Clarence Schindler's first full season (1940) would be one he'd like to forget. The team's finished as follows: Rochester's talented club captured the league championship (96-61), followed by Newark, Jersey City, Baltimore with the Chiefs finishing seventh in the eight team league. The Chiefs finished last in both team batting and in team fielding percentage. The bright sport Ed Longare's .284 average won him the "Most Popular Chiefs Award" voted on by the fans. Also the arrival of outfielder "Goody" Rosen who patrolled the outfield for many a season. He was honored with his own "Goody Rosen Night" June 27 before a contest with the Rochester Red Wings. Others interesting events, July 13 the Chiefs hit four home runs but still lost to Newark 7-6. Baseball comic Al Schadt's appearance August 6 drew 10,524 fans the largest of the season. Roy Johnson pols four straight home run in a September 2 doubleheader. Three in game one and the fourth in his first at bat in game two. Finally on November 16, Clarence Schindler fires Chiefs manager Dick Porter and coach Dan Taylor. Schindler then hires Benny Borgman to lead the tribe in 1941. Borgman interestedly would later coach the Syracuse Nationals in the National Basketball League.
Borgman's only year as the Chiefs helm was not a successful one. The tribe finished in sixth place as the powerful Newark Bears won the International League Championship winning 100 game while losing just 54. The Bears were followed by Montreal, Buffalo and Rochester.
Spring training opened at Ft. Lauderdale on March 16, 1941, with the I.L. opener set for April 17. Ted Kleinhans was on the mound opening day as Buffalo clobbered the Chiefs 11-1. The starting lineup looked as follows- "Flea" Clinton (2b), "Goody" Rosen (cf), Roy Johnson (lf), "Bobo" Hasson (1b), Fred Deal (rf), Woody Williams (ss), "Red" Juelich (3b), Chris Hartje (c) with the lefty Kleinhans on the mound.
Left fielder Frank Secory was batting over .300 when he broke his leg in a May 11 doubleheader against Newark.
To be continued...
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