PLAYER of the MONTH

The Player for the Month of April 1944 is the Left Fielder of the Muskegon ThuderDawgs and current Rookie 
of the Year Dick Wakefield.  Dick led the league in batting average (.409), on base percentage (.567), 
slugging percentage (.886) and home runs (6).  In his second year Dick is making a big name for himself 
in the DBS and looks like he is one the games rising stars.  He appeared in fourteen games, getting at 
least one hit in eleven of those games with a multiple base in seven games.  Dick hit home runs in back 
to back games on three different occasions in April, including a two home run game on April 22nd.  He 
finished with an additional three doubles, fourteen runs scored and eleven RBI including two game winning 
RBI.  Dick was walked sixteen times including five intentional walks.

Other Player of the Month Candidates:

LF	Augie Galan of North Dallas a career .293 hitter; batted .362 (25-69) with a slugging percentage 
of .609 with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs.  He collected thirteen RBI and knocked in 
thirteen runs, while being walked four times.

3B	Ken (Butch) Keltner of North Dallas the 8th pick in 1937, finished with a .348 (23-66) batting 
average and a slugging percentage of .652.  He collected six doubles, one triple and four home runs, with 
ten runs scored and eleven RBI.

RF	Stan (Stan the Man) Musial of St. Louis who was the number one pick back in 1941 batted .404 
(23-57) with a slugging percentage of .649.  Stan hit four doubles, a league leading two triples and two 
home runs.  He was walked sixteen times, scored thirteen runs and knocked in twelve.

The Pitcher of the Month of April 1944 is the Starting Pitcher of the Harlem Knights Ken Raffensberger; a 
second round pick in 1939 is starting his rookie campaign this season.  Ken was 2-1 in the month with an 
ERA of 1.17 allowing only three earned runs in 23 innings of work.  Ken had a strikeout to walk ratio of 
4:1 (20 strikeouts, 5 walks) and a WHIP of 0.87.  Ken’s only loss came against Montgomery where he 
pitched seven innings allowing only one earned run with five strikeouts, but as we all know from this 
season losses to Montgomery will not be held against starting pitchers.

Other Pitcher of the Month Candidates:

RP	Nels (Nellie) Potter of North Dallas who has been a relief pitcher most of his career is now 
starting and ended April with a record of 2-0 with one save, appearing in three games with two starts 
and one complete game.  His ERA was 2.65 allowing five earned runs in seventeen innings of work with 
thirteen strikeouts.

SP	Jim (Abba Dabba) Tobin of North Dallas who was a second round draft pick back in 1937 and won 
nineteen games last season.  Jim was 2-0 during the month in two starts with one complete game.  His 
ERA finished at 2.12 with four earned runs in seventeen innings of work with thirteen strikeouts.

SP	Dizzy Trout of Montgomery, the third overall pick in 1939 was 2-0 in April in three starts with 
one complete game.  His ERA was 2.05 with five earned runs in 22 innings of work with thirteen strikeouts.