Top Prospects: 1-5
 

SS Billy Hunter (18th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 14th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Cincinnati HS Tigers

Year one is in the books and the 18-year-old held his own while overmatched at two levels. At La Crosse he hit .289/.329/.425 (97 OPS+) with 8 homers, 4 steals, and 32 RBI's in 346 trips to the plate. Then in 31 games up in San Jose he hit .276/.288/.429 (85 OPS+) with a homer, steal, and 13 RBI's. Depending on how the draft goes, Hunter may get another go at La Crosse before making the eventual desent up. The former 14th overall pick sort of reminds me of Russ Combs. He's got a strong hit tool with decent power and solid speed. He should be a good defender, but at times he struggles just like Combs did. I did let him play a decent amount of his games at second and even a few innings at third. I'm working on his versatility in an effort to make the youngsters more valuable once they are ready to come up as they are able to fill more positions. Shortstop really is our weakness because I have to choose between a bat and glove, so Hunter is extremely valuable for us. I'm hoping Combs has a lot of good years left in him, but he gets hurt so much and you never know when it's the last straw. Hunter has a lot of time to develop, but I'm willing to wait it out.

C Joe Rainbow (33rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 18th Round, 289th Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Somerville HS Generals

It was a much better season for Rainbow and it 424 trips to the plate he hit .296/.349/.455 (110 OPS+) with 12 homers and 57 RBI's. Last season, in one less PA he hit just .179/.276/.337 (63 OPS+) with 15 homres and 47 RBI's. The former 18th Round pick has been a highly ranked prospect, and he's finally started to show it. With Harry Mead not too far behind him, he did have to share time this year. He'll be up in San Jose next season and will likely get a majority of the starts. Rainbow has an excellent eye as demonstrated with his solid OBP, and he did a tremendous job cutting down strikeouts. He went from 137 to 34 in just one season as he put the ball in play much more this season. He's got decent power potential as well. With Mike Taylor as our current catcher, Rainbow does not have a direct path to the majors. He is a right hitter, however, so they could form a dangerous platoon. Both also have experience at first, so they could take the load off each other. Rainbow looks like a solid defender behind the plate so far, but it's too hard to judge his first base play. I really wanted to sell high on him, but I'm glad I held onto him as I'm liking what he's turning in to.

1B Leo Mitchell (46th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Atlanta HS Peaches

A former teammate of former #1 overall pick Harry Barrell and fellow 1931 Cougar draft pick Ed Reyes, Leo Mitchell had an interesting season in Lincoln. He hit a strong .346/.383/.451 (125 OPS+) with 75 RBI's, but his homers dropped from 13 to 1. There isn't much power in the Heartland League, as Ramon Paschal and Lou Roach led the team with 6 homers, but it's still a steep drop. Regardless, it was an excellent season for the 20-year-old 2nd Rounder who saw a nice jump in the rankings. He's an excellent defender at first, so I wonder if he could potentially man another infield position. For now, he's a first basemen, but if there is a roster crunch, he may see time at a new position.

LF Rich Langton (49th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 46th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Detroit City College Knights

It was a tail of two seasons for Langton who really dominated Class B and sort of struggled in A ball. With San Jose he racked up a 33 game hit streak and hit .363/.424/.544 (152 OPS+) with 6 homers and 40 RBI's in 257 trips to the plate. In 18 more with Lincoln, however, he hit just .241/.36/.382 (88 OPS+) with 3 homers and 35 RBI's. He did have a really slow start in Lincoln and went down, but did much better the second stint. He also looked very mature at the plate, walking more then he struck out in both Lincoln and San Jose with 26 and 13 and 26 and 12 respectively. The righty is an excellent hitter with decent speed and a knack for getting on base. He's a passable defender and I've really liked how year one went down. We have a ton of outfield prospects, so while Langton is the best now, a lot can change. He seems likely to develop fast, and should be back in Lincoln next season. He's got every chance to move up to Mobile and maybe even advance to Milwaukee.

SP Cy Sullivan (65th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 60th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Austin HS Senators

Like most of my young pitchers down in C ball, Sullivan had some struggles this year. In 24 starts he was just 3-14 with a 5.52 ERA (75 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 64 walks, and 24 strikeouts across 163 innings. In the offseason, Sullivan has worked on his fastball and increase his velocity up to 85-87. A 6'6'', I expect many more bumps for the 19-year-old who is the definition of a project pitcher. This guys has absolute nasty stuff and he just has to work on mastering it. Whether it is really tightening up his control or working on a strike out pitch, he needs to take the next step. He'll get another shot at La Crosse and I expect him to do much better. I'm really excited for this kid, and I think he's going to be a huge part of our future rotation. And with the talent we have now, he has time to grow.

Billy Hunter and Cy Sullivan "sound" like baseball players. The other three have a baseballer's ring to their names, too, but not as much as the first two.

Top Prospects: 6-10
 

C Harry Mead (66th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 58th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Memphis HS Pharaohs

A Harvey, Illinois native, Harry Mead had an adventure on the diamond this season. With Joe Rainbow also on the Lions, he bounced around a little on the field. He did get in 50 games behind the plate, but also 24 at first, 7 in left, and 10 in right. It's really interesting that he actually has a catcher rating as he is a left hander. It will be cool to see if he can make it as a left handed catcher, but his future may be at a corner. He had an okay year at the plate, hitting .281/.317/.379 (83 OPS+) with 4 homers and 28 RBI's. As mentioned earlier, Rainbow is on the way up so Mead should get most of the time behind the plate in La Crosse next season. This kid should be a tough at bat and my new scout is a fan of his work behind the plate. I've done a good job finding talented catchers and I think Mead can be a big league starter.

SP Walker Pearce (67th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 30th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Wilkes-Barre HS Warriors

A second round pick in the last draft, Walker Pearce had an okay debut season. The 19-year-old was 6-9 with a 4.82 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 50 walks, and 30 strikeouts. He faced higher competition, so the lefty really did hold his own last season. He does a really good job keeping the ball on the ground and he has decent life on his sinker. I'm not sure he'll ever be a strikeout pitcher, but he does have the stuff to start in the big leagues. He's got a long way to go, but Pearce has middle of the rotation potential.

SP Bill Ross (72nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 42nd Overall (1930)
Alma Mater: Providence HS Hawks

Despite this being his third season in the system, it feels like he's almost a veteran with most of the guys so far taken in last year's draft. The former 3rd Rounder bears the same name of the guy who just prevented us from winning my second championship, but he had a really good year. After 8 dominant outings where he was 3-3 with a 2.63 ERA (170 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts, Ross went from San Jose to Lincoln. He looked really good there too, going 8-5 with a 3.59 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 32 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 110.1 innings with the Legislators. Ross is a scrawny righty who relies on his changeup and mixes in a decent slider and cutter. He throws in the high 80s, but he fools pitchers more then he overpowers. He just turned 21, but he's well on his way to joining a big league rotation.

CF Marty Roberts (82nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Brunswick Knights

After a decent showing in San Jose, Marty Roberts made his way up to Lincoln in his first pro season. In 90 games before the promotion, he hit .317/.394/.436 (117 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 45 RBI's. In 49 games after, it didn't go so well, as the line dropped to .250/.327/.356 (85 OPS+) with 3 homers, a steal, and 21 RBI's. He looked pretty good in the field as well, using his speed to his advantage. He projects to be a potential leadoff hitter with excellent contact and speed plus a little power that can surprise. I'm a big fan of this kid and he's got all the tools to flourish as an everyday center fielder.

LF Ed Reyes (84th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 15th Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Atlanta HS Peaches

Our 1st Round Pick in 1931, it almost feels like Ed Reyes hasn't paned out because all these 1932 mid rounders are ranked ahead of him. In essence, Reyes has actually gotten better it's just the 1932 draft class was so much better then the 1931 class. Reyes started the year in San Jose and he could not be stopped. In 363 trips to the plate he slashed .384/.441/.520 (151 OPS+) with 5 homers and 51 RBI's. He then got a promotion to Lincoln, but he hit just .303/.343/.372 (94 OPS+) with 23 RBI's and no homers in 255 trips to the plate. He is just 20, so A ball is a little bit of is due to the competition. Reyes has the bat to compete, but the problem is he needs a position. He's not a strong defender in left and I tried him out in right and it was a little of the same. I'm still really high on the lefty hitter who I think has all the tools to be a big time FABL starter.

Top Prospects: 11-15
 

CF Lou Roach (86th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 62nd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Mississippi A&M Generals

An Illinois native! The Park Ridge native was one of our fourth round picks last year, but he was forced to start in A ball due to his older age. At 22, Roach still hit a solid .261/.304/.405 (91 OPS+) in his first pro season. He added 6 homers and 65 RBI's in 107 games while making appearances in left, center, and right. Unlike most of my center field prospects where I prioritize defense over speed, Roach is a bat first outfielder. He projects to be an above average hitter with a really good eye, but he likely doesn't have the speed or range to stay in center long term. I expect him to get another shot at A ball next year, and he'll likely do well enough to earn a promotion.

CF Ernie Carson (94th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 74th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: New York HS Eagles

Our 12th prospect in the top 100, Ernie Carson had an injury riddled season and only managed to get in 59 games. He had just under 200 plate appearances, but hit a solid .295/.337/.477 (112 OPS+) with 3 homers, 2 steals, and 29 RBI's in limited time. Most of my prospects in La Crosse had early season struggles, but Carson was pretty consistent first and second half. Carson has great foot speed and plate discipline and he does a great job connecting with pitches. If he can stay healthy, Carson should be more then prepared up in San Jose.

CF Jose Serna (101st Overall)
Acquired: Via International Draft (1933) from Houston

Acquired in the international draft over the offseason, Jose Serna looked like a future superstar. Then he developed thumb issues and it's held him back. He played in just 86 games, but hit well in AA where he spent most his season. He hit .297/.314/.520 (114 OPS+) with 5 steals and 40 RBI's in 259 trips to the plate. He spent the last month in Milwaukee, hitting an impressive .448/.484/.701 (197 OPS+) with a homer, 3 steals, and 23 RBI's. "Roach", who probably deserves a better nickname, is an excellent defender with elite speed and he can make plays that only few others can. He battles at the plate and is really advanced despite just recently turning 21. I feel like Serna could start in the majors now, but not only is Cy Bryant sitting there now, I'm also looking to add another outfielder to the mix. I think this kid has a lot of potential, but injuries could make things difficult.

RF Bobby Mills (107th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 90th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors

It was a tough season for Bobby Mills who not only had to share time with Reginald Westfall, but also hit .239./.284/.327 (61 OPS+) with a homer, steal, and 14 RBI's when he got to play. This was an unusual setback for Mills, who hit .375/.433/.631 (217 OPS+) with 24 homers and 105 RBI's in 540 plate appearances in high school. With more playing time and a little more experience, I'm expecting Mills to really breakout.

2B Red Moore (114th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 94th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Frankford State Owls

Rather advanced for his class, the Frankford State alum spent all season in Lincoln. The recently 22-year-old Moore hit .310/.363/.435 (116 OPS+) with 4 homers, 3 steals, and 58 RBI's in 577 trips to the plate. He was a decent defender at second as well, and he should eventually develop into an above average defender at second. He's got good speed and makes consistent contact at the plate, but he's one of those high floor low ceiling type prospects. Moore will have a chance to start the season in AA, but I'm not quite sure where he'll end up. He sort of reminds me of Slim Bloom who really came into his own this year.

Note: I'm up next in the draft, so expect some coverage on my pick. There is one guy who is technically the #1 on my list still available. I say technically because I didn't really expect someone like Joe Hancock or Dick Higgins falling to 15. Even if I don't get him, still a few other guys I'm okay with.

Interlude: Trade and a Draft Pick
 

I made a trade with the Federal Association runner up Detroit Dynamos. We sent Jose Serna and a 3rd Round Pick to the Dynamos for Doc Love. It was pretty obvious in the World Series that we needed another lefty bat. And I think we're freeing the 1927 6th Round pick from Detroit. Love is a huge power hitter, slugging 33 homers in A ball back in 1930. Then he got the call to Detroit and in 259 FABL plate appearances he's hit just 2. So what happened?

Let me tell you about Thompson field...

That's where the 90-64 Dynamos play half their games. It's a pretty pitcher friendly park and it absolutely suffocates lefty power.. The lefty Love hasn't been able to adapt to Detroit as fellow lefty Henry Jones, who hit .300/.347/.478 (127 OPS+) with 19 homers and 96 RBI's this year. Love will have a much friendlier park, going from a .641 for lefty homers to 1.231.

Love will not take any playing time away from Bobby Sprague. Love is not a great defender, but he can more or less handle himself in left. I might try to give him some reps at first. If he looks passable there, I could let him get a few games there with Ashbaugh sliding over to second or taking the day off. For now, Love and Bryant will split time. I will prioritize individual matchups as I now more or less have two sides of a coin. I have a lefty slugger who has hit well, but hasn't had a chance to show it, and a righty who's the absolute best defensive center fielder in the game. Bryant can usually hit for himself, so I don't think I see a platoon developing. I really want to see Love do well at first. This would allow me to try out Ashbaugh at second and Combs at short. I don't love this defensive alignment, but I would rather take at bats away from Bloom and Bower.

Adding a shortstop would be nice, but I'm not sure if there is much available. All the good ones either wouldn't be available, don't offer much with the glove, or are Russ Combs. Who checks both boxes (at short). I think I am going to have to be patient with Billy Hunter. I think Hunter's ceiling is far higher then Combs', but Hunter also doesn't quite have the glove down yet. He's still young and has a long way to go, but this kid looks like the real deal. I'm probably best suited just crossing my fingers and sending Combs out there like I did to end the season two out of three to keep him healthy.

Although, I guess I did add a shortstop...

I rambled a bit, but as I mentioned, I did make my draft pick. Unfortunately, 80% of the guys I loved in this pool actually are not in this draft pool, so the guy I got was not someone I was thrilled about. I knew it made no sense why Cal Knight was still available, but I was thinking maybe my new scout is crazy and is missing something. The 6'5'' lefty should be able to reach 90 with his fastball, but that's not even the best part. He can consistently get swings and misses with both his change and curve. He generates a lot of ground balls and truly looks like an ace. But, he'll stay at Pierpont for one last year (or will he? Feeders are getting removed...).

So after my draft board basically turned into a quarter of what it once was, I panicked because I did not know who to take. I really did not want to go high school with this pick, so I decided to get Golden Gate shortstop John Barnard who's a stats only players best friend. He has a position rating for second, third, short, left, and right, so you know he can pretty much do it all. Barnard burst on to the scene in 1931, hitting .322/.423/.694 (190 OPS+) with 18 homers and 48 RBI's in 215 trips to the plate. 1932 was similar, .353/.402/.688 (167 OPS+) with 19 homers and 47 RBI's. There was a slight difference as he went from 9 to 21 steals. Unfortunately, this may have been a mirage. Barnard had a bit of a down year as a junior, batting just .284/.352/.534 (120 OPS+). He also dropped to 9 homers, 38 RBI's, and 5 steals. I don't really think Barnard will hit for much power in affiliated ball, but I really think he'll steal a ton of bases. This kid is fast both in the field and on the bases, and he just got caught too much. I feel like he's going to be the kind of player that the league respects. He'll develop that captain type mentality of doing the little thing, playing each position, picking up the extra base, working long counts. His plate discipline really should be highlighted as he does a good job drawing walks and limiting strikeouts. It will be interesting having him and Billy Hunter in the system together, but I think it's going to be a good thing. Hunter already has some experience at second and third and Barnard can really play anywhere. I'm not sure where I'm going to play this guy, but all I know is he's going to get a chance to play (maybe even some CF) and get regular time at some level.

Top Prospects: 16-20
 

3B Hank Stratton (115th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 78th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Chicago HS Wildcats

Right after Moore in the rankings is Hank Stratton who spent his first pro season in La Crosse. He may have had some "jitters" as after a decent start he really stopped hitting the ball. After 513 plate appearances, he finished with just a .256/.283/.350 (66 OPS+) batting line with 4 homers and 49 RBI's. Stratton has never really dealt with strikeout problems, but struck out 56 times this year. He also is generally a capable defender, but he had some issues in the field too. I think it was just a tough first season for Stratton, and he'll recover for 1934. I'm expecting a lot more extra base hits next year and a lot more walks for him as he continues to grow and develop.

RF Reginald Westfall (117th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 110th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Detroit HS Panthers

Injuries hurt Westfall in year one as he played in just 96 games. He hit just .254/.307/.325 (67 OPS+) with 2 homers and 32 RBI's. He'll be 20 in December, but he's likely set to return to La Crosse to at least start the season. Westfall projects to hit for a high average and he has a really good sense of the strike zone. Even this season, he really didn't strike out too much, with 33 compared to 24 walks. In high school he usually walked more, but these are still good numbers for a first year player. We've got a lot of young outfield prospects in the low minors, but Westfall should be able to separate himself from some of the other guys in the system.

1B Jim Hatfield (130th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 81st Overall (1929)
Alma Mater: Buffalo HS Bison

One of the few guys not from last year's class, Jim Hatfield went on to have a very impressive season. In his first taste of the upper minors, Hatfield hit .373/.404/.500 (135 OPS+) with 2 homers, 20 steals, and 80 RBI's in 632 trips to the plate with the AA Commodores. If WAR is your thing, the 22-year-old had a 5.9 WAR. For comparison sake, my first rounder this year John Barnard is exactly one year and nine days younger then Hatfield. He's likely set to start the season in San Jose or Lincoln at the same age Hatfield was this year. "The Bandit" is also a really strong defender and I have to think that he could possibly play a position other then first base. He's likely got the speed and range for the outfield, but I have a ton of guys fighting for spots there. I'm going to make sure Hatfield starts next year in AAA, even if it means he has to play shortstop (I'm joking, he's a lefty thrower).

RF Billy Marshall (143rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 145th Overall (1929)
Alma Mater: Birmingham HS Bulldogs

It's early, but it looks like we got a nice late round pick with former 10th Rounder Billy Marshall. He started the year with Hatfield in AA and he had just as much success. Marshall hit .351/.411/.473 (130 OPS+) with 7 homers, 14 steals, and 71 RBI's in 482 trips to the plate before a late season promotion to Milwaukee. In 34 games there he hit an extremely impressive .391/.426/.623 (163 OPS+) with 4 homers, 3 steals, and 38 RBI's. It was extremely impressive, but some of it could have done with September callups. Regardless, Marshall is really chomping at the bit to make his big league debut. The former center fielder has really done a good job adjusting to right field, and I think he can stay here long term. He's had experience at all three spots, but I really wouldn't like him playing much centerfield. If he does receive a callup, he'll be one of three Cougar picks from the 1929 class to debut. The other two are Tom Barrell (1st) and Joe Johnson (2nd), both who debuted in Chicago and are currently playing somewhere else. It's been a decent class so far, with Ken Allen (4th) spending his whole season in AAA and before injury, Gordie Thompson (5th) was on the fast track to become a big league starter. He did look really good this year, and I'm considering giving him a 40-Man roster spot as he's Rule-5 draft eligible. Hatfield was already mentioned, but Tom Spitzer (7th) and Elmer Hutchins (8th) are also top 200 prospects.

SS Freddie Bennett (145th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 12th Round, 191st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: New York HS Eagles

I generally don't make my picks after the 10th Round, I give the reigns to my scout, but last year's class was so good that I actually included a list for the 10th round on. Bennett was one of those guys. He spent most of his time this season at short (61), but I'm working on turning Bennett into a utility type player. He saw time at first (46), second (16), and third (8) this year and I plan on continuing this rotation. He's generally a strong hitter, but hit just .215/.240/.377 (60 OPS+) with 14 homers, 10 steals, and 63 RBI's in La Crosse. He probably needs another season there, but there are so many other infielders at the bottom of our system. Regardless, his versatility is really going to help, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll turn into.

2nd Round, 31st Overall (1933)
 

I really struggled making this pick. I kind of wish I traded this pick (or waited longer), but I did not want to hold up the draft. Generally, I always go with a pitcher here, but there was only one pitcher I could even consider taking here and I can't imagine he won't be available in the 4th. Pitchers have gone early and often, so I went with a do over and took another shortstop.

This one was 18-year-old Tommy Wilson who graduated from Elmira HS after a rough 1933. He hit just .256/.369/.415 (81 OPS+) with 5 homers, 6 steals, and 22 RBI's. This is nothing like a dominant sophomore season where he hit .284/.386/.459 (151 OPS+) with 6 homers, 9 steals, and 34 RBI's. Wilson is an excellent defender who should hit for a high average and draw a lot of walks. He can surprise you with the power and has speed to burn. He's a really raw prospect, but I am more then willing to just sit back and wait for him to develop. There really aren't too many slam dunk prospects out there, so I'm willing to gamble on a risky high schooler. If we had draft pick compensation, I'd probably run this pick back because I now know next year's class is going to be much stronger.

4th Round, 63rd Overall (1933)
 

After making my second round pick, there was one player I really wanted and one my scout really wanted. The player I wanted went with the first pick in the 4th Round (Lou Jayson), so I decided that I'd let my scout make this pick for me as there really wasn't much that stood out. I know 100% I will take a pitcher with my next pick (6th Round), but no idea who that will be. I'm expecting a college arm as most of the prep arms left are really bad. Nearly every player on my shortlist has been taken, but there is a certain college senior I have my eye on.

But first, the senior my scout wanted. That would be 22-year-old Chris Smith, the first basemen for four season at Liberty College. It was a shock Smith wasn't select last season, as he hit .406/.502/.584 (187 OPS+) with 8 homers and 47 RBI's. He returned for his senior season, and it did not quite meet expectations. He had 7 homers and 34 RBI's, but with a .302/.374/.480 (118 OPS+) batting line. All told, the half-Italian Smith played in 200 games for the Bells and hit .333/.407/.504 (144 OPS+) with 25 homers and 156 RBI's. His 269 career hits is the most in school history and he ranks top 5 in many other categories. For Smith to succeed in the big leagues, he'll have to tap into his power potential and continue to develop the bat. We're really top heavy when it comes to first base options as both Leo Mitchell and Jim Hatfield (our top two 1B prospects) are expected to start in AA and AAA. As crazy as it sounds, Smith is actually older then both of those guys (2 years on Mitchell!) and he has yet to take a professional at bat. There's very little competition in the lower minors specifically at first, but guys like Harry Mead and Freddie Bennett may take some time away from Smith. There's really no first basemen in A, B, or C ball, so Smith will more or less control his climb up our system.

Top Prospects: 21-25
 

SS Ducky Jordan (148th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Little Rock HS Pioneers

It was a tough season for the "Hot Springs Hotshot" Ducky Jordan who hit just .235/.276/.365 (67 OPS+) with 5 homers and 43 RBI's in 479 plate appearances. He had a -1.8 WAR and was just 2-for-10 on stolen base attempts while adding uncharacteristically poor numbers at short. He did move around a lot, 40 games at first, 45 at short, 22 at second, and 7 in center, but the switch hitter looked overmatched most of the season. I'm not too worried, as Jordan as the tools and drive to push himself to become a better ball player. He's got good speed and he consistently barrels up the ball to make strong contact. He did show the gap power, with 22 doubles and 11 triples. He's a really raw prospect, but Jordan has immense upside and if he ever gets close to it we'll have a productive big leaguer for years to come.

2B Homer Ray (165th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 47th Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors

Our third round selection in 1931, year 2 was really good for the now 20-year-old Homer Ray. He hit .355/.379/.469 (121 OPS+) with 5 homers and 89 RBI's in 601 trips to the plate with San Jose. The biggest improvement, however, was seeing his walks stay about the same (28 to 25) while his strikeouts completely fell off (126 to 50). He might make the jump up to Lincoln this season, and that would be huge for Ray. He's a light hitter, but he'll always hit for a high average and he does a good job putting the ball in play. The plate discipline isn't quite there yet, but the drop in strikeouts is promising. He was also generally a good defender in high school, but he had some struggles this year. I'm hoping he can polish that off next year, but I've liked Ray's progress so far.

3B Tom Spitzer (167th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 97th Overall (1929)
Alma Mater: Houston HS Hurricanes

One of the "veterans" of the system, Spitzer has been a top prospect multiple times in his minor league career. The soon to be 23-year-old hit .318/.351/.432 (104 OPS+) with 3 homers, 3 steals, and 77 RBI's in 139 games with the Commodores. And while he was just barely above average offensive, he was just barely above average at third too. He never looked like he could stick at short, but he continues to impress at third as he gets better each season. I was a little disappointed to see the power drop off, as he hit 12 homers in 75 A ball games last year with just
3 homers in 139 this year. He never showed much power before, so perhaps last seasons blip was a fluke. Unlucky for him too, he likely won't surpass John Kincaid. To his credit, Kincaid is a top 5 third basemen, but Spitzer may need to go somewhere else if he wants to start. Kincaid just turned 29 today, so he can't really wait for Kincaid to age out.

LF Dave Haight (169th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 13th Round, 207th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Dallas HS Rangers

One of the few Lions who didn't have a terrible season, Haight's .293/.329/.402 (92 OPS+) batting line was relatively impressive. He added 4 homers, 8 steals, and 36 RBI's in 87 games. He missed a little time with injury, but also split time with Joe Joseph. Like Freddie Bennett, Haight was another guy past the 10th Round I actually wanted to take. The righty has a smooth swing witch quick hands and excellent pitch recognition. He won't hit many homers, but he'll steal bases, won't strike out to much, and will offer plus defense out in left. He's probably going to get another shot at La Crosse before hopefully proving he's ready to move on. If he played a little more last year, I think I would have given him the chance to start in San Jose.

2B Gene Evans (170th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Worcester HS Warriors

An intercostal strain suffered in May shortened his season, but the soon to be 20-year-old hit a solid .323/.348/.441 (106 OPS+) with 2 homers, 6 steals, and 19 RBI's in just under 200 at bats. He also needs another round in La Crosse before he's ready for Class B, but it was nice to see him do well when he was on the field. Evans projects to be an above average contact hitter with decent speed and strong baserunning skills. I'm not sure if Evans is a future big league starter, but he could excel in a part time role.

Top Prospects: 26-30
 

CF Roy Moore (171st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Hartford HS Blue Sox

Despite being in high school just two seasons ago, Roy Moore finished the season in AA. He played 50 games in San Jose, 42 in Lincoln, and then 48 in Mobile. As you'd expect, the best stretch came in San Jose where he hit .377/.401/.442 (120 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 steals, and 22 RBI's in 244 trips to the plate. He even did well up in AA, hitting a respectable .333/.364/.432 (107 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 31 RBI's in 212 plate appearances. And he did all that at age 20. The most impressive thing, however, was his defense. Combined between the three spots, he had an impressive +20.5 zone rating and 1.053 efficiency in 1,201.1 innings out in center. To put this in perspective, he basically was Cy Bryant defensively this season. It's a little different because he did it in the majors, but Cy Bryant's zone rating and efficiency were both 23.4 and 1.052 in 1,330.2 innings. Moore is an extremely gifted defender and he's really looked good at the plate so far. In what I thought was a rather weak draft, my first four picks in the 1931 draft (Reyes, Mitchell, Ray, and Moore) all rank in baseballs top 200. There's a lot of outfield prospects ahead of Moore right now, but he's a lot more developed then most of our prospects.

2B Elmer Hutchins (185th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 113rd Overall (1929)
Alma Mater: Hartford HS Blue Sox

According to my new scout Marv Branson (who's good enough that I don't miss Hal Bean) the former 8th Round pick is ready for Chicago. Lucky for us, he's not Rule-5 eligible, so I won't even have to worry about putting him on the 40-man roster. He'll get every chance he can to win a roster spot, but I can't see him making the team. He did hit .327/.356/.473 (115 OPS+) with 5 homers and 94 RBI's in 610 plate appearances with the Commodores, but I'd love for him to get some more seasoning. The middle infield in the majors is crowded, and there is no reason to rush the 22-year-older to the big leagues. I'd love to seem him perform well in Spring and start the year in Milwaukee, but with guys like Russ Franklin, Lee Sparks, Harry Simmons, and Forrest Sylvester all potentially playing in the AAA middle infielder, I may let him spend a little more time in AA. Regardless, I can see Hutchins ending his season in AAA or potentially a September callup.

LF Joe Joseph (192nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 14th Round, 223rd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Denver HS Mountaineers

Believe it or not, I actually would have taken Joseph in the human portion of the draft, so I was thrilled I got him too. The Canadian didn't get much playing time this season, failing to reach 200 at bats on the season. He also hit just .235/.271/.286 (47 OPS+) with a homer and 18 RBI's. I was hoping Joseph could be a budget Tom Taylor, but he had a really poor showing out in left field this year. Regardless, it was a really rough season for the 19-year-old and he'll look to rebound. Him and Dave Haight will have to compete for playing time, but I'm hoping one of them hits the stuffing out of the ball and earns a promotion to San Jose so they can both stay on the field more.

RF Johnny Waters (195th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 15th Round, 239th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Lincoln Presidents

Despite being a 15th Round Pick, Johnny Waters started the season Class B San Jose. He did well in 36 games, hitting .367/.429/.422 (124 OPS+) with a homer and 31 RBI's. He got the promotion to Lincoln, and finished his season there. Waters hit a decent .312/.360/.417 (110 OPS+) with 2 homers and 47 RBI's in 391 trips to the plate. The now 22-year-old switch hitter has a really nice contact tool, but I wish he had more power for a corner bat. He does do an excellent job limiting strikeouts, just 22 compared to 42 walks. He's not much of a defender yet, but that's something he can work on as he progresses. He'll likely return to Lincoln, and I'm hoping he can add a little power or improve his range in the outfield. Right now, he looks like a mediocre starter, but if he can take that next step he's a top 5 player.

RF Dick Earl (200th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 17th Round, 271st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Meridian HS Rebels

Believe it or not, I actually had my eye on Earl too. Unfortunately for him, he really doesn't have anywhere to play. I really wish I could move some of my outfielders in the lower minors, but nothing really materialized. I don't have any top prospects (outfield wise), and compared to the next tier of guys, most people want picks (myself included). Earl barely got on the field, and I almost wish (for his sake) I let him go to college. He hit .434/.541/.787 (243 OPS+) as a senior with 10 homers and 37 RBI's. In 46 at bats between La Cross and San Jose, he hit just .261 with a homer and 4 RBI's. I'm hoping one of Westfall or Mills can start in San Jose, so Earl can split time with the other one. He's got a cannon in right and he's got a decent contact and eye tool. I need to find a way to get him on the field, or I'm going to waste his high potential.

In other news, the human draft just finished. The last 15 rounds will be done in game. My scout list is ready, and he'll have his first class despite very little time to work with. There's really nothing left (even the guy I took in the 9th round is basically useless), so I'm not sure how many guys I'm going to keep. I'll write up on my 6th-10th Round Picks today, and the rest will likely happen tomorrow. There were also seven other prospects in the top 250. I'll also be preparing for the Rule-5 Draft, Minor League Rule-5 Draft (probably won't take anyone), and Independent League Draft.

1933 Draft: 6th Round-10th Round
 

6th Round, 95th Overall: SP Ray Shipman
In 1929, the Pittsburgh Miners selected Shipman in the 8th Round. He decided not to sign, and it initially did not go well for him. He was undrafted last season despite going 4-3 with a 2.85 ERA (188 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 31 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched. He decided to bet on himself, as last year's class was really deep. Senior year didn't do as well, going 4-4 with a 4.32 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 24 walks, and 42 strikeouts in just 73 innings. I'm betting on his 1923 season being his peak and the 1933 is a little closer to the baseline. In 416.2 innings between high school and college, he went 26-18 with a 3.67 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 117 walks, and 260 strikeouts. The Travis College righty is tall, standing at 6'2'', and I really thought he would have added velocity right now. He looked really good in high school, one of the reasons I decided to go with him now. With so little options available, I'm betting on the raw tools and what he's shown. He's got a nice four pitch arsenal, but he hasn't quite polished them out. I'll give him a shot to work as a starter, but perhaps his future lies as a swingman or mop up role.

7th Round, 104th Overall: CF Harry Schad
Schad never quite stood out in college, but the Rainer College center fielder looked really good in the outfield this year. He had a nice +7.3 zone rating and 1.085 efficiency. The zone rating was new, but he's had a positive efficiency each season and a career 1.034 in 200 games out in center. His batting line was respectable, batting .265/.375/.440 (109 OPS+) with 28 homers, 38 steals, and 124 RBI's. His senior year was his best, however, batting .276/.389/.495 (123 OPS+) with 10 homers, 37 RBI's, and 9 steals. I'm betting on this new found power, as with his glove any sort of power is a plus. Schad has speed to burn and an excellent eye at the plate, but if this power is legit, Schad could be a future big league starter. He is going to be 23 in January, so he could jump through the system, but that also could hurt him as he likely won't be debuting until 25 at the earliest. Late bloomers aren't all that uncommon (see Dick Leudtke) so perhaps Schad has some untapped potential. Unfortunately, I think his experience helped him hit homers this year, and it may not show in future seasons. Here's to hoping I'm wrong!

Quick interlude so I can talk about Dick Leudtke: Hal Bean loved Dick Leudtke (one of the reasons I traded for him), but new scout Marv Branson loves him even more. I've never seen such a favorable review for Leudtke, as Branson thinks "There should be no problem slotting Leudtke in as the #1 starter on most teams." Scouts generally aren't nice to pitchers, but Branson also says Jim Crawford "[is] a valuable second starter, and the ace on some teams."

7th Round, 111th Overall: SP Bill Scott
After going with college seniors, I decided to take a risk on a high school senior. After an average 1932 season, the Holyoke HS righty added some velocity in the offseason (and then more in this offseason!) and looked really good in 58.2 innings pitched. He was 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA (211 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 21 walks, and 33 strikeouts. It was a strong end to a solid prep career, where he was 13-8 with a 2.84 ERA (177 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 57 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 164.2 innings with the Oaks. Honestly, I think he's better then my last two picks, but he's an extremely risky arm. He's young and his stuff and control do not look like they will hold enough for him to pitch in an FABL rotation. I do like his velocity, as his fastball sits in the upper 80s, lower 90s. If he adds a little more on his fastball, it can really increase the effectiveness of his slider and curveball. It can make up for the wildness as he can work to overpower instead of place. I'm hoping we can get him to bulk up, as he weighs just 150 pounds, as adding some muscle could really help Scott turn into a future big league starter.

8th Round, 127th Overall: Tommy Shark
A Brunswick Knight, "Cubby" is another senior. I almost never draft seniors, but in this class, it's been a majority of my picks. Generally, seniors aren't very good, but last year's draft class was elite. A lot of guys stayed an extra year hoping to be taken higher. Sharp was one, and he got an 8th Round selection. He's a career .291/.356/.470 (125 OPS+) hitter with 28 homers, 140 RBI's, and 41 steals. He's a decent defender out in center, but I think he's going to end up in left. He's got really good speed, but he hasn't quite excelled defensively in center.

9th Round, 143rd Overall: SP Elmer Foreman
This pick was a mistake, he will not be signed...

10th Round, 159th Overall: LF Nat Doane
A Canadian outfielder, Nat Doane spent his time at Dickson and stayed for a senior season after bicep tendinitis limited his junior year. He hit an impressive .294/.437/.622 (166 OPS+) with 13 homers and 37 RBI's. It was the best of his four seasons, and he finished with a .303/.403/.557 (142 OPS+) batting line. He hit 36 homers and 113 RBI's in an impressive college career. A gifted hitter, I'm not quite sure where he'll play, but he may see time at first base. He's spent most his career at first, but he spent most of last season in right and this season in left.

This marks the end of the human draft. Not sure how many AI draftees I will take, but I'll still write up a bit on them. I'm not too excited about this class, but that's mainly because I thought there were a lot of better players available because the game said this was their draft year (even though they weren't in the pool). Also, with how good last year's class was, there was no way this year's could compete. The in game portion will be tomorrow morning, so while I won't redo top prospects, I will give an update on which new draftees crack the top 30.

1933 Draft: Round 11-25
 

12th Round, 192nd Overall: SP Ham Mann
The righty when to St. Matthew's College where he was 5-4 with a 4.14 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 31 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 14 starts. He's got okay stuff and added a little speed to his cutter. He sits in the high 80s with that and he's got a nice change too. The slider is good enough to be a third pitch, but he's got to get more experienced working it in. He's a high floor low ceiling college junior with an uproad battle towards big league success.

13th Round, 208th Overall: SP Harvey Feinstein
So before I claim the Harvey "Outlaw" Feinstein is good, this kid is a 21-year-old from Evanston. After being undrafted out of high school, he went to Chicago Poly, so he's a double hometown kid. He actually did look a lot better in college compared to high school, finishing 9-18 with a 4.68 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 37 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 230.2 innings pitched. He throws kind of hard too, sitting in the upper 80s and low 90s with his fastball. He keeps the ball on the ground and if he can shore up the control issues, he could work his way up the system. He'll get a bigger shot then any as an Illinois kid, but I think the talent warrants the selection.

14th Round, 224th Overall: SP Tim Zaugg
So the Lubbock State righty has a cool name. But, he was 1-9 with a 9.19 ERA (54 ERA+), 2.34 WHIP, 41 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. They were a really bad team, so it's not all Zaugg's fault, but he's also just a really bad pitcher. I'm releasing him.

15th Round, 240th Overall: C Red Smith
A four year player at Coastal Carolina, he finished his career with an unimpressive .261/.373/.393 (95 OPS+) batting line. He hit just 9 homers and drove in 74 RBI's, He could be a decent defender, but he doesn't look all that exciting. I'll hold onto him for now, but he might not stick around for too long.

16th Round, 256th Overall: RP Walter Harper
Nothing worth noting. Other then that he's from Weston, Florida, and I have a friend who lived there.

17th Round, 272nd Overall: C Lave Young
He didn't start as a freshman, but he started his other three seasons with Opelika State. In total, he hit .297/.380/.416 (103 OPS+) with 10 homers and 69 RBI's, but he did regress each season. Just like with Smith, he'll have a shot to stick, but I'm not sure he'll be with us for long.

18th Round, 288th Overall: C George Unger
My scout must really like catchers... This one is a Canadian from Central Ohio who hit just .212/.290/.308 (58 OPS+) in 224 plate appearances. He never really was a full time starter either. He'll be cut.

19th Round, 304th Overall: C Wayne Bell
Another catcher! Man... Wayne Bell was a 19th Round pick by the Stars in 1929. He did not sign, and it looks like he should of. He was a 19th Round selection this season and college wasn't great. He didn't play as a freshman or sophomore and he hit just .168/.271/.265 (38 OPS+) as a junior. His .270/.341/.418 (95 OPS+) line this year wasn't terrible, but he's not worth holding on to anyways.

20th Round, 320th Overall: RP Alex Harold
He was awful his first three seasons in college, but just broke out as a senior. Is it real? Probably not. He likely just sucks, but was good because he was old. In 18 innings out of the pen, he had a nice 2.00 ERA (249 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with 7 walks and 17 strikeouts. He pitched for St. Blaine, one of the better teams in the nation, but that shouldn't take away from this year's success. We have very few stopper prospects from day one, so Harold can be a sort of "test" with this 20th Round pick.

21st Round, 336th Overall: 3B Conrad Jones
He really sucks. Next!

22nd Round, 352nd Overall: LF Dick Brown
This kid had a really weird career at Sadler. He played a decent amount as a Freshman, making 25 starts and 11 appearances off the bench. He hit a decent .328/.358/.534 (136 OPS+) with 3 homers and 16 RBI's. In 1931 and 1932, however, he didn't start a single game as Ed Marshall moved over from center to left. He started all 50 games both years before being a 19th Round pick by the Wolves last year. Brown got to start this year for the Bluecoats, and he hit .251/.356/.462 (119 OPS+) with 9 homers and 36 RBI's. It wasn't a great showing, but it was enough for us to take a flyer on the lefty really late.

23rd Round, 368th Overall: LF Bobby Glass
After sitting out as a freshman at Ellery, he started the last three seasons for the Bruins. He hit .257/.354/.450 (108 OPS+) with 21 homers and 85 RBI's. He's passable out in left, but I'm not sure Glass ever develops into much. He'll have a shot to earn a spot, but I wouldn't count on him making many starts for us.

24th Round, 384th Overall: LF Harry Watson
Another scrub. Next!

25th Round, 400th Overall: 2B Billy Roberts
It's cool he's 400th, but he sucks. Next!

Wait...

That's it?

Well, unlike last year, most guys don't need to sign. I'm just waiting on my 1st, 2nd, and 4th rounders. None of the other scrubs are any good, and I really only expect Barnard to crack our top 30.

Rule-5 Draft is in the morning. I've got 5 open spots. Len Moore, Herman Rachford, Luke Nixon, and Curt Ross were all DFA'd. Johnny Walker had his contract purchased. Gordie Thompson did too, but this was a few sims ago. I debated long and hard on Walker. I'm not sure he would have been taken, but at first, I thought I would be half happy if he was taken so he could be a major league option somewhere else. But, I really like this kid so I would love to hold on to him instead.

I've debated moving Jim Crawford and considering Walker as an option for the #5. Walker wouldn't be the favorite, but I'd say only two guys would be ahead of him (although there will be Rule-5 players involved too) in the ranks for a Crawford replacement. The only thing with moving Crawford is I know he's so much better then he looked this year. Crawford definitely was effected by Russ Combs' shortstop defense. It is concerning his strikeouts dropped so much, but I'm ready for Crawford to take the next step. I know one of Leudtke, Lyons, or Wilder (probably Wilder) won't be as elite as they were last year, especially because Cy Bryant will not patrol center field every day. Bryant has made 140 or more starts the past three seasons, but after adding Love, I'd expect Bryant to make no more the 125 starts next season (of course, an injury could change things) as Love will see more time starting in left. Bobby Sprague is more then capable in center (and Love is average in left) and Tom Taylor is elite in right, so it's not like there is going to be a huge drop off. Having Crawford on hand has a capable five can really stabilize things. Of course, you also have to worry about injuries and you can never have too many starting pitchers.

Rule-5 Draft
 

We added four players and lost two. Starting with the lost players, both players are 28 or older. The first was Howard Moss who went in the 1st Round to the Philadelphia Sailors. The second was Gus Cain, who we've now lost twice in the Rule-5 Draft. He also went to the Sailors.

Starting with Moss, I shouldn't really be surprised he was taken. I would have loved to move him for a later round pick, but nothing ever turned up when I tried shopping him earlier in the year. He's raked two years in a row for Milwaukee, this year hitting .336/.437/.573 (154 OPS+) with 9 homers and 88 RBI's. These are really impressive numbers, but there really isn't a spot for Moss on the active roster. To make things worse for Moss, he's a little less then 300 days younger then current starter Tom Taylor. I don't think we see Moss back, but I'm happy our former 4th Round pick will have a shot to stick in the majors.

For Cain, the former undrafted free agent was taken by the Saints in the 2nd Round of the 1928 draft, he was a 3rd Rounder in this draft. This was the first season since 1929 Cain did not get in the big leagues, and he spent his season split between AA and AAA. He had sub 2.00 ERA's (+200 ERA+) at both levels, but most of his innings this year came at Mobile. He does have 94 big league innings under his belt with a 4.60 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 34 walks, and 64 strikeouts. He profiles as a strikeout arm out of the pen. He's also a lefty sidearmer who keeps the ball on the ground.

Now here are our guys:

Our first pick was the last pick of the first round, and we took a 23-year-old righty from the best system in baseball. Washington has more then enough depth to make up for the loss of former 15th Round pick Mike Knight who ranked 26th in their system. Knight is a really quirky pitcher, which is one of the reasons I was drawn to him. He is a tiny 5'7'' 150 submarine pitcher who throws five pitches and throws harder then every pitcher in our system except Pete Carey and Stan Gray, with the former able to flirt with triple digits (I was worried Carey would be taken). King got his first taste of AAA this year, going 8-9 with a 4.47 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 55 walks, and 54 strikeouts. I love this kids raw stuff, but command has been an issue for him. I've got an excellent pitching coach and catcher who I think can help Knight take the next step. I'm not guaranteeing him a roster spot (just like with Cliff Ray last year), but I'd say he's the favorite to stick. The pen is really strong right now, but I'd carry an extra arm over a bench bat if it meant keeping Knight in the system.

Our next pick was another pitcher, 25-year-old Augie Bertrand who was a 1927 10th Round Pick. He's not as exciting as Knight, but he's a more experienced and polished pitcher with a higher floor and lower ceiling. He's a groundballer who sits comfortably in the low 90s and spots a five pitch repertoire. He wasn't excellent in AAA, but he showed a lot of promise. He was 14-5 with a 4.28 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 66 strikeouts, and 52 walks. The 11 home runs are concerning as his offspeed pitches our likely flat. I'm hoping that in a pen role he can rely more heavily on his sinker and hopefully more of the contact off him will stay on the ground.

The only hitter we took, I gambled on former 8th Overall Pick Bert Harrison. The Pioneers selected the outfielder out of Memphis HS, the same school that last year's 4th Rounder and top 100 prospect Harry Mead went to. I already added a lefty bat in Doc Love, but Harrison gives us a late game bench option when Love starts over Bryant (or has already been used). The recent 24-year-old hasn't lived up to his lofty expectations, but after a rough AAA season in 1932, he spent all of last season in AA. He hit a nice .328/.373/.501 (134 OPS+) with 8 homers, 7 steals, and 83 RBI's. Harrison has excellent speed, the ability to hit for a high average, and he can fill in at any three outfield spots (although he kind of sucks in center). Our outfield situation is pretty full, as I usually keep five guys and four spots are full (Sprague, Bryant, Love, Taylor) so Harrison will have to show some sort of promise early on.

The last player taken was former Cougar farmhand Harry Parker. He'll be sent back to Pittsburgh. Parker was our 23rd Round pick in 1927 and was part of the four player package that brought Max Wilder and Russ Combs to Chicago. Parker spent the season in AA, going 13-13 with a 4.15 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 104 strikeouts, and 70 walks. I put him towards the end of my list in case I needed an extra arm, but with Knight and Bertrand Parker was just repetitive.

Most of the guys I really wanted were protected (as expected), but I was hoping to get former Chicago Poly grad Tom Blalock. The former 4th Overall pick never really found his footing in the minors, but he was a guy I always had my eye on. He was taken right after Knight, with Blalock going to the Kings. They'll hope he can reclaim his former promise.

Up next we have the minor league rule-5 draft and independent league draft. I generally skip the minor league portion, and will this season too. For the independent league draft, I'm working on scouting to see who I want. I have one empty 40 man spot after sending Parker back.

A Tale of Two Staffs
 

I just finished a huge midterm and I feel like I absolutely killed it. So to celebrate, I'll be writing a piece I've been wanting to talk about for along time. In 1929, the Chicago Cougars finished 62-92 and as a team, had a 5.37 ERA. From 1930-1933, the Cougars never won less then 84 games and averaged 95 wins the past three seasons including team best 97s in back to back seasons. In 1933, the pitching staff had a 2.84 ERA. The 5.37 mark is the second worst in Continental Association history and the 2.84 ERA is the best leaguewide team ERA in over two decades while no team (and few players) have even flirted with a sub 3 ERA in recent years.

So what happened? How did we go from 1932 Tommy Wilcox to 1933 Tommy Wilcox in four seasons? This is going to be a way too long post, so buckle up, grab something to eat, and enjoy the show!

Even if you knew absolutely nothing about baseball, you would have to believe that the pitching staffs did not contain the same pitchers. Even if you knew absolutely nothing about how much I trade players, you would have to believe that the pitching staffs did not contain the same pitchers. And even if you knew absolutely nothing about the situation, you would probably believe that 2.84 per 9 and 5.37 per 9 were probably describing two different things. And even if you just took the test I did, you probably would've thought those were describing the Home and Foreign relative wage of high-skilled to lower-skilled labor instead of ERA's for a group of the same pitchers.

And you would be right. They are not the same pitchers.

Well, sort of...

To make things easier, I will be using the "Starters: Pitchers" OOTP area to compare the two staffs. Here is what we have:

The Wonderful 1929 Pitching Staff:
Dick Lyons: 16-13, 4.06 ERA
Dick Kadlec: 7-12, 5.64 ERA
Cotton Taylor: 7-10, 5.34 ERA
Charlie O'Hare: 7-8, 5.42 ERA
Johnny Douglas: 5-5, 5.66 ERA
Ace McSherry: 18 SV, 3.43 ERA

The Actually Wonderful 1933 Pitching Staff:
Tommy Wilcox: 21-11, 2.58 ERA
Dick Luedtke: 17-11, 2.87 ERA
Dick Lyons: 17-11, 2.83 ERA
Max Wilder: 15-10, 2.70 ERA
Jim Crawford: 12-9, 3.89 ERA
Chick Meehan: 13 SV, 1.74 ERA

If you squint, it looks like the pitching staff has two overlaps (would've been more confusing had Babe Wilder, who started in 1928, was also a starter in 1929), but the only hold over is Dick Lyons, obviously the best pitcher on that staff, but you can tell that we changed things up a bit.

Dick Lyons
But first, let's dive deeper into Dick Lyons, because I kind of did him dirty...

The biggest problem with stats only is that it's a little harder to tell when a really good player is stuck on a really bad team. Every scout I've ever had has been a huge Dick Lyons fan, and honestly, until this exact second (2:55 PM, 11/18/2020) I had no idea that I did not inherit Dick Lyons on the big league roster. I actually gave Dick Lyons his debut in 1926 (year 1) after he was 7-7 with a 2.97 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 30 walks, and 144 strikeouts in 145.1 innings pitched down with the Blues. He did have his struggles in the big leagues, going 0-3 with an 8.23 ERA (50 ERA+), 1.94 WHIP, 8 walks, and 8 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched. He didn't make the roster next year (not quite sure why I sent him down here...), but after 5 AAA starts he never went back. Before the 1932 season, Lyons was basically slightly above average and interesting enough, his 1929 season was his best season. He was 16-13 with a 4.06 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 79 walks, and 77 strikeouts in 257 innings pitched. Lyons was really the only bright spot on that team (I guess Ace McSherry was cool too), but 1929 was also the first year of this dynasty report. That means I actually have written things I can pull too and grade myself.

Other then the intro post, my first post was about the opening day roster. My ace was Dick Lyons, so Lyons was actually the first thing I ever wrote about.

"LHP Dick Lyons: A 28-year-old from Denton, TX, Lyons was the Cougars 2nd Round pick in 1921 out of Frankford State. It took him a bit to make the show, debuting at 25 in 1926 with a 27.1 inning audition that did not go to well. Last season was his second full season in the league and he has slowly blossomed into a dependable arm at the top of the rotation. He lead the league in HR/9 (0.3), even with the 300 feet fences down the line. He was just 9-18 (we had the worst record in the league last season), but had a solid 3.88 ERA (111 ERA+) with 81 strikeouts, 70 walks, and a 1.50 WHIP. If WAR is your cup of tea, his was an impressive 5.1 in 243.2 innings pitched. He's excellent and generating groundballs, so our fielders always have to be ready when he's on the mound." (Before the 1929 Season)

So other then the typo (at, not and...), I didn't really think too much of Lyons. I also was finally getting the hang of the stats only format, so I was really going of what my eyes were telling me. I knew he had talent, but I probably thought Lyons was a potential trade piece.

Here's the most recent piece on Lyons:

Of course, I also now have to talk about Dick Lyons. After beating the Kings to finish the week, the 33-year-old is 15-7 with a 2.68 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 32 BB, and 50 strikeouts in 198.1 innings on the year. He was a member of the inaugural All Star team and is the longest tenured Cougar. Way back in 1921, we took him in the 2nd Round (well, the AI) out of Frankford State (same school as Montreal's stud rookie Vic Crawford). He debuted in 1926, but it was a 6 game (4 start) sample that didn't go all that well. After 7 relief appearances in 1927, he's made 204 starts for the Cougars. He was relatively average from 1927 to 1931, but he really started to pitch better last season.

In 1932, Lyons was 17-7 with a 3.50 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 50 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 236.2 innings. It was the best season of his career, but he's always been a dependable big league arm. He's made 30 or more starts with 230 or more innings every year since 1928 and he's even led the league in HR/9 (0.3, 1928) and BB/9 (1.7, 1931). For his career, the lefty is 97-74 with a 3.92 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 377 walks, and 488 strikeouts. I'm actually really impressed by the record as he had to endure a stretch of seasons where we were really bad. OSA really likes Lyons now, and while the in game rankings do change a lot during the season based on performance, he is ranked the 5th best pitcher in baseball. He sits behind Wilcox, Rabbit Day, Roy Calfee (Detroit), and Jim Lonardo.

Lyons was a guy I tried to trade because I wasn't sure he'd be a long term piece and I had to decide between him and someone like Tommy Russel. If you don't remember him, he was actually really good for us. After three almost exactly league average seasons with Washington, I sent Gene Ross and Tex Young there for him. He had an excellent first season, going 13-11 with a 4.26 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 57 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 221.2 innings. Russel was known to be a guy who wasn't pretty great, but he could throw unlimited pitches. Well, that was until 1931. I moved him to the pen because I couldn't move any of my starters. He was doing great, 15.2 innings with 9 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts before shoulder inflammation cost him the season. Since then, he hasn't been the same, and is currently in Lincoln. Out of the pen he has a 4.91 ERA (82 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP in 11 innings. (August 20th, 1933)

Now Lyons did not just magically become better. Dick Lyons went from looking worse then he really was, starting to get recognized for his talent, and now the pitcher who in 1933 was 3rd in the CA in WAR and tied for 5th in the entire league. I don't think Lyons is going to ever have another season this good. Despite being an extreme groundballer, he was able to survive the awful defense at shortstop this year. Lyons was able to succeed because he just didn't have to face that many batters this year. He never gives up home runs, a career average of 0.4 per nine including a league best 0.3 in 1928 while pitching at arguably the easiest park to hit a home run in.

Even better, as Lyons aged, he really perfected his control. After a career high 2.8 in 1929, he never had a season with more then 2.1 and he led the league in 1931 and 1933 with 1.7 and 1.3.

Currently, Lyons ranks as the 6th best pitcher in the FABL and honestly I'd say he's number four. I can't believe I just wrote that, but I think Dick Lyons is the fourth best pitcher in baseball:

1. Tommy Wilcox (okay, sure I'm biased)
2. Rabbit Day
3. Jim Lonardo
4. Dick Lyons

The only difference between my list and the in game list is Detroit's Roy Calfee is 4th and champion Ed Baker is 5th.

Here's my case for Lyons:

1. He doesn't allow home runs
2. He doesn't walk batters
3. He's a double play machine
4. He's a lefty

And let's get back to why Dick Lyons was so successful: he really doesn't have to pitch that much. In 1929, he threw 257 innings (1,150 batters faced). In 1933, he threw 248.1 innings with just 1,019 batters faced. That's 4.47 batters per innings versus 4.11 batters per innings. To show how impressive that is, last season (a really strong year for Lyons) he threw 236.2 innings, but faced two more batters (4.32) then this year.

This may sound very elementary, but pitchers pitch better when they face less batters. They aren't as tired, there are less people on base, and your day is less stressful. Lyons was the only guy I never set a pitch count on (Wilcox only got one for game 7) because I knew he was never going to pitch too much. Batters could not hit Lyons plain and simple. Opposing hitters batted .248/.276/.327 with only 8 homers. This was obviously elite, but his career .294/.333/.402 line is more or less equivalent to a league average hitter. When you factor in the formerly awful Cougar defenses (remember John Dibblee, Vince York, second base Bill Ashbaugh, any one of our multiple mediocre shortstops, I could go on for ever...), the extremely difficult park factors, and overall bad Cougar teams in the first three seasons of his career, I think should have treated Dick Lyons like I did Tommy Wilcox.

Obviously, I'm spending a lot of time on Dick Lyons so far (there will be other things, I promise), but as the only similarity, he's almost a perfect case study. Especially because players generally do not get better from the ages of 28-33. I wouldn't usually call this the peak, but in our league, player seemed to develop slower out of feeder leagues. This may be when most pitchers start to find themselves (I haven't dived into this, don't quote me on it), but at least off memory it seems to be the pattern. There are always going to be the guys way better then everyone else at a young age. Whether it's Tommy Wilcox (absolute beast since day 1 with humungous potential), Rabbit Day (top prospect who just decided to go God mode and strike everyone out), or Milt Fritz (random late round prospect who breaks out really early and somehow dominates at 19), but this is not the norm in the FABL. Lyons seems to me a more regular prospect. He was a second round pick (expected to be good, not great) who had a pretty regular development path. Based on past OOTP experience, there really should not be much difference in ratings for a 28 year old pitcher and a 33 year old pitcher. Especially with someone who has as long of an injury history as Lyons does:

05/20/1930: Injured (Cold), day-to-day for 1 day.

Yeah, that's it! No injury has done anything to degrade Lyons' talent and he really shouldn't have begun to see side effects from age. Obviously, it was something more then just a change in the pitching staff. There has to be something else that changed. There are a few things I want to take a look at: defense, coaching staff, offense

The Defense
Without trying to beat a dead horse, the 1933 Chicago Cougars defense was elite. The outfield is on another level and no CA team had a better zone rating (+65) or efficiency (.713). And this includes the atrocious shortstop play of Russ Combs (-14.5 in 409.1 innings...) and Arnold Bower (-11.1 in 952 innings). I don't think we'll ever see an outfield defense as good as ours. Even including next season, as we'll see less Cy Bryant, who's +23.4 zone rating was the best of any non shortstop. Bobby Sprague (+20.4) and Tom Taylor (+18.0) are basically center fielders in left and right. Here's a look at the starters in 1933 (and 1929 below):

1933 Starters by Position
C: Mike Taylor
1B: Bill Ashbaugh
2B: Slim Bloom*
3B: John Kincaid
SS: Arnold Bower*
LF: Bobby Sprague
CF: Cy Bryant
RF: Tom Taylor

*Honorary shoutout to the oft-injured Russ Combs who split time between these two positions

1929 Starters by Position
C: Fred Barrell
1B: Luke Nixon
2B: Bill Ashbaugh
3B: Mack Deal
SS: Harry Simmons
LF: Dick Fessel
CF: Bob McCarty
RF: Art Panko

Right off the bat, it's a huge plus that Bill Ashbaugh moved from second (-14.1) to first (+2.1). Starting with a few similarities, Fred Barrell and Mike Taylor are both top defensive catchers and both Harry Simmons and Arnold Bower are basically average shortstops. Bower's numbers look worse just because rookies George Dawson and Harry Barrell are two of the best defensive shortstops the league has seen in awhile. And with Ashbaugh mentioned, even if Bloom and Combs (combined) didn't have a 8.3 zone rating, they would still be a million times better then Ashbaugh was.

More discrepancies occur when you look to the outfield. Bob McCarty was a solid defender, but Dick Fessel (-1.6) and Art Panko (+2.1) pale in comparison to Sprague and Taylor. And of course, no one compares to Bryant, so he has a huge advantage on McCarty who's never topped +10 in his career. The last position is third base. Now, Mack Deal is one of the best defensive third basemen. In 1929, he was a shortstop that wasn't good enough to stay at short so I tried to move him to second or third. Third ended up sticking, and while 1929 wasn't a good defensive season, he picked it up really quick. Kincaid, however, finished second to Deal this year in zone rating.

So basically at every position, we were either just as good or much better defensively in 1933 compared to 1929. This makes sense, as a big part of pitching is really just defense. It's no surprise that the best pitching staffs tend to have the best defenses. I'm not trying to claim that the 1929 team would have been over .500 with our 1933 defense or that we'd win the pennant this season with the 1929 pitching staff, but I know for a fact that we don't make the playoffs this year with the 1929 defense. There is no way. Even if the Taylors, Combs, etc. still got to hit, but their defense was swapped with their counterparts, we'd be lucky to win 80. My pitchers are top 20 in the league, there's no denying that, but it is very uncommon for four pitchers on the same team to preform at an elite level at the same time.

Case Study: 1933 Chicago Cougars and 1998 Atlanta Braves

I did a little research into the real life equivalent of our pitching staff. A lot of people look to the 1998 Atlanta Braves. Here's their top five versus my top five:

Greg Maddux (32): 18-9, 2.22 ERA (187 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 251 IP, 45 BB, 204 K
Tom Glavine (32): 20-6, 2.47 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 229.1 IP, 74 BB, 157 K
Denny Neagle (29): 16-11, 3.55 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 210.1 IP, 60 BB, 165 K
Kevin Millwood (23): 17-8, 4.08 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 174.1 IP, 56 BB, 163 K
Jon Smoltz (31): 17-3, 2.90 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 167.2 IP, 44 BB, 173 K

Tommy Wilcox (26): 21-11, 2.58 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 286.1 IP, 43 BB, 113 K
Dick Leudtke (32): 17-11, 2.87 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 270 IP, 61 BB, 89 K
Dick Lyons (33): 17-11, 2.83 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 248.1 IP, 37 BB, 63 K
Max Wilder (36): 15-10, 2.70 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 63 BB, 102 K
Jim Crawford (28): 12-9, 3.89 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 58 BB, 68 K

So yeah, these are pretty similar. Both Maddux and Wilcox led their respective leagues in ERA+, ERA, and WHIP, but Wilcox was able to take home an Allen Award while Maddux somehow finished 4th. The biggest difference is we had four top guys while they had just three. Leudtke is much closer to Smoltz then Neagle while Crawford and Millwood are both about equal. Of course, the era and setup is much more different, so we need to look at things more closely.

Percent Tier ERA+ 1998 Atlanta Braves (97 Qualified MLB Pitchers)
Greg Maddux: 1% (1/97)
Tom Glavine: 4.1%
Jon Smoltz: 8.2%
Denny Neagle: 31.9%
Kevin Millwood: 58.8%

Percent Tier ERA+ 1933 Chicago Cougars (67 Qualified FABL Pitchers)
Tommy Wilcox: 1.4% (1/67)
Max Wilder: 4.4%
Dick Lyons: 7.5%
Dick Leudtke: 10.4%
Jim Crawford: 47.7%

Now this looks a little different. We both have the best pitcher in the league (by ERA+), but we have 1, 3, 5, 7, and 32 compared to 1, 4, 8, 30, and 57. This makes things look better for me, but that's why I like the percentages. I shouldn't get credit for less qualified players/teams so the percentages even the playing field. I'd do this with multiple other stats (especially BB/9 where all five guys are top 40% including two of three and three of six) we wipe the floor with the Braves. Our pitcher's weren't just good at one thing (like preventing runs), they were good at a lot of things. A lot of this I have to give credit to the defense. Unfortunately, defense stats before like the 2010s aren't too helpful. Obviously, Andruw Jones was elite defensively, but are you going to tell me that Ryan Klesko and Michael Tucker were the best LF and RF in 1998? Not sure about that one.

I do have to give the Braves a little credit, however, as they play in a much different era. I don't have to worry about contracts or free agency or really pitching strategy of any sort. I just have to set up my rotation (although, we probably had the best pen ever) and watch them throw 9 full innings. And this is not a claim that the 1933 Chicago Cougars pitching staff would wipe the floor with the 1998 Atlanta Braves (although this would be a cool thing to test), but it is cool seeing the similarities and differences between the two teams.

The Coaching Staff
In 1931, I hired pitching coach Eddie Williams, and I have to give him a ton of credit. He was pitching coach for three teams before Chicago and after the 1930 season with the Louisville Derbies (Keystones AAA), I signed him to a five year contract set to expire (definitely will be renewed) in 1935. Not sure what he was rated when I signed him, but for 1933 he is "Excellent" and works with all pitchers well. He seems to have found his next project, Rule-5 Pick Mike Knight, who for some reason he thinks is better then Jim Crawford (my old scout, my new scout, OSA, BNN, myself, FABL statistics, and probably 15 other FABL GM's would likely disagree) which gets me excited that he will work his magic again.

Now 65, Williams spent 1890-1894 in the FABL. He played with the Keystones, Saints, Sailors, and Kings across 511 innings. He was 34-27 with a 3.21 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 172 walks, and 132 strikeouts. He hung around independent ball for awhile before eventually retiring in officially in 1903. His first coaching job professionally came in 1925, so this will be year nine for him. According to his page, "[he] can turn a No. 2 starter into a No. 1 and help a prospect develop into an All-Star. He understands every facet of pitching." Of course, it did not say that in 1931, but Williams looks to be a huge reason for the success of guys like Dick Leudtke and Dick Lyons. They had the talent to succeed, but hadn't quite got everything to click. Tommy Wilcox must have listed to him too much last year, and adjusted how he pitched when he came over. Once it clicked, Wilcox looks like even more of a #1 then he already was.

It will be interesting to see what Williams can do with prospects. He did seem to help Murphy and Barrell get their careers started and while both are young, they still have a chance to blossom into the aces they should. I haven't had any other top pitching prospects for him to work with, but Bill Kline, Claude Purvis, and Norm Stewart have turned into randomly excellent relief pitchers. Mike King may be on that same path (or the #4 my scout thinks) as could Gordie Thompson. I hope he can turn Johnny Walker into the ace I think he can be and in a few seasons he'll get to hopefully see Sullivan, Pearce, and Ross flourish under his tutelage.

I try to keep the system strong coaching wise, but there aren't all that many available coaches. You really have to develop a staff and find the diamonds in the rough. My AA and AAA pitching coaches are really strong too, so once the guys get their feet of the ground, they really get polished in the upper levels.

Even though the pitching coach more directly effects our pitchers, I should also look at my current manager. After winning the 1929 World Series with the Detroit Dynamos, Pozza let go. He signed with us, replacing manager Hank Sims who was then moved to (and still is) bench coach.

This might actually have been a mistake...

Dick Pozza has an awful relationship with Tommy Wilcox and Jim Crawford, my ace and leader and the budding young arm I thought was a future ace. Perhaps Pozza and Wilcox didn't mesh at all in 1932 and that's why he struggled so much with us. Everyone loves Hank Sims. That's just who he is. He's fun, he's cool, he was a crappy journeyman reliever. Even so, he's very calm and he sticks to his plan.

And honestly, I don't have a good relationship with Pozza. I will not be renewing his contract at the end of the year, but with all the success we have had there was no way I could have fired him (although I really considered it last season). What annoys me is he seized control of nearly everything (shoutout Legacy Mode ft. 7-Day Lineups) and his strategy settings continuously cost us games. I feel like we're stuck in the old-school vs. new-school battle and it's best to just let things finish out.

I actually might go to Sims as the replacement. He's managed both us and the Foresters in the past (and unlike Pozza and Williams understands Jim Crawford is better then Mike Knight...), but I think he may be better with bad teams. He's laid back and won't hurt feelings, creating a fun environment in the clubhouse. Of course, I don't know what other options will be available, but I'm also not quite sure what I would want in a replacement manager (other then being able to stop him from doing the same idiotic thing over and over again...).

Offense
I know offense doesn't have anything to do with pitching, but I have to imagine it makes this a little easier when you have a capable offense giving you run support. In 1933, we actually hit lower (.281) then we did in 1929 (.302) which goes to show how overrated average is. We had a lot of light hitters in that lineup who really didn't do much. Remember this?

Looking more recent, in 1932 three players hit 10 or more homers for us. They were Tom Taylor (30), Bill Ashbaugh (13), and Mike Taylor (10), with Taylor hitting all ten of those after the trade. We scored 903 runs as a team, but with just 87 homers. That was good for fourth, about average, but considering how homer friendly our park is, not too impressive. Again in 1931 we had three players, Tom Taylor (29), Vince York (11), and Bill Ashbaugh (11). We scored 809 runs, won the Continental Association, and won a World Series. And we did it with 66 homers. That's it. We've almost passed that now. 1930 had three (the magic number?), Bill Ashbaugh (16), Vince York (15), and Fred Barrell (10). We finished 4th in the league (our pitching was terrible...) and scored 964 runs. We hit just 68. 1929, the first year of this dynasty report, we were terrible. We were 62-92 and just Bill Ashbaugh (23) hit more then 6. Without him, we hit just 44 homers. From 1929-1931 we ranked in the bottom half of the CA despite having the easiest stadium to hit homers at. Brooklyn is the only other CA team to have an overall HR rating above 1 (and both LHB and RHB above 1). (August 14th, 1933)

In 1929 we had just 44(!) home runs which is one less then Rankin Kellogg hit this year. And Bill Ashbaugh was more then half of them. Of course, Ashbaugh is still on the team, but let's take a look at the rest of the starters both years:

The 1929 Chicago Cougars Power Packed Lineup
C Fred Barrell (23): 79 G, .247/.337/.387 (89 WRC+), 6 HR, 48 RBI
1B John Dibblee (40): 124 G, .346/.385/.464 (121 WRC+), 3 HR, 76 RBI, 7 SB
2B Bill Ashbaugh (25): 124 G, .346/.399/.577 (147 WRC+), 23 HR, 101 RBI, 13 SB
3B Mack Deal (22): 149 G, .304/.367/.387 (99 WRC+), 5 HR, 77 RBI, 23 SB
SS Harry Simmons (25): 145 G, .315/.360/.414 (103 WRC+), 2 HR, 74 RBI, 20 SB
LF Dick Fessel (25): 108 G, .306/.365/.394 (92 WRC+), 2 HR, 40 RBI, 13 SB
CF Bob McCarty (27): 137 G, .304/.369/.429 (110 WRC+), 3 HR, 51 RBI, 13 SB)
RF Art Panko (30): 112 G, .318/.381/.437 (108 WRC+), 3 HR, 60 RBI, 11 SB)

The 1929 Chicago Cougars Actually Power Packed Lineup
C Mike Taylor (27): .282/.366/.438 (124 WRC+), 21 HR, 76 RBI
1B Bill Ashbaugh (29): .291/.344/.453 (124 WRC+), 11 HR, 75 RBI, 6 SB
2B Slim Bloom (27): 73 G, .292/.373/.407 (121 WRC+), 3 HR, 33 RBI
3B John Kincaid (28): 153 G, .321/.367/.417 (120 WRC+), 2 HR, 9 SB, 64 RBI
SS Arnold Bower (29): 112 G, .268/.340/.341 (87 WRC+), 5 SB, 39 RBI
LF Bobby Sprague (26): 153 G, .300/.359/.394 (108 WRC+), 5 HR, 61 RBI, 13 SB
CF Cy Bryant (27): 148 G, .264/.327/.361 (90 WRC+), 6 HR, 76 RBI, 15 SB
RF Tom Taylor (28): 150 G, .292/.346/.438 (124 WRC+), 17 HR, 15 SB, 87 RBI
2B/SS Russ Combs (29): 87 G, .326/.364/.440 (129 WRC+), 3 HR, 36 RBI, 9 SB

Alas! Another single repeat! It's not a perfect case, but it's Bill Ashbaugh. And again, on first glance, it is really easy to tell that the 1933 offense is about 100 times better. 1929 is basically just Bill Ashbaugh and a 40-year-old John Dibblee (who somehow still raked). The rest of the guys look decent, but don't forget, Chicago is a really easy place to hit.

Guess which year we scored more runs?

193-- Wait... What?

(checks notes)

1929?

The 1929 Chicago Cougars scored scored 794 runs while the 1933 Chicago Cougars scored 724. So the offense of scrubs scored 55 more runs then the stacked lineup. We even scored more runs per game (5.2) in 1929 then 1933 (4.7) and I have no idea how we scored so many runs with such an awful team. We did steal a lot of bases and manufacture a lot of runs, but maybe it's because we didn't play any close games? Somehow, we managed to allow 979 runs in 1929, almost double the 526 from 1933. Our offenses were built completely different, but the one with better players actually scored less runs.

Is there an explanation for this? I do think some of it has to do with the quality of pitching we faced. We got to face a lot of scrubs because we sucked. This year, we had to deal with a lot of top pitchers. I think the competition this year was tougher too as the 1929 Philadelphia Sailors were in a class of their own. They did lose to the Dynamos in the finals, but they were 103-51 in the regular season. After a little more digging I found out the leave average ERA was almost a full point lower in 1933 then 1929, which would account for why run totals were very similar.

Another interesting 1929/1933 parallel is these are the only two seasons in the past six where the Fed won the World Series.

What is nice is we do have an overlap here, Bill Ashbaugh! Let's take a look:

Bill Ashbaugh
In 1929, there's no doubt who our best offensive player was. That would be Bill Ashbaugh. The former 4th Overall Pick had his best year to date, batting .346/.399/.577 (143 OPS+) with 23 homers, 13 steals, and 101 RBI's. This was pretty similar to the previous year where he hit .287/.358/.483 (125 OPS+) with 25 homers and 101 RBI's. He then followed up the excellent 1929 with a strong 1930. Ashbaugh hit .321/.414/.531 (134 OPS+) with 16 homers, 13 steals, and 131 RBI's. He hasn't had a year like this sense, but he's still a quality hitter and now defender.

1933, however, was his worst offensive season. At 29 he hit .291/.344/.453 (112 OPS+) with just 11 homers, 75 RBI's, and 6 steals, nothing close to what he did in that three year period (if you started a Figment historical league in 1929 Bill Ashbaugh probably would've been a first ballot hall of famer). For his career, Ashbaugh has a robust .316/.382/.498 (129 OPS+) line with 114 homers, 72 steals, and 651 RBI's across 4,139 plate appearances. My first ever Figment pick, there's no doubt he's the most successful draftee of mine and he already sees his name on Cougar all time leaderboards. He's 8th for average, 5th for OBP, 2nd for slugging, 3rd in OPS (.880), 7th in walks (406), and 1st in homers (114). He's done all this in just 4,139 trips to the plate. He's been above average or better every season of his career and he's become a quality first basemen. He will turn 30 in February, so he may be on the back nine of his career, but he's a team leader who's worshipped in the clubhouse, beloved by his fans, and respected by his competitors. He's one of the few prospects I've allowed myself to develop and I think I'll always find a way to keep him in the lineup.

One last thing before I (finally) stop. On accident, I clicked on my team leaderboards. To my dismay, I realized that Vince York was on the career leaderboards. Because he has 2,121 plate appearances he qualifies for rate stats even though he really shouldn't. He hit .347 for us in three seasons. Unfortunately, this means John Dibblee's .346 batting average is no longer the team best. He did it in 13,260 plate appearances and 58 seasons with the Cougars. This means that I need to make sure Vince York bats again for the Cougars and make sure that he gets enough outs to fall out of first.

If you made it this far, hope you enjoyed! If you didn't make it, I don't blame you. I just love writing and finally had a nice chunk of time to write and once I started I just kept on going.

A little TL;DR: the 1929 Chicago Cougars were really bad. The 1933 Chicago Cougars were really good. And I should have realized Dick Lyons, not Bill Ashbaugh was the franchise player stuck on a terrible team.

Edit: Editor's Note: I guess I should also add that this is sort of a preview for what I am planning to do during the offseason. I'll try to do what I am going to call "Reviewing Year 1: Who Really Were the 1929 Chicago Cougars" to take a look back at my first season covered in the dynasty report. Unless I mention it in a post, I have never looked back on my past writings so I could eventually get to the point where I would forget what I wrote. It really all started with Dick Lyons, who as I've mentioned, I had no idea wasn't on the 1926 Chicago Cougars. In my 1929 posts, I wrote about Lyons' trip to the majors and when I brought him up. I really hope there are some things I was spot on accurate about, but I have a feeling I made a lot of rather bold claims that probably couldn't be further from true that I can laugh about now. I also think I had a "plan" to suck in 1930 and we instead just decided to win a lot. I will only look back to 1929 posts for the 1929 series. Eventually I will want to look back at the 1931 World Series year, but we have to win another (and hopefully a lot more) title. And then probably have a drought that makes me want to reminisce about the good 'ol days. I may also do draft reviews, and in that case I will reference old draft writeups as well. I've done it a few times with prospect reports already.

Who Really Were the 1929 Chicago Cougars? Part 1: The Infield
 

I spent a lot of time on the pitching staff (and I will look more at the individuals who aren't Dick Lyons later), so it is only fitting that I cover what actually might have been my highest scoring offense. We'll start with the infield (and catcher), but I'm leaving out Bill Ashbaugh (will leave Lyons out too) considering how much I already covered him.

This is a little misleading as offense has started to trend down, but our collection of scrubs generally held their own at bat. The lineup was almost completely devoid of power, but let's take a look at what I wrote almost exactly a year ago (I started this report December 21st, 2019) on the Opening Day Roster. I won't cover every player, but I will highlight a few interesting ones. Let's start with a guy who's basically a footnote in history:

Barney Green
A former 10th Round Pick back in the 1923 draft, the switch hitter Barney Green will be the Opening Day starter for a second season in a row. As a rookie, he had a solid season, batting .265/.339/.344 (85 OPS+) with 6 homers and 57 RBI's. He isn't the best defender out there, but he had a solid caught stealing percentage around 40%. This season he will be playing for his roster spot, as once Barrell is comfortable (his Spring was not very good) in his first season in AAA, one of the two catchers on the roster will find themselves where Barrell is currently.(1929 Opening Day)

Barney Green was probably the last average catcher we'll have for a long time. He wasn't special, but the former 10th Round Pick was just 26 when the season started. On July 1st, however, it was time to start what I thought was going to be decades of the Fred Barrell era. Here's what I wrote about time of the trade:

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cougars agreed to a trade to send Catcher Barney Green to the Cleveland Foresters for Catcher Jim Stevens and an 8th Round Draft Pick. The 26-year-old Green was hitting .263/.315/.386 with 5 homers and 32 RBI's in 62 games for the Cougars. With top prospect Fred Barrell waiting in AAA, it was only a matter of time before the Cougars found something to do with Green.

In regards to their return, Jim Stevens, 23, checks in as the Foresters 29th best prospect. A former 23rd Round selection in 1926, he's hitting just .231/.320/.359 with 5 homers and 27 RBI's in 47 games with AA Portland. Stevens has plus power and a good feel for the strike zone. He's also a quality defender behind the plate.

The Cougars are also rumored to be in talks on SP Johnny Douglas and a deal may be coming in the upcoming days.

-------------------------

Stevens may have been a 23rd Round pick, but the Foresters signed him to a $1,000 signing bonus that convinced him to leave Pierpont as a Junior. For comparison, our 3rd Round pick this year Johnny Walker signed for $1,040. Obviously Stevens was better then a 23rd Round Pick or the Foresters would not have signed him. My scout is actually a big fan of him and thinks he can be an average big league starter. He's likely to end up in AA Mobile for us and he will likely be our best or second best catching prospect behind Barrell.

Speaking of Barrell, he will now make his major league debut during the next sim. He was exaclty league average in Milwaukee, going .302/.361/.406 with 2 homers and 29 RBI's. Drafted 3rd Overall in 1926, Barrell will make his big league debut at 23 and as the #19 prospect in all of baseball. He's an elite fielder with above average contact ability that likely sees him as a .300 hitter his whole career. He's got an excellent eye, but is still waiting to see the power develop. He did hit 14 homers as a 21-year-old with Lincoln, but has only hit 7 homers since. The pitching staff will be happy to throw to him as he is a much better defender then Green.

The 8th Round pick was just added to bring more value to us. I feel like picks can be very valuable in this league, especially for me since I feel pretty familiar with a lot of the eligible draftees.

Overall I was glad to find a taker for Green. I didn't want him sitting on our bench or in AAA and I really wanted Barrell to show what he can do in Chicago.(June 24th, 1929)

After the trade, Green spent parts of the next two and a half seasons with the Foresters. He hit .260/.327/.396 (92 OPS+) with 6 homers and 72 RBI's in 515 trips to the plate. He was released this July, but signed on with the Waco Wranglers, an independent league team. He looked okay there, hitting .313/.411/.410 (116 OPS+) with a homer and 19 RBI's. What's most impressive is the 23 walks compared to just 5 strikeouts. He still is on the Waco roster, with Tiny Adair (a guy I wanted in the independent draft who didn't meet new requirements) as well as former Cougar pitchers Karl Clasby and Bill McLean. Green ranks as the 4th best catcher in the 8-team Lone Star Association.

Looking at the return, the deal was more then worth it. And not because of how Green did, but because of Jim Stevens. He was 23 when traded and after hitting strong in AA, he jumped up to AAA for the last month of the season. He hit .301/.386/.438 (120 OPS+) in 19 games, and then .246/.344/.497 (129 OPS+) the following season. He hit 29 homers and drove in 80 RBI's before I have him a cup of coffee in September of 1930. He was 1-for-11 in 3 games, but he was part of the three player package that netted us Tom Taylor. Stevens has spent part of the past three seasons with the Sailors, but his .196/.273/.296 (63 OPS+) line is not too inspiring. He has hit 7 homers and drove in 31 runs, but it looks like the former 23rd Round Pick will be a career backup, not starter.

It appears that the 8th Round Pick was Elmer Hutchins, but I'm not sure as I only had one 8th Round Pick in 1929 (unless someone didn't sign). I am going to be covering the 1929 Draft Class in a later post, so I'll hold off on talking about Hutchins for now (I also may find who actually it was).

As crazy as it seems, a player seemingly so trivial as Barney Green can start a butterfly effect. Trading Green allowed me to start Fred Barrell. I got Jim Stevens, who was then used to grab Tom Taylor who more or less won us a championship. Then back to Barrell, by Green being moved, he was able to debut in 1929. He held his own at 23 and built off his early experience to put together two really good seasons. Of course, Barrell is also no longer a Cougar, but who knows what would have happened if I never was able to find a buyer for Green. I may have left Fred in AAA too long and he may not have developed into the quality starting catcher he is now. And then maybe Tommy Wilcox and Mike Taylor would never have left Brooklyn...

John Dibblee
Dibs! The Top Cat! The face of the Cougars franchise for over 20 years who was able to play until he was a 250 pound 43-year-old despite being the best center fielder in all of baseball during his prime. Dibblee was 40 in 1929, and he finally moved out of the outfield to first base on a more consistent basis:

One of the best players in the history of the FABL, the formerly elite CF (career +200 ZR even with a -15.9 showing as a 37-year-old) now calls first base home. "The Top Cat" has been a big league since he was 17 way back in 1906 and he's never had a below average offensive season in his 22-year-career. Now 40, Dibblee owns a .346/.428/.514 line with 3,574 hits, 744 steals, and 1,361 RBI's. He never had much power, just 80 career homers, but he hits the gaps well and has 499 doubles and 500 triples. He holds the single season record for triples with 57 in 1913 and his top 10 All-Time in numerous offensive categories including #2 in hits and triples, #5 in RBI's and OBP, and 3rd in WAR, steals, and runs. He doesn't show any signs of slowing down and is ranked as the 6th best 1B in the league. A fan favorite and legend in Chicago, Dibblee has a job with this team as long as he chooses to play.
(Opening Day 1929)

"Dibblee has a job with this team as long as he chooses to play."

Glad I didn't mention starting job! Or I would have got that one wrong. Regardless, a 40-year-old Dibblee was still better then all the non-40 year olds who weren't Bill Ashbaugh. He hit .346/.385/.464 (113 OPS+) with 3 homers, 7 steals, and 76 RBI's. At 40! For comparison, John Kincaid led the Cougars in batting average this year. He hit .321, and as a team, our .281 average was second in the CA. Brooklyn's Jake Shadoan hit .364, but Dibbs would've been tied with Pete Layton for 2nd in batting average this season. Dibblee retired after winning ring #3 in 1931, and most of his Cougar records will not be broken.

Mack Deal
Just 22 and the #26 prospect in the league, Mack Deal earned the job out of Spring after slashing .415/.500/.561 to take the job from last year's starter Ben Hathaway. Deal got in to 16 September games last year, hitting .284/.294/.403 (87+ OPS) with a homer, 3 RBI's, and 5 steals. Formerly a shortstop, Deal had a little trouble at that position and has taken to third well the past two seasons in the minors. He'll never be known for his glove, but he's not going to hurt you in the field and he'll more then make up for it at the plate and on the basepaths. He tore through AA and AAA pitching last season, with OPS+ of 120 and 127 respectively with 7 homers, 76 RBI's, and 11 steals. Taken 6th Overall out of Detroit HS in 1924, Deal appears to have lived up to that potential and should man the hot corner for the next decade here in Chicago.(Opening Day 1929)

"He'll never be known for his glove, but he's not going to hurt you in the field and he'll more then make up for it at the plate and on the basepaths."

"Taken 6th Overall out of Detroit HS in 1924, Deal appears to have lived up to that potential and should man the hot corner for the next decade here in Chicago."

Looks like I'm 0-for-2...

I didn't have enough faith in Deal's glove at third. My scout kept telling me he's going to be a good defender, but he was so bad at short and after the 1929 season he had a -6.3 zone rating and .968 efficiency at third. He didn't see regular playing time in 1930, but as mentioned before, he was part of the big offseason trade for Tom Taylor. Pre-trade, he had 268 FABL games of experience with a .308/.368/.400 (94 OPS+) line, 9 homers, 44 steals, and 132 RBI's. After the trade, he hit .266/.320/.371 (97 OPS+) with 14 homers, 41 steals, and 149 RBI's. What's more impressive is that this season he led the CA in zone rating (9.1) despite just 697 innings at third. So not only was I wrong about his glove, but not only did Deal not get a decade at third, he got just a season. Now Kincaid, however, might be able to reach the decade mark. The recently 29-year-old has four years under his belt, and he'd start year 10 at 34. He's currently rated the 3rd best third basemen, and honestly he's just as good as the #2 Ed Stewart (but Stewart is much more valuable as a 25-year-old and Illinois native).

Harry Simmons
The only Cougar left! Simmons was one of my many Rule-5 picks, and here's what I had on him:

If you haven't noticed yet, I love Rule-5 picks, and even with forgetting to export for the 1928 one, I've made at least 10 in the past three seasons. Simmons is one of them, as the former 8th Round selection by the Dynamos in 1923 (they took him in the 4th round the year before) will at least temporarily hold the starting shortstop job. He moved to a full time 3B job after the 1925 season, but he has a +6.2 ZR there with a similar (in regards to innings) +17.7 ZR at the hot corner. I like his defense better then Deal's, so the 24-year-old gets his shot to hold down short at least until Ashbaugh returns and shifts the defensive alignment again. With AA Akron last season, he hit .319/.369/.398 (122 OPS+) with 19 steals and 50 runs driven in. My scout is a big fan of the lefty, and he's nearly a lock to spend the whole season with us.

Not only was Simmons a lock to spend the whole season with us, his demotion this season was the first time Simmons played a minor league game for us. In 1929, Simmons hit a respectable .315/.360/.414 (95 OPS+) with 2 homers, 20 steals, and 74 RBI's. This is near identical to his career mark of .313/.363/.397 (96 OPS+). He'll be 30 on June 1st, but Harry Simmons has been one of our more reliable players and one of the better Rule-5 Picks in recent past. He's never been known for power, but he's a capable defender who acme up huge in 1931. He hit a home run in the World Series despite just 8 in his big league career. This year was a nightmare for Simmons, who is now in danger of losing a roster spot. He hit just .228/.276/.266 (46 OPS+) in 90 plate appearances while Slim Bloom just stole playing time from him.

Spring Training 2034!
 

Baseball is back! We're in March ready to start a new "march" to the championship after falling just short after looking like winning was inevitable. We're back in camp hungry and ready for title #2 (or 6 for the team). Still, even if we miss the playoffs this year, no FABL team will have more playoff appearances. If we make it this year (and Boston does not), we will have 10 with the next best at 8.

Here's who we are bringing to camp:

Pitchers
Augie Bertrand
Art Black
Pete Carey
Fred Carter
Jim Crawford
Hap Goodwin
Don Grossman
Joe King
Bill Kline
Mike Knight
Billy Lebeau
Herb Lowman
Dick Leudtke
Dick Lyons
Ace McSherry
Chick Meehan
Claude Purvis
Pete Sposito
Norm Stewart
Bert Sweet
Gordie Thompson
Johnny Walker
Pete Walker
Tommy Wilcox
Max Wilder

Catchers
Slick Hostetter
Claude Ramsey
Mike Taylor
Ken Wyatt

Infielders
Bill Ashbaugh
Slim Bloom
Arnold Bower
Russ Combs
Jim Fisher
Jim Hatfield
Elmer Hutchins
John Kincaid
Joe Miller
Red Moore
Bill Rose
Harry Simmons
Lee Sparks
Tom Spitzer
Forrest Sylvester
Phil Vaughan

Outfielders
Ken Allen
Cy Bryant
Ed Calvert
Ralph Collier
Russ Franklin
Bert Harrison
Doc Love
Mike Smith
Bobby Sprague
Tom Taylor

Roster Locks
Bill Ashbaugh
Slim Bloom
Cy Bryant
Russ Combs
Jim Crawford
John Kincaid
Doc Love
Dick Luedtke
Dick Lyons
Chick Meehan
Bobby Sprague
Mike Taylor
Tom Taylor
Tommy Wilcox
Max Wilder

On the Chopping Block
Arnold Bower
Don Grossman
Herb Lowman
Ace McSherry
Claude Purvis

I'll be taking it slow this spring. Lot's of rotation in playing time, especially towards the beginning. Jim Crawford is the only rotation man to get a start this week, and he'll pitch game 1. The rest of the pitching staff will be patched together as I work through the roster. I don't have too many roster spots up for grab. With the holiday this week, we still have a little time before Opening Day. Expect a few more 1929 recaps as there really won't be too many interesting storylines until we get started.

There was a big trade, as the Gothams picked up Rabbit Day for a huge package of top prospects and draft picks. I would have loved to add Day (and have tried for seasons), but I'm not sure I would have been able to meet the package. I was more then willing to deal anyone other then Billy Hunter from the farm as well as Jim Crawford.

Today was a big day in the FABL. I'll have a few posts regarding it up either tonight (at least one for sure) or tomorrow.

The Trade of the Day
 

I know seven Continental Association General Managers experiences a huge collective sigh of relief once the Rabbit Day trade was announced. I'd bet all 15 other GM's wanted him, but obviously more then anything they didn't want to ever have to face the greatest strikeout pitcher of all time and the best pitcher (a few others you could argue) in the FABL.

But wow, what a return the Cannons got!

I'm guessing most GM's sent an offer in for Day, and while there were rumors of a deal last July for Day that was almost finalized, that deal was not nearly as big of a return. Granted, the return looked much different as it involved an established player going back to Baltimore, but I don't think I possibly could have matched the return.

But don't think that's a bad thing for the Gothams...

Before the trade, the Gothams were one of the bigger threats to Philly threepeating the Fed. The last team to win the Fed was the Gothams, who have yo-yo'd first to worst a few times recently. While this will be a good race for first, I can say with certainty the Gothams will not finish below .500 this year and if anyone can hit Rabbit Day it's Rankin Kellogg, Bobby Barrell, and the Philadelphia Keystones. Oh yeah, and the Pioneers are looking much improved while Detroit and Pittsburgh have the talent to make things really interesting in the Fed, so it makes sense the Gothams wanted Day.

And I don't care how many good prospects they gave up! They held onto Curly Jones! And instead of giving Jim Lonardo a co-ace to help solidify the rotation, Lonardo gets to become the co-ace. It's relatively obvious who the best staff in the league is (good thing they didn't get Day...), but it's hard pressed to find a more dangerous 1-2 then Day and Lonardo. I'd say that's the general consensus in the league and even as biased as I am, I'll put Lonardo and Day ahead of Wilcox and whoever you want to call my 2 (doesn't matter as Lonardo is better then all of them sans-Wilcox).

Back to the Gothams though, it's not like the rotation was weak before either. Hardin Bates, Walker Murphy, and Al Allen all have had success in the past and the Gothams park isn't impossible to pitch in like some of the other Fed parks. In fact, pitcher's generally hold the advantage in every category except doubles. In 1933, the Gothams allowed 704 runs with a team 3.95 ERA that was third best in the league. It may be hard for them to surpass Pittsburgh (righty power literally dies there with the 359-404-407-408-377-352-348 dimensions left to right), but it will be really tough to hit in New York next year.

Of course, every ace has a cost. Tommy Wilcox cost a pair of #1 overall picks, Milt Fritz cost a huge package of prospects (twice), and Charlie Stedman cost a trio of quality top prospects. Other then that, we haven't seen many aces moved in their primes. We have also never seen a trade package like this:

SP Rusty Petrick (20th Overall)
LF Jim Mason (23rd Overall)
SS Oscar King (73rd Last Year, Graduated)
RF Billy Marshall (177th Overall)
1st, 2nd, and 4th Round Pick

So yeah, Baltimore got a haul. But just as their is a ton of talent, there is a ton of risk:

Rusty Petrick had to have been the most polarizing draftee in the recent draft. The 18-year-old did not put up the greatest numbers in high school, but he showed a ton of strikeout potential. He was 3-11 with a 5.84 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, and 39 walks, but with 110 strikeouts in 123.1 innings pitched. He's a really raw prospect who looked looked really overmatched at times during the season, but his velocity has trended up. In a calendar year he went from throwing 84-86 to 88-90, and most of this happened after the college season ended. At least to me, it was clear that he wasn't the same prospect that pitched March to May, but a lot of the league did not feel like Petrick deserved to be a first round pick. He's super risky with how raw he is, but the ceiling is immense. He's either going to be the Cannons Ace for 15 years or flame out before his 25th birthday. There's going to be no in between here, which makes this trade so interesting.

Of course, there's still a lot more left then just Petrick. Looking at the rest of the return, there's a lot to be excited about if you are a Baltimore fan. Where they went risky with Petrick, they went pretty safe with the co-star. Jim Mason is the exact opposite, which is perfect for the Cannons. He's a 25-year-old outfielder ranked just below Petrick in the top 100. After not signing as a 3rd Rounder in 1929, he was a 1st Rounder (15th) in 1930. He made it up to AAA at the end of the year, but I think Mason could be plugged straight into the lineup for a team like the Cannons who expect to finish at the bottom. He's got All-Star talent and with how developed he is, there is a very high floor. The defense does need work, but he's got a really bright future and is the perfect co-headliner to Petrick.

Oscar King and Billy Marshall are also both 40-man players, but are 23 and 22 respectively. King was formerly a Brooklyn King, and came to the Gothams in the 1932 Offseason. He debuted last season and hit .241/.323/.326 (86 OPS+) with 4 homers and 63 RBI's. He's an elite defender, but they the bat hasn't quite developed. Shortstop is a weakness for the Cannons, and King can start right away. He's got a lot of upside and room to grow, and his glove will always provide value. Marshall has yet to debut and needs some additional seasoning. He's a former Cougar 10th Round Pick who's got experience in all three outfield positions. It hasn't gone well in center, and he's spent most of his time in right the past two seasons. He profiles as a 4th outfielder with the upside to start. Power is really his only weakness, as he's got speed and a strong hit tool.

The Verdict: This trade is going to change the league. Unlike the huge Kings-Cougars blockbuster last season, I feel like this trade could go really bad for one of these two teams (or just really well for both) as there is just so much going on. I can't really see this ending as an even trade, as there is just so much talent moving. Day is one of the most valuable players in the league, and he got a huge return both in quantity and potential upside. It's worth it for the Gothams if he keeps up his trend and worth it for the Cannons if at least one of the prospects blossoms and a second (or one of the picks, don't forget about those) becomes a productive big leaguer next time the Cannons are competitive. There's a whole lot of holes on the team. Now that Day is gone, I'd expect Lou Kelly is next. It could be a long rebuild for the Cannons, but they needed to move Day sooner then later. And with the talent the Gothams have now, Day gives them a huge chance to bring home a pennant. I think the Gothams won't be unhappy with this trade. Day is a stud and will produce, so as long as he stays healthy/consistent while the Gothams window is open, they'll call it a win. Sure, the prospects may be great in a year or two, but that doesn't matter if you win now. The Cannons have to hope the guys develop, and risk the inevitable "bust" that every prospect fears. They have so much more to gain, but they take on a huge amount of risk. The addition of the draft picks is nice, but with the feeder leagues on their way out, there is a lot of uncertainty for how this year's draft will go. I'd expect the Gothams to be picking towards the end of the rounds, but an extra 1st and 2nd still give the Cannons two more pieces to add to what is going to be a really strong system.

All I know is this got me really excited for Opening Day! Back to the phones looking for a new trade piece (he he he)!

Cougars Acquire Lou Kelly
 

After the blockbuster earlier, it became that Lou Kelly was not going to spend much more time in Baltimore. Like most other teams, we were in on Rabbit Day. I thought I had a chance at first, but after seeing what was received, I knew I didn't have a chance. I was more then willing to part with Jim Crawford, a really good starting pitcher, but I did not have a pair of top 25 prosepcts and more to give.

But, there was a silver lining. We've discussed numerous players, so both of us have an idea of the playres we liked. A bunch of names were thrown around in Day talks, so it just came to finding what would make things work here. Kelly is an All-Star, but not nearly on the level of Rabbit Day. Still, this is another guy who would cost a lot.

Kelly has been shopped for most of the offseason, but I know that everyone was just waiting to see where Rabbit Day went, because why give up prospects that could go to Day for Kelly? And while the Day negotations took weeks, Kelly was out the door quickly.

But before discussing the deal, let's talk about Lou Kelly:

A 32-year-old from Pekin, Illinois (you've probably never heard of this city, but I actually know someone who lived there), Lou Kelly was named the 1932 Continental Association Whitney Award Winner and was a member of the inagural 1933 All-Star class. A former 4th Round Pick back in 1923, Kelly debuted in 1927 and after a 75 game sample, he really took off. From 1928-1932 he was worth 6 or more WAR including 8 in 1930 and 8.5 in 1932. Unfortuately, everything cahnged in 1933. He hit just .258/.327/.431 (119 OPS+) with 20 homers and 85 RBI's in 640 trips to the plate. This is nothing like his career .324/.386/.561 (154 OPS+) batting line across almost 1,000 FABL games. He's launched 190 homers and drove in 723 runs and he's actually a plus defender in left, right, and at first.

This trade is all on betting that Kelly can regain his past form. Just from 1930-1932, he led the CA in homers and slugging all three years plus RBI's (1930), OPS (1930, 1932) and WAR (1932) while hitting 30 or more homers with 110 or more RBI's with at least a .300 average with a .400+ OBP, .600+ slugging, and 1.050+ OPS in '30 and '31. He does come with risks being north of 30, but 1932 Tom Taylor is the only Cougar ever to hit 30 or more homers and drive in 100 or more RBI's in the same season. He's the only hitter with 30 homers period, but Kelly has done that five of the last six seasons. Righties can hit homers in Baltimore, so I'm not expecting a power jolt of any means, but I think hitting in our lineup should help him get back on track. He didn't have much protection in Baltimore, but now he'll get to hit between Mike Taylor and Tom Taylor.

Of course, I also have to cover the cost. Because I'll be honest, it is a lot. I had to give up Joe Rainbow, our #3 prospect and a top 50 prospect, Jim Hatfield, and recent 1st Rounder John Barnard. We did also get a 5th Rounder back, but the cost was three potential big leaguers going to Baltimore.

Starting with Rainbow, the former 18th Round Pick in 1931 was rated as the #61 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1932 season and was most recently named #33. Rainbow looked really good in LaCrosse this season, hitting .296/.349/.455 (115 OPS+) with 12 homers and 57 RBI's in 424 plate appearances. The 20-year-old is a really good hitter who features excellent plate discipline and a lot of power. He is extrememly patient and will really wait out pitchers. He had a really rough debut season last year, but he just kept striking out. This year was much different, as he cut his strikeouts from 137 to just 34. starter. I think Rainbow is going to be really good, but in Chicago is 27-year-old Mike Taylor who isn't going anywhere. He's easily the second best catcher in baseball with just T.R. Goins better then him currently. Of course, there are a ton of other really good catcher's and some crazy good youngsters.

Even with Rainbow's potential, I still have Harry Mead, who is considered a top 5 prospect at catcher. Mead is a left handed catcher, which woul be really cool to see. The former 2032 4th Roudner was recently ranked 63rd in the league. Mead projects as a .300 hitter who should be good at judging balls and strikes. He's done a good job of fighting in every at bat, striking out just three times (20) more then he walked (17). Unfortuantely for Mead, with Rainbow in LaCrosee with him, he just got into 88 games. Only 50 of those came behind the plate, as I gave him 24 games at first, 7 in left, and 10 in right just to give him more playing time. The Harvey, Illinois native hit .281/.317/.379 (87 OPS+) with 4 homers and 28 RBI's in 347 trips to the plate. A lot of high schoolers really struggle in C ball, but in terms of WRC+, his 95 was fourth of nine players with 200 or more plate appearances. The three better were the previously mentioned Rainbow (121), our top prospect Billy Hunter (109) who finished the season in San Jose, and Dave Haight (102) who turned 20 in January. Mead will get to start the season as the everyday catcher in La Crosse, but he might end the season up in A ball. And even if Rainbow ends up being the much better player, I'm more then okay with it. Rainbow was a scout pick that I had no control of while I actually selected Mead. Plus Mead is and Illinois native and as a lefty catcher he could really gian popularity.

The next prospecct was 22-year-old 1B Jim Hatfield who was going to be up on the big league roster to start camp. I was going to give him a shot to play in the outfield, but Hatifeld may just stick at first in Baltimore. He had a really strong season in AA, batting .373/.404/.500 (135 OPS+) with 2 homers, 20 steals, and 80 RBI's in 632 plate appearances. I was ready to let the Bandit start the season in AAA and he would rotate between first and all three outfield spots. A former 6th Round pick, Hatfield currently ranks as the 149th best prospect in baseball. He's a natural lefty, but an athletic and capable defender who likely would have been an elite third basemen or shortstop if he threw right handed. Unfortuatnley, he is a lefty, but he has excellent speed and it should translate well to the outfield if needed. He projects to hit for a high average, but he just doesn't have the power generaly associated with a first basemen.

The last piece of the trade was recent 15th Overall Pick John Barnard. In three seasons at Golden Gate the versatile Barnard hit .321/.392/.638 (158 OPS+) with m46 homers, 35 steals, and 132 RBI's. He's a really good defender at short, and he's also played a little third, left, and right. I think he's got a ton of potential, but with Billy Hunter our top prospect and the current #17 rated prospect in baseball locked in as the shortstop of the future, Barnard would have moved to a new position or moved to a new team.

As mentioned, the Cannons made their big move of dumping Rabbit Day and now they moved on from Lou Kelly. The prospects they got fill holes, as they will rank bottom four at first and short where they will have Barnard and Hatfield to fill. They have the 10th rated catcher as well, so all three position have potential huge upgrades by the replacement prospects.

Back to us, our lineup will have a lot of shuffling. I generally won't commit to a starting lineup, but I do have an idea of what positions players are going to be played. I've been shuffling the potential positions in my head, but I have a rough idea of where everyone will play. Kelly will likely spend most of his games at first base, but he'll see time in left and right. This does not mean Bill Ashbaugh will lose playing time, as he will still see the field. And of course, good 'ol Russ Combs is good for two to three injuries a year. Maybe three with how much shortstop he's going to play...

Season Preview
 

After going up 2-0 in the World Series and heading home to Chicago, I thought we would have title two in three seasons. With Dick Lyons and Max Wilder set to take on Art Myers and Bill Ross, I thought I had this in the bag. In hindsight, I should've gone Wilcox game four, but I thought I'd save him in case we lost one of the first two at home so he could clinch it at home.

Well, as we all know, that's not quite what happen...

We lost all three at home, won game six to stay alive, but came up short game seven. I was so convinced we were going to win, I was ready for a relaxing offseason. But, after falling apart I was so crushed that I was ready to just call it a day, run it back, and hope for a mulligan.

But then I remembered something...

I can't forget about Cleveland! They were just as good as us in the second half, and now they get a full season of both T.R. Goins and Dan Fowler, and at the time, the #1 rated catcher and center fielder. Those aren't the only superstars, as the lineup also has the still elite Max Morris and one of the best bats in the outfield Moxie Pidgeon. Add in a strong defensive infield with all-world defender George Dawson anchoring short, the Foresters have a ton of really good big leaguers. And besides Morris and Goins, most of the starters are in the 24-27 range. This holds up in the rotation as well, as all five projected Opening Day starters are 24, 25, or 26. This includes three former Cougar prospects, headlined by the one who got a way Dean Astle.

I've told the Cleveland GM how I feel about Astle, and I truly thought he wasn't going to turn into the pitcher he is now. The 24-year-old lefty was our 9th Round Pick back in 1927, and I was excited to get him. He had a ton of upside, but he was really raw and I was unsure if he'd develop a third pitch. After a tough 1928 (this was the season before Class C started), he was still named the #50 prospect in baseball and he started to produce professionally. I previously thought I sold high (turns out I was way wrong) when I moved him and two others to the Gothams for John Kincaid. Getting Kincaid worked well for us, so I'm not upset about the trade, but Astle has slowly developed into one of the most exciting young arms in baseball.

The Foresters grabbed him before the 1931 season, about a year and three months after the Gothams acquired him. Him, Ben Turner, and John Turner were sent out to bring in Joe Perret. Since, Astle has peaked as the #12 prospect in baseball and he put together a really strong 1933 campaign. In 12 starts, he was 7-3 with a 2.57 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 18 walks, and 27 strikeouts. My scout is a huge fan of the big lefty, who sits in the low 90s with a really tough cutter. He's got a really nice slider and changeup and he does a good job at getting hitters to role over his pitches. He also says "Astle is a polished four-pitch starter who has front of the rotation abilities" which as about as glowing a compliment a scout will give a developing hurler.

While Astle does look like a future ace, the rest of the rotation still needs to show more. Roger Perry looks like a future #2 or borderline ace, while the collection of Ben Turner, Heine Bretz, and Carl Bragg look like respectable middle-of-the-rotation arms with the talent to surpass that. Bretz seemed bound to be a #2, but major elbow injuries in both 1931 and 1933 have so far got in his way.

It's obvious that the Foresters are better then they work last year, and now the Saints will get Hank Barnett and Woody Armstrong back plus they'll get George Thomas back and a full season of Milt Fritz. With the young talent the Kings boast and the pieces left in their farm, they could also try to make a play at the crown. Of course, the Stars seemed poised to bounce back and the Sailors are always in the thick of things. It was rumored Baltimore was going to sell, but other then them and Toronto, there are a lot of teams that could look to jump us.

And after coming so close, I wasn't going to sit back and let teams get better then us. After adding Doc Love from the Dynamos and Lou Kelly from the Cannons, I've put a lot of chips in and have shifted away from defense a little and more to power. I haven't finalized my opening day lineup, but as of now, only three starters from last season will start in the same position they started last year on Opening Day (four if you count Tommy Wilcox).

So how our things going to shake up? Well, I think this is my "normal" lineup, but I'm probably going to be moving a lot of guys in and out and shuffling guys into multiple spots. There are a few things I know for sure:

1. Mike Taylor will more or less play every game behind the plate (as he did last season)
2. There will be a player at each position

Here's a rough plan for each player:

Mike Taylor: Catcher (occasional day at first)
Claude Ramsey: Catcher (when Taylor is tired or at first)
Lou Kelly: First Base (will see time in left and right)
Bill Ashbaugh: Second Base/First Base
John Kincaid: Third Base (potentially shortstop)
Slim Bloom: Second Base/Shortstop (rotational player, maybe some time at third)
Arnold Bower: Shortstop (rotational player)
Russ Combs: Shortstop/Second Base (going to be a lot more shortstop then I want...)
Bobby Sprague: Left Field (occasional day in center)
Cy Bryant: Center Field (will function as the 4th outfielder)
Tom Taylor: Center Field/Right Field
Doc Love: Right Field/Left Field (occasional day at first)

Of course, this still leaves room for the bench. I usually carry 9 or 10 pitchers, so that leaves only one or two bench spots. I'm leaning towards giving Bert Harrison a roster spot, so there might actually be no other position player to make the team.

Regardless, I'm going to try something a little different this season. I am going to really try to make my lineups completely situational. I think if we want to win a championship, we are going to have to hit homeruns as our power completely deserted us. I'd blame it on the Keystones' stadium, but that would only explain Mike and not Tom Taylor (Mike is a lefty, Tom switch hitter). I think we should have 4 guys (Both Taylors, Kelly, and Love) surpass 20 this season and potentially two more to reach 10 (Ashbaugh should be able to, plus maybe Sprague or Combs?). I think I'm done moves (well, major ones) for the rest of the season, and I'm ready to watch things unfold.

I am also a little worried about the clubhouse, with both Kelly and Bryant being outspoken, but I think Kelly's morale changing from as low as it could possibly be to "Very Good" post-trade is a good sign. There are a few unhappy people (like Bryant), but most of those guys won't make the team. The crazy thing about Kelly is he's also a leader, so he's really going to be a personality to handle (he has a good relationship with manager Dick Poza so that might have saved Pozza's job...). I do have some leadership figures in the clubhouse (Ashbaugh and Wilcox), but this may be an area I look to fix. I really want to hold on to Cy, but if he gets too angry about his new role, I may have to find a new home for the elite defender.

All eyes will be on Tom Taylor this year. Since coming over from the Sailors, I wouldn't say he's been disappointing, but he definitely came down to earth and it looks more and more likely that those first two seasons were just a flash in the pan. He's still an elite defender with a ton of power and speed, but for the first time in his career he's going to spend most of the season in center field. A right fielder most of his time in the league (he has spent some time in center), Taylor consistently puts up otherworldly defensive numbers out in right and you'd have to imagine he'd at least be passable out in center. I toyed with the idea of making him a center fielder right when I traded for him, and I think if it wasn't for Bryant he'd maybe only play center for us. Luckily, if the center field experiment does not go as planned, Sprague can shift from left to center and Love from right to left, allowing Taylor to reclaim his preferred right field. Taylor in center does make our offense way stronger (especially against righties) and allows us to use Bryant as a defensive replacement (likely shifting Taylor to right, Love to bench) late in close games.

A few notes to finish: As you may have noticed, I'm going to try something different this season with my formatting. I'm hoping to write more and format less, hopefully giving better flow to everything. For game recaps, I'm going to cover more what happened in the games then how the players did individually. Not quite sure exactly how this portion is going to work, as game recaps can sometimes feel tedious, but I will be working on that. The bigger change is going to be for the non-game reviews. Instead of using consistent categories (like Transactions, Prospect Report, Weekly Summary), I'll cover topics each week (like if someone wins Player of the Week, they'll get a blurb) and hopefully work in a different version of the minor league report. There will be no amateur report this year as there are no feeders.