4 January 1955

Syracuse Herald Journal- Schayes, Seymour On East All-Stars

Syracusans Honored

The East and west squads for the fifth
annual National Basketball League All-Star game to be played at Madison Square
Garden on Jan. 18 were named today with two rookies, Frank Selvy and Bob
Pettit, making the West squad. The two Milwaukee Hawks first-year stars and
George Yardley of Fort Wayne were the only newcomers to the squads, and all of
them were picked for the West team. Picked by sports writers were three
unanimous choices, Selvy for the West squad and Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes of
Syracuse for the East team. The complete squads: EAST- Forwards: Schayes, Paul
Arizin, Philadelphia, and Harry Gallatin and Carl Braun, both of New York.
Centers: Neil Johnston, Philadelphia and Ed Macauley, Boston; Guards: Cousy,
Paul Seymour, Syracuse, Bill Sharman, Boston and Dick McGuire, New York. WEST-
Forwards: Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard, both of Minneapolis; Pettit and
Yardley; Centers: Larry Foust, Fort Wayne and Arnie Risen, Rochester; Guards:
Selvy, Bobby Wanzer, Rochester, Andy Phillip, Fort Wayne and Slater Martin,
Minneapolis.

Schayes On Third Rung In Scoring

Ed Macauley of the Boston Celtics, took the
lead in the National Basketball Association scoring race today by a single
point over Celtic teammate Bob Cousy. It was the second time in his six-year
pro career that Macauley had led the league and the first time was a year ago.
However, Macauley has been a steady enough scorer, finishing third twice,
fourth twice, and fifth once. Macauley had a total of 609 points to 608 for
Cousy. Only five points out of the lead at 603 was Adolph Schayes of Syracuse.
Rookie Frank Selvy of Milwaukee ranked fourth with 592 and Bill Sharman of
Boston took fifth with 550, giving the Celtics three of the top five positions.
On a basis of points per game, however, Selvy was leading the league with a
21.1 average. Paul Arizin of Philadelphia was second with 20.7 and defending
champion Neil Johnston, also of the warriors, was third with 20.6. Macauley and
Cousy were tied for fourth with 20.3. Macauley moved into the overall scoring
lead by tallying 94 points during four games of the last week while Cousy was
held to 52. Johnston was the week’s highest scorer with 109 points in five
games to move from 11th to seventh.

From Highlighting Sports By Jack Slattery

Tomorrow night the board of directors of the Syracuse Nats will vote to
accept or reject the resignation of General Manager Leo Ferris. Yesterday, I
lunched with Leo for the purpose of getting his views first hand. His very
first sentence aptly described the situation. “It is an unusual situation,”
said Leo. “Usually when a manager, coach or general manager of a club quits a
team it is because the club is losing. Here we have a first place ball team
and, too, it’s very best ball team we’ve ever had in Syracuse. And on the
weekend we played two ball games and grossed about $12,000. Odd background for
a setup such as we’ll have tomorrow night.” Leo’s chief criticism of the board
of directors, with whom he has been feuding (and he stressed that it was only a
few members, not a majority), was that they were super critical in areas where
they were not on familiar ground. “It’s the same as though I were to tell you
how to write a column, or tell a doctor how to perform an operation,” he said.
“After all, I’m the general manager and have been for a long time. The growth
of the Nats from play in the Arena to the Coliseum to the War Memorial and up
to the point where we now play before millions on the television screen
certainly reflects progress.”

Best Product Ever Had To Sell

“Actually, I do not want to go. But I won’t stay here and be subject to
constant criticism from fellows who don’t know my job as well as I do. In the
Nats we have the best product to sell we’ve ever had. It is 10 times the ball
team we had in the Coliseum when we were packing them in. I think it is the
duty of the board of directors to get out and sell the game to new fans. I want
the shareholders, and have from the time the 149 of them brought into the Nats,
to take a more active part in the organization. The suggestion has been shouted
down with protests that Republic Steel and General Motors don’t operate that
way. I protest that there’s no comparison and that the only real problem we
have is to get new faces to see the call club. Just look at what we have to
sell. Milwaukee is the lowliest club in the league. It’s victories are very
few. Yet whom do they have on the club? Frank Selvy and Bob Pettit, two of the
hottest stars in the game, and I believe Pettit has to be rookie of the year.
We actually can’t bring a bad attraction into the War Memorial. The Hawks, as
the last place team in the league, could play the best college team in the
nation and run them into the ground. And I repeat-the club officials have one
job and it’s not being done-sell the club to new fans.”

“It’s a new game and so much better than
anything we’ve ever seen before that it should be introduced to new faces. But
instead of selling we’ve wasted hours upon hours bickering in directors’
meetings about details for which I am being paid a salary to iron out. When an
organization hires a general manager, it does so to have him manage. Certainly,
it is a waste of money if his every move is to be criticized and second
guessed. It’s my job to get ball players and run the organization. It’s [[Al
Cervi]]’s job to coach the team. A look at the standings would bear out the fact
that both jobs are being done satisfactorily. As I said before, I want to stay
here and I’d like more active participation of the 149 shareholders. Some of
them have expressed a desire to know more about the present differences and
would like them aired before a meeting of the entire group. That’s well for
me.” Ferris indicated that he would stay in Syracuse and work with various
promotional activities should his resignation be accepted tomorrow night.

Osterkorn Back Soon

A rehash of Sunday’s game with the Hawks brought
up the subject of Red Rocha and the wonderful job he did of hog-tieing the
rookie sensation, Frank Selvy. Said Ferris: “The guy’s murder. I know some
basketball players who get sick when they see Rocha walk out on the court
before the game starts.” The victory for the Hawks made Red Auerbach look like
a rather good prognosticator. Saturday before the Nats-Celtics game Red said
his club wears the opposition down with its fast-breaking and speedy style of
play. He said that win or lose Saturday night the effect of the game would be
reflected in Sunday’s play against the Hawks. He certainly hit 1.000 with that
speculation. Though there is nothing official from the Nats’ office, it seems
the arrival of Duquesne star Jim Tucker can’t take some required courses for
graduation in summer school and he will have to remain in school throughout the
spring semester. It’s expected that Wally Osterkorn will be able to resume
practice in about two weeks and be the Nats’ 10th man. Scant hope is
held out that Billy Gabor will be able to play this season and the Nats will
have to play without the fiery Bullet.