Peach Basket Society: Troy Celtics

Showing posts with label Troy Celtics. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

1948-49 Troy Celtics (NYSL)

1948-49 TROY CELTICS
NEW YORK STATE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE

Finished: 2-2 .500

A couple of years after the Celtics dropped from the ABL, they joined the NYSL in fall of 1948. The team barely made it into December, quitting the league on December 12 after two impressive wins over Saratoga and Glens Falls and losses to Cohoes and Schenectady by a combined three points.

Ed Schwartz

Head Coach:

Lou Figari (November 13, 1909 - September 5, 1971)

PLAYERS:

Puggy Bell (November 26, 1914 - February 19, 1985)

Audley Brindley (December 31, 1923 - November 19, 1957)

Len Doctor (July 23, 1922 - November 10, 2008)

Coulby Gunther (February 5, 1923 - July 14, 2005)

Tony Kappen (April 13, 1919 - December 18, 1993)

William Knapp

Jim White

Johnny Mills (September 23, 1922 - August 12, 1989)

Bill Pless (June 3, 1928 - October 25, 2001)

Ed Schwartz

Bill Warnecke

Jim White (July 14, 1920 - June 18, 1990)

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Marty Scheinkman

Martin Scheinkman

Born:
April 20, 1920
New York, NY

Died:
June 19, 2015
Tucson, AZ

Career
1939-40 CCNY (College)
1941-42 Hartford Gems (CSL)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
l'Universite de Toulouse - France (Independent) Head coach / player

Scheinkman had to leave school in 1941, so he joined the Army. Assigned to the Air Corps. He was a navigator on supply planes, and after the war played basketball for the Troy Celtics and in France. When the Air Corps became an independent force known as the U.S. Air Force, he served in the Korean War as well. Aside from flying planes into hurricanes for research, he would work as a fireman in New York City. He would move to Arizona and continue his education and would become an advocate for geriatric rights and pensioners, dying in 2015 at the age of 95.

He married Gerry Malloy and they had a son and a daughter. After her passing, he remarried to Helen Cook.

Source:
Obituary

Stats:

Bob Scheer

Robert R. Scheer

Born:
April 19, 1923
New York, NY

Died:
February 4, 2009
Wayne, NJ ??

Career
1939-40 DeWitt Clinton - The Bronx (High School)
1941-42 CCNY (College)
1942-43 CCNY (College)
1945-46 CCNY (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

I would like some concrete evidence I have the right guy. Pretty sure, though.

Source:

Stats:

Luke Sapan

Luke Sapan

Born:
December 7, 1920
New York, NY

Died:
August 21, 1977
Great Neck, NY

Career
1938-39 Brooklyn Technical High School (High School)

1939-40 Brooklyn Technical High School (High School)
1940-41 Long Island University (College)
1941-42 Long Island University (College)
1942-43 Long Island University (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Trenton Tigers (ABL)
1947-48 Abraham and Strauss (Independent)
1948-49 Utica Olympics (NYSL)
1948-49 Wallingford Veterans (EBL-Ct)

1949-50 Torrington HOwards (EBL-Ct)

Sapan graduated from LIU and became the athletic director at Manhattan Beach High School but entered the military shortly thereafter.

He married in 1947.

Source:

Stats:

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Tony Orlando

Anthony John Orlando

Born:
June 10, 1923
New York, NY

Died:
October 9, 1997
Woodcliff, NJ

Career
1939-40 Peter Stuyvesant High School - New York City (High School)
1940-41 Peter Stuyvesant High School - New York City (High School)
1941-42 Hoftsra University (College)
1943-44 Great Lakes (Military)
1944-45 RPI (College)
1945-46 RPI (College)
1946-47 RPI (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (NYSL)
1947-48 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1948-49 Saratoga Indians (NYSL)
1948-49 Sullivan Post (Independent)

5'11 170

Listed as Anthony J. Orlando from NYC. Tricky mainly because there was an Anthony J. Orlando born June 15 1923 who died in 1945. I kept seeing an Anthony J Orlando born June 10, 1923 and just assumed it was a typo in the birthdate. But looking back after a few years, I found the draft card for the June 10 Anthony J Orlando who was attending Hofstra. Not only a different guy, but the college leads to the positive identification of our player. Draft card weight and height pretty much matches too.

Source:
Troy Record, November 30, 1946

World War 2 Draft Card

Stats:

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Dave Laub

David Laub

Born:
July 7, 1921
New York, NY

Died:
April 3, 2025
Bridgewater, NJ

Career
1938-39 Eighth Avenue Temple - Brooklyn (Independent)
1939-40 CCNY (College)
1941-42 CCNY (College)
1942-43 CCNY (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

Laub played one year at CCNY but was declared ineligible after that season. The engineering student was able to get his eligibility restored and he rejoined the school team in 1941. After the 1942-43 season, Laub entered the U.S. Army and served during World War 2 as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. After his discharge in 1946, he played one year with the Troy Celtics in the ABL. He would go on to work in the construction field for many years before finally retiring in 2014 at the age of 93.

Source:
CCNY Athletics, August 17, 2015

Stats:

Charlie Lacina

Charles Lacina

Born:
March 29, 1922
Mount Vernon, NY

Died:
June 21, 2007
The Bronx, NY

Career
1939-40 James Monroe High School - The Bronx, NY (High School)
1940-41 James Monroe High School - The Bronx, NY (High School)
1941-42 St. John's University (College) Freshmen
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Scranton Miners (PSL)

After being named all-City in basketball at Monroe HS, Lacina was offered many scholarships to college but chose to go to St John's. After one season on the freshmen squad, being their leading scorer, Lacina left school to join the army. He became an officer and would serve in the Pacific during World War 2 as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers and later a supply officer. It was while in the Pacific he met his future wife, an army nurse named Elizabeth ("Bette") Clavin, and they married in 1944. After the war, Lacina declined to return to St. John's and went on to play professional basketball. He joined the ABL's Troy Celtics in November of 1946, and appeared in 8 games and scoring 44 points before he was let go. He then signed with Scranton in the Penn State League and finished out the season. He quit the game to become a policeman for the city of New York, and within a few years became a detective. He was eventually promoted to Detective First Grade and was a part in many big investigation at the time, especially looking into organized crime in the area. He would retire from the NYPD and take a job with the U.S. Department of Defense, overseeing security at various governmental facilities.

An avid boater in retirement, Charlie died in 2007 at the age of 85. He and his wife and two sons.

Source:
Obituary, The City Island Current

Stats:

Bill Kobler

William Kobler

Born:

Died:

Career
1944-45 St. John's University (College)
1945-46 St. John's University (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Philadelphia SPHA's (ABL)
1946-47 Paterson Crescents (ABL)

Kobler signed with Troy in the ABL, but was released after playing in three games (despite putting up 14 point in the season opener.) He joined the SPHA's a few weeks later but was used sparingly in four games, scoring only two points. He bounced over to the Crescents in January for a brief stint before being let go again.

Source:

Stats:

Friday, May 18, 2018

Bill Henry

William E. Henry

Born:
May 23, 1924

Died:
April 24, 1999

Career
1946-47 Troy Whirlwinds (NYSL)
1946-47 Newark Bobcats / Yonkers Chiefs (ABL)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1947-48 Twin Cities Celtics (NYSL)

1948-49 Pottsville Packers (EPBL)

Henry joined Troy after Yonkers dropped

Henry had never played basketball until he was in the U.S. Navy and stationed at Great Lakes. He played minor league baseball for a while, even winning the 1949 Interstate League (Class B) batting title.

Not 100% positive on his ID, but the middle initial comes from Baseball-Reference, and this William E. served in the U.S. Navy during World War 2.

Minor League Baseball Stats:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=henry-004wil

Source:

Stats:

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Ed Golub

Edward Golub

Born:
December 25, 1922
Manhattan, NY

Died:
November 3, 2000
Hollandale Beach, FL

Career
1938-39 Boys High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1939-40 Boys High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1939-40 Brooklyn Central YMCA (Independent)
1940-41 St. John's University (College)
1941-42 St. John's University (College)
1942-43 St. John's University (College)
1942-43 Sampson Naval Station (Military)
1944-45 Norfolk Naval Training Station (Military)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1947-48 Twin Cities Celtics (NYSL)
1947-48 Trenton Tigers (ABL)
1948-49 Mohawk Redskins (NYSL)
1950-51 Torrington Howards (EBL-Ct)

The 6'3, 175-pound Golub was born on Christmas Dat 1922 in Manhattan. He went to St John's but left after his junior year to join the Navy to fight in World War 2.

Source:
WW2 Draft Card

Stats:

Monday, May 14, 2018

Norm Drucker

Norman F. Drucker

Born:
July 4, 1920
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
February 6, 2015
Plymouth Meeting, PA

Career
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Trenton Tigers (ABL)
1947-48 Bridgeport Springwoods (EBL-Ct)
1947-48 Elizabeth Braves (ABL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1948-49 Mohawk Redskins (NYSL)
1949-50 Waterbury Coppers (EBL-Ct)

Drucker played three seasons in the ABL, Drucker would go on to make his biggest impact as a referee in the ABA and NBA. He served as the supervisor of officials in both leagues, and as integral in helping the leagues merge not just teams and players, but officials also.

He married Shirley Elias and they had one son.

Source:
Obituary

Stats:

Joe Dinkwoods

Joseph John Dinkwoods (Dinkwood)
born Joseph John Dzienkiewicz

Born:
January 21, 1917
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
December 26, 1994
Elmira, NY

Career
1937-38 St Francis College - Brooklyn (College)
1938-39 St Francis College - Brooklyn (College)
1939-40 St Francis College - Brooklyn (College)
1946-47 Kingston Chiefs (Independent)
1946-47 Saratoga Indians (NYSL)
1946-47 Newark Bobcats / Yonkers Chiefs (ABL)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

Dinkwoods started the 1946-47 season with the Kingston Chiefs and when the Newark Bobcats relocated to Kingston in December of that season, Dinkwoods was one of the players brought into the fold. He played with the club through the winter, even as the team moved again to Yonkers. When the club dissolved in February in 1947, he played a few games with the Troy Celtics. He also played semi-pro baseball around New York and was a skilled amateur golfer. He was later a superintendent at the A&P Plant in Brooklyn and later near Elmira, New York.

He sometimes appears in newspaper article as "Dinkwood" but his anglicized name was actually "Dinkwoods."

He and his wife, Sally, were together for a long time before marrying in 1972.

Source:
Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY), December 28, 1994

Stats:

Friday, May 11, 2018

Johnny Cerrone

John J. Cerrone

Born:
November 18, 1918

Died:
December 14, 1973
Larchmont, NY ??

Career
1936-37 Dewitt Clinton High School - New York City (High School)
1938-39 Columbia University (College)
1939-40 Columbia University (College)
1940-41 Columbia University (College)
1945-46 Syracuse Stars (Independent)
1945-46 Cortland Moose (Independent)
1946-47 Newark Bobcats (ABL)
1946-47 Brooklyn Visitations (NYNJ)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

Also appears in some newspaper stories as "Frank Cerrone."

Born to Rose and Anthony (1892-1964) Cerrone, the 5'11 Johnny was a basketball star at Dewitt Clinton, and would eventually become the basketball team captain in his senior year at Columbia (he did not play as a freshman). He also played shortstop on the Columbia baseball team.

He served in the U.S. Army during World War 2.

Source:
Columbia Daily Spectator, March 14, 1940

Stats:

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Marv Blumenthal

Marvin "Red" Blumenthal

Born:
May 30, 1924
Trenton, NJ

Died:
March 18, 1969
Houston, TX

Career
1941-42 Central High School - Trenton, NJ (High School)
1942-43 Temple University (College)
1943-44 Temple University (College)
1944-45 Temple University (College)
1945-46 Temple University (College)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)
1946-47 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1947-48 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1949-50 Cohoes Marras (ABL) Head coach

Blumenthal was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, and played basketball at Temple. In February of 1943, he scored the winning in a game against LaSalle, and collapsed in the locker room. He was first thought to have contracted scarlet fever, but it turned out to be the German measles. He would play one game with the Troy Celtics in 1946, scoring zero point in the season opener. He moved over to the New York League, joining the Cohoes Mastadons. Marv later moved to Houston, and died there after suffering a heart attack while playing handball in 1969. He was 44 years old.

Marv's younger brother Bernie played basketball in the Eastern Professional Basketball League in Pennsylvania.

Source:
The Morning Call (Allentown, PA), February 24, 1943
Amarillo Globe-Times, March 19, 1969

Stats:

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Neil Abbatiello

Neil Joseph "Buster" Abbatiello

Born:
August 26, 1922
Yonkers, NY

Died:
July 24, 2005
Carmel, NY

Career
Yonkers High School (High School)
Gorton High School (High School)
1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

Born to Neil and Catherine Abbatiello, Neil played both baseball and basketball in high school. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War 2 in the Pacific Theater. After the war, we worked for Otis Elevator in Yonkers while also playing some professional basketball with the Troy Celtics. He would then move into banking, retiring at the end of 1990.

He married Sadie Calone in 1943 and they had one son and one daughter. A grandson, Neil Abbatiello, pitched at Wagner College in 2017.

Source:
Obituary, Journal News, July 27, 2005

Stats:

Monday, May 7, 2018

1946-47 Troy Celtics (ABL)

1946-47 TROY CELTICS
AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE (II)
Southern Division
13-22 .371, 3rd place

Head Coach:

Sam Winograd (November 28, 1913 - July 25, 1998) 1-9
Moe Goldman (May 30, 1913 - May 7, 1989) 0-3 Also played. See below
Davey Banks (1901 - August 24, 1952) 12-10