New updates, identifications, corrections, October 2024

Taking some time and looking back to fill in some holes or close some things out.

DETAILS ADDED:

Bill Bondanza, NYSL - Died March 4, 2021

PROPERLY IDENTIFIED:

Vic Hanson, ABL, EBL-Ct, NYSL

CORRECTED:

NEW LEADS UNRESOLVED:

1953-54 Williamsport Billies (EPBL)

1953-54 WILLIAMSPORT BILLIES
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
20-10, .667, 2nd place
Semi-finals: Defeated Hazleton, 2-1
Finals: Defeated Lancaster, 2-1

Williamsport was ready to defend their title but dropped their first two games and after 13 games there record sat at 6-7. That is when the Billies, now back under coach Hod Springman, added George Feigenbaum and Roy Belliveau and the team fortunes shifted. They won 12 of 13 (with two forfeit wins courtesy of the failed Lebanon franchise) and found themselves on the doorstep of the Sunbury Mercuries. They split their remaining 4 games and fell a single game short of first place. In the President's Cup, they fought they way past Hazleton to face Lancaster in the finals. After winning Game 1 by a score of 99-89, the Billies got pounded at Lancaster by 34 points. In the deciding Game 3, the Billies routed Lancaster, 110-87, to win their second cup in as many seasons and third in team history.

Head Coach:

• Chink Crossin (July 4, 1923 - January 10, 1981) 5-5 Also played. See below
• Hod Springman (August 10, 1915 - August 13, 1996) 15-5 

PLAYERS:

Roy Belliveau (b. April 12, 1929)

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

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

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

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

George Everett (November 3, 1928 - May 7, 1981)

George Feigenbaum (July 3, 1928 - December 25, 2000)

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

Tony Kazokas (October 9, 1930 - April 7, 2021)

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

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

Wes Myers (December 21, 1927 - February 1, 2002)

Bob Smith (October 8, 1930 - April 19, 2018)

Don Strassner (November 14, 1927 - June 29, 2010)

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

1953-54 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)

1953-54 SUNBURY MERCURIES

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
21-9, 700, 1st place
Semi-finals: Lost to Lancaster, 2-0

Once again, Sunbury was the team to beat in the regular season. And once again, they exiting in the tournament for the President's Cup. The Mercuries won 12 of their first 14 and 19 of 24 (including to forfeit wins) behind stars like Bells Colone and Jack McCloskey. However, the Mercuries would limp to the finish line, losing four of 6 including their last two. They couldn't regroup when it came time for the playoffs and were swept out by Lancaster.

Head Coach:

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

PLAYERS:

Andy Maddox

Dick Adair (October 14, 1927 - July 10, 2011)

Bells Colone (January 23, 1924 - July 1, 2009)

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

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

Norm Grekin (June 22, 1930 - September 29, 1981)

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

Ed Jones (July 8, 1928 - April 28, 2020)

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

Andy Maddox (November 20, 1933 - August 27, 2006)

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

Cecil Mosenson (December 11, 1929 - September 6, 2020)

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

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

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

1953-54 Lebanon / Pottsville Seltzer Bologna (EPBL)

Norm Grekin

1953-54 LEBANON / POTTSVILLE SELTZER BOLOGNA

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA

4-26*, .133, 6th place

* forfeit last ten games

The Seltzer Bologna team struggled last season, and this year would be no different. The team moved to Pottsville to start the season, now playing under veteran coach Cy Kaselman. The Seltzers played it pretty close with their opponents in the first 8 games, winning 3 and only once losing by over ten points. But that us when the wheels fell off.  They dropped six straight games, ending this skid with a triple-overtime win over Lancaster. That was the last good day for the club. At this point, the franchise  moved back to Lebanon for their home games, where they played last season. They dropped another 5 games before folding, forfeiting their last ten games. Norm Grekin lead the team with 225 points (15.0 ppg)

Head Coach:

• Cy Kaselman (May 1, 1909 - July 3, 1971) 4-15
• H. Jack Seltzer (August 12, 1922 - February 28, 2011) 0-1

PLAYERS:

John Brunner

Ed Altieri  (June 2, 1930 - February 27, 2019)

Floyd Becker (February 7, 1922 - March 7, 2008)

Nelson Bobb (February 25, 1924 - December 8, 2003)

Ed Brunner (February 26, 1929 - December 9, 1990)

John Brunner (b. October 10, 1927)

Bill Dougherty  

Bob Gainey (June 29, 1932 - June 9, 2004)

Cal Gardner (December 25, 1926 - December 27, 2016)

Bob Gearhart (May 19, 1932 - December 10, 2020)

Norm Grekin (June 22, 1930 - September 29, 1981)

Leon Miller

Claude Gross (December 19, 1934 - February 17, 2017)

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

Eddie Krause (October 26, 1926 - March 25, 2011)

Leon Miller (November 23, 1931 - June 14, 2015)

Cecil Mosenson (December 11, 1929 - September 6, 2020)

Jim Phelan (March 19, 1929 - June 16, 2021)

Don Smith (b. January 12, 1927)

Jim Sottile (March 22, 1930 - June 23, 2019)

Ed Wagner (July 5, 1929 - September 7, 2002)

Bob Gearhart

1953-54 Lancaster Rockets (EPBL)

1953-54 LANCASTER ROCKETS

Brooks Ricca

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
15-15 .500, t-3rd place
Semi-finals: Defeated Sunbury, 2-0

Finals: Lost to Williamsport, 2-1

The Rockets played pretty mediocre basketball over the first couple months, going 5-10 before reversing their record to win 10 of their last 15. (Three of those wins were by was of forfeited game from Lebanon). Player / coach Eddie Lyons scored 486 points in 25 games. 

Lancaster surprised Sunbury in the playoffs, knocking them out in two games. They would meet Williamsport on the finals, but after splitting the first two games, they got drubbed 110-87 in the deciding game

 

Bob Gainey

Head Coaches:

• Ed Lyons (July 1, 1926 - October 28, 2011) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bart "Jabbo" Adams  

Pete Carill (July 10, 1930 - August 15, 2022)

Bob Gainey (June 29, 1932 - June 9, 2004)

Sammy Glassmire (July 26, 1930 - July 7, 1994)

Herm Hedderick (January 10, 1930 - August 20, 2014)

Walt Hirsch (July 15, 1929 - May 10, 2022)

Eddie Krause (October 26, 1926 - March 25, 2011)

John Russell

Walt Lenz (August 21, 1931 - March 28, 2010)

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

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

Paul Reibold (November 24, 1930 - March 30, 2019)

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

John Russell (March 18, 1930 - September 4, 2020)

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

Herm Hedderick

Sammy Glassmire

1953-54 Hazleton Mountaineers (EPBL)

1953-54 HAZLETON MOUNTAINEERS
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA

15-15, .500, t-3rd place
Semi-finals: Lost to Williamsport, 2-1

Ed Warner

Hazleton started the season under George Feigenbaum and only won two of their first 8 before replacing Feigenbaum with Jim Brasco. By the end of January, the team climbed back to within a game of .500 with a record of 7-8 before hitting a four-game skid. Desperate for a change, the Mountaineers dropped a large portion of their squad and brough on the core of the travelling Jersey City Titans. The Titans had been a member of the defunct American Basketball League the prior season before the league disintegrated. The Titans had players like Sherman White who was implicated in the point-shaving scandals the wrecked the college game a few years prior. Under Paul Zeitin, the Jersey City coach now at the helm of the new Mountaineers, they would win 8 of their last 11 to grab a playoff spot. However, they were defeated by Williamsport in the semi-finals.

Abe Becker

Head Coach:

• George Feigenbaum (July 3, 1928 - December 25, 2000) 2-6  Also played. See below
• Jim Brasco (February 3, 1931 - March 21, 2014) 5-6  Also played. See below
• Paul Zeitlin (February 13, 1919 - May 1, 1974 ) 8-3

PLAYERS:

Abe Becker (d. October 7, 2018) 

Bill Berens 

Jim Brasco (February 3, 1931 - March 21, 2014)

Sherman White

Tommy Breslin (July 2, 1929 - February 25, 1962)

Nick Bruckner (August 20, 1930 - March 30, 1984)

Gerry Calabrese (February 4, 1925 - April 13, 2015)
Neil Cusate (November 2, 1933 - September 11, 1995)

Jim Davis (b. April 22, 1932)

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

George Feigenbaum (July 3, 1928 - December 25, 2000)

Jack Hageman (July 14, 1931 - July 12, 2007)

Buddy Hatchett (September 10, 1927 - October 14, 2011)

Lou Hill (March 22, 1936 - October 13, 2009)

Bob McDonald 

Johnny O'Boyle (March 7, 1928 - March 30, 1984)

Henry Singleton (March 24, 1925 - July 4, 2010)

Jack Stein (December 30, 1929 - May 21, 2015)

Rabbit Walthour (August 25, 1930 - September 10, 1977)

Ed Warner (July 5, 1929 - September 7, 2002)

Leroy Watkins (October 3, 1925 - September 23, 2008)

George Wenz (May 30, 1930 - August 30, 2018)

Charley Whiteman  

Sherman White (December 16, 1928 - August 4, 2011)

Jim Davis

Jack Hageman

Charley Whiteman

1953-54 Berwick Carbuilders (EPBL)

1953-54 BERWICK CARBUILDERS

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
15-15, .500, t-3rd

Berwick added NBA veterans Red Meinhold and Bucky McConnell in hopes of finally making a run in the League. After a 6-6 start, they ran six games in a row to improve to 12-6 and were knocking at the door of the league lead 

but then went ice cold, losing 7 of their last 8 and finishing 15-15 and tied for third. However, They were the odd team out as Lancaster and Hazleton, both with identical 15-15 records, gained the two remaining playoff spots.

Carl Ternosky

Head Coach:

• Paul Stenn (Stenko)  (July 12, 1918 - August 2, 2003) Also played. See below.

PLAYERS:

Paul Arizin (April 9, 1928 - December 12, 2006)

Tommy Breslin (July 2, 1929 - February 25, 1962)

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

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

Claude Gross

Claude Gross (December 19, 1934 - February 17, 2017)

Ed Jones (July 8, 1928 - April 28, 2020)

Bucky McConnell (July 1, 1928 - April 1, 2019)

Red Meinhold (March 29, 1926 - February 23, 2019)

Johnny Murphy  

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

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

Wally Sheil (April 15, 1929 - June 23, 2002)

Paul Stenn (Stenko)  (July 12, 1918 - August 2, 2003)

Carl Ternosky (August 12, 1926 - February 3, 2016)

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

Gene/Judy Woodlock  

Mike Zedalis (January 5, 1927 - April 25, 2017)

1953-54 EPBL

The Eastern League was down to six teams for the 1953-54 season. The Harrisburg team dropped after one season, and Lancaster's representatives were now the Red Roses and the Rockets also dropped. The Lebanon Seltzers, after two dismal seasons, moved to Pottsville early on in the season. The shift to Pottsville did little for the team's finances and they would quit the league and forfeit their last ten games.

The regular season was largely a battle between Sunbury and last year's champions, Williamsport.  Hazleton and Lancaster snuck in to the last to playoff spots with 15-15 records. Lancaster upset Sunbury while Williamsport bounced Hazleton but not without a struggle. In the finals, Williamsport defeated Lancaster wo win their second straight President's Cup.

• Berwick Carbuilders
• Hazleton Mountaineers
• Lancaster Red Roses
• Lebanon / Pottsville Seltzer Bologna
• Sunbury Mercuries
• Williamsport Billies