OGAL 1939 PREDICTIONS

The Our Gang APBA League (OGAL) enters its sixth season and the League Secretary is please to announce annual predictions of this coming campaign. Since 1934, the League Secretary has predicted eighteen of the twenty playoff participants. Last season, we predicted all four teams that entered the playoffs and correctly predicted the World Champion. The last few seasons have been dominated by a select group of franchises. That is clearly about to change as all three divisions will have makeovers this year. We can expect three different division winners with two exciting division races. Last season, the pennant race centered around the Wild Card participant. This season, the races in the Cobb Division and the Wagner Division will be fierce. We predict the Wild Card race will not be as close as last seasons one game playoff. However, the Wild Card race may prove to be exciting as there is clearly more balance in 1939 than any season in the recent past. As mentioned in previous prediction letters, it is always a pleasure to write these narratives for each franchise and their respective General Managers. Since the beginning of our crusade to form one of the finest retro leagues on the Internet, the OGAL still retains half of their original twelve members. For those of you keeping track, the original six are Steve Parsons of the Bay State Pilgrims, Jeff Evanoff of the Grovetucky Kardiaks, John Lippincott of the Cooperstown Double Days, Claud Parsons of the Mechanicsville Mole Rats, Warner and Lou Ann Maul of the Flint Arrows, and Dave Breeden of the Parkstein Wild Boars. It’s always a great pleasure to bring in new faces and this year is no exception. We wish to welcome Jim Bresnahan of the new Lexington Rebels. Jim succeeds Stuart Blake of Staten Island Gems fame. Early in the 1938 campaign, original OGAL member Tony Axe departed the league with his Sumter Sun Dogs. We wish to welcome Dave Heller and the Syracuse Stars to the OGAL as he begins his first full season at the helm as GM of that proud franchise. Now that introductions have been completed, lets proceed to the task at hand and look at each team and their expectations for the 1939 campaign.

Cobb Division

John Lippincott barely missed the playoffs in a memorable 1937 Wild Card race with the DC Clout. Lippincott is angling for the playoffs this season and made several acquisitions during the offseason to put his team in position to win their first division title. Lippincott also changed the name of the team from Keglers to Double Days as an honorary tribute to the historical opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Cooperstown is one of two teams in the Cobb Division looking to supplant the Bay State Pilgrims strangle hold of four consecutive division titles. They have the pieces in place and we predict they will make their first appearance in the post season.

Cooperstown has always possessed a fine hitting team. This year is no exception. Lippincott still has one of the premier catchers in the business in Bill Dickey. Dickey hits with power, average, and is superb defensively. Third base must be considered a strength as Red Rolfe is going to deliver plenty of hitting and defense. The outfield is over flowing with talent. Terry Moore will hit some HR’s and is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Max West will contribute with the long ball too. Taft Wright is a tremendous all around player and Morrie Arnovich is certain to get some playing time as he is your prototypical line drive hitter. The Double Days have had problems in the past because their pitching has been mediocre. That will not be the case this season. Ex-Bay Staters Lefty Grove and Lefty Gomez will be huge. Rookie Mort Cooper will be nothing but an asset. Old veterans Curt Davis and Oral Hildebrand will be big contributors as well. Whitey Moore, Harry Gumbert, Bob Weiland, Jack Knott and Syl Johnson should help Cooperstown get into the playoffs. The starting pitching is very deep this season as this is clearly John Lippincott’s finest team since 1934. Defensively, this is a grade A fielding squad. Cooperstown will rank with the very best and they won’t beat themselves too often. On the bench, Lippincott has the pleasure of using various outfielders for pinch hitting duty and also has the finest backup catcher in the league (Willard Hershberger). To put it simply, Hershberger is an animal at the plate.

For all of Cooperstown’s strengths, they do have some weaknesses that are exposed and could hurt them over the course of the long season. For starters, though the pitching is deep, there isn’t one go to guy in the bullpen. Harry Eisenstat is an adequate reliever but it would be difficult to entrust him with any lead. Look for Lippincott to either acquire the help he needs in relief or do a juggling act with the deep starting pitchers which are at his disposal. Elbie Fletcher is a very good first sacker and is good defensively. However, he doesn’t hit with an abundance of power which is a common trait with most of the contenders. Odell Hale is excellent at second base but he can’t play everyday. Hale will play half the games at second while a backup (Bill Brubaker / Oscar Grimes) will play the rest of the games. Brubaker and Grimes are marginal at best. Frank Crosetti has a good glove at shortstop and has power in his bat. However, he doesn’t hit for a high average.

Pitcher Mort Cooper was chosen in the first round and will be a contributor right away. The Double Days traded their second round choice (Jack Kramer) and their second rounder in 1940 to acquire the services of Grove and Gomez. Both lefties were the cornerstone of the Bay State franchise and should be instrumental to Lippincott’s success. Utility players Mike Tresh and Rip Russell were also picked up in the draft. Tresh will see some duty this season and is fine defensively. Grimes and Brubaker were picked up in the latter rounds to shore up second base.

Nothing but a first place finish will satisfy the long suffering fans from Cooperstown this season. Grove and Gomez should lead the Double Days to the post season at last.

One of the most consistent and beloved franchises in the OGAL, GM Jeff Evanoff always seems to find a way to get his team to compete for post season play. Last year was no exception as he took his team to a one game playoff against the Worcester Grays only to lose at home. Last season, Evanoff went out and acquired one of the premier players in the OGAL in the form of Hank Greenberg. This year, he is at it again as he acquired Paul Derringer from Mechanicsville. Grovetucky and Cooperstown should have a real dogfight on their hands for the Cobb Division title this season. If Evanoff is able to pull off any more deals, don’t be surprised if they take their first division title.

The acquisition of Hank Greenberg in 1938 was a bold move by Evanoff as Greenberg is among the best at that position. He will give Evanoff another powerful season and as Greenberg goes, so go the Kardiak’s. Billy Jurges is a fine hitting, slick fielding shortstop and is very underrated. Cookie Lavagetto was acquired from the Harrisburg Senators and is another fine fielding good hitting third baseman. The outfield may be a little short on power. Hank Lieber hits for power and average but his playing time will be limited. George Case is ready to step into a starting role in the outfield and he has blazing speed. One of the best features on this team is the shear fact that three of the four infield positions are covered by players that will play virtually every day. The pitching is excellent, spearheaded by thirty game winner Paul Derringer. Mel Harder and Mace Brown are workhorses while Lou Fette and Cliff Melton (also acquired from the Mole Rats via Holiday) solidify a formidable starting staff. Rookie Atley Donald is also expected to give the Kardiak’s a boost. The bullpen is also deep with Joe Heving getting the lead role. He is backed by a fine complement of relief pitchers which includes Dick Coffman, Hank Johnson, Fred Frankhouse, and Russ Bauers.

For all the strengths this team has in their possession, they do have some weaknesses. The third outfield position will be manned by either Jo Jo Moore or Ben Chapman. Both are capable of handling the position but look for Evanoff to acquire another player to make it even better. Birdie Tebbetts is a solid catcher and will help shore up a position that has been a revolving door with Evanoff since 1934. Clearly, Tebbetts best years are still ahead of him. The over all defense of the Kardiak’s looks adequate at best. Besides Jurges, there are no spectacular defensive players. The backups behind Tebbetts are decent with Joe Glenn being the best of the bunch. Second base appears to be a weakness as Joe Coscarart and rookie Bill Nagel will handle the position. Nagel is terrible defensively but hits for some power. Over all bench strength isn’t the greatest but it isn’t bad with Jimmy Wasdell, Legrant Scott and Larry Rosenthal leading the way.

Evanoff traded his #1 pick to acquire the services of Greenberg. However, the draft was still a success as Atley Donald was selected in the second round. Frankie Gustine was picked up in the third round and Bob Muncrief was selected in the fourth round. Johnson, Nagel and Scott were also selected in the draft and will lend contributions during the season. The Kardiak’s were very active on the trade front acquiring "The Mayor" Tony Guiliani for a fourth round 1940 selection from Worcester. Evanoff made an excellent move picking up Glenn and Earl Whitehill at the expense of Vern Kennedy. The acquisition of Coffman for a third round 1940 pick was also a good move as it makes for a solid bullpen. However, two major trades raised eye brows as powerful hitters Sam Chapman and Ken Keltner were dealt to Harrisburg for Lavagetto, Frankhouse, Tebbetts, and a 2^nd rounder next season. Donald was also part of the deal. The second deal with Mechanicsville (Dutch Leonard for Derringer, Melton, Heintzleman, and Mechanicsville’s #1 and #2 next season) may have been a tough one to swallow but three solid hurlers and two draft choices for a stud pitcher sounds good to this writer.

Outlook:

A slew of trading and the Kardiak’s are right there, knocking on the door again. They should give Cooperstown all they can handle and Evanoff is a brilliant field boss as well as GM. It’s tough to pick this team second but Cooperstown has slightly better pitching and clearly hits better. Don’t count out the Kardiak’s. They will be there come September.

After three consecutive second division finishes, Stuart Blake and the Staten Island Gems have said goodbye. Now, Jim Bresnahan inherits a team in a new city and location for the third time in six seasons. Bresnahan is looking to inject some stability into this franchise. However, he has discovered the task is mighty though some pieces to the puzzle are in place. The Rebels are hopelessly short in pitching and that has been the story of this franchise since 1935. Lexington has some good hitters and they will show a tendency to knock in runs and play high scoring games. However, Bresnahan will need to exhibit some patience in his quest to steer this franchise in the right direction. It is clear he is being careful with his approach as the team did not swing any major trades during the offseason.

Lexington continues to possess two of the better power hitters in the OGAL. Rudy York, though a liability defensively, is likely to start the season as the teams catcher. York is a pure power hitter but he will play in limited action this season. Jimmie Foxx will put up big numbers again both on the power side of the agenda and with his batting average. Lexington GM Bresnahan knows these two players are his most valuable commodity in the short term and has not made it a secret both are available for trade if the price was right. One player that is not likely to be traded is second baseman Bobby Doerr who is beginning to come into his own. Bill Werber is likely to man third. He still has great quickness and his glove work ranks near the top in the league. Expect Eric McNair to play shortstop despite his defensive shortcomings. McNair is poised to have a big season and will help set the table for the big guns. Rookie Barney McCoskey is a great hitter and, like Doerr, has a brilliant future in front of him. McCoskey was the fifth pick over all in the draft and will make his presence felt immediately.

Doerr and Werber aside, the Rebels are hurting defensively. As mentioned earlier, shortstop will cause some headaches as you can expect a lot of errors from McNair. McNair’s backups (George Scharein and Bobby Mattick) are not in McNair’s league and both are not known as the best of fielders. The opposition will also run wild on York though Frankie Pytlak has a rifle of an arm. Pytlak will definitely see a lot of action again this season but he is just an ordinary hitter. Rookie Buddy Rosar is the fifth catcher and he has a fine future in front of him. Besides McCoskey, the other outfield slots look only adequate. Bruce Campbell isn’t the Campbell of old and continues to be a liability defensively. Chuck Klein is a Campbell clone that hits for a little more power. Joe Marty hits for some power but won’t cause a stir to the opposition pitcher. Look for Lou Finney to get some play in the outfield as he hits for a higher average and is a good defensive player. Dee Miles will also see some action as he carries a decent bat. Lexington’s bench strength is also adequate with Stu Martin and the contingent of outfielders leading the pack. Clearly, this teams greatest weakness is pitching. Eddie Smith and Max Lanier are the best hurlers on the staff. Bill Lohrman is likely to win some games but can’t be considered a number one starter. Charlie Root is decent but average at best. Johnny Murphy is a good relief pitcher but his services may go to waste as it is unlikely the team will have many leads in the late innings. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff is a shambles. GM Bresnahan will need to roll up sleeves and begin the painful process of rebuilding the pitching staff.

Despite the gloom and doom of the 1939 campaign, Bresnahan did his homework and did a wonderful job in the draft. McCoskey was an important pick in the first round. Slugger Bob Elliott was another excellent choice in round two. Catcher Buddy Rosar gets a thumbs up with his selection in round three. Besides those three, the rest of the draft picks were fill in players with little long term consequences. Benny Warren, selected in round six, is expected to get some work behind the plate in the coming seasons. Unfortunately for Lexington, no pitcher of any future strength was selected. Ike Pearson was the best pitcher selected by Lexington and he will likely see some action this season. The Rebels did not pull off any trades but expect them to start a massive rebuilding program. Trades could be coming fast and furious as the season unfolds as contenders look for big power hitters ala York and Foxx.

First year GM Bresnahan is going to be in for a long season. However, he does have some positional players ready to build for a solid future. The Rebels also have the flexibility of making things happen and are likely to spring a couple trades on the OGAL which could shift the balance of power in the division races. Expect Lexington to finish in the bottom half of the Cobb Division for the fourth straight season. Note: The Rebels traded Foxx and Joe Marty to Flint for Babe Dahlgren (1b), Schoolboy Rowe (p) and Flint’s #1 Draft choice in 1940 soon after this was originally drafted. Our outlook remains the same for Lexington ala a third place finish in the Cobb Division.

Wagner Division

110 wins in 1936. 114 wins in 1937. 125 wins in 1938. GM Claud Parsons and the Mechanicsville Mole Rats are a wrecking crew. They have established the first dynasty in the OGAL and 1939 could be another year of domination. The competition this year should prevent Mechanicsville from winning 125 games this year. However, they will still have one of the best pitching staffs in the OGAL. They will still hit a ton of home runs and they will continue to rank at the top of the league defensively. Parsons always likes to tinker with his team and this hot stove season was no exception. The Rats were involved in four trades which included dealing thirty game winner Paul Derringer to Grovetucky. Other deals were put together to establish some depth in the pitching staff to compete with the likes of division rival, Worcester. Can Mechanicsville win an unprecedented fourth straight championship? We wouldn’t put it past GM Parsons and we certainly wouldn’t wager money against it.

Johnny Mize plays every day, hits for great power and hits for high average. He ranks among the most valuable players in the league every year. Charlie Gehringer hits for average, power and is still terrific defensively. He won’t play as much this season as in years past but he is still one of the best at second base. Cecil Travis is a solid hitter and is reliable in the field. Harlond Clift rules the hot corner with a great glove and still hits for decent power. He draws a ton of walks and always seems to get on base. Harry Danning is coming into his own as the number one catcher. He also hits for power and average and has a great arm behind the plate. The outfield ranks among the best. Mel Ott, Mike Kreevich, and Joe Medwick form one of the best trios in baseball. All three are good defensively and all have good arms. Ott, like Gehringer, may not play every day but Parsons picked up Mel Mazzera in the draft and will be an adequate fill in. The starting pitching is still great even without Derringer. Bucky Walters is going to prove to be a big winner in Mechanicsville. Walters has languished with the franchise since 1934 and he will now get his chance to pitch full time. Dutch Leonard was acquired in the Derringer deal and he will get a ton of starts and a ton of wins. Bobo Newsom and Claude Passeau round out a great rotation of pitchers. A Parsons trademark is bench strength as witnessed with last years super human effort of Merv Conners. The bench is terrific again with the addition of two rookies. Les Powers won’t play much at first base but he will lead the hitters off the bench as he has a good stick. Don’t forget pitcher Fred Hutchinson. He is one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. Both of these players will swing bats with regularity. The defense of the Rats is also excellent. Danning, Gehringer, and Clift are all grade A fielders and Burgess Whitehead is rumored to be going to Mechanicsville in a deal before the season starts to add even more depth. Weaknesses are few and far between for the three time defending champions.

Lets face it, there are not many weaknesses on this team. The pitching may not be the deepest in the league but the four front men offset that weakness quite admirably. Johnny Lanning, acquired from Flint, was a big pick up and will shore up the bullpen. Carl Doyle was selected in the draft and will see some action too. Fritz Ostermueller and Vance Page were picked up in deals to bring stability and depth to the staff. Backups are very good as Earle Brucker will backup Danning. Brucker came with Page in an offseason deal. In the outfield, Mazzera will get some playing time but he isn’t in the same class as the big three.

The draft has always been kind to GM Parsons. This year, he made the most of what he had even with the number twelve pick in the draft. With that pick, Parsons selected Eddie Joost who will be the shortstop of the future when Travis is all finished. Hutchinson was selected with the eighteenth pick while Maurice Van Robays (a likely candidate to be traded in the Whitehead deal) was selected in the fifth round. Mazzera was selected in round six, Doyle in round seven and Powers in round eight. Each choice was a wise one designed to bring the team greater depth. As mentioned earlier, the team was involved in many deals. Gee Walker and Jim Tobin were dealt to Holiday in exchange for Joe Rizzo and Chris Melton. Melton, Derringer, and Ken Heinzelman plus #1 and #2 picks next year were dealt to the Kardiak’s in exchange for stalwart Dutch Leonard. Clearly, this will be a controversial trade as one wonders if too much was traded to get the big righty. Parsons also dealt Dizzy Dean and the last pick in the third round (Ray Mack) to Flint for ace reliever Lanning. Finally, to add more depth, Parsons swung a deal with arch rival Bay State and picked up Brucker and Page for Johnny Humphries and a fourth rounder (Chet Ross). Lots of movement of players all designed with present and future conditions in mind. Parsons continues to work wonders with this team with a tireless determination to win.

Mechanicsville is in position to win their fourth consecutive OGAL championship. The competition is very good this year in the OGAL and division rival Worcester will certainly give them a run for their money. However, it is hard to picture anyone beating the Rats in a short series. GM Parsons is ready to unleash the Rats again and they will likely win in excess of 110 games for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Young Division

Strengths:

George McQuinn is highly under rated at first base. He hits for terrific power and average and is slick with the leather. Joe Gordon is at second and is much like McQuinn. He hits for even better power, hits for decent average, and is a gold glove at his position. Billy Myers is the shortstop this year and is a good glove man who hits for average and has adequate power. He is a perfect fill in until number third choice in the drat, Lou Boudreau is ready to step in. Ken Keltner is on his way to becoming the best third baseman in the OGAL. He has better years in front of him in terms of shear power. This year, he will be downright nasty as he will hit at least 15 dingers and will hit for high average. Keltner is another gold glove and was a great pick up from the Grovetucky Kardiaks in an offseason deal. The catching is in adequate hands with Al Lopez and Al Todd who was acquired from Mechanicsville. Nether of them are much for hitting and neither hit for power. However, they are top notch defensively and that always helps keeps opposing base runners honest. The outfield is a conglomeration of talented individuals. First off, franchise superstar Joe DiMaggio is destined to reach the playoffs for the first time. Nothing needs to be written about Joe D. He is the man everyone looks to on this franchise to deliver a championship. Ival Goodman, acquired from Bay State, will have another solid campaign and was another excellent acquisition by the Senators. The third outfield spot will be mixed with Sam Chapman (who came along in the Keltner deal) getting some playing time, along with Dixie Walker, Pete Fox, and Tommy Henrich. What a future these outfielders have! Tremendous power, average, and defense litters the landscape for the future. Defensively, this may be the finest collection of outfielders we have ever seen. Throw Harry Craft in there too as he is a known to be tops defensively. The defense will be ranked among the leagues best. No outfield in the OGAL has a better collection of arm strength and the infield is simply superb. Harrisburg probably has the best defensive team in the OGAL. The pitching is also very strong though it isn’t as deep as Worcester or Mechanicsville. Bill Lee was a big pick up from Holiday. Rookie Marius Russo will get some starts and should win some games. Al Milnar, Johnny Rigney and Steve Sundra round out a good staff of pitchers. Rookie Bill Crouch and Joe Sullivan round out the rest of the staff. The bullpen is also aces as rookie Bob Bowman is one of the best in the business. The over all bench strength is also excellent. Buddy Myer, acquired from Bay State, will help while the excess outfielders will not go to waste as pinch hitter, pinch runners, or defensive replacements.

Harrisburg has no glaring weaknesses to speak of. GM Lahotsky has been over looked by other GM’s in the OGAL and should be recognized for the achievements he has displayed in putting this team together. He is the preseason candidate for GM of the year. If the team has one weakness, it is the lack of a big hurler at the top of the rotation. The acquisition of Lee improved that dimension greatly. However, as good as Lee is, he doesn’t match up with the other top guns with the other playoff contenders (i.e. Feller, Walters, Grove, Derringer). The pitching staff isn’t as deep as the other playoff teams either. However, Lahotsky doesn’t really need a deep pitching staff to take the division crown this year as the rest of the teams in the Young Division are much weaker. Pete Appleton and Floyd Giebell round out the staff but we don’t expect them to get much action when the playoffs start. The lack of a big starter may come back and hurt Harrisburg in the post season but it will not deter them from winning the division.

Lahotsky had an excellent draft. Lou Boudreau was the third choice in the draft. Any other draft, Boudreau would have been a number one choice. Lahotsky was pleased to land a player of Boudreau’s talents with the third choice over all. Russo was chosen in the second round and was another strong choice. Bowman was a top pick to begin the third round and Babe Young was selected later in the third. Young was eventually dealt to Bay State along with Gib Brack in return for Goodman and Myer. Manny Salvo and Jake Early were chosen in the middle rounds and will help in the years to come. Early was especially a nice pick in the early fourth round. Crouch was chosen in the sixth round and he will not go to waste. Other pickups include Jim Shilling, Tommy Thompson, Moe Berg, and Giebell. The Senators were in a trading frenzy right from the start of the draft. They traded Tony Cuccinello and Leo Durocher to Worcester and ended up receiving the Grays second round pick in 1940 and Young. The Worcester 1940 choice was than dealt to Holiday as part of the Lee / Bill Posedel transaction. Harrisburg lost some future talent when they dealt Fritz Ostermueller to Mechanicsville. However, they received a very good backup catcher in Al Todd and two good hurlers in Jumbo Brown and Jim Turner. The dealing didn’t stop there either as Lahotsky did a deal with Syracuse dealing Bill Dietrich, Ernie Koy and Dick Errickson in exchange for Sundra and Sullivan. Harrisburg also shipped Buck Ross to Syracuse in a separate trade that will bring in a fourth round choice next season (Worcester’s number four in 1940). The biggest trade, however, was with Grovetucky. In acquiring Keltner and Chapman, the Senators gave up Cookie Lavagetto, Fred Frankhouse, Birdie Tebbetts, a second rounder in 1940 and the twenty first pick in 1939 (which turned out to be Atley Donald). No doubt, this was a true blockbuster deal but getting Keltner and Chapman appears to be a terrific move.

Outlook:

Harrisburg is a franchise on the rise. They have a terrific young team that has few weaknesses. Harrisburg is almost certainly going to give the upper tier teams in the OGAL a run for their money this season. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the post season as it seems with certainty they will make it to the playoffs for the first time since 1934. Harrisburg has few matching up problems with the competition but without the big pitcher in the post season, things could get a little difficult. However, don’t be surprised if the Senators make some noise in the post season as Lahotsky has truly pieced together a solid team for this campaign.

For the first time in franchise history, GM Dave Breeden took the Parkstein Wild Boars to the post season. Breeden was happy to finally make it into the playoffs but he clearly wasn’t too happy that his team got there by virtue of finishing 14 games below .500. None the less, the 1938 season has to be considered a successful one for the Parkstein franchise. This coming season, it is likely Parkstein will finish below .500 again. This time, the competition in the division is a bit stiffer and they are not likely to wedge themselves into the post season. This year’s rendition of the Wild Boars is a team with some very good front line starters but the remainder of the team is weak particularly in the power department and in the bullpen. Surprisingly, the defense has slipped a notch. Parkstein squads in the past have always had good defensive players but age may be catching up to some of those ball players. The most painful attribute for Parkstein was the fact they traded most of their draft choices to get a chance at making the post season. In a draft as deep as the 1939 pool, this may come back to haunt the Wild Boars in future seasons.

Strengths:

Breeden’s offense will center with first baseman Hal Trosky. Trosky delivered the goods last season and is prepared to do it again. He is the only legitimate power threat in the lineup but he will also hit for a very high average. Trosky was the teams MVP last season and will likely carry that mantle again this year. Catching is still solid as Gabby Hartnett is back to catch another season. Hartnett hits with some power but his play will be limited. He still has a very good arm behind the plate but his defense is beginning to slip. Ray Berres is Hartnett’s backup and he is marginal at best. Wally Millies was picked up in the draft to shore up third string duties. The Wild Boars have three top pitchers that will win some games during the season. This bunch includes Larry French, Bump Hadley, and Carl Hubbell. After these three, it is slim pickings. Fred Fitzsimmons is likely to be the fourth starter and old friend Bill Swift is back after a one year hiatus at Worcester. Doc Cramer patrols the outfield for Parkstein and he is a very good hitter and defensive specialist. Myril Hoag is likely to get some playing time in the outfield this season and may deliver his best season yet. The other outfield post will go to rookie Joe Gallagher who hits with some power. Former greats Lloyd Waner and ex-Gray Al Simmons will also get some of the playing time.

There are a number of weaknesses that are detected on this ball club. The infield (Trosky aside) may be the leagues weakest. Rookie Jimmy Bloodworth will play second base and is a competent fielder. However, he won’t play every day. This means Ollie Bejma will play the position and he is terrible defensively. Rabbit Warstler and Johnny Hudson can also play second base but they are likely to start at shortstop. Neither of them can hit and their fielding is below par. Skeeter Webb came over from Worcester and will see some action too. Third base is in the steady hands of Pinky Higgins. Higgins is a fair hitter and is good defensively. Breeden will need a player of Higgins ability as he can rely on him to play virtually every day and give a solid performance. Defensively, it is a very weak infield. The outfield has some good arms but some of the players will have lapses from time to time. Waner, Simmons, Cramer, and Hoag all have good arms. Mel Almada, who had a career season a year ago, isn’t the same player and will be a defensive replacement. The rest of the pitching staff is poor. Behind the top starters, Breeden will have to rely on the likes of Johnny Allen and Cy Blanton who have had better days in years gone by. Alex Carrasquel, Harry Kelley, Roxie Lawson, Nels Potter, Red Evans, Bob Joyce, and Jim Bagby round out the rest of the staff. The bullpen only has Swift and he is only adequate at best. Parkstein’s bench strength isn’t too impressive as old friends Phil Cavaretta and Nick Etten will have to help pick up the slack. Over all, it doesn’t look too good for the Wild Boars. Only Hubbell, French, and Hadley will keep Parkstein from finishing in the second half of their division.

As mentioned, this was a very tough post season for the Wild Boars. In their quest to make the playoffs, Parkstein didn’t get to choose until the third round when they picked up infielder Jimmy Bloodworth. The other players selected in the draft plugged gaps. Carrasquel, Millies, Gallagher, Lawson, Kelley, Blanton, and Joyce are mostly journeymen who may reside with the Boars for only one season. Stan Benjamin was chosen late in the draft and may prove to be a versatile player. Evans and Bob Prichard were the final choices to close out the draft. On the trading front, the Boars did the one deal with Worcester. However, the trade was done to plug some voids in a team that needed help. Simmons, Bejma, Swift and Webb came over from Worcester in exchange for the forty second choice in the draft (Bill Beckmann). It was a good trade for Breeden as it made the team better and deeper.

Breeden and the Wild Boars appear to be in for a long season and will probably finish well behind the Harrisburg Senators. GM Breeden will need to restock this team and right the ship after getting them into the playoffs for the first time. The lack of draft picks in this draft hurt Parkstein in the long haul but, like so many other teams in the OGAL, you have to start some place to rebuild a franchise and this is the year for it to begin in Parkstein. Breeden gave the fans something to cheer about last year. This season and coming seasons will be hard for the Wild Boars but Breeden will be up for the challenge and Parkstein will rise again.

GM Lee Tafoya took the DC Clout to the championship in 1936 and nearly duplicated the feat in 1937. After the 1937 campaign, he began dismantling the team and set his sites on another realistic chance to claim a coveted championship. 1939 will be the second year in which the Clout will be in the rebuilding phase of operations. They have most certainly assembled some fine talent for the future. The great thing about Tafoya’s rebuilding program is the team will take off sooner than most expect. As was the case in 1935, Tafoya is willing to forego certain campaigns for the need to improve on others. We see the Clout doing some serious OGAL damage beginning in 1940 and that is expected to carry through to 1941. Many of the teams old line stars are gone. Tafoya did a juggling act and was instrumental in carrying out a number of trades. His draft strategy was solid as he was able to carry off some hefty talent particularly in the first three rounds of the recent draft. Unfortunately for the fans in the greater DC area, they will have to witness the Clout stumble through another season of poor play. DC will lose anywhere from 90 to 100 games this season as there are few strengths to measure against the innumerable weaknesses with this ball club.

Though Ernie Lombardi was dealt to the Pilgrims during the draft, Tafoya obtained one of the premier catchers in baseball in Frankie Hayes. Hayes is every bit as good as Lombardi and he even runs a bit faster! Hayes hits for power and average and draw his share of walks. The opposition always has problems running on him and has proven to be one of the top defensive players in the game. His backup is another ex-Pilgrim, Johnny Peacock. Peacock would be starting for a lot of teams but on the Clout, he serves as a solid second string catcher. Billy Herman is at second base and is likely to put together another solid season. He is still tops at his position defensively and we expect him to hit with more power this season. Jim Taber gets his first shot at full time duty at third. He hits for power but is a noted fumbler in the field. Taber reminds us of Buddy Lewis of the Worcester Grays as both are the same types of ball players. The outfield may not be one of the premier ones in the OGAL but the future looks bright, indeed. Selected in the first round, powerful Charlie "King Kong" Keller will have an immediate impact on the team. Debs Garms is expected to be a solid contributor again. Unfortunately, the third outfield slot will be mixed among a core of mediocre players including Roy Cullenbine, Goody Rosen, and cast off Jimmy Ripple. Buddy Hassett will also play the outfield but will be used quite a bit at first as well. The Clout will rank in the middle of the pack defensively. They do have very solid up the middle strength defensively with Hayes, Herman, and Dick Bartell returning at shortstop.

Weaknesses:

The Clout are hampered with a very poor pitching staff this season. Even Thornton Lee won’t be able to bail out the Clout this season after such a super one in 1938. Lee, Whitlow Wyatt, and Kirbe Higbe are all solid future performers but they will only be mediocre this season. Clyde Shoun is the best pitcher out of the bullpen which is also a very weak element on this team. Lynn Nelson and Vern Kennedy (acquired from Grovetucky) will get a slew of starts to go with a slew of losses. Expect Ray Harrell and Bob Harris to get some starts too. The Clout have a number of pitchers that have good futures. Among them is the second over all choice in the draft, Early Wynn. Wynn is a gifted hurler who will be kept on the Clout’s farm team for a few years to get some seasoning. Walt Masterson was drafted by the Clout and he has a promising future. First base is weak whether Hassett mans the position or not. Hassett and Dick Siebert will share the playing time and unfortunately, neither of them are power hitters but both are solid spray hitters. Bartell will play shorstop and is good defensively. His exploits are missing at the plate, however. The bench strength looks relatively weak as the backups in the infield (Lou Chiozza and Wayne Ambler) don’t inspire much confidence. Keller and Garms are very good players in the outfield but as mentioned previously, you can pick and choose from the among the rest. DC is definitely devoid of power. Hayes is their best power hitter and we may see some power from Keller and Tabor. However, you can expect the Clout to finish near the bottom as they will not over power you.

Tafoya had some top draft choices and he used them wisely. Getting Wynn and Keller in the first round was absolutely huge. Keller is a big power hitter which is an element the Clout desperately need. Wynn is going to be great but it will take a while before we see him begin to blossom. In a surprising move, Elmer Riddle was chosen in the second round. Riddle has a terrific arm and his contribution will be felt before Wynn comes around. In the third round, the Clout selected another pitcher (Walt Masterson) who is expected to be a contributor in future seasons. Needless to say, the Clout did everything possible to bolster the Sterling Silver minor league affiliate with these hurlers. Other solid players selected in the draft include pitcher Tom Early, cast off Lew Riggs, and second sacker Johnny Lucadello. Tafoya selected Ripple, Harris, Chiozza, and Hal Spindel to fill vacancies with the team this year. Ripple is the best of the bunch but expect most to be around for only this year. In typical Tafoya fashion, there simply isn’t an offseason when the GM gets involved making some type of deal. This hot stove season was no exception. Ex-stars Lombardi and Gus Suhr were cast off to the Pilgrims for Hayes. This was a bold move as Lombardi was one of the most popular players in DC. Hayes has tough shoes to fill. Hassett was acquired from Flint for Don Gutteridge and Tex Carleton. Kennedy entered the mix as Tafoya traded Joe Glenn and Earl Whitehill to get his many needed starts. Perhaps Tafoya’s biggest deal was trading Al Smith, plus second and fourth round selections next season for Vern Olsen and Syracuse’s fourth rounder next season. Olsen is another pitcher you can add to the mix as warranted future potential.

Things don’t look too good this year in the nations capital. However, Lee Tafoya has the DC Clout heading in the right direction. This season will not be a successful one for the Clout and their fans. Many a catcall will be heard this season as DC continues to agonize through the rebuilding process. However, the farm system is beginning to over run with talent and Tafoya has a good blend of veterans that will help the team in the long run. The Clout may not lash out with vengeance this year but they will be a force to be dealt with before anyone knows it. It’s going to be a long season for the Clout but the agony is going to end soon.

Syracuse is in serious straights this season. Dave Heller took over the Sumter Sun Dogs from Tony Axe at the start of the 1938 season and quickly realized the team needed an over haul. Various trades were made to expand their fortune with the deep 1939 draft. Among the players traded were Joe Medwick and Hank Greenberg, two of the franchises fan favorites. Heller took the team to Syracuse and the team is being completely rebuilt. Syracuse has a few exciting players that will play every day but their pitching staff may be the worst in the OGAL. That fact alone will send the Stars to the bottom of the scrap heap in the Young Division and it is likely they will lose in excess of 90 games this season. Heller has to be given a lot of credit for taking chances to mold the franchise into this image. It may take a couple seasons but if the draft is any indication, it is clear Heller has a knack for talent and locked down a number of solid choices in this years draft. Syracuse also pulled some deals during the offseason but none of them were considered blockbusters. However, the trades made were done to plug holes and use the numerous draft selections to help bolster their minor league affiliate. The Stars clearly had one of the best drafts out of anyone in the OGAL. We will see how that helps them down the road in future seasons to be played.

Arky Vaughan plays everyday at shortstop and is one of the very best at his position. His hitting is legendary and he continues to exhibit excellence defensively. A contender would be wise to make a play for Vaughan if Heller makes him available. The same can be said for Dolph Camilli who plays first base for the Stars. Camilli is Heller’s best power hitter and is good with the glove. He may not be in Greenberg’s category but he is still a solid player. The outfield is considered a strength on this team as Wally Moses, Augie Galan, and Frank Demaree form a very good trio. None of these outfielders hit for great power but all are solid hitters and each is a noted fast runner. Ernie Koy is another outfielder likely to get some playing time. He is very similar to the other three outfielders in terms of his style of play. Spud Davis, acquired from Worcester and Babe Phelps form a solid 1-2 catching tandem. Each have always been known as good hitters but their defense is also better than average. Syracuse appears to have a very good defensive team which should come in handy. Pep Young will play a lot at second and is an outstanding defensive player. However, he will only be used part time. Alex Kampouris, who isn’t much of a hitter and is only marginal defensively, will also get some action at second base.

As with so many other teams in the Young Division, Syracuse is another team devoid of pitching prospects for 1939. Van Lingle Mungo and Rip Sewell are the team’s best pitchers but will only see limited action. Lee Grissom will get some starts to but he is only average at best. Dick Errickson, acquired from Harrisburg, has a good future. The rest of the pitching staff includes Eldon Auker, Bill Dietrich, Bill Beckmann, Joe Haynes, and Buck "Betsy" Ross. Haynes has good future potential but the rest are not much to write home about. Emerson Dickson is the teams best relief pitcher and we can expect him to throw a lot of innings. Chubby Dean is probably one of the best hitting pitchers in the league. Too bad he couldn’t pitch as well as he can hit. He will be used out of the bullpen quite a bit and will be used as a pinch hitter. Rookie Pinky May will be playing third base. He has a good glove and is a decent hitter. However, he doesn’t hit with a lot of power. Besides Camilli, the team doesn’t have much strength in the lineup. Even if Camilli and Vaughan deliver incredible seasons, the team is so woefully short of pitching talent, it would take a miracle for them to finish as high as second place.

What a draft Heller had during the offseason. In the first round, Hal Newhouser and Mickey Vernon were chosen. Both of these players will be superstars in coming seasons and Heller was grateful to land both of them. Ken Raffensberger was chosen in the second round and he was another excellent choice. Also taken in round two was outfielder Swish Nicholson who’s big bat will help the franchise in the near future. Vern Olsen was selected at the end of the second round but he was dealt to the DC Clout. Talented Al Smith, a second round choice next season as well as a number four were offered and accepted by Heller at the expense of Olsen and Syracuse’s fourth rounder next season. Joe Haynes was selected in the third round and he is another player that has a solid future. Pinky May was also chosen in the third round and he was yet another solid draft selection. The Stars than went out and picked up players to help them this season. The list includes Beckmann, Dickman, Kampouris, Del Young, Jennings Poindexter, and Ken Silvestri. Joe Orengo has some future play and was selected in the fourth round. All in all, Syracuse had an excellent draft and came up with some huge players to stock pile with his minor league affiliate, the Springfield Isotopes. Besides the Olsen deal, Heller was able to acquire the services of Nicholson and Beckmann for Clint Brown and the twenty-eighth choice (Phil Masi). Ross was acquired for a fourth rounder next season in a separate deal with Harrisburg. Dietrich, Koy and Errickson all came to Syracuse for Steve Sundra and Joe Sullivan. Errickson was definitely the key to this deal and should help. Finally, Billy Sullivan was sent packing to Worcester for Spud Davis and the Grays number three and four picks next season. It appears Heller is doing his best to pick up choices next season. It was certainly a plan that helped him this year.

Heller is clearly on the right path as he is doing everything he can to clear out the old and bring in the new. He has completely revamped this franchise. Despite previous success and playoff appearances, Heller knew his best way to get Syracuse on the map was to retool with wise trades and pick up additional draft selections. The Stars picked up a number of good players in the draft and they have the building blocks in place to get a winner resurrected in upstate New York. The 1939 season is likely to be a season Heller will want to forget but the 1939 draft will be something he will never forget.

Playoff Predictions

The likely order of finish will be Mechanicsville, Worcester, Harrisburg, and Cooperstown. All four teams are very good but we expect the Mole Rats to defeat the Double Days in a tight six game series while Worcester will defeat Harrisburg in a grueling seven game series. We predict that Worcester will have the unenviable task of defeating Mechanicsville and putting an end to their dynasty. We predict the Mole Rats will win in six games and will win their fourth straight OGAL championship. If this happens, it will be a remarkable achievement for GM Claud Parsons and his team. Mechanicsville isn’t a shoe in to win it all but in a short seven game set, it is hard to beat them. They still have the best balance of any team in the league in terms of pitching, power hitting and defense. Those three elements may lead them to hoisting another championship banner at the Rats Nest.