Week 8: June 1st-June 7th
 

Weekly Record: 4-10
Seasonal Record: 22-31 (7th, 14 GB)
Stars of the Week (2 weeks)
Roy Ford : 61 AB, 26 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .426 AVG, 1.027 OPS
Rich Langton : 55 AB, 18 H, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .327 AVG, .963 OPS
Roy Moore : 48 AB, 17 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .354 AVG, .797 OPS

Schedule (2 weeks)
5-25: Loss at Wolves (3-4)
5-26: Loss vs Foresters (10-2)
5-27: Loss vs Foresters (6-4)
5-28: Win vs Foresters (3-10)
5-29: Loss vs Foresters (4-1)
5-30: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
5-31: Win vs Sailors (5-9)
6-2: Win vs Saints (3-2)
6-3: Loss vs Saints (6-1)
6-4: Loss vs Saints (13-2)
6-5: Loss vs Kings (5-2)
6-6: Loss vs Kings (6-1)
6-7: Loss vs Kings (11-9)

Recap
So sort of good news. The sim email gave two weeks, so it actually made it really easy to turn this into a double recap. And this time, the Kings actually swept us! This was a really rough week as we've run up a nice five game losing streak. We also managed to add another Player of the Week awards, so that's really what I'm shooting for. He absolutely raked, 18-for-28 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 3 RBI's. He had a pair of five hit games, one to start and one to the end week, with a three and four hit game in between. He was absolutely on it, and since moving to first base, it's been much nicer for him. Unfortunately, the only other guy to put the ball in play was Rich Langton, who was just 7-for-22 with a double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 6 RBI's. He hit for the cycle last week and has a healthy .335/.371/.525 (128 OPS+) batting line with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 4 homers, and 37 RBI's. He still isn't trying to steal, just 1-for-2, but in his defense he does hit a lot of extra base hits and has to hit behind Ray Ford and John Lawson, who spend most of their time on base. I think it's time to give Langton some Tom Taylor treatment, and move him up to the leadoff spot. As shocking as it may be, former leadoff hitter Ollie Page leads the team with six longballs.

I made a roster move, claiming a prospect I've had my eye on for a while, Amos LeBlanc. I've had many trade conversations with the former Foresters and current Dynamos GM, and their former 1st Round selection was often a player I inquired about. LeBlanc went 8th in 1929 after hitting .443/.506/.615 (195 OPS+) with 6 homers, 25 steals, and 34 RBI's in 253 PA's with the George Fox Reds. Unfortunately, the Foresters have had an outstanding outfield and LeBlanc was stranded in the minors. He made the team this season, but the 27-year-old is just 1-for-10 with 2 steals and a run scored before he lost his spot. It's sad he never lived up to his potential, but he's a reliable defender who generally hits for a higher average. He's going to fill a depth role for us as I'll be carrying an extra hitter for now. That means Bill Kline is on the move to AAA, as he's had two awful outings after an awful 1936. He's got options and needs to get back on track, but he's likely back in September. He was 2-3 with 3 saves, a 5.75 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, 7 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched.

Looking Ahead
The draft pool is finalized tomorrow! This will be a fun weekend! On the game side, we're home for seven before an off day. We start with the Stars who are tied for 5th and a game ahead of us at 23-30. Not only has Lou Martino struggled for them, but now he's hurt again. Chicago born Les Zoller has pitched like the pitcher I thought he was, 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 30 walks, and 44 strikeouts. We'll likely see him, but we may also have to face Harry Carter. He's 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 24 walks, and 37 strikeouts. I'd love to face two of their other six starters as they've all either struggled or were recently in AAA. The lineup has regressed to the mean Colaianni and Layton regressing and the rest of the lineup improving. Dave Trowbridge has been the rock of the lineup, batting .357/.417/.488 (128 OPS+) with 5 homers, 44 RBI's, and 21 walks in 240 trips to the plate.

After that it's four hosting the Cannons who are leading the race to the #2 pick with a 16-37 record. Abel Man has hit like an able man, an impressive .400/467/.585 (168 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 30 RBI's in 150 trips to the plate. The rest of the lineup hasn't had much success, with just Bunny Stapleton's replacement Jim Alexander boasting an average line. His .328/.366/.455 (109 OPS+) line is okay, but not enough to make up for the slow starts of Joe Welch, Jim Mason, and Whit Williams. Poor Pinky Conlan has struggled after returning from the DL, 1-3 with an 8.44 ERA (54 ERA+), 2.44 WHIP, 17 walks, and 6 strikeouts in his four starts. 25-year-old Joe Newsom has also had a rough start, although his lasts 13 starts. He's 1-11 with a 7.35 ERA (63 ERA+), 2.11 WHIP, 50 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 82 innings.

Minor League Report
SS Billy Hunter (AA Mobile Commodores): It's been a tough season for Billy Hunter, but this week he looked like the future. The 21-year-old went 12-for-25 with 8 RBI's in a Player of the Week showing. Freddie Bennett is in AA with him, so Hunter has been getting reps at third recently, but he had a +2.1 zone rating and 1.049 efficiency at short in his first 26 games. He's now improved his batting line to a respectable .297/.364/.421 (106 OPS+) after hitting below the Mendoza line as recently as May 21st. He's showed excellent plate discipline despite the struggles, 17 walks compared to 6 strikeouts. This makes me think that he ran into a lot of bad luck and it makes sense that he's starting to heat back up. He's doubles 9 times, tripled three times, and homered once while driving in 23. Hunter currently ranks as the 7th best prospect in the FABL and I cannot wait until he's up in Chicago playing every day.

LF Dave Haight (B San Jose Cougars): He's fallen off the prospect ladder a bit, but that hasn't stopped the Juneau native from continuing on his dream to become an FABL player. The 1932 13th Round Pick is experiencing San Jose for the first time and is batting a strong .350/.389/.520 (124 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 29 RBI's in 190 trips to the plate. Haight has been getting work out in left right field again this year, and is slowly improving as his left field play did. He should be average or better at either corner, and with his proficiency to put the ball in play, he could develop into a Doc Love type player. He's on track for 10 homers this season, but I'm hoping he can turn into a 15-20 homer hitter. Until then, he just looks like a decent bench piece.

Week 9: June 8th-June 14th
 

Weekly Record: 6-1
Seasonal Record: 28-32 (5th, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson: 26 AB, 11 H, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.484 OPS
Ollie Page: 32 AB, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .406 AVG, .906 OPS
Mike Taylor: 17 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .412 AVG, 1.153 OPS

Schedule
6-8: Win vs Stars (6-8)
6-9: Win vs Stars (6-10)
6-10: Win vs Stars (4-6)
6-11: Loss vs Cannons (11-3)
6-12: Win vs Cannons (3-10)
6-13: Win vs Cannons (4-6)
6-14: Win vs Cannons (6-9)

Recap
Wow, this was a good week! Will it happen again? Probably not again in 1936. But after sweeping the Stars and taking three out of four with the Cannons, we're forced to rest on our laurels with an off day today. We did achieve another Player of the Week as John Lawson went on a tear against his former team and Baltimore. He was 11-for-26 with 4 homers and 12 RBI's. That doubled his homer total for the season and he's now on a 21 homer 103 RBI pace. Lawson is still one of the best players in the game and is slashing .359/.436/.558 (153 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 29 walks, and 11 strikeouts. He's played strong defense at third too, a +2.9 zone rating and 1.026 efficiency. Just think how good we would have been if I didn't trade John Lawson. I think after 1931 we're unstoppable. With Lawson on the roster I would never have traded for John Kincaid. That means Dean Astle would still be a Cougar. Yes, I probably would have traded him for someone else (rumor has it the Cannons asked for Astle in Rabbit Day negotiations), but even just with Lawson alone we would have repeated. He's the reason we lost the pennant to the Stars in '32 and I would not have torn down a team that went to back to back championships as opposed to a team that got old and hurt.

Ahh, I reminisce on better days...

When I should be talking about good days that are happening now! And I don't mean the draft pool, I mean the 6-1 week! That's awesome! A lot of it was luck, but hey, we've lost some close games and we were at home against two teams I think we are better then. Mike Taylor showed some life, 7-for-17 with a homer and four runs scored and driven in. Bill Ashbaugh took advantage of limited at bats, 4-for-9 with 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 RBI's, and 4 runs scored. Bert Wilson did the same, 3-for-7 with a double, walk, two runs, and two RBI's. Even Jake Moore got in the fun, 3-for-5 with a double, homer, and 6 RBI's. Pete Asher rounded things out, 4-for-10 with a double, walk, RBI, and run scored. That's not to say none of the starters did well, as new cleanup hitter Ollie Page was 13-for-32 with a homer, steal, 5 RBI's, and 7 runs scored. Rich Langton did not like leadoff, just 4-for-30. He's been hot late, I think it's just a bad week and he'll do better next time. Doc Love also had a tough week, 6-for-25 with just a single RBI, 5 runs, and 4 walks.

On the pitching side, there was really just one blemish, Dick Lyons' nightmare on the 11th. He only recorded one out despite allowing 7 hits, walking a batter, and having one of them reach on an error. I'm mad at my manager for putting Milt Fritz in because the game was lost and George Johnson (who ended up pitching later) was available. Johnson then started the next game over Fritz, and while it was a good start, left with one out in the ninth with an elbow strain. He tossed 12.1 innings in two days with 7 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 5 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He'll miss the next three weeks and will be replaced with Wayne Robinson. In 9 starts in Milwaukee he was 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 7 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched.

We really didn't pitch all that well, but the best starters were the unlikely duo of Chuck Matthews and Tommy Wilcox. Neither did great, but both had respectable starts. Matthews allowed 4 runs and 8 hits in 8.2 innings with a very modern day 7 walks and 10 strikeouts. He earned a start two for sure. Wilcox got his complete game with 8 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Yes, neither of these were great starts, despite Rankin and Fritz winning their starts, they didn't look that great. Rankin is now a strikeout and 0.5 WAR behind Barrell for the CA lead.

Looking Ahead
After the off day we'll face the Pete Layton-less New York Stars in Dyckman Stadium to start a pair of three game series in New York. The 36-year-old vet was hitting .333/.401/.481 (121 OPS+) with 5 homers and 35 RBI's before heading to the Chicago Chiefs. The Chiefs sent a trio of pitchers and outfielder Charlie Felder to the Stars. Felder ranks 8th in the system while the pitchers rank 15th, 17th, and 28th. Just Dave Trowbridge remains now, and the 37-year-old is slashing .350/.416/.489 (128 OPS+) with 6 homers and 47 RBI's. They will get Lou Martino back, and he'll join Les Zoller and Harry Carter who will make up a capable 1-2-3. Zoller is right behind Rankin with 53 strikeouts and owns a 3.53 ERA (133 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP. Carter has a slightly higher 3.70 ERA (127 ERA+), but a lower 1.37 WHIP. He's walked 26 and struck out 39. I was hoping Al Haynes would take the second base job, but he just strained his hamstring and will be day-to-day for three weeks. Perhaps former shortstop Larry Colaianni gets some time at second in the interim.

After those three, three in Brooklyn to face the second place Kings. Just two behind the Foresters, Brooklyn is back up to 37-23. They've seen surprising struggles from Joe Shaffner, who's just 2-6 with a 5.13 ERA (93 ERA+) ,1.49 WHIP, 28 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 73.2 innings pitched. I think he's just falling back to earth after such a dominant 1935 season, and he'll eventually turn things around. In his place, Chicago kid Bob Cummings has filled the rotation, and the 23-year-old is off to an impressive 4-0 start with a 3.13 ERA (152 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, 22 walks, and 22 strikeouts across 46 innings. Art White has made 9 starts and 4 relief appearances, going 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 17 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched. He was one of the players I wanted during the draft for my pick, but I could not come to an agreement with Brooklyn for him. It looks like it worked out for them, as he's been a nice add to the rotation. The lineup is amazing, and Dan Barrell is hitting an astronomical .426/.480/.628 (173 OPS+) with 4 homers, 34 RBI's, 15 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 148 trips to the plate. Of course, there's also the Wonder Wheel's who has 16 homers and 70 RBI's with a .361/.441/.618 (161 OPS+) line. I should've bit the bullet and taken Vance and Beach too... Especially since Vance is hitting .379/.460/.485 (135 OPS+) with 4 homers, 9 steals, 39 RBI's, and 36 walks.

I'll have an amateur report over the weekend, and will cover some of the top players in high school and college based on performance. The initial mock draft is in agreement with my scout over the #1 pick. That would be CF Sal Pestilli who hit .378/.454/.732 with 13 homers, 31 steals, and 54 RBI's. Expect more on him Sunday. He's going to be a nice prize for the Dynamos. I shouldn't, but I'm expecting to pick a pitcher in the draft. I have no idea where we'll be picking, so that's not to say I'm going to pass any of the top players up, but I'm kind of hoping to pick towards the end of the first. I think a .500 record may be in reach we can just hit.

Minor League Report
1B Leo Mitchell (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's only made 20 starts in Milwaukee, but the 23-year-old has managed to get a hit in every single one of them. While learning how to play the outfield, Mitchell has slashed .407/.447/.570 (163 OPS+) with a steal and 16 RBI's in just under a hundred trips to the plate. It's still early, but he's looked fine in left. Maybe I can move Doc Love this year and maybe Leo Mitchell becomes the left fielder of the future? I guess it works. Pretty sure anything is better then Ford at second. But for now, unfortunately Mitchell is stuck here learning left instead of up in the majors.

LF Henry Cox (A Lincoln Legislators): The power is starting to shine through for Henry Cox and he took home Player of the Week after going 13-for-30 with 4 homers, 10 runs, and 11 RBI's. For the season he's up to .315/.369/.568 (151 OPS+) with 9 homers, 5 steals, and 32 RBI's in 179 trips to the plate. He had a tough start to the season in Mobile, so I'm not quite ready to move him back up, but I'm glad to see he's turned things around after a tough start. Cox has looked strong in right and his arm is going to anchor him to the position. His power is beyond the charts and he's got two truly elite tools. Still, not much love for Cox in the prospect rankings and the 20-year-old ranks well outside our top 30. I'm a really big fan of this kid and I think he's going to be an excellent right fielder.

Amateur Report: High School
 

1B Walt Messer (McKinley Tech): I may not like corner players, but you would be hard press to find a better high school hitter then Wally the Knife. The almost 18-year-old finished his senior season with an impressive .586/.631/1.126 batting line to go with 13 homers and 49 RBI's. In all honesty, this was probably his worst prep season, but it's still better then every other High Schooler in the nation. Messer owns a career .601/.639/1.140 line with 38 homers and 139 RBI's. Only one other 1936 HS Senior has more then 30 career homers, and Messer leads the pack. He's walked 47 times compared to just 11 strikeouts and it is next to impossible to get this kid out. He's got an excellent, quick stroke at the plate, works inside the ball, and can absolutely mash if he gets a hang of one. Is he better then Red Johnson? Maybe. But is he the most talented hitter in this draft class? Sorry, Sal, but I have to say yes. I can't see Detroit taking Messer #1, but that is who's been rumored to be an option for the first pick. I wish I had a good player comp to Messer, but a lot of our prolific sluggers are lefties. Closest I can think of is Lou Kelly, but Kelly started his career as a corner outfielder.

CF Si Crocker (East Buffalo): Only two high schoolers hit 10 or more homers with a .400 or higher average and 1.200 OPS or better in 1936. And only two hitters recorded 30 homers in their high school careers. Those would be Walt Messer, and The Rock of Rochester Si Crocker. No one will mistake Crocker with Messer, but that's not to say a career .459/.515/.937 batting line is anything to sneeze at and his 32 homers and 119 RBI's are still way better then all non-Messer prep players. It was a little bit of a down senior year for Crocker, but he still slashed .407/.449/.847 with 10 homers and 36 RBI's. Crocker's weakness is his plate discipline, he almost never walks and he will have some issues with strikeouts. Still, with well above average power and excellent athleticism, he seems like a perfect development project. He's an excellent teammate, works his but off, and leads by example in the clubhouse. He's exactly what you want in a player, he just has to put together all the tools.

RHP Pete Papenfus (West Plains): If this kid is available at any of my picks, it's going to be really hard to pass up on this kid. He had a tough 1935, but as a sophomore in 1934 he was 10-0 with a 0.53 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 19 walks, and 189 strikeouts in 102 frames for West Plaines. Peter the Heater already threw in the 90s, but last offseason he bumped it up even more and during 1936 he was consistently hitting 97-99 and reached triple digits with his fastball. Yes, an 18-year-old hitting the century mark (Bob Feller anyone?) is enough appeal to get me interested, but he showed out on the field. Papenfus was a perfect 10-0 with a 0.82 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 35 walks, and 173 strikeouts in two outs shy of 100 completed innings. He's not even that tall, just 5'10'', but he's a power pitcher with groundball tendencies and four polished FABL pitches. Obviously the fastball is unhittable, but my scout rates his curve "solid", cutter "plus", and change "impressive" (fastball is "devastating") which are very flattering repots. Generally amateur pitchers have very underdeveloped pitches, so scouts call all their pitches below average. Still, there is some concern as his command has worsened, going from a 1.7 BB/9 to 3.6 and 3.2 the last two seasons, but that's not scaring me away from Pete. When you go 30-1 with a 0.93 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 97 walks, and 524 strikeouts in 308.1 innings pitched, control problems are an issue for another day. He might not be the first pitcher taken or the best pitcher at the moment, but I'd argue is upside is unmatched.

LHP Rube Wood (Middlesex): He didn't put up the strikeout numbers that Peter the Heater did, but Rube Wood was a master at keeping runners off base and away from home plate. It was a breakout senior season for the southpaw who went from throwing 84-86 last year to 87-89 this season. The results showed on the field, 6-2 with a 0.98 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 25 walks, and 135 strikeouts in easily his best season. He went from starting just 7 in 13 to 10 in 14 to now all 12 of his appearances. He gets excellent movement on his pitches, leading to a lot of soft contact and very few longballs. His curveball is the best of the three pitches, but he's still got a lot of development work to go. I think he'll work his way into a rotation spot, but he's going to have to work at polishing his craft. He's shown a lot of signs of improvement, which is a positive trend for the Peekskill, New York native.

2B Billy Woytek (Loyola): Beyond Walt Messer, Billy Woytek may be the best high schooler available. "Blue Collar Billy" saved his best season for last, batting .519/.615/.963 with 4 homers, 14 steals, and 25 RBI's across 105 trips to the plate. He finished his three year high school career with a .504/.599/.874 with 8 homers, 55 steals, and 75 RBI's. He walked more then four times (55) as much as he struck out (13) and averaged 15 doubles a season. He's got an excellent eye, a smooth swing that will lead to a high average, and strong defense at the keystone. He's committed to the close to home Golden Gate University, but don't expect that to stop teams from taking him in the first round. The only thing missing is power, but that could develop later. I'd imagine we'll see a lot of guys add homers once they reach affiliated ball. For comparison, Ivan Cameron hit just one homer in his senior high school season and then launched 15 last year in La Crosse with 2 so far in San Jose this season.

RHP Newt Jackson (Darby): A lot of the best pitchers are college arms, but my scout is a big fan of Newt Jackson. The six foot righty was pretty consistent in high school, finishing 24-6 with a 1.51 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 50 walks, and 329 strikeouts across 310.2 innings pitched. In terms of WAR, this season was best, 10-1 with a 1.53 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 18 walks, and 118 strikeouts, good for 5.6 wins above replacement. Jackson is a four pitch pitcher with a mid 80s cutter he compliments really well with a solid changeup that drops off the plate. He mixes in a slider and splitter, but if he wants to start he'll need to make that slider a reliable out pitch. I don't see ace when I look at Jackson, but he's a relatively safe pick for a high schooler with a high floor. He doesn't have nearly the upside of Papenfus, but I can't really see Jackson booming or busting. He'll either be a spot starter or reliable middle of the rotation arm, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't get out of the low minors.

RHP Walter Johnson (Bellville): He's included just because of his name. He didn't play until he was a senior, but Walter Johnson had a strong 1.26 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 23 walks and 105 strikeouts. He's one of the brand new players, so not much information on him, but he's a tall 6'2 righty who my scout thinks is on the bubble for a big league role. He's never scouted him before, so I'm not taking too much weight in that report, but Johnson does have some exciting tools. He doesn't throw too hard, but he mixes in four pitches and I think he'll add speed once he adds weight. He's just 170 and everyone's favorite descriptor "lean and athletic". It looks like he's going to get a lot of strikeouts with his slider and curveball, with the curveball in particular likely his go-to. A lot of movement, good command, but the stuff just isn't all that effective yet. I think it's a simple fix, the harder he throws his fastball, the better his secondary offerings work.

Amateur Report: College
 

CF Sal Pestilli (Narragansett): I don't know if he's going to be the #1 pick of the draft, but I know if I owned the pick, that's who I would select. He had a down sophomore season, but the middle Pestilli brother reclaimed his elite freshman status with another outstanding year. The 20-year-old slashed .378/.454/.732 with 13 homers, 31 steals, and 54 RBI's. He doubled 13 times, tripled 11 times, walked 28 times, and struck out just 3 times in 240 trips to the plate. Pestilli is overflowing with talent and could contend for triple crowns. You could even add a fourth if you count his stolen base potential. He's arguably a five tool player and really doesn't show any weakness. His competition was just average, but his performance was not, finishing his college career with a .380/.437/.643 line with 38 doubles, 23 triples, 32 homers, 69 walks, 97 steals, and just 9 strikeouts. 1936 is the first class of three year juniors, and they equate to approximately a full FABL season. For Pestilli, he appeared in 152 games with a 9.3 WAR.

SP Bunny Edwards (Red River State): Another three year starter, the head of the Red River rotation was 7-1 with a 2.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 22 walks, and 95 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched. He's one of only two junior pitchers with 90 or more strikeouts and a sub 3.00 ERA, and he did it while being in the bottom 10 pitchers for innings pitched. Edwards may not have great stamina, 12 relief appearances and 38 starts, but most guys can go nine innings regardless. Edwards is a tiny pitcher, and he succeeds by keeping the ball on the ground and fooling hitters with his excellent stuff. Once he's fully developed he'll have a dominant sweeping curveball with a strong change and decent fastball. He's one of the top starting pitchers out there and should be the first college arm to go.

SP Jim Morrison (Indiana A&M): Looks like I was right! Jim Morrison is rated the #2 college pitcher available. The southpaw went 8-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 47 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 118.2 innings pitched against the toughest AAIA competition. He's throwing 87-89 and my scout views him as a back-end starter, still pretty good. He's got average stuff, but his pitches are good enough to fool major hitters and he'll likely be a quick riser. Morrison finished his college career 21-12 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 126 walks, and 210 strikeouts in 325 innings pitched. It's tough, there are a lot of pitchers I really want to take, and now that Morrison rose up draft boards, he'll probably end up in another organization. Still, I will definitely keep my eye on him and he may potentially end up a Cougar after all.

CF Al Jennings (Gates University): Pestilli is easily the best center fielder, but Jennings is not a bad consolation prize. He doesn't have the same power, but he hit .336/.391/.520 with 5 homers, 37 steals, and 46 RBI's in 248 trips to the plate. He does play against tougher competition and Jennings matched Sal's career strikeout mark. Jennings is extremely fast and arguably a better defender, but the bat is not nearly as well developed. He should hit for a high average and will always have excellent discipline. In his three seasons he hit .325/.382/.493 with 14 homers, 19 triples, 37 doubles, 138 RBI's, 62 walks, and 113 steals. There are a lot of really good center fielders in this draft so he could be taken anywhere from second to sixth.

3B Denny Andrews (Maryland State): A switch hitting third basemen, Denny Andrews slashed .291/.421/.502 with 10 homers and 42 RBI's in his second season starting for the Bengals. Andrews finished with a .298/.429/.504 batting line as well as 20 doubles, 18 homers, 75 RBI's, and 81 walks. He does work the count well, but is susceptible to striking out. He's a strong hitter, but at just 5'7'' 165 he may not hit that many home runs in the big leagues. He's spent time at three corners, first, third, and right, but he probably won't be all that good at any of them.

SP Cal Roe (Valley State): Roe practically pitched every game for his team, 20 starts and 136.1 innings where he was 12-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He walked 41 and struck out 105. He's a four pitch pitcher who averages 86 with his fastball. He's got to work on his curveball, but his changeup and slider should be quality big league pitches. He has to polish up his command, but Roe has all the tools to start in the big leagues. Roe made an impressive 51 starts with a 2.99 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 113 walks, and 271 strikeouts.

SS Jake Creel (Ferguson): Another two year starter, Creel slashed .271/.370/.404 with 5 homers, 73 RBI's, and 72 steals in 100 games at Ferguson. He's an athletic shortstop with good defensive ability and 20+ stolen base potential in the big leagues. He's got a good eye, 57 walks to 20 strikeouts, and played against great competition in college. He's young and underdeveloped, but he's a smart kid who has the baseball ability to get better. Not many other good shortstops, other then his teammate:

SS Joe Zell (Ferguson): If you wanted to know why Creel didn't start as a freshman, that would be because of Joe Zell. But then somewhere along the line, Ferguson decided Creel was the better defender, and started playing Zell at second, third, and right as well. He's a switch hitter who hit .290/.379/.380 with 3 homers, 40 steals, and 47 RBI's in his senior season. He finished with a .277/.367/.348 line, not quite as good as Creel's. He swiped 111 bags, drove in 125 runs, and hit 5 homers. He's a solid defender with good speed and a nice hit tool, but he won't really rack up many extra base hits. He did play a ton of games, however, 181 with 914 plate appearances in his three seasons. He had the most games, PA's, and at bats for all the draft eligible players. I wish I could remember if Zell had position ratings at second, third, and right before Creel was created, but it would be cool if they were added after since they play at the same school.

SP Johnnie Jones (St. Paul): This last one is not a college player, but I'm including him because I thought he was a college player. I should have checked, but Johnnie Jones is a 17-year-old senior from Minnesota and the highest ranked pitcher in the draft. "The Patron Saint of Groundablls" was 28-5 with a 1.44 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 78 walks, and 400 strikeouts in 349.2 innings pitched. Those are really impressive numbers for Jones, a giant 6'4'' lefty who throws a really nice high 80s sinker. It's his go to pitch for double play balls and he sure gets a lot of them. He's got good command and his pitches have a lot of bite, but he's really raw. He's got top of the rotation potential, but he's going to take a long time to get there. I expect him to be the first pitcher selected this season and I think whoever gets him will be extremely pleased with what he becomes.

I'm right with you on Pestilli. He is going to be a fun one to watch.

Week 10: June 15th-June 22nd
 

Weekly Record: 1-5
Seasonal Record: 29-37 (t-6th, 14 GB)
Stars of the Week
N/A

Schedule
6-16: Loss at Stars (3-4)
6-17: Loss at Stars (3-7)
6-18: Loss at Stars (3-8)
6-19: Win at Kings (9-0)
6-20: Loss at Kings (2-3)
6-21: Loss at Kings (3-11)

Recap
No stars of the week this week (none generated), but with our performance, there probably wasn't someone worth mentioning. It was as if we could only score three runs in a game, with four of the five losses we managed just a trio of runs scored. Getting swept by the Stars really hurt and we only beat the Kings once. Not much hitting combined with not much pitching, and a 1-5 week is about what you would expect.

The pitching wasn't terrible, and Dick Lyons was part of the reason for the 9-0 shutout. He still can't pitch very late into games, but had 7.2 strong innings with 7 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts before Allen Purvis closed out the game. It was one of his three appearances, good for five and a third with 4 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Dave Rankin had a start and relief outing, 9.2 innings with 10 hits, 4 walks, strikeouts, and runs (3 earned). The bats were pretty quiet, but Doc Love rebounded from a terrible week last week. He was 8-for-24 with 2 triples, a homer, and 3 RBI's. Rich Langton was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, 5 walks, and a long awaited steal. Bert Wilson continues to take advantage of limited time, 4-for-9 with a double, 2 runs, and an RBI.

Looking Ahead
We play all seven days this week before starting next week with another off day. We face the Cannons for four in Baltimore to start. At 21-46, they have the worst record in the FABL and are still waiting for Pinky Conlan to get back on track. He's 3-5 with a 5.73 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.89 WHIP, 29 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. They've brought up 5th Rounder Howie Pike who's made three starts and is a passable 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.75 WHIP, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts. We really need to pick up as many wins in this series as possible as Baltimore has fallen upon tough times and I don't want to be the one to break them out of it.

After Baltimore it's three in Montreal with the 5th place Saints. At 31-35 they aren't in the playoff hunt, but they have seen their fortune turn for the better. George Thomas has rebounded, 8-6 with a 4.22 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 42 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched. Former Cougar prospect Bill Ross is having a strong rookie season, 6-6 with a 3.87 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 26 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched. Another Cougar prospect Red Moore has looked good in his debut season, slashing .341/.398/.486 (118 OPS+) with 3 homers, 2 steals, and 51 RBI's. Ross and Moore were both in the Rankin/Masters trade and both in the Tom Bird trade. Second year catcher Adam Mullins has cooled down a bit, but he's still batting a strong .329/.394/.431 (105 OPS+) with a homer and 25 RBI's. He's walked almost three times (30) as much as he struck out (11) and while the power isn't there yet, the former 6th Overall Pick is developing into one of the best catchers in the league. Hank Barnett has brought his batting line back over 100, slashing .284/.383/.436 (103 OPS+) with 7 homers and 48 RBI's as a strong June has made up for a tough May.

Minor League Report
3B Hank Stratton (AA Mobile Commodores): Not only did he have a 5-hit outing, but not a single hitter in the Dixie League had a better overall week then Hank Stratton. The 21-year-old was 16-for-34 with 7 doubles, 5 RBI's, and 8 runs scored. He's done excellent up in AA, slashing .381/.392/.527 (143 OPS+) with 2 homers and 45 RBI's. Stratton hasn't walked very much, but he's doubled a ton this season and won't fall victim to strikeouts very often. He does a great job putting the ball in play and has looked good defensively at both infield corners. He's got a lot of time to develop and I think once John Lawson is at the twilight of his career, Hank Stratton will be able to shine right through. He's currently 10th in our system and 85th in the FABL.

LHP Mutt Clabough (A Lincoln Legislators): Clabough is hitting the DL with a sore shoulder, but he had a great week with the Legislators and has looked good in his 4 starts since promotion. He's 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA (198 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 11 walks, and 10 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched. This includes a 6-hit, 2 walk, 4-strikeout shutout of the Gary Steelman where he needed just 113 pitches to get the job done. I picked up the 22-year-old as a minor league free agent, and he's developed well in our system. He's got a nice 90-92 fastball with a curve, change, and forkball. The fastball is dependable, but he's still working on the secondary offerings. He does do a good job keeping the ball on the ground, and if he can polish up his secondary offerings, Clabough could be a useful big league arm.

Week 11: June 22nd-June 28th
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 32-40 (7th, 13 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 33 AB, 14 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .424 AVG, 1.199 OPS
Rich Langton : 33 AB, 11 H, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.038 OPS
Doc Love : 30 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.045 OPS

Schedule
6-22: Win at Cannons (7-0)
6-23: Loss at Cannons (9-10)
6-24: Win at Cannons (16-2)
6-25: Win at Cannons (4-1)
6-26: Loss at Saints (14-4)
6-27: Loss at Saints (0-4)
6-28: Win at Saints (14-7)

Recap
If we forget about my complete lack of ability to set 7-day lineups, this week was a success. The goal was to have Wayne Robinson make two starts, but instead, that meant Tommy Wilcox made three. Luckily, the Saints knocked him out of the game after just 49 pitches so he was able to toss an 8-inning relative gem the next day. We did lose both games, but he was in the midst of a shutout against the Cannons to start the week. He left that one with back spasms, but was somehow then able to make two starts while injured, not get hurt again, and now fully heal. He has the back a 90-year-old, four of his last five injuries due to back spasms. For his own benefit, I'm going to bench him the entire week. Now Wayne Robinson can finally make the two starts he was supposed to last week. I am also so glad Bill Ross was the one who shut us out. If you're going to get shutout, best be for a player I like and someone who's good. 7 hits and 4 strikeouts in his second shutout of the season. The former Cougar pick has had a strong rookie year, 7-7 with a 3.91 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 29 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 119.2 innings pitched.

Dave Rankin was a perfect 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched. I'm a little sad he didn't strikeout more, as this was his last chance to make a case for the All Star game. He's dropped out of the top 3 for WAR, but sits second in the CA with 63 strikeouts. He's tossed 150 excellent innings, going 9-8 with a 3.84 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 46 walks, and 63 strikeouts. He's even picked up a save and has an impressive .0.4 HR/9. He'll be on my ballot, but since we only get to put three starters in, it's going to be really hard for all the good pitchers to be recognized.

John Lawson was back to putting up amazing weeks, going 14-for-33 with 3 homers and 10 RBI's. He's still going strong, batting .354/.425/.560 (151 OPS+) with 12 homers and 52 RBI's. He's struck out (17) less then he's walked (34) and is on pace for 46 doubles and an 8.0 WAR. I feel bad that Lawson is on a bad team, but I know he is going to be good for awhile and I want him to be with us when we're good.

One of the future faces, Rich Langton, matched Lawson three homers and raised him two RBI's. He was 11-for-33 and added a triple. Langton has made a case for a vote as well, hitting .316/.361/.503 (120 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 9 triples, 7 homers, and 51 RBI's. Langton is still getting use to right field, but has an almost exactly average 1.003 efficiency this year in 586.2 innings. My scout finally stopped calling him a left fielder, now an "adequate defensive right fielder". He's played just 134 games (1,157.2 innings) out in right so I imagine he's going to keep gaining positional rating. If he has a good arm, he'll be a great right fielder, but if he has an average arm, he'll just be okay. His corner partner Doc Love finished with a strong week of his own, 12-for-30 with a homer, 7 RBI's, 7 runs, 2 doubles, and a triple. I'm hoping to find a home for Love so I can bring Mitchell up to play left field. Love's almost 30, so value isn't that high, but he ranks 5th in the league for left fielders. Unfortunately for us, #1 left fielder Moxie Pidgeon is on the block, so my guess is it's going to be tough for Love to find a spot while he's available. Love has seen a little time at first to give Ray Ford some time in left to see if he can handle it. If Doc can adapt to first well, it could add to his value.

Lastly, Bert Wilson has earned himself some more starts. Roy Moore has come back to earth and right now Wilson is overachieving. This week in two starts he was 2-for-6 with a walk and run scored. It's just 38 plate appearances since coming up, but he's 14-for-35 with a homer, 2 doubles, and 4 RBI's. He did this kind of thing last year too, but I'm hoping he can sustain a little more of it this year. "Bleeder" is still just 24 and was a top 100 prospect last year. Moore still will get some starts, but I'm hoping to split it 50/50. He's still been very dependable, a nice +5.5 zone rating and 1.035 efficiency in center with a decent .338/.383/.385 (97 OPS+) line. He's homered twice, stole five bases, and drove in 31 RBI's.

Looking Ahead
Off day to start the week before three in Cleveland. Then we get another off day before three games in two days in Philly. These are the first and third place teams in the league, so expect us to lose most of them. Cleveland is currently tied with the Kings at 46-27. We'll see Dean Astle, ace of the staff who is 13-6 with a 3.39 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 33 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched. I won't mention Ben Turner, who's really struggled, so I'll mention Lyman Weigel's who is 9-1 with a 2.15 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 31 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 108.2 innings pitched this season. It's a nice breakout for the 32-year-old former waiver claim who looked like a solid starter when he was young in Brooklyn. Cleveland is down Max Morris, but he was struggling and the Foresters are getting good at bats from a lot of players. Charlie Barry is one of those, slashing .380/.411/.477 (118 OPS+) with 2 homers, 32 RBI's, and 16 walks and strikeouts. Of course, there's also Dan Fowler, who's got 20 homers and 66 RBI's with a .330/.435/.594 (152 OPS+) batting line. They have two more double digit homers with T.R. Goins and Leon Drake and stolen base machine Fred Quinn. Quinn's 29 are light years ahead of the rest of the pack and he's still hitting a strong .329/.412/.417 (105 OPS+) with 3 homers, 33 steals, and 38 walks. This kid gets on a ton, and once he's on, he's probably at second.

The Sailors have gotten hot as of late and sit just three back of first. All five of their starters have near identical ERA's, all between Herb Flynn's 4.07 (118 ERA+) and Doc Newell's 4.43 (108 ERA+). I've covered a lot of their hitters already, but they have the interesting Jack Burke. He debuted with them in 1932 and got a few bats in 1933, before being stuck in AAA. He was lost to waivers earlier in the year by the Dynamos, and was 6-for-22 with a homer, 3 RBI's, 4 walks, and 4 RBI's before being cut. The 27-year-old was then DFA'd again, but the Sailors brought him back. He's taken center from Jorge Nava and is hitting .357/.419/.440 (113 OPS+) with 2 homers, 3 steals, and 14 RBI's in just under 100 trips to the plate. None of this looks like all that much, but Burke has massive power. In AA last season he hit 42 homers and is just three homers shy of 200 for his professional career.

Minor League Report
RHP Joe Foote (Mobile Commodores): Acquired from Montreal back in 1934, the 21-year-old Foote is already up in Mobile and he just tossed a 7-hit, 2 walk, 3 strikeout shutout against the first place Memphis Excelsior. They hold a 2 game lead over the Commodores, and Foote has done an excellent job helping them come back. He's done well, 4-6 with a 3.69 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 32 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 85.1 innings pitched. Foote throws a really nice mid 90s sinker, but he relies much more on generating groundballs then striking out hitters. He's got a decent curve and slider too, but they aren't big league pitches yet. My scout thinks he has "frontline starter potential" but I don't think he'll be an ace. Still, I'm a big fan of Foote and he even ranks in the top 150 prospects. He's a few years out, but considering he's pitching well in AA it's only a matter of time before he can pitch well in the majors.

Amateur Report
RHP Jackson Sanders (Grange College): A three year starter, "Stonewall' Sanders saved the best season for last and was 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 42 walks, and 94 strikeouts. In 283.1 total inning pitched he had a nice 3.65 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 112 walks and 206 strikeouts. He's a four pitch pitcher with a 87-89 fastball, curve, change, and splitter. He's got solid stuff and movement and it doesn't look like he's going to have any control problems. Add in the cool nickname and he's got everything you're looking for in a middle of the rotation arm.

3B Jim McCarthy (Bellaire): Now this guy isn't a draft eligible pick, this a new freshman in high school I wanted to cover. He hit .432/.523/.602 with a homer, 13 steals, and 23 RBI's as a rookie at third. He has positional rating at short, so I'm wondering if he eventually moves over as he develops. My scout thinks he's an excellent defender who can make some of the outstanding plays. Not sure if that means shortstop, but at least a really good third basemen. He has a good eye and does a good job hitting the ball. He can add homers as he ages as he's just 15. He'll be an interesting player to keep an eye on.

RHP Donnie Jones (Minneapolis): Another guy who isn't draft eligible, I have to cover high school sophomore Donnie Jones. The "Mole Killer" broke the 200 strikeout mark, striking out 215 hitters in 126 innings. He had a stunning 0.43 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 20 walks to go with it. I can't imagine he'd be able to replicate this performance in one of his other two years, but this was such a dominant performance. At 16 this kid could already fool FABL hitters and he boasts a nice four pitch arsenal headlined by an excellent curveball. His fastball sits in the high 80s and his sinker generates a ton of groundballs. If that's not enough, there's also a nice changeup. He gets great movement on his pitches and while no high school arm is a sure thing, he definitely looks like a lock to be a big leaguer. With two more seasons to impress, Jones could be one of the best prep pitchers we see.

RF Ed Stoddard (Pullman): A Chicago kid! Ed Stoddard only started as a high school senior, but hit a strong .516/.596/.768 with 2 homers and 30 RBI's in 115 plate appearances. He's a lefty swinger who can man left, right, or first and at the plate he's bound to hit above .300 with a strong on base percentage. My scout thinks he's an average big leaguer, but with just one season worth of stats it's going to be tough to judge him. OSA is a big fan, so perhaps after more scouting my scout may warm up to him.

Man, a 4-3 week and you still fell in the standings.

I look forward to seeing what Donnie Jones can do since there is another athlete named Donnie Jones I have long been a fan of. :D

At first I thought "there's no way you're thinking of the punter, there has to be another" and then I checked where he went to school: LSU. Checks out hahaha

Week 12: June 29th-July 5th
 

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 35-44 (6th, 15 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ollie Page : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .346 AVG, .857 OPS
John Lawson : 23 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .304 AVG, .863 OPS
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .269 AVG, .591 OPS

Schedule
6-30: Loss at Foresters (7-8): 11 innings
7-1: Win at Foresters (7-2)
7-2: Win at Foresters (4-2)
7-4: Loss at Sailors (2-4)
7-4: Loss at Sailors (6-7)
7-5: Loss at Sailors (0-6)

Recap
Can't say I expected it, but we won the series against the Foresters and in all honesty should have had the sweep. We had the opener won after taking a 7-6 lead in the 9th, but McSherry allowed them to tie it in the 9th before Rankin gave it up in the 11th. Of course, Philly had no issues with us, capping off the sweep with a 2-hit, 4 strikeout William Jones shutout. We end the first half in sixth and 15 games behind the Brooklyn Kings (50-29) who we helped gain a three game lead on the Cleveland Foresters (50-29). The Gothams (39-41) tore down yesterday, sending stud pitcher Rabbit Day (work got in the way of him becoming a Cougar) to the other Chicago team (49-31) who sits a game behind Lou Kelly and the Pittsburgh Miners (49-29). The Gothams also sent Jake Elder and Moxie Pidgeon to the Eagles (34-45) while Brooklyn grabbed former #1 overall pick Curly Jones (who also could have been a Cougar...) as the Dynamos tore down their championship club.

Dick Lyons had a nice start to finish off a decent first half, 14 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout in the 7-2 win over the Foresters. After a terrible 1935, he's 4-6 with a 4.44 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, 21 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 103.1 innings pitched. It's a much better season for the now 36-year-old who still has something left in the tank. Rankin's actual start was good, 2 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts in a complete game victory over the Foresters. The only member of our staff selected to the All-Star game, Rankin is 10-9 with a save, 3.78 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 48 walks, and 69 strikeouts in 159.1 innings pitched at the top of our rotation. I've always been a big fan of his and I'm glad he's finally putting it together. He's still in the middle of his career and the arm has a lot of good innings left in it. I have gotten a lot of inquiries on Rankin, but he's not for sale this season. Wayne Robinson struggled in his starts, so back to Allen Purvis in the rotation.

He didn't have a great week, but as expected, John Lawson was named the CA's starter for third base. Lawson is a top 10 hitter who finished his first half with a .350/.422/.554 (148 OPS+) batting line. He's homered 13 times, doubled 23 times, and drove in 54 runs while walking (37) more then he strikes out (21). It's his fourth selection in as many years, and we are proud to have two Cougars represent the team. Not much hitting overall this week, but Bert Wilson did excellent in his three starts. Wilson was 4-for-12 with a double, triple, and 3 RBI's. Ollie Page was 9-for-26 with 2 triples. Everyone one else (except Lawson) really had a tough time hitting the ball.

Looking Ahead
We don't play until Thursday, but it will be at home to start a three game set with the Kings. That means we're stuck facing former Cougars Tom Barrell and Mike Murphy no matter what. Barrell is 13-5 with a 3.57 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 26 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 161.1 innings pitched. Murphy is 9-3 with a 3.51 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 35 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. Brooklyn has a ton of All-Stars and a trio of hitters batting .380 or better. He has the lowest average of them, but Al Wheeler's .384/.466/.654 (176 OPS+) line with 22 homers and 90 RBI's is the most impressive. The other two are Harry and Dan Barrell with identical .385 averages. Doug Lightbody has been hurt, so they've gotten to see what Elmer Nolde could do. He's hitting .336/.386/.555 (132 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBI's in 158 trips to the plate. Brooklyn is a team stacked with talent and I can't see us doing well on this series. After that it's three hosting Montreal, who's up to 40-39. Red Moore just took home Rookie of the Month in the CA, hitting .358/.400/.528 with 3 homers and 35 RBI's in 27 June matchups. I'll look more into them tomorrow.

The new top 100 prospect list was published, and now we only have one prospect in the top 30, #5 prospect Billy Hunter. 5th is now also the rank of our system, with Ford, Mitchell, Langton, and more all graduated. Harry Mead checks in at #39 for our second prospect, with 11 total in the top 100. It's then 24 in the top 201 (Elias Canady...) and 41 in the top 500. I'm actually shocked we're still ranked so high with so many prospects leaving the system. We don't really have many top top prospects, but it is nice seeing three picks from the last two seasons (Wood, Hall, Montes) all in the 40-60 range, with the latter two both prep players. I'm comfortable position player wise, but I can't wait for more of the pitchers to rise up the ranks.

Minor League Report
LF Henry Cox (A Lincoln Legislators): It took him a little for the bat to heat up, but now up to 13 homers on the season, June was an excellent month for former 5th Rounder Henry Cox. The 20-year-old hit 9 homers and drove in 24 with a .278/.381/.611 batting line. For the season, he's hitting .293/.354/.526 (134 OPS+) with 7 steals, 22 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Still striking out more then he walks, but he's definitely cut down a ton. AA seemed to be tough for him, but Carlos Montes will miss a few weeks and I think it'll give Cox another chance to stick with Mobile. In 30 AA games he's yet to homer after 55 in 177 games.

C Henry Mead (A Lincoln Legislators): Now our 2nd highest rated prospect, Harry Mead put on a show and took home Player of the Week. He was 11-for-23 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's. The recently turned 22-year-old has broken out this year, batting .325/.424/.478 (143 OPS+) with 3 homers, 30 RBI's, and more then four times as many walks (40) as strikeouts (9). Everything has gone right for Mead so far this season, and with a little rearranging, I'm bringing him up to Mobile. Mike Taylor keeps deciding that he's no longer capable of hitting a baseball, so perhaps the Mead days are going to come sooner then expected. Johnnie Williamson is a level ahead of him (he got a promotion to AAA), but that doesn't mean Mead has anyone in his way. When he's ready to start, he'll be in Chicago. I can't wait for a lefty throwing catcher!

Week 13: July 6th-July 12th
 

Weekly Record: 1-3
Seasonal Record: 36-47 (t-6th, 18 GB)
Stars of the Week
Doc Love : 15 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.042 OPS
Mike Taylor : 15 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, .904 OPS
Rich Langton : 11 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .455 AVG, .955 OPS

Schedule
7-9: Loss vs Kings (9-3)
7-10: Loss vs Kings (7-1)
7-11: Loss vs Kings (3-2)
7-12: Win vs Saints (3-7)

Recap
John Lawson was the starting third basemen for the CA, but he was just 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Dave Rankin pitched in it too, 3 hits and a strikeout in his two innings. Rankin pitched a lot this week, 10 innings against the Kings with 13 hits, 8 runs (4 earned), 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts in a relief outing and start. Lawson didn't hit much during the week, 3-for-16 with a run, RBI, and two strikeouts.

Of course, we also did get swept by the Kings where we scored just 6 runs, so not many players did well. A lot more players did better in the 12-3 win over the Saints where we roughed up rookie Jake DeYoung. Dick Lyons made the start, getting a complete game win with 11 hits, 3 runs, and a strikeout. A few of our hitters did show up this week, starting with the on the block Doc Love. He went 6-for-15 with a double, homer, 3 RBI's, and 3 runs scored. Rich Langton returned to cleanup and was 5-for-11 with a pair of runs scored and driven in. Mike Taylor was 6-for-15 with a double and 3 RBI's.

Looking Ahead
We won the opener, so if we twin the next two we can sweep the Saints. They're 42-41 and will send George Thomas and Billy Stall to the mound. Thomas is 10-6 with a 4.39 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 50 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 147.2 innings pitched. Stall is 4-2 with a 3.29 ERA (146 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 29 walks, and 23 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. He's started nine games and relieved six, but the 22-year-old has looked great in both. They had two All Stars, the Cougar draftees Bill Ross and Red Moore. Montreal has a decent average, with a majority of their starters with OPS+'s between 100 and 111. The Saints have a lot of strong players on both sides of the field, but lack a true superstar. They're hoping that it's potentially 23-year-old Red Bond, who just entered the Saints lineup. He's hitting .325/.455/.650 (170 OPS+) with 6 homers, 17 walks, and 19 RBI's. His next plate appearance will be his 100th on the season and he was ranked the 40th best prospect to start the season.

After the Saints, we'll welcome the only CA team with a worse record then us. Set to pick second, the Baltimore Cannons have dealt with tough injuries. And while Jim Alexander has been a decent enough replacement, they will love to get Bunny Stapleton back in the lineup. He strained his groin on the 20th and is set to return to the lineup. Last season he hit .352/.404/.510 (144 OPS+) with 13 homers and 65 RBI's in 478 trips to the plate. It should take a lot of the load off Abel Man and Whit Williams a bit, who are bound to hit better once the season ends. Pinky Conlan is hurt again, this time for the year, so Dutch Leverett has a lot of pressure atop the rotation. He's still pitched well, 8-10 with a 4.62 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 59 walks, and 43 strikeouts.

On to the weekend where it's two with the only CA team with the same record as us, the Stars. We'll get to see Dick Leudtke, who's 4-6 with a 5.56 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.72 WHIP, 24 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 11 starts and relief appearances. I was hoping he'd recover his old stroke, but he's had the same struggles in New York he was having in Chicago. The lineup isn't the same without Layton and Lawson, but Hank Jones is having a nice season in the middle of the lineup. He's hitting .310/.359/.473 (108 OPS+) with 3 homers, 2 steals, 30 RBI's, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts. He's started 40 games and came off the bench in 26, but looks to get the starts the rest of the way.

Minor League Report
RHP John Hartz (AA Mobile Commodores): Sometimes it just takes patience! My scout has finally started warming up to 1931 2nd Rounder John Hartz and thinks he can pitch into a back end rotation role. Each season John Hartz pitches really well, gets promoted, and then struggles. This year, he's done the really well, 9-4 with a 3.35 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 37 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched. I don't have plans to promote him to AAA yet, but he may end up getting the call after injuries or callups. The 23-year-old will be Rule-5 eligible this offseason, and while I wasn't originally planning on protecting him, I do think I will. Hartz is still polishing his pitches, but he projects to have a decent fastball, curve, slider, and change. He sits in the high 80s, but can touch 90, and he can command all of his pitches well.

1B Cuno Myer (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been a great season for him, but the former 22nd Round selection was 15-for-28 with a homer, 7 runs, and 9 RBI's as he took home the C-O-W Player of the Week. The 22-year-old switch hitter is now batting .356/.413/.464 (118 OPS+) with 4 homers, 58 RBI's, and 28 walks in 312 trips to the plate. It's his second season at San Jose, but he might work his way up to Lincoln as we have a potential spot for him there. It took him a little longer to develop, but he does a good job putting the ball in play and he won't swing and miss all that often. If he had a little more power, I'd be a lot higher on him, but I just can't see him ever being better then Leo Mitchell or Ray Ford.

Week 14: July 13th-July 19th
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 40-50 (6th, 19 GB)
Stars of the Week
Doc Love : 28 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .250 AVG, .943 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .777 OPS
Ollie Page : 34 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .265 AVG, .668 OPS

Schedule
7-13: Loss vs Saints (11-2)
7-14: Win vs Saints (4-12)
7-15: Win vs Cannons (3-4)
7-16: Loss vs Cannons (7-4): 11 innings
7-17: Win vs Cannons (6-7)
7-18: Win vs Stars (2-6)
7-19: Loss vs Stars (12-4)

Recap
Just a mediocre 4-3 despite five games against the Cannons and Stars. What's worse is how little we scored against the team with a team ERA well over 6. We did have a lot of issues scoring this week, but check out Doc Love! Three homers! Sure, he was just 7-for-28, but he drove in 7, scored six times, and drew a pair of walks without striking out. I do think it's going to be tough to find a home for Love despite his .317/.362/.506 (120 OPS+) batting line. He's doubled 14 times, triples 9 times, and has homered 11 times with a lot more walks (26) then strikeouts (10). Not only is it tough to find homes for corner outfielders, but there's also RF Mahlon Strong available from the Gothams and he is one of the top batters in the game. It won't be the worst thing in the world if Love isn't moved, but he'll eventually lose out on some playing time. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep Leo Mitchell in AAA and I really want him to be our everyday left fielder next season. He's not there yet, but I know he's going to be capable out in the outfield.

It was a rough pitching week for us, but Milt Frtiz looked pretty good. He won both his starts and went 17 innings with 16 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He was on a tough stretch to start with, but he's started to right the ship a little. June was awful, a 6.69 monthly ERA, but it's dropped all the way down to 4.09 for July. Still, the season numbers are just average, 12-8 with a 4.70 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 61 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 161 innings pitched. Honestly, better then I even expected, and I think it will take a year or two before Fritz regains top form. With an eventual better defense and hopefully a better pitching staff, I'm expecting better things to come. Not much good offense either, but hey Jake Moore decided to rake! Ray Ford was nursing a DTD injury, so Moore made 11 plate appearances this week with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBI's. Ford did okay when he played though, 7-for-20 with a double, triple, and 3 RBI's. No one else really put the bat on the ball, despite the rough pitching we faced, which really surprised me. Statistically, we looked like a 2-5 team at best, but managed to win four of the seven.

Looking Ahead
Off to start next week before a four game set with the Kings before four with the Stars. I've covered both pretty recently, so not too much to mention now, but Brooklyn's 59-31 record is the best in baseball and they hold a three game lead over the Foresters. The Stars are now two games behind us, 38-52 and 21 out of first. No more off days until August, and then we have the trade deadline fast approaching. Some big prospect also must have graduated, as we're now third in the farm rankings with Harry Parker joining the top 100 at 95. 3-4-5 are all three points apart, but our 12 top 100 prospects is now the lone leader. We also get George Johnson back, who's healthy enough to pitch on rehab. I'll let him make a few starts in Milwaukee before he eventually makes some starts up in Chicago.

EDIT: Had a little time after, added a minor league report:

Minor League Report
LHP Cal Knight (AA Mobile Commodores): Lou Kelly may be leading the Miners to an FA pennant this year, but that doesn't mean I really miss him. Not only did is Ray Ford now getting to play first, but I got two picks and lefty Cal Knight. The prospect rankings aren't his biggest fan, but that hasn't scared me away. He was one of the feeder players who was cloned to be a non-feeder player, so despite only seeing one year of Knight's college school stats, he was actually a really effective three year pitcher at Pierpont before being selected in the 2nd Round of the 1934 draft. He struggled in San Jose last season, but he looked good in A ball with the Miners and my scout wanted me to move him all the way up to Mobile. It's worked out well, as the 23-year-old is 9-3 with a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 43 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 111.1 innings pitched. What's interesting is he's found a lot of success despite a drop in his strikeout numbers. Knight had a 4.4 K/9 in his 10 starts with us last season, and in 14 this year it's down to just 2.7. He's a three pitch pitcher, but his secondary pitches are better then his main offering. He has a mid 80s cutter, but the slider and change are what get the outs. He has the natural talent to pitch in the big leagues and the work ethic to take his game to the next level, and I think Knight will prove that he's not the 24th most valuable pitcher in my organization.

2B Tommy Wilson (A Lincoln Legislators): I did a little minor league reshuffling today with a lot of players returning from the DL, but while most players went down, Tommy Wilson went up. He did not hit much as a teenager in La Crosse, but the 20-year-old had the up arrow in San Jose and was hitting .289/.384/.470 (111 OPS+) with 8 homers, 18 steals, and 73 RBI's. It's a little unfair to list the former 2nd Rounder as a second basemen, but that's where he's spent nearly all his time the past two years because his double play partner was Ivan Cameron, who's already accumulated a +33.4 zone rating in just about a year and a half. At second this year, Wilson had an impressive +10.4 zone rating and 1.065 efficiency which is almost like the opposite of what our second basemen generally produce. Wilson really seems to have put things together this season, and he's our highest ranked prospect not in the top 100. He's got a nice hit tool, is an extremely athletic and gifted fielder, and uses his great speed to his advantage. He's got a little pop too, maybe not quite Ollie Page level, but I also never expected Page to have the power he has shown. Even in Lincoln, however, he'll be stuck at second, as the defensive marvel Freddie Bennett man short here with Billy Hunter up in Mobile.

RHP Bill Scott (San Jose Cougars): It took me a while, but I'm finally warming up to Bill Scott. My 7th Round selection in 1933, I always liked him, he just never really got a fair shot his first two seasons as I had a lot of arms I was throwing over him. I found out most of those arms were bad (and no longer really start for us) and that Bill Scott was the gem all alone. It did help that since November he added five miles to his fastball that now tops out at 97. Pair that with an FABL quality curve and slider and you've got yourself at least a spot starter in the big leagues. Add in the fact that he's just 20, and since I can't see his actual potentials, his potential truly is limitless at this point. Those prospect rankings I mentioned that were meaningless rank him 124th in the FABL, and they've always liked him a lot more then I have. Until this season he relieved more then he started, but he's started all 11 of his games with La Crosse before getting the call to San Jose. Scott was 5-3 with a 4.84 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 20 walks, and 41 strikeouts in his 74.1 innings pitched, and while that isn't standout, I also have to consider how well he pitched (124 and 139 ERA+) his first two seasons and he's a lot more valuable then some of the guys we have in San Jose.

Amateur Report
 

I'm not sure if I'm going to make weekend amateur reports part of the routine, but it does make the daily reports a little easier to write and gives me something to write about during our off days. For this one, I'll be covering some of the Chicago kids. I won't recap all of them, but I did write reports on most, including a potential first round pick:

LHP Nelson Bailey (Lake Zurich): Despite being born in Chicago, Bailey is a suburban kid who broke out as a senior at Lake Zurich. It was the only season he pitched, but he looked great in 14 starts. Bailey was 8-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 34 walks, and 127 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. He's a skinny six foot lefty with a mid 80s cutter, curve, and change. My scout doesn't think he has the stuff to start, with the changeup likely to be the pitch that holds him back. Still, his cut and curve may be enough to carry him to a rotation spot, but with one year of stats and a lot of question marks, I can't see Bailey getting a human selection.

RHP John Murray (Bedford): Another one year starter, Murray also doesn't go to school in the Chi, but he moved to Ohio as a kid and spent his prep years at Bedford. After going 9-3 with a 1.92 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 41 walks, and 151 strikeouts in 126.1 innings pitched, Murray announced he was committed to the prestigious Grange College which has been producing a lot of draftees in a short period of time. Murray has a higher ceiling then Bailey, projecting to be a dependable four pitch pitcher with his change featuring the arsenal. There aren't many pitchers coming out of Chicago this year, and unfortunately none of them look that great.

RHP Joe Stuart (Portland Tech): He's the only college arm from Chicago, and the bright young Joe Stuart was able to receive a full ride to Portland Tech. He didn't play as a freshman, but was roughed up against the toughest competition level as a junior and sophomore. In 220.1 innings he was 9-14 with a 6.13 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 131 walks, and 102 strikeouts. Obviously, not very encouraging numbers, but his 5.72 ERA this season was at least better then six of the twenty four other "great" pitchers eligible for this draft. One thing he has going for him is all three of his pitches are FABL quality, but my guess is Stuart won't ever amount for much.

3B Sam Christian (Lincoln College): While the college ranks may lack a suitable arm, there is a extremely reliable bat at Lincoln College in Sam Christian. The 21-year-old switch hitter hit .287/.401/.445 with 6 homers, 52 RBI's, and 31 steals in 305 trips to the plate. He got more time then he did as a sophomore, but he was able to nearly replicate his .282/.400/.431 line. He's shaping out to be an above average defender at third with the ability to work the count well and turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Christian doesn't project to be a top player at the next level, but his floor is a bench role and the ceiling potentially a Bill Ashbaugh type of player.

2B Hod Seagroves (Lake Park): Arguably the most talented of the Chicago eligible players, Lake Park senior Hod Seagroves is projected to be the first selection in the third round of this years' draft. The 6'2'' middle infielder just played 20 high school games, but hit an impressive .484/.548/.791 with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 steals, and 24 RBI's. He's a natural defender who also spent some time at second, left, and center and I think his future may be in the outfield. At the plate, he'll hit a lot of his grounders to third and short so he can try to beat them out while his balls in the air tend to go all over the park. He was already on my scout list (I think I added him because he's from Chicago), but with him already projected as a 3rd Round selection, my guess is another team will take him before I do. I'm split on Seagroves right now, I'll want to scout him a little more, but of all the Chicago kids he looks to have the biggest gap between floor and ceiling.

RF Ed Stoddard (Pullman): If I was ordering this report by talent, none of these guys would rank ahead of Ed Stoddard. In fact, OSA ranks him as the 6th best draft eligible player. The lefty Stoddard was Pullman's best player, and after slashing .516/.596/.768 with 2 homers and 30 RBI's, he earned an offer to Noble Jones. I'm expecting Stoddard to be a first round selection, so chances are he won't spend a day on campus. He'll be 19 on draft day and has well above average contact potential with the potential to hit for significant power at the highest level. There is a lot of talent at the corner outfield spots, so perhaps he may fall like Chubby Hall did last season. I'm not big on corner outfielders, but if Stoddard is hanging around in the third round like Hall is, I won't hesitate to add the Chicago kid and watch him grow. His ceiling might be Mahlon Strong, and that's a pretty good player to be compared to.

3B Hugh Neal (Bluegrass State): I'm honestly a little shocked that Neal doesn't rank in the mock draft and my scout isn't all that high on him. A three year starter at Bluegrass State, Neal finished his junior year with 7 homers, 29 RBI's, and 25 walks with a .278/.381/.433 batting line in 220 trips to the plate. Interesting enough, he got into just 44 games after 58 and 62 his first two seasons. All together, Neal slashed .279/.377/.412 with 20 homers and 110 RBI's across 820 plate appearances. Neal has a great eye at the plate and should hit for at least an average average. If not, he's likely going to be relegated to the bench, but I see a lot of Jake Moore in him, and Moore was a decent starter for the Foresters before joining us as a bench bat.

SS Ted Goldsby (Cumberland University): Another three year starter, Goldsby and Neal faced off a lot as Cumberland and Bluegrass play each other frequently. Goldsby had a down junior year, batting just .259/.345/.328 in one more then 200 at bats. This brought his career line down to .277/.373/.362 as he added 70 steals, 34 doubles, 7 homers, and 111 RBI's. He'll be 21 tomorrow, Goldsby is quick in the field with the range to make plays that most fielders wouldn't even dream of. He doesn't hit too hard, but he's got a nice eye and projects to be a decent leadoff hitter. He's got the tools to contribute at the big league level, but I'm not sure if he'll end up a starter or more of a utility player.

RF Chick Browning (Joliet): A high school starter for three seasons, Browning hit .452/.523/.687 with 9 homers, 85 RBI's, and 13 steals in 70 games. The lefty can man all three outfield spots, with right field likely his final landing spot. He does have some issues making consistent contact, but he draws a lot of walks and will not have issues striking out. He profiles as a Mike Smith type bench bat and he might be able to latch on to a team because of his lefty swing and capabilities in the outfield.

3B Norman Houser (Crane): One of the few Chicago kids to stay home for high school (a lot went to the suburbs), "House the Mouse" had a decent three seasons at Crane where he hit .506/.559/.812 with 10 homers, 39 steals, and 107 RBI's across 378 plate appearances. He has elite speed and the potential to lead the league in stolen bases, which makes me think that he can play the outfield, not just first and third. He should be able to hit well over .300, but he's also just 5'6'' 140. Not sure if there is hope for the little guy to grow, but there is a reason he's called House the Mouse. I think there is a lot of upside here and I can see Houser's name in an FABL lineup card every day seven or eight years from now.

Week 15: July 20th-July 26th
 

Weekly Record: 1-5
Seasonal Record: 41-55 (6th, 23 GB)
Stars of the Week
Doc Love : 27 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .407 AVG, 1.037 OPS
John Lawson : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.108 OPS
Ollie Page : 27 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .296 AVG, .700 OPS

Schedule
7-21: Loss at Kings (2-6)
7-22: Loss at Kings (4-5)
7-23: Loss at Kings (5-13)
7-24: Loss at Kings (3-5)
7-25: Win vs Stars (10-9)
7-26: Loss vs Stars (1-9)

Recap
Extremely rough week for the guys in New York, as the Kings swept right through us while the Stars piled up nine runs in each of the two games in the first half. I did make a minor trade in an effort to shore up the second base position as our defense is awful and we aren't getting much hitting. He's 34, but McLain is a guy I've been looking at for a while. OSA has always liked him, my scout has always liked him, he's a popular figure in the league, and he had a long and successful baseball career. He's tallied 4,825 FA plate appearances with the Minutemen and Dynamos and was originally selected by Boston in the 3rd Round of the 1923 draft. He has a respectable .288/.357/.378 (93 OPS+) line with a +101.3 zone rating and 1.053 efficiency at the keystone. I'm not expecting an earthshattering performance from him, but he'll cost just an 8th and we've gotten less then nothing from our second basemen so far. I originally planned on DFA'ing one of my players, but Rich Langton will spend the next three weeks rehabbing a bone spur in his elbow, so he'll take Langton's spot instead. McLain will man second, I'll move Love to right, and Bert Wilson will take over in left. I debated brining up Leo Mitchell, but I'm hoping I can instead find a taker for Doc Love.

Of course, with a 1-5 week, not much good happened. At least there is always John Lawson, who was 10-for-24 with a homer, 3 RBI's, 3 walks, and 6 runs scored. He's continuing his excellent season, batting .346/.411/.534 (141 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 15 homers, and 62 RBI's while on track for his 5th 700 PA season. Only other hitter who did much was Doc Love who was 11-for-27 with with a homer and seven driven in. Didn't get much pitching either, just Allen Purvis really looked good. He lost his start, but went 8 with 11 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 3 walks, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons looked good in his first start, 11 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 3 strikeouts in the 5-4 loss to the Kings.

Looking Ahead
Two more in New York with the Stars and we're set to face Harry Carter and George Williams, who rank #1 and #2 in their rotation. Carter has looked strong, 4-6 with a 3.95 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 42 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 120.2 innings pitched. Williams has spent time in both the rotation and pen, 6-4 with a 4.29 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 55 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 92.1 innings. They've gotten production recently from center fielder Mike Mason who is slashing .347/.420/.497 (131 OPS+) with 10 triples, 15 steals, 28 RBI's, and 25 walks in one less then two hundred at bats. He's struggled defensively, but is on pace for his sixth consecutive above average OPS+.

Next is three in Montreal to finish the month of July. They're 46-50 on the season and have brought up 23-year-old Jake DeYoung to add to their rotation. He's made four starts, including one where we destroyed him, but he's 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 8 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched. They've had issues at short and right, but the rest of their lineup has their OPS+ in the 95-115 OPS+ range. They could even have a 20 home run hitter in Vic Crawford, who's hit 13 and drove in 73 with his .296/.349/.468 (101 OPS+) line that does look better then average.

We then finish the long road trip with two in Baltimore before an off day on August 3rd. Injuries have been the theme for the Cannons this season, but even now that Bunny Stapleton is back, he's had trouble at the plate. Just 34 games, but he's slashed just .281/308/.437 (88 OPS+) with 5 homers and 19 RBI's. Baltimore has added some rookies to their lineup at left and second with Ernie Johnson and Orville Aldrich. Neither has had much success, but Johnson ranks 132nd in the league and has a lot of upside. On the pitching side, they're giving 1932 5th Rounder Howie Pike starts, but the 24-year-old has been roughed up in his 11 starts. He's just 2-9 with a 6.26 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.77 WHIP, 27 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 73.1 innings pitched. My scout is a huge fan, and while Pike doesn't have the upside of Barrell, Edwards, and Petrick, he's got excellent command and a future in the back of a big league rotation. He may struggle now, but it's another arm we're going to have to worry about in Baltimore.

Minor League Report
RHP Pug Bryan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I was worried Pug wasn't ready for AAA hitters yet, but perhaps I should have been wondering if Pug should be in our rotation or Milwaukee's. After 13 starts he's 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 19 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched. His walk and strikeout per nine numbers are impressive and his calf strain seemed to have no effect on his pitching. Our big league rotation has been terrible, so maybe I should give Pug a shot. Even though he was our 2nd rounder just last draft, Bryan seems to have what it takes to fool FABL hitters. He has five pitches, with really all except the fastball extremely reliable offerings. He has great command of all his pitches, he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground with his high 80s sinker, and the ball almost never leaves the yard when he's on the mound. I may or may not be working on a trade before the deadline, but I'd be very surprised if Bryan isn't making starts for us at some point this season.

RHP Cy Sullivan (A Lincoln Legislators): With dynamic prospect rankings, it can be hard to track success sometimes as guys will bounce up and down 20+ spots at a time. I think every week Sullivan moves, now up to 35th in the league and second in our system. The former high school shortstop made three starts with Lincoln last season, but he really struggled. This caused him to start the season in San Jose, but he's back in Lincoln and he may end up in Mobile. I did pass him over for promotion with Harry Parker moving up to Mobile first, but the 22-year-old Sullivan looks to be next in line. He's 4-3 with a 3.02 ERA (142 ERA+) in 8 starts and 65.2 innings with the Legislators. He's walked 12 and struck out just 11, so I do want to see those strikeout numbers move back up. He's generally sat around 3.0 for K/9, but is half that so far. I expect it's just a tough stretch, as the 6'6'' righty will eventually strikeout an above average amount of hitters. He's got a nice four pitch arsenal with a high 80s fastball and nice sweeping slider that makes it really hard on right handed hitters. I do like how he's survived without striking out hitters when the competition improved, and as he develops, he should bring the K/9 numbers back out. I knew he was raw when we selected him and I knew I'd have to wait before the finish product was shown. I'd imagine it may even take all three options before Sullivan reaches his lofty ceiling, but I know I'm going to be happy with what I receive.

Trade News!
 

No, I did not move Doc Love, but I made a move to improve our rotation. I acquired Gothams starter Hardin Bates for last year's first rounder Charlie Wheeler and our 7th Round pick in the upcoming draft. I am a big fan of Wheeler, the 21-year-old righty who I took 13th Overall, but I really want to throw better starters out. He was progressing well, pitching strong in AA, but as with all prospects, it's never a sure thing. In 7 starts he was 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts and he had 8 impressive starts in Lincoln too. He's got five potentially nice pitches, but still has to work on polishing his stuff. He'll never throw too hard, but will thrive if he keeps his sinker down. I think he'll be a reliable big league arm for the Gothams, but I'm comfortable trading him now as we have a lot of young arms and we eventually won't be able to use them all.

I also really like the pitcher I was able to pick up. Granted, the 29-year-old Bates is having a tough season, but I think he'll turn things around. He
s just 3-7 with a 5.76 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.72 WHIP, 54 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 123.1 innings, but he was bound to come back to earth after a really impressive two year stretch. He was the 1934 Allen Winner, going 19-5 with a 2.35 ERA (199 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 69 walks, and 121 strikeouts in 234 innings pitched. He followed that up with a 17-9 season where he had a 3.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 88 walks, and 80 strikeouts. Bates is a towering righty who can overpower hitters with his low to mid 90s fastball and he does a great job mixing in the slider and curve. He keeps the ball in the park with his excellent movement, but he has seen his walks rise a bit this season. I've always been a fan of his, and I think once I get my defense built to my liking, he's going to really do well in Chicago. He's got a lot of good years left and he should help us continue to improve. For his career, Bates is 75-53 with a 3.68 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 435 walks, and 454 strikeouts in 1,207.1 innings, all with the Gothams. Bates was an undrafted free agent and definitely overperformed any expectations that were laid out for him. It was the 1925 draft, the first of the human ones, so it was just 15 rounds, but Bates was one of the many guys to sneak past.

I'm now down my 7th and 8th for this draft, but I'll probably end up making more draft pick trades on draft day. The earlier we pick, the more likely I trade the pick, as I don't really want to pick in the first half of the first round unless I pick first, which isn't possible. This move will also move Tommy Wilcox to the pen likely permanently, as the poor guy is basically done for. I can't see myself ever cutting him, so I hope he's at least an effective pen arm for the rest of his career. The numbers aren't pretty, 2-12 with a 6.77 ERA (68 ERA+), 2.10 WHIP, 80 walks, and 40 strikeouts. I still remember 1933 when he led the league in wins, ERA, WHIP, and pWAR. Good times...

Where you are this morning, you would have a shot at acquiring the #1 overall pick

Week 16: July 27th-August 2nd
 

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 43-60 (t-6th, 25 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 31 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .484 AVG, 1.142 OPS
Bert Wilson : 28 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .321 AVG, .923 OPS
Dave Rankin : 2 Wins, 19.0 IP, 4 BB, 6 K, 1.42 ERA

Schedule
7-27: Loss at Stars (7-17)
7-28: Win at Stars (6-1)
7-29: Loss at Saints (1-6)
7-30: Loss at Saints (3-5)
7-31: Loss at Saints (8-13)
8-1: Loss at Cannons (4-5)
8-2: Win at Cannons (13-5)

Recap
If we only focus on the Dave Rankin starts this week, we were 2-0! So let's only focus on Dave Rankin starts! The first was the finale in New York where Rankin tossed a complete game and we won 6-1. He allowed 12 hits, a run, and 3 walks with a pair of strikeouts. Former Star John Lawson led the offense, 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored. Doc Love, Mike Taylor, and Roy Ford all recorded two hit outings with the latter two driving in a pair of runs. He did pitch on the first, a hit and a strikeout before his next start. Both were against Baltimore, and a trio of errors made Rankin's stat line in the start a little uglier then it should have been. It didn't matter as we won 13-5, but he evened his record to 13 and 13 with 10 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), a walk, and 3 strikeouts. His 86 strikeouts are now second best in the league, he's matched his win total from last season, and his 3.80 ERA (122 ERA+) is the best of his career so far. The lessening of our offensive park factors has really benefitted Rankin as he was tagged for 27 home runs last year. This year's he's allowed just 9 in 210.2 innings pitched and he shouldn't allow more then 15. He's been the lone shining star on the staff and I think with Hardin Bates joining the staff he'll get a little of the weight off his back. To make room for Bates, I'll be DFA'ing the struggling Mike Smith.

As per usual, John Lawson was great 15-for-31 with a double, homer, 9 RBI's, 7 runs, and 3 walks. A lot of part time players did well too, with Paul McLain 5-for-16 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 3 RBI's in his first four games as a Cougar. He had a minor nagging injury, so I gave him a few days off to start the week, but it definitely didn't do anything to his bat. Mike Taylor was 5-for-11 with a double, 2 walks, and 3 RBI's. Pete Asher was 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored. Bert Wilson started all seven games, but he was a solid 9-for-28 with a double, triple, homer, 3 walks, 5 RBI's, and 8 runs scored. Ray Ford didn't have a great week, but he finally hit another home run.

Looking Ahead
Thankfully, we're off to start the week, and we'll get to head home for a much needed homestand. We'll host the Wolves for four before the Sailors for two. It's not a long homestand, just for the week, but I'm hoping it will help right the ship a bit. We're either going to finish 6th or 7th, as both the Wolves and Saints are 51-52 and I can't see us catching either. Toronto has been led by young ace Joe Hancock who's just been fantastic on the mound. The former first overall selection is 10-8 with a 3.43 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 59 walks, and 72 strikeouts in 149.2 innings pitched. Unfortunately, Chuck Cole has really struggled this season, 14-9 with a 4.95 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 73 walks, and 80 strikeouts in his 169 innings pitched. He's third in the CA in strikeouts and I expect his ERA to decline as the season winds down. The other three starters, Jake Smith (115), Chick Wirtz (110), and Otis Cook (103) all have above average ERA+ and I can see them finishing with five. What's scary is that there is still a lot of talent in the farm including George Garrison and Buddy Long who both project as top of the rotation pitchers. The offense has plenty of wholes, but offseason acquisition Larry Vestal looks like a piece to build upon. He's hitting .359/.411/.489 (122 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 64 RBI's in 462 trips to the plate.

It's only two with the Sailors, but they're 64-39 and tied for second with the Foresters and just four out of first. I'm not going to say I called it, but I did mention how I thought Merritt Thomas could be an effective starter. He's been far more then effective in his 19 starts, 12-5 with a 3.34 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 36 walks, and 62 strikeouts across 143 innings pitched. At just 28, Thomas could be starting the prime of his career and you can add his name to another long list of quality starters to come through the Sailors organization. All five of their starters have above average ERA+ and 9 or more wins in one of the most reliable rotations out there. Dick Walker has continued his excellent offensive season, slashing .335/.436/.499 (131 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, 19 steals, 76 walks, and 70 RBI's. He continues to be one of the most interesting players in the league and the face of the Sailors. 23-year-old rookie Jorge Nava has hit well too, slashing .325/.441/.466 (124 OPS+) with 3 homers, 13 steals, 24 doubles, and 45 RBI's in 363 trips to the plate. The week ahead will be tough and I can't see us scoring all that many runs. We may continue our fall, which may be better for the team. I want to pick up as many wins as possible, but we're not quite there yet.

Minor League Report
3B Hank Stratton (AA Mobile Commodores): Now up to 26, Hank Stratton has put together a very impressive hit streak. His July was impressive and he hit .431/.445/.569 with a homer and 27 RBI's which was good enough for the Batter of the Month award. He's a lefty hitter with an elite contact tool and he's really showing that off this year. In 410 trips to the plate he's got a .378/.392/.513 (137 OPS+) line, but Stratton almost always puts the ball in play. He has just three homers, 8 walks, and 16 strikeouts so almost 95% of his plate appearances ended with a fielder making a play. I'm not sure how this will pan out at our park, but at the right stadium, Stratton probably could hit .400. I wish he had an ounce of power, but for now Stratton is basically a better John Kincaid. He turns 22 in August, so there's a lot of time for the power to come around, but even without it he's a top five third basemen.

RHP Neal Wilkinson (B San Jose Cougars): We swept the Player of the Month awards in San Jose, with 1932 16th Round selection Neal Wilkinson taking the pitching portion. The 22-year-old was 4-0 with a 4.09 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. It's really not the most impressive month, but Wilkinson has had a strong year. In 16 starts he is 10-3 with a 4.97 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 36 walks, and 27 strikeouts in an extremely hitter friendly league. He's not one of our top pitching prospects anymore, but he's got the potential to develop into an interesting four pitch starter. He's got a decent curve and low 90s fastball, but his control can evade him at times and he's susceptible to high pitch counts. He had decent strikeout numbers in La Crosse, so I'm hoping he'll be able to boost it up from 2.4, even if it's not the 4.7 and 4.8 from the prior seasons.

1B Cuno Myer (B San Jose Cougars): The hitter portion of the award winners, the switch hitter slashed .423/.474/.596 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 25 RBI's, and 10 walks. A 22nd Round selection from 1932, Myer is in the midst of a breakout year. He's batting an impressive .360/.417/.469 (120 OPS+) with 4 homers, 71 RBI's, and 34 walks in his 379 plate appearances. I noted Myer's defense issues last season, and those are definitely still there, but at least he's hitting like he should. I'm not the biggest fan of bat only players, but a few more months like this last one and I'll find a way to like Myer.

Week 17: August 3rd-August 9th
 

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 43-60 (t-6th, 25 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ollie Page : 20 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.150 OPS
Amos LeBlanc : 21 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, .857 OPS
John Lawson : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .286 AVG, .739 OPS

Schedule
8-4: Loss vs Wolves (10-4)
8-5: Win vs Wolves (1-4)
8-6: Loss vs Wolves (8-3)
8-7: Win vs Wolves (3-6)
8-8: Loss vs Sailors (12-8)
8-9: Loss vs Sailors (11-4)

Recap
In the things I never would have expected to see during the season, Amos LeBlanc being listed as a Star of the Week was probably the #2 thing on that list, right next to winning another World Series. But with Roy Moore getting hurt on the 5th and heading to the DL, LeBlanc spent most of the week manning center. He looked pretty alright, 8-for-21 with 2 doubles and 3 runs driven in and scored. Luckily for us, Rich Langton is healthy again, so he'll take Moore's spot on the roster. Langton will go back to right, Love to left, and Wilson to center. Moore is likely out until September so he'll be ready to come back when rosters expand. It wasn't the only injury, as the often hurt George Johnson is out for the year after undergoing radial nerve decompression surgery. It makes me really want to call up Pug Bryan and let him start the rest of the way. At least for now, since we only need four starters this week, he'll remain in Mobile, but I might bring him up next week.

We also had a really rough week, just 2-4, but Milt Fritz put on a show. He tossed a complete game win with 5 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in our 4-1 win over the Wolves. It's been a long time since a good Fritz start, so hopefully he can build upon it. Hardin Bates first two starts sucked, 21 hits and 13 runs (11 earned) with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts in just 9.1 innings pitched. Not the start we were looking for, but it can only go up from here. Our hitters also struggled, even John Lawson, but only Ollie Page really showed out. He was 8-for-20 with a triple, homer, 5 RBI's, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Page is the third Cougar to reach double digits for home runs, and with one more steal, he'll be the first Cougar to reach ten. He may be having a slightly down season, a little rough on defense with just a .283/.346/.410 (93 OPS+) batting line with 30 extra base hits and 51 RBI's. He's seen his strikeouts jump a bit, but he's still just 26 and has a ton of talent on both sides of the field. He currently ranks as the 4th best shortstop in the FABL despite some of his struggles.

Looking Ahead
We start the week in Toronto with three against the Wolves. We managed to split the four game set. The only pitcher we missed last series was Otis Cook and we'll likely miss him again. We'll be stuck seeing Joe Hancock again as well, but should miss Chuck Cole. Offensively, they've added former #2 overall pick Freddie Malley back to the lineup and the veteran has had a run of success. He's hitting .352/.414/.507 (127 OPS+) with 2 homers, 33 RBI's, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 239 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Frank Huddleston has had an awful season, slashing .228/.270/.309 (43 OPS+) with 4 homers, 10 steals, and 26 RBI's in just over 300 plate appearances.

We're then off before three in Cleveland and then another off day. The Foresters could use the three wins, now 67-41, tied with the Sailors, and four and a half behind the Kings. Despite having Dean Astle, Lee Drouillard, and Eddie Quinn, the Foresters have two of the three top ERA leaders in the CA. Lyman Weigel leads the league with his 2.74 ERA (175 ERA+) and Sergio Gonzales checks in at third with his 3.23 ERA (149 ERA+). Gonzales has been a surprise, with a combined 13 starts and 13 relief appearances across 120 innings. He's 10-5 with 5 saves, a 1.33 WHIP, 37 walks, and 33 strikeouts. He's just 24 and could be another one of their strong options to eat innings. Unfortunately, Ben Turner has really been roughed up, 6-4 with a 6.47 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.70 WHIP, 38 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched. The hitting is great, also boasting three hitters with double digit homers, but we don't have a Dan Fowler. He's got 27 with 94 RBI's and 81 walks, more then three times his 26 strikeouts. With Max Morris hurt, they've been using rookie Mel Hancock Jr., and the 3rd Rounder has looked great. He's slashing .370/.449/.444 (121 OPS+) with 14 RBI's and 13 walks. I'm a big fan of the 23-year-old switch hitter who's shown the ability to fill in at all positions except pitcher and catcher. I'm hoping they eventually move him to short, making a certain George Dawson available, but one can only hope.

Minor League Report
RHP Karl Wallace (AA Mobile Commodores): After an excellent start in Mobile, Wallace had a few rough starts before a pair of excellent outings. He was brilliant against Knoxville, a 4-hit, 2 strikeout shutout in a 7-0 victory. That was his 10th start in AA, and he's 7-3 with a 3.70 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 31 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 87.2 innings pitched. It's been about two seasons since we grabbed Wallace from the Minutemen and he's developed exactly how I wanted him to. He's got a polished four pitch arsenal with a nice mid 90s fastball and he has nice command of his arsenal. The walks have rose a little since his promotion from Lincoln, but after a 1.3 BB/9, I imagined it to jump a little, just maybe not to 3.2. He's the #2 pitcher in our system and 59th in the league while my scout thinks he's a middle of the rotation options. I'm expecting bigger then that, potentially a #1 or #2, but not the "ace" type of a former Tommy Wilcox. I think the biggest sign of encouragement is his pitch count. In all but one of his starts, he's managed 110 or more pitches while getting every possible out except one in his starts. And the only one of less then 110? Well, that's just because the last start only needed 86. Ahh I'm excited for this kid!

Week 18: August 10th-August 16th
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 48-67 (6th, 27.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ollie Page : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .357 AVG, 1.007 OPS
Rich Langton : 27 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .852 OPS
Doc Love : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.003 OPS

Schedule
8-10: Win at Toronto (9-4)
8-11: Win at Toronto (8-7)
8-12: Loss at Toronto (2-3)
8-14: Win at Foresters (3-2)
8-15: Loss at Foresters (4-5): 11 innings
8-16: Loss at Foresters (2-13)

Recap
Pretty decent week, going 3-3 with a series win against the Wolves. We stole a game from the Foresters, almost got a second, but they're now three and a half behind the 76-40 Kings. Hardin Bates' third start was much better, and he kept the Foresters in check for 6 innings in the 3-2 win. He allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts. He didn't factor in the decision, but Allen Purvis tossed 3 scoreless with just 3 hits to get the win. It wasn't the only impressive pitching outing, as Milt Fritz tossed two strong starts. He had an 8 inning and 10 inning start, with 18 hits, 8 runs, 6 walks, and three strikeouts. He won one and got a no decision in the extra inning outing. Fritz is up to 15 wins on the season and could reach 20 for the second time in his career.

Ollie Page kept up his hot streak and was 10-for-28 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Doc Love had a strong week as well, 9-for-23 with a double, triple, four runs, and four walks. Not many other good performances, but Langton, Ford, Lawson, and all hit home runs. Langton is up to eight and barring another injury, seems like a lock for double digits in year two. I'm hoping he surpasses the 11 from last season, but it will be close. Lawson is three away from 20 which would be his most since 1930 when he hit 28. He's started to cool down a bit recently too, so I'm expecting another hot streak is right around the corner.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, but we'll head to Philadelphia to prepare for three with the Sailors. They're 70-45, but now five and a half behind the Kings for first. They're hanging in there and most definitely should not be counted out. They have made a pitching change, sending Chicagoan Oscar Morse to the pen in favor of southpaw Walt Wells. A 6th Round Pick in 1926, Wells debuted last year and relieved his first 77 games. He got a start against the Wolves on the 14th, but allowed 6 (5 earned) in 8 innings to drop to 10-4. This year he has 12 saves with a 3.12 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The 28-year-old is a three pitch pitcher with a nice low to mid 90s fastball and a "ground ball machine" because of how he mixes in his slider and curve. Looks to be a nod to his stuff, but between this and last season Wells has really improved his control. We'll see how it holds up in the rotation, but Philly is always good with picking pitching. The staff has gotten a lot of help from the bat of Bobby Bond, who's hitting an impressive .354/.411/.540 (134 OPS+) with 6 homers and 53 RBI's in 304 trips to the plate. He's bounced back nice from a rough 1935 and has really shown he deserves to start. I kept thinking he would stop hitting and yet he keeps on going.

We finish the week back home to host the 72-43 Foresters. We might luck out and miss Dean Astle, who has won more games then anyone else in the Continental Association this year. He's 17-11 with a 3.56 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 52 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 217.2 innings pitched. I never regret trading Astle, it got me Kincaid and a championship, but if only the Gothams didn't include him in the Joe Perret package... Then I wouldn't have to deal with him being so good. Of course, other then the struggling Turner, there is no easy draw in the rotation. We have not been hitting and I do not expect that to change this week.

Minor League Report
LF Leo Mitchell (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I hate how he's stuck in AAA... Another Player of the Week after a 16-31 week with 8 driven in. He's up to .378/.421/.514 (145 OPS+) on the season with 3 homers, 7 steals, and 49 RBI's across 347 trips to the plate. He's still not great in left, but it's only 73 games. He'll be back up in September, and I'll be playing him at both first and left while moving other guys around. I really want the outfield thing to work, but if not, he'll always have a space at first. I know Ray Ford can be okay out in left, but I'm really hoping Mitchell can at least be good.

RHP Harry Parker (AA Mobile Commodores): It only took three starts in Mobile before Harry Parker picked up his first complete game shutout. He allowed just 3 hits and 3 walks and picked up a strikeout in a 5-0 victory. Parker continues to be awesome and the prospect prognosticators keep giving him more love. He's up to 10th in our system and 74th in the league and I'm loving every bit of it. The towering righty is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 10 walks, and 8 strikeouts in his first 25.2 innings pitched. I love everything about him, all six of his pitches, the height, the 92 mile per hour fastball, and the extreme flyball tendencies.

**Checks notes**

Extreme flyball? Well, everyone has a flaw...

Thankfully, with the lessening of the home run factor, chances are it won't really matter if he gives up a lot of flyballs. Sure, the home runs are going to suck, but in the minors he's kept his HR/9 below 1 at each level. His changeup is amazing, his slider has great break, and he mixes his pitches well enough to keep batters off guard. He relies on finesse, not power, which may work out better for him. If he can force soft contact to hitters, the flyball tendency may be a plus as our outfield is big enough that a good center fielder (like Cy Bryant) can really benefit his future success.

Week 19: August 17th-August 23rd
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 51-70 (6th, 30.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Hardin Bates : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 7 BB, 6 K, 0.50 ERA
Doc Love : 23 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .348 AVG, 1.009 OPS
Ray Ford : 25 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, .863 OPS

Schedule
8-18: Win at Sailors (10-8): 10 innings
8-19: Win at Sailors (7-1)
8-20: Loss at Sailors (2-6)
8-21: Loss vs Foresters (2-10)
8-22: Loss vs Foresters (2-5)
8-23: Win vs Foresters (9-0)

Recap
This is the Hardin Bates I was looking for! What. A. Week! Two complete game victories against two really good teams. In total 6 hits, a run, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts. That's three consecutive starts with two or less run allowed so his Cougars stats are pretty. He's now 2-2 with a 3.78 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 19 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched. Not much else good, but Tommy Wilcox tossed 5.1 semi-vintageish innings of relief. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. I won't scare you with his stats, but if you sum up his BB/9 in his first three seasons with us it still falls short of his tally this year.

We didn't hit much either, but another good week for Doc Love. I think I'm going to be forced to roster Love for a while, but I can get used to 8-for-23 weeks with a homer, 3 doubles, 3 runs, 4 RBI's, and a pair of walks. Ray Ford had a decent week, 10-for-25 with a double, 3 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Rich Langton added another homer, drove in 7, and scored 5 in a 6-for-21 week.

Looking Ahead
Home for the week, wrapping up the four game set with the Foresters to start the week. We can split if we can put runs up against the CA's ERA leader Lyman Weigel. The 32-year-old is 13-4 with a 2.75 ERA (174 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 57 walks, and 77 RBI's in 170 truly elite innings. Against us? 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 11 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched.

After that it's the 48-74 Stars who are already eliminated from the playoffs. That means we're not too far away as they are three and a half behind us. Injuries have plagued the starts this season, now taking out the 38-year-old Dave Trowbridge. He's had an up and down season, but August was an excellent month pre-injury. He hit .361/.400/.574 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's in 65 trips to the plate. They're going to drop down a bit more with him leaving the bat as the lineup really thins out without him. On the pitching side Les Zoller continues his strong season. In 16 starts and 18 relief outings he is 7-9 with a 3.87 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 63 walks, and 89 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. I'd love to add him to our rotation and will probably make future attempts to bring him to his hometown.

We get a quick two with the cannons on Friday and Saturday and I'm hoping we miss Gus Goulding. Currently ranked 23rd in the FABL, the 23-year-old tossed a 7-hit, 2 walk, 5 strikeout shutout of the Stars which started a four game win streak. I'm fine with drawing any of the other arms in the rotation, but one thing we can't avoid is another hotshot top prospect. Car is 18th in the league and the 22nd Rounder is off to a hot start in his first 19 games. He's slashing .403/.449/.528 (149 OPS+) with 5 doubles, walks, and RBI's. He's a lefty hitter with the potential to hit for an extremely high average and he's consistently cut down his strikeouts as he's matured. Not too much power, but he's got a decent glove and a lot of speed. The Cannons have been playing Oscar King at third for now, but I think King is the stronger defender. He's one of the most exciting youngsters and the game and while he's no Billy Hunter, he's still got a tremendous ceiling. We start three with Montreal on Sunday, but I'll potentially cover them in our next report. I have a really busy Monday, but I still think I'll end up writing a report. It just might be really late like this one.