1939-40 New London Electric Boats (CSL)

1939-40 NEW LONDON ELECTRIC BOATS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 1-7, .125, t-8th place
2nd Half: 4-4, .500, t-4th place

Joe Murphy

The Electric Boats were a local semi-pro team that joined the CSL for the 1939-40 season after a few years of barnstorming around New England. Despite a decent enough history, the Electric Boats faltered and finished the first half in a tie for last place. After dumping Jim Butler, George Chihowski and John LaCastro, they picked up Mike Severin, Eddie Sullivan and Bill Tuneski for the second half.The addition of these players, especially Sullivan who would average a team-best 10 points per game, bolstered the team in the second half but not enough to overcome the top teams. They finished the second have 4-4 and tied for 4th place.

Head Coach:

• Joe Murphy (December 10, 1913 - August 2, 1986) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

John LaCastro

Henry Apanaschik (August 9, 1919 - November 30, 1993)

Charlie Brown (April 24, 1913 - Juner 14, 1974)

Mike Butchka (February 25, 1915 - April 2, 2008)

Jim Butler (April 16, 1915 - April 3, 2004)

George Chihowski (August 18, 1917 - December 20, 1987)

John LaCastro (July 29, 1917 - March 24, 1944)

Abe Lariviere (February 15, 1920 - May 1, 1997)

Francis Murphy (May 12, 1907 - December 6, 1997)

Joe Murphy (December 10, 1913 - August 2, 1986)

Tony Osinski (January 6, 1918 - May 8, 1991)

Billy Rose (June 18, 1917 - October 7, 1951)

Mike Severin (November 20, 1919 - September 9, 1989)

Eddie Sullivan (February 3, 1919 - May 3, 1987)

Bill Tuneski (April 23, 1919 - December 17, 2000)

Charlie Brown

Tony Osinski

Billy Rose

Eddie Sullivan

Henry Apanschik

1939-40 New Britain Cremos (CSL)

Henry Ferony

1939-40 NEW BRITAIN CREMOS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 5-3, .625, t-3rd place
2nd Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place

Won in Round Robin 2nd Half Tie-breaker

Won Finals over Meriden, 3-2

New Britain was a streaky team, winning three straight then losing three straight. At 3-3, they would win the last two of the half and enter the second half with five wins. In the final game against Danbury, a win would give them the second half title outright but Danbury routed them to force a three-way tie. New Britain would win the round robin tie breaker and move on to face Meriden, who they would clip in five games for the President's Cup.

Head Coach:

• Jimmy Murphy ( - ) 

PLAYERS:

Joe Joyce

Vic Baylock (January 18, 1913 - March 22, 1990)

Joe Boley (August 27, 1915 - January 1, 2000)

Lindy Dobek (January 29, 1917 - February 23, 2015)

Henry Ferony (April 29, 1915 - September 13, 2002)

Bob Gair (April 13, 1910 - August 10, 1992)

Joe Glownia (December 20, 1915 - July 2, 1962)

Joe Gurnicki (March 22, 1920 - June 27, 1983)

Pete Gut (January 12, 1916 - March 8, 2006)

Gene Hayes (July 24, 1920 - June 21, 2009)

Chick Jacobi (June 29, 1920 - July 11, 2014)

Joe Joyce (March 19, 1915 - March 26, 2013)

Henry Parsons (February 23, 1917 - April 29, 2010)

Matty Sheehan (November 15, 1908 - August 31, 1998)

King Zaleski (February 1, 1915 - December 4, 1977)

1939-40 Meriden Insilco Silverworkers (CSL)

1939-40 MERIDEN INSILCO SILVERWORKERS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place
2nd Half: 4-4, .500, t-4th place

Defeated Stamford in First Half tiebreaker, 2-0

Ed Gormely

Lost Finals to New Britain, 3-2

The Silverworkers started on a hot streak, winning their first 4 games and finishing in a tie for the first place title. In a best-of-three playoff, they swept Stamford to claim the first have title.

After winning their first two in the second half, they hit a three-game skid and lost 4 of 5 to fall out of contention. They would finish 4-4, but their first record title got them into the President's Cup finals against second-half champion New Britain. They lost the first game of the best-of-five series in New Britain, 42-21, but stormed back to win the next two to get within a win of the Cup. Seemed like an easy shot, given they hosted the remaining games, but lost them both to lose the crown to New Britain.

Head Coach:

• Tony Tomkievicz (May 8, 1910 - April 23, 1975) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Pete Golanski (June 29, 1917 - November 25, 1980)

Ed Gormley (April 1, 1916 - September 29, 2006)

Joe Nessing (March 16, 1920 - June 3, 1977)

Bobby Orentlicherman (March 30, 1919 - March 6, 1998)

Charlie Paddock (April 28, 1915 - June 16, 1982)

Ray Parmentier (September 18, 1919 - September 18, 2016)

Lloyd Slavin (May 30, 1918 - August 12, 2006)

Stan Sokol (February 27, 1919 - August 16, 2003)

Tony Tomkievicz (May 8, 1910 - April 23, 1975)

Walt Urban (June 27, 1915 - December 8, 1994)

Steve Wesnefski (November 11, 1914 - July 26, 1994)

Charlie Paddock

Joe Nessing

Walt Urban

1939-40 Hartford Super 5 / Dovers (CSL)

1939-40 HARTFORD SUPER 5 / DOVERS

Frank Klimas

CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 4-4, .500, 6th place
2nd Half: 3-5, .375, T-6th place

New to the league, the Hartford Super 5 were a local semi-pro team that played various opponents around New England before joining the Connecticut State League. Things looked bright as they won three of their first four games, but lost four of their next five to finish the first half in sixth place.

They changed coaches and management in the second half, becoming the Dovers, but the change didn't change their luck as they finished in sixth place again.

Head Coach:

• Pete DeCatiff (June 29, 1907 - October 27, 1980) 4-5
• Abe Silverman (April 5, 1906 - September 2, 1997) 3-4

PLAYERS:

Larry Bernabeo (November 7, 1916 - January 25, 1984)

Al Howard (March 11, 1915 - January 10, 1984)

Bill Hutt (September 28, 1918 - May 18, 2005)

Frank Klimas (July 28, 1918 - March 21, 1997)

Mitch Magora (December 9, 1915 - July 31, 1963)

Jiggs Mandell (July 5, 1918 - November 17, 1996)

Red Meade (March 28, 1920 - February 11, 2004)

Iggy Miller aka Iggy Murawski (December 17, 1916 - December 27, 2009) 

Joe Noce (August 30, 1920 - November 3, 2002)

Pete Sevetz (September 8, 1919 - November 9, 2004)

Jigger Sitarz (November 24, 1919 - September 21, 2005)

Freddie Ware (March 15, 1915 - October 31, 1996)

Larry Bernabeo

Jigger Sitarz

Joe Noce

1939-40 Danbury Guards (CSL)

1939-40 DANBURY GUARDS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 5-3, .625, t-3rd place
2nd Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place
Lost in Round Robin 2nd Half Tie-breaker

The defending champions, Danbury, started the first half on a high-note, and after 6 games were 5-1 and in the hunt. Unfortunately, they would drop the last two games of the half to Bridgeport and Meriden. 

They would play strong in the second half, finishing 6-2 and part of the three-way tie for first place. The Guards would eventually lose the round-robin.

Head Coach:

• Dr. Edward Fisher (September 27, 1904 - June 11, 1976)

PLAYERS:

Doc Milvid

Reg(?) Ketcham  

Jack McGuirk (November 8, 1915 - February 13, 1996)

Jim McNally (March 19, 1913 - May 11, 1979)

Tidy Millen (January 5, 1913 - March 4, 1983)

Doc Milvid (September 5, 1916 - May 10, 1990)

Joe Polcha (February 24, 1917 - March 27, 1959

Ken Ritchel (August 28, 1914 - October 1, 1988)

Norm Ritchel (January 28, 1919 - March 9, 1971)

Eddie Sadlon (February 5, 1920 - December 16, 1993)

Dutch Seifert (October 9, 1919 - August 13, 2012)

Dick Tuckey (September 29, 1913 - December 25, 1974)

Nat Volpe (May 15, 1916 - September 8, 1997)

Stan Wilson (September 6, 1917 - February 6, 1995)

1939-40 Bridgeport Springwoods (CSL)

1939-40 BRIDGEPORT SPRINGWOODS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 5-3, .625, t-3rd place
2nd Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place
Lost in Round Robin 2nd Half Tie-breaker

Looking to improve on the last season, under new coach Eddie Reilly, the Springwoods dropped their first two games before winning five of the last six games to finish in third place in the first half. They played better in the second half of the season, finishing in a three-way tie for first. Sadly, they would lose in the round-robin tie-breaker and their season would end without the championship

Johnny Norko

Head Coach:

• Eddie Reilly  (March 26, 1886 - December 4, 1964) 

PLAYERS:

Zeke Fazekas (February 29, 1920 - October 1, 1998)

Torvie Holmes (March 19, 1914 - December 11, 1993)

Joe Hudak (May 10, 1916 - August 26, 1988)

Ernie Izzo (May 10, 1913 - June 9, 1989)

Slim Kurimsky (February 1, 1919 - October 8, 2006)

Frank Macey (December 21, 1914 - July 7, 2000)

Steve Nemergut (September 22, 1915 - June 22, 1996)

George Norko (January 20, 1916 - October 10, 2000)

Johnny Norko (April 16, 1916 - March 28, 2010)

Jule Olah (October 11, 1919 - October 29, 2008)

George Norko

1939-40 Connecticut State League (CSL)

Still a nine-team league in the CSL's second season, but only Bridgeport, Danbury and West Haven stayed on board. The New London Electric Boats, a popular touring team, joined the league, as did New Britain Cremos, the Hartford Super 5, the Stamford Holy Names and the Willimantic Aces. With the Endees dropping out, Meriden would be represented by the Silverworkers of Insilco. Once again, the season was split into two eight-game halves.  They would play two-halves with each team playing each other once in each half. Box scores and game results were still a little difficult to locate for a good portion of the games, so rosters may be incomplete.

The first half ended with Meriden and Stamford finishing tied atop the league with 6-2 records. A quick best-of-three series to determine the first half champion saw Meriden beat Stamford in two straight games.

The second half would also end in a tie, but this time, it was a three-team deadlock with New Britain, Bridgeport and Danbury (the defending champions.) A round-robin tie-breaker was scheduled, and it would take almost a month for New Britain to be the victors of the round robin. 

In the finals for the President's Cup, New Britain down Meriden, 42-41, in the opener of the best-of-five series. Meriden would roar back to win Games Two and Three to put New Britain on the ropes. However, backed by Glownia's 19 points, New Britain would even the series with a narrow 46-43 win leading to a deciding game in Meriden. New Britain would defeat the Silverworkers in Game 5, 53-47, to claim the President's Cup.

• Bridgeport Springwoods
• Danbury Guards
• Hartford Super 5 / Dovers
• Meriden Insilco Silverworkers
• New Britain Cremos
• New London Electric Boats
• Stamford Holy Names
• West Haven Hull Red Devils
• Willimantic Lounsbury Aces