All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 48 (2024)

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APRIL 16, 1951 -FABL OPENING DAY EDITION

PLAY BALL!

By Jiggs McGee

The most recent was 1931 when the Cougars, led by the pitching of Max Wilder and the bat of a young catcher by the name of Fred Barrell, prevailed in six games. Prior to that you have to go all the way back to the dawn of the sport. 1895 and 1896 to be exact. Back when the WCS was a mere toddler, not the ripe old age of 59 the Series will turn this coming October. The Gothams were an early power of the sport, winning three of the first four Series contested, including the two over the Cougars.

I am not alone in my call for a Gothams-Cougars series this fall. Brett Bing, lackey of the aforementioned Millard in Toronto with the lapdog decision to be possibly the only scribe in the world willing to go on record as saying the Wolves will not be the worst team in the Continental Association this summer, got something right when he agreed with yours truly that it will be the Gothams and Cougars left standing when October baseball begins.

The Gothams are a popular choice with the pundits, and well they should be with a dominant roster that it appears can only be stopped during the season to come if key injuries were to arise. They have Ed Bowman and Lefty Allen, two of the best arms in the game when right, and a collection of offensive talent too numerous to mention. It seems everywhere you turn in the Gothams clubhouse you bump into an all-star. Only two buck the trend and suggest the Detroit Dynamos are finally mature enough to overtake the Gothams and end a pennant drought that has stretched for more than two decades. Those two would the OSA annual prediction and Percy Pringle Jr. of the Brooklyn Eagle. Neither is straying far from the pack as each suggests the Gothams will finish right behind the Detroiters in second place.

On the subject of the Continental Association, the prognosticators are much more divided. Depending upon who you ask, the choice of pennant winner in the CA could be anyone of four teams. The Cougars certainly have their support as OSA backs me up in suggesting the Windy City Kitties will finally live up to a decade of missed expectations and claim the Continental crown. However, there is also much support for Ohio - in equal measures for both the two-time defending flag wavers from Cleveland and the once proud Queen City Cannons. There is even a call that Brooklyn, with perhaps the best player in the Continental Association in 26-year-old Ralph Johnson -who is already a three time winner of the Whitney Award- will win its first flag since that last of its glory years in 1938.

There are great expectations and plenty of opinions as to what will happen. At the moment each of the 16 ballclubs are tied for first but reality will slowly set in for most teams and quickly for a select few as the game returns. The first step towards that reality begins this afternoon on two fronts - in Cleveland where a WCS flag will be unfurled and in Washington where the President will take a momentarily break from controversy and uncork the first pitch of the season- as big league baseball begins its 60th campaign.

Here is a look at OSA's call for the 1951 season and the opinion of a cross-section of writers.

MY FEARLESS 1951 PREDICTIONS

FEDERAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1- New York Gothams: They came ever so close to a championship last season, and with their old GM back at the helm, I have full confidence in the Gothams repeating as Federal pennant winners. No one has the star power that the Gothams do, and that will serve them well. George Cleaves (.310, 21, 77) is the best FABL catcher. And its not even close. Red Johnson (.259, 39, 109) and Walt Messer (.290, 38, 122) are the bests at first and left respectively. And I'm comfortable saying Ed Bowman (23-7, 2.82, 135) is the best pitcher in the game. It doesn't stop there either, as Lefty Allen (21-11, 3.10, 56) is coming off a vintage season, Joe Brown (11-14, 3.86, 75) and Buddy Long (16-5, 3.70, 30) are reliable veteran innings eaters, and while he not might be the best shortstop in the league, Cecil LaBonte (.319, 4, 59, 23) is certainly in the conversation. With all this talent and a strong supporting cast in the lineup, it's going to be hard for anyone to slow down the Gothams, with really the only thing preventing them from returning to the playoffs a string of bad injuries. They don't have much depth on the big league club, and aside from 24-year-old third basem*n Hank Estill, they don't really have an impact prospect ready for this season. Health and consistency is the key to their success, but don't think it will be easy. After getting embarrassed by the Gothams last season, none of the many competitive Fed squads are going to lay down easy. I'm ready for an intense pennant race!

2- Philadelphia Keystones: Honestly, you can line up 2 through 8 however you want. I for one am going to start with the super slugging Keystones who will want to give their star Bobby Barrell (.270, 24, 90) one last run. Between him, Hank Koblenz (.269, 48, 123), Roger Cleaves (.285, 30, 87), and breakout slugger Rudy Minton (.336, 17, 56), this team is going to hit a ton of home runs. I can't imagine any team outhomering or even outscoring them, as aside from these legit boppers, they got a great second basem*n in Billy Woytek (.273, 21, 77), rising star in former 4th pick Don Berry (.269, 9, 46), and gifted leadoff man Charlie Enslow (.275, 16, 80, 10). The only easy out is Ted Stacy (.278, 3, 47, 8), but he had an under-the-radar 96 WRC+ -- more then good enough from your eight hole hitter -- and if he can provide solid shortstop defense it's more then worth it. The real issue is the pitching, as ace Lloyd Stevens (17-11, 4.96, 70) is coming off a rough season and their #2 is the young George Polk (4-6, 4.72, 19), who has been alright in his season and a half. Sure, they added pitching, but Andy Lyon (3-1, 3.55, 37), well, isn't really any good, and they paid a hefty price that included top 100 prospect Herm Kocher. I mean sure, he was an okay swingman, but if I'm giving up a highly touted prospect I want someone with more talent and/or a longer track record. A big pitching acquisition would have put them over the top, but I think they'll instead be the first team looking up to the Gothams.

3- St. Louis Pioneers: Sometimes for everything to go right, it has to go completely wrong first. That's what has happened in St. Louis, as after back-to-back titles, the Pioneers have been back-to-back cellar dwellers, with their talented rotation completely falling apart as the offense was almost non-existent. I just can't see that happening again.

The rotation is probably the second best in baseball, and the best in the Fed, led by one of their two Allen Winners Danny Hern (14-18, 4.06, 90). Despite the poor record, Hern has produced an ERA+ above 100 in his last five seasons with at least 20 starts, while he's had a FIP- below 100 in each of his eleven seasons, regardless of sample size. That level of consistency is impressive, and the 34-year-old has quickly made Pioneers fans forget the Freddie Jones trade. In another strong trade they picked up Hiram Steinberg (14-11, 4.10, 102) from the Foresters, and he's been a quality co-ace since joining. The real wild card is the wild Hal Hackney (9-19, 4.71, 144), who has seen his effectiveness plummet after a dominating 22-win Allen winning season. He seems to have gotten unlucky lately, like the other two H's, which could mean big things are in store for the Pioneers.

But none of this would be possible if it wasn't for an excellent pickup St. Louis' new GM made, poaching star third basem*n Jim Adams Jr. (.283, 6, 40, 4) to fill a massive hole in their lineup. With Adams there is plenty of risk, he loves spending time on the IL, but he appeared in 148 games in the Foresters' 1949 season, and owns an excellent .280/.374/.410 (122 OPS+) career line as a former #1 pick. The cost was quite affordable, costing them zero top 100 prospects, and now Al Tucker (.336, 5, 72) and Larry Gregory (.300, 13, 100) have some help in the outfield. There are still plenty of weak spots in the lineup, which is what's keeping them from being a legit contender, but 21-year-old center fielder George Atkins (.281, 2) seems to have made the team out of camp, and he has the talent to develop into one of the top center fielders in the game. He's the reason they were willing to part with Forester star Sherry Doyal (.312, 27, 111) in the Steinberg trade, and if he hits his stride in '51, the Foresters could shock many in another epic comeback from last place.

4- Detroit Dynamos: Which Dynamos team are we going to get this season? The world beaters that we all think they can be? Or the team with all this talent that's just waiting to click?

I see equal arguments for both, though one things is for certain: as long as Carl Potter (13-20, 2.87, 177) and Edwin Hackberry (.295, 23, 77, 9) are on the roster, they're going to have a shot to win.

The issue is the supporting cast. Is there enough pitching behind Potter? Is Dick Estes (.316, 29, 105) for real? And is this really a lineup that's average or better top-to-bottom even if they refuse to score?

I'm not sure I have the answers to any of these questions, though I do think Dick Estes is going to hit a lot. Maybe not another 142 WRC+ season, but 20+ doubles and 20+ homers with a lot of walks and a solid batting average seems like something you can pencil in for each of the next ten seasons. He reminds me a lot of Leo Mitchell (.333, 13, 73), with the strikeout totals to match, and that level of consistency will be huge with Hack frequently on base when he's up. I'm less sold on the rotation, even if I really want the oft-traded Roy Schaub (7-10, 3.81, 58) to be the #1 pick he's supposed to be, as Bill Sohl (14-10, 4.64, 77), Jack Miller (11-8, 4.41, 59), and the 23-year-old version of Fred Washington (0-1, 9.78, 4) don't inspire much confidence. Washington could be a mid rotation guy, just probably not this season, so to compete the Dynamos will really need to rely on their lineup. Is this the year Stan Kleminski (.279, 4, 37) figures things out? Was Tommy Griffin's (.262, 1, 49) 1949 the outlier, not his true form? And will Dick Blaszak (.253, 6, 53) ever develop into the slugger all the scouts that watched him in high school?

A lot of questions like this is never a good thing, so either the Dynamos are going to prove me wrong (or right if the questions count as belief?) and put together a great season, or are they going to be stuck in the middle of the pack like they've been for the past half decade plus.

5- Boston Minutemen: I think there is only one team that can finish in any spot between first and eighth. That's the Boston Minutemen. This team has so much young talent, both on the farm and on the big league roster, and with a collection of future starts like Yank (.286, 7, 45) and Danny Taylor, #1 prospect Rick Masters, and excellent middle infield duo of Joe Kleman and Marshall Thomas, they could have top three players at five different positions as early as 1952. Some or all of these guys could be up this season, I'm guessing both Taylor's crack the Opening Day roster, and with elite young talent there is a huge range of how good they can be, and how good they perform. Then there's the issue of pitching. Even without the young stars, they have good bats in Billy Dalton (.321, 16, 62), Harry Barrell (.293, 2, 60, 20), and the criminally underrated Ben McCarty (.294, 18, 117). What will hold them back, however, is the pitching. Ray Dalpman (16-12, 3.52, 69) is great, but he's getting old, and one of their only real pitching prospects that is close to the majors is former 5th Rounder Eddie Whitney, who has a chance to break the rotation. They do have a solid 26-year-old in Alf Keeter (15-10, 3.97, 84), but I see a lot of room for improvement. One thing that could help is Johnny Harry (5-4, 9, 2.12, 22) shifting from stopper to starter, but he's a pitch to contact guy and they'd lose their reliable game finisher. Boston did try grabbing an arm this winter, and if they're close to first, I can see them dipping into their prospect depth for a big arm. Maybe a George Garrison... Who knows!

6- Pittsburgh Miners: Another team with good hitting that needs some pitching, the Miners tried moving young outfielder Charlie J. Williams (.316, 7, 67) for an elusive arm, but they weren't able to get a bite. That means they'll be relying on Bill Traylor (17-9, 3.31, 107) and Dave Low (10-7, 3.79, 64) leading their rotation after both had excellent 1950s. Beyond that, I have no idea how the rotation will shape up, and none of their top 15 prospects are pitchers close to the majors. Luckily, they can hit, from the veteran Bob Lopez (.317, 4, 74) to the triples machine Erne Campbell (.324, 1, 54). Jeep Erickson (.300, 14, 75), Irv Clifford (.307, 1, 88, 21), and Paul Williams (.310, 9, 62) are all coming off excellent seasons, and if they can get Reid McLaughlin (.242, 61, 76), who has started every Miners game for the past three seasons, back on track, they're going to have one of the longest lineups in the game. A lot of contact, a lot of speed, and even some power, they'll score plenty of runs, but until they fix the staff, I don't see them finishing over .500.

7- Chicago Chiefs: The Chiefs are an interestingly constructed team. They're not really bad, they're just not really good either. They have some great pieces, with fireballer John Stallings (13-11, 3.71, 139) atop the rotation and quality bats in Pete Casstevens (.264, 38, 113) and Tim Hopkins (.264, 42, 123), but without a true star or a collection of above average talent, I think they're going to get passed up in a very competitive Fed field. That being said, they have two stars in the making, Ed Bloom (.298, 4, 28, 6) and Rod Shearer (.412, 1), so breakouts from those two talented youngsters would quickly make me eat my words. The thing is, I think that's a must for the Chiefs to compete, as Al Miller (15-9, 4.49, 74) may be on his last leg, and I don't see many safe quality starts behind him. One guy I have my eye on is Johnny Duncan (9-13, 3.86, 62), who aside from a ton of walks succeeded in his rookie season, and improving his command could make him a #2 or even a middle of the rotation arm. Add on the thin farm, and if things don't go right, it will be very tough for the Chiefs to bolster their squad on a pennant run.

8- Washington Eagles: Someone has to finish last, and while I think it's far from a sure thing, I think the most likely last place team is the Washington Eagles. Its funny, for a while a bet for the Eagles would be the commonplace, but they've won 80+ games in each of the last six seasons, and they haven't finished below .500 since going 60-84 in 1942. So why do I think they'll be last? Well, for starters Mel Carrol (.315, 2, 39) is 39, and despite a nice .315 batting average, it was pretty much all singles, as his .368 slugging was actually lower then his .386 OBP. Then there's the pitching. Juan Tostado (14-13, 4.22, 63) and Dan Everett (13-10, 3.99, 75) are okay, but nothing special. Buckeye Smith (16-15, 3.41, 114) is kind of an ace, but he's been inconsistent, and you don't really know what you are going to get. And Billy Riley (12-13, 4.19, 72) didn't finish great and may be at the end.

But at the same time, a lot of Fed teams have issues pitching, and there is a case for the Eagles offense. Rats McGonigle (.266, 31, 109, 8) should be back by May, Jesse Alvarado (.276, 28, 111, 11) is an excellent outfielder in his own right, and Sig Stofer (.211, 21, 72) can hit the ball a mile. On the infield, they're hoping for big seasons from young infielders Bill Wise (.311, 2, 62, 5) and Tom Perkins (.303, 67, 24), but they're both so young and don't offer much slug. Then at catcher they'll hope Ike Perry (.271, 6, 51) can take a big step forward in his second season as a starter. It's tough though, aside from McGonigle and Alvarado, all the guys they will be relying on are incomplete players, and with a farm devoid of any top prospects, it may be tough for them to sustain any sort of run without a few guys we aren't expecting production from putting themselves on FABL's biggest stage.

CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1- Brooklyn Kings: I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I just really think the Brooklyn Kings are going to win the Continental this season. The main reason for that is 3-Time Whitney Winner Ralph Johnson (.320, 19, 89, 6), who again led the CA in OBP (.410), WRC+ (153), wOBA (.410), OPS+ (153), and WAR (7.0). It was the fourth consecutive season he led the association in WAR, though after three consecutive seasons with the most runs, he failed to reach 100 with "just" 92. No matter how you shake it, Johnson has been the CA's best hitter since he became a regular in 1947, and a star like that can be all you need to survive the season. He's got help in the lineup with Chuck Lewis (.248, 16, 79), Pat Petty (.277, 12, 81), Charlie Rogers (.309, 8, 64, 18), Ken Newman (.293, 8, 55), and Dan Smith (.263, 16, 71), all young, quality players who could easily take a step forward together. The pitching staff is solid too, led by one of the more underrated pitchers in Joe Potts (12-11, 3.42, 96). They'll welcome back 20-game winner Ron Berry (20-11, 3.12, 149), who is hoping to avoid the sophom*ore slump, and after such a nice pickup from the Cougars last offseason, the Kings doubled down, adding George Oddo (5-11, 5.05, 70) as a bounce back candidate. You can't forget about CA strikeout (and walk) leader Bob Arman (17-13, 4.19, 155), with former Kellogg winner Leo Hayden (13-13, 4.25, 109) rounding out a solid rotation. It's not going to be easy, but the Kings have the assets to compete, and if a few things can break their way, they're going to return to the WCS since their run of three straight pennants in the 30s.

2- Montreal Saints: Yesterday was supposed to be the Saints year. But then the injuries started to hit, and they didn't have the depth to make up for it. I think that's going to be the case again this year.

A team that seems to be a piece or two away from dominance, the Saints finally have an offense at the Parc Cartier, led by slugger Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86) and the oft-injured Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56), who has reached the 135 game mark just twice in his six seasons. Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29) had a huge sophom*ore slump, and missed some time himself, but in 1949 he was the best leadoff man in the game. Otis O'Keefe (.284, 15, 83) is quite good, Luke Weaver (.290, 8, 48) was great until he got hurt, and Bill Greene (.236, 6, 45, 7) has been a mainstay in the lineup for the last decade. The pitching staff is solid, led by last year's ERA champ Pat Weakly (12-8, 2.81, 86), but guess what? He missed time too! Then you have Bert Cupid (13-16, 3.90, 125), coming off his "worst" season, and then the inconsistent Wallys (Wallies?) Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135) and Reif (16-14, 3.12, 104), who have all the talent in the world but you never know which pitcher you're going to get. With all this talent, the Saints might be the best team in the CA, but I don't no if they can handle the wear and tear of the season.

3- Cleveland Foresters: If you asked me who would win the Continental on February 1st, I'd say the Cleveland Foresters.
And then they went and traded Jim Adams Jr.

Now let me preface, trading an injury prone star isn't the worst thing in the world, but when you have huge holes that can prevent you from winning the title, maybe fill those instead of grabbing a few guys who don't crack the league's top 100 list.
Now you may think "well they have Jim Urquhart (.288, 1, 60, 12) and Lloyd Coulter (.309, 5, 33) at second and third" and you would be right. But guess what? Those three could co-exist, as Adams has played both corner outfield, and the Foresters biggest weakness is left field. You know, a position Adams can play!

So that's why I have the Foresters here in third instead of first. Having Adams Jr. left over Paul Porter (.272, 34) makes the Foresters a lot more dangerous, but I guess CWL standout and top prospect Joe Wood could fill the left field spot. Even if that is the case, Adrian Czerwinski (19-13, 3.31, 111) could have used some extra help in the rotation. Larry Beebe (7-9, 3.60, 63) was solid, but he's just 22 and there's risk he'll slump like young pitchers tend to. Ducky Davis (8-13, 3.71, 89) seems to be the only other arm they can count on, and he's more solid then star. Though it may not matter, they score a lot of runs, led by 23-year-old star Sherry Doyal (.312, 27, 11) and Kellogg winner Larry McClure (.337, 13, 83). These two are going to be a problem for CA pitchers for seasons to come. It just might not be enough this season if they can't keep runs off the board.

4- New York Stars: The thing about the Stars is they have stars. And none shine brighter then Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94). But last season he wasn't quite himself, hitting fewer then 25 homers for just the second time since 1941. With Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93), Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), and Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), they don't lack for slug, and they added second basem*n Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32) from the Cougars to lengthen the lineup. The pitching could be fine, led by ace Eli Panneton (17-14, 3.88, 104), but Vern Hubbard (12-12, 4.62, 73) was awful last season and they got lucky that Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) started out so hot. The rotation could use an upgrade, but they do have a talented young lefty in Paul Anderson waiting in AAA. With a solid roster like this, they might be a Bill Barrett Whitney season away from another pennant, and you can't count them out in a competitive association that lacks a true heavyweight champion.

5- Chicago Cougars: Readers, let me give you some good advice: don't trust the Chicago Cougars. Every year they look like they're going to be good, and every year they let down their fans. Don't let them fool you again.

Yes, the pitching is great, led by Allen winners Donnie Jones (16-12, 2.97, 141) and Pete Papenfus (14-12, 3.51, 146), and the duo follows a talented trio of southpaws. Johnnie Jones (16-8, 2.95, 95) is coming off his best post-war season, former Wolf Jim Morrison (9-16, 3.98, 92) will spend his first full season in Chicago, and Duke Bybee (13-13, 3.75, 106) is looking to return to his 21-win form in 1948. All with David Molina (10-7, 20, 2.59, 35) closing the door in the ninth. But it won't matter, something will go wrong, whether it's a swift decline of vets Leo Mitchell (.333, 13, 73) and Red Bond (.287, 27, 89), another Sal Pestilli (.261, 6, 44, 28) power outage, or a lack of offensive production from glovemen John Moss (.219, 4, 48) and Skipper Schneider (.243, 3, 49), they'll find a fun and unique way to disappoint the Cougar faithful. Thankfully, they can all look forward to next season, something they do so well, as the absolutely loaded farm system is expected to graduate Bob Allen and Jerry Smith, who could lead the next generation of Cougars. Both have star potential, but guess what? They'll probably let down Cougar fans when they're up here as well!

6- Cincinnati Cannons: An aging team that will start without Jim Anderson (16-8, 3.31, 107), I think the Cannons are going to fall onto tough times. Their pitching was amazing last season, but aside from Rufus Barrell (15-14, 3.02, 117), there might have been a lot of smoke and mirrors. I want to believe in fireballer Mickey Mills (16-8, 3.15, 116) being a legit #2, but he tailed off in the second half and his 3.71 FIP (94 FIP-) was more average then great, and along with Charlie Griffith (17-14, 3.80, 91) and Tony Britten (11-15, 3.95, 87) he had an awful spring. They need the pitching to dominate, as the lineup is weak aside from Mike T. Taylor (.310, 5, 34, 13) and Chuck Adams (.287, 33, 118). Denny Andrews (.246, 9, 56) and Fred Galloway (.251, 5, 48) are starting to show their age, and while the glove is still elite, Jim Hensley (.235, 3, 35) really struggled at the plate. Still, in a crowded field, perhaps what they need are some vintage performances with some emergence from the next generation. Recently turned 25-year-old Buzz McIlwain (.258, 3, 24, 7) turned some heads as a rookie, Dan Scurlock (.281, 7, 46) did not hit like a rookie catcher, and second basem*n Nick Remillard (.370, 4) had a nice cup of coffee last September. The mix of youth and veterans could be the right formula, but I just don't trust everything breaking their way.

7- Philadelphia Sailors: The Sailors haven't had losing seasons three years in a row since their decade of suckage in the early years where, they finished below .500 every season from 1905 to 1917. I think it'll finally happen this season.
A team in need of a rebuild, they have a lot of good young bats in Billy Forbes (.304, 12, 81, 23), George Rutter (.292, 9, 46), and Al Farmer (.293, 5, 38) to build around, as well as a wealth of top 100 position prospects. They do have a pair of young pitchers in George Reynolds (1-4, 7.20, 19) and Gordon McDonald who can work their way into the rotation this year, but both are seemingly lacking the polish to be reliable this season. If they want to commit to the rebuild, there are a lot of enticing pieces for contenders. If made available, staff ace Win Lewis (7-14, 3.37 120) could fetch a huge return, while Al Duster (17-10, 3.20, 115) and Charlie Gordon (9-13, 4.37, 77) could help fill the middle and back respectively of a competitors rotation. The lineup had reliable vets in Ed Reyes (.373, 2, 36) and Marion Boismenu (.348, 3, 50), who have combined for the last six batting titles, but the Sailors made the surprising move to waive both. Both are close to 40, so a trade return wouldn't be overly impactful, but I would be surprised if either veteran cleared waivers. They had an outside chance of the first division, but I think their best path forward is to retool with an eye on 1953, as cutting two productive regulars who could still hit might seal their fate in the bottom of the standings.

8- Toronto Wolves: I think the only thing I'm really confident in the final order of the standings are that the Toronto Wolves will finish last. Sorry Wolves fans! At least you can look forward to John Wells and Les Ledbetter dominating the league for years to come! And you get to enjoy what may be the last season of Hall-of-Famer Fred McCormick (.257, 5, 51)!

Looking to the future should be the plan, and there's already a lot of solid youngsters donning the new Wolves gear. Let's start with Kirby Copeland (.334, 10, 69), who turns 25 later this month, and was almost the forgotten member of the Kellogg race despite having a Kellogg-worthy season. He's the leader of the next generation that includes Wells, Joe DeMott (.302, 2, 59), and Wally Boyer (.251, 4, 49, 9). They can move on from vets like Hank Giordano (.253, 9, 5), George Garrison (12-19, 3.80, 102), and Joe Hanco*ck (13-9, 3.04, 114) opening up spots for the continued youth movement. My bet is two more seasons of futility for Toronto club, but once Ledbetter and Wells hit their stride, you better watch out! This club is going to be a problem!

PREDICTIONS FOR THE 1951 FABL SEASON

FEDERAL ASSOCIATION
1- New York Gothams
2- Detroit Dynamos
3- Washington Eagles
4- Boston Minutemen
5- Chicago Chiefs
6- St. Louis Pioneers
7- Philadelphia Keystones
8- Pittsburgh Miners

One thing I'll say about the Federal Association - it's the Gothams to lose, and the Miners are almost a lock for last place, but the middle six you could put in almost any order. If the Minutemen start bringing their youngsters up, they can be a real factor.

CONTINENAL ASSOCIATION
1- Cleveland Foresters
2- New York Stars
3- Brooklyn Kings
4- Chicago Cougars
5- Cincinnati Cannons
6- Montreal Saints
7- Philadelphia Sailors
8- Toronto Wolves

The Cleveland Foresters are for real. They are loaded with young talent and I see no reason they can't win a third straight CA pennant. The Stars, Kings and Cougars are all good enough to win it, and the Cannons & Saints could too, if everything falls right. The only teams that are really out of will be the rebuilding Sailors and Wolves.

TALES FROM THE LAIR

GOTHAMS AIMING FOR THE TOP

One change will be in the rotation where 24 year old Jerry Fordham will make the jump from AAA. Fordham is turning a successful 1950 season at AA and AAA into a shot in an otherwise veteran rotation. Once again Ed Bowman is the ace, with Lefty Allen, Joe Brown and Buddy Long providing solid support. Given the ages of the last three the team had some depth with last season's 5th starter Jerry Decker and Pinch Lenhart ready to take some starts.

The lineup remains unchanged. The only spring surprise who just missed making the club was 2B Harry Murray. Murray was solid all spring, however with no prior experience above AA the team prefers to have him playing every day. Word out of camp is that he will also work on playing other infield positions.

With injuries the only thing that could derail this train, the team is satisfied with their depth at AAA. Hank Estill joins Murray as an infielder near ready for the big leagues. In the outfield Chief Lewis, on the ML bench, and George Bundy and Jack Kintner at AAA are ready to fill in.

So with a loaded lineup of LaBonte, Cleaves, Messer, Johnson, Brewer, Jeffries, Robinson and a Moody/Lewis platoon I see no reason not to pick the New Yorkers to take the Federal. My predictions for this season:

• Gen. MacArthur has landed in Honolulu to a hero's welcome and a political battle over American policy in Asia.
• Assurance that MacArthur will address a joint meeting of Congress Thursday was given today by unanimous House approval and it seems likely the appearance will touch of a whole round of inquiries.
• Lt. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, new commander of UN forces, is said to agree with MacArthur that the fighting should be carried to the enemy bases in Manchuria and China.
• The Army reminded officers and enlisted men that if they allow themselves to be quoted for publication on the ousting of Gen. MacArthur by President Truman they leave themselves open to court-martial.
• Presumably to counter the heavy spring dispositions of Soviet and satellite troops in Eastern Europe, the United States has now assembled in the Mediterranean the largest battle fleet it has ever maintained in the area during peace time.
• Rising labor tension in Iran has forced the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's refinery at Abadan, the world's largest such plant, to shut down last night for the first time since 1918.
• Leading Democrats speculated that recent foreign policy decisions of top Republican leadership might have increased the possibility that if General Dwight Eisenhower chose to run for President in 1952, he would do so as the Democratic nominee rather than the Republican standard bearer.
• Despite the growing success of television, radio broadcasters in convention in Chicago expressed complete confidence that there is room for both radio and television to flourish. They noted that for all of television's spectacular gains, radio has also continued to grow.
  

  

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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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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.