Wednesday, August 1, 2018

1948-49 Scranton Miners (ABL)

Buck Freeman
1948-49 SCRANTON MINERS
AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE (II)
26-15 .634, 2nd place

Semi-finals: Defeated Paterson, 2-0
Finals: Lost to Wilkes-Barre, 3-2

Limping in the first half of the season with a mediocre 12-12 record on January 28, the Miners caught fire and went 14-3 the rest of the way, climbing their way to a second-place finish. Buck Freeman, who was also the coach at the University of Scranton, resign from the Miners on November 16, stating that the burden of coaching two squads was too much. Red Wallace took over the reigns for while before the club named Bernie Sarachak the permanent coach on February 13, 1949. They swept Paterson in the ABL semi-finals and faced the Wilkes-Barre Barons in the championship. After dropping the first game of the best-of-five series, they won the next two and were on the cusp of the title. However, the Barons won the last two games to earn the title.


Head coaches:
  • Buck Freeman (1904? - February 14, 1974) 1-1
  • Red Wallace (July 12, 1918 - July 7, 1977) 15-12 Also played. See below.
  • Bernie Sarachak (October 19, 1912 - November 14, 2005) 10-2

PLAYERS: 
  • Chili Edelstein (March 16, 1923 - March 19, 2003)
Biography 

  • Marshall Gemberling (August 6, 1924 - September 10, 2004)
Biography

  • Doug Holcomb (February 9, 1921 - February 3, 2008)
Biography

  • Tony Karpowich (August 20, 1919 - June 3, 1972)
Biography

  • Ed Kassler (July 21, 1923 - March 7, 2011)
Biography 

  • Dolly King (November 15, 1916 - January 29, 1969)
Biography

  • Don Kotter (December 29, 1920 - November 11, 1985)
Biography

  • Dan Kraus (February 13, 1923 - December 28, 2012)
Biography

  • Dick Kraus (September 30, 1926 - February 2, 1995)
Biography

  • Nat Militzok (May 3, 1923 - May 14, 2009)
Biography

  • John Padgett (November 14, 1923 - August 27, 2007)
Biography

  • John Phoenix (April 2, 1924 - August 31, 1988)
Biography

  • Harold Reis (October 31, 1923 - July 17, 1986)
Biography

  • Aaron Rorovsky (May 14, 1929 - November 8, 2015)
Biography

  • Hank Rosenstein (June 16, 1920 - February 27, 2010)
Biography

  • Howard Sanders (October 27, 1923 - February 5, 2017)
Biography

  • Vince Verdeschi (March 24, 1925 - August 16, 1965)
Biography

  • Red Wallace (July 12, 1918 - July 7, 1977)
Biography

  • Jimmy Weston (November 2, 1922 - February 6, 1997)
Biography

  • Al Widmar (March 20, 1925 - October 15, 2005)
Biography

  • Eddie Younger (January 7, 1923 - March 18, 1985)
Biography

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