Peach Basket Society

Thursday, March 10, 2022

1949-50 Fond du Lac Rockets (WSBL)

1949-50 FOND du LAC ROCKETS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 10-2, .833, 1st place

2nd Half: 11-1, .917, 1st place

Exner Menzel

Fond du Lac entered the WSBL in the place of the North Fondy club, and immediately turned into the powerhouse of the league, winning their first 9 games. They battled with the similarly-powerful Oshkosh club for the first place title, finishing ahead of Oshkosh by a single game. They also started the second half with nine straight wins before falling to Neenah, but finished the second half 11-1 and two games ahead of New Holstein. As the winner of both halves of the season, they were declared the champions, without the need for a playoff series.

Head Coach:

PLAYERS:

Les Sander

Ed Goodwin
Bob Krueger (September 8, 1922 - March 8, 2005)
Land
Arlin Leonhardt (March 24, 1924 - March 9, 2013)
Bill Manis (September 24, 1930 - June 8, 2007)
Ambrose McTrusty (August 29, 1927 - January 22, 2019)
Exner Menzel (September 9, 1922 - October 10, 2016)
Ray Patterson (January 15, 1922 - August 3, 2011)
Doug Richie (April 24, 1926 - January 2, 2015)
Les Sander (January 6, 1920 - February 18, 2005)
Al Skat (October 7, 1921 - January 13, 2001)
Don Sudkamp (March 10, 1926 - August 6, 2019)
Gale Zimmerman (April 7, 1926 - March 24, 1987)

Al Skat

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

1949-50 WSBL

The summer of 1949 saw a major shift in t he world of professional basketball: The merger of the BAA and the NBL, forming the NBA. Four teams from the NBL joined the new NBA, and the other teams were left to their own devices. One such club was the Oshkosh All-Stars. In the 1948-49 season, Oshkosh won the NBL's Western Division and made the NBL championship, losing to Anderson in the finals. Despite the club's success, Oshkosh was too small of a city to be permitted to be part of the NBA. The All-Stars, or what was left of them, joined the WSBL for the 1949-50 season. Despite their pedigree, they could not muster a playoff spot and after the season they disbanded.

Oshkosh had taken the place of the Sheboygan Dicks, who left the WSBL following a couple disappointing seasons. North Fond du Lac also dropped and were replaced by neighboring Fond du Lac. An 8th team was awarded to Green Bay, to be coached by Russ Young, but the team withdrew before the start of the season, forcing league president George Johansen to revamp the schedule at the last minute.

Oshkosh dropped their opener by a single point to Neenah but then went on to win 7 of eight. Heavily expected to win the league, they were bested by Fond du Lac who won their first nine contest and finished the first half 10-2, one game ahead of Oshkosh. In the second half, Fond du Lac continued rolling, winning 11 of twelce and capturing the second half title as well. Oshkosh stumbled after a 3-1 start and finished third. New Holstein showed life in the second half with a 9-3 record but were in no position to catch the loaded Rockets of Fond du Lac.

Having won both halves of the season, Fond du Lac was declared champion without a championship series required.

There was a lot of weird events near the end of the season with New Holstein allegedly losing illegal players in a game against Manitiwoc. There was also a disputed game between Kimberly and Oshkosh that was declared a forfeit, but the official league standings don't match what newspaper articles seemed to indicate. Any remaining information about the results of this questioned games is scarce. Until that gets sorted out in research (which may never be uncovered), I am using the records I have from my research any not the standings listed in newspaper accounts.

Teams

Fond du Lac Rockets

Kimberly Papermakers
Manitowoc Braves

Neenah Bluejackets

New Holstein Cheesemakers or Athletics

Oshkosh All-Stars

Two Rivers Seals

Thursday, March 3, 2022

1948-49 Two Rivers Krisea's (WSBL)

1948-49 TWO RIVERS KRISEA'S

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 8-3, .727, 2nd place

2nd Half: 7-4, .636, 3rd place

Two Rivers had a very competitive team, but couldn't quite get past the front-runners.They finished both halves on a winning streak, but too late to catch the first place clubs.

Vic Gauthier

Head Coach:

PLAYERS:

Ed Fessler (November 30, 1921 - August 31, 2000)
Vic Gauthier (February 4, 1922 - January 13, 2001)
Lewis Hrdina (May 25, 1923 - January 5, 1999)
Ken Kirchman (March 10, 1930 - May 28, 2023)
Carl Kuehl (b. March 14, 1927)
Lewis Hrdina
Danny LeClair (June 6, 1927 - September 22, 2003)
Hilary LeClair (December 18, 1918 - September 22, 2003)
Rube LeClair (September 7, 1923 - January 18, 2009)
Ernie Lupie (August 19, 1917 - March 23, 1995)
Bill Maigatter (March 18, 1928 - December 11, 2004)
Charlie Pelnar (September 9, 1927 - January 12, 2007)
Don Spletter (February 10, 1930 - January 11, 2022)
George Stangel (May 28, 1924 - March 28, 2009)

George Stangel

Ken Kirchman

1948-49 Sheboygan Dick's (WSBL)

1948-49 SHEBOYGAN DICK'S

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 4-8, .333, 5th place

2nd Half: 1-10, .091, 7th place

With a revamped team, Sheboygan hoped for better fortune. Unfortunately it was not meant to be. After an opening victory, they lost four straight before an improvement. However, after fighting back to a 4-5 record, they lost 11 in a row, stretching across the end of the first half and the first 8 games of the second half. They finished the second half in last place.

Fred Bauer

Oddly enough, Sheboygan had the identical record in both halves of the season as they had in the 1947-48 campaign. Following this dismal season, they dropped from the league.

Head Coach:

PLAYERS:

Don Luft

Fred Bauer (April 4, 1928 - October 22, 2014)
Walter Brown (June 19, 1928 - March 9, 1998)
Jerry Carek (July 21, 1929 - November 11, 1976)
Dick Hurley (March 29, 1929 - February 16, 2016)
Harry Hurtienne (November 8, 1927 - May 21, 2021)
Kenny Kurtz (December 15, 1928 - June 28, 1999)
Don Luft (February 14, 1930 - June 19, 2002)
Larry Luft (February 24, 1928 - December 3, 1987)
Matt Marchiando (December 24, 1922 - January 31, 2001)
Marvin Neese (September 27, 1927 - July 15, 2003)
Ray Porter (May 3, 1924 - July 27, 2001)
Richard Schmitt (July 7, 1927 - August 27, 2011)
Carl Schuette (April 4, 1922 - December 9, 1975)
Bob Schuette (December 21, 1923 - July 24, 1990)
Art Toston (January 12, 1924 - January 29, 1986)
Bill Toston (July 19, 1928 - March 13,1968)
Joe Turk (September 30, 1922 - June 23, 2009)

Larry Luft

Buddy Wagner (September 10, 1927 - August 23, 2007)

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

1948-49 North Fond du Lac Tigers (WSBL)

1948-49 NORTH FOND du LAC TIGERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 1-11, .083, 7th place

2nd Half: 4-6, .400, 5th place

North Fondy's team hit the skids this year. With many new faces from last year's club which was slightly over .500, Fondy lost their first 11 games of the season before defeating Sheboygan in the first half finale for their sole win. They started the second half better, with three wins in their first 5 games, but then slumped and fell out of the race, finishing a distant fifth.

Head Coach:

Pete LePine (November 6, 1884 - April 19, 1963)

PLAYERS:

Bernie Anderson (October 23, 1924 - May 14, 2000)
M Anderson
Dick Clark (December 6, 1927 - December 18, 1950)
Roger Kuehl
Bob Laske (January 5, 1926, Died May 28, 2022)
Arlin Leonhardt (March 24, 1924 - March 9, 2013)
Park
Rohe
Henry Schuette (July 5, 1927 - April 10, 2008)
Gordon Smith
L Smith
Sonnberg
Sweet
Spencer Van Ess (April 30, 1924 - September 16, 1982)
Whiteman
Chuck Winkler (June 26, 1925 - July 18, 2012)
Zerneke
Gale Zimmerman (April 7, 1926 - March 24, 1987)
Zock

1948-49 New Holstein Cheesemakers (WSBL)

Art Schroeder

1948-49 NEW HOLSTEIN CHEESEMAKERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 8-4, .667, 3rd place

2nd Half: 6-4, .600, 4th place

The defending champion Cheesemakers played well in the first half but could not catch the hot Manitowoc club. In the second half, a three game skid in their first four games was too big of a hole to climb out of, finishing 6-4 and in a distant 4th place.

Head Coach:

Art Schroeder (December 1, 1909 - May 23, 1995)

PLAYERS:

Dick Bixby (June 8, 1922 - March 1, 2014)
Ed Shimon
Bill Carnahan (May 11, 1921 - November 27, 2000)
Fritz Engel (January 12, 1928 - June 10, 2015)
Bill Fitzpatrick (April 16, 1923 - August 21, 2012)
Ray Heim (June 23, 1926 - November 4, 2011)
Harold Hoffman (June 1, 1924 - March 7, 2003)
Ernie Lupe (August 29, 1917 - March 23, 1995)
Bob Meier (October 3, 1922 - April 19, 1973)
John Meier (November 24, 1923 - March 4, 2006)
Fred Nimz (April 22, 1914 - May 9, 1992)
Norm Peterson (September 15, 1912 - July 11, 1986)
Orville Ross (April 17, 1920 - November 14, 2012)
Charlie Ryan (August 16, 1923 - January 20, 2005
Ed Shimon (April 17, 1923 - October 22, 2007)
Don Spletter (February 10, 1930 - January 11, 2022)
Dick Stier (February 11, 1920 - March 9, 1985)
Bob Vander Putten (November 1, 1924 - December 9, 1996)
Ralph Vander Putten (June 30, 1926 - September 17, 2001)

Bill Carnahan

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

1948-49 Neenah Bluejackets (WSBL)

1948-49 NEENAH BLUEJACKETS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 7-5, .583, 3rd Place

2nd Half: 9-2, .818, 1st place

Finals: Lost to Manitowoc, 3-1

Enjoying their first full season as a member of the Wisconsin League, they started the first half winning 5 of 7, but stumbled a bit at the end and faded from the race. In the second half, though, they won their first 9 games before dropping their final two to win the second half title. They faced off against Manitowoc in the Championship and lost in four games. Chuck Shepard and Charlie Block were the top scorers.