History of the Youngstown Bears

The Youngstown Bears were a short-lived professional basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League during the 1945-46 and 1946-47 seasons. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, the Bears existed during a critical transitional period in professional basketball, when players were returning from World War II, established NBL teams were competing for talent and the new Basketball Association of America was beginning to challenge the older league.

Youngstown played only two NBL seasons, finishing with a combined regular-season record of 25-52. The Bears never reached the playoffs, but their rosters included several historically significant players, including Frankie Baumholtz, Leo Mogus, Press Maravich, Moe Becker, Huck Hartman, Rudy Debnar and Milt Ticco.

The Bears' story is particularly important because it illustrates the unstable nature of professional basketball immediately after World War II. Youngstown entered the NBL with a promising collection of regional and nationally known players, but competition for talent intensified dramatically when the BAA began play in 1946. Several of the Bears' most important players and their coach moved to the new league, leaving Youngstown unable to maintain a competitive roster.

Professional Basketball Before the Bears

The roots of the Youngstown Bears can be traced to the Pittsburgh Raiders, a professional team that competed in the NBL during the 1944-45 season.

The Raiders had been assembled during the closing stages of World War II, when professional basketball teams frequently depended on local players, servicemen returning home and athletes whose availability could change rapidly because of military commitments.

Pittsburgh struggled badly, finishing the season with a 7-23 record.

The Raiders were coached by player-coach Joe Urso, a former Duquesne guard who also appeared in 29 games during the season.

From Pittsburgh to Youngstown

After the Pittsburgh experiment failed, financial backing was found in Youngstown, Ohio.

The organization was reorganized and entered the 1945-46 NBL season as the Youngstown Bears.

Youngstown was a natural location for an NBL team. The city was a major industrial center in northeastern Ohio and sat within the geographic heartland of early professional basketball.

The NBL had been built largely around Midwestern industrial cities such as Akron, Fort Wayne, Sheboygan, Oshkosh and Rochester. Youngstown fit that model well.

The National Basketball League

The National Basketball League had begun play in 1937 and was the strongest established professional basketball league in the United States by the middle of the 1940s.

Unlike the later NBA, the NBL was heavily concentrated in smaller industrial cities and often played in gymnasiums, armories and other modest-sized arenas.

The league featured some of the best professional players in the country and eventually produced or developed several franchises that became part of the modern NBA.

The Bears joined the league during one of its most competitive periods.

Paul Birch

Paul "Polly" Birch became the head coach of the Youngstown Bears for their inaugural season.

Birch was also an active player, appearing in 31 games during the 1945-46 campaign.

Player-coaches were common in early professional basketball, when rosters and coaching staffs were considerably smaller than they would become in later decades.

Birch brought professional playing experience and became one of the key figures in Youngstown's first season.

Frankie Baumholtz

One of the most talented players on the 1945-46 Bears was Frankie Baumholtz.

Baumholtz had been a standout athlete at Ohio University and became one of the relatively rare athletes to play major professional sports in both basketball and baseball.

With Youngstown, Baumholtz emerged as one of the team's leading scorers.

He appeared in 26 games and scored 274 points, averaging approximately 10.5 points per game.

At a time when professional teams often scored fewer than 50 points in an entire game, double-digit scoring averages represented significant offensive production.

Moe Becker

Moe Becker was another major offensive contributor.

The guard-forward appeared in 30 games and scored 270 points, averaging 9.0 points per game.

Becker had previously played college basketball at Duquesne and brought experience and versatility to the Bears.

Together, Becker and Baumholtz gave Youngstown one of the more productive scoring combinations on the roster.

Huck Hartman

Center Huck Hartman gave Youngstown size and interior scoring.

Hartman had also played for the Pittsburgh Raiders and carried over into the Bears organization.

He appeared in 26 games for Youngstown and scored 197 points, averaging 7.6 per game.

Hartman's career and life ended tragically shortly after the season when he died of pneumonia in March 1946 at only 25 years old.

Leo Mogus

Leo Mogus became one of the most accomplished players to wear a Youngstown uniform.

The 6-foot-4 forward-center was a Youngstown-area basketball star who had played at Youngstown College before starring at Duquesne.

Mogus joined the Bears after completing military service and immediately became an important scorer.

He appeared in only 16 games during the 1945-46 season but scored 188 points, an average of 11.8 per game.

Mogus later played in the Basketball Association of America and eventually appeared in the league that became the NBA.

Press Maravich

Another historically notable member of the Bears was Press Maravich.

Maravich played guard for Youngstown during the 1945-46 season, appearing in 32 games and scoring 178 points.

His playing career was followed by a lengthy coaching career in college basketball.

He later became even more widely known as the father and coach of basketball legend Pete Maravich.

The elder Maravich's appearance with Youngstown creates an interesting connection between the NBL of the 1940s and one of the NBA's most famous stars of the 1970s.

Rudy Debnar

Rudy Debnar was another regular member of the first Bears team.

The guard played in 31 games and contributed 162 points.

Like several Bears players, Debnar had ties to western Pennsylvania basketball and helped form the regional foundation of the roster.

The 1945-46 Season

Youngstown finished its first NBL season with a 13-20 record.

The Bears placed third in the NBL's Eastern Division but did not qualify for the postseason.

Youngstown averaged 46.0 points per game while allowing 50.5.

The record was not strong, but the Bears were considerably more competitive than the Pittsburgh Raiders had been the previous year.

A Difficult Night in Rochester

One of the most memorable games of the Bears' first season came for the wrong reason.

On January 5, 1946, Youngstown traveled to face the powerful Rochester Royals.

Rochester defeated the Bears 70-27.

The 43-point margin was one of the largest blowouts in NBL history at the time.

The Royals went on to win the 1946 NBL championship, illustrating the enormous gap between the league's strongest teams and a developing organization such as Youngstown.

The Strength of the 1945-46 NBL

The Bears competed against several organizations with deep professional basketball histories.

The Rochester Royals were emerging as an elite team, while the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons had already established themselves as one of the most successful franchises of the era.

The Oshkosh All-Stars, Sheboygan Red Skins and Indianapolis Kautskys were also established organizations.

For a new team without the financial resources of the league's strongest clubs, building a contender was difficult.

A New Rival League Appears

The professional basketball landscape changed dramatically before Youngstown's second season.

In 1946, a new league called the Basketball Association of America began play.

The BAA was based primarily in larger cities and played many of its games in major arenas used by hockey teams.

Teams in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and other large markets began competing directly with the NBL for players.

The Fight for Players

The creation of the BAA presented a serious problem for smaller NBL franchises such as Youngstown.

Professional basketball players now had more employment options and greater leverage in contract negotiations.

Teams with stronger financial backing could offer better salaries and more attractive markets.

The Bears were hit especially hard.

Frankie Baumholtz Leaves

Baumholtz left Youngstown and joined the Cleveland Rebels of the new BAA.

His departure removed one of the Bears' leading scorers.

Baumholtz later left professional basketball and became a successful Major League Baseball player, spending much of his career with the Chicago Cubs.

Leo Mogus Leaves

Mogus also joined Cleveland in the BAA.

His departure was another major blow because he had been one of Youngstown's most productive scorers during his limited appearances in 1945-46.

Mogus later played for several BAA teams, including the Philadelphia Warriors.

Press Maravich Leaves

Press Maravich moved to the BAA's Pittsburgh Ironmen.

The move eliminated another important member of the Youngstown backcourt.

Within one offseason, the Bears had lost several of the recognizable players who had formed the core of their inaugural roster.

Paul Birch Leaves for Pittsburgh

Youngstown also lost its coach.

Paul Birch left the Bears and became head coach of the Pittsburgh Ironmen in the BAA.

The loss of both players and coaching leadership forced Youngstown to rebuild almost completely before its second season.

Frank Shannon Becomes Coach

Frank Shannon took over as head coach for the 1946-47 season.

Shannon inherited a roster that lacked many of the stars from the previous year.

The challenge was made even greater by the expansion of the NBL itself.

The league grew to 12 teams, increasing competition for available professional talent.

Milt Ticco

Milt Ticco became the Bears' leading scorer during the 1946-47 season.

The forward-guard played in 36 games and scored 406 points.

His 11.3 points per game led the team among players with substantial playing time.

Ticco gave Youngstown a dependable offensive option during an otherwise difficult final season.

Charlie Joachim

Charlie Joachim became another major scorer for the second Bears team.

Joachim appeared in 33 games and scored 352 points, averaging 10.7 per game.

Together, Ticco and Joachim carried much of Youngstown's offensive burden.

The 1946-47 Season

The second Bears season proved considerably more difficult than the first.

Youngstown finished 12-32, placing sixth and last in the NBL Eastern Division.

The Bears averaged 53.5 points per game but allowed 60.1 points per game, one of the poorest defensive marks in the league.

The higher scoring averages compared with the previous season also reflected how rapidly professional basketball was evolving.

A Much Larger NBL

The 1946-47 NBL contained 12 teams divided between Eastern and Western divisions.

Youngstown competed in the East against the Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Toledo Jeeps, Syracuse Nationals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

Rochester finished first at 31-13, while Youngstown ended the season 19 games behind the division leaders.

The Bears were the only Eastern Division team with a winning percentage below .400.

No Playoff Appearance

Youngstown never qualified for the NBL playoffs.

The Bears' strongest opportunity came during their first season, but their 13-20 record was not enough to advance.

The second-season collapse eliminated any realistic postseason hopes.

Youngstown Bears Season-by-Season Record

Youngstown Bears Franchise Record

1945-46 Leading Youngstown Bears

1946-47 Leading Youngstown Bears

Notable Youngstown Bears Players

• Frankie Baumholtz
• Leo Mogus
• Press Maravich
• Moe Becker
• Huck Hartman
• Rudy Debnar
• Milt Ticco
• Charlie Joachim
• Joe Urso
• Paul Birch
• Irv Brenner
• Pete Lalich

Youngstown Bears Head Coaches

Connections to Future NBA History

Although the Bears never became an NBA franchise, several people associated with the team later became connected to basketball's emerging major league.

Leo Mogus played in the BAA and later appeared with the Philadelphia Warriors.

Frankie Baumholtz joined the Cleveland Rebels before turning his attention to Major League Baseball.

Press Maravich joined the Pittsburgh Ironmen and later became a prominent college coach.

Paul Birch also coached Pittsburgh during the inaugural BAA season.

The careers of these players demonstrate how closely connected the NBL and BAA talent pools were during the 1940s.

The Press Maravich Connection

For modern basketball fans, Press Maravich may be the most recognizable name associated with Youngstown.

His son, Pete Maravich, became one of the most spectacular offensive players in basketball history.

Press later coached Pete at Louisiana State University, where the younger Maravich became the NCAA's legendary scoring star before entering the NBA.

The fact that Press Maravich spent a season playing for the Youngstown Bears creates a direct historical link between the small industrial NBL teams of the 1940s and one of basketball's most famous families.

Frankie Baumholtz and Two Professional Sports

Baumholtz's athletic career extended far beyond basketball.

After playing professionally in the NBL and BAA, he became a Major League Baseball outfielder.

He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies and spent approximately a decade in the major leagues.

His career makes him one of the most unusual athletes associated with the Bears.

Leo Mogus and Youngstown Basketball

Mogus had particularly strong ties to the region.

He starred locally before playing college basketball at Duquesne and eventually entering the professional game.

His presence gave the Bears a genuine connection to Youngstown basketball rather than making the franchise simply a relocated collection of Pittsburgh players.

His departure for the BAA also showed why smaller NBL clubs had difficulty retaining elite talent once the new league appeared.

The Death of Huck Hartman

The Bears' first season was followed by tragedy when Huck Hartman died from pneumonia on March 25, 1946.

Hartman was only 25 years old.

He had been one of Youngstown's regular starters and one of its better scorers.

His death removed another important player before the Bears could begin preparations for their second season.

Why the Bears Folded

The Youngstown Bears disappeared because the economics of professional basketball were changing rapidly.

Operating a professional team became increasingly expensive as the NBL expanded and competition for players intensified.

The arrival of the BAA made the situation even more difficult.

Larger-market teams could compete aggressively for players whom small-city NBL organizations depended upon.

Youngstown lost Baumholtz, Mogus, Maravich and Birch before its second season.

The replacement roster finished 12-32, and continuing to field the team became financially impractical.

The Bears Leave the NBL

Following the 1946-47 season, the Bears withdrew from the National Basketball League.

The Chicago American Gears also left the league during that offseason, though for different reasons.

Youngstown never returned to major professional basketball.

The Bears therefore lasted only two seasons in their Ohio home.

A Changing Professional Basketball Landscape

The Bears disappeared just as the struggle between the NBL and BAA was beginning to reshape professional basketball.

The two leagues competed for players and markets during the late 1940s.

Several major NBL teams eventually moved to the BAA, including the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Indianapolis Kautskys and Fort Wayne Pistons.

In 1949, the remaining NBL teams joined with the BAA structure to create the National Basketball Association.

Youngstown had disappeared two years too early to participate in that transition.

Youngstown Bears Franchise Timeline

The Bears and the Pittsburgh Raiders

The relationship between the Pittsburgh Raiders and Youngstown Bears represents the fluid nature of early professional basketball.

Franchises did not always possess the stable ownership structures, territorial identities or historical continuity expected of modern professional teams.

Players moved frequently, ownership groups changed and teams could disappear or emerge in another city within a single offseason.

The Raiders-to-Bears transition is a good example of how professional basketball operated before the creation of the NBA.

The Bears in Youngstown Sports History

Youngstown has traditionally been known more for football, boxing and industrial-league athletics than major professional basketball.

The Bears nevertheless gave the city a brief place in one of the leagues that helped create modern professional basketball.

For two winters, Youngstown competed against organizations from Rochester, Fort Wayne, Syracuse, Indianapolis and other cities that would later become important parts of NBA history.

An Important Transitional Franchise

The Youngstown Bears were never champions and never qualified for the postseason.

Their importance comes instead from the period in which they existed.

The Bears played during the exact moment when professional basketball was moving from a collection of regional industrial-city leagues toward the large-arena, major-market model that eventually became the NBA.

Youngstown's inability to compete financially for Baumholtz, Mogus, Maravich and Birch provides a small-scale example of the broader battle between the NBL and BAA.

Legacy of the Youngstown Bears

The Youngstown Bears lasted only two seasons, but their history provides a fascinating look at professional basketball immediately after World War II.

The organization emerged from the unsuccessful Pittsburgh Raiders and found new financial backing in Youngstown before the 1945-46 season.

The first Bears roster included an unusual collection of talent.

Frankie Baumholtz became a professional basketball player before beginning a successful Major League Baseball career. Leo Mogus went on to play in the BAA and NBA. Press Maravich later became a prominent college basketball coach and the father of Pete Maravich. Moe Becker, Rudy Debnar, Huck Hartman and Paul Birch added additional professional experience.

Youngstown finished its first season 13-20 but appeared capable of continuing to develop.

The basketball world changed before that could happen.

The creation of the Basketball Association of America gave players another major professional option. Cleveland signed Baumholtz and Mogus, while Pittsburgh attracted Maravich and Birch.

The Bears were forced to reconstruct their roster under Frank Shannon.

Milt Ticco and Charlie Joachim provided scoring during the second season, but Youngstown fell to 12-32 and finished last in the Eastern Division.

Rising operating costs and increasingly expensive competition for professional players made continuing the franchise unrealistic.

The Bears ceased operations after the 1946-47 season with an all-time NBL record of 25 wins and 52 losses.

Youngstown disappeared before the NBL and BAA completed the transformation that ultimately produced the NBA, but the Bears remain part of that larger story.

The franchise represents an era when professional basketball was still searching for stability, players frequently moved between competing leagues and relatively small industrial cities such as Youngstown could briefly compete at the highest level of the professional game.

Although their existence was short, the Youngstown Bears remain an important part of National Basketball League history and the complicated pre-NBA evolution of professional basketball in the United States.