All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 52 (2024)

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1960 IN FIGMENT SPORTS
EXPANSION COMING TO BASEBALL

Ever since it was formed way back in 1892, FABL has consisted of 16 ballclubs with both the Continental and Federal Associations represented by 8 teams. That number will swell in a little over a year from now after word leaked that FABL is set to expand by four clubs, adding two teams to each of its associations. The Continental Association will return to the Big Apple for the first time since 1953. That was when the New York Stars moved to Los Angeles, joining the Philadelphia Sailors on a trip west. Since then, New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Federal Association Gothams but that will change for the 1962 season as the Continental Association will return to New York with a team slated to be called the Imperials. Joining the Imperials as newcomers to the CA for 1962 will be the Dallas Wranglers.

The Federal Association is also expanding to ten teams including the loop's first west coast entry. It will be based in Los Angeles and known as the Suns. Joining the Suns will be a new team based in Minneapolis dubbed the Millers. Here is a look at preliminary logo designs for each of the four newcomers.

Before expansion ushers in a whole new era for baseball we still have the just completed 1960 campaign as well as the 1961 season to look forward to in the final years of a 16-team loop. With baseball expansion a certainty, it feels like it will just be a matter of time before the other three major professional team sports also look to broaden their reach across North America.

On the playing fields it was the city of Boston that had the most to celebrate in 1960. The Boston Minutemen won the World Championship Series for the second year in a row, once again downing the Cleveland Foresters in five games. Boston's basketball team -the Centurions- have never won a Federal Basketball League title but came close last June as they ended a four-year playoff drought by reaching the finals for just the second time in franchise history. They lost, falling to the same organization they did the first time around but instead of the Rochester Rockets it was the St Louis Rockets who ended the Centurions title hopes. Boston also had quite a season on the ice and if you wanted drama in 1960 look no further than the NAHC playoffs.

It was not one but two amazing comebacks for the Boston Bees hockey team. Boston dropped each of the first three games of its semi-final series to the New York Shamrocks and trailed 2-0 after forty minutes in game four before roaring back to take that game in overtime and win the next three as well to complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks in hockey history. The Bees were not done as they fell behind in the Challenge Cup finals as well, trailing the Chicago Packers 3 games to 1 before winning three straight including the last two on Oscar James shutouts, by scores of 3-0 and in game seven 1-0, to win their 9th Challenge Cup.

College Football saw its national champion hail from the state of Georgia for the fourth consecutive year. The first two it was Noble Jones College coming out on top but for the second straight season the Georgia Baptist Gators emerged as the best AIAA grid squad in the nation. Here are the champions in each of the sports for 1960.

It took just two days of 1960 for the first trade involving FABL players, as the Chicago Cougars picked up 30-year-old outfielder Bill Irvin from the Wolves for a pair of prospects. Irvin, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Wolves, made a career high 388 trips to the plate in 1959. Expected to play a more crucial role on the Wolves this season, he'll instead head to the Windy City after hitting .237/.356/.412 (110 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs in 121 games. The former 8th pick will enter the 60s with a career .255/.353/.446 (121 OPS+) triple slash in 1,160 FABL PAs. The outfielder tallied 48 doubles, 45 homers, 168 RBIs, 139 runs, and 148 walks, spending all his time at either first or left.

As a non-obvious fit, you would think Chicago got a discount, but the Wolves were able to pry away the 76th ranked prospect Red Richards from the Windy City Kitties. Taken 10th in the 1959 draft, he made 7 starts between 3 levels last year, at times dealing with control issues. Just 21, the young righty has a really good curveball, and his low 90s sinker is excellent at generating groundballs. That skillset is usually in demand at Cougars Park, making it even more shocking they parted with a promising rotation member for a corner-only bat. They could be worried about his control, which could lead to future issues, but the movement he gets on his pitches should lead to plenty of whiffs and weak hits. Not an ace unless his stuff and/or control improve, but still a potential reliable middle of the rotation arm. Toronto also picked up a former Keystone 2nd Rounder in George Ewing, who came over in 1956 in exchange for Tom Buchanan. Ewing has now transitioned into a pen role, and is more filler, but could give the Wolves an extra arm for '60 or '61.

Though just over a week later, the landscape of the 60s changed, as the reigning Fed champs made a huge add. Already boasting one of the top lineups, the Minutemen made a major upgrade in the rotation, adding a third ace-quality pitcher to supplement Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09, 199) and Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51, 116). That would be 26-year-old Bud Henderson, who like Boston's double Ds, is a former 20-game winner. The now- former Sailor was 20-16 in 1958, leading the Conti in wins, as he finished with a 3.60 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in an outstanding season. It was his third of now four seasons with an above average ERA+, as the former 3rd Rounder is coming off an unlucky 12-15 season despite a solid 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+), 3.90 FIP (91 FIP-), and 136 strikeouts. He did walk a career high 107 batters, producing a BB% above 8 (9.9) for the first time in his career, but with his age, effectiveness, and durability, the win-now Boston club was willing to throw in some major chips to acquire the 3-Time All-Star. The extreme groundballer is one of the top arms in the game, and if the Minutemen weren't already the favorite for the start of the 60s, they surely are now.

For the Sailors, it's tough parting with such a good pitcher, especially considering their lack of depth and potential 37-year-old ace Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) coming off elbow surgery, but they picked up a promising young FABL hurler and two exciting prospects. The FABL pitcher is 24-year-old Gary Pike, who probably would have held a spot in the Boston rotation had they not acquired Henderson. Acquired just last offseason from the Pioneers, the former 7th Rounder made his big league debut last season. Throwing 62.1 innings between 2 starts and 28 relief outings, the 6'4'' righty was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 1.59 ERA (270 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. A hard throwing groundballer, his off-speed pitch is a cutter, as he blows fastballs and sinkers by hitters. The sinker generates a lot of grounders too, which is key considering his command (or lack of it) lead to a lot of traffic on the bases. With his pure stuff, he can overpower, but he's got a lot of moving parts in his windup and that could make it tough for him to ever walk fewer than average hitters.

Pivoting to the prospects, the headliner was last year's 12th pick Jim Cruel. Ranked 65th among prospects, "Slim" got hit pretty hard in Class C last season (5-7, 7.59, 59), as he walked 85 hitters in 85.1 innings pitched. A five-pitch pitcher, he's clearly a development project, but there is a ton of upside hidden inside. He's got a nice sinker that he leans on to get outs in the field, and he mixes all his pitches well. The stuff may never be better then average, but it's already pretty polished. He likes to live on the corners to make up for the lack of stuff, and the Sailor's staff will now work on refining his repertoire and control. They'll also pick up former Toronto 3rd Rounder Mike Logan, who was drafted last year, traded to Boston in October, and now joins his third organization in less then a full calendar year. Clearly in demand, the top 150 prospect was a solid college hitter, and he produced WRC+ of 209, 152, and 141 in Class C, B, and A. Set to be a fast riser, he could crack San Fran's quite quickly, and with his excellent plate discipline he has a nice high floor of a useful off-the-bench bat. The defense at second isn't very good, limiting his overall ceiling, but so far the bat has played well.

Many off seasons, this would be the end of the notable moves, but FABL teams were still active come February. It started with an interesting swap of top 100 prospects, where Washington picked up lefty Carl Levy (51st) from the Cougars for catcher Chappy Sanders (95th) and veteran outfielder Hugh Pate. Levy debuted at 19 for the Cougars just over a year and a half after being selected as a 4th Round high schooler. It went as you might expect more walks (15) then strikeouts (10) and an elevated 6.86 ERA (62 ERA+), but he flashed a ton of potential on the mound. A four-pitch pitcher who projects to be a starter, he's got amazing stuff and solid command. He's got a reliable low 90s fastball that pairs with a strong change, and with his age he could still have opportunities to add velo. And with such a weak staff in the nation's capital, Levy gives them a promising young arm to eat innings in what's likely to be another season towards the bottom for the Eagles.

For the Cougars, Chappy is the headline, as the son of former Cannons catcher Earl Sanders will leave the organization that took him 17th in 1958. 23 in May, he's got an exciting bat, even before adding the "for catcher" qualifier that you usually have to mention. The power is just a projection, like it was at one point for current backstop Stan Czerwinski, but he has a patient approach and makes at worst average contact at the plate. When developed, he could hit around 15 homers with a few more walks then strikeouts, all while maintaining a solid batting average. The defense could use some work, but it's no surprise the Cougars were interested in him. With Hugh Pate, there's some, as they just got Irvin and already boast a deep and talented outfield. Still, Pate hit .360/.407/.514 (146 OPS+) in a bench role last year and owns a .298/.375/.468 (126 OPS+) career line. He can cover all three outfield positions and is a solid clubhouse figure who provides value off the field as well.

Up next was a swap of veteran infielders, with shortstop Cecil LaBonte heading to St. Louis from New York for third basemen Dan Finch. LaBonte, now 34, was once one of the top young shortstops in the game, but since the 1952 season he has failed to produce a WRC+ or OPS+ above 100. This has dropped his career line down to a just-above-average .287/.354/.409 (102 OPS+) in almost 1,700 (1,698) games in a Gothams uniform. With age he's been relegated to a bench role, as he started just 6 games in 1959 after 67 in 1958, which was second to just his rookie season where he got called up a month after being drafted. St. Louis does have Paul Watson (.265, 15, 80) who plays a lot of third and short, but LaBonte could secure the job and shift Watson to third long-term. On the flip side, Finch started a career high 63 games and hit a respectable .261/.386/.376 (106 OPS+) in an also career high 264 PAs. This accounted for a bit less then half of his 599 FABL PAs, and once he appears in a game for the Gothams it will be his third FABL team since his 1950 debut.

But neither of those moves come anywhere close to the deal the Chiefs made, as they added 6-Time All-Star and 1948 Kellogg Winner Irv Clifford from the Miners for a trio of youngsters. After trading Paul Williams, perhaps it shouldn't be too unexpected they'd move on from Clifford too- another mainstay in their lineup. Since his debut, he's been one of the top offensive middle infielders, producing a WRC+ and OPS+ above 100 in all but his 1952 season, and even then, it was 96 and 94 and he was on base early and often. 34 as of this January, Clifford is coming off another excellent season, hitting .281/.365/.420 (111 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 22 triples, 2 homers, 58 RBIs, 27 steals, 73 walks, and 98 runs. His 6th 4+ WAR season (4.1), Clifford will finish his Miners career with a .303/.381/.410 (116 OPS+) career line in 1,794 FABL games. The former 2nd Pick managed to log 430 doubles, 172 triples, 725 RBIs, 915 walks, 206 steals, and 1,201 runs, all while hitting less homers (18) in his career then new teammates Rod Shearer (31) and Mickey Tucker (21) hit in 1959 alone. Tasked with the leadoff spot, Clifford could lead the Fed in PAs for the third time in his career and seems like a lock to surpass 650 like he has in every season since 1949. 1959 was his first season at second base, a position he'll likely maintain when he goes to the Chiefs, and it's a shrewd move by the baseball's original club to take a run at the defending champion Minutemen. A common entrant on the Miners' career record books, he's top 10 in OBP (10th), WAR (9th, 45.9), games (3rd, 1,794), runs (2nd), hits (3rd, 2,145), triples (3rd), RBIs (9th), and walks (3rd) while the leader in doubles. His time in Pittsburgh will be remembered fondly, but now he'll have a shot for an elusive post season at bat.

The cost for Chicago was huge, two top 100 prospects and a former top 100 prospect, but one that should make them a legitimate contender for the 1960 season. The guy they might miss most is the towering 6'4'' catcher Eddie Thomas, who the Chiefs took in the 2nd Round of the 1958 draft. Arguably the top catching prospect in FABL, Thomas split his '59 between Class C and B, dominating the lesser competition before looking somewhat overmatched against older pitchers. A skilled defender, he's already at least average behind the plate, which should make it easier for the young catcher to earn and hold a big-league role. The bat needs some work, his swing isn't that pretty, but oh boy! When he gets a hold of one?!?!?! Man does it go far! His good swings look majestic and captures the attention of all in the crowd, and even when he doesn't make solid contact, he can still muscle a mistake over the outfield walls. On top of all that, he's got a ton of athleticism, allowing him to shag balls on the outfield grass too. If he can't kick it behind the plate, he could handle either three spots on the outfield, and he's already spent some time at first too. While no George Cleaves, Thomas certainly has loads of talent, and it would be very fitting for the Miners to again have the top catcher in all of baseball. That is of course, if Thomas is able to reach or even pass his already lofty ceiling.

Joining Thomas is fellow top 100 prospect John Moreland, a 23-year-old shortstop, and Tom Sexton, a 24-year-old-outfielder, both of which celebrate their birthdays in May. Moreland, the Chiefs 3rd Rounder in 1954, may not see his last of the organization, as after trading him to the Eagles in February 1958, they quickly re-acquired him that same October. Another tall position player, the 6'3'' infielder went 2-for-13 in a cup of coffee with the Chiefs last year and is believed to have the inside edge on one of the middle infield spots now that Clifford is in Chicago. A capable athlete nicknamed "Bullets" due to his arm strength, he's a viable defender at short, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see at premium defensive positions. He makes up for that with his reactions and instincts, both in the field and on the base path. He has a crisp smooth swing and should hit for a high average, and like Clifford he's more discipline and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, he has way more power, but even 10 in a season would still be a stretch. Tom Sexton could join him in the Miner lineup as well, as he got a smaller cup (0-for-2) with the Chiefs in September himself. Projected as a useful bench piece, he's capable at all three outfield spots and second base, and he has big league pop from the right side. The Miners did well to infuse their system with high end, high pedigree talent, even at the cost of a franchise icon.

From that point out, it was back to the usual quiet of the preseason, as teams prepared for the start of the new campaign. After making their big offseason moves, the Chiefs and Minutemen were the favorites in the Fed according to OSA, but they still expected a good season from the former dynasty in Detroit. The Conti looked more open, with a lot of love given to the Kings, Foresters, and rather surprisingly, the Cougars, with the Cannons also in the mix for an 80+ win season. Only really the Miners, Eagles, and Saints look to be eliminated in April, but FABL fans know just how crazy a baseball season can get.

*** Miners Surprise Team of Fed in Early Going ***

Despite trading Paul Williams and Irv Clifford in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Miners started the season red-hot, finishing 8-3, tied with the Chicago Chiefs for the top April record in the Fed. Those two would meet for the first time on May 3rd, in a move that could separate the pretender from the contender. The reason? Partially Roy Sneddon, who looked to put the .222/.309/.300 (65 OPS+) he hit last year behind him. The almost 30-year-old hit .371/.450/.629 (171 OPS+) as the everyday third basemen, tallying 4 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Bill Wise (.357, 6, 1) got off to a nice start too, and Clifford return piece John Moreland (.323, 3) completed the unlikely trio that led the Miners lineup. Alex Vaughn (1-0, 1.38, 7) and Joe McDowell (0-0, 2.57, 8) headed the mound staff although in McDowell's two starts his decisions went to Don Honeycutt (1-2, 5.59, 10). It's hard to believe the hot start for Pittsburgh, so it's fitting they'll get a real test after finishing off the Gothams in a double header before an off day they'd use for travel.

Chicago's record was to be believed, as the addition of Irv Clifford has seemingly jump-started the ballclub. The Chiefs shiny new leadoff hitter produced a respectable .306/.346/.449 (104 OPS+) line, but it helped lead to production from Doc Zimmerman (.279, 1, 8, 1), Dave Price (.325, 1, 5), Ed Bloom (.270, 3), and of course, Rod Shearer. Hoping to earn his elusive Whitney, the 31-year-old star hit .286/.375/.643 (158 OPS+), launching 4 homers with 12 RBIs. "Hot Rod" is on track to be just the tenth man to record 350 FABL home runs, needing just 23 more to meet the lofty metric. New starter Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.79, 12), acquired from Detroit, is off to an excellent start to his season, as ace Vern Osborne (3-0, 2.29, 12) showed exactly why he sits atop a contender's rotation. After a double header and off day of their own, Osborne will be the one to welcome the Miners to Whitney Park. It may not feel like a big game to them, but early games like this are critical if you want to nudge middle-of-the-pack teams away from contention.

Set to face Osborne for Pittsburgh is former top 20 prospect Mike Blackham (1-0, 3.75, 5), who debuted at 19 last April. All but one of his league leading 78 appearances came out of the pen, as the young lefty finished 11-5 with 14 saves, a 4.49 ERA (97 ERA+), and 3.84 FIP (88 FIP-) in 122.1 innings pitched. He struck out 90 and walked just 51, and he won one of the many rotation spots behind Ed Power that were up for grabs in the spring. Skipper Clyde Matthews has liked the early returns on him in the rotation so far, as his mid 90s fastballs have been able to overpower in small samples. He's yet to be built up, and in the big game with Chiefs Blackham left after 109 pitches through 6.2 innings. It could have been avoided, as an error is the only thing that stopped it from being seven, as the youngster did a good job bouncing back from a rough first. He surrendered home runs to Mickey Tucker (4) and Rod Shearer (5) and kept the Chiefs at three until they reclaimed the lead in the 6th. This might have been the sign to go to the pen, as the very unreliable Don Honeycutt was the one called upon to strand the bases loaded. It started good, as pinch hitter Willie Martin was quickly down 0-2, but a wild pitch let Ed Bloom score from third. After a foul ball, Honeycutt then hit Martin, promptly reloading the bases for Elmer Walters.

Walter chased a 2-0 pitch, popping up harmlessly to end the inning, but the avoidable damage was done. Pittsburgh went up without a whimper in the top half, and then Honeycutt replacement George Kollock decided to load the bases again with a double and two walks. This led to trouble, as after just missing a tough pitch, Ed Bloom was able to lock on, clearing the bases with a 366 foot wall scraper. To the Miners credit, they battled back for two runs in the ninth, but they just ran out of outs and fell out of the first place tie. With ace Ed Power on against big strikeout arm Joe Cipolla, the Miners would need something from their offense, but they were held scoreless through five. They got finally got two in the 7th, moving within one of the association leaders.

Mother nature decided to interrupt the comeback, as with one out in the 8th, lightning was seen, and play was paused. The 67-minute rain delay ended Cipolla's night too (7.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), but they couldn't mount a rally on the replacement. Even worse, the Miners had to do the same for Power (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K), who aside from allowing homers to Dave Price (3) and Rod Shearer (6) was as good as it gets. Don Honeycutt is not, and after getting a quick ground out he showed exactly why. He walked both Bloom and Shearer on four pitches, and after getting Mickey Turner down 0-2, he threw three wide and the catcher eventually worked an eight-pitch walked. Bases now loaded, he faced young outfielder Dave Price, getting a quick and shallow flyout that kept the veteran Bloom at third. An out away from weaseling his way out, his old nemesis, the wild pitch, came back. That allowed Bloom to score on a 1-1 pitch, and he followed that with two more balls to again load the bases.

After looking silly with the bases loaded the following day, the epitome of an easy out Elmer Walters looked like a man out for revenge, staring menacingly at the pitcher he felt wronged him. Of course, the look didn't do much, his monster swing quickly led to a dribbler on home plate, but lucky for him that meant he got another chance. The wild Honeycutt missed wide trying to get him to chase, which seemed to only increase the rage Walters felt inside. Using that feeling, the defensive specialist unleashed the power of all glove-first guys before him, launching one 425 feet to give the Chiefs their second 8th inning grand slam in as many games. Mercifully, Willie Martin was disposed of quickly to end the frame, but the Miners dugout was dejected, and they realized that any hope they might have gained over the past few weeks was just the foolishness of buying a tiny sample size. The Chiefs used this series to build momentum, while Pittsburgh quickly retreated towards .500.

After the first place deciding Fed series, the Conti was even tighter, as the Cougars (10-7) and Cannons (11-8) were both within a half game of the Foresters (11-7). It was the Cougars who made the first move, as they took first on the 5th of May and didn't look back. After sweeping Montreal they did the same to the Kings and Cannons, and used their patented pitching to hold the lead the rest of the month. Sure, the Foresters got within a half game towards the end, but an 18-12 May allowed Chicago to lead both Ohio teams by two before the new month. The bullpen was amazing, led by David Molina protégé Arch Wilson (3-1, 5, 2.54, 18) who pitched 28.1 innings in just over half (16) of the Cougs May games. When he couldn't go, Bobby Crooks (1-0, 3, 1.54, 7) and Ken Stone (1-1, 1, 2.31, 4) filled in fine, and both Dick Greenlaugh (0-0, 0.46, 7) and Roy Ellis (1-1, 2.29, 12) were excellent in their six relief appearances and single start. Of course, with guys like Hank Walker (5-1, 2.65, 16), Pug White (4-2, 4.20, 26), and Ollie Norris (2-1, 2.75, 16), significant relief isn't always needed. And with young stars like Jack Gibson (.330, 5, 21, 1), Jerry McMillian (.248, 5, 14, 4), and maybe now Jim Barton (.318, 2, 12), they could sustain a pennant run for the first time since 1952.

I can't remember the last time both Chicago teams were atop the standings, as the Cougars haven't been there in ages, but the Chiefs (28-14) held a slightly larger 2.5 game lead over the Pioneers (23-14). They relied heavily on their rotation, namely Joe Cipolla, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Cipolla and Dick Champ (2-0, 1.07, 25) both were outstanding, while the pen got good innings from veterans Mel Haynes (2-2, 3.18, 12) and Carl Potter (1-1, 1, 3.06, 8). For a while, things just stayed close, but on June 12th the Foresters broke the Chicago-only association lead. They didn't hold it outright, matching the Cougars 31-23 record, as the top two teams traded decisions for the next three games. An emphatic 11-0 win over the Saints put the Foresters in front, as Chicago dropped the opener in Cincinnati. They went on to drop the next three, which brought the teams into a tie for 3rd, three and a half behind the first place Foresters (36-24).

*** Cannons Stay in Thick of CA Race as Calendar Turned to June ***

Expected to compete, Cleveland has hit and pitched well, and after an off day they would start a critical 14 game road trip that starts with the Cannons (33-28) and Kings (34-28). The Foresters would open with the now 43-year-old Rufus Barrell, with buddy Adrian Czerwinski and a potential spot starter in the final two starts of the series. Cleveland got off to a fast start, with Tom Carr's speed (BB, SAC, SB, WP) manufacturing an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for any of the fans who made the 250 mile trek, that's really the last thing they enjoyed in the game, as Fred Lainhart (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), Al Farmer (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), and Johnny Elliot (3-4, R, RBI) led the Cannons to an easy 7-1 lead. The hosts then piled 15 hits on the Mad Professor in an outing where he didn't finish the 6, exiting with 7 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 2 outs. 1957 Whitney Winner Dallas Berry made some noise after a 1-for-5 in the opener, 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Five players recorded two hit games, with Fred Lainhart (2-5, R), Art McKinney (2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Larry Lewis (2-3 R, RBI), Willie Watson (2-4, 2 RBI), and Nick Remillard (2-4, R, 2B) all getting in the fun. Aside from some late inning runs, Jimmy Block (8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was excellent, and it was his own error that led to an "unearned" run.

In position to sweep, a win here would put Cincinnati a half game out of first. The pitching matchup of Johnny Britton and Hal Miller didn't do justice to the standing implications, but the game delivered early excitement. After two quick outs, the always difficult Dallas Berry worked a seven-pitch double, extending the inning for Al Farmer. Despite going down 0-2, the veteran remained cool and composed, lining a double of his own. Unable to recover, the spot-starting Britton walked Art McKinney on four pitches, at least setting up the force for both runners. Still a bit uneasy, the young righty missed two more times, before Larry Lewis hit the third double of the inning, plating both runners. It was another walk, this time to Willie Watson, and the Cannons stretched the lead to four with a Nick Remillard single. Thankfully, opposing pitcher Hal Miller was easy enough for Britton, but things were not looking good in the visiting dugout.

Wise words from pitching coach Tom Martin and the Mad Professor himself seemed to calm the young righty, who battled for back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Just two more Cannons reached base, and after the misstep in the first he fired off four scoreless innings. But when he was pinch hit for in the 6th, his team was in reach of making it a game. Otis O'Keefe opened the scoring with a one out single earlier in the inning, followed by John Low beating out a double play attempt to allow Sherry Doyal's run to count. Now with runners on first and third, Johnson was the go ahead run and could give his pitcher a win with one swing of the bat. Homers aren't his thing, just eight in the past three years, but a line drive past the second basemen put the tying run on second. Down 4-3, the lineup turned over to Tom Carr, who was quickly down 0-2. Not changing his approach, he thwacked a grounder past the shortstop, sending Jerry Hubbs to round third and try to score. Fielded cleanly, "The Can-Do Kid" Dallas Berry unleashed his cannon, catching the tortoise Hubbs before he could make his slide. With how the series went, that felt like a huge miss, but Frank Young (IP, H) and Lynn Horn (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept the Cannons at the 4, providing the lineup opportunities to tie it up. But once the struggling Joe Smith entered the game, Cleveland showed little resistance, sprinkling a hit and a walk between 4 Ks in 2.2 innings. His first save as a Cannon, he ended the game with a Sherry Doyal strikeout and Hal Kennedy double play, putting themselves in striking distance of first place.

Meanwhile, the 1960 draft class was beginning to fill the low minors rosters, including #1 pick Dixie Turner. Son of former Pittsburgh Miner (and GWL Dallas Centurion) Ed Turner, Dixie has a chance to debut for the team that picked his dad in the 1937 Rule-5 Draft. A versatile high schooler, he played games at second, third, short, center, left, and right, but Pittsburgh views him as their new second basemen of the future. Already a top 10 prospect, Turner hit 14 homers as a senior, and projects to have light-tower power at the plate. Paired with excellent plate coverage, a patient approach, and a nifty contact tool, the younger Turner has the chance to be everything his father wasn't. A potential multi-year All-Star, Turner was both best overall and filling a need, as with no more Irv Clifford there's a massive hole he filled for a season. With his youth, his best day's might not come until Clifford had his worst, but Dixie is almost an ideal prospect. His versatility makes him easy to make room for, as aside from catcher and pitcher he shouldn't have many issues.

Though some would argue that 2nd Overall pick Miguel Paniagua was the better option, as the 6'3'' Dominican was placed in the top 5. Further ahead than Dixie, there's thoughts of placing Paniagua in A ball, as the catcher/outfielder impressed in the Caribbean before moving to Florida for college. A patient hitter with extra base pop and a quality contact tool, Paniagua is the type of hitter you want in big opportunities. His weakness is his speed, and the more he catches the less outfield he can play, providing an interesting decision for the Stars front office to make.

Other notable prospects include 5th selection Bobby Phelps, another talented outfielder with elite power, an outstanding eye, and a swing that should translate to averages well over .300. The only issue is his defense has not been good. Natural catcher Tom Brizzolara was taken 7th by the Gothams, and they aggressively placed the 21-year-old catcher in AA. Lew Mercer has been a reliable starting catcher after George Cleaves left, but the Brooklyn native could break the Gothams catching trend that has seen the starter start one fewer season then the rest. Pete Casstevens was there for 8 years, Cleaves for 7, and now Mercer in his 6th could be replaced next season. He hits for average and power all while providing excellent defense behind the game, with his Midwestern University teammates praising his ability to call a game. Just two pitchers were selected, but all sixteen members of the first round cracked the top 100 in a strong draft that skewed batter heavy, causing some talented pitchers to slip to the 2nd and 3rd.

As much as Cincinnati tried, they just couldn't pass Cleveland in June, a month that saw the Fed leader change on multiple occasions, including three times in the last three days. The Chiefs, Pioneers, and Keystones all held first at some point, while the Minutemen finished the month as one of the four teams within one game of first. Even Detroit was still in it at 2.5 out, as everyone was taking games from the Miners (29-43), Gothams (27-43), and Eagles (25-45). With little separation, it was still anyone's game, but as the league got closer to the all-star break, the Keystones started to gain some ground. They took three of four from the Pioneers in St. Louis, split a double header with Detroit, and won three of five from the Miners to enter the break 47-32. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since Buddy Miller's rookie season, it was a huge accomplishment, and they held 2.5 game leads over St. Louis (45-35) and Detroit (46-36), with the Chiefs (45-37) and Minutemen (46-38) an extra game back.

Star rookie center fielder Harry Dellinger was the main reason the Keystones were on top, as the Kellogg favorite exploded in June, taking home the Rookie and Batter of the Month award. The 21-year-old top five prospect hit an excellent .438/.485/.802 (231 OPS+), mashing 11 homers, 5 doubles, and 3 triples in 132 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Pick scored 31 runs, drove in 40 more, and swiped 4 bases, making him 16-for-18. With Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter, they have a trio of serious sluggers, and for once the pitching staff some young talent that can be relied on. There's still a long season ahead of them, but it's an exciting position that is unfamiliar to many Keystone fans that are still yearning for the days of success under Bobby Barrell.

The Conti began to separate at the break as well, with the Foresters pulling out a 4 game lead over the Cougars, who were the only team within five. While the Fed had five teams all closer to first then the Cougars, the Conti had only four teams within ten games of the Foresters, and were threatening to run away with the first pennant of the 60s. Czerwinski, Jake Pearson, Hal Kennedy, John Low, Tom Carr, and Paul Williams all represented the division leaders at the mid-summer classic, and with the top offense and second best pitching staff, smart money would bet on Cleveland holding the lead the rest of the way.

ALL-STAR GAME

The 28th annual All-Star Game was an offensive display at Cleveland's Forester Stadium. The two sides combined for 30 hits as the Continental stars held off their counterparts from the Federal Association by a 9-8 score. The CA leads the series 16 wins to 12. Among the hitting stars were Charlie Barrell of Los Angeles, who enjoyed a 3-for-5 day for the CA and Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy, who had two hits including the only homerun of the game.

TRADE DEADLINE

While Cleveland carried their momentum after the break, the Keystones could not, as they lost big series to the Pioneers (1-3), Minutemen (0-3), and Chiefs (1-2), only picking up multiple wins against the Eagles. On the 23rd, four teams were within a half a game of their miniscule lead, and by July 24th the Dynamos (53-40) were the first of that group to claim the top spot.

At that point, only the Chiefs, who were a game out at 51-40, had made any deals of note. The first one was about as shocking as it gets, as they sold low on last year's Kellogg winner Dave Price (.248, 5, 34, 3) who was struggling through one of the worst sophomore slumps you could imagine. After hitting .313/.366/.480 (126 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 84 RBIs, and 107 runs, he's scuffled to a .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) line in 82 games. The 1959 hit leader (193) saw his WRC+ more then halve from 127 to 61, due in large part to a stark BB% decline from 8.2 to 2.9. The talented 23-year-old was still excellent out in center, but his bat was so big of a black hole that they felt they needed a new center fielder. Of course, there are options like optioning him to AAA or move him into more of a 4th outfield role, both of which are significantly better options then trading him to Montreal for a 33-year-old starter-turned-stopper in Tom Fisher (4-5, 12, 3.43, 36), especially considering Paul Magee was doing a solid job himself. Fisher has been excellent, but his 4.84 FIP (109 FIP-) is over a full run higher then his ERA, and for the first time since 1952 he was walking (39) more guys then he struck out (36). He does serve as decent rotation depth himself, but it seems like a deal could have gotten done without Price.

A few days later they picked up another pen arm in Lee Loeffler (3-7, 8, 5.12, 41). A long-time Chief who made 174 appearances between 1953 and 1959 with them. He was DFA'd during the season and unclaimed last year, deciding not to refuse his outright assignment. It paid off, as at the Rule-5 draft the Eagles decided to take a risk on him, and despite his high ERA (5.12, 86) and FIP (4.91, 111) he'll now get to pitch in a pennant race. Unlikely to pitch many high leverage outings, he's a good guy to soak up unimportant innings or even the occasional spot start in a double header. The cost was minimal too, a pair of young first basemen, making it a reasonable deal. The more talented prospect is a first basemen only Wally Fontaine, who ranks inside the top 200, but doesn't really have the bat to play every day at first. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Steve Oleson can play some outfield, but he's a former 12th Round pick whom might top out as a AA player. Still, for a team supplying the rest of their association with wins, it's a useful pickup for a guy you gave up nothing to get.

Trade seasons first major domino fell on the 26th, with both association leaders acquiring a bat from the Gothams. Despite a 7 game lead and a lineup as good as any, the Cleveland Foresters continued their outfield addiction by picking up star center fielder Earl Howe. The 1955 Whitney Winner is one of the game's most feared sluggers, and one of the only six humans to homer at least 50 times in a season. He has just 18 this year, but in his previous six seasons he's hit at least 30 or more, and his 247 home runs will remain 4th behind Walt Messer (430), one of the other five guys to hit 50+ in a season, Red Johnson (386), and long-time teammate Hank Estill (317). Just 28, Howe had a legitimate chance to pass all three, but will now have to add to his totals in a new uniform.

A veteran of seven seasons, Howe appeared in 1,008 games for the Gothams, slashing a healthy .288/.369/.538 (142 OPS+) in 4,350 trips to the plate. Worth just shy of 40 WAR (39.2), Howe logged 712 runs, 159 doubles, 772 RBIs, and 473 walks, spending three seasons at the Gothams right fielder and three and a half in center. One of the leagues most valuable players, he'll join an outfield of Tom Carr, Otis O'Keefe, Armando Estrada, and Sherry Doyal, while they have another outfield option in Paul Williams. Already arguably the best lineup overall, there's little doubt now, as Stan Kleminski, Hal Kennedy, John Low, and Jerry Hubbs are all excellent hitters. With no holes and a strong rotation, there was a reason Cleveland has managed to pull away from the pack, and this move shows they have no thoughts about taking the foot off the gas.

New York's four prospect package wasn't particularly deep, but it featured a clear headliner in Les Freedman. A top-50 prospect who is trending upward, Freedman went in the 3rd Round of the 1958 draft, and has quickly worked his way from the classroom to A ball. Just 20, 15 of his 19 starts this year came with the Foresters Class A affiliate in Wilmington, an unlucky 3-7 despite a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. A refined four pitch pitcher, his signatured is a wipeout curve, and if you're sitting on it he can push a mid 90s fastball by you. His change and splitter warrant respect as well, and with his strike throwing abilities and horizontal movement, he'll generate plenty of whiffs. Future ace may be a stretch, as the curve is the only plus-plus pitch at this time, but he'll quickly settle into the middle of a FABL rotation. The Gothams farm is lacking top arms like that, and they've done a poor job supplement Jorge Arellano and the grizzled Ed Bowman in the rotation.

Acquiring Freedman as well as borderline top-100 prospect Chuck Ayers is a step forward, as the duo will become the top two ranked pitchers in the system. A lefty who turns 19 on the final day of August, Ayers was Cleveland's 1st Round selection last year, and after a respectable 15 start showing Class C last year, they kept him back until July before letting him debut with their Class B affiliate. It's just 5 starts, and he has a much better FIP (4.21, 87) then ERA (5.29, 91), but New York isn't acquiring him for the pitcher he is now. What they're excited about is the velo, as his sidewind whip of an arm slings 98 mph fastballs. You can't sit on it either, he has six other toys to work with, and he has the foundational pieces in place already. What determines his big league success is his strike throwing ability, as to succeed he'll have to locate his offerings well. Not all the pitches are great, so unless he refines the weak spots there are mistakes waiting to be punished. A high-risk, high-reward type prospect, he's the perfect #2 in a deal for a star, and all the angry Howe fans may get over it if the mid-to-late 60s teams are anchored by the Freedman/Ayers trade partner tandem.

Finishing off the package is a pair of position prospects, but neither have the upside of the pitchers. Outfielder Howie Taylor is still a quality piece in his own right, as the top-200 prospect is a quality defensive outfielder in the corners who can steal bases and hit a few homers. What stands between him and a starting role is himself, as he's not the brightest bulb and he doesn't have the raw talent to make up for it. He does draw a fair amount of walks, but he strikes out too much and struggles to pick up singles. A bench role seems likely, but he has an easily identified weakness that can be worked on. Chubby Smith then was a throw in, as his use was quickly discovered after the next deal. Despite being a former first rounder, Chubby never garnered much attention as a prospect, and that includes this season where he hit .314/.389/.573 (164 OPS+) with the AAA Rochester Rooks before getting word of the trade. He's got 16 homers in 59 games, but he's a slow, unathletic guy who occasionally hits home runs and not much else.

Chubby's upside is limited, but since he's an able bodied catcher who's got youth on his side (23), he became the Gothams' new starter after they parted ways with Lew Mercer. Mercer, 32, will officially finish with one less season starting then his predecessor, fulfilling the role 7-year starter George Cleaves did to 8-year starter Pete Casstevens. I wouldn't necessarily bet on Chubby (or whoever ends up starting next year) going 5, but I would bet on Mercer hitting better in Detroit than current starter Dan Smith's .245/.329/.306 line. One of the better offensive catchers, Mercer is on track for surpassing the 100 WRC+ mark for the sixth time in seven season. Currently at 119, Mercer has continued to provide production behind the plate, hitting .286/.382/.427 (108 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBIs. It's a nice boost to a Dynamo team that's trying to survive an all-out battle for the Fed, and an even nicer reunion for the team's former 2nd Round pick. He got into 11 games across 3 seasons in Detroit, but he was DFA'd on Opening Day in 1954 and spent three months in the unemployment line.

Finally, Mercer caught on with the Gothams, and even though he got a minor league deal he went straight to the Big Apple. He exploded with a .290/.387/.483 (135 OPS+) triple slash, knocking 10 double and 6 homers with 22 runs, 31 RBIs, and 20 walks. That earned him the starting job until the trade, and in 796 games with the Gothams he hit a productive .265/.361/.416 (109 OPS+) batting line with 131 doubles, 78 homers, and 392 RBIs. Mercer is expected to hit in the bottom half of a solid lineup that features Dick Tucker, Bill Morrison, Joe Reed, Pat Petty, and Dick Estes. 21-year-old outfielder Cecil Gregg has started to get settled, and the addition of Mercer lengthens an already tough lineup. In return, Detroit parted with a pair of infielders, headlined by top-100 prospect Phil Mattis. A natural first basemen, Mattis doesn't have an obvious fit in the Dynamos future, as they have a lot of corner bats and are looking to give top prospect and Edwin Hackberry return piece Ray Waggoner time there in the future. Known as "The Hornell Hammer," it would be awesome for the Hornell, New York native to make it big with the Gothams, and he's got the power they may have just lost with Howe. Well developed for a recent high school pick, he seems to be the heir to Estill at first, and a valuable future asset for a team that loves guys who can hit it a mile.

Despite all the congestion in the standings, just one more major trade was made, as on the 28th the second place Cougars added lefty Andy Logue to the #1 pitching staff. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1951 draft by Montreal, Logue debuted for the Saints in 1956, and became a full time rotation member with 26 starts (11-5, 3.61, 86) for Montreal last season. Chicago must think they can fix the 27-year-old, as his 21 starts this year were awful. Just 3-8, he sported an elevated 6.25 ERA (71 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, walking batters at a career high 9.2%. When paired with a career low 12.9%, it was a recipe for disaster, but he showed a lot of promise last season. The Boston native uses his sinker and curve to set up hitters, putting them away with a nifty slider that's great for strikeouts. The stuff is still hittable, which is why his previously stout command allowed him to succeed. Instead, he's allowing homers at an alarming rate (1.5 per 9), and if that continues his time in Chicago won't be long at all.

Though the fact they parted with a talented prospect in Ham Flanders makes it seem likely that the Cougars have identified a flaw in Logue's delivery that has led to the poor results. A former 2nd Rounder, Flanders is a 22-year-old second basemen who may now be stuck behind slugger Jack B. Gibson, who has seen a bit more second then his natural short. A bat-first prospect, Flanders doesn't offer much with the glove, and if Gibson is who Chicago envisions at the keystone long-term, there's now way Flanders can push him off. As good as he is, the 38 homers Gibson hit last season are more then Flanders' minor league number to date, and at a homer friendly park Flanders can't really take full advantage. He does have a nice hit tool, which plays way better at the Parc Cartier, and since he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason he could be an immediate factor in 1961. They have a few other middle infield prospects, but both guys in the majors are in their 30s, with shortstop Bill Elkins 35 and in his worst pro season. Losing pitching depth is tough, but if the Saints don't believe that Logue can return to the pitcher he was last year, they got paid like he will. This could be a nice win-win trade if both players pan out, but it was funny that one of the only deadline trades was a pair of teams trading from a relative weakness to solidify a strength.

*** Hot August Boosts Boston's Repeat Hopes ***

By rattling off nine consecutive victories to end August, the preseason favorite Boston Minutemen were right back to first place, 2.5 above Detroit and 3 above the Chiefs, with the Pioneers (3.5) and Philly (4) still in the mix. Boston's next win would be there 60th, as a second consecutive .600+ month gave them some much needed separation from their competition. They ran that streak to 11 before Detroit's 3-Time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K) mystified the Minuteman lineup with a 1-0 shutout, but they picked right back up with series wins on the road against the Gothams (3-1) and the Keystones (2-1). In fact, they lost just one series, a three gamer hosting the Chiefs. That finished their three game losing streak, the only part of their 20-9 month where they didn't follow up a loss with a win. The Boston pitching was immaculate, with Don Griffin (4-1, 0.65, 37) and Dick Wilson (3-1, 1.75, 11) picking through lineups with ease. Griffin captured the Pitcher of the Month award, as not only did he have a sub-0.75 ERA and WHIP (0.68), but Doc had a pristine 37-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's yet to walk double digit hitters in a month, something Wilson (15) and three other guys did this month. That's not always a bad thing, as Bud Henderson (3-1, 2.87, 28) was outstanding like Wilson, but the command Boston's ace has shown makes him a shoo-in for the Allen. The offense was excellent too, with stars Rick Masters (.326, 6, 28, 1), Joe Kleman (.359, 4, 23, 1), and Marshall Thomas (.319, 3, 14, 2) providing the staff with plenty of support.

When rosters expanded, just the Chiefs (74-54, 4.5 GB) and Pioneers (71-54, 6 GB) were within ten games, as the five team race faded to just three. Chicago has rode hot too, and don't forget they were the team to win a series against Boston. Offseason pickup Jack Halbur was starting to pitch like the guy they thought they acquired, 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP. Fellow offseason pickup Irv Clifford led the offense in OPS for August, hitting an impressive .368/.438/.535 (151 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers,15 RBIs, and 15 walks, and 29 runs. Doc Zimmerman (.342, 7, 23) led the team in homers and RBIs, Ed Bloom (.283, 2, 21, 2) walked (16) more then he struck out (12), and rookie shortstop Guy Johnson (.253, 6, 18) doubled his season output in a single month. All that's left is to get Rod Shearer (.192, 3, 13) going, as with two homers remaining for 300 he's started to press. A relaxed Shearer and quality outings from the rotation are a must, but the Chiefs have kept themselves close enough to claim their first crown since 1949.

St. Louis has a tougher challenge, but with the young dream rotation of Billy Hasson (26), Frenchy Mack (23), and George Blake (22) and reigning Whitney candidate Jerry Smith, the Pioneers cannot be underestimated. It's a bit surprising the Pioneers didn't make a move at the deadline, though their midseason upgrade came the way of #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old second basemen debuted on July 23rd, and was quickly named Rookie of the Month. Already the team's second best hitter, Bell slashed an outstanding .303/.379/.551 (164 OPS+) in August, knocking 6 homers with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, and 30 walks. His July time was pretty great too, 13-for-31 with another home run, and you can't blame the prospect pickers for saying this guy was the best FABL farms had to offer. A potential star in the making, he's got lethal power with one of the best approaches, walking in over 20% of his plate appearances so far. The Missouri native is also a weapon defensively, able to fill the middle infield and all three outfield spots. The early marks at second have been great, and he seems to have found his spot secured on the lineup card for seasons to come.

Unfortunately, the Fed looked to be the only pennant race in the new decade, as the Cleveland Foresters (78-46) were double digit games ahead of everyone else. That didn't hold, but the eventual second place Cannons never got to get within seven of them. The clear best team in the Conti, they scored 170 more runs then they allowed, finishing 1st (878) and 2nd (708) respectively. Ironically, blockbuster acquisition Earl Howe was awful, hitting just 5 home runs in 259 trips to the plate. That's a HR% of just 2%, a third of the 6% he hit in his career with the Gothams. The low home run output prevented Howe from hitting 30 homers for the first time in his career, stuck with just 23 between the spots. His .262/.328/.399 (83 OPS+) line in Cleveland was poor, with the lone saving grace solid defense in his two familiar positions.

Of course, it didn't matter, as despite battling a five week injury, Paul Williams was back to being the sparkplug he's known to be. The first year Forester hit an outstanding .359/.469/.562 (160 OPS+), totaling 32 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs, and 77 RBIs in 102 games. He boasted an absurd 74-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and would have posted his fourth consecutive 100 walk season had he stayed healthy. A now 7-Time All-Star, Williams anchors a dangerous lineup with Tom Carr (.335, 8, 99, 18), Stan Kleminski (.276, 3, 52, 17), Hal Kennedy (.295, 25, 93), Sherry Doyal (.290, 9, 77, 6), John Low (.328, 17, 106), and Jerry Tubbs (.305, 8, 76). Their is no reprieve on the mound either, as Adrian Czerwinski (15-8, 3.68, 140) delivered another great campaign, while Jake Pearson (13-9, 3.86, 126) and Frank Young delivered consistent starts behind him. Future Hall-of-Famer Rufus Barrell (12-10, 4.25, 97) remained effective even at 43, producing his 19th FABL season with an ERA+ above 100 (106) and 20th with a FIP- below 100 (87). The pen is capable too, and they'll be a handful for the survivor on the other side.

Not only was Cincinnati the only team within 10 games (8 GB) of the Foresters, but at 85-69 they were the only other team to win 80 games. Aside from that, there was plenty to be excited about, as their best hitter and best pitcher were elite. Keen readers would be able to glean the pitcher, but even the most casual fans could tell you that Dallas Berry is the best player on the team. You could make the argument for the best in the league, and at least this year, he was the best in the association. The obvious unanimous Whitney Winner (spoiler alert: the Allen is controversial!), Berry hit a ludicrous .326/.461/.657 (182 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 42 homers, 151 runs, 133 RBIs, 128 walks, 14 steals, and a 10.6 WAR that came second to just his first Whitney season in 1957. The offensive environment wasn't as high in '57 as it was this year, but so despite the higher OPS (1.118 to 1.084), he had a lower OPS+ and WRC+ (188) this time around. Compared to the Conti, he led in runs, walks, OBP, slugging, WRC+, wOBA, WAR, and of course OPS, and his run total was tied for the 8th most in a FABL season yet.

No Allen for the Cannons, but 23-year-old southpaw Jim York led the Conti with 20 wins in his first full seasons as a starter. The sophomore Cannon did it in the association high 35 starts, working to a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.41 FIP (76 FIP-) with a 1.39 WHIP, 93 walks, and 165 strikeouts. The new ace of the staff, no one behind him came close, and one of the guys they expected to rely on saw a complete 180 in his production. That would be Doc Clay, who followed up his impressive 1959 (15-12, 3.22, 119) with his first FABL season with an ERA above 4 and a WHIP above 1.40. In both cases, it was WAY above, as his ERA swelled to 5.62 (80 ERA+) with an equally poor 5.35 FIP (119 FIP-). His 32 starts just lasted 149 innings, and for the first time he walked (90) more hitters then he struck out (75). His decline has made a mess of the rotation, but they have a great pen and deep lineup. Paul Williams (6-11, 25, 2.62, 80) led the Conti in saves, the first time a non-Cougar led since 1955, and despite the high loss total he was effective in the late innings. Fred Lainhart (.307, 7, 54, 27), Al Farmer (.312, 15, 86), Charlie Ham (.283, 20, 60), and Johnny Elliot (.300, 8, 47) did a good job to surround "The Can-Do Kid" and even guys like Larry Lewis (.284, 8, 80, 9) and Art McKinney (.264, 25, 107) had above average WRC+, and there's a lot of talent in the state of Ohio.

Late season collapses happen far too often for the Chicago Cougars, who went from a contender for first to barely staying over .500. It makes sense, considering they scored and allowed the fewest runs, as despite being able to record hits, homers, and steals, the Cougars just didn't get on base enough to score runs. The exception, however, was whenever Jack B. Gibson batted, as the 25-year-old superstar hit 43 homers in his 3rd big league season, good for the 2nd most in team history. Already 9th in total homers and 100 within the Cougar record, he shoulder's none of the blame for the low scoring, as he drove in 134 runs and scored 95 times. His .307/.351/.572 (137 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and he's the oldest of the team's young stars. Jerry McMillian (.321, 15, 70, 25) is just 23, Jim Barton (.338, 17, 86) 24, and versatile rookie Henry Watson (.340, 20, 76, 5) 22. And while not stars, Mooney Vetter (.297, 18, 83) and Stan Czerwinski (.242, 13, 42) are both 26 and former 1st Round picks. The pitching has some vets, with quality arms Pug White (17-11, 3.91, 134), Ollie Norris (8-11, 4.83, 71), and Hank Walker (14-10, 4.49, 104) all 28-and-up, and they managed to fix the 27-year-old Andy Logue (1-4, 3.34, 43; 3-8, 6.25, 63). They do have a talented 23-year-old in John Mitchell (7-7, 4.30, 101) too, and their roster is filled with plenty of guys younger then the star Gibson. It was a rough decade in the 50s, and the 60s haven't started better, but the future is starting to look bright for title starved franchise.

The two west coast teams finished tied for 4th, both an even 77-77, which is actually the best season for the Stars since they moved to LA. That's in large part due to Charlie Barrell, who for the second straight year was healthy enough to play 151 games. Now 30, the 6-Time All-Star hit an impressive .322/.382/.493 (121 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 105 RBIs, and 96 runs. Nephew Ralph was even better, as the 20-year-old youngster hit a pristine .325/.395/.541 (140 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 67 runs, 88 RBIs, and a 151 WRC+ in an injury-shortened season. If for 1961, both can be healthy, things will look good in Hollywood, as they got big years from young outfielders Charlie Sax (.346, 8, 65, 13) and Don Hall (.284, 28, 86, 10), as well as the guy who should have 100% without any question absolutely positively won the Continental Allen, Dewey Allcock. Perhaps the puritan voters held him accountable for things outside of his power, but the 22-year-old righty was the best pitcher in the CA this year. Also not an All-Star, all he did was go 19-10 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ERA+), 3.22 FIP (72 FIP-), 1.20 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts. Allcock led the association in wins, ERA, starts (35), WHIP, K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2), and its an absolute travesty he did not earn an Allen for his efforts. Accolade or not, the Stars found their overpowering ace, and all that's left is to give him someone else who can prevent runs. Aside form second basemen Vern Reynolds, who didn't allow any of the three batters he faced (two outs, one walk) to score, no Star had an ERA below 4.50, and no Star with more then 10 starts had an ERA below 5.25. If it's any consolation, one of those guys was 23-year-old righty Floyd Warner (8-11, 5.30, 136), and as a rookie in 1958 he was 12-14 with a 3.28 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts. 21-year-olds Cal Johnston (4-8, 12, 4.93, 86) and Sy Dunn (7-8, 3, 4.84, 52) both look in-line for longer looks in the rotation, and like the Cougars they have a great collection of youth. It's been 7 years since the Stars finished above .500, but if this trio of young pitchers can take a step forward next season, they have a chance to not only break the .500 mark, but compete for 13th Continental pennant.

San Francisco's future doesn't look as bright, especially in a rotation led by 38-year-old Duke Bybee (5-3, 3.81, 37) and 1959 Rule-5 pick Larry Knez (5-14, 3.79, 79), but at least the top of the order is tough to navigate. Leading is the still talented Edwin Hackberry (.281, 10, 72, 17), even if he did recently turn 34 and take a step back at the plate, and they have the top young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo (.293, 7, 77, 21), who is starting to look like a young Skipper Schneider. And while not household names, John Kingsbury (.315, 15, 89, 6), Ron Turner (.289, 21, 79), Ben Crawford (.275, 20, 99, 10), and Rip Rogan (.294, 11, 57) all provided quality at bats. They have some reinforcements on the farm, but it's all on the position player side, the current strength of the big league club. The young pitching they have is already in San Francisco, as the now 25-year-old Gary Pike (12-13, 4.36, 115) impressed, putting together 34 solid starts after coming over from Boston in the Bud Henderson deal this January. A useful #4 or #5, the same goes to Larry Knez, who scuffled through a rookie season last year and pitched better then that 5-14 record. The George's McDaniel (5-4, 2.77, 39) and Fuller (7-2, 1, 3.21, 55) did well in the pen and rotation, and could earn long-term spots next year. Both project more as back-end guys as well, and may end up being fillers until they can find someone better.

After finishing the 50s with just one sub-.500 season, the Kansas City Kings had a shocking fall from grace, finishing two games under .500 after eight consecutive 80+ win seasons. The culprit was the defense, evidenced best by Beau McClellan's (15-11, 4.46, 171) 4.46 ERA (99 ERA+) being a full run higher then his 3.46 FIP (77 FIP-). When even a pitcher of his caliber has issues keeping runs off the board, they were in trouble, as young stopper Del Lamb (13-11, 14, 3.69, 96) was the only pitcher to throw more then 100 innings and keep an above average ERA. Former Dynamo Jack Miller (8-6, 1, 6.34, 88) was even in worse in year two, Mike Thorpe (6-6, 5.69, 33) again saw his season end early with injury, and now graduated top-100 prospect Fred Myers (5-12, 5.33, 75) was victimized by the poor defense as well. The only plus was Fred Washington (12-7, 4.47, 111) go from awful to average, but any of that was offset by Tony Britten (5-12, 5.77, 76) flop of a season. It may be tough to solve the defense issue too, as they have a lot of good bats. Improving the middle infield is crucial, but the outfield of Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.325, 11, 70, 21), and Bryan Jeffries (.284, 17, 67) will likely remain unchanged. With corner bats Ken Newman (.328, 25, 103, 7) and Bill Guthrie (.302, 39, 119) producing a ton of runs and the always reliable Dutch Miller (.267, 11, 55) continuing to provide a stabilizing force behind the plate, they can really emphasize the defense.

Canada's two teams were again at the bottom, as both the Toronto Wolves (68-86) and Montreal Saints (62-92) failed to finish with more then 70 wins. Lucky for Wolves fans, there new young superstar got an undeserved Allen. No, I'm not talking about 22-year-old George Hoxworth (12-11, 3.75, 173), who was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the 20-year-old Arnie Smith. Perhaps the voters were enamored with his good looks, or perhaps a league leading 213 strikeouts was enough, but in every other way Smith didn't hold a candle to Dewey Allcock. He was just 13-13 with a 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 85 walks, all worse then Allcock. That's not to say Smith wasn't outstanding, he certainly was, it's just aside from giving Wolves fans something to cheer about, naming him the 14-2 winner makes zero sense. Aside from Smith and Hoxworth, not much else went right, as even though young center fielder Sid Cullen (.332, 20, 78) was amazing at the plate and on the grass, he only got into 92 games due to injury. Not much else went right, but they can hope that the solid seasons put together by Tom Reed (.289, 18, 80, 8), Carl Clark (.289, 18, 80), Hank Lacey (11-10, 4.30, 119), John Wells (.270, 15, 76, 13), and Roy Demonbreun (.284, 8, 43) attract outside interest in the offseason.

In similar fashion to the Kings, Montreal was plagued with the worst pitching staff in the association, as not even one of the nine pitchers to make a start for the Saints this season had an above average ERA+. In fact, the only pitcher to throw an inning with one was the guy they traded at the deadline, Tom Fisher. Phil Murry (9-14, 5.05, 114) underwent his worst season as a starter, loss leader Eddie Martin (8-17, 5.30, 85) had his worst season period, and last year's win leader Jim Montgomery (9-13, 5.68, 119) just could not catch a break. The reinforcements in the farm are too far away to contribute, and the offense isn't strong enough to make up for all their pitchers sucking. Harry Swain (.306, 21, 81, 6) was the only guy to have a WRC+ above 120, and aside from catcher Garland Phelps (.291, 11, 79), Art Robbins (.267, 17, 102) surpassing the 100 RBI mark, and Ralph Hanson (.304, 8, 82, 36) leading the Conti in steals, there wasn't too much to write home about. Just when the Saints were starting to turn things around, putting together three 80 win seasons in four years, and they'll hope to regain that form as soon as possible.

So now who faces the Foresters? Boston would be the house bet, but with how hot they've been perhaps they'd regress back to the mean. Boston has gone 57-29 (.663) in their last 86 games, well on their way to back-to-back 90-win seasons. They started out with a quick test, hosting the St. Louis Pioneers for three games in Boston. It wasn't a pretty shutout, but Foster Sherman (5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K) was the first of three pitchers to combine for a series opening 5-0 shutout. Win 81 was a 5-3 walk-off courtesy of Marshall Thomas, who finished his 5-for-5 night with a game-winning two-run homer. Before the walk-off, his first four hits were singles, but that big hit built momentum for a sweep with Don Griffin on the mound. As he often does, Doc delivered, coming two-outs away from a 9-2 complete game win. This quickly brought their lead over the Chiefs to 6.5, and the Pioneers were now nine back.

It was at this point, the breaks stopped coming, as after winning game one of a double header in Washington 11-1, they got embarrassed 16-8. They then got swept by the Gothams in New York, and after a sweep of the Dynamos, they dropped five of their next six. With the lead down to 5.5 games, they had a big home series against their closest competitor, the Chiefs. The two teams split a pair of one run games, and with seven to play, things were looking quite good for the reigning champs.

But for some reason, the dominant Minutemen couldn't handle the lowly Eagles, who should have had the 1st pick wrapped up by now. They lost all three in the nation's capital and had to go to the Windy City for two more with the Chiefs. One win was all they needed to clinch, but the Chiefs pen threw 5.1 scoreless innings during a tidy 8-7 win. That was followed up by a big 5-run 7th, where the Chiefs stayed alive for one more night, winning 8-6 to complete the sweep. Unfortunately, they had three with the third place Pioneers, while this Minutemen were again in Washington with the last place Eagles. Boston was pulling out all the stops, putting Don Griffin on for what would be his last game of the regular season. All it took was a Pat Todd solo homer in the 2nd, and in his next at bat Rick Masters scored from third on a wild pitch. Griffin dealt for 8 innings, keeping the hosts off the board, allowing 6 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts to solidify his triple crown. The obvious and clear Allen winner was an elite 21-6 with a 2.01 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.92 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts, but the most impressive part had to be his 6.2 K/BB. It's the third year in a row he's led in that category and his second straight season breaking the Minutemen single season record. For a guy who doesn't turn 24 until the 6th of October, it's remarkable he's already been named to 4 All-Star games, and along with his Allen he has 2 ERA crowns, threw WAR leads, and three WHIP leads. It's fitting that the game's top pitcher pitches for a pennant winner, and it's even more fitting he's the one that earned the clinching win.

Chicago lost the same day, so the win didn't end up mattering, but it allowed them a chance at 90 wins, which they got with a Dick Wilson start that evened his record to 7-7 and brought his ERA to average at 4.41 (100 ERA+) with 75 walks, 79 strikeouts, and an elevated 1.56 WHIP -- a stark contrast from last season where he was 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts. His wins and ERAs were best in the Fed, but even with his struggles Boston still boasted the top staff. Obviously, Doc was a major factor, but Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120) had a solid, if slightly less than expected, level season, while Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123) has really settled into his role as a mid-rotation starter. In the pen will be Bob Hollister (6-8, 11, 3.50, 47) who pitched a few solid starts and a lot of excellent high leverage innings, and at 25 he could end up being a full-time starter. The fact he's able to pitch in the pen is a testament to the depth of their pitching staff, though nothing compares to the lineup. Rick Masters (.336, 34, 117) appeared in all but five of the team's games, finishing with his six consecutive 30+ home run season. Like any top offense, the whole is worth more than the parts, and Masters was surrounded with quality hitters in Joe Kleman (.345, 19, 108), Jack Denis (.304, 19, 80), Marshall Thomas (.291, 20, 62), Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85), Sam Walker (.284, 6, 57), Bill Tutwiler (.266, 8, 45, 6), and Del Filo (.291, 23, 67, 6). That's a really good group, and easily the best lineup the Foresters will see all season. Rematches aren't always exciting, but these two are the clear best teams at the moment.

Finishing September and October just 12-12, the Chiefs couldn't take advantage of the Minutemen's late season stumbles, but at 87-67 they were still a high quality team. The addition of Irv Clifford was a plus, as the 6-Time All-Star did a good job lengthening the lineup, batting .304/.379/.424 (108 OPS+) with a 119 WRC+, 4.3 WAR, 38 doubles, 13 triples, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 68 walks, and 110 runs. Surprisingly, he had a higher WRC+ then Rod Shearer (109), who prior to this season never produced one below 124, with the rest 130 or higher. This year Shearer hit just .259/.360/.469 (113 OPS+), and his 26 homers were tied for a low since his Kellogg winning campaign in 1951. If Shearer hit anywhere near his career .294/.377/.558 (151 OPS+) line, Chiefs fans would be celebrating a pennant, but instead the most excitement they got was his 350th career home run. Shearer was overshadowed by Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Ed Bloom (.327, 10, 91, 18), both of which produced WRC+ above 145, and their pitching staff kept them in every game. All six guys with double digit starts had ERA+ above 100, led by high strikeout arm Joe Cipolla (16-6, 3.35, 171), who put together the best season of his young career. Vern Osborne (14-9, 3.74, 144) and Dick Champ (12-5, 3.64, 98) provided a steadying force atop the rotation, and despite an up-and-down season Jack Halbur (13-10, 4.23, 99) was overall successful in his first season with the Chiefs. Even though they came up short, it was an excellent season at Whitney Stadium, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason the Chiefs may be able to break their decade plus long pennant drought.

Just two games behind them were the Pioneers, who despite having an elite rotation, finished 4th in runs against. Ace Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.52, 176) wasn't able to secure his 3rd consecutive Allen, but the 26-year-old will be in those conversations for many years to come. Frenchy Mack (14-11, 4.34, 142) saw his ERA rise and his strikeouts drop, but the occasionally erratic 23-year-old posted a career best 8.7 BB%. Rounding out the top three is another 23-year-old in Charlie Blake (14-8, 3.52, 173), who was named to the All-Star game in his first season as a starter. With the talent and youth from these three, as well as a dominant stopper in John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), they're just going to need to hit a little, and maybe find a 4 better then 39-year-old John Thomas Johnson (7-6, 4.11, 60). At the plate, reigning Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.280, 39, 107, 17) had another big season, but he was quickly passed up by #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old came up late July and hit an absurd .328/.447/.582 (162 OPS+) with 16 homers, 45 runs, 50 walks, and 50 RBIs in 64 games. The issue moving forward is there isn't much to support those two talented sluggers, as just veterans Larry Gregory (.281, 9, 50) and Dixie Hutchings (.274, 14, 74) provided above average hitting, and that classification felt like more of a technicality then a reflection of their skillsets. But above all, winning 85 games was huge for a team that hadn't done that since their last pennant in 1951, and like the Chiefs, they're just a piece or two away from another pennant.

Philadelphia was the last team in the Fed to win more then 80 games, finishing 83-71 and 7 games out of first. For 8-year vet Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), it was the first time since he became a regular that the Keystones managed to even finish above .500. Most interestingly, is the fact that the elite outfielder wasn't even the best player on his team, as rookie sensation Harry Dellinger captured both the Kellogg and Whitney in a Miller-like season. 22 as of August, Keystone fans are salivating at their new star duo, as Dellinger hit a robust .350/.395/.568 (150 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 31 homers, 118 runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 walks. The former 2nd pick led the Fed in at bats (651), hits (228), runs, RBIs, average, slugging, and WAR (7.3), making him the easy pick for both awards he was eligible for. With his speed, the defense in center should be excellent too, as aside from a sort of small 6.2 BB%, there isn't a weakness in his game. Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) all bashed 30 homers, helping lead the team to the 2nd most runs scored in the Fed. Even better, they've started to churn out some pitching for the first time in a while, as William Davis (15-8, 3.82, 124) and Jim Cooper (15-7, 3.96, 69) provided plenty of quality starts. And despite the lofty ERA, 21-year-old Joe Kienle (10-13, 5.17, 108) could lead a rotation, as his 3.81 FIP (87 FIP-) was much more palatable. That's a solid 1-2-3, and the 4th spot could be filled by the just turned 23-year-old Don McKeown (5-8, 13, 4.68, 111), who after spending his first two FABL seasons in the pen, made 9 starts and could be a capable back-end guy. Like the two teams ahead of them, they're almost there, likely just one bat and one Kienle rebound season away from posing a serious threat.

Detroit may have held first for a while in July, but a miserable 12-18 August pushed them into the second division, and a 10-15 finish ended their season early. Still, they managed 78 wins, extending their winning season streak to ten seasons, matching the 1937 to 1946 Cougars. Of course, they had a single pennant to show for while Detroit has four titles, but like the Chicago club, eleven doesn't seem likely. Sure, they were a contender most of the season, but the offense got cold and has taken a ton of hits. Dick Tucker's (.259, 13, 55) amazing 1958 (.355, 32, 120) is looking more and more like an outlier, especially in the power department as his 32 homers in '58 is one more then he's hit over the past two seasons combined. Joe Reed (.261, 22, 96, 7) put together his 4th consecutive 20+ homer 90+ RBI season, as well as his normal plus defense at short, but his WRC+ plummeted from 141 last year to 96 -- the first time he failed to surpass 120. Lew Mercer (.188, 3, 16; .252, 11, 45) was awful in his homecoming, and aside from outfielders Bill Morrison (.281, 13, 53, 11) and rookie Cecil Gregg (.288, 14, 57, 9), consistent offense was hard to come by. The pitching was still good, if not the elite Dynamos fans are used to, as Jim Norris (13-9, 3,38, 158) was as good as usual, and veteran John Jackson (10-11, 3.23, 101) was one of the few Dynamos to pitch better this year than last. Former top pitching prospect Bob Allen (10-4, 3.43, 86) was a revelation in the five spot, but fellow 1928-born vets Paul Anderson (6-10, 4.13, 102) and Larry Beebe (5-12, 4.65, 71) frequently found themselves on the wrong side of decisions. Add on the mess of a pen, and for the first time in a decade, the Dynamos are no longer going to be considered in my list of contenders. That all could chance if 1961 is finally the season the Dynamos unleash former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.379, 6), who used up his last option year. His .379/.419/.517 (141 OPS+) line in 62 PAs was elite, and if they let him unleash his power at Thompson Field, all this talk about not enough offense will be quickly forgotten.

The bottom three were bad. Real bad. But at least the New York Gothams prevented their loss total from reaching 90. 71-83 isn't too bad, but it's their lowest win total since 1945, where they were 65-89 in a second consecutive 7th place finish. Known for big trades, stars, and all-or-nothing approaches, the Gothams now have to adjust to life without pennant winner Earl Howe. There may be more sales in the future, but for now they have a lot of depth in the corner positions. Hank Estill (.309, 39, 106) will be 34 in November, but no Fed hitter hit more homers than him, and he's now hit 35 or more in a season four times. Even at his age, he'd fetch a huge return, but the Gothams could try to retool around him, Rex Pilcher (.262, 30, 88), and Johnny Taylor (.272, 17, 55). Though from the outside, their best bet looks to be getting as much as they could for these corner guys on the wrong side of 30. The only guy I wouldn't entertain trading is Ed Bowman (10-16, 4.69, 102), but aside from Jorge Arellano (7-14, 4.28, 132) they don't have many big-ticket assets. They made their big strike at the deadline and will hope their expansive collection of top 100 prospects will be enough.

Bowman will be back for year 20 as he continues his quest to 350 wins. It may be tough, he's at 314, recently passing Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Jim Lonardo for 13th All-Time. He's already the team leader, has been for almost 100 wins, but perhaps the Gothams have a soft spot for Bowman like I do, and will surround him with bats to continue his ascent up the record books. He's just 30 wins away from 3rd outright, (though he's chasing Rufus Barrell), and that could just be two or three more productive seasons. The youth movement did them well, going 19-9 after rosters expanded, and they were regularly using at least four starters 23 and under. There could be a fifth next year in Frank Arnold (.400, 2, 11), who was great off the bench. Most impressive were 22-year-old center fielder Otto Pilkerton (.333, 5, 17) and 19-year-old shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.300, 1, 6, 1), who should be in line to earn a starting job. With a few step forwards from the young guys, Bowman and the staff may be able to add more wins to their total, and the front office can delay any major subtractions.

Pittsburgh and Washington were mirror images of poor play, with the Miners 6th in runs allowed and 8th in runs scored, while the Eagles were 8th and 6th respectively. On the bright side, neither team expected to compete, and they saw young players get comfortable in their potential roles. The Miners saw instant returns with their big offseason deals, as Paul Williams package member Mike Whisman (.262, 16, 70) emerged as an option in center and Irv Clifford trade return John Moreland (.289, 8, 50) was a borderline top 5 shortstop as a rookie. Plus, potential offseason trade pieces Bill Newhall (.305, 7, 47) and Bob Gaines (.286, 13, 77) both well. Not much to be excited about with the pitching, but 21-year-old Mike Blackham (8-9, 3.28, 123) was named to the All-Star game in his first year as a starter, and him and Ed Power (9-14, 3.63, 116) make a pretty solid 1-2. If you don't look past that, you'd think they were in good shape, but there's a reason they lost 92 games.

94 losses was where Washington ended up, but holy cow they had a talent gap in their rotation. The top two was brilliant, as it's really a shame that Bob Ball wasn't either brought up earlier or just a rookie in a different season, as he was Kellogg worthy in a 21-start sample. Don't get me wrong, he's not beating Dellinger even with a full season, but the former 3rd Round pick may be the ace the Eagles organization has been searching for since, well, forever? A six-pitch righty, he hurls mid 90s fastballs and sinkers by guys, and the off-speed pitches make him infinitely tougher to time up. As a 21-year-old, he was 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. Along with fellow midseason callup and former Miners 7th Rounder Jim Stewart (5-7, 2.97, 72), they were really tough for opposing hitters. A potential third to join that group is the 20-year-old lefty Carl Levy, who was picked up from the Cougars in the offseason and threw 178.1 FABL innings before he'll get his first drink of alcohol. While not as dominant as those two, he was with the team all year, going 10-13 with a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 158.2 innings across 35 appearances (22 starts). It's been a while since the Eagles had young pitching to be excited about, and they have some bats to match. Tom Lorang (.285, 20, 91) held his own at 18, but right when he turned 19 in August, he posted back-to-back 130+ WRC+ months. He's one of five lineup members to start the season 25 or younger, with the now 23-year-old Joe Holland (.286, 21, 62, 5) hitting well enough to represent them at the All-Star game. It's been a rough four seasons in the nation's capital, but with this collection of youth it's hard not to get excited about the future.

1960 World Championship Series

The Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters met for the second year in a row in the World Championship Series. The Minutemen had prevailed a year ago, proving to be far too much for the Foresters and taking the series in five games. For Cleveland this would be their seventh trip to the WCS in the past dozen years while the Minutemen won back-to-back Federal Association pennants for the first time since they ended a run of five in a row in 1906.

GAME ONE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

Adrian Czerwinski made his 15th career WCS start on the mound for the Foresters, tying him with Woody Trease for the most all-time. Czerwinski would break the record in game four but what he really wanted was to win his 11th WCS game. The 35-year-old Cleveland ace failed to beat the Minutemen in last year's series but things looked promising when the Foresters took a quick 2-0 lead on Boston hurler Bud Henderson.

The opening inning pair of runs came courtesy of a 2-run homer off the bat of Sherry Doyal after Stan Kleminski had drawn a 1-out walk. The score would remain 2-0 until young Boston outfielder Del Filo launched a solo blast off Czerwinski in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frank Young would take over on the Cleveland mound in the seventh inning and Filo, who hit 23 homers during the regular season, launched his second round-tripper in his WCS debut. This one was a two-run shot and put the Minutemen up 3-2. Before the inning ended it was 4-2 as Bill Tutwiler added an rbi double. Cleveland would close to within a run in the eighth inning when Paul Williams homered but the string of longballs continued with Joe Kleman delivering a two-run blast in the top of the ninth and the Minutemen would claim a 6-3 victory.

GAME TWO: CLEVELAND 9 BOSTON 2

Just as they did in the series opener the Cleveland Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. The Foresters runs, which were generated by 3 singles, came after Boston missed a glorious opportunity in the top of the first inning when the Minutemen had runners on second and third with one out. Cleveland starter Jake Pearson got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs before the Foresters greeted Boston starter Don Griffin with a cope of early runs.

The game was tied 2-2 at the seventh inning stretch before Cleveland bats lit up Chet Baker, who had taken over in the bottom of the seventh for Don Griffin. Singles by Jerry Hubbs and Otis O'Keefe set the stage for a 1-out, 2-run double from Tom Carr and then, after Stan Kleminski drew a walk, the Foresters went up 7-2 on a 3-run homer from Paul Williams, marking his second straight game with a longball. Cleveland would add two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 9-2 and the series shifted to New England tied at one.

GAME THREE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

For the third game in a row the Foresters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning, but Boston answered with four off of Foresters veteran starter Deuce Barrell in the bottom of the second. The big blows were back-to-back doubles off the bats of Sam Walker and Boston hurler Foster Sherman. Deuce Barrell may be the winningest active pitcher in the game today, but he was chased in the third inning when Boston added two more runs to go up by a 6-2 score. Del Filo, who homered twice in the opener, delivered a rbi double while Sherman smoked a 2-run single that ended Barrell's night very early. It was a big game for Sherman, who not only had a pair of hits but also earned the win despite exiting in the sixth inning.

GAME FOUR: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3

As they in each of the first three games, the Cleveland Foresters scored in the first inning but this time it was just a single run which came on a Hal Kennedy single off Dick Wilson that plated Stan Kleminski, who had also singled for the visitors. Kennedy drove in another run with a third inning single to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 but the lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the fourth frame when Rick Masters smashed a 2-run homer off of Foresters starter Jerry York to tie the game at 2.

Cleveland quickly regained the lead a half inning later when Tom Carr doubled and Kleminski followed with a rbi single. York had been pitching very well and surrendered just 2-hits through five innings, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Cleveland bullpen immediately landed in hot water. Frank Young took the hill to start the bottom of the sixth and he would retire just one Boston batter as 3 walks, an error and 5 Boston hits including doubles from Rick Masters and Del Filo led to 6 runs and proved the difference in a 8-3 win for the Minutemen.

GAME FIVE: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0

After some high scoring games we finally were treated to a pitching duel in game five as Czerwinski made his record-breaking 16th career WCS start for Cleveland against his game one rival Bud Henderson. Cleveland had runners on the corners with two-out in the opening inning but failed to score. The Minutemen did get a run as Czerwinski, who allowed a homerun in the series opener, served up another longball. This time it was veteran Marshall Thomas with a solo shot to make it 1-0 for the Minutemen.

The score would stay 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Boston added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Ed Wise after Joe Kleman and Rick Masters had each singled. Cleveland threatened to extend the series with a 1-out double from Hal Kennedy in the top of the ninth, but Boston reliever Bob Hollister closed out the shutout victory without further incident and the Minutemen celebrated their second straight World Championship Series title.

OFFSEASON

Boston got the job done again, copying their 4-1 WCS win over the Cleveland Foresters from the previous year. Shortly after Boston finished celebrating, one of their Fed challengers-the St Louis Pioneers- made a pair of pitching moves to shore up their staff. Neither are game changing moves, but they picked up swingman Dixie Gaines (5-4, 3.61, 68) from the Cougars and veteran reliever Gene Amico (6-5, 6, 3.81, 44) from the Dynamos. Solid depth pieces, Gaines will fight for the 5th spot in St. Louis' rotation, while Amico can help set up John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), and provide high leverage innings if they decide to move one or both of their 21-year-old pitchers Al Grabner (4-1, 5, 3.31, 38) and Steve Madden (5-1, 2, 3.56, 51) into the rotation. The price to get Gaines was affordable, just a filler level prospect in second basemen Delos Smith, but the Amico trade made a little less sense. While not a top prospect, Loren Patterson ranked 186th on the prospect list, and you can never have too much pitching. 23 in October, he's got a solid five pitch mitch and looked solid in his 18 starts (8-4, 3.53, 52) with St. Louis' AA team.

Between the two Pioneers moves, the Gothams and Cannons hooked up for an interesting trade, as New York traded effective young stopper Hal Adams to the Cannons for vet Aaron Jones (.328, 1, 12) and borderline top 250 prospect John Power. Adams, 25, is the clear best player involved, and it's a bit surprising the Gothams were willing to part with him. Finishing 11-6 with 18 saves, Adams was lockdown in his second FABL season, working to a 3.34 ERA (133 ERA+) in 107.2 innings. He does have some walk issues, allowing 63 to 57 strikeouts, and it led to a high 1.53 WHIP. The Gothams may think his big year was more luck than skill, but getting a 34-year-old bench guy and, Power isn't really a prospect most teams are looking at. 24 in March, he projects as no more then a below average second basemen, but there is a somewhat interesting power/speed mix. In 111 A ball games this year he hit 14 homers and stole 12 bases, but it came with a middling 102 OPS+ and 99 WRC+.

The first major move of the offseason came between a pair of Continental teams, as the Kansas City Kings might have acquired the middle infielder they were looking for. That would be former #1 overall pick John Wells, who unfortunately for Toronto, was rushed to the majors and never reached his lofty potential. Debuted at 19 in 1950, he hit just .269/.302/.339 (78 OPS+) before seeing that plummet to .251/.260/.280 (48 OPS+) in 427 PAs the next season. Wells continued to struggle early in his career, but the bat somewhat came alive in 1955. The then 24-year-old hit a solid .275/.357/.402 (107 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 10 homers, 66 RBIs, 63 walks, and 81 runs. This set up a run of five average or above average offensive seasons, though he couldn't get either his OPS+ or WRC+ to even 110. At 29 in 1960, the streak ended, as his line dropped to .270/.341/.397 (86 OPS+), though he added 26 doubles, 15 homers, 13 steals, 76 RBIs, and 100 runs, with a just-below-average 99 WRC+. With solid defense, he was worth 2.2 WAR, and he'll look to revive his career in Kansas City.

In exchange for Wells, Toronto added 23-year-old outfielder Frank Hardin, who debuted for the Kings this September. A former 3rd Round pick, Hardin dominated the Dixie league, batting .318/.412/.616 (169 OPS+) in parts of four seasons with the Kings AA affiliate. That includes this season, one of his two with over 100 games, where he hit an excellent .322/.421/.609 (159 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 26 homers, 92 runs, 97 RBIs, and a 72-to-43 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This earned him a quick AAA callup before his debut with the Kings. It was almost as good as his AA time, and the Texas native hit a powerful .286/.297/.743 (158 OPS+). Half of his ten hits left the yard, and that power is something Toronto has not seen often. Just two Wolves ever, Tom Reed (31, 34) and Walt Pack (31) have hit more then 30 homers in a season, so if Toronto decides to give their new bat a full season, he could join that small group.

Toronto made a second move a few days later, dumping the contract of 32-year-old rookie Bob Burdick (2-3, 3, 3.86, 49) on the Cougars, providing them with top 200 prospect Bruce McInturf. Taken in the 2nd Round by the Foresters in 1956, he was a former top 100 prospect who came to Toronto in the Lynn Horn deal back in 1957. Now Rule-5 eligible, they might not have wanted to commit a 40-man spot to a guy who hasn't gotten past A-ball, even if he has great raw stuff. The command isn't there, likely preventing him from being more then a spot-starter, and they'll get an unranked teen in John Gates to try to develop. A 3rd Rounder of the Cougars last season, he's the opposite of the outfielder they got from the Kings. He's a high contact, low power guy, who has great speed and an excellent ability to track the ball in the outfield. But that was all Toronto ended up doing, but their little trade spree started to heat things up.

What came next was as shocking a deal as any, as after parting with Dave Price at the deadline, the Chiefs targeted him in their three-player return for top 100 prospect Grady Smith. Price, who hit just .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) with the Chiefs, was much better in Montreal, as the 1959 Kellogg winner hit .304/.340/.422 (96 OPS+). Between his two stops, he gathered 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs scored. A talented defender, he was still valuable even with the poor bat, and he looks to fit back right between Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12). Another outfielder will join the mix, as the almost 24-year-old Marty Hanna will come over as well. A former 11th overall pick by the Miners, this is now the third trade he's been involved in, first as a part of the Bill Wise trade in 1955 before traded in a minor league only deal in 1959. This time, Hanna is traded as an official FABL player, as he struck out in his only plate appearance for the Saints this year. The rest of his time came in AA, where he hit .284/.383/.427 (110 OPS+) with a solid 121 WRC+. A disciplined hitter, he gives good at bats, but a starting role may be hard for him to come into. The last piece was 25-year-old righty Norm Van Dyne, who ranks inside the top 200 as a relief prospect. He was added to the 40, and could assist vets Tom Fisher (4-4, 13, 4.26, 31; 8-9, 25, 3.79, 67) and Paul Magee (5-8, 16, 3.18, 55) in the pen.

On the flip side, Montreal was able to add the 47th ranked prospect Grady Smith, who the Chiefs took 9th in the 1960 draft. Still 18, the lefty swinger has a big bat, featuring a sweet swing that launces baseballs into the outfield. He's got above average power and ability to drive the ball, making him a feared hitter if he can reach his potential. He comes with plenty of risk considering his age and distance from the majors, but after not hitting much in Class C, he hit better after a surprising promotion. In 43 games Smith hit a strong .276/.326/.466 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. With such a high ceiling, Montreal is expected to focus a lot of development effort on their new outfielder, and he's likely to remain among the Saints top 5 prospects come Opening Day. With their last place finish, some expected more subtraction from the roster, but after back-to-back 80-win seasons, they might instead hope that a lot of what went wrong this year, goes their way in the next.

Yet no move will have bigger impact on the pennant race then the surprise blockbuster between the Minutemen and the Keystones, where Boston parted with star second basemen Marshall Thomas. Since the now 32-year-old debuted in 1951, Thomas has only produced above average offensive numbers, hitting an excellent .314/.378/.494 (136 OPS+) in 1,275 games as a Minuteman. "The Experimental Man" will now join an upstart Keystones team, batting ahead star outfielders Harry Dellinger (.350, 31, 125, 24) and Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), giving veteran slugger Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) a chance to hit a ton of grand slams. Thomas has seen his production drop a little in recent seasons, hitting "only" .291/.367/.472 (115 OPS+), but it came with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 62 RBIs, 58 walks, and 83 runs scored. Another well rounded season, Thomas did miss time with injury for the third straight year, so perhaps the Minutemen are worried that these concerns may limit how often he plays for them. On top of that, Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85) offers a ton of power from second or third, and they have gotten reliable, if unspectacular, performance from Pat Todd (.304, 4, 47). Todd would likely be on the bench had Thomas stayed, and Boston will add a young prospect and a pair of big leaguers to improve their depth on a threepeat quest.

Neither major leaguer heading to Boston is a real impact player, but just a few seasons ago the now 33-year-old Sal Nigro (.267, 5, 21) was a reliable everyday guy, with excellent seasons in 1955 (.309, 25, 84) and 1956 (.307, 19, 75) that made him look like a legitimate building block. Instead, he saw his production and playing time dip the next two seasons, before settling into reserve roles the last two seasons. All told, he's got 93 homers and a .291/.363/.461 (122 OPS+) triple slash in 806 games with Philly. The other major leaguer was more interesting, as 23-year-old Ray Gonyea (11-9, 4, 4.18, 157) impressed in a split role between the pen and rotation as a rookie. A former 12th Rounder-turned-top-100-prospect, Goneya started 21 of his 41 games this season, but was much better as a reliever. He was still average as a starter, but with a front four of Allen winner Don Griffin (21-6, 2.01, 186), Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120), Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123), and Dick Wilson (7-7, 4.41, 79), there's not too much room for another starter. Regardless, Gonyea is the headliner, a potential middle-to-back of the rotation arm, and a worthy addition to the staff. Rounding out the return is catcher Larry McLean, but the 23-year-old is a former Kings 1st Rounder that has yet to show why. After 2 games in AA in 1958, he's yet to return, and won't function as more then catching depth unless Boston can unlock his potential.
After such a big and surprising deal, the baseball world was in shock, but the Fed teams still made a few more November trades before the league got quiet again. Detroit picked up veteran outfielder Charlie Phillips (.223, 1, 10, 2; .267, 2, 19, 6) and a prospect from the Gothams for two prospects. Sent to the Foresters from Detroit last offseason, Cleveland waived him midseason, and before he could get to Detroit, the Gothams were able to claim him. Able to re-acquire their outfielder, Phillips gives Detroit some extra outfield depth, and he could look to reclaim the center field spot he made home in 1959. Later, the Miners sent depth arm Carl Prichett (1-0, 3.52, 4) to their in-state rivals for 20-year-old outfielder Buck Russell, who they took in the 2nd in 1958. Neither of these deals seem to make a big impact, but it will be interesting to see how the 1961 season goes, with news of expansion coming to FABL.

Since the 1892 season, FABL has held consistent with 16 teams, but with recent relocation seeing the game capture new markets, expansion has felt like a foregone conclusion. Whether you respected the GWL talent or not, the rebel league showcased that baseball would be watched anywhere, and the west coast was an untapped market. First it was the Kings, moving from Brooklyn to Kansas City, followed by the Sailors and Stars leaving the colonies for California. As early as next season, those western teams could see travel become a little easier for them, with Dallas and LA on the shortlist for a fledgling franchise. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and even a return to New York have been floated, bringing excitement to baseball fans who don't have a team near them.

For the other 16 teams, 1961 could be the last season that feels regular, classic, even correct, and knowing that the baseball landscape could be thrown on its head, teams may approach the coming season differently. If expansion would occur, the new franchises would be able to select players directly from the historic organizations, meaning that each year prior to expansion could be the most talent you have on your squad. Will we see big trades trying to capture one more title? Or will teams become more conservative, trying to keep their options open in case their organizational depth is pillaged by the newcomers?

But one thing is for sure: once the expansion cat is out of the bag, baseball can never return to being same old game it once was.

And you know what? I think that's a good thing! Let's bring baseball to more fans everywhere!

• The baseball Hall of Fame expanded by two with word that Red Johnson and George Cleaves had each received enough votes for induction in what was the first year of eligibility for each of them. Johnson, who hit 535 homeruns in his career and was aptly known as "Big Timber", began his career with seven seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the New York Gothams in 1943 and won 4 Whitney Awards. Cleaves, who won two Whitney Awards, began in Pittsburgh before moving on to New York and was a teammate of Johnson's. Cleaves was selected to the all-star team 13 times, trailing only Bill Barrett in that category and had one more all-star game appearance than Johnson.
  

  

• Speaking of Bill Barrett. The 41-year-old made the All-Star game for the 15th time in his career. He played in 153 games for the Gothams this season, batting .333 but announced his retirement after the campaign.
  

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  MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS 15* Bill Barrett Retired13 George Cleaves Retired13 Bobby Barrell Retired12 Red Johnson Retired12 Ed Bowman New York11 Al Miller Retired11 Adam Mullins Retired11 Deuce Barrell Cleveland10* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland10 Skipper Schneider Retired10 Harry Barrell Retired10 Tom Bird Retired*selected to 1960 ASG

• Deuce Barrell is now 43 and says he will return for the 1961 season after going 12-10, 4.25 for Cleveland in 1960. He now has 329 career victories. If Barrell wins 12 more again in 1961 he will be tied for third all time wins with Aaron Wright and would trail only Double Al and Charlis Sis.
• Barrell and another 300-game winner, New York's Ed Bowman, each recorded their 2,500th strikeout just a week apart in August. They rank 4th and 5th all-time in that category with Deuce sitting at 2,531 career K's, three more than Bowman. Only Charlie Sis, Bill Temple and Mike Marner -all Hall of Famers- have fanned more FABL hitters.
• Other milestones reached this season include Edwin Hackberry, Charlie Rogers and Sherry Doyal all crossed the 2000 hit threshold and Hank Estill, Jerry Smith and Lloyd Coulter all joined the 300 homer club while Rod Shearer of the Chicago Chiefs hit his 350th career round-tripper.
• Stan Kleminski played in another WCS and became the first to appear in 50 WCS games and surpass 200 postseason at bats. Kleminski has taken part in 8 WCS in the past 9 years: six with Detroit and each of the past two seasons while playing for Cleveland.
• TWIFS baseball guru Archie Irwin calls it a controversial Continental Association Allen Award selection with 20-year-old Toronto sophomore Archie Smith. "Pretty Boy" was just 13-13 with a solid, but not dominant, 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+). Smith did lead the Conti with 213 Ks, but Irwin adds he has no idea how the Stars' Dewey Allcock didn't win. Unless voters just didn't want to write "Allcock" on their ballot. He struck out "just" 167 hitters, but had a better record (19-10), ERA (3.31), ERA+ (133), and pretty much everything else. Allcock led in not only ERA, but WHIP (1.20), K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2) while a win shy of the lead. The only edge for Smith is one extra inning, more strikeouts, and less hits allowed. Even crazier might have been the 14 to 2 first place split for Smith, who even played for a sub .500 team while Allcock's Stars won more then 75 games for the first time since 1953.
• Quite a rookie season for Keystones 22-year-old Harry Dellinger, who led the Fed in batting average (.350) and rbi's (125) while winning both the Whitney Award as MVP and the Kellogg Award as rookie of the year in the Federal Association. Dellinger also had two long hitting streaks this season: the first was 22 games in length and the second was 26.
• Boston may have Griffin, Sherman and Henderson on the mound but it seems to me that the St Louis Pioneers pitching staff is going to have a huge decade if they stay healthy. The Pioneers have three top-20 pitchers in Billy Hasson, Charlie Blake and Frenchy Mack and only Hasson, at 26, is older than 23. In addition there is a wagon full of young talent in St Louis. OSA says 24 year old Butch Abrams is at least a #2 arm, 21 year old Steve Madden is potentially a #1, 21 year old Al Grabner can "anchor a rotation", 25 year old Doc Carver is a middle of the rotation arm and 22 year old Danny Daniels also should settle in the rotation someday according to the scouting service. They also have #32 prospect Harry Johnson, who is 18 and their 1960 first round pick that OSA says can anchor a rotation along with 1958 3rd rounder Joe Lee who the scouting service feels could be a solid starter.

  They were known for their "3-H Club" when we last watched the Pioneers close up. I have a feeling we may need a new nickname for the 1960s St Louis rotation.

• There were two FABL no-hitters this season. Jake Pearson threw one for Cleveland against Kansas City in June while in September Slick Willie Davis of the Philadelphia Keystones tossed a no-hitter against Detroit. Pearson's effort for Cleveland was the first Foresters no-hitter since 1917 and just the second in team history.
• Del Filo might have been a playoff hero for Boston with two homers in his first career WCS game but the 24-year-old does not feel quite as comfortable navigating stairs as he does facing Cleveland pitching. In December, the 1954 first round pick, fell down a flight of stairs in his house and separated his shoulder. The Minutemen expect he will be ready to go when spring training gets underway.
• Notable retirements at the end of the season included Rats McGonigle and, as previously mentioned, Bill Barrett.
• The top pick of the 1960 FABL draft went to Pittsburgh and the Miners selected a high school middle infielder out of Florida by the name of Dixie Turner. Turner finished the season in Class B and cracked the OSA top ten prospect list. Headlining the OSA prospect pipeline are a pair of St Louis Pioneers in 22-year-old second baseman Bob Bell and 21-year-old outfielder Danny Davis.

FOOTBALL STARS SHINE BRIGHTEST IN AFA ONCE MORE

Baseball may no longer be king in New York as the ball Stars and Brooklyn Kings have long since left town and the New York Gothams seem far removed from their glory days. New York has also had some tough times on the ice with the Shamrocks continuing to languish at the bottom of the North American Hockey Confederation. But there is one team shining brightly in the New York City night. That would be the New York Stars football team - a club that has made the playoffs seven times in the past nine seasons, reached the title game five times and won three of them including a dominating 38-20 win over a rejuvenated Kansas City Cowboys squad in the 1960 title tilt.

What is interesting is the fact the Stars success this season came with a rookie quarterback and without star running back Bryan Mire. Mire, who was offensive player of the year in 1957 and league MVP the following season, announced his retirement at age 30 prior to the start of the season while quarterback Charlie Coons was released after Orlin Youngs was drafted 11th overall out of Oklahoma City State. Youngs started all 12 games, threw for nearly 2,000 yards and was named the offensive rookie of the year. The running game was also not a problem as Mire's longtime backup Larry Moen stepped up and the 7th year pro enjoyed the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career. Moen and Youngs each were named to the East roster for the All-Pro Classic.

The New York offense was solid but it was the Stars defense that truly excelled, allowing the least yards against in the league and surrendering the fewest points. Five Stars defensive starters were named All-Pros led by veteran linebacker Tom Keeney, who led the league in tackles.

New York finished with the best record in the league at 10-2 and really had no competition as the second place Philadelphia Frigates, who finished at 8-4, were 3-3 before putting things together in the second half of the season. The Frigates also made a major change at quarterback, electing not to resign veteran Pete Capizzi after missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, ending a string of five straight trips to the postseason. Capizzi was replaced by Jack Osterman, who was drafted 8th overall out of College of San Diego. Osterman had his ups and downs in the early going but really found his stride with in a November win over Cleveland in which the rookie threw 5 touchdown passes and put an end to any hopes the Finches might have had of overtaking the Frigates for the second playoff berth in the East.

Cleveland was 6-6 and their biggest problem was an inability to stop the run with opposing teams rushing for an average of nearly 210 yards per game against the Finches. Boston was also 6-6 as the Americans struggles continued. The Yanks have not won a playoff game since 1945 and somehow, despite a five game winning streak this season, still managed to only finish with a .500 record.

Fifth place Pittsburgh might be in even worse shape than the Americans, as the Paladins struggled through a 4-8 season and have not made the playoffs since 1952. Pittsburgh has another new quarterback in Landon Peek, who was selected 5th overall out of Detroit City College but he struggled with several nagging injuries. About the only good news for the Paladins was veteran halfback Dean Turgeon ran for a career best 1,186 yards after missing the entire 1959 season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Rounding out the East Division was the Washington Wasps, who had a terrible collapse. The Wasps won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958 and made the playoffs a year ago but a 5-game losing skid to end the season left the 3-9 Wasps under .500 for the first time since 1952.

Nobody stood out in the West Division but the Kansas City Cowboys finished 7-5 and that was good enough for a playoff berth. It ended a long run of suffering for the once proud franchise which made four straight appearances in the title game to start the decade but had gone 16-56 between 1954 and the end of last season. Wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit to start the season gave the Cowboys confidence and they won the division with a tiebreaker over the Maroons. Detroit, also 7-5, overcame a 2-4 start and made the playoffs with three straight victories to finish the season including a dominating 48-14 road win in Chicago in the season finale to leapfrog the Wildcats and finish second. The mini-quarterback controversy continued in the Motor City as Tom Griffin, a 1958 fourth rounder, again earned the starting job while Sled Hicks, who was a first round pick that same year and had an impressive rookie campaign, spent his second consecutive season as Hicks' backup. Despite some objections from team owner Rollie Barrell, the move must be working as the Maroons had the top passing offense in the league.

Back to back losses in St Louis and at home to Detroit to end the season cost the Chicago Wildcats a playoff berth despite the fact that Chicago led the West Division with 348 points. Second year quarterback Miller Bogert was terrific, passing for an AFA best 2,393 and 27 touchdowns so there certainly is something to build around in the Windy City.

San Francisco missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past seven years but a season ending win at home over Washington assured the Wings of a .500 record, marking the 9th consecutive season they have finished with at least six victories. Just one win in their final six outings doomed the Los Angeles Tigers to fifth place after a 4-2 start. The Tigers defense had plenty of problems, especially against the pass, and they allowed opponents to average more than 30 points a game against them. Last place St Louis had the league's Most Valuable Player in gifted running back Jim Kellogg, who gained 1,424 yards, but not much else as the Ramblers bumbled their way through a 3-9 season.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

Offensive rookie of the year Orlin Youngs started all 12 games at quarterback for the East Division leading New York Stars but he was forced to miss there playoff opener after he was injured late in the regular season finale against Philadelphia. That meant the Stars would be forced to go with untested backup Harris Kummer, also a rookie, under center in the rematch with the Frigates.

Kummer had thrown just 6 passes all season but the fifth round pick out of Miami State looked like a seasoned veteran in throwing a pair of first half touchdown passes as the Stars opened a 17-7 lead on the visiting Frigates at the break. Kummer did not slow down, adding a third touchdown toss in the final minute to conclude a game winning drive as the Stars pulled out a 27-20 victory.

Meanwhile the West Division playoff proved that the Kansas City Cowboys may just be for real. The Cowboys have been searching for success ever since Pat Chappell retired and longtime quarterback Scott Greenwell finally managed to win his first playoff game. It was in resounding fashion as the Cowboys blasted the Detroit Maroons 54-10 in a game that Greenwell went 20-f0r-28 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes while veteran halfback Mike Peel carried the ball for 135 yards.

Any celebration in Kansas City was short-lived as the New York stars dominated the final, opening a 35-3 lead at the break and then coasting to a 38-20 victory. Orlin Youngs was healthy enough to return to action and the Stars quarterback threw four first half touchdown passes while veteran halfback Larry Moen was named playoff MVP after rushing for 164 yards against the Cowboys a week after he went off for 168 yards in the win over Philadelphia.

GATORS CLASS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN

The Deep South Conference, or more specifically the state of Georgia, remained the capital of collegiate football as the Georgia Baptist Gators completed a perfect 11-0 season to win their second straight AIAA national grid title. This after their rivals from Noble Jones College had celebrated the previous two crowns following back to back undefeated seasons.

The Gators had early season non-conference victories over Abilene Baptist, Red River State and Maryland State in a game that required overtime to beat the South Atlantic Conference champions and one that would prove to be the Bengals only loss all season. The Gators also had some tough contests in section play, needing a late touchdown to beat Alabama Baptist by a single point and surviving close calls against Cumberland, Mississippi A&M and Central Kentucky. The Gators did have the luxury of not playing Noble Jones College for a change, as the 12 team Deep South Conference only plays seven games against its section opponents.

Noble Jones lost to Bayou State and was surprisingly upset by Northern Mississippi in late November to finish as one of four schools tied for second in the Deep South at 5-2. The others were the Bayou State Cougars, Cumberland and Western Florida with its first-ever five win showing in conference play. Only two Deep South schools in Georgia Baptist, which returned to the Oilman Classic to face the Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State Hawks, and the Cougars, who were tabbed for the Cajun Classic and a meeting with Charleston Tech, received invites to play on New Years Day.

Missing out on a New Years date was especially hard to swallow for the Colonels as Noble Jones College expected a huge year with its three big offensive stars playing their final seasons. Quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel -who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman- and end Don Bernard all had strong campaigns but a season opening 7-point loss to West Coast Athletic Association powerhouse Northern California hurt and a heartbreaking 19-16 defeat at home to Bayou State on a last second field goal made matters worse. Any dreams of a new years game came crushing down when Northern Mississippi (5-5) upset the Colonels 27-20 Thanksgiving weekend.

Maryland State emerged as the class of the South Atlantic Conference, going 7-0 in section play and 10-1 overall with the lone blemish being that early season overtime loss to Georgia Baptist. The Bengals kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 with just under two minutes remaining but Gators senior quarterback Jim Henson completed three big passes to put his club in position for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Henson then worked his magic in overtime with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jim Pukas and when the Bengals drive was stopped the game ended 17-10 in favour of the Gators. Despite the lose to Georgia Baptist, it was a special year for the Bengals who celebrated their first collegiate basketball title the previous April and then won the SAC football crown for the third time in the past four years.

*** MINERS COME CLOSE TO NATIONAL TITLE ONCE AGAIN ***

The Northern California Miners must be wondering just what else they have to do to win a national title. The Miners won their fourth straight West Coast Athletic Association title and are 26-2 in section play over that span. They have also finished second twice, including this year, third once and finally fifth in the national rankings the past four years.

This year Northern Cal, led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Watson's AIAA leading 1,429 yards passing, went 10-1 with the lone loss being a bad stumble, falling 38-9 in Bigsby Garden in a late season neutral site showdown with Rome State. The Miners rebounded the next week with a late rally to nip California rival Redwood 17-16 and secure their 7th New Years Day trip to Santa Ana in the past ten years.

Northern California's opponent would be a Central Ohio Aviators squad that entered the game with a perfect record and expectations of winning their first college football national title. It would have been very interesting to see how the voting would have gone had the Aviators prevailed but Northern California won quite easily and the perfect season was over for Central Ohio which dipped to fourth in the final rankings. The Aviators had a couple of close calls, nipping Coastal California 12-10 on a last minute field goal and needing overtime to beat another non-conference foe in Western Florida but they were dominant in their 27-17 win over Detroit City College to complete a perfect 7-0 record in Great Lakes Alliance play and earn a second trip in three years to face Northern California in the East-West Classic.

Among other schools perhaps the two biggest surprises were Huntington State and College of San Diego. The Huntington State Miners were one of nine teams that were kicked out of the South Atlantic Conference a decade ago and a formed a loose alliance of their own. The Miners were led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Rick Fisher who rushed for an AIAA best 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns as Huntington State went 10-1 on the regular season and earned an invitation to play on New Years Day for just the second time in school history. College of San Diego went 10-1 and also earned a classic invite. The Friars lone loss came to CC Los Angeles and the classic invite was their first since 1947.

The 45th annual edition of the East-West Classic ended in the exact same way as the previous three, with the Northern California Miners celebrating a victory over the Great Lakes Alliance representative. The Miners dynasty has certainly changed the landscape of the greatest New Years Day game, as prior to the Northern California run the GLA representative was on a six game winning streak.

This loss had huge implications for Central Ohio, which entered the game ranked number one in the nation and was looking for its first collegiate national title. Nerves perhaps got the best of both teams early as the first period was filled with penalties but the Miners did strike first with a field goal midway through the period. An unnecessary roughness call on Miners defensive lineman Del Upperman proved costly late in the opening quarter as it prolonged a Central Ohio drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run for Aviators back Joe Cress.

As it would turn out that would be all the scoring Central Ohio would manage and the game turned quickly in the closing minute of the first half. First it was the culmination of a 14-play, 55 yard drive that ended in a 5-yard Gil Cooper touchdown to put the Miners up 10-7 and two plays later Aviators end Ed Kuntz fumbled as he was tackled and that set up a late field goal to put Northern California ahead 13-7 at the break. The Miners defense was too much for Central Ohio after the break and the Aviators never came close to scoring while Northern California tacked on an additional 13 points in the second half to secure the 26-7 victory and put an end to any title hopes Central Ohio might have had.

With Central Ohio's perfect season in shambles that left just Georgia Baptist looking for perfection and a second straight national title. All that stood in the Gators way was their Oilman Classic opponent Lubbock State. It was the Hawks third straight appearance in the Oilman Classic and they struck first, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tom Pennington to conclude an opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Gators responded with a long drive of their own but it stalled at the Hawks 11-yard line and Georgia Baptist was forced to settle for just 3 points on a Mike Mannion field goal.

After a Lubbock State punt the Gators put together another long scoring drive, this one traversing 81 yards and concluding with Roger Harris scoring on a 3-yard run to put the Gators up 10-3. They would never trail again and while Lubbock State did make it close with a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-20, the Gators with halfback Harris leading the way with 133 yards rushing, never seemed in danger of losing.

The most notable of the other new years contests saw Maryland State rally with a 4th quarter touchdown to improve to 10-1 with a 22-15 victory over Oklahoma City State. The win moved the Bengals to third in the final rankings, behind the Gators and Northern California and one slot ahead of Central Ohio with Huntington State, winners of Desert Classic in overtime, claiming the fifth slot in the final rankings.

MARYLAND STATE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN

Overshadowed for years by South Atlantic Conference rivals Carolina Poly and North Carolina Tech, the Maryland State Bengals basketball team finally enjoyed its moment in the sun as they defeated another conference rival -Charleston Tech- in the title game to win the Bengals first-ever AIAA cage championship. The recent turnaround for Maryland State has been nothing short of miraculous over the past three seasons as the Bengals, who had never won a tournament game prior to the spring of 1958, reached the quarterfinals a year ago and went all the way this time around, downing the Admirals 70-58 in the title game behind a 15 point effort from junior forward Beryl Towne.

Maryland State finished the season with a 27-5 record, establishing a new school record for wins in a season but they finished second to Charleston Tech in the South Atlantic Conference record, losing on a tiebreaker after both schools finished section play 11-3, one game better than defending national champion Carolina Poly.

West Coast Athletic Association champ Redwood entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the Mammoths were assigned the top seed in the West Region. Another WCAA school, Coastal California was handed the top seed in the South while Carolina Poly headlined the East Region. The Bengals were sent to the Midwest as a second seed behind Great Lakes Alliance winners Central Ohio.

The Bengals opened with a game against 19-11 Custer College, champions of the lightly regarded Rocky Mountain Athletic Association. Sophomore forward Pepper Whitney, who led the Bengals in scoring with an 11.5 ppg mark had the hot hand in the tournament opener as the forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored 19 points in a 69-42 victory for his Bengals.

Next up was a talented Western Iowa team that had gone to the national title game a year ago but the Canaries were not match for Maryland State and absorbed a 77-48 thrashing from the Bengals. That set up a showdown with Central Ohio in the only regional file that followed script by matching its top two seeds. The Bengals led by two at the half and pulled away after the break to advance to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals for the first time in school history with a 53-46 grounding of the Aviators.

Redwood breezed through the West Region including a 12 point victory over third seeded Mississippi A&M in the regional final. The South Region saw third seeded Charleston Tech handle top seed Coastal California by a 59-49 score while the East drew plenty of attention as Dickson, the Academia Alliance champ that had not won a tournament game since the spring of 1917, was the surprise bracket winner after downing Liberty College 61-50 in the title game. The Bells had eliminated Carolina Poly, winners of three of the past six tournaments, in the second round.

Redwood was the tournament favourite and the Mammoths were playing in Bigsby Garden for the second April in the past three years. Redwood has advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six straight seasons but the Mammoths only national title came in 1947-48. They would fall short again this time as Charleston Tech, led by 18 points from senior forward Joe Satterfield, held on for a 64-62 victory to give the Admirals their first ever appearance in the national championship game.

Maryland State halted Dickson's run, dumping the Maroons 68-53 with sophomore Mark Robinson scoring 21 points to pace the Bengals attack and set up a third meeting with their conference rivals from Charleston. The Admirals had won each of the previous two, but the Bengals got their revenge in the biggest game for the pair all season, claiming a 70-58 victory and their first AIAA cage title.

HAWKS FLY HIGH AT COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

It was a long time coming but the Lubbock State Hawks finally won their third college baseball World Championship Series. The Hawks, who were the best AIAA baseball team in the country in 1922 and again six years later, emerged unscathed from the field of 16 hopefuls that gathered in Cleveland in early June. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 39-23 record, good enough to claim their third Southwestern Alliance title in the past four years and then won the five more games necessary to hoist the AIAA baseball championship trophy.

The Hawks start the tournament off with back to back shut out victories, blanking Pittsburgh State 7-0 in the opening round before nipping Mississippi Tech 1-0 in the second round as hurlers Logan Mantica and Chris Paulsen combined on a 3-hitter. The lone came in a wild seventh inning in which the Hawks loaded the bases with three straight singles and then with two-out third baseman Adam Wagner drew a full count walk which plated the only run of the contest.

Wagner, the Hawks lead-off man, had 3-hits and scored three times to lead Lubbock State past Wisconsin Catholic 11-5 and give the Hawks their first appearance in the AIAA finals since the old feeder days when the Hawks were led by catcher Jack Flint and beat a loaded Liberty College squad that included Tommy Wilcox and Jake Shadoan.

Deep South Conference champion Opelika State was the Hawks opponent in the finals after the Wildcats, who were making their fourth tournament appearance in the past five years, eliminated West Coast Athletic Association c-champs Portland Tech in the semi-finals with an 8-5 decision.

Homeruns by Charlie Hess, John Williams and Jim Smith staked Opelika State to a 5-0 lead after two innings of the opening game in the best-of-three final and the Wildcats breezed to a 6-4 victory. It was a much different story in game two as Lubbock State busted open what was a scoreless game with 9 runs in the third inning and the Hawks would add five more in the fifth as they tamed the Wildcats 16-2 to even the series.

Game three was a pitching duel as the Hawks Logan Mantic and three Opelika State hurlers dueled to a 1-1 draw after eight innings. Lubbock State would get a pair of key hits in the top of the ninth as Billy Fuston led off with a double and John Case followed with a 2-run homer off Opelika State's Harry Rowland. That would prove the difference as Lubbock State reliever Chris Paulsen set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to clinch the 3-1 victory for the Hawks.

ANOTHER ROOKIE GOALIE LEADS DUKES

For the second year in a row the big story in the North American Hockey Confederation was a surprise breakout season from a rookie goaltender in Toronto. A year ago it was Mike Connelly, a career minor leaguer who started his NAHC career with 4 consecutive shutouts and would go on to lead the Dukes to both the best regular season record and their record 11th Challenge Cup win. Now 28, Connelly found himself spending most nights on the bench as Toronto found another rookie with a hot glove in 26-year-old Justin MacPhee.

MacPhee, who was twice named Canadian Amateur Hockey Association goaltender of the year in junior with the Halifax Mariners, went undrafted and spent the past four seasons playing for the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League, two rungs below the NAHC. MacPhee was signed by the Dukes, presumably to be Connelly's back up but he did not take long to wrestle away the starting job. MacPhee played in 56 games, winning 32 and his 11 shutouts were just one shy of another former Duke Scott Renes 1954-55 record.

The Dukes finished with 86 points, good for a 7 point bulge on second place Boston but well off their record-setting 97 point showing of a year ago. Toronto still scored the most goals in the league and surrendered the fewest but they were not as effective as a year ago in no small part due to the fact that star center Quinton Pollack (27-31-61) missed 18 games due to injury and while the legendary Tommy Burns (17-23-40) did dress for all 70 contests, but his now 40-year-old body showed signs of breaking down with the lowest point total of his career. Thirty year old Ken Jamieson (27-29-56) had another strong season and often supplanted Burns as the second line pivot while the all-star duo on the blueline in Bobby Fuhrman (9-35-44) and Tim Brooks (8-17-25) anchored the stingiest defense in the league. The Dukes did slow in the second half of the season, playing just .500 hockey from late January until the end of the regular season but were still favourites to repeat as Cup champions.

Chasing Toronto were four teams that battled much of the season for the remaining three playoff spots. The Boston Bees were the hottest team down the stretch, going 11-2-1 over the final month to ensure they would finish in second and claim home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. If there were any lingering doubts about whether Jimmy Rucks was the new big star in Boston, they were erased this season as the 26-year-old right winger was named to the first all-star team for the second consecutive season and his 54 points, including 20 goals, paced the Bees and was the fifth highest total recorded in the loop this campaign. Boston might still be looking for a top center now that Wilbur Chandler is long gone but the Bees appear set on the wing with 27-year-old Jean Lebel (13-30-43), 26-year-old Gabe Vigneault (17-23-40) and 24-year-old Pierre Paquette (21-21-42) all playing key roles. 36-year-old Oscar James (24-16-7, 2.78) continues to guard the crease for Boston.

A late slump cost the New York Shamrocks second place but 75 points and a third place finish is a big win in the Big Apple, as the Shamrocks qualified for the playoffs after missing the post-season each of the previous five seasons. Marc Huot, a 25-year-old who was cut by Boston, joined the Shamrocks part way through last season and had a breakout year in his first season of fulltime NAHC duty. The Montreal born right winger scored 26 goals and finished with 57 points, third best in the league behind only Alex Monette of Detroit and Toronto's Pollack. Newcomer Mathew Garbowsky (20-16-36) also reached the twenty-goal plateau for the Shamrocks and 25-year-old Corb Maybury (16-28-44) took on a bigger role in his third full season on Broadway. New York did not match the offensive firepower of Toronto, Boston and Chicago but the Shamrocks did win a lot of tight games and edged out the Chicago Packers club for third place by a single point.

The Packers barely held off Detroit for the fourth and final playoff spot, finishing two points ahead of the Motors. Chicago seems to have moved on from the Tommy Burns era as a host of players in their early to mid-twenties, along with eight-year veteran rearguard Guy Bernier (13-35-48) who is still just 28, give Windy City fans plenty of hope for the future. The biggest hopes are pinned on Archer Cook (28-26-54), a 23-year-old 1955 second round pick who won the McLeod Trophy two years ago and this season became the first Packers forward to be named to the first all-star team since Burns and Max Ducharme earned the honour five years ago. Ducharme, by the way, once a fixture in Chicago but now 36 years of age, spent most of the season in Pittsburgh as the Packers fully embraced their youth movement. Left winger Ray Weller (23-29-52) made the league's Second All-Star team along with blueliners Bernier and first-time winner Mike Homfray (6-29-35). Other key pieces were forwards Ken York (20-27-47), Conn Maguire (16-25-41) and J.P. Morissette (15-25-40).

Iron man goaltender Henri Chasse (30-28-12, 2.72) played every minute of every game for Detroit for the third year in a row but it was not enough to keep the Motors from missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Detroit's Alex Monette (30-43-77) won his second straight scoring title and claimed the McDaniels Trophy for the first time his career but the 27-year-old missed 7 games with various injuries and Detroit lost six of them in his absence, which proved the difference between finishing fourth and fifth. Detroit did receive secondary scoring from veterans Nick Tardif (23-23-46) and Lou Barber (15-27-42) and career best point production from 25-year-old Alex Guindon (15-33-48). Another 25-year-old in defenseman Anthony Beauchemin (8-16-24) shows plenty of promise on the backend. Beauchemin is hardly a new face as the he has been playing for the Motors since he turned 19.

It was another awful year for the Montreal Valiants, who won just 11 of 70 games and their 34 points broke the record for futility in a 70 game season, finishing with one point less than the awful 1950-51 Chicago Packers. After back to back playoff appearances, most in Montreal thought the gloomy days of the 1950's, where the Vals went six seasons without a sniff of playoff action, where over but this year set new lows. Montreal had trouble scoring with only veteran Jocko Gregg (22-32-54) and youngsters Mathew Muir (22-26-48) and Roy Forgeron (11-25-36) enjoying much success, but there biggest problem was keeping the puck out of their net. The Valiants allowed a record 254 goals against, smashing their old record of 235 set 8 years ago and allowing 56 more against than any other NAHC team surrendered this season. Nathan Bannister (5-26-9, 3.53) and Tim Burrows (6-20-2, 3.34) are not considered to be bad goaltenders and there is some talent on the blueline but for some reason the Valiants have just never been able to do the job and for the second time in just over two years they are looking for a new coach after Andrew Stymiest was fired following the season. He lasted 79 games behind the Montreal bench.

1959-60 NAHC PLAYOFFS

The Toronto Dukes had cause for worry when they found out their semi-final opponent would be the Chicago Packers. Despite Toronto finishing 12 points ahead of the Packers, Chicago dominated the season series between the two clubs with the Packers winning 9 of their 14 meetings. Like they did a year ago, the Dukes put their fate in the hands of a rookie goaltender but this time it was Juneau Award winner Justin MacPhee instead of Mike Connelly.

Chicago's J.P. Morissette beat MacPhee with one minute remaining in the third period of the opener to tie the game at 3 but it would be the hometown Dukes who came out on top as Tim Amesbury notched the game winner after nearly 24 minutes of extra time. Chicago rebounded with a 3-2 win in the second game to head to the Lakeside Auditorium with the series tied at one.

They would split the two games in the Windy City. Chicago took game three by a 3-2 score as Mark Milot scored the winner in overtime after ex-Packer Tommy Burns had tied the contest late in the third period. The Packers outshot the Dukes 40-25 in the game. Game four was all Toronto as Ken Jamieson and Mitch Moran each had a goal and an assist to pace the visiting Dukes to a 5-2 victory.

For the third time in the series overtime was needed to decide a winner as game five was deadlocked at four after sixty minutes. Archer Cook, the Packers talented young winger, was the hero when he beat Toronto netminder Justin MacPhee 18 minutes into the extra frame. Ken York had scored twice for the Packers while Toronto defenseman Jimmy Cooper had a goal and two helpers while Jamieson scored twice in a losing cause. Back home for game six, the Packers wrapped the series up with a 5-2 victory as Ken York had 3 assists while Conn Maguire scored twice to pace the Packers.

In the other semi-final series the New York Shamrocks were hitting the ice in Boston for their first taste of playoff action since 1954. The Greenshirts got off to a fantastic start, sweeping both games at Denny Arena to start the series. The opener saw New York goaltender Dalton Duco record a shutout in his playoff debut as the Shamrocks skated to a 3-0 victory with Corb Maybury scoring twice and assisting on the third New York tally. Game two was much tighter as the Shamrocks opened a 3-1 lead in the second period but goals from veteran rearguard Mickey Bedard and Luc Fournier allowed Boston to tie it. Jim Macek was the overtime star with a goal just shy of 13 and a half minutes into the extra period.

After dropping the first two games at home, the Boston Bees problems grew even larger with a 2-1 loss in the third game. Alex Sorrell, who was a surprise starter in game two after Duco's shutout in the opener, was called upon again in the third game and was outstanding, turning aside all but one of the 37 shots Boston fired at him. Simon Savard and Alex Breen scored the New York goals with Byron Redmond assisting on both.

There was no margin for error for the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none but then completed a most-improbable comeback with four straight victories to take the series. The Bees were up against the wall in game four, trailing 2-0 after two periods but Jack Gariepy and Gabe Vigneault scored in the third period to force overtime and Jonathan Poirier needed just 4:30 of overtime to end the game, scoring on the powerplay to keep the Bees alive. Jake Stockman scored once and added two assists as the Bees doubled New York 4-2 in game five and then battled back after the Shamrocks scored twice in the opening 96 seconds of game six to beat New York 5-2. Jimmy Rucks had 3 points while Ben Jacobs scored twice for the Bees who had knotted the series after losing each of the first three games.

*** Bees Complete Comeback ***

Boston has done nothing the easy way this series so when the Shamrocks scored three times in a span of less than four minutes to take a 3-1 lead just over six minutes into the second period there was likely far less alarm on the Boston bench than one might have expected. The Bees tied the game with goals from Ben Voyechek and Neil Wilson before the period had ended and then added three more in the third period before the defeated Shamrocks meekly responded with one late goal. One of the biggest comebacks in NAHC history had been completed as the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none and by two goals entering the third period of the fourth game, rallied to win four straight and advance to the Challenge Cup Finals.

BOSTON AND CHICAGO FINALS

The Bees and Packers were meeting in the Challenge Cup finals for the second time in four years. They were far from strangers in post-season action as Chicago and Boston were facing off for the fourth time in the last 14 years. Boston had won two of the three previous meetings including the battle from four years ago.

The Bees entered the series on a 4-game winning streak and stretched it to five straight but not before requiring overtime to dispose of Chicago in game one. The final score was 3-2 with Boston rookie Brad Lowenberger being the unlikely hero, saving his first career playoff goal to be an overtime winner. Chicago goaltender Garrett Topping made 35 saves two nights later as the Packers left Boston with the series knotted at one following a 5-2 victory in the second game. Charlie Bowman paced the Chicago attack, setting up three first period goals to stake the Packers to an early lead.

Game three saw the Bees jump out to a 3-0 lead but the Packers scored five unanswered goals over the final 37 minutes to claim a 5-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series. J.P. Morissette and Ray Weller each had a goal and two assists to lead Chicago while Pierre Paquette had the same for the visiting Bees. Topping made 27 saves as Chicago blanked Boston 5-0 in game four.

*** Bees Stage Another Comeback ***

It was time for another Boston comeback as the Bees, after overcoming a 3 games to none deficit in the semi-finals, looked to rally after trailing 3-1 in the finals. Game five in Boston saw Mathieu Harnois and Jean Lebel each scored in the final 13 minutes to lift the Bees to a 3-1 victory. Back to Chicago, where they had been defeated twice, the Bees relied on veteran goaltender Oscar James and he delivered with a 29 save shutout in a 3-0 Boston win. Tommy Elliott opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Jean Lebel and Neil Wilson added insurance markers in the third stanza.

Game seven was a terrific goalie showdown between James and Topping. Neither team scored in the opening period despite the Bees enjoying a pair of power play opportunities. The only goal of the middle period came courtesy of Boston all-star winger Jimmy Rucks, who notched his playoff leading 6th goal midway through the frame. The third period was tight checking as the Bees held the Packers to just seven shots while managing only four of their own. Neither team could score and the game ended 1-0 giving James back to back shutouts and the Bees another amazing comeback.

Much like baseball, which has confirmed it will add four more franchises in 1962, the Federal Basketball League has had discussion of expanding but, having been burned once before, the loop started by Rollie Barrell in 1946 seems content, at least at the moment, with 8 stable clubs. The Federal League had been big dreams in its infancy and quickly went from eight to seventeen teams by 1948 only to see most flounder. Since the 1955-56 campaign the league has been a stable group of eight teams with only the move of the Rockets from small-market Rochester, N.Y., to St Louis marking any changes.

Whether they were based in Rochester or St Louis the Rockets have been the class of the FBL's West Division, winning six of the last seven division regular season titles including each of the past two seasons after their move to the shores of the Mississippi. They won 50 games for the second consecutive season, something that has only been accomplished five times in FBL history and three of them were by the Rockets. Their leader this season was an unlikely hero by the name of Rick Sims. A 29-year-old center, Sims was a back-up behind Billy Bob McCright for each of his first six seasons in the league but as McCright showed signs of slowing down Sims seized his opportunity.

Sims started all 76 games and was one of just three players to average more than 20 points per game while also providing dominant defense for the Rockets. He was rewarded with the FBL's Most Valuable Player Award and combined with fellow all-league first team forward Wayne Wyrick to give St Louis a team that dominated at both ends of the court thanks to a stellar supporting cast in vets Danny Rachor and Verle Schoonmaker along with first year starter Jerry Kosior.

Second place Detroit finished 5 games back of the front-running Rockets. The Mustangs, led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne and a slowing but still effective Ziggy Rickard, actually outscored St Louis but could not match the Rockets defensive intensity. It was a long way back to third place as the Chicago Panthers finished a full 15 games behind the second place Mustangs. Luther Gordon was once more first team all-league and his 22.8 points per game was good enough to win his 7th scoring title but even a breakout year for 30-year-old Chris Rogerson, who more than doubled his previous career best in averaging just shy of 20 points per game, was not enough to allow the Panthers to keep pace with the big two in the West Division. The Toronto Falcons finished last in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season with the lone bright spot being the play of Bill Spangler. The 3rd year guard out of CC Los Angeles had a breakout season and was named first team All-League.

A 10-game winning streak late in the season helped the New York Knights hold off both Boston and Philadelphia to finish with the best record in the East at 44-32. It marked the first time New York led the division since 1954-55 and the big reason was Howie Farrell. Unlike a year ago Farrell did not win the scoring title but his 22.5 ppg was good for second place and he was named to the All-League Second Team.

The Boston Centurions were battling with New York for top spot in the East Division all season but stumbled down the stretch with just three wins in their final 14 games. They did manage to hold on to second place, claiming a tiebreaker over Philadelphia after both the Centurions and Phantoms ended the season with identical 39-37 records, good enough to put an end to Boston's 4-year playoff drought. The Centurions scored the fewest points in the league, but they had the best defense and led the loop in both rebounds and blocked shots. Guard Steve Barrell followed up his rookie of the year season with a strong sophomore campaign but a mid-March concussion cost him 26 games and coincided with the Centurions late slump. Mel Turcotte continues to be the leader in Philadelphia as the Phantoms veteran center led the loop in rebounds, averaging 13.7, while also scoring at 16.5 point per game clip.

The surprise team left without a playoff chair in the East Division when the music stopped was the Washington Statesmen. It marked a first as the FBL's most successful team was coming off a season when it won its FBL record fourth title and had made the playoffs each of the first 13 years of the league. In fact, going back to the old American Basketball Conference, the Statesmen had not missed the playoffs since their inaugural season of 1937-38. A serious knee injury to Jack English, who along with Ernie Fischer and Hank Adkins were the leaders of the most recent title winner hurt the team as English was limited to just 10 games. Fischer was his usual solid self as the big man in the middle, but Adkins struggled and eventually lost his starting guard job. A dreadful stretch beginning in mid-January when the Statesmen won just once in a dozen outings stated with an exclamation point that a 19-year playoff streak was coming to an end in the nation's capital.

FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
ST. LOUIS GETS ITS TITLE

While Washington was not invited to the playoff party to defend its title, six teams were gearing up for the second season to figure out who would succeed the Statesmen. New York won the East and waited for Boston and Philadelphia to sort out the make-up of the Eastern Divisional Final, while St. Louis was treated to a bye in the Western Divisional Playoff.

Familiar foes kicked off the playoffs in the Western Divisional Semifinal, as Detroit and Chicago renewed acquaintances. It was a contrast of styles, with Detroit’s power coming from its back court tandem of Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin, while Chicago is still led by Luther Gordon and center Chris Rogerson. Bayne and Corwin were a thorn in Chicago’s side all series.

Bayne dished out 13 assists to go along with 16 points in Game One, scored 30 points in Game Two, and after the Mustangs squandered their 2-0 lead in the series, Bayne was named Player of the Game in the deciding Game Five, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds.

Corwin had a great game in Game Two, with 29 points in the Mustangs 116-90 win. The only game decided by less than ten points was the final game and while the home team won all five games in the series, the last one for Detroit was not easy. The Mustangs won, 84-81, and had to hang on against Chicago, as the Panthers chipped away at Detroit’s nine-point edge heading into the fourth quarter.

St. Louis inherited a solid team, a league champion, when the Rockets relocated from Rochester, and the “little engine that could” still had its stars from the Rochester championship, though the torch has been passed. Billy Bob McCright comes off the bench now and Marlin Patterson was a spare player who did not even see action during the regular season. They were simply insurance behind the new stars of the club with Rick Sims and Wayne Wyrick. Sims was the MVP of the regular season and picked up right where he left off when the Western Divisional Final started.

St. Louis built a quick three games-to-none series lead over Detroit with a couple of close wins at home, 75-74 and 72-69. Sims scored 24 points in Game One and Wyrick poured in 22 points in Game Two. Sims and Wyrick combined for 59 points in the 108-95 win in Game Three that pushed Detroit to the brink.

Corwin and the Mustangs tried to claw their way back and they were able to force a sixth game. Corwin averaged 21.3 points in the series and played better as the series went on, scoring 26 points and adding 15 rebounds in Game Four. The Rockets, specifically Rick Sims, were just too much for Detroit. Sims averaged 25.8 points in the series, including 30 points in the Game Six, which was the clincher.

The Eastern Division Semifinal was not nearly as dramatic, though the teams who tipped off against each other had the same regular season record (39-37). Boston defeated Philadelphia in three straight to move on and face New York. Bert LaBrecque, who has come into his own in his third season, arrived in Boston’s first playoff run in years. LaBrecque scored 23 in Game One and 25 more in Game Two. To complete the sweep, Boston had to win it in overtime on the road. It was Boston’s guard play of Charlie Stark (25 points) and Steve Barrell (22) that pushed the Centurions to victory. Mel Turcotte was quiet in the first two games of the series, but he had 27 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three to give Philadelphia a chance.

New York won the opener of the East Final behind a former Playoff MVP, Howie Farrell, and his 26 points, but LaBrecque was at it again to steal a split of the two games in New York. Game Two saw Boston come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 77-75, as LeBrecque scored 26 points, offsetting 24 from Farrell. Boston went home and win both games to take a commanding three games-to-one lead.

Boston could not close the series out in New York, but won it at Denny Arena, 94-62. LaBrecque scored 16, but the star of the game was center Wally Moorehead, who is known more for his fearsome defensive presence than his offensive traits. Moorehead led all scorers with 22 points in the victory.

The momentum carried over into the FBL Finals between St. Louis and Boston. Boston drew first blood with a 100-80 win in St. Louis, getting off to a 28-14 first-quarter lead and managing the game from there. LaBrecque scored 26 points and Stark (18 points, 10 assists) missed a triple double by a single rebound. Boston shot an unsustainable 47% from the floor as a team.

St. Louis collected itself and won Game Two to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, 87-76. Sims once again led the way with 28 points and Wyrick added 19 points while St. Louis was the hotter shooting team. The series moved to Boston and, for the Centurions, the momentum that helped in Game One came back to bite them. Boston’s hot shooting ran cold and St. Louis won the battle of the front court. The Centurions managed only 66 points in Games Three and Four. Sims scored 30 points in Game Two and 28 points in Game Three, both victories for St. Louis that gave the Rockets a two games-to-one series lead.

Boston came so close to tying the series in Game Four, but the team suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, managing only six points to turn an 18-point fourth-quarter lead into a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to push them to within one game of elimination. St. Louis had to work for it, but the damage to Boston was done. Game Five went to overtime in a game that was tight throughout. Rick Sims set a personal best with 40 points in Game Five in the 78-76 victory, as he carried the Rockets on his back to deliver St. Louis a championship.

Sims had a playoff scoring average of 26.9 points to double up his regular season MVP award with Playoff MVP hardware.

ELLIS BUILDING LEGACY IN WELTER DIVISION

Eugene Ellis continued his dominance of the welterweight class in 1960 as the 29-year-old added three more victims to his impressive resume - one which has seen him involved in every title fight in the division since 1956. The Seattle native is now 42-4-1 and slowing no signs of slowing down although he had a close call early in the year when he faced Dan Hampton in Baltimore.

The battle was the toughest Ellis had been involved in since he lost a split decision to Lonnie Griffin nearly three years ago as Hampton just keeping coming despite being knocked down twice by the champ in their bout. Those knockdowns proved the difference as Ellis prevailed after 15 rounds, but only in the minds of two of the three ringside judges.

With the close call behind him, the Seattle native returned to the west coast where he would have far less trouble in his other two title fights in 1960. Brogan Cattlin travelled all the way from Ireland to Los Angeles, toting with him a big reputation and an impressive 41-1-2 record but Ellis made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the 6th round of their July tussle. Four months later in his hometown of Seattle, Ellis toyed with Michael Wheeler much of the fight and claimed an easy unanimous decision.

The middleweight belt also did not change hands in 1960 as Canadian George Quisenberry, who had won the title from the now retired Mark McCoy in September of 1959, retained control of the division. British challenger Oscar Woodings did fight Quisenberry to a stalemate in the champ's hometown of Toronto in April but Quisenberry scored a unanimous win over the Englishman in a rematch three months later. His final fight was a duel with former champ George Hatchell at the famous Bigsby Gardens and it was a clean decision for the Canadian.

Dave Courtney's brief fling with the heavyweight title ended quickly as, while he did score a unanimous decision over Ezra Frishman in January, he was badly beaten by George Gallashaw, a hard throwing puncher from Syracuse who knocked out Courtney in their May bout to take the title. The 24-year-old Gallashaw would improve to 31-1 for his career with a 7th round TKO of Norm Robinson in his first title defense in October. Gallashaw's only blemish was a title fight loss to former champ Brad Harris a year and a half ago, in a bout that might have just been a little too ambitious for the youngster at that point in his career.

A new decade is dawning and, with it, a sense of renewed optimism. Youth will be served, sooner or later. The War years are in our rear-view mirror, the Red Scare has faded. The future is coming. It is the same brilliant hue of a sunrise. In the sport of boxing, youth has been served.

George Gallashaw is the Heavyweight Champion of the World at the age of 24. George Quisenberry has owned the Middleweight Champion’s belt for the entire calendar year, won his title last year when he was 24 years of age. Eugene Ellis is the old man of the trio of champions, as the Welterweight Champion is 29 with 47 professional fights to his name.

Gallashaw had a title shot in June 1959 as a 23-year-old against then-champion Brad Harris. The moment was too big for Gallashaw, as he suffered his only professional loss to date in a third-round TKO. Harris would drop his next fight to Dave Courtney and Courtney was champion until Gallashaw had his second shot at the belt.

Courtney kicked off the year in January with a fourth-round knockout against a lesser opponent, journeyman Ezra Frishman, but Gallashaw was awarded the next fight. Gallashaw, who hails from Syracuse, New York, went west to Cleveland’s Lake Erie Arena with nothing but confidence. He was ready for this chance. Gallashaw was effective, efficient, and he did not let Courtney permeate his excellent defense.

Gallashaw built an early lead, having his way with the champion and barely taking any punches for the first couple of rounds. Courtney was knocked down in the fourth round and by the middle rounds, Gallashaw was in excellent shape. Courtney had his best round in the eighth, but it barely registered. Gallashaw out-pointed Courtney is every round until he made it official with a knockout in the tenth round. It is hard to remember a title fight this one-sided.

After winning the belt in May, his first defense was a successful one, as he defeated Norm Robinson in October by technical knockout in the seventh round. Robinson is only a year older than the young champion Gallashaw, and started the bout well, holding his own through the first four rounds. Gallashaw earned a quick knockdown in the fifth before dropping Robinson in the seventh, where he rained incessant blows upon the challenger, causing referee Frank Garcia to call the fight with only a few seconds remaining in the round.

The heavyweight division was the only division in professional boxing where a title belt changed hands, but it was close. In the middleweight ranks, George Quisenberry fought to a draw against Oscar Woodings in April before winning by unanimous decision in the July rematch. In the draw, Quisenberry had to contend with a nasty cut inside his left eyebrow, which he suffered in the ninth round and hampered him for the rest of the evening, but it was not enough to lose the fight. Quisenberry was cut again in the rematch, this time in the fourth round. However, he persevered, scoring both knockdowns in the fight and he was ahead at the end of 15 rounds by all three judges.

Quisenberry also exorcised a demon, as he defeated George Hatchell, who had beaten him for his only previous loss in 1958, taking away the middleweight title in the process. Hatchell was already a two-time champion but failed in his quest to win the belt a third time in what may be the sunset of his career.
Eugene Ellis has become “Ol’ Reliable” of boxing, as his exploits in the welterweight division have made him one of the great championships of the weight class. Except for a loss in 1958 to Lonnie Griffin, Ellis has held the title consistently since 1956. This year, Ellis had three fights and two went the distance, but the most harrowing bout for Ellis was his February match against Dan Hampton, the 28-year-old Scranton, Pa. native.

The margin of error was razor-thin throughout. Each fighter scored a knockdown with Hampton dropping Ellis in the fourth round and Ellis returned the favor in Round 12. Each fighter also had a point deducted for illegal maneuvers. The fight went to the end and, luckily for Ellis, two of the three judges had Ellis as the victor. The split decision win for Ellis gave him a reprieve and let to a relatively easy time of it against lesser competition for the rest of the year to end the year with his title reign intact.

George Quisenberry won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1960 with his 2-0-1 record and the vanquishing of George Hatchell, the only opponent to beat him.

If reports are to be believed the Continental Association is returning to New York City. After abandoning Manhattan and Brooklyn nearly a decade ago, Continental fans have had the choice of switching over to the dreaded Gothams in Queens, following another CA ball club, or sitting home and catching up on other sports.

But that it all to change in about one year's time. If all goes according to plans an expansion draft will take place next winter to create a brand new team for the Big Apple. Granted, your new team will be rostered with cast-offs and those with little prospect, but it's a start. You may begin to dream.

After some digging and a few late night beverages I can report two bits of interesting information. The new teams name will be the New York Imperials.

I can just see the headlines now as the "Imps" challenge the Gothams for the hearts of New York fans. Where will the Imperials play, you ask? Ah, well that's the other bit of information. It will be right here in Manhattan, where a not so ancient ball park sits vacant. Dyckman Field, opened 1934, sits at the northern tip of Manhattan. I'm told that with a fresh coat of paint it will be ready for the 1962 season.

I hope you're all looking forward to a new era in Figment Baseball as the league expands for the first time in the modern era, bringing baseball to cities, new and old. I plan to be here with all the information and reporting on the New York Imperials.

Tales From The Manor- Dukes Fine Regular Season Leads to Disappointing Postseason -- The Toronto Dukes again proved to be the class of the NAHC from October-March as once more they finished first with 38-22-10 record for 86 points, seven more than second place Boston. The season was two stories: one good but the other raising questions of the future for Jack Barrell's charges in the Sixties.

The good story was between the pipes where the Dukes found an unexpected hero in Justin MacPhee, 25. MacPhee who went undrafted after a 5 year career in junior with the Halifax Mariners, eventually signed with Tacoma in the GWHL in 1955. MacPhee spent 4 seasons toiling for the Lions with limited success before winning Goalie of the Year in 1959 for Tacoma. The Dukes scouting staff convinced Barrell to invite him to camp on a tryout in which he was impressive enough to garner a contract with the Dukes. The $1800 deal may prove to be the one the biggest steals in NAHC history. MacPhee went on to lead the league in wins, 32, GAA, 2.22, save percentage at 92.1% not bad for a player who was plying his trade in the low minors last season. He was backed up by last year's goaltending phenom, Mile Connelly, giving the Dukes a solid crease tandem for the next few years.

The concern going forward for the Dukes fans could be in the club's ability to put pucks into the net. Quinton Pollack, 37, again finished second in the scoring race to Detroit's Alex Monette with 27-34-61 despite playing only 52 games after suffering a broken jaw on Feb 9th in practice when Pollack, while working on deflections, took a shot to the face. The team only had two twenty-goal scores in '59-60, with the other being Ken Jamieson with 27 to go with 29 helpers for 56 points, numbers good enough to place Jamieson 4th in the scoring race. Tommy Burns, 40, failed to score twenty for the first time in 16 seasons. Burns ended up with 17 goals and 40 points for his lowest total since collecting 33 points (in just 48 games) as a 22 year old in 1943. Troubling is the fact that Burns managed to score only one goal on the power play. Given their ages along with Pollack's injury history the Dukes are hoping that Jamieson can take on a larger scoring role along with Tim Amesbury to take some of the pressure off Burns, Pollack.

After cruising to the league title, leading the NAHC in goals scored while surrendering the fewest goals against, the Dukes faced the Chicago Packers in the semi-finals. The Packers held off a late season charge by Detroit to secure the final playoff spot by two points over the Motors. Toronto found out quickly that Chicago was playing for keeps even though they finished 14 points behind the Dukes. The Dukes won the first game in the second overtime period on a goal by Tim Amesbury after J.P. Morissette had tied the game at 3 with a minute to play in regulation. Chicago took a surprising 2-1 series lead with back to back 3-2 wins. The second one in overtime before 16,920 in the Auditorium who were seeing their first playoff action in years. Toronto evened the series at two with a 5-2 win in Chicago leaving the fans thinking that the Packers were a mere bump in the road before advancing to the Challenge Cup final. The Gardens, with 14,235 on hand, witnessed a rally then a collapse by the Dukes in Game Five. Down 2-1 after twenty the Dukes scored three in less than 4 minutes in the second, including one by Pollack who returned for the playoffs, to take a 4-2 lead. Enso Eckler narrowed the gap to one before then end of the second and Ken York sent the game to overtime with a goal in the third setting the stage for Archer Cook's game winner at 18:15 of overtime. That 5-4 loss crushed the Dukes who went out meekly two nights later in Chicago. Packers skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory to eliminate Toronto.

Coach Barrell- "No excuses, we took the Packers far too lightly. Defensively we appear to be fine going forward. I have find the proper line combinations to spread the scoring around with the load moving off Tommy, Quinton even if just a little. Ken Jamieson has found his scoring touch, i need to find the proper wingers for him."

Tales From The Den- More Of The Same Another Non-Competitive Season --The Wolves starts the Sixties the way they ended the Fifties, losing more than they win. They have now stretched their consecutive streak of sub .500 seasons to 12 with a 68-86 record in 1960. The team extinguished any hopes for the fans of progressing in the CA by going 31-53 between June 1st to August 31st after staying at .500, 21-21, through April, May.

At the plate, where there had been signs of hope in recent seasons, the team regressed to start the new decade finishing in the bottom half of the CA in all hitting statistics. There biggest bat, Tom Reed, slumped to .289/.363/.453 18 HR 80 RBI which would be a good season for most FABL players but not for those of Reed's stature. John Wells was a consistent bat in lineup over the summer posting a line of .270/.341/.397 15 HR 76 RBI while providing above average defense at second base on a team that again was poor in the field. Fans will not see Wells in a Wolves uniform any longer as he was dealt to Kansas City in October for a young OF prospect by the name of Frank Hardin, 23, after spending eleven seasons in Toronto. With the exception of new shortstop Jesse Taylor, 24, who led the team in RBI with 87, the rest of the bats were anemic. Taylor's glove while not outstanding at least gave the Wolves the dependable fielder at short they have not seen since the days of Charlie Artuso, a name few of the new generation of fans even recognize from the Wolves' glory days of the early Forties.

On the mound the Wolves again get effective starting pitching but once more dealt with the problem they have had for years, an ineffective bullpen coupled with porous defense. Wilson Pearson, who was supposed to be the shutdown man to secure late inning leads blew almost as many games, 12, as he saved, 15. Arnie Smith, who was the controversial winner of CA Allen Award with 13-13, 3.44 record, led the CA in strikeouts with 213 followed by teammate George Hoxworth with 173. Whitey Stewart suffered through a second subpar season at 6-13, 5.18. The highly touted pitcher who went first overall in 1953 is starting to remind longstanding fans of Les Ledbetter who is still plying his trade in Buffalo. The Wolves have not been successful in developing talent for the last decade which shows in their record.

Fans who might hope the club's future is the minor league system will probably be disappointed as the system again ranks in the bottom half of the FABL. Change up top has happened again as the team fired GM George Thomas in October after three seasons at the helm. His record was an undistinguished 217-245 with a 5th, 6th and 7th place finish in the CA. Owner Bernie Millard handed the keys to the front office to an unproven Dan Atwater, 38, which most fans believe will lead to more losing as the new GM attempts to implement his plans for a new direction for the Wolves. Atwater spent 11 years in the FABL as a pitcher for New York Stars, Boston and San Francisco putting together a 95-105, 4.03 record.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1960

• Jan 2- US Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
• Jan 19- The United States and Japan sign a treaty of mutual cooperation and security.
• Adolph Coors III, chairman of the brewing company, is kidnapped and his captors demand a ransom of $500,000. He is later found murdered.
• Mar 6- The United States announce that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam.
• May 1- A Soviet missile shoots down an American U-2 spy plan and pilot Gary Powers is captured.
• May 6- President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights act of 1960 into law.
• May 16- Khrushchev demands an apology from Eisenhower for the Spy Plane. The incident cuts the 1960 Paris summit short.
• Jul 13- John F. Kennedy wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Two weeks later Vice President Richard Nixon earns the Republican nomination.
• Aug 6- In response to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
• Aug 19- In Moscow, downed American pilot Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.
• Sep 26- Candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the first televised presidential election debate.
• Oct 14- Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps.
• Nov 8- In a close race Kennedy is elected over Nixon, becoming (at 43) the youngest man elected President.
• Dec 2- President Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who have been arriving in Florida at the rate of 1,000 a week.

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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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