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:

1946-47 Manchester Giants / British-Americans (NEBL)

Ziggy Strzelecki

1946-47 MANCHESTER GIANTS / BRITISH-AMERICANS

NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1-2, .333, withdrew

After three games, the Manchester club withdrew on December 17, 1946.

Head Coach:

• Steve Fallon (March 20, 1918 - January 25, 2003) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Don Bennett 

Leo Connerton (May 18, 1912 - March 1985)

Jerry Donovan 

Ed Dunn 

Leo Connerton

Don Ellison 

Steve Fallon (March 20, 1918 - January 25, 2003)

Whitey Klevas (December 9, 1915 - November 6, 1980)

McLaughlin  

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

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

Dan Sullivan (July 15, 1918 - April 20, 1969)

1946-47 Hartford Pros (NEBL)

1946-47 HARTFORD PROS
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
19-8, .704, 2nd place
Round Robin: 5-7, 3rd place

With their eyes fixed on the title, the Hartford Pros came in with a strong lineup under returning coach Jack O'Brien. They would win their first 5 games and ten of their first 13. The Pros and PAMCO's were battling it out for first place all season with no other true contenders, but three road losses in the last month gave the Pros a second-place finish, one mere game behind the frontrunning Fitchburg team.

Heading into the round robin tournament, Hartford dropped their first four games; two to Fitchburg and two to New Britain. They would recover to win their next four but dropped three of the last four to be eliminated from the tournament. Bob Hubbard would average 16.7 points per game, supported by Paul Klapprodt and Verne Cox, who averaged 15.8 and 13.7 PPG, respectively.

Head Coach:

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

PLAYERS:

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

Bob Cady (July 6, 1918 - February 28, 1993)

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

Wee Dinnie (March 17, 1923 - March 13, 2015)

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

Bob Hubbard (December 27, 1922 - August 27, 2011)

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

Dick Kowaleski (October 2, 1920 - September 12, 1988)

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

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

Jack O'Brien (July 25, 1916 - June 18, 1994)

George Pajak (August12, 1916 - June 26, 2011)

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

Chick Sposito (February 23, 1925 - May 9, 1994

Chet Zabek (August 4, 1917 - August 30, 1973)

Bob Cady

Bob Hubbard

George Pajak

Pat Mazzarella

Verne Cox

Al Howard

Paul Klapprodt

Chet Zabek

Dick Kowaleski

1946-47 Fitchburg PAMCO's (NEBL)

1946-47 FITCHBURG PAMCO's
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
19-6, .760, 1st place
Round Robin: 5-6, 2nd place

Lou Pick

The defending champions of the league, the Fitchburg PAMCO's jumped out to an 8-1 start on the way to a 19-6 record and a first place finish. High scorers on Lou Pick's team were Bob Kitterman (15.1 ppg), Mutt Johnson (12.5) and Sam Lieberman (11.2). When it came to the round robin tournament for the President's Cup, the PAMCO's won 3 of their first 4 before slumping and dropping 5 of seven games, eliminating them from a repeat crown.

Head Coach:

• Lou Pick (February 7, 1908 - April 25, 1984) Also played. See below
  

PLAYERS:

Red Allen (b. 1922)

Vin Aromandi (July 18, 1921 - September 26, 1991)

Stu Bicknell (March 1, 1920 - November 11, 2013)

Jack Daurton  

Jack Foches 

Ken Haggerty (January 31, 1924 - April 3, 2009)

Dick Irvin (Wright??)

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

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

Bob Kitterman (April 2, 1923 - November 14, 2000)

Johnny Lee (November 11, 1919 - October 22, 2005)

Sam Lieberman (September 20, 1921 - September 5, 1993)

Bill Mackie (December 20, 1914 - January 13, 2016)

Frank Mangiapane (August 5, 1925 - July 31, 2005)

Bob Masterson (January 17, 1925 - January 7, 2024)

Dick Olds (Young)  

Jack Oves 

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

Harry Platt (January 3, 1918 - April 6, 1997)

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

Vic Siegel (August 24, 1920 - July 7, 2017)

Jack Swenson (Laffey) (February 24, 1924 - November 24, 1989)

Johnny Williams 

Bob Kitterman

Bill Mackie

Sam Lieberman

Jack Swenson (Laffey)

1946-47 Fall River Trojans / Pawtucket Collegians (NEBL)

1946-47 FALL RIVER TROJANS / PAWTUCKET COLLEGIANS
NEW ENGLAND BASKETBALL LEAGUE
4-13, .235, 5th place

Ham Tozier

Fall River's entry in the NEBL got off to an impressive start, winning two of their first three. From there, though, Fall River struggled on the court as well as at the turnstyle. They dropped four straight before head coach Ham Tozier was replaced by Bill Rutledge. The team was victorious in Rutledge's first game as coach, but the success was short lived. On January 12, 1947, stuck with a 4-9 record, the co-owners George Dramby and Pete Begnoche had developed a rift between them and Dramby took the franchise and merged with the touring Pawtucket Collegians. They continued losing and the team dropped from the circuit January 22, 1947.

Head Coach:

• Howard "Ham" Tozier (April 8, 1906 - March 22, 1981) 2-5
• Bill Rutledge (June 30, 1920 - December 22, 2003) 2-7 Also played. See below
• Joe Hardy (September 13, 1916 - December 2004) 0-1 (Was team trainer, filled in as coach on January 4, 1947, when Rutledge was sick.

PLAYERS:

Vin Aromandi (July 18, 1921 - September 26, 1991)

Lou Belanger (June 11, 1917 - April 3, 2006)

Jim Cassidy (August 20, 1920 - May 9, 2016)

Bud Conley (September 19, 1918 - January 24,2012)

George Duffy (September 22, 1920 - May 23, 2015) 

Henri Ethier (June 14, 1923 - August 15, 2010)

Ed Glancy (January 13, 1917 - August 21, 1990)

Francis Healey (December 20, 1927 - February 24, 2017)

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

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

Johnny Lee (November 11, 1919 - October 22, 2005)

Vin Martley (May 16, 1928 - July 7, 1993)

Bob Masterson (January 17, 1925 - January 7, 2024)

Tommy McKenna (January 10, 1918 - September 7, 1990)

Mike Pappas (September 16, 1925 - December 29, 2011)

Harry Platt (January 3, 1918 - April 6, 1997)

Bill Rutledge (June 30, 1920 - December 22, 2003)

Jim Spencer (May 10, 1922 - February 27, 1993)

Hank Sperling (September 4, 1921 - July 14, 2011)

Bob Sullivan (June 18, 1921 - January 7, 2001)

Jack Swenson (Laffey) (February 24, 1924 - November 24, 1989)

Joe Szalicki (May 15, 1915 - August 30, 1970)

Bud Tyrance (February 3, 1911 - November 4, 1987)

Ralph Wicks (July 2, 1921 - January 15, 2004)

Jim Cassidy

Vin Aromandi

Bud Tyrance

Hank Sperling

Bob Masterson

Henri Ethier

1946-47 New England Basketball League (NEBL)

Basketball interest in New England was strong, with the New England League and the Eastern League in Connecticut competing for a lot of the same players and fans.  Fielding 7 teams, the NEBL saw a very competitive race between Fitchburg and Hartford. Fitchburg would win the regular season by a single game over Hartford, a sizable margin ahead of the third place team in New Britain. Worcester would finish fourth, finalizing the round-robin tournament to determine the champion. New Britain, who stumbled by dropping 5 of their last seven in the regular season, caught fire in the round robin, winning their first 6 and cruising to the crown.

• Fall River Trojans / Pawtucket Collegians
• Fitchburg PAMCO's
• Hartford Pros
• Manchester British Americans
• Nashua Picadillys / New Britain Newfields
• Salem Witches / Lynn Americans
• Worcester Irish Americans