1951-52 York White Roses / Ashland Greens / Hazleton Mountaineers (EPBL)

1951-52 YORK WHITE ROSES / ASHLAND GREENS / HAZLETON MOUNTAINEERS
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
Southern Division
6-24, .300, 6th place

With York Victory departing, the White Roses of York Athletic Club stepped in to take their place in the league. Under Jabbo Adams, the White Roses got off to a decent start, winning 6 of their first ten games. Despite the team's play, they attendance figures were just to low and the club moved to Ashland  and renamed to the Greens. Their fortunes there did not brighten and after three game they were on the move again; this time to Hazleton. Under the moniker of the Mountaineers, Jabbo was let go and Joe Hannon took over as head coach. The new town and a slew of new players did not improve the fortune of the club. The continued to slide and would drop the first 8 games as the Mountaineers before deciding to forfeit the remaining nine games on the schedule and call it a season.

YORK WHITE ROSES

Snitz Osherow

Head Coach:

• Bart "Jabbo" Adams - 6-4. Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bart "Jabbo" Adams

Bill Brown (August 2, 1922 - January 15, 2007)

Hank Dudek (September 11, 1925 - September 14, 2015)

Tom Frein (September 20, 1926 - February 4, 2006)

Joe Hannon (September 18, 1926 - April 7, 1982)

Jack Kane (June 18, 1928 - October 12, 1987)

Paul McDermitt (June 2, 1923 - August 20, 2007)

Pete Monska (February 23, 1926 - March 17, 2005)

Snitz Osherow (January 1, 1925 - January 20, 1995)

Shy Raiken (October 29, 1928 - January 16, 2009)

Harold Swayze (June 3, 1930 - July 28, 1980)

Jackie Williams  

Joe Hannon

ASHLAND GREENS

Head Coach:

• Bart "Jabbo" Adams - 0-3. Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bart "Jabbo" Adams

Tom Frein (September 20, 1926 - February 4, 2006)

Joe Hannon (September 18, 1926 - April 7, 1982)

Jack Kane (June 18, 1928 - October 12, 1987)

Paul McDermitt (June 2, 1923 - August 20, 2007)

Mullin  

Snitz Osherow (January 1, 1925 - January 20, 1995)

Shy Raiken (October 29, 1928 - January 16, 2009)

Harold Swayze (June 3, 1930 - July 28, 1980)

Bill Thomas (May 2, 1925 - October 27, 1999)

Bill Wetzel (June 16, 1930 - September 27, 2004)

Leo Wolf (September 25, 1926 - November 27, 2006)

HAZLETON MOUNTAINEERS

Head Coach:

• Bart Adams - 0-1. Also played. See below
• Joe Hannon (September 18, 1926 - April 7, 1982) - 0-16. Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bart "Jabbo" Adams

Johnny Ballots

Johnny Ballots (November 28, 1927 - April 18, 1989)

Gene Belletiere (September 7, 1931 - October 15, 1996)

Ike Borsavage (July 25, 1924 - January 10, 2014)

Neil Cusate (November 2, 1933 - September 11, 1995)

Al DeGatis (March 8, 1926 - February 10, 2001)

Mike DeNoia (April 24, 1927 - May 27, 2009)

Nick Dietterick (May 22, 1921 - May 16, 2014)

Tom Frein (September 20, 1926 - February 4, 2006)

Joe Hannon (September 18, 1926 - April 7, 1982)

Jack Kane (June 18, 1928 - October 12, 1987)

Chick Lamonica (May 17, 1928 - October 1, 1999)

Paul McDermitt (June 2, 1923 - August 20, 2007)

Andy O'Donnell (March 10, 1925 - April 22, 2019)

Snitz Osherow (January 1, 1925 - January 20, 1995)

John Rusinko (March 1, 1925 - October 23, 2013)

Don Smith (b. January 12, 1927)

Harold Swayze (June 3, 1930 - July 28, 1980)

Shy Raiken

Don Smith

Leo Wolf

1951-52 Williamsport Billies (EPBL)

1951-52 WILLIAMSPORT BILLIES
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
17-12, .586, 3rd place
Semi-finals: Lost to Pottsville, 2-0

Jack Crossin

Williamsport continued to be one of the better teams in the circuit, lead again by Perk Stabley (20.7 PPG) and  Ray Kodish (18.0 PPG). Wally Hatkevich and Jack Crossin also played huge roles, but they managed to only finish third and lost in the semi-finals for the Cup. 

Head Coach:

• Larry Disque (March 27, 1921 - March 3, 1994) Also played. See below.

PLAYERS:

Chick Craig (July 23, 1922 - June 21, 2008)

Jack Crossin (June 7, 1927 - December 6, 2005)

Larry Disque (March 27, 1921 - March 3, 1994)

Oscar Grossman (June 26, 1923 - September 22, 1993)

Wally Hatkevich (November 7, 1924 - June 10, 2006)

Jerry Hayes (January 2, 1926 - October 12, 1993)

Stu Kane (August 19, 1923 - March 3, 1973)

Ray Kodish (June 10, 1923 - March 14, 2012)

Joe Majikes (July 14, 1929 - March 22, 2007)

Tom McLaughlin (August 14, 1926 - August 27, 1998)

Pete Pasko (September 9, 1919 - March 31, 2004)

John Rusinko (March 1, 1925 - October 23, 2013)

Perk Stabley (January 24, 1925 - September 25, 1994)

1951-52 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)

1951-52 SUNBURY MERCURIES

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
20-10, 667, 2nd place

Semi-finals: Defeated Lancaster, 3-0

Finals: Lost to Pottsville, 2-1

The defending Cup-winners in Sunbury looked to repeat in 1951-52. Loaded with talented veterans like Jack McCloskey, Jack Ramsay, Jerry Rullo, Dave Fox and Stretch Hall, they held on to first place for most of t he season until Pottsville caught fire and passed them in the season's twilight. The Mercuries defeated Lancaster in the semi-finals before falling to the Pottsville PAckers in the finals.

Head Coach:

• Stan Novak (April 10, 1923 - October 21, 2006)  Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Dave Fox  (May 24, 1926 - May 9, 1984)

Stretch Hall (June 23, 1926 - December 10, 1989)

Pug Heinz (September 8, 1929 - November 11, 2018)

Herb Lyon (August 4, 1927 - October 21, 1966)

Ed Lyons (July 1, 1926 - October 28, 2011)

Jack McCloskey (September 19, 1925 - June 1, 2017)

Stan Novak (April 10, 1923 - October 21, 2006)

Jack Ramsay (February 21, 1925 - April 28, 2014)

Jerry Rullo (June 23, 1922 - October 21, 2016)

Paul Senesky (January 24, 1925 - July 11, 1994)

Dave Werther (December 4, 1928 - October 24, 1997)

1951-52 Reading Merchants (EPBL)

1951-52 READING MERCHANTS

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
11-18, .379, 5th place

After losing their representatives in the Rangers, Reading gained a new club in the league to replace them. The Merchants brought on Dewey Boltz to coach and play. Boltz is the only player from the previous season's Rangers to be asked to join the Merchants.

The Merchants got off to decent start and won their first two games and were a respectable 5-5 after ten games. They would stumble and only win 5ive games over the last two months and missed the playoffs.

Lee Cappel

Head Coach:

• Dewey Boltz (May 18, 1920 - September 18, 2015) Also played. See below.

PLAYERS:

Hank Belber (November 27, 1926 - December 25, 2014)

Dewey Boltz (May 18, 1920 - September 18, 2015)

Lee Cappel (July 20, 1927 - September 25, 2003)

George Davidson (October 17, 1925 - March 5, 2017)

Matt Fanning (January 22, 1927 - November 29, 2018)

Bill Gallagher  (December 1, 1921 - July 28, 2004)

Joe Greenberg (January 7, 1927 - December 8, 2007)

Jack Haggerty (July 6, 1926 - December 19, 2010)

Dick Hall (September 27, 1930 - June 18, 2023)

Bucky Harris (October 28, 1926 - December 6, 2006)

Ace McCann (November 23, 1926 - August 23, 2011)

Brooks Ricca (April 22, 1827 - January 28, 2000)

Joe Greenberg

Jack Haggerty

Brooks Ricca

Matt Fanning

1951-52 Pottsville Packers (EPBL)

1951-52 POTTSVILLE PACKERS
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
21-9, .700, 1st place

Joe Huth

Semi-finals: Defeated Williamsport, 3-0

Finals: Defeated Sunbury, 2-1

With Chink Crossin at the helm again, the Packers got off to a horrible start, dropping 4 of their first 5. They added Milt Ticco, Billy Chacka and Hank Dudek, and the fortunes of the club changed slightly. They got evened their record at 5-5 by the end of January but dropped two games to defending champion and first-place occupier Sunbury to leave them at 5-7. Adding college star Jack Leighton and Art Lentz, the Packers went on a tear. They won their next nine games before falling to Sunbury yet again, then won another 7 and passed the Mercuries for first place in the last week of the regular season.

Pottsville swept through Williamsport in the semi-finals for the President's Trophy and would defeat Sunbury to stake their claim as the Eastern League champions.

Head Coach:

• Chink Crossin (July 4, 1923 - January 10, 1981) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

George Kinek

Hank Belber (November 27, 1926 - December 25, 2014)

Jack Booros (May 4, 1928 - December 2, 2018)

Billy Chanecka (April 21, 1924 - January 27, 2010)

Chink Crossin (July 4, 1923 - January 10, 1981)

Hank Dudek (September 11, 1925 - September 14, 2015)

Jack Flannery (December 7, 1925 - January 22, 2007)

Joe Huth (September 28, 1927 - June 11, 2014)

Karl Kauterman (January 4, 1932 - January 15, 1994)

George Kinek (January 13, 1928 - January 21, 1995)

Dick Koecher (March 30, 1926 - February 4, 2020)

Jack Leighton (January 25, 1928 - August 2, 1996)

Art Lentz (June 27, 1926 - December 8, 2018)

Ed Lyons (July 1, 1926 - October 28, 2011)

Bill McClure (December 21, 1927 - September 7, 2001)

Cas Ostrowski (July 24, 1924 - March 2, 2000)

Milt Ticco (September 22, 1922 - January 26, 2002)

Bill Zubic (August 7, 1918 - July 24, 1994)

Jack Leighton

Jack Booros

1951-52 Lancaster Rockets (EPBL)

1951-52 LANCASTER ROCKETS

Al Rubbert

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
14-16 .467, 4th place
Semi-finals: Lost to Sunbury, 2-0

Revamped and rebuilt, Whitey Von Nieda didn't double his duty as head coach this year, and they added firepower like Joe Cackovic and Harry Donovan. However, they didn't improve much over last season, finish fourth and getting bounced from the playoffs yet again in the semi-finals.

 

Head Coaches:

• George Eshelman (April 15, 1913 - June 14, 1989)

PLAYERS:

Joe Cackovic (February 21, 1923 - December 16, 1984)

George Davidson (October 17, 1925 - March 5, 2017)

Eddie Donovan (September 3, 1925 - May 7, 1999)

Harry Donovan (b. September 10, 1926)

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

Al Guokas (August 7, 1925 - August 2, 1990)

Jim Joyce (October 23, 1924 - October 24, 2006)

Frank Lewis (b. January 1, 1930)

Joe Lord (December 28, 1922 - December 1986)

Don Markward (April 2, 1919 - June 14, 1985)

Frank Martello (b. March 11, 1926)

Bill McCahan (June 7, 1921 - July 3, 1986)

Al Rubbert (March 1, 1928 - February 9, 2018)

Chuck Theisen (February 28, 1927 - June 9, 2010)

Whitey Von Nieda (June 19, 1922 - September 7, 2023)

Bill Zubic (August 7, 1918 - July 24, 1994)

Eddie Donovan

Chuck Theisen

1951-52 EPBL

The Eastern League trimmed down to six teams for the 1951-52 season. Gone were Berwick and Harrisburg. The Reading Rangers dropped but were replaced by the Mountaineers and York Victory was replaced by a team sponsored by Howard's Cleaners who would briefly move to Ashland in January before moving again to Hazleton a week later. They would completely from out by season's end, forfeiting all their remaining games. Defending champions Sunbury fought with Pottsville the entire way with Pottsville claiming the regular season title by a single game. Pottsville would meet Sunbury in the Cup finals and win in 3 games.

• Lancaster Rockets 
• Pottsville Packers
• Reading Merchants
• Sunbury Mercuries
• Williamsport Billies
• York White Roses / Ashland Greens / Hazleton Mountaineers