That is most certainly better the last three weeks! Keep it up!

We're on a nice little run right now. Did not expect to be anywhere near .500 two months into the season, but here we are!

Week 7: May 31st-June 6th
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 23-23 (t-4th, 6.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Rich Langton : 23 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.223 OPS
Billy Hunter : 24 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.077 OPS
Ray Ford : 22 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .318 AVG, .924 OPS

Schedule
5-31: Loss at Wolves (6-3)
5-31: Win at Wolves (3-7)
6-2: Win at Saints (5-3)
6-3: Loss at Saints (12-14)
6-4: Win at Saints (9-6)
6-5: Win at Cannons (6-0)
6-6: Loss at Cannons (5-7)

Recap
If you told me that we'd be .500 at any point in this season, I'd think you were crazy. But none the less, for the first time in almost three years the Chicago Cougars had a winning record! Sure, it was just 23-22, but that's a winning record none the less! Another winning week has brought us to an even record and fourth place in the Continental Association.

The biggest news of the week came courtesy of Dave Rankin. His start against the Wolves didn't go too well, but he picked up a save on the 2nd and 4th before tossing a 8-hit, 1 walk, 5 strikeout shutout over the Cannons to start that series. Rankin had a rough start to the year, but now he's on pace for just 19 losses and he has a strong 3.75 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.41 WHIP with 33 walks and 37 strikeouts. I'm hoping he can break 300 innings this season, something he was just an inning short of last season. Milt Fritz picked up another win, 8 innings with 12 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. This increased his FABL best ERA to 1.94 as he's the lone survivor with a sub 2 ERA. Fritz has to be the most painful and inconsistent pitcher ever, but when he's on, he's on. Oscar Morse split his two starts, 17 innings with 14 hits, 10 runs (8 earned), 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Jonah Brown had to make a spot start and it went poorly, 10 hits and 9 runs (4 earned) with a walk in just 3.2 innings pitched.

At the plate, we were slugging away and everyone hit. We totaled nine homers to increase our CA best to 37. Two came from Ford, two from Langton, and two from Lawson. Langton has really struggled this season, but slashed .391/.440/.783 with a double, triple, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 7 RBI's in his first good week of the year. He's almost brought his triple slash to an average split, .277/.320/.433 (98 OPS+) with 5 homers, 2 steals, and 17 RBI's. Lawson only hit .250 for the week, but Ford was 7-for-22 with three runs and seven driven in. Leo Mitchell also caught fire, 8-for-17 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, 3 walks, and an RBI. Billy Hunter continued his torrid start, 8-for-24 with a double, 3 triples, 3 RBI's, 6 runs, 6 walks, and a steal. Our catching and centerfield platoon decided to join in the fun, the catchers 9-for-27 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 runs, 2 walks, and 8 RBI's while the centerfielders were 11-for-31 with 3 doubles, a triple, RBI, 8 runs, 4 walks, and 2 steals. The only two that didn't hit this week were Love and Page who were both 6-for-26. They did add two triples, a homer, 11 RBI's, 10 runs, 2 steals, and 5 walks, so even they managed to help a bit.

Looking Ahead
May truly was a great month for us, playing .600 ball at 18-12. It sure beats the 2-9 April, but the team is giving me too much unwarranted excitement. If we keep winning like this I can already see myself making very bad trade choices to try to chase a championship, but I feel like that's half the fun. We do have some on hand replacements I might bringing up, the biggest one being Carlos Montes. He's getting reps out in right with Yates in center, but he's a strong defender an oozes with offensive talent. He's hitting just .221 in AAA, but with a .315 OBP, .448 slugging, and 131 OPS+. This is with help from 10 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, 9 steals, and 18 RBI's and walks. He's just 21 and only in year three of his pro career, but he seems to be ready to make some noise. On the pitching side Pug could be back soon, as he's looked much better in Milwaukee. In these five starts he is 3-1 with a 1.21 ERA (273 ERA+), 0.64 WHIP, 5 walks, and 17 strikeouts. This 5.2 K/9 is identical his total in the majors, but his walk rate is greatly cut down. Brown and Baggett haven't looked too good, so if Pug can get things back together, he'll be back in Chicago in no time. He even took Player of the Week as a pitcher with 13.1 shutout innings. He walked one, struck out seven, and allowed just 5 hits while picking up two wins.

One more in Baltimore, and the winner will claim fourth place for them self. It looks like a Gus Goulding-Milt Fritz matchup, good way to end the series from a fans perspective. Goulding has slumped a bit from his dominant 1936, but it's only a matter of time before he heats back up. After that it's off to Brooklyn for three with the first place Kings. Despite going 7-3, Art White has really been hit hard recently as his ERA has risen to 4.76 (92 ERA+). The former 3rd Rounder still has a nice 1.32 WHIP with 19 walks and 32 strikeouts, but while White has faltered, the rest of the group has continued their dominance. Joe Shaffner sits right behind Fritz in the ERA race, and he's 7-1 with a 2.42 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 20 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Tom Barrell and Mike Murphy boast 2.60 (168 ERA+) and 2.91 (150 ERA+) ERA's with outstanding WHIP's of 1.08 and 1.15. They are quite different pitchers, however, as Barrell struck out 10 his last outing while Murphy has 14 for the season. Despite all of Brooklyn's success, however, they've gotten nothing from the generally reliable Bill May and Harry Barrell. May is hitting just .255/.287/.345 (62 OPS+) with a homer, 9 steals, and 17 RBI's. Harry missed some time with injury, but he's hitting a slightly worse .254/.295/.316 (57 OPS+) with 9 RBI's. Both turn 24 this year (May already did), and that's not quite an age players start to decline at. I expect both to heat up real soon, and it's going to be tough for the rest of the league if those two start hitting.

We stay in New York and finish up our road trip with a three game series before an off game. The Stars have fallen onto tough times and are just 18-30 and 12.5 games out behind their interstate rival. They have gotten decent pitching, and former 12th Rounder George Phillips has put together a nice sophomore season. In his 8 starts he's 2-2 with a 4.04 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 21 walks, and 21 strikeouts. He has a really nice slider and a solid 90 mile per hour fastball. My scout thinks he can be a dependable middle of the rotation arm, and he'll be a nice addition to Harry Carter and Les Zoller. The offense, however, has really struggled and it's been even worse with Larry Colaianni out with a sprained ankle. He's hitting .293/.343/.476 (111 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, and 17 RBI's. They were hoping switch hitter and former 8th overall pick Art McMahon would break out at 26, but in his 71 plate appearances he's really struggled. The Hawaii native is hitting a paltry .239/.268/.254 (37 OPS+) which is far from the line expected for a top 10 prospect.

Minor League Report
1B Johnny Waters (Milwaukee Blues): I felt bad for sending him down to AAA to start the season, and he responded with a dominant May. Taking home Century League Batter of the Month, Waters hit .342 with 4 homers and 16 runs scored and driven in. The switch hitter only hit 7 homers last season in over twice as many plate appearances, and is already up to 6 this season. He's hitting a nice .279/.306/.485 (135 OPS+) with 16 doubles and 18 RBI's. Waters is excellent at putting the ball in play, with all but 11 of his 173 plate appearances ending with one. He's even looked okay at first, something he generally struggles with. A perfect bench bat, the only thing standing between him and a major league roster spot is Bill Ashbaugh, and I think Ashbaugh is closer to a coaching position then productive baseball player.

SS Jorge Camargo (Mobile Commodores): He won't be in Mobile any longer, but Camargo will leave with a Dixie League Player of the Month under his belt. Camargo came from independent ball in the offseason, and despite only a few seasons in A ball, he's really excelled with us. For the month he hit .310 with a homer, 13 RBI's, and 20 runs scored to improve his season line to .282/.364/.471 (151 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 8 steals, and 20 RBI's. The switch hitter has excellent speed, a great eye, and should develop into a solid defender. I'm working on boosting his versatility, with most of his time this season at second. He just turned 25 on the 2nd and is on the 40, so depending how he does in Milwaukee Camargo could end up spending some time in the big leagues. Our AAA infield has needed some help since Hunter left, so Camargo may be just what the Blues need to get back on track. He'll start at third for now, but I expect he'll move around a little depending who's hot and who's not.

RHP Cy Sullivan (Mobile Commodores): As if the season could get any better for former 4th Round Pick, the 23-year-old Sullivan tossed a nice 9-hit, 4 strikeout shutout of the Atlanta Peaches to even his record at 3-3. Don't let that record fool you, our offense has not supported him nearly enough. Cy's sporting a 1.60 ERA (197 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with 14 walks and 11 strikeouts in 62 strong innings. He's turning into one of those inning eaters like Rankin and after three years of throwing 87-89, he added an extra mile on his fastball. He has good control of all four of his pitches, but the slider is the only other one that's ready to go. If at least one of the curve or change develops, he could eventually start striking batters out, but he looks like a guy who's going to succeed by generating poor contact. He's going to need protection in the offseason from the Rule-5 draft, but either him or Harry Parker will be the next guy to reach AAA. He's expected to be an extremely reliable big league starter and he's so far been worth the wait.

CF John Johnson (A Lincoln Legislators): With all the Player of the Month winners, it only makes sense we'd also have a Player of the Week winner. Last year's 3rd Rounder, Johnson had an outstanding week, 13-for-21 with 2 homers, 8 RBI's, and 6 runs scored. The season hasn't gone great, but this week brought his single season line to .259/.325/.435 (101 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 steals, and 29 RBI's. A lefty hitter with a strong, lean frame, Johnson is an extra base machine and he can stretch singles to doubles and doubles to triple. He generally boasts a good eye as well, but he's walked (14) almost half as much as he's struck out (24). My scout thinks Johnson will be an above average center fielder, but OSA ranks him outside our top 30 and 410th in the league. At 23, is a little older then most of our prospects and it might be 25 or 26 before he gets a shot in the big leagues.

Amateur Report: High School
 

2B Roosevelt Brewer
School: Washington
Commit School: Whitney College
1937: .545/.611/.909, 110 PA, 11 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 28 SB
Career: .537/.588/.818, 476 PA, 55 2B, 16 3B, 9 HR, 133 RBI, 104 SB

In a regular draft, I would have probably done a lot to trade up to get Rosie. Not only is he a Chicago kid, but he went to Washington High School, a school I've actually played baseball against. Now, I don't expect them to ever have a draft prospect nearly as good as Brewer, who is leaps and bounds ahead of most draft prospects. Our first class of four year starters, Brewer is a highly touted shortstop with plus contact, excellent speed, and a strong glove. Turning 18 in September, Brewer is projected to be an elite starting second basemen and potentially a top 5 prospect in the league once he's selected. Brewer's lowest single season OPS in high school was 1.286 and he walked (43) almost four times as much as he struck out (11). At least how the mock is set up now, I know exactly what slots I'd want, and unfortunately Brewer's is not one of them. Very few high school prospects can be considered sure things, but if Brewer isn't an FABL starter in a few seasons I'll be beyond puzzled. He's got everything you want in a player both physically and mentally and he could probably play shortstop if he needed to. In a regular season, he'd go first or second, but it'll be interesting to see where Brewer ends up.

C Pete Casstevens
School: Syracuse
Commit School: Grafton University
1937: .491/.540/.938, 126 PA, 16 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .506/.551/.929, 379 PA, 43 2B, 6 3B , 29 HR, 123 RBI, 13 SB

If it wasn't for all the talented first year starters added to the pool, Brewer and Casstevens would have been the clear cut 1-2 in terms of upside. Of course, Ockie Holliday, Joe Pestilli, and my personal favorite Juan Pomales decided to throw their hats in the ring, and now this class looks way more talented then it did before the pool was officially published. Son of former Saint and Miner Clint Casstevens, Pete was born in 1919, Clint's rookie season with the Saints, which makes him Canadian. There are a lot of top Canadians, like Tom Taylor, but the younger Casstevens is one of the most exciting Canadian prospects we've seen. The power is completely unmatched behind the plate, and I can see this kid consistently hitting 30 in the FABL. There are a lot of good catchers in the league, with Tom Bird, George Cleaves, and T.R. Goins, but even Goins has fallen short of the 30 mark and he's the only one of the trio with more then 20 in a season. "Peanut" also has excellent plate discipline and I think he'll turn his contact tool into a plus skill as well. Behind the plate he handles himself well, and like Brewer, he projects to be a truly elite talent.

RHP Joe Standish Jr.
School: Brooklyn Tech
Commit School: Chesapeake State
1937: 10-1, 110.2 IP, 1.14 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 42 BB, 185 K
Career: 36-10, 466.1 IP, 1.62 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 146 BB, 604 K

Since we won't have much choice in the first two rounds, I tried to focus the rest of the report on lower mock guys or guys who aren't listed. Another draftee with professional pedigree, Juniors father spent most of his five season career in Cleveland. He had a few really good seasons, but my guess is the younger Standish will have the more successful career. He's no Peter the Heater (but then again, who is!), but the 6'4'' righty from New York is a towering hurler who strikes people out. His K/9 is a little lower then Papenfus', but his 185 strikeouts were best of any 1937 draftee this season and his 604 career strikeouts are only topped by the Prince of the Prairie Al Duster (you'll hear about him too). This is a very weak pitching class, especially at the high school level, and while scouts (mine included), aren't all that high on him, he might be #2 in my eyes for high school pitchers. He's a four pitch pitcher with a low 90s fastball leading the way. I expect him to add more velocity, which will help fill out his arsenal. He also features a cutter, slider, and change, but those pitches have a lot of work needed. He does have a deceptive sidearm windup which should help keep up the strikeouts, but he may develop issues against lefties. It also could be effecting his control, as he does get into trouble when he walks guys. But, knowing the path his father took, he knows that to succeed he has to keep getting better, and he's always looking for ways to improve his game. He's a project arm for sure, and with a lack of many standout arms, one I'd be willing to invest in.

RHP Al Duster
School: Council Bluffs
Commit School: Calumet Catholic
1937: 9-1, 110.1 IP, 1.06 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 24 BB, 170 K
Career: 38-4, 445 IP, 1.13 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 86 BB, 637

While I did not expect to see Standish on the mock, I was really shocked that Duster was not listed. Duster was the model of consistency, with all four season his ERA stuck between 1.06-1.16 and his WHIP 0.83-0.89. Another big strikeout arm, Duster fell just short of 200 last season and finished each season with an 11.5 or higher K/9. He's shorter and doesn't throw as hard, but the Prince of the Prairie has an off the charts changeup and he projects to feature a well above average forkball and slider. If he can add some velocity to his 85-87 fastball, I can see that turning into a fourth average or better offering. My scout and OSA think he may develop control issues, but he did a decent job keeping walks down in high school. Duster looks to be a middle of the rotation innings eater and will likely be one of the first few selections once we hit the third round. In a class dominated by excellent position players, he's one of the few arms who's able to shine through.

SS Billy Tate
School: Rochester
Commit School: College of Waco
1937: .447/.468/.632, 113 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 15 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .500/.515/.718, 470 PA, 55 2B, 19 3B, 116 RBI, 67 SB

Obviously Brewer is the best Chicagoan in the pool, but Billy Tate put together a decent four year career as well. A natural shortstop, Tate has also got some experience at second and third, but he's not the greatest defender out there. He doesn't walk or strikeout much, just 21 and 18 times respectively in his four seasons, and he didn't hit a single homer. So what is Tate good at? The kid is an extra base hit machine and he slugged over .700 his first three seasons before the drop off this year. A lot of players saw their batting stats drop a bit, so it's not really an issue, especially when you consider that he's never failed to have an OPS over 1.000. He looks like a bench bat, but I love adding Chicago kids in the later rounds, and sometimes they rake in the minors like Oscar Panduro.

CF Jeff Cochran
School: Wilmington
Commit School: Oklahoma Bible College
1937: .455/.522/.848, 116 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 25 SB
Career: .466/.534/.834, 224PA, 30 2B, 10 3B, 7 HR, 55 RBI, 45 SB

This class is loaded with center fielders, so it's pretty easy to lose the switch hitting Jeff Cochran in the shuffle. But if you want to go with cherry picked stats, he's one of three draft eligible hitters (the others Ockie and Brewer) who hit 5 or more homers, stole 20 or more bases, and featured an OPS of 1 or higher in the 1937 season. An extremely athletic player, Cochran has great speed and projects to be an above average defender out in center. He's got good pop at the plate, and he'll consistently hit flyballs in the outfield. He also struck out just once last year (five this season) and he can draw his share of walks. I think he's got the potential to start, but Cochran could fall to the later rounds of the human portion just because of the pool.

CF Doc Stiles
School: Port Richmond
Commit School: Rainier College
1937: .407/.495/.698, 107 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, SB
Career: .402/.497/.735, 462 PA, 56 2B, 8 3B, 18 HR, 105 RBI, 20 SB

Another centerfielder likely to get lost in the shuffle, the New Yorker Doc Stiles hit more high school homers then any draft prospect who isn't named Pete Casstevens. 18 in four seasons doesn't sound like all that much, but very few high schoolers hit five homers in a season and even fewer can repeat that. Stiles is a rather slow runner and likely won't end up in center, likely destined for a corner, but he did play a little second base in high school. He's not much of a contact hitter, but he's got significant power potential with a strong eye at the plate. He walked 15 or more times each season and kept his strikeouts in the single digits.

RHP Cliff Atkinson
School: Beaver
Commit School: Constitution State
1937: 10-0, 101.1 IP, 0.80 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 14 BB, 163 K
Career: 29-1, 321 IP, 1.15 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 55 BB, 477 K

If preventing runs is your thing and you like pitchers who win, then look no further then Cliff Atkinson. And if you ignore his clearly outlying freshman year, he was a perfect 25-0 with a miniscule 0.87 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in 266.2 innings pitched. These are just outstanding numbers and it's really quite shocking why Atkinson is rated so low. That is, until you take a deeper look. Atkinson is a two pitch pitcher, and while his curveball is excellent and his fastball effective, his change up is more or less useless at this point. Of course, he has a lot of time to develop it, but that's going to be the key to his success. He throws in the upper 80s, generates a ton of swings and misses with the curve, and he's continued to show improvement with his command. Now that I can't designate the 2nd Round to a pitcher anymore, I think I'm going to ride the Bill Scott/Harry Parker success, and pencil in a pitcher like Atkinson for the 7th Round. My scout thinks there are 20 pitchers better then him, so a fall to the 7th is a possibility, but there's likely to be a huge rush for pitchers once the 3rd Round starts.

LF Bob Prewitt
School: Erin
Commit School: Gates University
1937: .467/.564/.756, 111 PA, 15 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .473/.565/.735, 465 PA, 66 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 105 RBI, 29 SB

A switch hitting corner bat, Bob Prewitt may not be all that high in demand with all the center field options. Nonetheless, the switch hitter from Kentucky is one of the most talented pure hitters, consistently putting the ball in play with the occasional longball. He struck out just 15 times in his four year prep career, which is just slightly higher then the 14.5 walks per season he averaged. He has a quick bat, great strike zone recognition, and an above average contact tool. He won't crush off-speed pitches, but he can fight them off to hold out for a pitch he can handle. He'll hit the ball to all fields and it takes a lot to rattle him even if he's slumping. What impressed me most is how he held up his regular statline in a down 1937 season for hitters, which bodes well for his true talent.

Amateur Report: College
 

CF Juan Pomales
School: St. Francis
1937: .313/.383/.455, 310 PA, 13 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 39 SB
Career: .313/.383/.455, 310 PA, 13 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 39 SB

Let's just say in a normal draft, Juan Pomales would be a Cougar. Yes Brewer and Casstevens are better and yes this kid only played one season, but the talent is unmatched. Born in Havana, Pomales spent most of his life in Cuba before coming stateside to play for St. Francis to become eligible for the draft. The speedy center fielder had a season best 10 triples (tied with Ben Brazel) and his 39 steals were one short of a tie for the lead. He's got an outstanding contact tool, is a sound defender, and has an arm that makes average right fielders uncomfortable. This kid is filled to the brim with talent, and to add on, "El Conejo" (the Rabbit) gives off some two-way player vibes. On the mound he sits in the low to mid 80s, but he has a nice sinker that generates a lot of groundballs. He didn't pitch in his lone college year, but I think he could turn into a reliable arm, especially with some increased speed. Pomales is a senior, and will turn 23 in October, but he could potentially pull a Sal Pestilli and slot right into the starting lineup. Don't get me wrong, Pestilli is worlds better, but he's likely to join the elite Cuban outfielders club that already hosts Pablo Reyes and hopefully Carlos Montes.

RHP Duke Hendricks
School: Baton Rouge State
1937: 8-5, 120.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 37 BB, 98 K
Career: 21-14, 320.2 IP, 3.51 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 114 BB, 224 K

The only pitcher the Mock Draft overlords view as worthy of a second round (or higher) selection, the intelligent Duke Hendricks could be the only pitcher selected in the first two rounds of the 1937 June draft. The biggest news for the junior was his strikeouts, jumping from 5.9 to 7.3 as he finished his best season yet. The 5'8'' righty sits comfortably in the mid 80s with a well developed four pitch mix. He's got pinpoint control and locates his changeup really well to generate both whiffs and weak contact while his cutter works well up and inside. His forkball looks decent too, but he needs to add more break to his curve if he wants a fourth reliable offering. Despite not getting the best movement on his pitches, he still keeps the ball on the ground and shouldn't have issues with home runs. I think Hendricks can front a rotation and is probably the only arm that bears that moniker. He looks to be a quick riser as well, and one of the sixteen teams is going to luck into a really good pitcher.

3B Spud Bent
School: Maryland State
1937: .305/.404/.488, 286 PA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 9 HR, 52 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .304/.401/.496, 1,072 PA, 56 2B, 8 3B, 34 HR, 189 RBI, 151 SB

I'm not usually a fan of corner players, but I'll make an exception for Spud Bent. A four year senior, Bent turns 21 on July 25th and holds multiple feeder league counting stat records. The New Yorker has decent range at third, but he makes more then his share of errors out there. It won't matter, as his bat more then makes up for it. Let's start with the eye; 123 walks versus 53 strikeouts. Bent was more likely to end up on second base then seeing a third strike. And when he walked or singled, he'd probably steal second anyways with one of his 151 collegiate steals. Then there is the power. Some of the doubles are singles stretched, but that has nothing to do with his 34 homers. He'll tire you out at the plate, you'll leave him a pitch he can hit, and it'll fly over the wall. Bent consistently sprays liners all across the field and it's next to impossible to get him out. If you couldn't tell already, Bent is one of my personal favorites in the draft, and how it's shaping out right now, I really like his group. Bent's consistency is unmatched, and I think he's going to be one of the best third sackers in the game.

RHP Preacher Pietsch
School: Brooklyn Catholic
1937: 6-5, 107.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 28 BB, 37 K
Career (COL): 21-15, 341 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 120 BB, 147 K
Career (HS): 8-1, 82.1 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 20 BB, 110 K

A rarity in Figment, Pietsch was a 7th Round selection by the Eagles in 1934, but failed to sign and decided to attend Brooklyn Catholic instead. Pietsch was one of the top pitchers in that class, but he made it rather clear he wouldn't sign if he wasn't a top pick. College may not have gone as he planned, but there is no way Pietsch falls to the seventh again, and my guess is the skinny 6'6'' righty will be a third round selection. Unfortunately for Pietsch, since freshman year his ERA rose each year while his K/9 dropped. My scout isn't his biggest fan, but Pietsch is a projectable arm who sits comfortably in the high 80s with his fastball and cutter. He misses in a curve and splitter, and like Hendricks, he looks to be a quick riser. The ERA this year was concerning, ranking 9th of the draft eligible college arms and just Bill Willman (8th) had easier competition then him, but his college career ERA is tied for 5th. One of his greatest strengths is limiting homers, and he does hit his spots well. His curve looks to be the go-to pitch, it features strong movement and will lead to swings outside of the zone. There are a lot of question marks around Pietsch, but considering the lack of standout arms, he at least has a few standout tools. Definitely not an ace, but he's no Allen Purvis either.

RF Sherry Lewis
School: Daniel Boone College
1937: .275/.376/.534, 245 PA, 12 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 42 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .263/.368/.534, 558 PA, 25 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 84 RBI, 10 SB

Sure, Sherry Lewis will never hit for a high average, but that's not usually the case for three true outcome players. Lewis walked 31 times, struck out 32 times, and hit 13 homers as a junior with 72, 74, and 23 respectively in his two seasons. It's not quite the best comparison (mainly because of position), but Lewis reminds me a lot of Detroit's Claude Merrill; low average with strong OBP and slugging. His bat will have to carry him, as a corner player needs to hit to force himself into anyone's plans, but it's hard to find power like him. He hits a lot of flyballs, which bodes well for a future Cougar, so if Lewis slips further then he should, he could be one of the few corner bats I decide to take.

2B Henry Sheridan
School: Empire State
1937: .296/.400/.435, 306 PA, 13 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 48 RBI, 33 SB
Career: .288/.392/.420, 848 PA, 34 2B, 17 3B, 9 HR, 124 RBI, 110 SB

A Chicagoan in the Empire city, Henry Sheridan was a productive three year starter atop the Centurions lineup. The speedy infielder has an outstanding eye, and should end up walking more then he strikes out like he did in college. He recorded a ton of triples, and can even surprise you with a few homers. He has an okay swing which can lead to a nice average, but he's not really a contact hitter. His selectiveness allows him to put the ball in play frequently as he won't swing at poor pitches. He could end up a .300 hitter, but he'll need to take strides to make more consistent contact. As a groundball hitter he won't hit too many homers, but he looks good at second and could handle short if needed. I was a little surprised he was in the top two of the mock, especially with how deep the second base class is.

RHP John Little
School: Marquis College
1937: 9-6, 132 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 35 BB, 87 K
Career: 21-23, 387.2 IP, 5.20 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 183 BB, 215 K

Ahh, the beauty of stats only! I was using my database to look at ERA leaders, and I came upon a name I didn't quite recognize, so I just assumed that he was one of those one year starters. For John Little, it probably would've been better that way, but something changed between 1936 and 1937. He did up his velo from 84-86 to 87-89, but it has to be more then that. All his numbers changed; his BB/9 plummeted, his K/9 rose, his ERA and WHIP sank, his record flipped, and his homers? Well, those stayed the same. Little went from an awful innings eater who can't locate the zone with a home run problem to a dominant innings eater who somehow mastered his control. Very few college arms pitched more then Little, who was just 12.1 innings short of 400 college innings. He's got an alright slider, but his overall stuff isn't that good. So the real question, is Little the 9-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 35 BB, 87 K pitcher or the 12-17, 6.02 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 148 BB, 128 K pitcher? I'm leaning towards the reimagined Little. His pitches are much better this year then before and I have to imagine he received a control boost as you don't go from walking 72 to 35 randomly. I think Little will be a cool lottery ticket prospect to follow, and he could potentially be a quality FABL starter.

Week 8: June 7th-June 13th
 

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 26-27 (5th, 7.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 32 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .344 AVG, .979 OPS
Billy Hunter : 29 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .345 AVG, 1.062 OPS
Ray Ford : 25 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.060 OPS

Schedule
6-7: Loss at Cannons (1-5)
6-8: Loss at Kings (7-8)
6-9: Loss at Kings (2-6)
6-10: Loss at Kings (11-15): 12 innings
6-11: Win at Stars (8-3)
6-12: Win at Stars (8-5): 11 innings
6-13: Win at Stars (8-3)

Recap
The start of the week was rough, but after the loss to the Cannons and Al Wheeler leading the Kings to a sweep after a 12th inning walk-off grand slam, we took our anger out on the Stars and swept them with 8 runs a piece. It's an off day to start our week as we inch ever closer to the draft. This has been an interesting season, most of the batters have done well, but Ollie Page and Rich Langton have really struggled. While most of the offense was killing it, those two combined to go 9-for-56 with a homer, 4 RBI's, 4 runs, and 5 walks while each struck out 4 times. They have OPS+ of 58 and 82 on the season, no where near their first two season numbers. There is still time for a comeback, but I have no idea what is wrong with either of them.

Luckily, we have guys like Ray Ford and John Lawson, who just know how to hit! Ford had another outstanding week, including a 5-for-5 day as he finished the week 10-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple, 6 RBI's, 3 walks, and 5 runs scored. Lawson continued to supply the power, 11-for-32 with 2 homers, a double, 4 walks, and 8 runs driven in and scored. Lawson has 10 homers on the season, tied for second in the entire league behind Al Wheeler's 15. Of course, there's also our superstar 22-year-old Billy Hunter, who hit his 5th homer and was 10-for-29 with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 walks, 4 RBI's, and 7 runs scored. This kid has been amazing, slashing .324/.408/.618 (169 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 18 RBI's, and 16 walks with a +1.6 zone rating and 1.034 efficiency at short. Doc Love had a nice week, 10-for-28 with a double, homer, and 6 driven in. Even Leo Mitchell got in on the fun, 7-for-20 with a double, homer, 4 RBI's, and 6 runs scored. Bert Wilson made the most of his three starts, 6-for-16 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBI's.

We did have some issues on the mound, but that wasn't because of Fritz or Rankin. Fritz's ERA is above 2 now, but he tossed 18 innings with 18 hits, 9 runs (5 earned), 8 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He won his start against the Stars but the lost the finale against the Canons. Rankin left one of his starts early (the win), but also split like Fritz. He went 13.1 with 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. No one would mistake them for Tom Barrell and Mike Murphy or Dean Astle and Sergio Gonzales (I guess...), but this is a decent top 2. Very shaky behind them, but Oscar Morse had a nice outing. He went all nine with 9 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks in the first 8-3 win over the Stars.

Looking Ahead
I'll use the off day to make a few roster moves, starting with the return of Pug Bryan. His 6 starts in Milwaukee have been outstanding, 3-2 with a 1.51 ERA (218 ERA+), 0.70 WHIP, 7 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. This was far better then the garbage he threw in the majors, but obviously he's far too good for AAA. I fully expect him to get beat up back in Chicago, but maybe the stronger middle infield defense will help Pug get back on track. He'll replace Rule-5 pick Jim Baggett, who will head back to the Foresters. He was roughed up in his 21.2 innings, sporting a 8.72 ERA (48 ERA+) and 2.03 WHIP. He was 1-4 with a save, 12 walks, and 8 strikeouts. The other move is a little more exciting, as I'll be purchasing the contract of Carlos Montes from AAA Milwaukee. The 21-year-old was the 12th Overall pick in 1934, and was hitting a nice .217/.297/.434 (121 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, 11 steals, and 21 RBI's in 195 trips to the plate. Yes, the average is a little low, but Billy Hunter barely hit .300 and is slashing over .340 in the majors. Montes has game changing speed, a reliable eye at the plate, and legitimate power. He's an outstanding defender, and if my scout is to believed, he "has the highest ceiling imaginable as an elite center fielder." He'll replace Roy Moore, who's hitting .250/.316/.385 (85 OPS+) with 2 steals and 6 RBI's in 57 PA's. My scout thinks Montes is the best current centerfielder as well as the one with the most upside in our system, so it's time to see what he can do. I'm going to give Moore some time in right, a position he hasn't really played. The whole AAA outfield will now be out of position; Roberts in center, Yates in left, and Moore in right.

Montes' first big league experience will come at home against the fourth place Cannons. Baltimore is a game over .500 at 28-27 and six and a half out of first. They will be without their most effective pitcher this season, Pinky Conlan, who will miss the next two weeks with a herniated disc. My guess is Dutch Leverett returns to the rotation. The 34-year-old is 2-2 with 4 saves, a 4.82 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 28 innings out of the pen. They've also moved Jim Alexander into the lineup over Bunny Stapleton, as Alexander is hitting a productive .319/.379/.479 (125 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 30 RBI's. This will help the struggling Abel Man, who despite a 4-for-6 to end the week, has seen his line deflate to .279/.343/.426 (102 OPS+).

After Baltimore it's three with the Stars before another day off. At 21-34, they have one more win and one more loss then Toronto, so they share last place. Art McMahon may be making his way to the DL after a quadriceps strain. He can play through it, but it has an approximately four week recovery period. The Stars have had a tough time finding productive offensive regulars, with Dave Trowbridge's 102 OPS+ the only one above 90 in the lineup. The top three in the rotation is pretty solid, but the offense doesn't give them enough support. They'll get Larry Colaianni back in a week or so, which should help improve the lineups production. There is something to be hopeful for as a Stars fan, as top prospect Johnny Hopper is up in AAA and could debut sometime this season. The backstop was selected 16th overall in the 1932 draft and looks to be a .350 hitter with an excellent glove behind the plate.

Minor League Report
2B Cal Lofton (B San Jose Cougars): One of our more under the radar farmhands, Lofton was our 15th Round Pick in 1934 and while he appeared in 112 games his first two seasons, just 15 of those were starts. Now up in San Jose, Lofton has received everyday at bats and he's seized the opportunity. In 180 plate appearances (more then the first two seasons), he's hitting .260/.378/.513 (126 OPS+) with 6 homers, 16 steals, and 22 RBI's. The 21-year-older is a speedy second basemen with a nice eye at the plate that should lead to impressive on base percentages. He doesn't usually strike out as much as he is this year, but I think that's more from the level increase. He doesn't have the highest upside, likely just a utility player, so the upcoming draft could take away some of his playing time. We have a lot of young infielders in La Crosse, so chances are any college infielder will head to San Jose first. Right now he's fighting for a starting position, but that's a noticeable improvement from the last two seasons where he was fighting for a roster spot.

LHP Doc Smith (C La Crosse Lions): Taken 21st Overall in the 1935 draft, Smith made it to San Jose last season, but he started the year in La Crosse with the influx of arms. His trip with the Lions lasted 9 starts, as despite going 3-5, he had a 2.53 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 13 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. The southpaw will head back to San Jose, where he was 5-3 with a 4.98 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP with 7 walks and 18 strikeouts in 9 starts last season. A five pitch pitcher, Smith uses his mid 80s sinker to keep the ball on the ground while he attack hitters with a fastball and cutter. He has a pair of secondary offerings; a change and split, but really only the change is exciting now. It could end up as his best pitch, as he uses it to fool batters with two strikes. It's worked so far, an impressive 6.8 K/9 in C ball, but I doubt he'll be able to maintain that. OSA and my scout aren't his biggest fans, but Smith has almost everything you look for in a starting pitcher. He's a little short, just 5'7'', but his command and movement are effective and he reminds me a bit of Dick Lyons. He's a bit older, 23 in October, but he could have a slow climb up the system.

C Steve Mountain (C La Crosse Lions): Our 9th Round Pick in 1935, I selected Steve Mountain for one reason; his elite defense behind the plate. What I did not expect, however, was the elite plate discipline. Sure, he was almost even with RBI's, walks, and strikeouts last season with 55-54-53, but this year has been a little different. In 142 plate appearances, he has an uneven .200/.401/.324 (112 OPS+) batting line with 3 doubles, 3 triples, and 12 RBI's. His OBP is double his average, walking 35 times with just 9 strikeouts. The soon to be 20-year-old is on pace for a whopping 100 walks in just over 400 PA's. He's walking at nearly a 25% clip and far more then he's getting a hit. He'll never hit for a high average, or any power, but if you can draw 100 walks a season while stealing pitch after pitch for your pitcher, then who cares! He's got a long climb up, but Mountain is the perfect glove first catcher to supplement Harry Mead once he's ready.

Week 9: June 14th-June 20th
 

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 28-31 (5th, 8.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 22 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.182 OPS
Carlos Montes : 26 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .231 AVG, .695 OPS
Mike Taylor : 20 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .300 AVG, .714 OPS

Schedule
6-15: Win vs Cannons (1-5)
6-16: Loss vs Cannons (6-1)
6-17: Loss vs Cannons (7-4)
6-18: Win vs Stars (3-7)
6-19: Loss vs Stars (6-3)
6-20: Loss vs Stars (4-3)

Recap
Well, this was a rather disappointing week... Two series at home, and after winnings the openers, we dropped the final two. We'll have an off day to lick our wounds, but I was hoping this could be a nice week for the team playing the Cannons and Stars. Baltimore has gotten the better of us this season, but we were 7-2 against the Stars coming in. Let's start with our most recent debut; Carlos Montes. It wasn't a great week by any means, but he was 6-for-26 with a double, homer, and 7 RBI's. He was also a perfect 28-for-28 in the field. Not quite a Billy Hunter debut, but it's a little unfair to compare any debut week to his.

I mentioned the struggles of Ollie Page and Rich Langton and they both took it personally. Most of the offense struggled this week, but there bats were working. Page was 4-for-12 with a double, RBI, two runs, two walks, and a steal. Langton was just 4-for-18, but with a double, triple, homer, steal, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBI's. That pair and John Lawson were the only ones with above average weeks, but Lawson blew both of them out of the water. Somehow he still hasn't gotten a Player of the Week , but he was 9-for-22 with 2 homers, 4 RBI's, 4 walks, and 6 runs. He's caught fire recently, improving his line to .339/.382/.524 (139 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 12 homers, and 37 RBI's. He also picked up hit 2,000 (and 2,001) against his former team. For his career, Lawson has an outstanding .354/.405/.518 (147 OPS+) career line with 165 homers and 1,024 RBI's across 1,415 FABL games. He seems likely to reach 200 hits for the 8th time in his career, and he does have a longshot chance to reach 3,000. He became the 60th player to reach 2,000 while only 10 players have reached 3,000.

On the pitching side, Pug made a pair of good starts, 15 innings with 14 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Unfortunately, he got a no decision in the opener against the Cannons and lost the 4-3 game to the Stars, so he's just 1-5 on the season. Nonetheless, I'm excited to see him back on the right track, and hopefully it's smooth sailing the rest of the way out. Dave Rankin was roughed up in his start, 7.2 innings with 13 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Milt Fritz, however, continued his nice run, tossing 8 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, and a walk.

Looking Ahead
It's draft time! We're doing the pool selection as I type up this article. My first pool is group 6, which contains Marv Smith, Spud Bent, Duke Hendricks, and Bob Pettaway. It's funny, Smith is the highest rated of the four, but the only one me and my scout do not like. I'd kill for Bent, but Hendricks is a nice secondary and Pettaway's versatility makes him an excellent option. It's looking like I'll also be able to get group 3 [got the last spot!], which while as not as deep, contains Juan Pomales, who I'd also kill for. Wes Parks looks good too, and there's also the option for the Chicago kid Henry Sheridan. Last is Charlie Nathan, and my scout is a fan of all four of these guys more then Smith, so there really is no "bad" pick in this group, just guys I want much less then Bent/Hendricks/Pomales. I did have a chance to enter the first group (which had Brewer and Casstevens), but Bud Mullen and Alex Turner don't excite me all that much. The rest of the draft will be run after, which likely means we won't play any games tomorrow. I am not looking forward to all the impending cuts, but fortunately this pool doesn't feel all that deep, which should make things a lot easier. But I know those lesser prospects in the system are really sweating right now...

With the games, we're off to start the week before welcoming the Montreal Saints into town. Montreal sits at 26-34 and 11 games outside of first place. Pablo Reyes has cooled down a little, but he's still batting an outstanding .328/.376/.516 (128 OPS+) with 5 homers, 10 steals, 37 RBI's and 19 walks compared to 6 strikeouts. He's hit 27 doubles, on pace for almost 70 doubles with 27 already. Adam Mullins has started to heat back up, slashing .328/.427/.432 (122 OPS+) with 2 homers and 30 RBI's as he's looking to get selected to his first All Star game. The most impressive thing is his discipline, 36 walks with just 3 strikeouts! That's just insane! On the pitching side, Bill Ross has looked good in his 8 starts, 3-2 with a 3.49 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts. George Thomas has continued his fall, but Walker Moore, Earle Whitten, and Jake DeYoung all have approximately league average ERA+'s.

We then finish our homestand with three against the first place Kings. They're 37-23 and tied with the Foresters, but are without Tom Barrell who strained his hamstring. Bob Cummings entered the rotation, but he's had a tough season, 1-1 with a 5.32 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.94 WHIP, 18 walks, and 17 strikeouts in a start and ten relief appearances. Of course, Joe Shaffner and Mike Murphy have provided elite level production, while former 1st Overall Pick Curly Jones has excelled in a swingman role. He's 2-3 with a 3.60 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 17 walks, 14 strikeouts, and a save in 45 innings. The Kings offense is second in homers behind us, but it's really just Al Wheeler, as Billy Hunter's five would be good for second on the Kings (fifth for us). Wheeler has launched 15 and drove in 58 while slashing .341/.430/.636 (172 OPS+) with 35 walks and 58 RBI's. Frank Lightbody has looked good in limited time though, batting .388/.453/.529 (153 OPS+) as it looks like he's supplanted the struggling Bill May in center. Another part-timer Elmer Nolde has looked good, 4 homers and 20 RBI's with a .282/.406/.491 (131 OPS+) line in 133 plate appearances. Third basemen turned second basemen John Langille has had an excellent bounce back season, batting .320/.409/.495 (133 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 35 RBI's. He's also got an excellent walk-to-strikeout ratio, 31 to 6 so far.

Minor League Report
RHP Cy Sullivan (AA Mobile Commodores): It's getting harder and harder to keep Sullivan down in AA, but after promoting Harry Parker last sim, there really isn't room in the AAA rotation unless I want to expand it to six. Sullivan has been dominant with the Commodores, and he just tossed a 6-hit, 3 strikeout shutout of the Chattanooga Reliables. This brought Sullivan's ERA back below 2 to 1.99 (158 ERA+) with a 1.08 WHIP, 16 walks, and 17 strikeouts in his first 10 AA starts. This is now his fourth start without an earned run and third shutout in his last five starts. He's still working on polishing up his secondary stuff, but he's not much of a stuff pitcher anyways. Sullivan uses his control to locate pitches and works on finessing more then overpowering. Unfortunately, like Hunter, Sullivan is a little lazy, but it hasn't quite held him back yet. I think that's why it's taken him so long to develop, but other then Pete, he's easily got the most upside in the system.

1B Cuno Myer (A Lincoln Legislators): He started the season in San Jose, and while it was just a short stop, he rode that momentum all the way up to Lincoln. Myer took home another Player of the Week, going 12-for-27 with 2 homers and 8 driven in. Myer is hitting an outstanding .367/.456/.578 (171 OPS+) with 6 homers and 32 RBI's with a nice 23-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Unfortunately for Myer, he's stuck down here with Johnny Waters in AAA and Bobby Mills in AA at first above him. He turned 23 at the beginning of June, and as he's aged he's significantly improved his eye and now his power is starting to spike. After 11 A ball homers last year, he's got 10 between San Jose and Lincoln and it's only a matter of time before he sets another career high. The kid hits the ball hard, but he may be lost in the shuffle with all the quality prospects in the organization. Myer ranks 50th in our system, but there are very few hitters with as much talent with the bat as him. Fortunately, bat first first basemen aren't all that sought after, so I'm not too worried losing Myer in the Rule-5 Draft this offseason. I'm not sure I can ever see him as a starter, but he looks to be a very valuable pinch hit option.

1937 Draft Lottery
 

RF Marv Smith
School: Portland Tech
1937: .268/.362/.424, 260 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 33 SB
Career: .268/.362/.424, 260 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 33 SB

Well this sucks... In all honesty, I don't think I would have even wasted a 5th Rounder on Marv Smith, but he's the newest addition to the Cougars anyways. A one year starter at Portland Tech, my scout and OSA really aren't a fan of his, but the mock thinks he's the 11th best player in the pool. I barely even scouted Smith, so not much I can add on him, but the power looks okay. Still, very little value in a 22-year-old corner outfielder who screams bench bat. I guess what's cool is he's from Montana, and I'm not sure there have been any FABL players born in Montana. Granted, I'm not sure he'll make it either.

RF Ray Powell
School: Little Rock
Commit School: Spokane State
1937: .420/.505/.716, 106 PA, 12 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 24 SB
Career: .426/.505/.693, 213 PA, 24 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 54

I didn't think it could have turned out any worse, but somehow, the stars aligned and it did... I liked three of the four players in both of the slots I picked, and both times got the player I didn't want. Of course, both my scout and OSA say bench player again, and Powell is another guy I wouldn't have taken with a pick before the fifth. In fact, I have never taken two corner outfielders in the five picks, and Ed Reyes is the only corner outfielder I've ever taken in the first two rounds. I also barely scouted Powell, and while at least Smith can play center, Powell is strictly a corner outfielder. He does triple a lot, so that's cool, but nothing really else interesting about him.

Whelp, number one farm was fun while it lasted...

One way to look at it, there should be some good players in the new, official round 1.

Trade News!
 

This trade was made 100,000% because I was very angry with how the draft shook up, and is likely an overpay, but I don't even care. I needed Juan Pomales. Even if it costed Karl Wallace and Stumpy Beaman (plus I get Del Burns). I covered Pomales in my amateur report, and I didn't even hide that he was who I wanted, because there was no way to select the players. "El Conejo" could probably slot right into the majors as a center fielder, but I really want to see what he can do on the mound. The 6'1'' righty doesn't throw all that hard, 83-85 with his fastball and sinker, but he has excellent command and keeps the ball on the ground. His curveball makes a lot of hitters miss, and while the fastball isn't all that great, the sinker has a lot of life and bite. OSA absolutely loves the sidewinder, but I think Pomales projects to be a potentially reliable back of the rotation arm instead. Of course, that's all just gravy. The real pull is his unlimited ceiling at the plate and in the field. He won't ever hit many home runs, but Pomales is an extra base machine who should hit well over .300 once he's ready to go. He can take the extra base, steal, and make pretty much any play in the outfield. He's supposedly got a cannon as well, so if the range isn't there in center, he can easily displace Rich Langton out in right. I have absolutely no idea where Pomales will start level wise, but it's pretty clear the bat is way ahead of the arm, so it may be tough to find a happy medium. Pomales is a fully year older then Montes, but it's going to be fun watching them track down balls at the North Side Grounds.

Of course, there was a pretty big cost, two of my finer pitching prospects in Stumpy Beaman and Karl Wallace (Wallace I'll miss more), but we were able to bring one back. There was a lot of surprise when Del Burns was taken 3rd Overall in the 1934 draft, but honestly, I kind of liked him. Not 3rd Overall worthy, but a lot of people were screaming waste pick and I felt more reach pick. Burns seem to have proved some of the haters wrong, as the 21-year-old has put up decent numbers in the minors and the prospect people are starting to like him a bit more. He's just outside the top 100, but the 6'2'' righty has proved that he was not a waste pick. I really like his arsenal, five pitches featuring a nice forkball and a low 90s fastball and cutter. He keeps the ball on the ground and he gets good movement on his pitches. Burns, like Wallace and Stumpy, is in AA and having a quality season. He's 4-3 with a 4.36 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 42 walks, and 30 strikeouts. The walks are a little concerning, his BB/9 up to 4.4 (career 3.0), but I'm not too worried about that becoming an issue. He's a little further away then the guys I gave up, but with all the 40-man roster shuffling I was dreading, moving some of the '32 class really will make things easier on me. Losing Wallace stings, he looks like a Dave Rankin clone in terms of innings eating, but I can't stuff Pete, Scott, Parker, Cy, Wallace, Stumpy, and Foote in a rotation that already includes Pug, Fritz, and Rankin. Heck, even Art Saunders is approaching the top 100 and Dan Everett, Joe Brown, and Luis Sandoval are all in the top 200. I think Pomales could be a star, and even if it means we miss out on two really good pitchers, it's hard to think that all these guys would turn out if they stay in Chicago.

I'd agree the cost was high to bring the Rabbit to Chicago, but he's the best two-way prospect FABL has seen since at least Tom Barrell (who was slotted into pitching-only right away) and possibly since Max Morris, although obviously he won't have the power (or overall hit tool) of Mighty Mo.

I suspect he could probably handle AA right away, both ways, and yes, the pitching will probably take more time and patience than going the easy route and just making him a fulltime outfielder.

To me, he's an "opposite Al Jones." The Kings' prospect is, imo, a better hitting prospect than pitching, but the pitch tool is more developed and he didn't hit like he should have in his first pro season so the hit tools are going to be left to die on the vine. I would have loved to have seen how he could have done as a two-way guy.

Bottom line is I'm looking forward to see how Pomales does as a true two-way player. I see him as FABL's Martin Dihigo.

Definitely an exciting comparison. Pomales will start in A ball, pitching every sixth day while getting regular at bats in center and a few games out in right. I've always loved two way players, so I'll at least give him the shot to do it until he shot he can't. I did give Tom some time at first, but after he missed nearly all of 1931 with injury, I just had him focus on pitching before shipping him out.

1937 Draft: Round 1-2
 

Since the first two "rounds" occur outside of the draft, technically, we started the actual draft late last night, but both of these guys were taken today. It feels weird calling these guys first and second round picks, but they're definitely more talented then the two guys we were stuck with. My corner outfielder bias aside, the prospect rankings think nothing of Hall and Powell, rated 43rd and 56th in our system. I'll give them both at bats, Hall in San Jose and Powell in La Crosse, but they won't have a very long leash. Another note on Smith, he can't even be the first Montana born player as I somehow had no idea that Ollie Page is actually from Montana. I've had him since 1934 and somehow never noticed it, but Jiggs in the Figment Sports Journal thread made the connection. Come on Marv you no good! Can't you be useful for something!

No Mr. Branson, not you. You're a good scout despite what the game says. You've uncovered gems! And hopefully a few more in this class:

RHP Preacher Pietsch
School: Brooklyn Catholic
1937: 6-5, 107.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 28 BB, 37 K
Career (COL): 21-15, 341 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 120 BB, 147 K
Career (HS): 8-1, 82.1 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 20 BB, 110 K

A former 7th Round selection by the Washington Eagles back in the initial non-feeder draft, Pietsch's gamble not to sign allowed him to be taken 5th Overall and secure a much larger signing bonus. Pietsch had a weird college career, where he sort of got worse each season. His ERA went from 3.58 to 3.95 to 4.02 while his K/9 dropped from 4.9 to 3.6 to 3.1. This is definitely a little concerning, but I love this kids makeup and his ability to learn quickly. He's an intimidating presence on the mound, standing tall at 6'6'', and he attacks batters with his high 80s fastball and cutter. His curveball is an excellent pitch and his splitter has great downward movement which leads to a lot of groundball outs. He has drastically improved his control, improving it from 3.2 and 3.9 to 2.3 as a junior. He's started to really locate his pitches well, which should also help with homerun prevention as he can start to live on the corners. My scout isn't the biggest fan of him (to be fair, this pitching class is really weak), but I knew there would be no one like him (and there wasn't) available once my pick came around. He should be a quick riser through the system, his pitches are very well developed and he looks to have a very high floor. For whatever it's worth, he was the only pitcher on the mock other then Hendricks, listed as a third rounder.

C Gidge Sumpter
School: Garden State
1937: .272/.316/.345, 250 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 42 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .310/.347/.397, 755 PA, 40 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 133 RBI, 29 SB

I really need a catcher in San Jose as Diego Bernal has been awful and the trio in C-ball are all underdeveloped teenagers. I really wanted Joe Henry with this pick, but the uniquely named Gidge Sumpter is not too shabby of a consolation prize. A three year starter for Garden State, Sumpter saw his power drop as a junior, and after two really strong seasons his last left a little to be desired. I'm thinking it's a fluke, as his '35 and '36 season were identical before drops in hits, doubles, homers, and RBI's of similar levels after matching them the prior two seasons. The only stat that didn't follow that pattern was runs, as that dropped from 61 to 46 to 39, but he did not see an uptick in strikeouts. Unfortunately my scout doesn't talk about his defense, which usually is a bad thing, but he does have a rating at catcher. Marv definitely likes his hit tool better, expecting him to be a reliable spray hitter with a nice short swing. Both him and OSA think Sumpter has big league potential, and since catcher is a pretty weak position in our system other the Harry Mead, it is helpful adding more depth to the organization.

1937 Draft: Round 3-4
 

SS Billy Tate
School: Rochester
Commit School: College of Waco
1937: .447/.468/.632, 113 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 15 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .500/.515/.718, 470 PA, 55 2B, 19 3B, 116 RBI, 67 SB

The talent is already starting to get thin, so I decided to go close to home. Besides, shortstops named Billy seemed to work out in the past! Don't get me wrong, no one will confuse Tate for Hunter, but there is a lot to like about Tate. He won't hit any home runs, but he also won't walk or strike out much. Tate puts the ball in play a lot, and with use of his speed, he's able to take the extra base when the opportunity arises. A four year starter at a high school in Indiana, Tate got time at second and third as well and finished each season with an OPS greater then 1.000. If Tate ever makes the big leagues, he should hit for a high average with a low OBP, but I expect him to turn into a decent bench player. Not really much available, so I may get a little creative with my next couple of picks.

RHP Joe Crosby
School: St. Peter's
Commit School: Grand Junction State
1937: 3-1, 53 IP, 1.53 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 13 BB, 70 K
Career: 13-4, 226.1 IP, 1.51 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 49 BB, 277 K

Time for a pitcher run! There are about 80 quality center fielders, so even if I take three or four pitchers in a row, I can probably end up with a decent enough one. For this pick, I'm trusting my scout, who ranks him as the fourth best pitcher in the actual draft. Plus, he has a cool nickname. Boney Joe! Unfortunately, there is a very glaring weakness; only 28 of his 50 appearances were starts. This could mean stamina issues, but Crosby is a projected starter and he has really strong stuff. After K/9 rates of 9.4 and 9.6 his first two seasons, is jumped to 13 in his junior year before he finished with a 11.9 mark this season. And while the strikeouts improved, he managed to keep his BB/9, ERA, HR/9, and WHIP extremely consistent. The Akron native is a skinny (dare I say, boney) righty who sits comfortably in the mid 80s with his fastball. His curve is definitely a plus pitch, and I think the slider will compliment his repertoire well. Crosby is a little inconsistent, but his stuff more then makes up for it. He may end up being just a simple filler arm, but he's an exciting lotto ticket that should be worth the risk.

Draft has gone a little slower then usual, but it'll likely end tomorrow. I have an extra 5th Rounder (2nd in the round), but the rest of the rounds we only pick 5th. Also, turns out I should have taken Standish with my 4th, as the Pioneers used theirs on him, and I had a whole writeup ready for my 5th Round pick about how Standish would fall to me. He's definitely going to be an interesting pitcher to follow.

1937 Draft: Round 5-7
 

RHP John Little
School: Marquis College
1937: 9-6, 132 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 35 BB, 87 K
Career: 21-23, 387.2 IP, 5.20 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 183 BB, 215 K

The wild card! John Little went from Joe Stuart to Jim Morrison in a blink of an eye, erasing two terrible seasons with an outstanding junior year. The real question is, how believable are the results? For starters, Little has decent raw tools; a high 80s fastball, three decent secondary pitches, and potentially new found control. The first two are easier to project, but the control is something he could have just lucked out for this year. He dropped his BB/9 from 5.5 to 4.9 to 2.4, and cut the nominal totals in half. What's exciting about Little is even when he was awful, he ate innings. 18 starts and 124.1 innings as a freshman before 19 starts and 131.1 innings is a sophomore. OSA thinks he can be a spot starter, my scout feels more AAAA type player, but I think Little can evolve into a reliable back-end starter if he keeps up his positive trend.

CF Eddie Kincaid
School: Avon
Commit School: Marquis College
1937: .446/.519/.661, 129 PA, 16 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 4 SB
Career: .458/.524/.656, 463 PA, 59 2B, 5 3B, 109 RBI, 27 SB

Going the center field route with my actual 5th Rounder, I picked up high schooler Eddie Kincaid who's actually committed to John Little's college. Kincaid isn't the most exciting center fielder prospect, but we're loaded with corner outfielders in La Crosse (Chick Browning was playing center and now it's Eddie Curtis) and I needed someone who could play up the middle. He isn't very fast, so he's probably not as defensively gifted as I prefer my center fielders to be, but the kid has a nice back and he consistently barrels up the ball. That doesn't lead to home run power, but a lot of doubles and a nice slugging percentage. He's adept at drawing walks, hitting double digits each season paired with five or less strikeouts. There aren't too many exciting options, but he projects to be a decent fourth outfielder plus the last Kincaid we had worked out pretty well.

SS Harry Avery
School: Lawrence State
1937: .271/.366/.416, 295 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 40 SB
Career: .271/.366/.416, 295 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 40 SB

Born on the Kansas side of Kansas City, he played his college ball not too far from home at Lawrence State. Just a one year starter, Avery showed some nice pop with 5 homers and 22 extra base hits. The 5'7'' middle infielder has great speed, a decent hit tool, and a strong eye at the plate. His defense may not be that great, likely sending him to the keystone eventually, but at least early on he should see some (if not a majority) reps at short. OSA thinks he can be a big league contributor, but my guess is he'll end up a utility player if he makes it.

RHP Ray McNeill
School: Maryland State
1937: 7-6, 121.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 35 BB, 75 K
Career: 10-13, 215.2 IP, 4.34 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 64 BB, 132 K

Went with my scout here, who was interested in the Maryland State ace Ray McNeill. One of four draft eligible players from one of the top schools in college ball, McNeill had a decent junior year where he slightly improved his record, ERA, WHIP, BB/9, K/9, and WAR while increasing his starts and innings totals. The righty doesn't throw all that hard, but he has an intriguing six pitch arsenal, headlined by two strong changeups, a straight change and a circle change. His command is probably his pest asset, as he can spot his fastball and locate his other three off speed options if needed. Like Little, he's currently projected to be a starter, which should allow him to rise through the organization rather quickly. Unfortunately, his makeup isn't the best, somewhat of a me first kind of guy, but most of the guys left have a lot of question marks, and McNeill seems like a rather safe bet.

1937 Draft: Round 8-10
 

Turns out Eddie Kincaid is impossible to sign, so I may just let him go to Collège. I also actually have two 8th Rounders (15th Overall as well), so four more picks to finish it out:

3B Sam Washington
School: Red River State
1937: .305/.370/.368, 212 PA, 9 2B, HR, 36 RBI, 2 SB
Career: .311/.374/.386, 684 PA, 28 2B, 6 HR, 104 RBI, 17 SB

Sam Washington may be a no pop third basemen, but he's an excellent defender with a strong hit tool and excellent eye. For his career he walked (57) 50 times more then he struck out and his .305 average as a junior was the lowest in his three seasons for Red River State. He actually did managed 4 homers as a freshman, but that looks to be the definite outlier season and the only season his slugging was higher then his OBP. We don't have many natural third basemen in the system (Oscar Panduro is actually manning the hot corner in San Jose) and Washington should be able to leap over the logjam in La Crosse. He's definitely a bubble prospect who's playing time will be determined more by others performances instead of his own.

LHP Johnny Ruby
School: Smithfield College
1937: 4-8, 118.2 IP, 5.01 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 76 BB, 77 K
Career: 19-18, 358.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 160 BB, 264 K

Reverse John Little! Ruby, unlike the similarly named Little, had two strong seasons before blowing up as a senior. As a freshman, Ruby was 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 40 walks, and 103 strikeouts, easily the best of his three seasons. 1936 was a little similar, 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 44 walks, and 87 strikeouts, but everything fell apart in 1937. Ruby's control deserted him, as after comparable BB/9's of 3 and 3.3, it jumped to 5.8, which was also the lowest K/9 of his career. Hitters weren't hitting him any more frequently and he wasn't allowing any more homers, so it seems the only change was his control. Both OSA and Marv comment on his walk issues, but the soft-tossing sidearmer does a good job keeping the ball on the ground and he has a very interesting, yet somewhat uninspiring, six pitch arsenal. He's also a southpaw, something we do not have much of, and the kid is an extremely hard worker. My guess is after the awful season, he started to hit the gym more to find ways to improve himself. I like his stuff, and with a little time he could turn into a decent depth option.

LHP John Johnson
School: Granville
Commit School: Texas Panhandle
1937: 5-3, 82.1 IP, 1.64 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 20 BB, 80 K
Career: 20-8, 284.1 IP, 2.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 82 BB 257 K

Sure, there were probably better options available, but none of them were from Chicago! I wanted Harry Hawkins and/or Bill Martino, but both were taken in the 3rd Round, so I eventually grabbed the third best Chicago pitcher. Johnson, who shares the name of our 3rd Rounder from two drafts ago, saved his best season for last, setting career highs for HR/9, ERA, and WHIP while matching his freshman year BB/9. Johnson did have a rather rough junior year that inflates his overall numbers, but after 15 starts the first two seasons, he did end up with just 12 this year. I'll take the quality over the quantity, and as I mentioned in the last blurb, we don't really have that many southpaws in the organization. He's little now, just 145 pounds, but his fastball hovers around 85 and his changeup is a decent strikeout pitch. He also have a curve, but right now it's not a reliable offering. He's got a lot of developing to do, but sometimes 9th Round high school arms seem to work out.

CF Doc Stiles
School: Port Richmond
Commit School: Rainier College
1937: .407/.495/.698, 107 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, SB
Career: .402/.497/.735, 462 PA, 56 2B, 8 3B, 18 HR, 20 2B

The centerfielder that's not really a centerfielder! Stiles actually hit under .400 as a freshman, but this year's 1.193 OPS was the only time he failed to reach 1.2 and he almost reached 1.3 (1.298) as a sophomore. The four year started is loaded with power, his 18 prep homers the second best in the class, but as you might be able to tell, he doesn't always make contact. Still, he has a disciplined bat, and while strikeouts may end up an issue, he only struck out in 24 of his 462 plate appearances. Defensively, however, I don't think he's very good as he lacks a center field position rating despite being listed as one. but he has one at both corners and second base. Hod Seagroves has really struggled in La Crosse, so I can see Stiles getting a few reps out there. I don't see him getting much time this season, but expect him to have a larger share of playing time next year once more of the 1935 class is in San Jose.

We're auto the rest of the way, and I stuffed my list with some impossible to sign guys. I'm hoping for a weekend sim, but chances are the Cougars will be back in business on Monday. At least for a sim or two, La Crosse will have no roster level, so I'll have a few days with a larger roster that will allow me to give a lot of different guys at bats. I'm definitely missing the fake baseball, so I fully expect the boys to let me down on Monday with a 2-4 or 1-5 week.

Week 10: June 21st-June 27th
 

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 32-33 (4th, 8.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
None generated this week

Schedule
6-22: Win vs Saints (2-5)
6-23: Win vs Saints (0-12)
6-24: Loss vs Saints (4-5): 15 innings
6-25: Win vs Kings (4-7)
6-26: Loss vs Kings (1-0)
6-27: Win vs Kings (4-7)

Recap
Going strictly by record, this was a good week! Not only that, this could have easily been a six win week if a few things shook out differently. We blew the Saints game, with Morse allowing a run in the 9th (actually went 11) before Rankin allowed another in the 15th. Of course, we also ruined a strong Rankin start because we couldn't score, but overall, a strong week on the field. But unfortunately, the injury bug hit our budding star, and a strained hamstring will cost Billy Hunter the next 5-6 weeks. Hunter was tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .303/.386/.538 (144 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, a steal, and 18 RBI's with 19 walks and just 5 strikeouts in 153 trips to the plate. Obviously, this is a big blow, and now Paul McLain will return to the starting lineup with Ollie Page moving back to short. I'm bringing up Johnny Waters from AAA to use off the bench. Ray Ford will see a little time at second, giving Leo Mitchell more playing time, but I know this is really going to put a damper on our nice little run.

Enough about the bad, let's talk about the good; the outstanding pitching from the week. Milt Fritz made two excellent starts, starting with the 4-hit, 2 walk, 1 strikeout shutout in the 12-0 win over the Saints. He then had a little trouble with Brooklyn, walking 8, but he did well enough to scatter them. He allowed just 2 hits and 3 runs with 2 strikeouts to pickup his second win of the week and 8th on the season. His 2.01 ERA is still the best in baseball, over half a point lower then any other FABL pitcher. Dave Rankin may have lost both of our games, but in his 20 innings he allowed just 17 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 6 walks with 6 strikeouts in two starts and a relief outing. Rankin continues his bad luck, now on pace for 24 losses, but his 3.61 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP are career bests on his quest for 300 innings. Rankin has walked 46 and struck out 53 in 134.2 outstanding innings. Oscar Morse put together an excellent 11 inning start with 10 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts in a no decision. Morse has rebounded nicely in his hometown, 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.46 WHIP, but he has walked (37) a lot more batters then he struck out (16).

At the plate, John Lawson had another Player of the Week quality week, 12-for-28 with a double, two homers, 7 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Lawson has caught fire as he looks to earn another All-Star nod, up to .348/.387/.539 (145 OPS+) on the season with 14 homers and 44 RBI's. He's just three homers short of Al Wheeler for the CA lead, and on track to set a new career high for longballs. Injury replacement Paul McLain showed he deserves to start, 6-for-14 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI's, 2 runs, and 2 walks. His overall season numbers aren't too great, but a few weeks like this in the next month or so will really help. Our corner outfield trio of Love, Langton, and Mitchell looked great. Love was 7-for-17 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI's, and 2 runs scored. Langton was 8-for-22 with 2 doubles, a steal, 2 RBI's, 2 runs, and 5 walks. Mitchell was 4-for-11 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. Ray Ford, however, had a really rough week, just 4-for-23. He did hit his 8th homer of the season, but he dropped his average below .300 for the first time in a while. Still, Ford is looking for an All-Star selection as well, hitting .299/.373/.479 (125 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, and 36 RBI's with 24 walks and just 7 strikeouts.

Looking Ahead
The draft just finished, I'll have a report on the remaining picks later, and All Star voting finishes (might publish my ballot if I have time) today. I have to sign my first six picks, plus 10th Rounder Doc Stiles. I also grabbed 6 impossible guys in the AI portion, which definitely will help with our roster cuts. We have 55 guys hanging out in La Crosse right now, so expect 15-20 cuts in the next few days. Most of these guys will be older or late round picks that have hung out in the system for a while, but I may cut a few former high round picks.

On the field, we start the week with an off day as we head north of the border for a quick road trip in Toronto. We'll get three with the Wolves (29-36) who are tied for 5th with the Canons. Chicago's own Levi Redding is having a great rookie season, hitting .319/.386/.427 (109 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 10 steals, and 27 RBI's in 300 trips to the plate. Larry Vestal is hitting a remarkable .352/.414/.494 (133 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, and 35 RBI's as he looks to earn a second All-Star nod. Unfortunately for them, only two other players have an OPS+ above 70, with both under 90. The pitching is strong, but the surprise has been how impressive Jake Smith has looked. He's just 6-6, but with an outstanding 2.87 ERA (149 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with 16 walks and 33 strikeouts. This is a huge breakout for the 27-year-old southpaw who's led the CA in BB/9 the past two seasons and he might make it three this year. Otis Cook (6-4, 119 ERA+, 20 K) and Joe Hancock (7-6, 119 ERA+, 55 K) have looked great atop the rotation, Buddy Long is having a strong AAA season, so there could be some reinforcements on the way shortly.

After that we head back home to host the third place Sailors. At 38-28, they've rebounded well and sit one behind the Kings (39-27) and three behind the Foresters (42-24). John Kincaid is back in the lineup, but he's hitting just .212/.267/.305 (47 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, and 13 RBI's in 133 trips to the plate. Of course, Dick Walker is having a great season, batting .293/.395/.523 (134 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 10 triples, 8 homers, 41 walks, 10 strikeouts, 11 steals, and 30 RBI's. I say it all the time, but Walker is one of the coolest players in the league, and easily one of the most underappreciated. "Three bagger" Jack Cleaves has lost some playing time to rookie Bob Smith, but he's having a great season, batting .339/.433/.545 (150 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, and 20 RBI's. It's just 142 plate appearances, but him and Walker are the only two in the lineup with an above average batting line. The rotation, however, has five guys with above average ERA+'s, including Doc Newell who's been elite in his 14 starts. The 29-year-old is 9-3 with a 2.91 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 29 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Veteran William Jones is 7-5 with a 3.29 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 51 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 115 innings pitched. Merritt Thomas had a tough start to the year, but is now 5-6 with a 3.48 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 33 walks, and 39 strikeouts. Lefty Walt Wells looked good in his 11 starts, 4-5 with a 3.35 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 31 walks, and 38 strikeouts.

Minor League Report
LHP Cal Knight (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Kind of like Mike Murphy, lefty Cal Knight never gets any prospect love despite being a well developed arm with a lot of talent. He's been outstanding in his 13 starts with the Blues, the most recent a 3-hit shutout with a walk and 4 strikeouts. Knight is now 6-3 with a 2.48 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 18 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 80 strong innings pitched. Knight, however, can't really go all that deep into games, with the most recent start the only one he completed the seventh. And prior to this start, just one of more then 90 pitches. Pug is another guy who in the minors didn't always go that far, but once he came to the majors he was able to consistently reach 100. I expect the same for Knight, who's got excellent command which should keep his pitch count manageable. His change is the best of his three pitches, but his cutter and slider right now are a little too similar. It may be too late for a velocity boost, but if he can get his cutter to hit 90 I can see things really opening up for him. He's not Rule-5 eligible, so he's likely staying in Milwaukee all season, but I really like he's turned into.

RHP Joe Foote (AA Mobile Commodores): One of the arms that was discussed in the Pomales (who decided to get injured already...) trade, the 22-year-old Joe Foote was not distracted by the trade rumors. He tossed a brilliant 6-hit shutout of the Birmingham Ironmen to improve to 5-4 on the season. Foote is sporting an impressive 2.04 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with 20 walks and 15 strikeouts across 88.1 innings pitched. He's making a case for promotion, and since he pitched in AA last year too, he may get one before Cy Sullivan. I have a lot of shuffling to do, so with a five man rotation in AAA, I could decide to run a six man there as well. Plus, Art Black is taking up one of the spots, and even with his success, I'm not afraid to dispel him a spot. Foote features an impressive mid 90s sinker that generates a ton of groundballs while he locates his curve and slider precisely in the bottom of the zone. He's not a strikeout pitcher, he excels when the ball is on the ground, and I expect him to be a reliable middle of the rotation arm. He may only have a few more AA starts, but the first 33 have been arguably the best of his career.

1937 Draft: Round 11-25
 

11th Round, 164th Overall: RHP Del Thomas: The first of the AI picks, Marv went with a 23-year-old senior from Amarillo Methodist. He pitched just one season, 5-8 with a 4.73 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 75 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. The righty has a polished three pitch mix with his fastball, slider, and change. He keeps the ball on the ground and sits in the 85-87 range. He could be a decent spot starter and will be able to skip La Crosse for sure. Was hoping for a high school arm here, but it easily could have been worse.

12th Round, 180th Overall: CF Nellie Corbin: He's already 1-for-2 in La Crosse and the centerfielder profiles as a potential platoon option. He was a decent three year starter, batting .291/.360/.407 with 24 doubles, 14 triples, 6 homers, 26 steals, and 97 RBI's across 682 PA's. He's a supposedly "acrobatic" out in the outfield, definitely something I like. A lot of speed and he can make hard contact when he connects. Won't strikeout too much, and at least until this year, he walked a decent amount too. His junior year was rough, why he fell, batting just .255/.312/.372 which is nowhere near his career line. He probably won't play much this year, but he's definitely worth a roster spot.

13th Round, 196th Overall: RHP Walt Leonard: Well, here's the high school arm! Not a great one by any means, just a borderline starter, who pitched four seasons at Baltic. It wasn't all that inspiring, 28 starts and 22 relief appearances across 213.2 innings. He was 12-5 with a save, 2.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 73 walks, and 213 strikeouts. He throws five pitches, sits in the mid 80s, and keeps the ball on the ground. He has an average changeup, but none of the other pitches are all that exciting. He may develop control problems, but all these late round picks are just scrubs who could develop into something better later.

14th Round, 212th Overall: C Tucker Ness: The first of the impossibles, Tucker Ness was a four year starter in Rochester who will enroll into Boston State in the fall. He hit .411/.481/.598 with 6 homers ​and 91 RBI's in 428 trips to the plate.

15th Round, 228th Overall: 2B Bernie Scott: Another impossible, Scott was a three year starter at York High School in Pennsylvania. He hit .423/.487/.529 with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 41 steals, and 74 RBI's. He's listed as a second basemen, but also played all three outfield positions. He's committed to (and will attend) Amarillo Methodist, Del Thomas' alma mater.

16th Round, 244th Overall: C George Black: A lefty/righty, Black was teammates with Nellie Corbin at CC Los Angeles. He spent one season there, batting .255/.357/.304 with a homer and 30 RBI's. He's also debuted, 0-for-1 with a walk. He's a nice depth option as we could use a spare catcher, but the 21-year-old likely won't ever amount to anything.

17th Round, 260th Overall: SS George Klimowicz: A two year starter at Bartlesville in Oklahoma, he's headed to Oregon to attend Lane State in Eugene. The speedy shortstop hit .433/.481/.632 with 18 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, 56 steals, and 52 RBI's in 236 trips to the plate.

18th Round, 276th Overall: RHP Eddie Morgan: Unfortunately, he's the last pitcher. He started 12 games at Hartsdale as a junior and senior, going 13-5 with a 2.63 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 58 walks, and 131 strikeouts. He's listed as strictly bullpen, so obviously not an encouraging sign, plus the ERA is actually really high. He doesn't throw too hard and none of his pitches are all that good. I'd cut him if we had more arms, but he'll likely hang around for a bit.

19th Round, 292nd Overall: CF Dick Collins: A two year started at Newton High in New Jersey, he hit .439/.479/.679 with 23 doubles, 11 triples, 4 homers, 45 steals, and 62 RBI's. The lefty/lefty can play all three outfield spots and will enroll at Alabama A&T in the Fall. He's a good defender who makes hard contact, but he's not the smartest hitter. I do like his natural talent and I think he could be a draft riser come 1940. College should treat him well, and while I do track all the guys I don't sign, I would have considered taking/keeping him and may use a pick on him next time he's eligible.

20th Round, 308th Overall: CF Bill Rich: A four year starter at Kahoka in Missouri, the Illinois native is committed to the prestigious Grange College. He hit .448/.510/.646 with 42 doubles, 5 triples, 10 homers, 69 steals, and 110 RBI's in 97 games. He's fast, has a good eye, and and a decent baseball IQ, but a bit of a free swinger. Like Collins, I'd actually consider a pick on him if he wasn't looking for a bonus to sign. I think Rich will succeed in college and he should also jump up draft boards when it's time for his name to be called again.

21st Round, 324th Overall: CF Charlie Smith: Finishing off a run of high school centerfielders is Charlie Smith, who attended Elmer High School in New Jersey. Smith started for two years and hit .445/.478/.682 with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 37 steals, 3 homers, and 53 RBI's. He plays all three outfield spots and has a little experience at third. OSA thinks he'll hit .310 and make a career as a journeyman, but I'm not nearly as high on him, but the endorsement from them is enough for him to hang around.

22nd Round, 340th Overall: 3B Frank Smith: He spent three years at Grants Pass in Oregon, and will now get three years at Huntington State. His senior year was awful, hitting just .377/.411/.553 which is much worse then Washington's Mel Carroll (.402/.444/.587) in a much smaller sample. Even his career .401/.471/.564 is arguably worse then Carroll, while they are in about the same amount of PA's. Smith is a corner guy with little to no future value.

23rd Round, 356th Overall: 2B Sam Wilson: A three year starter at Riverside, Wilson hit .410/.483/.702 with 43 doubles, 11 triples, 8 homers, 47 steals, and 76 RBI's. His teammates look up to him, so he'll stick around for depth, but anything more then a bench bat seems unlikely. He's supposedly elite at turning double plays, so that's a plus, but I don't really have much faith in Wilson turning into something.

24th Round, 372nd Overall: 3B Don Montgomery: A four year starter at Principia, Montgomery would be looking for a new team if he wasn't born in Ziegler, Illinois. Montgomery had two sub .400 seasons and hit just .406/.466/.572 with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 71 steals, and 103 RBI's. He's an average defensive third basemen who also has a little experience in left. He has nice speed, but will never hit for much of an average. He did do decent as a freshman and senior, but Montgomery looks to be very inconsistent.

25th Round, 388th Overall: LF Leon Stone: A two year starter, the lefty/lefty hit .415/.502/.631 with 21 doubles, 5 homers, and 53 RBI's. He is 6'3'' and an imposing force, but there's not much exciting about him. He'll head to free agency and may or may not end up with an Indy ball team. He does like lifting weights, so maybe there's hope for him turning into a decent power hitter, but there's really no room for us in our organization.

Week 11: June 28th-July 4th
 

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 34-37 (4th, 11.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
None generated this week

Schedule
6-29: Win at Wolves (11-0)
6-30: Loss at Wolves (5-6)
7-1: Loss at Wolves (1-7)
7-2: Win vs Sailors (6-10)
7-3: Loss vs Sailors (9-5)
7-4: Loss vs Sailors (3-4)

Recap
Unfortunately, we flipped our record from last week and again lost a pair of one run games. Still, with just a double header between us and the All Star break, we sit just three games under .500 and in fourth place in the Continental Association. Speaking of the break, we did have player selected to the All-Star game! Milt Fritz will start the game against Pittsburgh's Lefty Allen, while John Lawson will start at the hot corner as Doc Love mans left. Ray Ford only got two votes at first (one was mine), but for some reason the CA wanted a third catcher and decided Mike Taylor was worthy. Taylor does have an above average 101 WRC+, but it doesn't quite scream All-Star. He's hitting .287/.344/.391 (95 OPS+) with just 2 homers and 32 RBI's, so I have to believe there was a better option. The other four (feels weird we have so many) all have had excellent seasons. And while we still haven't had a Player of the Week (as far as I know), Lawson was named Batter of June. He hit .353 with 8 homers, 26 RBI's, and 26 runs scored. For the season, "Jack the Ripper" is ripping to the tune of .339/.379/.524 (138 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 15 homers, and 48 RBI's as he tries to maintain his status as a top 20 player in the league. Love is hitting a similar .332/.379/.485 (129 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, and 39 RBI's. Ford has the worst of the three lines, but a still productive .296/.376/.470 (124 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, and 39 RBI's with an awesome 29-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Of course, the best has been the unmotivated Milt Fritz, who decided this was one of the years he would try. Sure, he's 8-7 (with a save!), but his 2.34 ERA (178 ERA+) is better then every other qualified pitcher in baseball. He's got a nice 1.28 WHIP to go with 59 walks and 46 strikeouts in just three less innings then the inning eating Rankin (although Rankin has a start left).

We did finish June 13-13, but did not have the greatest start to July. Oscar Morse started the week with a 5-hit, 1 walk, 2 strikeout shutout in an 11-0 thrashing of the Wolves, finishing his June 3-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His July start, however, was nothing like the June ones, 5.2 innings with 10 hits, 9 runs (6 earned), and 5 walks in a loss to his former team. Still, the Chicago native is seeing sort of a renaissance at 34, working to a 3.83 ERA (108 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP. Unfortunately for him, walks are somewhat of an issue; 43 already with just 18 strikeouts in his 115 innings. Fritz actually had two rough starts, but Dick Lyons and Pug Bryan looked good. Lyons went 6.1 with 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts while Pug won his start with 7 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It hasn't been smooth sailing for the 24-year-old, but his ERA is finally below 5, his WHIP approaching 1.50, and he's struck out (30) more then he's walked (25). I'm hoping a lot of it was first year jitters, as I'm convinced he'll be a reliable big league arm.

At the plate, Carlos Montes caught fire, going 8-for-22 with a double, two triples, 6 walks, and 4 runs scored and driven in. Ollie Page had his first good week in months, 10-for-25 with a triple, homer, and 5 RBI's. The previously mentioned Taylor was 10-for-26 with 5 doubles, 5 runs, and 6 RBI's while Love was 6-for-21 with 2 doubles, a homer, 3 driven in, and 4 scored. Leo Mitchell had another good week, 7-for-17 with a pair of runs scored and driven in. Mitchell hasn't been great, but he's looked good out in left and boosted his batting line to .307/.342/.381 (92 OPS+) with a homer and 20 RBI's. Johnny Waters was 1-for-4 with an RBI double in his debut week.

Looking Ahead
Pretty much all our draftees I planned on signing signed, but there wasn't much love for the new group of Cougars. We didn't draft Juan Pomales, but he does lead the way, 9th in our system and 78th in the league. Somehow Preacher Pietsch is absent from the top 500 (I thought he'd crack top 100 for sure), but Joe Crosby enters the top 200 at 197. Gidge Sumpter checks in at 353 and John Little 483. We've lost a lot of players in the top 500, not including Hunter who will graduate soon, and are down to 40 in the top 500. The system as a whole ranks 3rd, but we may drop out of the top five. Still, we have 23 in the top 200 and 11 in the top 100, so not too shabby depth wise, it's just all but two of the top 100 come after 45.

As I mentioned, we have two more games before the break, and it's a double header with the Wolves in Chicago. Dave Rankin and Pug Bryan will likely take on Otis Cook and Chick Wirtz to end the first half. Toronto sits at 31-40 and 14.5 games out of first, while we have a chance to reach a game below .500 if we sweep the double header. Especially after how we started, if you told me we'd even be able to sniff .500 at the All-Star break, I'd think you were crazy. The Wolves have a pair of All-Stars, lefty Jake Smith and outfielder Larry Vestal. If it wasn't for Al Wheeler, Vestal probably would've started, as his .346/.410/.492 (131 OPS+) batting line with 10 doubles, 10 triples, 3 homers, and 38 RBI's is pretty solid and there aren't many outfielders preforming better then that.

Most of the team would get the midweek off before heading to Philly for three with the Sailors. With Brooklyn on a rough streak without Tom Barrell, the Sailors are back in second with a 42-30 record. They're still four behind of the Foresters, but two ahead of the Kings. Four Sailors will represent the CA in the All-Star game, but just first basemen Dick Walker will start. I covered Jack Cleaves and Doc Newell yesterday, but the fourth All Star is southpaw Walt Wells. Wells had a strong season as a swingman last year, and was probably the #1 reason Oscar Morse became a Cougar. He's looked fabulous in 12 starts this year, 5-5 with a 3.26 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 31 walks, and 40 strikeouts across 94 innings pitched. The 6th Rounder form 1926 may be a late bloomer at 29, but the Sailors are known for getting the most out of their pitching staff.

Week 12: July 5th-July 11th
 

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 37-39 (4th, 9.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Doc Love : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.419 OPS
Carlos Montes : 19 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.266 OPS
Dave Rankin : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 K, 2.50 ERA

Schedule
7-5: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
7-6: Loss vs Wolves (2-0)
7-9: Loss at Sailors (2-3)
7-10: Win at Sailors (4-3)
7-11: Win at Sailors (5-4)

Recap
We finally did it! A Player of the Week! The untradeable All-Star Doc Love took home a Player of the Week award! He was 9-for-19 and added another homer and 4 RBI's. The most impressive part was the 5 doubles and his outstanding .474/.524/.895 weekly line. Love only got one at bat in the All-Star game before Larry Vestal replaced him. Love grounded out to leadoff the second, but that's really all he did. It was a crazy 19 inning All-Star game, where Milt Fritz allowed the only run for the CA in regulation. He pitched 3 innings with 3 hits and a run allowed. John Lawson played the whole game, 1-for-7 with a double, walk, and run scored in the 5th to tie the game. He was actually drive in by Mike Taylor, who was 1-for-2 before Adam Mullins replaced him in the 8th. It ended 4-2 in favor of the Federal Association.

It was a good week due to the pitching, specifically staff ace Dave Rankin. He went the distance in both his starts, and did something he almost never does, wins! He won both games! 16 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts to his name as he improved to 8-11 on the season. All three starters also pitched well, even the two that lost. Pug went 7.2 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, 6 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went 8.1 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and a strikeout, but Red Jackson, who we waived, walked it off with a single in the ninth. Oscar Morse got the third win, 12 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game victory.

The team didn't hit all that well, but Love had a nice partner in crime this week with fellow outfielder Carlos Montes. Easily the best week in his young career, he was 8-for-19 with a double, 2 homers, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBI's. Montes is hitting a nice .309/.393/.511 (139 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 18 RBI's in his first 107 FABL plate appearances. He's looked good in the field too, possessing a +2.3 zone rating and 1.041 efficiency out in center. It's worth nothing, but Montes just replaced Ray Ford as the #3 player in our team top players section. He's also up from 15th to 11th in the centerfield rankings and currently ranks 50th in the top prospect list. The only other hitter that did well was Ollie Page who went 7-for-20 with a homer, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 RBI's.

The midseason prospect lists were officially published, with Pete Papenfus checking in at #4 and Billy Hunter at #10. He'll probably graduate while hurt, and once that happens, we'll drop from our 3rd best rank. We have 181 points, 13 ahead of Baltimore and Toronto. We have 6 in the top 50, 10 in the top 100, 22 in the top 200, and 40 in the top 500.

Looking Ahead
In potentially the weirdest series of the year, we will start the week in Cleveland before an off day. It's just one game, but it will feature top starters Milt Fritz and Dean Astle. Astle is 12-5 with 2 saves, a 2.84 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 30 walks, and 57 strikeouts in 149 innings pitched. Astle, Sergio Gonzales, T.R. Goins, and George Dawson were all representing the Foresters at the All Star game last week. I was a little shocked Dan Fowler didn't join them, as he's hitting an impressive .285/.376/.470 (116 OPS+) with 11 homers and 50 RBI's. At 47-30, the Foresters hold a three game lead over the Sailors and Kings as they look to reclaim the Continental Association crown.

After the off day, it's three in Baltimore with the Cannons. They sit 34-44 and in 7th, 13.5 games out of first. Pinky Conlan has had 16 effective starts, 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 36 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 114.2 innings pitched. Gus Goulding isn't 8-0, 6-11 this season, but his 4.08 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP are solid and he's struck out 69 while walking 53. Former Cougar draftee Jim Mason was selected to his first All Star game and is hitting .367/.422/.494 (142 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 5 homers, and 34 RBI's. The rest of the lineup doesn't help too much, with just Abel Man sharing an above average OPS+. He's hitting a slightly above average .289/.346/.422 (103 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 homers, 4 steals, and 34 RBI's.

We then find ourselves in Brooklyn for the first two of three with the Kings. The Kings brought up their top prospect and a son of former King, Jack Goff, who tossed a complete game in his debut. He allowed 10 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout in a 12-3 win over the Stars. I'm not quite sure the Brooklyn native is ready, he did turn 21 just 19 days ago, but the Kings have been looking to find ways to replace the production of Tom Barrell. Joe Shaffner has done the best, 11-3 with a 2.88 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 36 walks, and 41 strikeouts in his 121.2 innings pitched. The 33-year-old has been great, while former Cougar Mike Murphy has seen an expected drop off from last year's dominance. Murphy is 6-8 with a 3.71 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 30 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 113.2 innings pitched. On the offensive side, they boast one of two 5-Time All-Stars, Frank Vance, who was beat out by John Lawson for the starting job. Vance hit .341/.411/.532 (142 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 8 homers, and 36 RBI's ahead of Al Wheeler. Brooklyn just moved a pair of big leaguers to the Dynamos, giving rookie Alf Pestilli everyday at bats. He's hitting a strong .324/.400/.563 (143 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 9 RBI's in his first 80 PA's batting behind Al Wheeler. Speaking of Wheeler, he's not likely to get another triple crown, but he's hitting a strong .310/.403/.567 (148 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 6 triples, 17 homers, and 68 RBI's with more then double the walks (46) to strikeouts (20).

I finally decided to move on from Ed Pinkham. He's demanded a trade multiple times, but I can't imagine anyone would want him. The 34-year-old is hitting .253/.286/.391 (79 OPS+) with 2 homers and 7 RBI's in 93 trips to the plate. He's being replaced by 24-year-old Johnnie Williamson. I did this because I moved Harry Mead up to Mobile, and didn't want to demote Williamson. The former 8th Rounder will make his starting debut in the Baltimore series, but there is a chance the AI uses him off the bench before that. Williamson boasts strong contact and eye tools and OSA says he's a plus defender. He hit .259/.338/.319 (98 OPS+) with 3 homers and 28 RBI's in 266 plate appearances. He had a nice 23-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio, but unfortunately he's showed little to no power in AAA. He'll function as the backup for the surprisingly All-Star Mike Taylor and should get some starts against lefties. Mead is the more exciting catcher, however, and the 23-year-old from Illinois will get his first taste of AAA pitching. He spent 136 games with the Commodores split between this year and last year, and will need to be protected in the Rule-5 draft this offseason. In a bit less then 300 plate appearances in AA, he hit .271/.355/.389 (127 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 35 RBI's. He had an outstanding 35-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio as he matched his impressive results from last season. The lefty thrower might get a late season callup, but I want to give him regular at bats.

Minor League Report
RHP Cy Sullivan (AA Mobile Commodores): I caved. After maintaining a 1.99 ERA for three starts, the former 4th Rounder decided that couldn't keep up. So he tossed another shutout, this time a 4-hitter with no walks and a pair of strikeouts. Despite a slow start to his career, Sullivan is starting to fly up the ladder, and he was just flat out unhittable in his 13 starts with the Commodores. I'm completely stunned he was just 7-5, but he had a sparkly 1.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 18 walks and 22 strikeouts. Sullivan was relieved only twice in those 13 starts, and tossed 3 shutouts and 9 complete games with one of those ending after 11 innings. Cy currently ranks 61st in the top 100 prospect list and will now join Harry Parker in Milwaukee. If he keeps pitching like he did in Mobile, Sullivan will finish his season in Chicago, and potentially earlier then I would have expected. I don't think he's ready to start big league games yet, but it's only a matter of time before he's better then Allen Purvis. His command is remarkable, and once the stuff fills out a little more, Sullivan will be one of the better pitchers in the game.

RHP Del Burns (AA Mobile Commodores): Before I talk about his excellent start, let's just say the first two starts in Mobile were terrible. And I mean awful. But start #3, well, his luck turned around. Burnes allowed just ones hit and two walks with three strikeouts in a complete game shutout against the Nashville Chieftains. It was a bit of revenge too, as they lit up Burnes for 8 hits and 8 runs in 3.1 innings a week before. A former highly criticized #3 overall pick, Burnes was labeled a bust before even throwing a pro inning, something he did not deserve. Three seasons later, prospect prognosticators have lightened up on him, and scouts think he can become a backend starter as opposed to minor league filler arm. I'm a big fan of the 6'2'' righty from Wyoming, who throws a low to mid 90s fastball and cutter with a trio of breaking pitches. He has had his issues with command, but he makes his misses in the dirt and does a good job keeping the ball on the ground. He's filled with energy and committed to improving his baseball talent and IQ. When I went to get Pomales, I was initially adamant on not giving up a pair of pitchers, but after negotiating, I was finally willing to part with two of my higher upside arms since Burns was coming back. I love his movement and I love his stuff, but even I balk a little when I see 4+ BB/9 ratings.

RF Henry Cox (AA Mobile Commodores): I should have called this the Mobile report! Slugger Henry Cox took home Player of the Week, going 10-for-23 with 3 homers and 9 RBI's. Our 5th Round pick in 1934, I'd argue Cox easily has the best power potential in our system, and the 21-year-old is doing excellent in AA. He's hitting .255/.304/.472 (134 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, 12 steals, and 49 RBI's in 303 trips to the plate. Power plays really well at our park, and Cox is looking capable out in right field. Scouts love his arm, and he even has the range to stick in center. Like Burns, he's an energetic prospect consistently looking at ways to improve himself. It's early, but I really think Cox could turn into a legit 20/20 player. Of course, being a corner outfielder isn't the most helpful, but he's still one of my favorite prospects in the system. My scout is starting to warm up on him a little too, estimating he should be an average big leaguer.