizzi earned the tie for Montreal with a third period goal. In between the Packers got a pair of late first period goals off the sticks of Max Ducharme and Jarrett McGlynn.

Detroit 1 at 3 Toronto : A productive night for Quinton Pollack who scored once and assisted on the other two Toronto goals to lead the Dukes to a 3-1 victory over the Motors. Les Carlson and Lou Galbraith scored the other Toronto goals with all three of them coming in a 10-minute span in the middle frame.

SUNDAY JANUARY 13

Chicago 3 at 3 Boston :Tommy Hart had a goal and assisted on both of Craig Simpson's goals as Boston battled Chicago to a 3-3 draw. Tommy Burns had a pair of helpers for the Packers.

Toronto 6 at 3 Detroit :Toronto sweeps a home and home weekend series with Detroit by doubling the Motors 6-3 on Sunday night at Thompson Palladium. Doug Zimmerman and Les Carlson each scored twice for the Dukes.

Montreal 4 at 4 New York : A second straight tie on the weekend for Montreal as Wayne Augustin pulled the Vals even when he scored with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game, shortly after Joe Martin had given New York a 4-3 lead.

DUKES WIN TWO OF THREE

The Dukes started a big weekend series with Detroit at home on Saturday night in front of 13668 at the Gardens. The scoreless first period was a chippy affair with each team shorthanded three times. Neither goaltender was particularly busy, Broadway for Toronto, Touhey for the Motors, as there was little pace to the game with the constant parade to the penalty box. Whatever changes Barrell made to the attack plan at intermission worked as the Dukes came out flying in the second constantly buzzing around Touhey's cage. Toronto fired 22 shots Touhey's way in the middle stanza with Carlson, Galbraith, Pollack all finding paydirt to lead 3-0 after 40 minutes. Pollack also had a helper on the other two goals. Detroit narrowed the gap to two on Spencer Larocque's 8th of year before the 5 minute mark of the third. That was the only time the red light went on behind Broadway in a 3-1 final. The teams went back to battle Sunday in the Thompson Palladium. The game started more wide open as Detroit went the attack early with both teams using the same netminders. Broadway was not beat in the first despite facing 22 shots, The only goal was by Spencer Hoffard from the high slot at 16:56 on passes from Brown, Galbraith. In a high scoring second Carlson's man advantage goal, his 17th, made 2-0 less than 3 minutes into the second. The team's then exchanged 4 more goals in the second with Comeau, McKenzie, scoring for the Motors only to be answered by Carlson's second of the night along with Zimmerman. Detroit made 4-3 before the third was a minute old, that was as close as the home team would get this night. J.C. Martel, Zimmerman's second in the game made the final 6-3 Dukes sending almost 17000 home unhappy this night.

Coach Barrell- "The game in NY was stolen from us by the referee. We were up then all of a sudden Featherstone gets a major plus a game. That check was clean, their guy picked up sucker pass, turned then Frank destroyed him, the hit was bone jarring but clean. I have said this before, you learn in peewee hockey not to take a pass in your skates because if you do you are going pay to as soon as your head comes up. I have been lobbying for years for an upgrade to the on ice officials. The game has passed some of the older guys, they cannot keep up to the play, the game is too fast therefore they are out position making calls on the result not the play. That is what happened Wednesday, that call took us right out of the game. I have an upcoming hearing that will no doubt leave me lighter in the wallet, so be it, maybe someone will look at what is happening with officials that are constantly behind the play. The players know who can't keep up with the game. I give the guys credit for coming out on the weekend with two good games against Detroit. i hope we have finally turned a corner, the guys we count on are starting to find the back of the net again with regularity. This week will be a good test with two against Boston who have owned us lately, I have a few new wrinkles to throw in which hopefully will confuse them."

• Detroit still leads Rochester by a game in the Western Division at 19-10, but the Rockets are even in the loss column at 17-10. Rochester and Detroit will hook up five times in January and in their second meeting, Rochester defeated the Mustangs in overtime, 93-91. It was more than just a loss for the Mustangs. Ward Messer sprained his wrist in the game and will miss the next two weeks, a fortnight in which Detroit will face the Rockets twice. Messer was hurt while grabbing his 23rd rebound of the game about halfway through the overtime period. The Mustangs led 91-89 at the time and would not score for the remaining 2:24. Jack Kurtz had already fouled out in only 17 minutes, so the Mustangs frontcourt was decimated. Marlin Patterson scored 31 points with 16 rebounds and five blocks in his best game in a month. Their next meeting will be on Friday night.
• With all of the news about Chicago's fall to the bottom of the West - the Panthers losing streak has reached 12 - I neglected to mention the rise of the Cleveland Crushers. Cleveland (14-13) has won six of seven to move over .500 for the first time since the Crushers were 4-3 in mid-November. Included in those six wins were two tight ones at home over Detroit around Christmas and their last one, a 104-78 beating of Rochester on Saturday night. Marlin Patterson stayed hot for Rochester, as he scored 26 points in only 25 minutes. However, Cleveland's short bench allowed for six players to finish in double digits, led by Ziggy Rickard's 28 points. With the win, Cleveland moved to 12-1 at Lake Erie Arena, which is tied with Detroit for the fewest home losses in the league. The Achilles' heel for the Crushers is their 1-12 record away from Lake Erie.
• Washington completed its seven road games in a nine-game span tired and disappointed. Sure, the first eight games were great, but the ninth game was an embarrassing 81-80 loss in Baltimore to snap its eight-game winning streak. In what Coach Jack Jones termed as an "off night", Washington could not shake the Barons, shooting 28.4% from the field and turning the ball over 25 times. Baltimore had a one-point lead entering the fourth and only managed 16 points the rest of the way. Washington narrowly escaped a winless week in Philadelphia, staging a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Phantoms, 98-97. The Statesmen held a 47-45 lead at the half, but trailed 75-67 entering the final period. Ivan Sisco went for 25 points and 23 rebounds, while Willie Wright chipped in 24 markers of his own. The 6-1 road swing over the last nine games helps to give Washington a league-best 11-4 road record.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

• middleweight Bob Hinkle claimed a unanimous decision over fellow fight veteran Owen Shepherd in St Louis on Monday night.
• Thursday in Detroit was the site of the much anticipated John Edmonds rematch with Davis Owens. Edmonds, who has twice held the world title in his career, was forced to settle for a draw with Owens when the two met in Chicago in October despite the fact that most in attendance felt the former champ had done enough to win the fight. The rematch did not go as intended for Edmonds, who looked tired in the later rounds and the 33-year-old ended up on the wrong end of a close, but unanimous decision. This loss drops the Muncie, IN., native's career mark to 29-7 and may just end any hopes he might have had of getting a shot to reclaim the title for a third time. Edmonds lost the ABF world title to Millard Shelton in a surprising result last March.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• January 16 - Los Angeles, CA.: Highly touted welterweights Brian Pierce (19-4-1) and Artie Neal (31-10-1) meet.
• January 20 - Newark, NJ: veteran welterweight Rudy Perry (32-7-1) faces Paul Coleman (33-19-2)
• January 25 - Keystone Arena, Philadelphia: WW contender Ira Mitchell (29-6) vs Seth Murphy (9-3-2)
• January 26- Denny Arena, Boston: Heavyweights Max Bradley (22-2-1) and Tommy Cline (20-4) will meet with the winner earning a title shot in May or June.
• January 31 - Richmond, VA: veteran welterweight Heinie Verplanck (23-8-1) meets Fred Morris (12-4)
• February 2- Keystone Arena, Philadelphia: Heavyweights Lewis Jones (26-4-1) and Joey Tierney (24-1) meet with the winner earning a title shot in May or June.
• February 22, 1952, Lakeside Auditorium Chicago: World Welterweight champion Danny Rutledge (25-1-1) defends his title against Dale Roy (40-9-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/13/1952

• Gen. Eisenhower has announced from Paris that he would accept the Republican presidential nomination if it is offered to him. However, he added that he will not take part in the pre-convention campaign duo to his NATO commitments.
• President Truman declared he does not believe the country would prosper under any Republican President when asked if he thought the country could do well with Eisenhower as President.
• In his State of the Union address, Truman warned that "the world still walks in the shadow of another world war" as he reported "real progress" in the effort of free nations to turn back the threat of Soviet aggression.
• While military planning was a key topic of their discussion, much of the meetings last week between President Truman and Prime Minister Churchill focused on reviewing the economic problems involved in building the strengths of the free world against Communist aggression.
• Truman also pressed Churchill on the possibility of Britain withdrawing her recognition of Communist China.
• The British employed tanks in Egypt against a heavy guerrilla attack on railway yards in the Suez Canal zone.
• The Soviet Foreign Minister told the United Nations that Korean truce talks have reached a standstill and will not progress without a high level UN Security Council meeting to help break the deadlock. The UN considered but voted down the Soviet request.
  

  

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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal

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