1947-48 Worcester Table Talks (NEBL)

1946-47 WORCESTER TABLE TALKS

NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
2-2, .500, t-2nd place

Stocked with staples from the Worcester basketball scene, the Table Tops scored 118 and 102 points in their two victories before the league folded, but only mustered 51 and 72 in their losses. Jack Bornheimer averaged 26 points per game while Bill Downey averaged 22.3 in three contests, including 41 on December 7, 1947, against Bridgeport.

To make matters worse, the team's locker room was looted during the game in Fitchburg on the evening of December 14.

Head Coach:

• Ziggy Strzelecki (January 19, 1919 - February 1, 1988) Also played. See below. 

PLAYERS:

Jack Bornheimer (November 25, 1921 - July 2, 1989)

Buck Desorcy (December 17, 1916 - March 16, 1972)

Bill Downey (November 11, 1923 - September 5, 2015)

Mort Hill (October 24, 1922 - October 6, 1977)

Ray Manarel (July 13, 1915 - April 9, 2002)

Frank Seybolt (August 8, 1917 - March 12, 2000)

Lou Shopes (March 31, 1919 - December 18, 2015)

Ziggy Strzelecki (January 19, 1919 - February 1, 1988)

Nick Zogas (April 12, 1918 - May 25, 2000)

1947-48 Hartford Pros (NEBL)

1947-48 HARTFORD PROS

Jim Hanrahan

NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1-0, 1.000, 1st place

The league folded after the Pros won their first game of the season. When the Elizabeth Braves of the American League folded around the same time, the Pros took their slot in the ABL and finished the season as the Hartford Hurricanes. 

Head Coach:

• Jack O'Brien (July 25, 1916 - June 18, 1994) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bob Blinn (April 9, 1926 - January 11, 1990)

Verne Cox (January 2, 1920 - September 7, 1991)

Jim Hanrahan (September 14, 1923 - May 31, 2006)

Arnold Jones (b. March 2, 1921)

Paul Klapprodt (July 10, 1923 - April 21, 2011)

Al Nichols (February 20, 1924 - December 13, 2004)
Jack O'Brien (July 25, 1916 - June 18, 1994)
Bob Sherman (January 12, 1920 - December 23, 2016)

Bill Wade (January 31, 1927 - August 30, 1991)

Bill Wade

Verne Cox

1947-48 Fitchburg PAMCO's (NEBL)

1947-48 FITCHBURG PAMCO's

NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
2-2, .500, t-2nd place

The popular Fitchburg team had its last gasp, and with the fortunes of NEBL so went the PAMCO's

Head Coach:

• Lou Pick (February 7, 1908 - April 25, 1984) 
  

PLAYERS:

Red Allen

Red Allen (b. 1922)

Bruce Benner (August 2, 1922 - May 20, 1978)

Jackie Curran 

Red Dehnert (January 24, 1924 - September 23, 1994)

Harry Johnson 

Mutt Johnson (June 9, 1910 - February 18, 1991)

Leo Kane (November 16, 1918 - February 10, 2003)

Ronnie Lyons (January 5, 1923 - January 20, 1985)

Francis Quinlan (January 17, 1921 - April 19, 1971)

Bill Ryan 

Jim Sherry (January 7, 1921 - January 19, 2006)

Bruce Benner

1947-48 Bridgeport Brass Bears (NEBL)

1947-48 BRIDGEPORT BRASS BEARS

Morris Felis

NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
2-3, .400, 4th place

Len Cocco lead the team with 72 points in four games.

Head Coach:

• 
  

PLAYERS:

Lenny Cocco (September 10, 1924 - June 14, 2008)

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

Morris Felis 

George Pastushok (July 13, 1922 - December 12, 2003)

Tony Santone (May 30, 1919 - November 15, 1986)

Irish Sheehy (December 26, 1915 - June 19, 1985)

Hank Tonges (December 19, 1927 - October 14, 1990)

Walter "Ham" Wilson 

Big John Wilson 

Hank Tonges

1947-48 New England Basketball League (NEBL)

What was once a promising minor basketball league with decent talent, the New England Basketball League found itself hastily falling apart by its third season. Robert Zaiman (1921-2016) of Hartford was named the league president, and he fully intended to go with a six team league. As late as Thanksgiving, a league schedule was released with 5 teams signed up and space for a sixth team. Faced with being a five-team league, New Haven would drop out before the season even began so the league would go with  merely four team. The season commenced on December 5, 1947 but only played seven games before suspending operation on December 15, 1947

• Bridgeport Brass Bears
• Fitchburg PAMCO's
• Hartford Pros
• Worcester Table Talks
• New Haven - dropped before season began

1946-47 Worcester Irish-Americans (NEBL)

1946-47 WORCESTER IRISH-AMERICANS
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
11-13, .458, 4th place

Round Robin: 4-6, 4th place

Located in Clinton last year, the team moved to Worcester. They played some home games in Marlboro, Massachusetts, as the Bears. They never could muster together a decent winning streak and finished in 4th place. They would be eliminated from the Cup during the Round-Robin tournament.

Head Coach:

• Ed Buckley (July 2, 1920 - September 15, 1993) Also played. See below. 11-12
• Bill Kasper (April 8, 1902 - December 2, 1986) Also played. See below. 0-1

PLAYERS:

Bill Bornheimer (November 25, 1921 - Jul

Dean Hennessy

y 2, 1989)

Ed Buckley (July 2, 1920 - September 15, 1993)

George Burditt (September 21, 1922 - March 12, 2013)

George Delmarek 

Buck Desorcy (December 17, 1916 - March 16, 1972)

Paul Dolan (July 11, 1923 - September 3, 2000)

Bill Downey (November 11, 1923 - September 5, 2015)

Dean Hennessy (June 13, 1923 - March 16, 2011)

Mort Hill (October 24, 1922 - October 6, 1977)

Vince Hurley (October 27, 1924 - June 8, 2008)

Jim Jeffrey (July 24, 1908 - May 13, 1987)

Arnold Jones (b. March 2, 1921)

Bill Kalbaugh (September 16, 1921 - September 14, 2013)

Bill Kasper (April 8, 1902 - December 2, 1986)

Ed Krause (February 2, 1913 - December 11, 1992)

John Malawka (April 20, 1921 - July 15, 2001)

Ray Manarel (July 13, 1915 - April 9, 2002)

Jim Martin  

McCarthy  

Dick Redding (July 23, 1918 - August 27, 2004)

Ed  Rothschild (November 6, 1921 - July 31, 2011)

Frank Seybolt (August 8, 1917 - March 12, 2000)

Lou Shopes (March 31, 1919 - December 18, 2015)

Ed Steitz (November 7, 1920 - May 21, 1990)

Ziggy Strzelecki (January 19, 1919 - February 1, 1988)

Frank Taylor (June 8, 1919 - February 13, 1985)

Whitney  

Ed Rothschild

George Burditt

Bill Kalbaugh

Ray Manarel

Lou Shopes

Dick Redding

Bill Kasper

1946-47 Salem / Lynn Pros (NEBL)

1946-47 SALEM  / LYNN PROS
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
4-17, .190, 5th place

Salem had a decent enough start, winning 4 of their first seven, but their 58-53 victory of Hartford on December 15, 1946, was their last victory. The team hit the skids and lost their next 8 games, culminating in a 60-point loss to the aforementioned Hartford club. The 116-56 loss was partially as a result of the one of the team's vehicles being detained by the police for suspicion of armed robbery on their way to the game. The team moved to Lynn the next day, but still kept losing, finishing on a 14-game losing streak.

Head Coach:

• Teddy Wollerscheid (January 15, 1918 - February 25, 2000) 4-11
• Edward "Nipper" Clancy (December 2, 1916 -  June 6, 1977) 0-5
• Lou Falkoff (April 2, 1920 - October 10, 1990) 0-1

PLAYERS:

Sam Alper (January 22, 1922 - February 24, 1992)

Art Barresi (August 12, 1924 - January 16, 2000)

Dick Benirowski (September 2, 1922 - March 21, 2023)

Tom Birmingham (November 4, 1923 - August 26, 2006)

Hank Brenner (November 23, 1918 - July 2, 2012)

Lyle Bullard (December 16, 1916 - September 6, 1970)

Herb Chandler (February 11, 1923 - January 2, 1992)

Russ Gaudet (August 19, 1911 - February 17, 1994)

Pete Heraty (May 27, 1923 - October 16, 1999)

Fred Katin (May 12, 1924 - March 3, 2011)

Soph Kritikos (November 25, 1919 - April 25, 2014)

Norman Landry (June 20, 1921 - July 25, 1984)

Hetchy Lipson (October 15, 1920 - February 2, 1988)

Rocky Mitchell (May 29, 1919 - May 18, 2006)

Wank Nagle (July 1, 1924 - August 15, 2014)

Horace Raimo (January 12, 1919 - February 4, 1998)

Mertie Rice (September 29, 1913 - June 4, 1970)

Abe Russell (February 16, 1920 - December 22, 1995)

Walter Sears (December 31, 1919 - July 11, 1992)

Frank Seybolt (August 8, 1917 - March 12, 2000)

Cos Sfikas (May 30, 1925 - December 5, 2023)

Turk Sullivan (December 5, 1917 - February 21, 1988)

Mertie Rice

Fred Katin

1946-47 Nashua / New Britain Newfields (NEBL)

1946-47 NASHUA / NEW BRITAIN NEWFIELDS
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
11-10, .524, 3rd place
Round Robin: 8-3, 1st place

Starting the season in Nashua, they would drop their first four and quickly got intoi trouble with attendance and a decent home curt. The franchise was scrapped and relocated to New Britain on December 20, 1946. The benefits of a new squad was felt immediately, winning 9 of ten games and climbing back into the race.  The stumbled a bit, losing 5 of 7 to finish the regular season in third place. But the round-robin playoffs saw the Newfields shine. They would win their first 6 round robin matchups and claimed the President's Cup.

Head Coach:

• 
  

PLAYERS:

Walt Alesevich (October 7, 1925 - October 3, 2001)

Walt Alesevich

Johnny Barron (May 15, 1920 - November 28, 2017)

Frank Bores (October 15, 1920 - January 7, 1982)

Jackie Bowden (September 7, 1917 - October 4, 1995)

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

Johnny Dobrutsky (January 27, 1922 - March 1, 1996)

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

Flaherty 

Art Franks (May 14, 1917 - March 15, 2005)

Ernie Gomez (June 16, 1924 - June 19, 1963)

Guido 

Red Harding (June 6, 1921 - May 26, 1998)

Tom Hines  

Mickey Homa (October 16, 1923 - April 9, 2014)

Johnny Isaacs (September 15, 1915 - January 26, 2009)

Bobby Lynch (October 21, 1916 - March 13, 1982)

Al Mansi (July 14, 1921 - January 3, 2013)

Pat Mazzarella (June 18, 1923 - July 19, 1989)

Ross Merrick (July 20, 1922 - January 24, 2004)

Joe Oslai (January 27, 1923 - March 10, 1976)

Owen 

George Petrovick (August 23, 1921 - February 10, 2016)

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

Jackie Bowden

Steve Roberts 

Fred Rodia (August 13, 1922 - January 23, 2004)

Steve Salata (August 25, 1923 - June 5, 2012)

Vic Swaller (September 13, 1922 - June 19, 2013)

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

Lenny Wentworth (May 29, 1922 - August 5, 2021)

Jimmy (or Don) Wilson

George Petrovick

New updates, identifications, corrections, July 2025

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

DETAILS ADDED:

Jake Bornheimer, BAA, NBA, NYSL, NEBL - Added middle name

Bill Downey, BAA - Added middle name, places of birth and death

PROPERLY IDENTIFIED:

Leerah, NPBL - Thanks to a reader tip, this player was identified as Gene Kurash who was the KC coach at the time and was pressed into duty.

CORRECTED:

NEW LEADS UNRESOLVED: