Week 15: July 20th-July 26th
 

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 54-44 (2nd, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 21 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.244 OPS
Billy Hunter : 17 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .471 AVG, 1.021 OPS
Clark Car : 7 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .571 AVG, 1.768 OPS

Schedule
7-21: Win vs Foresters (2-5)
7-22: Loss vs Foresters (3-2)
7-24: Loss vs Sailors (5-4)
7-25: Win vs Sailors (0-7)
7-26: Win vs Sailors (4-5): 13 innings
7-26: Win vs Sailors (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Another nice two loss week, but we still dropped in the standings as the Stars refuse to lose. We dropped to 11 games out, and we continued to lose one run games. Sure, we won two of them this week, but also lost two. Both of those wins were in extras, something we haven't done much of. Since the All Star break we're 13-4, with all four losses of the one run variety. The Stars have been just as hot, 13-6, so we've made up just a single game on them. We need a lot of things to break our way, but the season won't end any time soon.

We pitched well this week, with just one start by a Cougar pitcher allowing four or more earned runs. That was Jim Lonardo, who went 8.2 innings with 10 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 4 walks, and a strikeout in a loss. The rest of the starts were great, especially Harry Parker, who tossed a 5-hit, 1-walk, 6-strikeout shutout as we beat the Sailors 7-0. Parker has now won each of his last six decisions, and hasn't lost since June 20th. Joe Brown made a pair of starts, one win and one no decision. He beat the Foresters, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. He then got a no decision in the first game of the double header, getting two outs in the 10th with 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons made a vintage Dick Lyons start, allowing just 6 hits, 2 walks, and a run with a strikeout in an 8 inning no decision. Donnie Jones wasn't great, but he kept runs off the board. He walked 7 and allowed 5 hits and 2 runs with 3 strikeouts in an 8 inning no decision. The pen got a lot of work in, with Ben Curtin making four appearances of varying success. His control eluded him, walking 6 with 2 hits and 3 runs (1 earned) in 3.2 innings pitched. Pug Bryan and Milt Fritz picked up wins, Bryan allowing 4 walks in 2 innings with a strikeout and Fritz allowed 2 in a scoreless frame. I posted the Fritz trade too late, so he's still technically a Cougar, but Johnnie Jones will replace him tomorrow.

The offense wasn't great, but we'll get Ray Ford back and Billy Hunter had his first good week. The young infielder went 8-for-17 with 3 walks, a run, and RBI. Harry Mead continued his power surge, 8-for-21 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. Mead now has 19 doubles, 12 homers, and 54 RBIs on the season to go with a strong .291/.351/.482 (137 OPS+) batting line. Cliff Moss did alright, 3-for-12 with a homer, 2 runs, and 4 walks. Clark Car made the most of his limited time, 4-for-7 with a double, homer, walk, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. John Lawson was decent as well, 6-for-20 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell has started to really cool, just 5-for-26 (although he did homer) this week and he's hit just .280/.330/.350 in July. I knew his red hot start couldn't be sustained, but he's still hitting a very impressive .327/.358/.452 (131 OPS+) with 10 homers and 50 RBIs. If he can get back on track, we'll continue to win games.

Looking Ahead
We start the week with three hosting the Wolves, who have scuffled as of late. They've lost 8 of their last 10 and are 7-10 since the break, dropping to 45-53 and 20 games out of first. They have a game lead over the Kings for 6th and are 8 clear of the Foresters. Former Cougar draftee Reginald Westfall (.281, 4, 47) was already starting to cool off, but now strained his back and will hit the IL for at least two weeks. This will hurt the offense that is already one of the worst in the league, but it opens the door for former 1st Rounder Hank Giordano. The 21-year-old outfielder is the Wolves 3rd best prospect and ranks 30th overall. "Gasser" has top-of-the-scale speed and a strong hit tool, spraying liners all across the field. Not much power, but in Toronto it's really hard to hit homers (Westfall owns a share of the team homer lead) and hitters do best with they can hit the ball hard and to all fields. He hit .279/.336/.394 (110 OPS+) in 86 games with AAA Buffalo, which was a bit lower then his .320/.378/.435 (136 OPS+) line with them last year. He'll split time in right with Gus Hall (.250, 3, 22) in a platoon, but I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps his roster spot even when Westfall is healthy again. Tom Frederick (.293, 1, 27, 8) is the only healthy hitter with an above average OPS+, and his 106 isn't all that great. Of course, their pitching is elite, so even if you limit the lineup, you might not win. George Garrison is trying to work his way into the Allen race, ranking top three in the pitching triple crown categories. The former 3rd Overall Pick is 15-6 with a 2.07 ERA (173 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 36 walks, and 96 strikeouts in 183 innings pitched. Co-ace Joe Hancock (10-10, 2.13, 71) has been extremely unlucky, and continues to prove why he's one of the best pitchers in the league. The emergence of Chick Wirtz (5-8, 2.61, 33) has helped, but Juan Pomales (9-10, 4.49, 26; .279, 16, 3) and Bob Walls (3-12, 4.28, 10) have been really easy to hit. We'll miss out on Hancock, but are stuck facing Garrison and Wirtz, which may make things really tough for us. I expect us to help increase their homer totals, but even with the tough pitching, I think the smaller park in Chicago should help us win this series.

We finish the week with the Cannons, a four game series in four days, but with an off day on Friday and double header on Sunday. The Cannons are in fourth and an even 50-50, 16 games behind the Stars and 12 above the Foresters. I mentioned Garrison's Allen Award case, but I don't think Rufus Barrell will let that happen. Deuce is on pace to surpass the 11 WAR mark, 17-3 with a 2.05 ERA (172 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 22 walks, and 120 strikeouts. He's been nothing short of elite, and ranks 2nd in ERA while leading for both strikeouts and wins. Billy Riley (1.83) is the only CA hurler with a lower ERA, and the Stars ace shared the win lead with Barrell. I'd bet on Barrell finishing better, but this will be a fun race to the finish with these two arms in what should end with a very interesting award vote after the season.

Barrell isn't the only bright spot in a down year for the Cannons, as Chuck Adams has emerged as one of the game's top power hitters. Adams has made 306 trips to the plate with .320/.366/.527 (148 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 14 homers, and 43 RBIs. He's tied with Bill Barrett for the homer lead, but Barrett has done it in over 100 more PAs. Adams also has far less protection then Barrett, who hits in a very strong Stars lineup. Other then Bob Griffith, who has taken just 62 at bats, just Adam Mullins (.284, 5, 31) and Fred Galloway (.268, 1, 36) have above average batting lines, and their OPS+ are just 107 and 104 respectively. Moxie Pidgeon (.222, 3, 17) has been cast off to the bench, as he's been worth less then a full run below replacement. Our staff should keep the lineup in check, and unless we're facing the former 1st picks Barrell and Carroll (6-2, 1.94, 39), our offense should produce adequate support. I'm still shifting my focus to next year, but I want to win as many games as we can down the stretch.

Minor League Report
2B Ossie Grogan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was a tremendous week for Ossie Grogan, who finished 16-to-34 to take home Player of the Week. He hit 3 doubles and 2 triples with 9 runs scored and 8 driven in. This upped his season line to .321/.380/.440 (126 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 8 steals, and 41 RBIs with an impressive 31-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The addition of Clark Car made Grogan's future playing time a little murky, but he's an excellent depth option who can be an effective hitter on a big league club. He also hits from both sides of the plate, but his glove is really good for only second. Second is a weak position in the league, and Grogan could probably start for a few teams already, and Weinstock thinks he can put "a hammerlock on the second basemen slot." He'll get another cup of coffee this September, and then work to earn a bench spot in the Spring. He's not better then Jones or Car yet, but when one of them or Hunter inevitably gets injured, it may be Grogan's turn to shine.

RHP Joe Crosby (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It hasn't been a great season for Crosby, who was added to the 40 in the offseason, but he was firing on all cylinders against the St. Paul Disciples. Crosby needed just 90 pitches in a 6-0 shutout victory, allowing just 5 hits with 4 strikeouts to improve to 6-5 on the season. "Boney Joe" has made 14 starts for the Blues, working to a 4.19 ERA (91 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP with 38 walks and 39 strikeouts. Not the most exciting stats, and this start was just one of three where he pitched 7 innings, and the first where he finished the 8th. He only managed to hit the century mark for pitches once, which leads me to believe that he may not have the stamina needed to start in the big leagues. He'll keep starting for now, as Tom thinks he'll be a back-end starter and he just upped his fastball to 93-95. Another issue is his flyball tendencies, which don't work too well in Chicago. I do really like his stuff, as his fastball is a great pitch and his curve has sharp late break. His slider gets some whiffs too, and when he's locating his offerings, he'll get a lot of strikeouts. A lot of this profiles well for a late inning arm, but at just 23, he has a lot of time to continue to improve. He no longer ranks as a top 200 prospect, but pitching is very valuable as injuries can be around the corner at any time.

SS Dick Hamilton (C La Crosse Lions): Our highest rated prospect from the recent draft, Dick Hamilton is off to a great start down in La Crosse, hitting .351/.438/.597 (154 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, a steal, and 11 RBIs. He had a huge game on the 25th as we dominated Marshalltown 23-3, going 5-for-6 with a walk and three runs scored. Hamilton is only in La Crosse right now as we have a lot of infielders ahead of him. Still, in a few more weeks I'll make room for him in Mobile regardless. Hamilton has hit really well, and showed decent discipline, walking (11) more then he strikes out (8). He has a good swing and should be a solid contact hitter, but I don't think he'll be a big home run hitter. I'm not sure if he'll have the glove to stick at short, but his offense is good enough that I can find a position for him on the field. I think he'll be our tiny second basemen to pair with the tiny shortstop Skipper Schneider, and he may make his way up our system very fast.

Week 16: July 27th-August 2nd
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 58-47 (2nd, 12 GB)
Stars of the Week
Clark Car : 15 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .533 AVG, 1.600 OPS
Cliff Moss : 16 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.007 OPS
Billy Hunter : 9 AB, 4 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.167 OPS

Schedule
7-27: Loss vs Wolves (6-4)
7-28: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
7-29: Win vs Wolves (3-4)
7-30: Win vs Cannons (3-6)
8-1: Win vs Cannons (1-3)
8-2: Loss vs Cannons (5-4)
8-2: Loss vs Cannons (5-3)

Recap
It was another winning week, but the Stars added another game to their seemingly insurmountable lead. We took two of three from the Wolves and then split with the Cannons, but they took both games in the doubleheader. 12 out is a lot, and the Stars just grabbed their 70th win, but we'd actually be just a few games out of first in the Fed. This is probably how the Stars felt last year, but it would've been more fun for both of us if we had back-to-back pennant races instead of back-to-back cruises to the finish.

Big week for our second basemens, as all three of them raked when they got the chance. Clark Car had another nice week, 8-for-15 with 3 doubles, a triple, homer, and 6 runs scored. Freddie Jones didn't get as much time, and left one of his games with injury, but finished 3-for-5 with a double and RBI. Billy Hunter also left with an injury, but was 4-for-9 with a steal, 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Our right field duo worked well too, as Cliff Moss stayed hot. The veteran lefty went 6-for-16 with a solo homer. Rich Langton went 4-for-13 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes has a very unique week, hitting below the Mendoza line while still producing in multiple ways. He was just 4-for-21, but with a homer, 2 triples, 3 runs, 4 RBIs, and 5 walks. Harry Mead went 4-for-16 with a double, homer, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. It wasn't all great, as John Lawson and Leo Mitchell both struggled. They went just 10-for-46 with with 4 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. Ray Ford also struggled into his return to the lineup, just 2-for-12 with a double, run, and 2 RBIs. With about two months left in the year, we still rank 1st and 2nd in most offensive categories, but it hasn't made much difference.

We got another injury scare on the pitching front, with Donnie Jones tearing his fingernail in a start against the team he was drafted by. He left after 4 with 2 hits, 3 runs (1 earned...), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts and was charged with the loss. Luckily he was ready to go for a start against the Cannons, allowing just 4 hits and a run with 6 strikeouts in a complete game victory. That was his 20th start this season, and Jones is 9-10 with a 2.60 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 59 walks, and 75 strikeouts. He's been elite as a rookie, and while he's no Peter the Heater, I can't wait until they are pitching together!

One of the only guys in the rotation now that will still be there when Pap returns is his old partner in crime Harry Parker, who picked up another complete game win over the Wolves. He allowed 11 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts as he improved to 14-7 on the year. Parker was also recently named CA Pitcher of the Month, going a perfect 5-0 in 6 July Starts, working to a 1.79 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 6 walks and 19 strikeouts. Parker tossed a pair of shutouts, and the only start that wasn't a complete game win was the one he left in the first with a finger blister. No Continental Association hurler has more shutouts (4) on the season then Parker, and his 16 complete games rank behind just the likely Allen Winner Rufus Barrell II. The 27-year-old owns a 2.91 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 20 walks and 72 strikeouts on the season, leading the team in wins while ranking second to Donnie Jones in strikeouts and ERA.

Vet Jim Lonardo made a pair of starts, beating the Wolves and losing to the Cannons. His first start was a complete game win with 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He then failed to get out of the 8th against the Cannons, leaving with one out after allowing two runs to give the Cannons a 5-3 lead. He left with 10 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, and just one strikeout. Joe Brown picked up a win, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts in a complete game win. Dick Lyons was not as lucky, charged with 11 hits, 5 runs (4 earned) and a strikeout in a complete game loss. With Johnnie Jones joining the club (and ready for a start), he'll get a few starts with all the double headers to keep Lyons fresh. He tends to pitch much better on full days of rest, and despite being 42, he's been a dependable arm, 5-7 with a 3.51 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 26 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 17 starts. Our staff has been pretty good, but the Stars' has been so much better. It'll be interesting to see how Johnnie can do, as the walks will determine his success the rest of the way.

Looking Ahead
Our homestand has now concluded, as we went 8-5 and finished July 17-10. We'll now head to Montreal for a weird four game series. The first two are in Montreal, the third in Chicago, and the finale in Montreal. They're now in 4th, even at 52-52. We have a 5.5 game lead over them while they're 17.5 behind the Stars. Montreal has been decent, and won't be anywhere near the cellar this season. Part of that has been Jake DeYoung (11-8, 2.93, 70) returning to his pre-1939 form. Wally Doyle is in his best form this year, 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 73 walks, and 104 strikeouts in 23 starts. The rest of the staff hasn't been as great, but they do score a lot of runs, and Red Bond (.248, 12, 53) is starting to hit homers again. Jake Hughes (.337, 2, 40, 11) is having a huge season and Bert Lass (.324, 3, 62) and Charlie Woodbury (.305, 5, 31) are having great seasons as well. They're a tough opponent who can defiantly get the best of us, but they've been a bit cold lately and I think we can take the series.

Our road trip then finishes in Brooklyn, for three with the 50-58 Kings, who are now without Joe Herman (.267, 3, 28, 11) for the rest of the season. He was having a down season after three great years for the Kings, and they haven't been scoring many runs. They do have two power threats in Al Wheeler (.243, 14, 63) and Tim Hopkins (.251, 12, 45), but neither of them have had great seasons with the bat. Lee Shapiro (.293, 6, 29) has been a nice surprise for them, but we should be able to keep their lineup in check. Scoring on Art White (13-9, 1.99, 51) won't be easy, but Bob Cummings (13-8, 3.07, 61) and Jim Crawford (9-10, 3.26, 36) have started to cool off a bit. We need these wins, and with the Stars series right after, we need to build some momentum.

Week 17: August 3rd-August 9th
 

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 60-52 (2nd, 15.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 25 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.160 OPS
Clark Car : 7 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .714 AVG, 2.286 OPS
Harry Mead : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .360 AVG, .928 OPS

Schedule
8-3: Win at Saints (5-0)
8-4: Loss at Saints (4-6)
8-5: Loss vs Saints (2-1)
8-6: Loss at Saints (1-7)
8-7: Win at Kings (7-2)
8-8: Loss at Kings (1-3)
8-9: Loss at Kings (3-4)

Recap
An awful 2-5 week is the final nail in the coffin, as we drop more then 15 games out of first with less then two months to go. We dropped two more one run games and a pair of two run games, as we continue to lose close games. August has been tough for us, quickly 3-7 and with this slump on the road, we're now .500 (30-30) away from home. The loss of production from our two best players last year was too much to overcome, and a lot of our hot starters have cooled while those who struggled early on didn't really pull things back together.

Despite the poor results, we did have some nice outings, including a 4-hit shutout from Harry Parker against the Saints. That was his FABL best 5th shutout of the season and improved him to 15-7. He then lost to the Kings later in the week, allowing 10 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 8 innings. Johnnie Jones got a start, and while he walked a bunch of hitters, he looked good overall. He lost our 2-1 game to the Saints due to John Lawson errors. Both runs were unearned, and he went all nine, charged with 5 hits and 6 walks with 4 strikeouts while managing to throw 145 pitches. His brother Donnie was far less effective in Montreal, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks despite 8 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Jim Lonardo picked up our other win, 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in a complete game victory. Dick Lyons was alright in a loss, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks as Kings backup catcher Jack D. Davis walked him off with a one out single in the 9th. Joe Brown had some struggles, 11 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with a strikeout in 8 mediocre innings. Despite our record, we've pitched alright this season, and are vastly underperforming our 68-44 Pythagorean record.

John Lawson continues what we hope will be a miraculous turnaround, going 12-for-25 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and a solo homer in his best week of the year. He's approaching league average with the bat, now hitting .278/.313/.362 (93 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 7 homers, and 49 RBIs. Clark Car continues his breakout in a part-time role, going 5-for-7 with a double, triple, homer, and 2 RBIs. In 227 trips to the plate, the 28-year-old second basemen is hitting .319/.363/.505 (147 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 6 triples, 3 homers, 6 steals, and 31 RBIs. Harry Mead had another big week, 9-for-25 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford went 8-for-20 with a triple and RBI. Rich Langton was 6-for-18 with a homer and 2 RBIs. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-29 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Freddie Jones went 3-for-8 with a run, RBI, and pair of walks. It was a big week for a lot of our bats, but part of the reason we lost games were the struggles of Carlos Montes, Dick Walker, and Cliff Moss. The trio went just 5-for-52. Montes had most of the PAs, as well as a homer and double, but he also struck out seven times and was caught stealing. He's been relatively healthy, playing in 98 of our 112 games this season, and is still hitting a strong .289/.353/.422 (122 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 6 triples, 8 homers, 11 steals, and 49 RBIs. He's great in center too, working to a 18.2 zone rating and 1.071 efficiency, and he's made 99.6% (252 of 253) routine plays this year after a perfect 100% last season. It feels weird blaming luck, but we rank 1st or 2nd in all offensive categories except strikeouts and lead the league in both steals and baserunning.

Looking Ahead
We start the week at home with a game, off day, and game against the red hot New York Stars. At 75-36, they have more then double digit wins on every single FABL team, and an insurmountable 15.5 game lead in the Continental Association pennant race. The Stars last one the pennant in 1939 where they swept the Miners for their FABL best 8th Championship in just 9 appearances. The only team with more pennants then them is us, but they'll tie us once they inevitably clinch this season. Even without Billy Riley (17-4, 1.80, 71) they've had no issues winning, with Lou Robertson (11-8, 2.11, 62) taking home CA Player of the Week with a pair of complete game wins. He shutout the Kings and allowed just one unearned run against the Saints, with just 3 hits and 2 walks combined as he struck out 9 in an extremely dominant week. Chris Clarke (7-1, 1, 1.45, 10) replaced Riley in the rotation and tossed a 5-hit shutout in his first start. It really doesn't matter who is pitching for the Stars, as they're almost guaranteed a win. Rudy Fisher (1-0, 1, 3.86, 5) is the only arm on the staff with an ERA above 2.75, and he's thrown just 21 innings out of the pen. Then with Bill Barrett (.343, 16, 56), who's already drawn 114 walks with just 9 strikeouts, Dave Trowbridge (.275, 13, 57), Lew Seals (.251, 15, 67, 8), and Joe Angevine (.305, 1, 55, 9) in the lineup, you might as well just forfeit each game. Just imagine if they kept Clark Car (.319, 3, 31, 6)...

Another weird series follows with a game on Thursday against the Kings, followed by an off day, game, and double header to finish the week. Despite being 52-61 and 24 games out of first, they had no issues with us in Brooklyn, taking two of three. The Kings have had a lot of their players underperform, but Art White is not one of them. The 31-year-old is now 14-9 with a 1.95 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 67 walks, and 53 strikeouts through 25 starts. He's their only player with an OPS+/ERA+ above 115, as Rats McGonigle (.261, 6, 39, 6), Al Wheeler (.248, 14, 63), Tim Hopkins (.246, 13, 46), and Bob Cummings (13-8, 3.10, 66) should all be doing a bit better. The Kings have a rather thin farm system, and very few prospects in AAA, but two of their top three prospects, Dick Farmer and the injured Jim Kenny, are in AA and could make a debut next season. They might be a seller in the offseason, and any of the previous players as well as Harry Barrell (.289, 1, 26, 5) would be interesting additions for a team trying to compete. We should win this series, but I have a feeling we'll find a way to fall short.

Minor League Report
LF Bill Rich (AA Mobile Commodores): Is it time for Bill Rich to make the jump to Milwaukee? Another big week for Rich, who went 7-for-21 with 6 walks for the Commodores, aided by an offensive explosion on the 7th against Knoxville. The 23-year-old outfielder was a perfect 5-for-5 with 3 runs, 2 doubles, a homer, 3 RBIs, and a walk. This helped up his season line to .347/.411/.531 (140 OPS+) through 28 games with Mobile. Rich has added 9 doubles, 3 homers, and 24 RBIs after 15, 12, and 70 in 70 games with the Legislators. With Huck Hanes, Orlin Yates, and Bunny Hufford in the Milwaukee outfield, plus Chick Browning who has just been activated from the IL, there is no room for Rich up there yet, but with Yates and potentially Hufford moving up to Chicago once rosters expand, expect Rich to get a taste of the minors toughest competition at the end of the year.

RHP/RF Danny Goff Jr. (AA Mobile Commodores): The up-and-down season continues for Danny Goff Jr., who picked up his third shutout of the season in Mobile's 3-0 win over Nashville. The 24-year-old New Yorker allowed 8 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts as he improved to an impressive 11-4 on the season. His ERA+ is finally above 100, as his 4.24 ERA coincides with a 109 ERA+. Goff has walked 55 while striking out just 47, and has a very high 1.56 WHIP, but after his awful May, he's done a pretty good job keeping runs off the board. The amount of baserunners allowed is a little concerning, and as a finesse pitcher, he'll need to do a better job commanding his three pitches. All three are quality big league offerings, but he is susceptible to the longball, despite just 6 homers in 142.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he continues to exceed expectations, and has yet to have an OPS+ below 125 in the minors. Goff is currently slashing .351/.426/.472 (130 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 34 RBIs. I have to protect him in the offseason due to the Rule-5 Draft, so I'm planning on giving him a September callup to get a few at bats and potentially make a few starts down the stretch. I think he's going to be a very valuable player for us, and he currently ranks as our 7th best prospect and #78 overall.

Week 18: August 10th-August 16th
 

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 65-53 (2nd, 13.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jim Lonardo : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Pug Bryan : 1 Win, 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA
Cliff Moss : 12 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .417 AVG, .968 OPS

Schedule
8-10: Win vs Stars (3-7)
8-12: Win vs Stars (0-4)
8-13: Win vs Kings (2-3)
8-15: Win vs Kings (5-6)
8-16: Win vs Kings (3-4)
8-16: Loss vs Kings (3-1)

Recap
Five win weeks are nice, but when they come after a five loss week, it almost counteracts it. It was cool sweeping the Stars and picking up two games on them, but we're still 13.5 games out of first. We had a nice five game winning streak and got revenge on the Kings, taking three of four from them back in Chicago. We are clearly much better at home then on the road, and we even picked up a few one run games.

Jim Lonardo was dominant against the Stars, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout in a 4-0 shutout victory. Joe Brown also beat the Stars, going 8 with 5 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He also picked up the only loss against the Kings, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), and 2 walks with a strikeout. He's now 13-9 with a 2.90 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 35 walks, and 67 strikeouts in his first season as a full time starter. We got a nice bounce back outing from Donnie Jones, picking up a complete game victory with 9 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Harry Parker was a little unlucky, just 6 hits and 4 walks in a complete game win, but he allowed 5 runs with 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got a no decision, 8 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs, and a strikeout. Pug Bryan finished the game and got the win, pitching the ninth before a four run 9th that finished with a walk-off Skipper Schneider triple. He pitched two innings with a hit and walk. He managed to secure one of our Player of the Week spots, which doesn't make much sense, but I'll take 5 wins over Players of the Week that deserve it!

We didn't really hit that great, but Cliff Moss had a huge week. He went 5-for-12 with a triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Harry Mead continued his outstanding season, 4-for-12 with a double, RBI, 3 runs, and 3 walks. Mead is on track for a 6 WAR season and he's hitting .295/.363/.480 (141 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 13 homers, and 62 RBIs with a 37-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. If it wasn't for George Cleaves and Tom Bird, he'd be the best catcher in the league, but Bird isn't a very good defender, so I'd argue Mead may be #2. He also currently ranks #6 in the top 20 players list, with Skipper and Montes now 8th and 9th. Skipper didn't have a good week, but Montes got on base a lot, 5-for-22 with a triple, homer, 4 walks, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker looked good, 3-for-10 with a double, run, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. John Lawson had another good week, 5-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before a game in New York with the first place Stars. They are now 78-39 and will get ace Billy Riley back. He hasn't pitched since the 29th of July, so we hope he'll show a little rust against us. He's 17-4 with a 1.80 ERA (193 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 52 walks, and 71 strikeouts. He's next to impossible to score on, and we'll have to be at our very best to get anything off him. And even if we do get runs off of him, we'll have to deal with a lineup that contains Bill Barrett (.333, 17, 60), who has walked (117) over 100 times more then he's struck out (9). Throw in Lew Seals (.253, 16, 70, 9), Joe Angevine (.304, 1, 57, 10), Dave Trowbridge (.270, 13, 58), and Ray Cochran (.280, 5, 58, 6) and I still don't know how we beat them this week.

Our weird week then continues with an off day, game hosting the Saints, another off day, and two more to finish the week. The Saints have dropped to fifth behind the Sailors, and are now 58-61 and 21 games out of first place. The Saints offense has been great, getting a great season from Jake Hughes (.323, 2, 45, 12) while Bert Lass (.308, 3, 67) and Charlie Woodbury (.299, 5, 35) have been effective. Spud Bent has done a good job since returning to the majors, slashing .306/.391/.471 (138 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, and 21 RBIs in 184 trips to the plate. The staff hasn't been as great, with Jake DeYoung the only arm in the midst of an above average season. The 29-year-old is now 13-9 with a 2.82 ERA (125 ERA+), ,1.28 WHIP, 30 walks, and 76 strikeouts. Wally Doyle (9-9, 3.59, 117) is doing his best to join him and Ed Baker (9-12, 3.64, 35) has been average as well, but we should be able to put up a lot of runs on them.

Week 19: August 17th-August 23rd
 

Weekly Record: 2-2
Seasonal Record: 67-55 (2nd, 14.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dick Walker : 8 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.375 OPS
Ray Ford : 10 AB, 3 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .300 AVG, 1.264 OPS
Rich Langton : 11 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .455 AVG, 1.091 OPS

Schedule
8-18: Loss at Stars (5-7)
8-20: Win vs Saints (2-3)
8-22: Loss vs Saints (2-1)
8-23: Win vs Saints (1-10)

Recap
We had a chance to beat the Stars yet again, but things fell apart in the ninth. Up 5-3, Jim Lonardo got two quick outs before allowing a solo homer to Gary Carmichael. Bill Barrett then doubled, ending Lonardo's night. Ben Curtin came in, allowing a single to Lew Seals before former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall came in to pinch hit. He quickly ended the game with a two run homer, giving us one of our two close losses. We did take two of three from the Saints in Chicago, splitting a pair of one run games before crushing them in the finale. A 2-2 week isn't bad, but it got worse with yet another Billy Hunter injury. This one is a season ender, rupturing a tendon in his foot. He got into just 33 games, and hit an average .298/.353/.365 (107 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, a steal, and 12 RBIs with a nice 10-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This means more time for Clark Car and Freddie Jones, who have both hit very well. Car is hitting .311/.356/.489 (141 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 6 triples, 3 homers, 6 steals, and 31 RBIs while Jones has hit .299/.396/.402 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs. Car will get righties, Jones lefties, and despite Hunter being the most talented of the trio, we may do better with this platoon. Back from AAA is Orlin Yates, but he's hit just .233/.355/.316 (81 OPS+) and will be used mainly for his defense.

Errors ruined Lonardo's start, as he ended with 11 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 2 walks in 8.2 innings before Curtin allowed a pair of hits and runs. Otherwise, the rest of the pitching was outstanding. Harry Parker was the only other starter to allow an earned run, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Donnie Jones was as unlucky as you can be, with 6 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts and a pair of unearned runs. A Skipper Schneider error to start the game caused his loss, as he was brilliant in a 2-1 game where we outhit Montreal 10-7. A John Lawson error cost Joe Brown a shutout, as he allowed 8 hits with 6 strikeouts in a complete game win. It feels like every game we lose is because of unearned runs, and since we can't win close games, our expected record is 8 wins better then the actual one.

We got some good production from the lineup, including a strong showing from our first base platoon. Dick Walker was 4-for-8 with a homer and 3 RBIs while Ray Ford was 3-for-10 with 2 homers, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Rich Langton was 5-for-11 with a triple, run, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell had one of his better weeks in a while, 5-for-14 with 3 runs, 3 walks, and an RBI. Skipper went 6-for-16 with 3 runs and an RBI. August hasn't been a great month for us, just 10-10, and we've already ran out of time to mount any sort of comeback in the standings.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before starting a road trip in Toronto with two against the Wolves. Toronto has done much better in August, 14-8 so far, and are now 60-64 which is 22.5 games behind the Stars. The Wolves are now without Mike Rollison (.297, 3, 43), which ahs made room in the lineup for former Cougar prospect Hal Wood (.292, 4, 32). Wood has done in a part-time role, and they have really benefited from his bat. Him and Tom Frederick (.294, 2, 36, 10) are the only members of the lineup with an OPS+ above 100, although neither are above 111. Larry Vestal (.198, 3, 25) has really struggled and Walt Pack (.256, 6, 52) has yet to heat up, while Charlie Artuso (.271, 4, 40) has yet to return to his 1940 form where he hit .303/.364/.448 (118 OPS+) and led the CA with 7.7 WAR. If we can keep them from scoring, we may be able to get some wins off stellar pitching as Joe Hancock (13-12, 2.17, 90) and George Garrison (19-8, 2.20, 116) do not allow many scoring opportunities when they toe the rubber. Bernie Johnson is still rehabbing, but could return, although he's just 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA (70 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP in 3 starts for AAA Buffalo. We should miss Hancock, but I'm expecting to see Garrison and Chick Wirtz (9-9, 2.96, 36), which could mean we see a pair of pitcher's duel in the spacious Dominion Stadium.

Off after the Wolves series, which we'll use to head to Cincinnati for two with the Cannons. They are the only other team above .500, sitting at 64-60 and 4 games behind us for second. After starting the season 20-31, they've gone 44-29 with the help of the dominant Rufus Barrell (20-5, 1.99, 139) and slugger Chuck Adams (.309, 17, 51). While not a lot has gone right for the Cannons this year, an unexpected power surge from Jim Hensley has really lengthened their lineup. In 257 FABL games before this season, the now 26-year-old middle infielder hit just 8 homers, but has already reached 10 in 116 games this season. He's hit a nice .273/.320/.434 (111 OPS+) with a 1.110 efficiency at short and 1.087 efficiency at second. It's made up a bit for the average line from Fred Galloway (.261, 1, 42) and "down" season from Adam Mullins (.280, 7, 43), but the Cannons have still had issues scoring runs. Bob Griffith (.286, 1, 11) has looked good in limited time, but there are a lot of spots for upgrades in the lineup. The pitching has been better since Vic Carroll (7-5, 2.15, 50) returned from his lengthy injury absence, but Butch Smith (7-13, 1, 4.06, 75) has started to struggle again and top prospect Charlie Griffith (4-3, 3.41, 22) and vet Roger Perry (7-7, 3.37, 62) have been just average. The Cannons are a much better team then their record would suggest, and the only team they've really had trouble with this year is the Stars. I expect a hard fought series, like the one in Toronto, but in both cases we should at least split.

Our week ends in Philly, where we have a double header to start a four game set. The Sailors are just a game under .500, and a bit closer to last (18) then first (21). The back of their rotation has cost them games, but their 1-2 punch of Karl Wallace (17-5, 2.79, 61) and Chuck Murphy (11-13, 2.79, 39) has done a really good job for them. The other three in the rotation have struggled, and this may be the last season both Herb Flynn (9-8, 3.99, 43) and Doc Newell (8-14, 4.65, 47) spend in the rotation. David Molina (6-3, 5, 2.98, 55) and Al Duster (1-1, 1, 2.92, 13) look ready to take their spots, and former 2nd Rounder Slim Cook is in AAA San Francisco and could be another alternative. The Sailors system is as deep as ours, and they may look a lot different in Philly the next few seasons. The offense needs less work, with guys like Marion Boismenu (.305, 4, 31) and the recently optioned Eddie Heaton (.248, 5, 24) taking over for longtime starters Dick Walker and Joe Watson. Recent first rounder Mark Smith has held his own in AAA and could push Woody Stone (.269, 5, 50) out and 19-year-old Ernie Grout could replace Lou Williams (.280, 1, 47, 10) as early as this September. They may be a team in transition, but the Sailors are always competitive and very rarely suffer bad seasons. I'd like to take this series as well, but we struggles on the road and that may continue here.

Minor League Report
SS Eddie Curtis (AAA Milwaukee Blues): For the third time this season, young infielder Eddie Curtis has recorded five or more hits in a single game. This time on August 17th against the Columbus Titans, Curtis was a perfect 5-for-5 with a walk, triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs as the Blues pulled off a 7-6 victory. The versatile infielder is making his case for a September callup, hitting .317/.354/.409 (111 OPS+) in 515 trips to the plate. "Slick Eddie" as recorded 17 doubles, 12 triples, a homer, 14 steals, and 45 RBIs with almost double the walks (28) as strikeouts (15). He hasn't been great defensively at shortstop, and will likely see more time at second, third, left, or right in the future, but since I want Ollie Page manning third, we don't really have a better option for a AAA shortstop. The hardworking 24-year-old gets high marks for his plate coverage and is able to hit the ball to all fields, and he makes enough contact to hit in the .290-.310 range. A 7th Round selection back in 1939, Curtis is on our 40 and no longer ranks as a top 500 prospect, but he looks like a useful bench piece and is doing his best to secure a shot at the highest level. There may be better options long term, but he has a low floor and an inside track to a few late season ABs.

C Solly Skidmore (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a great week for the young catcher Solly Skidmore, who could arguably be a top 6 catcher in the FABL already if we didn't have Harry Mead entrenched behind the plate. Skidmore went 11-for-23 with 4 homers, 7 runs, and 11 RBIs to increase his season line to .322/.408/.467 (124 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 4 triples, 10 homers, and 77 RBIs with a stellar 59-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The 22-year-old currently ranks as the 20th best prospect in baseball, and since he's Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, I'll be letting him spend September in Chicago instead the minors. An extremely talented hitter, Skidmore has an elite eye at the plate and he hits the ball hard and to all fields. He's shown signs of double digit power, and I think with a full season in Chicago he should be able to hit 15 a few times. His defense isn't the greatest, which is almost a good thing for him, as he could shift over to first base while Harry Mead is still effective. Mead is one of, if not the top, defensive catchers in the game, and if he continues to hit like he does this year, it will be really hard to give Solly much time behind the plate. He's serviceable as a catcher, and could spend more time there if Mead is hurt or drafted, but he doesn't have the easiest path to the big leagues. Both would make for intriguing trade candidates, and with a potential need at third as Billy Hunter may not be back for the start of next season, one of our top quality catchers could be looking for a new place of residence in the offseason.

Week 20: August 24th-August 30th
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 70-58 (2nd, 14 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.087 OPS
Freddie Jones : 8 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.556 OPS
Dick Walker : 14 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .357 AVG, .866 OPS

Schedule
8-25: Win at Wolves (4-2)
8-26: Win at Wolves (3-2): 10 innings
8-28: Win at Cannons (4-2)
8-29: Loss at Cannons (0-3)
8-30: Loss at Sailors (1-2): 10 innings
8-30: Loss at Sailors (3-7)

Recap
As we approach the final month of the season, we put up a 3-3 week to keep our August record at .500 (13-13). With just one more game left, we could have our second sub .500 month, but we have reached 70 wins and continue to maintain our -8 expected record. This week started good with the sweep of the Wolves, before splitting with the Cannons and losing the double header with the Sailors. We even split one run games and extra inning games this week!

We didn't do much hitting this week, but Leo Mitchell showed up. The third best hitter in the CA in terms of average, Mitchell raised his line to .322/.359/.434 (127 OPS+) with a 10-for-24 week. He added two doubles, a homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 2 RBIs with just a single strikeout. He's up to 91 strikeouts, so if he gets set down more then nine more times, it'll be the third time he hits triple digits. Freddie Jones and Ray Ford took advantage of the lefties we faced, 8-for-17 with Jones adding a homer, double, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Dick Walker did the same to righties, 5-for-14 with a double, steal, and two walks. John Lawson, however, as started to freeze back up, just 2-for-23 with 6 strikeouts. Just when it looked like he was going to get his line to average or better, it's back down to .268/.305/.346 (86 OPS+).

The staff was reliable, but we didn't give them enough support. Dick Lyons tossed a gem, but got no run support, going 8 with 7 hits, a run, and 2 walks. The 42-year-old has struck out just 14 hitters in 150 innings pitched, but he has an average 3.36 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP through 20 starts. He's probably going to lose a few starts down the stretch to give some of the youngsters like Johnnie Jones and Danny Goff Jr. a chance to start big league games. Jim Lonardo was our two start starter, getting a win and a loss to inch his record up to 16-11. He allowed 14 hits, 9 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Joe Brown pitched well, but got a loss, 8 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker didn't get a complete game, getting one out in the ninth after we took a 3-2 lead, allowing just 4 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs with 3 strikeouts. Ben Curtin finished that game, picking up one of his two saves, and also got a loss in the week. He pitched 3 innings with 5 hits and a run. Our last start went to Donnie Jones, who went 8 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The staff continues to be reliable, but just like with Lyons, some of these guys will get extra off days down the stretch to let some of our younger guys in.

Looking Ahead
Two more with the Sailors who are now 65-62 on the season. If we win both, it will be just a split, and these are definitely now must win games. We'll get Karl Wallace (18-5, 2.76, 64) and likely Scotty Thomas (4-12, 4.38, 62) to finish off the series. Bob Smith (.299, 6, 56) has started to heat up and could be a factor in the series, but I think our pitching should be able to keep them in check.

Our road trip continues with the Foresters in Cleveland, getting two games before an off day. At 44-84, they are 40 games out of first and 13.5 games behind the Kings. The Kings and Foresters are both eliminated from the playoffs. Dan Fowler (.200, 3, 20, 3) has been out since July, giving time to former 1st Rounder Paul F Smith (.248, 1, 11, 2) out in center. He hasn't hit or fielded well, but they'll hope to get more from the switch hitting 25-year-old. Eli Harkless (.279, 5, 40, 16) and Hank Stratton (.309, 2, 53) have been their only slightly above average hitters. On the pitching side, Dick Lamb (8-17, 3.96, 29) has started to struggle and Jack Thornhill (5-10, 3.87, 33) and Walt Hill (2-10, 4.61, 22) haven't been much better. We need to win both of these games, but we aren't the same team on the road as we are at home.

We finish the week in Montreal with two against the Saints. They are now 64-66 and 21 games behind the Stars. Jake DeYoung (14-10, 2.97, 81) continues to have an outstanding season, but Wally Doyle (11-10, 3.89, 133) has yet to figure things out. They can score a lot of runs, as Jake Hughes has slashed .326/.379/.420 (120 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 8 triples, 2 homers, 13 steals, and 52 RBIs with a 46-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Bill Greene (.241, 3, 46, 8), Bert Lass (.312, 4, 74), Charlie Woodbury (.304, 5, 37), and Spud Bent (.297, 3, 24) can all do damage, and even with the lack of hits and a lot of strikeouts, Red Bond (.257, 14, 67) can be dangerous. They've started to struggle a little recently, but the Saints are a formidable opponent who may be able to compete for a pennant next season.

Minor League Report
RHP Fred Thaxton (AA Mobile Commodores): After struggling a little in Mobile last season, 1940 7th Rounder Fred Thaxton has taken huge strides forward. His most recent start is a culmination of those efforts, tossing a 4-hit shutout with a walk and 2 strikeouts as Mobile silenced Chattanooga 9-0. Thaxton is now 10-5 on the season with a 3.58 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 53 walks, and 36 strikeouts through 16 starts. The walks are a bit of concern for the soon-to-be 24-year-old, as he's walked over 4 batters per nine in 25 starts at the AA level, after never passing 2.5 in Class A or B. Thaxton isn't a hard thrower either, with his fastball and cutter in the high 80s, which limits the effectiveness of his change. They are all good pitches, but if he can't find the zone, he can run into trouble with runners on. His change is the best pitch, and with more speed on the hard stuff it will be even better, and Tom thinks he'll eventually figure out his control issues. Thaxton ranks towards the bottom of the top 500 prospects, but he does project to be a decent back end rotation piece with a high floor.

RHP Mel Haynes (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a dominant outing for former 1st Rounder Mel Haynes, who allowed just 2 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout win over the Davenport Dusters. This improved the 20-year-old to an outstanding 16-3 on the season with a 2.38 ERA (162 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 53 walks, and 69 strikeouts in 155 elite innings for the Legislators. I have debated moving him up to Mobile, but with a lot of older and more experienced arms in the Lincoln rotation with him, I've decided it's best for him to stay in A ball and start fresh in AA next year. Currently ranked 5th in our system and 65th overall, Haynes has great stuff, with a deep four pitch mix. He features a great low 90s sinker that gets a ton of groundballs, a plus change, and a reliable forkball and slider. When his stuff is working, Haynes is unhittable, but he is walking a bit more then 3 batters per nine. I'm not worried about the control, as he almost never allows homers, limits base hits, and erases runners that reach base with double plays. The only concern so far is he doesn't throw many pitches, and while the 99 pitches in the shutout were his fewest of the season, his other 20 starts saw him throw between just 105 and 110 pitches. If he can pitch deeper into games, he'll be more then just a middle of the rotation arm, but he has all the tools to make up for potentially short outings.

Week 21: August 31st-September 6th
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 73-61 (2nd, 15 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, .880 OPS
Harry Mead : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, .923 OPS
John Lawson : 21 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .429 AVG, .984 OPS

Schedule
8-31: Win at Sailors (3-1)
9-1: Loss at Sailors (9-10): 15 innings
9-2: Win at Foresters (4-2)
9-3: Win at Foresters (8-3)
9-5: Loss at Saints (4-6)
9-6: Loss at Saints (4-5)

Recap
Another middling 3-3 week, and you can add two more one run losses to the Cougars season total. The one against the Sailors was an arduous 15 inning game where we blew a 3 run lead in the 8th. Neither team scored until the 13th where we took a 9-7 lead, before quickly giving it back in the bottom of the half before backup catcher Dave Doolittle walked us off with a double. Now 16-24 in one run games, we continue to lose close games, which has been our undoing. Well, that and the Stars allergy to losing...

We got good pitching most of the week, including from our two start starter Harry Parker. He won one and lost one, now 19-9 on the season. Parker tossed a complete game against the Sailors, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. He was less lucky as the Saints walked him off with one out in the 9th, but it wouldn't have mattered if Skipper's errors didn't come earlier. He allowed 11 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Donnie Jones picked up another win, 5 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. His brother Johnnie got a start with all the double headers, but it wasn't far near as good as his first. He allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, and 7 walks with 2 strikeouts, and left with back stiffness. Joe Brown didn't give up any earned runs, but was charged with 11 hits and 2 unearned runs with a pair of strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was hit hard, 8 hits, 5 runs, and a walk to drop to 16-12. The pen really struggled, but Ben Curtin did alright. He went 5 innings in 3 games with 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks. Pug Bryan pitched the end of the 15 inning marathon, allowing the 3 runs in extras with 4 hits, 5 walks, and a strikeout in 4.1 innings pitched. Hooks Camp made two appearances, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with a strikeout. We'll get some reinforcements for the staff, and I'll cover all callups in the minor league report.

The offense was inconsistent, but we did get some impressive performances. Dick Walker had a huge week, 7-for-14 with a triple, steal, RBI, runs, and 3 walks. Freddie Jones took advantage of the Billy Hunter injury, 6-for-12 with a double, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. John Lawson had a nice week as well, 9-for-21 with 5 walks (2 intentional for some reason...), 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Rich Langton went 3-for-10 with a homer, steal, walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Harry Mead went 9-for-24 with a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Skipper Schneider went 10-for-25 with 2 doubles, a run, and 5 RBIs. Most of our outfield really struggled, with Cliff Moss and Carlos Montes earning snowflakes next to their name. They combined to go just 5-for-40 with with 3 RBIs, 5 runs, 5 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Montes has no worries of losing a spot, but Moss may be in his last year as a starter, as Rich Langton has regained form and we have Bunny Hufford ready and waiting in Milwaukee. Moss hasn't been great as a Cougar, hitting just .261/.336/.391 (105 OPS+) with 18 homers and 96 RBIs in the past two seasons.

Looking Ahead
Rosters are now expanded, so a double header like the one we have to start the week won't worry us too much. We'll face the Kings in Brooklyn, who are 60-75 and nearly 30 games behind the 88-44 New York Stars. We may get to see former Cougar prospect Willie Gonzalez Jr. (0-1, 5.68, 1) who was recently called up and added to the rotation. It may instead be the struggling Hank Mittan (6-16, 5.14, 33), but we'll for sure see another former Cougar prospect in Stumpy Beaman (6-15, 4.21, 41). This has been a bit of a down season for Beaman who looked good in both '40 and '41, but who now owns a career low 83 ERA+. We should be able to get a ton of runs on these guys, and since they don't score too much, we really should be able to pull of a sweep. Al Wheeler (.263, 21, 84) can change the game with one swing of the bat, as can Tim Hopkins (.246, 15, 57), but there aren't too many other threats. Rats McGonigle (.269, 8, 53, 8) is still just 23 and one of the most talented youngsters in the game, but he has yet to put it all together. I like our chances here, but without Art White, they're likely destined for 7th this season.

That ends our road trip, as we then return home for a game against the Sailors. They're a game over .500 and half a game above the Saints for fourth place. The Sailors will have some change in their roster, as they are now without Herb Flynn (11-9, 3.80, 51) for the rest of the season with a herniated disc in his back. This could open a spot up for David Molina (6-3, 5, 2.70, 56) or Al Duster (1-1, 1, 2.40, 18), or one of the three starters in San Francisco on their 40. The offense might not see much change, but we should see the return of Eddie Heaton (.248, 5, 24). The Sailors have given us a lot of trouble this year, so I would not be one bit surprised if we get beat.

Next up is an off day, before another weird one game set. This one will be with the Cannons, who have improved greatly in the second half. They are now 71-65 and three games behind us. Rufus Barrell continues his campaign for the Allen Award, now 23-5 with a 1.89 ERA (184 ERA+), 0.93 WHIP, 30 walks, and 152 strikeouts. He's trying to show he's better then Peter the Heater, and this season is far better then Papnefus' last season. We'll likely see him or Charlie Griffith (6-3, 3.21, 24), who is on a nice four game complete game win streak. These are their top two, and both should hold a spot in their rotation for a long time. At the plate, Jim Hensley has continued his huge breakout, now slashing .272/.319/.440 (112 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 4 triples, 13 homers, and 56 RBIs. Adam Mullins (.291, 7, 48), Chuck Adams (.308, 18, 56), and him make up a really tough 3-4-5, and depending on how this week goes, they may actually pass us in the standings. I want to win as many games as possible, but if they pass us, it does help our draft position.

Our next guest is the Toronto Wolves, who are 65-71 and now 25 games out of first. They are another team who may see a lot of changes with rosters expanding, but the rotation is pretty set. I think we'll get Joe Hancock (14-13, 2.19, 93) and George Garrison (20-9, 2.48, 128), which may make things very difficult for us. The offense has started to improve, and they've gotten a good showing from 21-year-old Hank Giordano. He's hitting .316/.355/.427 (115 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 10 RBIs. I don't think he'll give up his lineup spot, and he could sit in the middle for the next decade. Tom Frederick (.295, 3, 40, 10) has been one of the more valuable players in the league and Hal Wood (.296, 4, 34) has done well in just shy of 300 PAs, but they have a lot of holes in their lineup that our pitchers should be able to exploit. Scoring off their aces will be tough, but I like our chances here.

We finally end the week with a double header against the Foresters, with the finale to start next week. They are just 46-88, and will get to pick first this January. Ben Turner (11-12, 3.63, 45) is the closest thing they have to an average starter, and former Cougar draftee Hank Stratton (.314, 2, 55) is the only above average hitter in the lineup. They could bring up a few prospects for the final month, as 21-year-old third basemen Wally Fuller and 20-year-old outfielder Pete Sigmund are in AAA. Earle Robinson (3-3, 2.91, 12) has begun rehab and could be on the way up, and they may give Johnny Slaney (0-5, 8.47, 15) another chance. We had no issues with them this week, so I'm hoping we can have more of the same here.

Minor League Report
RHP/RF Danny Goff Jr.: The son of former big league pitcher Danny Goff and brother of Kings pitcher Jack Goff will be called upon to make his major league debut. The 24-year-old has done well both at the plate and on the bump for the Commodores this season, hitting .353/.435/.489 (138 OPS+) with a 3.79 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP. He added 22 doubles, 6 triples, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 41 RBIs with an impressive 55-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He also has more pitching walks (70) then strikeouts (61) in 178.1 innings, but has looked much better as the season has gone on. He has the talent to start both in the outfield and on the mound, and while he's better as a hitter then on the mound right now, he has much higher upside as a pitcher. He won't win 200 games like his dad, but he has really good stuff. He features a high 80s fastball with a nice curve and change, and if he gets his command under control, he should strike out a lot of hitters. He does have issues with flyballs, which will be something to manage at our park, but Harry Parker has shown it's possible for a flyball pitcher to survive in Chicago. As a hitter, he should challenge for batting titles, and his pure speed will be a huge asset on the basepaths and in the field. He may be able to stick in center, but I think he'll be an elite fielder in right with strong range and an outstanding arm. He's played some first base too, more just to get his bat in the lineup, but his multi-positional versatility will be a huge help for someone who can't start every day. I think the eventual goal for Goff is to follow a rather strict schedule; outfield, off day, day pitching, off day, outfield to make sure he doesn't get overly fatigued. I'm really excited to see what he can do, as I'll look to give him at least one start on the mound, as well as a few starts in the outfield to see how he can handle big league pitching.

RHP Eddie Quinn: The grizzled, now turned 36-year-old Eddie Quinn spent all season in Milwaukee, and he'll now return to the Cougars. He's done decent for the Blues despite his 4-9 record, working to a 3.18 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 30 walks and strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched. A partially torn UCL really ruined Quinn, who went 8-8 with a 4.56 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 58 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 136.1 innings pitched. He's more or less a relief only arm at this point, but this may be one of his last chances to throw innings for us.

C Solly Skidmore: Our currently top rated position prospect, Solly Skidmore will get his first taste of big league action. The talented 22-year-old has spent all season with the AA Mobile Commodores, slashing .323/.408/.464 (125 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 4 triples, 11 homers, and 96 RBIs with an outstanding 66-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Mark Smith has surpassed Skidmore as the top catching prospect in baseball, but Solly ranks 21st overall. He has a plus contact tool and should end up hitting for a very high average. He has an elite eye, with the potential to draw 75 walks a season. He is a good defender, not quite at Mead's level, but I at least thought he had a better bat. It will be hard for them to both coexist, so one may be moved in the offseason, but it never hurts to have an excess of talent behind the plate. He won't get too many starts, but I can see him making a few pinch hit opportunities. He'll be sent to Milwaukee next season, as I don't want him sitting on the bench, but he could end up hitting his way up to Chicago.

3B Ollie Page: After six full seasons and a near complete one, Ollie Page returned to the minors for the first time since 1935 as one of the few players I could send down. To improve his versatility, Page spent all 99 of his games at the hot corner, a position he has never played before. Despite that, he was extremely effective, with a 11.1 zone rating and 1.092 efficiency. He didn't hit much, just .254/.338/.333 (86 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, 14 steals, and 43 RBIs. That's actually worse then his big league career line of .253/.333/.366 (93 OPS+) in 2,542 plate appearances for us, but his glove and experience are huge assets. Now 32, Page isn't the cornerstone piece we once thought he could be when we acquired him from the Eagles back in 1934, but with John Lawson's stark decline and Billy Hunter's unrelenting injury problems, he'll have a chance to win the third base job in the Spring if I can't upgrade outside of the organization. We don't really have an option for backup third basemen, the closest thing is Tip Harrison who does field far better then he hits, so Page will step into the backup role and may get a little time. Otherwise, he's a great late inning defensive replacement as Lawson is awful now at the hot corner.

CF Bunny Hufford: Currently ranked as the 68th best prospect in the FABL, 24-year-old Bunny Hufford will get the call he's been waiting for ever since being selected in the 4th Round of the 1939 draft. One of the hardest workers in our entire system, Hufford spent the year to date in Milwaukee patrolling center for the Blues. He wasn't the best defender, as his -10.2 zone rating and .961 efficiency don't paint the brightest picture. But with Carlos Montes just two years older then him, it wasn't really something I considered. Cliff Moss isn't the prolific slugger he once was and Rich Langton is now on the wrong side of 30, so right field could be Hufford's for the taking. As a lefty, he can platoon with Langton as early as next season, and will have a pretty good shot of earning a roster spot as Fred Vargas will still be in the military, and his ability to cover center if needed can displace Aart MacDonald while allowing us to keep Cliff Moss on as a bench bat. I think Hufford will have no issues with hitting big league pitchers, as he hit .310/.389/.427 (125 OPS+) in 568 PAs with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 9 steals, and 78 RBIs. Bunny is a very well rounded hitter, offering speed, discipline, contact, and extra base power. I can see him consistently hitting double digit homers (on the lower end) with an average around .300 and an OBP close to .400. He has all the tools to be an effective leadoff hitter, and could probably have cracked an opening day roster for a few other teams at the start of the year. He's no Montes or Mitchell, but Hufford may develop into a productive regular who can lengthen your lineup, just not to carry it.

That gives us a total of 29 active players, and with the purchasing of Goff, Skidmore, and Hufford's contracts, 39 players on the 40. One spot will go to Billy Hunter when he returns from the IL, so if I want to add another non-roster player (likely Ken Matson), I will have to DFA someone. When the minor league seasons end on the 20th, I'll fill up the roster for the final week. I expect to give a lot of the younger guys time, with the likely debuts of Chicagoan Chick Browning, and potentially Eddie Curtis, Ira Hawker, and Joe Crosby. Those four, Matson, and Ossie Grogan will likely fill up the roster for the final week, but I may keep one of Hawker or Crosby down in favor of Jocko Pollard.

Week 22: September 7th-September 13th
 

Guess I forgot to post yesterday;

Weekly Record: 4-4
Seasonal Record: 77-65 (2nd, 18 GB)
Stars of the Week
Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 2 BB, 10 K, 1.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 37 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .297 AVG, .750 OPS
Clark Car : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.003 OPS

Schedule
9-7: Win at Kings (4-3)
9-7: Win at Kings (7-0)
9-8: Loss vs Sailors (4-2)
9-10: Loss vs Cannons (2-1): 22 innings
9-11: Loss vs Wolves (9-1)
9-12: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
9-13: Win vs Foresters (2-5)
9-13: Loss vs Foresters (6-2)

Recap
Well, it's now official... The Chicago Cougars will not play postseason ball for the first time since, well, last season. We pretty much knew this a long time ago, but on the 11th of September, the Wolves knocked around Harry Parker in a crushing 9-1 defeat that officially put us out of the running for repeating as champions of the Continental Association. It was another middling week, this time 4-4, as we dropped to 18 out and just one over the Cannons for 3rd. The elimination came right after a grueling game with those Cannons, where Rufus Barrell threw 10 shutout innings while Jim Lonardo threw 11. Both teams scored a single run in the 12th, but it took more then another full games worth of innings to declare a winner. Luckily with rosters expanded, we had more then enough pitchers to reach the end, but a Tip Harrison error extended the 22nd, allowing the Cannons to take a 2-1 lead that Roger Perry took home. For a team that supposedly has the best defense in the league, we sure to lose a lot of games because of errors...

To add injury to insult, Carlos Montes strained his hamstring, and will now miss the rest of the season. He did play in a career high 127 games, setting personal bests for PAs (579), at bats (514), hits (318), triples (10), and WAR (5.7) while matching his best for RBIs (55). He finished the season with a nice .268/.332/.407 (110 OPS+) triple slash with 19 doubles, 9 homers, 13 steals, and 55 RBIs. His 21.3 zone rating and 1.057 efficiency were just off his career bests, as the 26-year-old continues to be a top center fielder when he can stay on the field. This opens up the door to more playing time for Bunny Hufford, who went 1-for-3 with a run and sac-fly in his debut week. Him and Orlin Yates are both lefties, so they can't really platoon, but they will more or less share the center field spot with some time going to Danny Goff Jr. as well. He had himself a nice debut, tossing 5.2 shutout innings in the crazy extra inning affair. He allowed 2 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts, while walking in both his trips to the plate. He was also 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Donnie Jones had a huge week, and while everyone wants to give Rookie of the Year to Ed Bowman, I am going to have a very hard time not giving it to our youngster. He was brilliant against the Kings, tossing a 4-hit shutout with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. He then kept his former organization in check, picking up another complete game win with 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts against the Wolves. Jones has won four starts in a row, now 14-12 with a 2.50 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 79 walks, and 112 strikeouts in 226.2 innings pitched. The wins will likely cost him the award, but he has been just as good as the Gothams young star. We also got a great starts from Dick Lyons, who allowed just a single earned run in a win and no decision. He went 16 innings with 13 hits, 5 runs, and a walk to lower his ERA to 3.14 (108 ERA+) on the season. Joe Brown was a bit shaky, losing both his starts. He went 16 innings between them, allowing 20 hits, 10 runs (7 earned), and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. It was still much better then Harry Parker, who allowed 9 hits, 7 runs, and 3 homers with just one strikeout in 4 innings pitched. As a team, the Wolves have just 50 homers, and Parker has 8 of them. The pen was utilized a lot thanks to the Cannons, so each Cougar pitcher threw at least one inning. Eddie Quinn relieved Parker, 5 decent frames with 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Pug Bryan spread 4 innings across 2 appearances, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks with a strikeout. Ben Curtin picked up a win, making two appearances with 3 hits, a run, and a walk. Hooks Camp went 1.1 with a walk and strikeout. Johnnie Jones allowed a hit, walk, and unearned run in the 22nd inning of a game that spanned 6 hours and 30 minutes.

The bats were ice cold this week, but Freddie Jones continued to stay hot. The veteran second basemen went 4-for-10 with a double, run, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. He's now hitting .324/.422/.441 (148 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 35 RBIs. This is the Freddie Jones I thought I traded for back in 1938, which looks awful in hindsight considering the All-Star production from Tommy Wilson (.277, 4, 65) and Danny Hern (16-11, 3.50, 93), but with how thin second base is in the FABL, a strong season like this could build his trade value and allow us to recoup decent value if I decide to commit to Hunter and Car or manage to find a third basemen. Speaking of Car, he was one of the only other hitters to do well, 8-for-19 with a triple, RBI, 2 runs, and 2 walks. The first year Cougar is hitting a similar .308/.348/.465 (133 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 8 steals, and 36 RBIs. Harry Mead picked up his first big league steal in his 444th big league game, and was 6-for-23 with 3 doubles, a homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell went 11-for-37 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 runs, 8 RBIs, and 2 walks. He also struck out 9 times, blowing way past 100 to 107. Solly Skidmore didn't have the greatest debut week, going 0-for-6, but he did pick up a pair of walks.

Looking Ahead
The games may not matter, but I still want to win them! We continue at home with the finale against the almost 100 loss Foresters. They're set to send out the struggling Dave Rankin (6-15, 4.58, 31) who has imploded after a really good start to the season. They've got Dan Fowler (.195, 3, 20, 3) back, the only three hitter with a sub .200 average, and replaced Ken Vance (.229, 1, 32) behind the plate with the veteran Mickey Patterson (.333, 1, 2) who had a nice first week in Cleveland. After a very good first full season, Vance looked like a potential building block behind the plate, but he's yet to produce another above average season and his lone homer this year is the only one in his big league career. Not many new youngsters on the roster for the final month, and since we split the double header, we have to win the finale.

We're off Tuesday, but will stay home to welcome the .500 Sailors. After beating the Stars on the 10th, Karl Wallace (20-7, 2.73, 71) became the leagues most unexpected 20 game winner. Wallace has always shown tremendous upside, especially as a Cougar prospect, but for a guy waived by a team in desperate need of pitching, he more then exceeded expectations. We'll likely miss him and, instead get another former Saint and recent rotation add Tom Cipolla (0-2, 6.05, 7), who has been hit hard in three starts, as well as No-Hit Newell (10-15, 4.37, 58), who now allows more then a hit an inning. The lineup remains the same and Eddie Heaton is still in AAA, so as long as we keep Marion Boismenu (.314, 5, 42) and Bob Smith (.291, 7, 62) under control, I like our chances of outscoring them at home.

Our week then finishes with four games in three days with the New York Stars. An impressive 94-46, they could tie or break the CA high 103 wins of the 1929 and Philadelphia Sailors. A team with no real weakness this year, all five rotation members have ERAs below 2.60 with the chance for a pair of 20 game winners. One is Billy Riley (20-4, 2.12, 84), who is already there, and the other Chuck Cole (17-13, 2.37, 98), who will likely just miss it. Regardless, we have to draw four of their five guys, and you can flip a coin between Vern Hubbard (15-4, 2.59, 78), Lou Robertson (13-11, 2.51, 73), and Jack Wood (8-7, 2.63, 73). The offense will look much different next year, as Lou Seals (.251, 16, 73, 10) was just drafted into the Coast Guard and both Joe Angevine (.295, 1, 67, 13) and All-World outfielder Bill Barrett (.337, 24, 78) will enlist after the season ends. Dave Trowbridge (.279, 16, 71) has given no indication that this is his last year, and will look to run it back at 44 (45 when the season ends), but even as good as he is, you have to imagine there is eventually a cliff for him to fall from. They'll have to rely on guys like Howie Smith (.264, 2, 20), Gary Carmichael (.316, 3, 12), and breakout rookie Andy Gross (.397, 1, 18, 1), but even all put together they can't replicate William the Conqueror, let alone make up for the loss of three important bats. That's a problem for them to worry about next year, as they can fully focus on the World Championship Series that they surely are favorites to win. The Stars are hoping for a Subway Series against the Gothams (83-60), but the defending champion Minutemen (82-63) will look to reclaim first. The Keystones (80-63), Miners (83-66), and Chiefs (70-70) are all still alive, but the Chiefs chance is more technical, while the Miners are running out of games and the Keystones lost talented two-way player Lloyd Stevens (17-7, 2.71, 121; .259, 2, 19) for the rest of the year as he tore his rotator cuff. I expect the Stars to walk all over us, even in Chicago, but we will have three of our top four starters ready to go.

Week 23: September 14th-September 20th
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 81-68 (2nd, 20 GB)
Stars of the Week
Cliff Moss : 20 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.150 OPS
John Lawson : 20 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, .950 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 26 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .308 AVG, .879 OPS

Schedule
9-14: Win vs Foresters (2-5)
9-16: Win vs Sailors (0-3)
9-17: Win vs Sailors (9-6)
9-18: Loss vs Stars (7-4)
9-19: Loss vs Stars (9-6)
9-20: Win vs Stars (4-5)
9-20: Loss vs Stars (4-1)

Recap
We went undefeated against teams who were not the New York Stars this week, but went just 1-3 against those Stars. When you consider the one win was a rare one run win, it really shows how much better of a team they are. What is nice is that despite now being 20 games out of first, we've more or less secured 2nd, as the Cannons had a rough week and sit 3.5 games behind us. We also surpassed the 80 win mark, the fifth time in six years, with the lone exception our 79 win 1938. Just one more week with 5 more games before the offseason.

Danny Goff Jr. had an outstanding first career start, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the Sailors with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts. He hit pretty well too, 2-for-7 with 3 walks and 2 runs. He didn't throw our only shutout, as Harry Parker was even better, tossing a 4-hitter of his own with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. This was his 20th win on the season, and Parker has increased his win total in each of his five seasons. It will be hard to top this next year, but he's managed to lose just 10 or 11 games in each of the last four seasons. Dick Lyons did great in his last start of the season, keeping the Stars in check during a no decision. He allowed 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 7.2 innings pitched. This year is his sixth consecutive with an ERA+ of 100 or better, going 6-8 in 23 starts with a 3.06 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 34 walks, and 15 strikeouts. I have yet to decide if Lyons will start again next season, but the fact that the now 42-year-old managed to be worth 2.1 wins above replacement with just a 0.8 K/9 is extremely impressive. Jim Lonardo picked up a win and no decision, going 16 innings with 17 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Joe Brown really struggled with the Stars, going 6 innings with 9 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), and 3 walks. Donnie Jones had a rough start too, 9 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 7 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The Stars are tough, so it does make sense those two had issues with them, but our bullpen had their troubles too. Ben Curtin got a win in one of his two outings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout in 3.1 innings pitched. Hooks Camp picked up a loss, allowing 3 runs of a hit and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. The last week I'll give some rest to Lyons and Lonardo to get some of the younger guys a chance.

Some of our vets hit really well, with a huge showing from Cliff Moss. The 36-year-old went 8-for-20 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. John Lawson also went 8-for-20, a double, triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. I don't think he'll reach an 100 OPS+, as his .278/.319/.358 (94 OPS+) line looks to fall just short. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-26 with a steal, 2 doubles, a homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Ray Ford made just 10 PAs, but was 3-for-8 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. Skipper went 6-for-22 with a double, homer, steal, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 7 RBIs. Like with the staff, more youngsters will start to play in the final week as we look to secure as many wins in the remaining games as possible.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before our final game with the Montreal Saints. Just a game under .500, they have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1930, and they need just two wins for their most wins in a season since that year as well. We're set to face veteran Ed Baker (10-17, 4.02, 48), but one of their most interesting rotation members is "Preacher Man" Jimmy Mayse (2-2, 3.60, 18). A 26-year-old from East St. Louis, is looking to take a rotation spot for the future, as the former 1st Rounder will likely secure a roster spot next Opening Day. He could really solidify their rotation along with Jake DeYoung (17-11, 2.86, 92), if the long awaited breakout is legit, and Wally Doyle (12-13, 3.81, 148), who will be just 24 and is one of the best strikeout arms in the league. With the pitching shored up, they will be a real threat in the pennant race, as their offense is really good. Club leader Jake Hughes (.318, 2, 55, 16) has one of the best bats at short, Bert Lass (.320, 5, 90) continues to be an effective hitter, and youngsters Charlie Woodbury (.295, 5, 39) and Spud Bent (.300, 4, 28) will only get better. If Bill Greene (.248, 4, 54, 9) and Red Bond (.253, 15, 77) can get back on track next year, they should be able to replace the Stars as the highest scoring offense.

Speaking of those Stars, we have to deal with them three times to finish the season. The first is at home on Wednesday before an off day, which is are last home game of the year. We also get them the last two games of the season in New York. With an even 100 wins, they are officially the highest winning Stars team, and are all but guaranteed to host the Gothams (88-61) in what should be an exciting Subway Series. For some reason Bill Barrett (.339, 25, 83) doesn't really drive in many runs, or else he'd waltz home with a triple crown. He has, however, walked 154 times in 147 games, while striking out just a dozen times. He has a tremendous 11.2 WAR and 189 OPS+, and he'll win his 2nd Whitney before his 23rd Birthday this November. In another year Billy Riley (21-4, 2.05, 88) would take home the Allen, but Rufus Barrell (23-5, 1.82, 158) has just been too dominant. Percy Sutherland and Jiggs McGee have this Stars team winning the series in six, and while I think they're right about the Stars winning, I'm guessing they'll pull it off in 5. The Gothams are a young and talented team, but the Stars are really in a league of their own. Their rotation should have no issue with the Gothams lineup, and even against the Gothams outstanding pitching, their lineup has too much firepower.

Off Thursday before our last home game on Friday against the Kings. Despite a rather large drop in attendance, with our per game figure down over 12%, we have attracted the most fans in the FABL this season. 1,734,131 baseball fans have caught a game at Cougars Park. We have a 90,000 fan lead over the Stars, who have just two home games left to our three. Now the Kings won't draw as many fans as the Stars will, as they are just 69-80 and without Joe Herman (.267, 3, 28, 11) and Art White (15-10, 2.00, 56) there aren't many players who will put fans in the seats. Of course, who wouldn't want to see Al Wheeler (.264, 23, 96) and Harry Barrell (.310, 2, 40, 8), but Howard Brown Jr. (2.96, 1, 16, 10), Jim Crawford (11-15, 3.54, 1.29), and Stumpy Beaman (7-16, 4.06, 50) don't have as much pull. They did have a decent debut this month from Gabe Wimberly (.324, 1, 6), but the former 2nd Rounder strained his groin last week. Another rookie George Smith (2-0, 2.62, 8) has had a nice first month too, but some of their exciting young prospects Jim Kenny and Lou Ormsby will have to wait in AAA a little longer. I'd love to win won more for the fans who have supported us all season, and give them a talented youngster to preview Danny Goff Jr. against his dad's team.

Minor League Report
The minor league season is now concluded, and I'll cover callups here as well as other happenings. I will do a full minor league team report either Friday or over the weekend. Our whole organization finished over .500, and unless we don't win a game this week, San Jose's 82 will be the lowest win total in the system.

RHP Joe Crosby: Boney Joe will get a chance to debut after a tough first season with the Blues. The 23-year-old was a bit below average, going 10-7 with a 4.15 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 58 walks, and 76 strikeouts. The skinny righty gives up a lot of flyballs, but he managed to allow just 6 homers in 132.1 innings pitched, and his HR/9 has yet to climb above 0.5 in his minor league career. Crosby is also throwing a bit harder, getting his 8th velocity boost this May to 93-95. His fastball is a reliable pitch, but the curve is his best. His slider is effective when he locates it, but Crosby doesn't have the greatest command of his pitches. He doesn't leave many pitches over the heart of the plate, but he will miss badly out of the zone. He may be reaching his ceiling and I can't see him pitching beyond a back-end rotation role. He'll continue to start in the minors, but his eventual home may be in our pen or another teams rotation.

RHP Ken Matson: One of our Rule-5 selections this offseason, I knew carrying two in the pen would be impossible, so I tried to get a deal for one of them. I couldn't get one done for Camp, but Matson was acquired for another young pitcher Willie Gonzalez Jr. The 24-year-old made 12 starts in both Mobile and Milwaukee, going 11-7 between the two stops. He had a 3.48 ERA (126 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP with 27 walks and 62 strikeouts in Mobile, before a 3.31 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 30 walks and 43 strikeouts in Milwaukee. As expected, he was better with the Commodores, and while his ERA was higher, he allowed far fewer hits and walks with more strikeouts. He's a huge strikeout pitcher as he can overpower hitters with his mid 90s cutter. and his change and curve really keep hitters off balance. His stuff is his most tantalizing tool, as he'll always be able to fallback to the pen. If he can keep his walks down, he can be an effective big league starter, but it will be a tough trial for him to overcome. He'll run into some speed bumps along the way, but we can afford to take our time with him, and give him the option to start games until he forces us not to. He doesn't rank in our top 30, but Matson currently checks in at 383rd in the league. He wasn't on our 40, taking the 39th spot.

LHP Ed Wilkinson: I debated bringing him up earlier in the year, but I decided to keep the 25-year-old down in AAA and bring Johnnie Jones up instead. Wilkinson was arguably our best starter down in Milwaukee, going 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 53 walks, and 103 strikeouts over 189 innings. This makes me believe the former 4th Rounder is already ready to start games in the big leagues, we just don't have an obvious spot for him yet. The southpaw has nice stuff and good control, able to execute and locate all five of his pitches to keep batters out of sorts. He can also eat a ton of innings, eclipsing the century mark in all 24 of his starts, including multiple starts with over 125. He's not a guy you want atop your rotation, but he's a useful option to keep you in most games with solid, respectable performances. He'll look to earn a spot on the staff next Spring, but his remaining options will likely work against him.

1B Jocko Pollard: He debuted last season for us, but since he was 0-for-2, he'll be looking for his first big league hit. A 6th Rounder of ours in 1935, Pollard has always hit for power, and slashed .272/.317/.400 (98 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 82 RBIs in his second season with the Blues. This was his first below average season since his pro debut in 1936, as his walks fell and his strikeouts rose. Pollard has always been loved by our scouts, but his lack of production this year and his limited positional versatility makes him one of the last players on the 40. Power like his is a huge plus, however, and he's a good teammate, but with Ray Ford and Dick Walker at first, plus the decline of John Lawson, he's got a lot of experienced players blocking his path.

2B Ossie Grogan: Ossie Grogan was a force at the plate this year, slashing .322/.373/.434 (123 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 10 triples, 6 homers, 13 steals, and 75 RBIs. The switch hitter will now get to finish his season in Chicago, but with the arrival of Clark Car and the resurgence of Freddie Jones, it will be hard for him to get much time, and even harder to crack the roster next season. This could make Grogan an enticing trade piece for us, as a lot of teams need second basemen, and Grogan is definitely a good one. He's a great fielder and puts the ball in play a lot, and the 26-year-old was worth an impressive 5.4 wins above replacement in 134 games. He has good speed, a great contact tool, and he'll walk (46) more then he'll strike out (10). He doesn't have much power, and actually didn't hit a homer last year, but he has all the tools to be a capable big league starter. He's a bit lazy, just like Billy Hunter, and relies too much on his natural talent. It will be tough for him to make an impact for us, but with all the uncertainty, he can get an opportunity to play, and I think he'd take full advantage of it.

SS Eddie Curtis: Another player with a chance for his big league debut, Eddie Curtis spent all season at Milwaukee. The 24-year-old hit .313/.353/.403 (109 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 12 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 55 RBIs in 632 trips to the plate. Curtis demonstrated great plate coverage, walking (37) almost twice as often as he struck out (20) while hitting the ball hard and all across the diamond. He does a good job putting the ball in play, and with his speed the defense is constantly on their toes. He's not the greatest defender, but he's capable of handling second, third, short, left, and right, and his work ethic should allow him to keep improving as he gains more experience. We have a lot of depth in the middle infield, but his last option will be next year, making it a big season for the former 7th Rounder.

RF Chick Browning: It's been a long time coming for the Chicago native, who was taken in the 8th Round of the 1936 draft. This was his sixth big league season, and he'll finally get a chance to debut for his hometown team. An excellent hitter, the 24-year-old hit .299/.387/.402 (119 OPS+) in 452 PAs for the Blues, collecting 14 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 50 RBIs. I was hoping for more power from Browning, who hit 15 homers last year and has hit double digit in each season since 1938, including a pair of seasons with more then 20. An intercostal strain, which cost him five weeks in the middle of the season, could have limited his strength. 4 of his homers came before the injury, and he was on a pace for 8-12 homers when he got hurt. As a lefty bat, he could be a useful pinch hitter for a team, but defensively he's limited to first, left, and right, and if he doesn't hit, he likely won't play.

Our roster is now full with 35 players, and we have just one open spot on the 40. Unless Dick Lyons retires, at least one player will have to be DFAd, and I expect more as there will be players to protect in the Rule-5 Draft. Of course, a trade (or trades!) could materializing to solve our numbers game.

RHP Fred Thaxton (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a brilliant last start for Fred Thaxton, who allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a shutout victory. This capped off a dominant season, finishing 13-5 with a 3.10 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 55 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. The recently turned 24-year-old did make 9 starts in Mobile last year, so it wasn't his first time at this level, but he showed vast improvement this year. His stuff is pretty well developed, featuring a nice high 80s fastball and cutter with a decent change mixed in as well. He does have some walk issues, with a 3.4 BB/9 that was higher then his 2.9 K/9. Despite that, he does a really good job limiting solid contact, and he allowed just 2 homers all season. He has a future in the rotation, likely closer to the back then the middle, but he's got a very high floor and could produce in the big leagues next season if needed.

Week 24: September 21st-September 27th
 

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 84-70 (2nd, 19 GB)
Stars of the Week
Freddie Jones : 6 AB, 4 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .667 AVG, 2.500 OPS
Ray Ford : 10 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.600 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .368 AVG, .850 OPS

Schedule
9-22: Win vs Saints (6-8)
9-23: Win vs Stars (2-3)
9-24: Win vs Kings (5-11)
9-26: Loss at Stars (5-6)
9-27: Loss at Stars (4-17)

Recap
We finished the season just like how we played most of the season, winning at home and losing on the road. 84-70 was the second best record in the Continental Association, and we managed to stay within 20 (19, to be exact) of the first place Stars. Finishing so far out makes me feel far less bad about our expected 91-63 record, which would have still been 10 games behind the powerhouse Stars. If we were in the Fed, however, that would match the first place Gothams record, and make me worry far too much about what could have happened. Instead, what happened is we were thoroughly out played by a far superior team, and I'd do what I can to make sure that does not happen again.

I want to focus more on the overall season output, but there were a few things to note about the week. Danny Goff Jr. bested his father's team, but he did allow 8 hits, 5 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Goff finished his Cougar portion of the season 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA (178 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched. He also hit an unbalanced .308/.550/.308 (151 OPS+) with 6 walks and an RBI. Errors cost Donnie Jones a shutout to end his season, a pair of unearned runs with 4 hits, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Harry Parker picked up a win, but allowed 15 hits in just 8 innings, finishing his season 21-10. Solly Skidmore made a start, going 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs, the first homer of his big league career. Freddie Jones added two more homers in the last week, 4-for-6 with a double, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell ended the season off right, 7-for-19 with a double, 2 walks, 2 runs, and an RBI. Jocko Pollard got his first big league hit, a pinch hit solo homer. I'm already ready to work the phones in search of upgrades, and even with the uncertainty of callups, I'm ready to improve our squad.

On the surface, we did really well as a team, hitting and pitching well in the aggregate, but it just wasn't good enough. 27-25 in the last two months is unacceptable. We were 38-39 on the road and 19-26 in one run games, both of which really hurt us. I'm glad the one run games finally improved, but winning them next year will be far more important. Our offense was very good, ranked top 2 in average (.274), OBP (.333), slugging (.378), OPS (.711), WAR (35.9), wOBA (.323), runs scored (692), hits (1,482), homers (91), steals (61), and baserunning (+38.8). The only two categories we weren't were walks (4th, 481) and strikeouts (8th, 538). And all this happened with the swift decline of our best hitter last year, John Lawson. Lawson went from a 6+ WAR player with a .315/.368/.515 (146 OPS+) triple slash all the way down to a sub replacement player who hit just .274/.314/.353 (92 OPS+). That really hurt our pennant chances, but him and Cliff Moss (.232, 10, 47) were the only below average hitters in the lineup. Freddie Jones came back to life, especially in the second half, finishing the year with a .333/.430/.479 (161 OPS+) line in just 256 PAs. We also witnessed the coming out party of Harry Mead, who was one of the most valuable players in the year. He was just shy of 6 WAR as a catcher, hitting an elite .287/.352/.456 (132 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 16 homers, and 81 RBIs with a strong 47-to-10 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Him, Leo Mitchell (.318, 14, 72), Clark Car (.291, 3, 37, 8), Rich Langton (.294, 5, 32, 6), Carlos Montes (.268, 9, 55, 13), Ray Ford (.289, 10, 40), Dick Walker (.269, 4, 40, 11), and Skipper Schneider (.291, 4, 67, 8) make up a really strong lineup, and most of them will be back next season. Even if we lose some of them to the military or trades, Bunny Hufford (.280, 5), Solly Skidmore (.250, 1, 3), and Danny Goff Jr. (.308, 1; 2-0, 1.90, 11) all held their own, and guys like Orlin Yates (.236, 5, 1), Ollie Page (.182, 1, 3), and Ossie Grogan (.000, 1) who spent most of their time in AAA could fill in in a pinch. There's always the wild card of Billy Hunter (.298, 12, 1) who's played 140 games in three seasons after 146 in 1939, who shows flashes of greatness. If I can't grab a third basemen, he's likely to start there, but I can't count on getting a full season of him.

The pitching didn't have as many top 2 ranks, but we did hold one of the top two spots for ERA (2.98), rotation ERA (2.92), runs allowed (565), BABIP (.254), walks (400), defensive efficiency (.722), and zone rating (+45.6). Our front five is as good as it gets, but not quite on the Stars level as we can't really counter Riley without Papenfus. Donnie Jones did admirably to replace Peter the Heater, as the rookie made 29 starts in a dominant year. Jones went 15-13 with a 2.48 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 92 walks, and 122 strikeouts in 243.1 innings pitched. He was easily the best of our group, but vets Harry Parker (21-10, 2.92, 105) and Jim Lonardo (17-12, 2.94, 47) are two of the most reliable pitchers in the game. Joe Brown (15-14, 3.17, 82) was doing great before a four game losing streak spoiled his season, but him and Dick Lyons (6-8, 3.06, 15) were both still above average pitchers. Our pen wasn't good, as Hooks Camp (0-1, 5.25, 15) had a tough rookie year, but Pug Bryan (2-3, 1, 2.22, 1.40) finally looked good and Ben Curtin (4-4, 6, 3.04, 11) isn't the worst closer out there. We got good innings from the youngsters Goff and Johnnie Jones (0-3, 3.28, 12), who both should get more innings next year. They'll compete with Lyons for the 5th spot in the rotation, but I may end up making an add if I can't get a bat I like.

Minor League Report
 

The Stars and Gothams are tied at one in the World Championship Series, but we won't find out who wins until some time next week. We did reach October, so we now know the winners of the Monthly Awards, and 2/3rds of them were given to Donnie Jones. The best rookie in the Continental Association finished the month 4-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 20 walks, and 23 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. It was the first Pitcher of the Month in hopefully many for the 22-year-old star, and he took home half of the Rookie of the Month awards this season. If it wasn't for Ed Bowman, he'd have won Rookie of the Year, but Jones did what it seems like a Cougar pitcher does every season, and led the league in BABIP (.235).

Now, focusing on our minor league system, just Mobile (85-55), who tends to be our worst affiliate, one their league, but the other four affiliates won 75 or more games and finished in 2nd place. Our minor league system still ranks 5th, but I know that will drop very soon. We have graduated and traded a lot of our top 100 prospects, and with no 1st Rounder this year, we weren't able to add enough value to balance it out. There are also rumblings in Chicago that a blockbuster in the works, which would thin the system even more. Despite all that, our system is very deep and we have a lot of future big leaguers waiting for a chance to debut, and a lot of those youngsters are producing at each level.

AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 77-63, 2nd, 1 GB: The only team in our organization who couldn't crack 80 wins, they finished a game behind the Minneapolis Lumberjacks, and the call up of some of our prospects there might have cost them a championship. The Blues had a lot of highly touted prospects who ended up playing in the big leagues, with Johnnie Jones (8-6, 3.90, 54), Ossie Grogan (.322, 6, 75, 13), Eddie Curtis (.313, 3, 55, 18), Jocko Pollard (.272, 11, 82), Bunny Hufford (.310, 8, 78, 9), Chick Browning (.299, 6, 50), Ed Wilkinson (16-6, 3.14, 103), and Ken Matson (4-3, 3.31, 46) all finishing their season in Chicago. Most of those guys will return next season as Milwaukee will have a deep lineup and rotation next season. Last year's 4th Rounder Huck Hanes (.303, 2, 31) came up midseason and hit really well, and will get a full season with the Blues if he doesn't end up debuting before callups. Ira Hawker (2-1, 3.16, 14) made a few starts and will anchor a rotation that includes decent big league options in King Price (4-2, 3.90, 39), John Little (8-10, 3.68, 48), and some mix of Jones, Wilkinson, and Matson. The lineup, however, will see more veterans taking up roster space as depth in case we run into injuries during the season.

AA Mobile Commodores (Dixie League): 85-55, 1st, 9 GA: The Commodores were are lone champion this year, now winners in back-to-back seasons with their highest win total since 1933. When healthy, Fred Thaxton dominated Dixie League hitters, going 13-5 with a 3.10 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 55 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 19 starts. Thaxton, Price (10-4, 3.78, 78), Matson (7-4, 3.48, 62), and Danny Goff Jr. (15-4, 3.79, 61; .353, 5, 41, 5) all gave the Commodores reliable outings, but Thaxton was the only one to finish in Mobile, and he might move to Milwaukee depending on how hard our upper minors is hit with enlistments. Bill Tuttle (2-2, 2.75, 1.42) and Mel Haynes (1-1, 6.60, 6; .217, 3) made a few starts in September and will be back for a full season next year, although they're more likely to end up in Milwaukee then finish out the season there. The lineup lost their strongest bat Solly Skidmore (.323, 11, 86), who debuted in Chicago this season, and even if he returns to the minors, he knows he may need to find a new home. Him and Hod Seagroves (.307, 86) were the most reliable bats in the lineup, and Hod could be on his way to Milwaukee. Bill Rich (.349, 5, 43, 5) raked after a callup from Lincoln and looks likely to return to the Commodores lineup, but Jimmie James (.248, 3, 42) had his struggles and Bill Graham (.249, 4, 63) didn't do much better. There is some uncertainty here, but I probably have too many guys set for AAA, giving the Commodores some decent veteran players who can help them compete for a third straight title.

A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League): 94-46, 2nd, 2 GB: It was a great season for the Legislators, but unfortunately the Peoria Pastimers were just a little better. Mel Haynes (17-3, 2.31, 74; .301, 6, 42) dominated the circuit on the mound and at the plate, but him and Tuttle (7-4, 2.96, 78) spent their last month in Mobile. That duo and last year's 5th Rounder Jack Huston (8-1, 2.44, 53) were a deadly 1-2-3, and a huge reason the Legislators allowed the fewest runs in the league. Huston, George Sacchetti (5-8, 3.74, 46), and Ron Sexton (6-6, 4.37, 30), should all be back next year, as will stopper Art Gilbert (9-1, 9, 1.59, 47), so the Legislators should maintain one of the stronger staffs. The offense was pretty solid too, and the 2-3-4 of Don Lee (.313, 1, 17, 3), Dan Collins (.302, 15, 86), and Adolph Jacobson (.297, 9, 76, 6) caused huge problems for pitcher's who knew they couldn't allow many runs, but I can't see any of them finishing next season down here. They got the first half of Bill Rich's (.343, 12, 70) offensive explosion, but they didn't get good showings from Johnny Bunce (.241, 3, 42), Jim Dickinson (.245, 2, 48), and Joe Dackett (.269, 22). The lineup next year will look pretty similar to how it did towards the end of the season, but they'll have some reinforcements with Eddie Howard (.261, 1), who played in 7 games and missed the end of the season.

B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 82-58, 2nd, 15 GB: Just like the Cougars in Chicago, the Cougars in San Jose had a really good season, but didn't finish anywhere near first place. The Bakersfield Bears walked away with the C-O-W league, finishing 97-43 and double digit games clear of San Jose. The Cougars featured a ton of exciting pitching prospects, and with all the movement, a pair of relievers Charlie Kelsey (10-6, 18, 2.78, 39) and Pup White (9-7, 13, 1.94, 52) ranked 1 and 2 in wins. Technically White tied with Roscoe Brown (9-8, 3.26, 67), who got the terrible news in his final start that he'd need elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, and may not pitch at all next season. Even if he isn't healthy, George Oddo (3-2, 2.71, 32), Pinch Lenhart (5-0, 1.49, 21), Harry MacRae (4-0, 0.83, 8), Jimmy Maness (1-2, 1.16, 9), and Sam Hess (3-5, 2.85, 13) will all return and will form a very formidable rotation. Class B always gets a handful of draftees midseason, with this year getting the 7th Rounder MacRae, 10th Rounder Hess, 11th Rounder Maness, 2nd Rounder Henry DeVeaux (.224, 17, 1), and the 4th Rounder Dick Hamilton (.200, 2). DeVeaux was the only one who didn't play at all in La Crosse, but their promotions pushed guys like Eddie Howard (.302, 56) and Don Lee (.275, 1, 34, 12) up. Another late season promotion was slugger Otto Christian (.254, 3, 33), but the teen had some struggles and will look to run it back next year. Improvements from him, DeVeaux, and Hamilton should help the offense, which finished just 6th in runs scored.

C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 95-45, 2nd, 2 GB: At one point this season, it looked like the Lions would run away with things, but they slumped to 13-13 in July, and that's all it took for the Burlington Bears to escape with their first ever pennant. Christian (.307, 14, 84) mashed in his time here, as did Alex Horning (.302, 8, 79, 10), Dick Hamilton (.370, 6, 43), and Lew Lord (.292, 2, 37), but they all finished the year in San Jose. Injuries, enlistments, and promotions gave time to a lot of guys who I didn't expect to get serious time like Bob Griffen (.335, 4, 61, 4), Tom Mills (.342, 1, 28, 4), Billy Ray Williams (.336, 1, 20), Pat Brown Jr. (.295, 2, 72), and Israel Holmes (.311, 1, 14), who all more then took advantage of their opportunities. We cycled through a lot of pitchers as well, and the only ERA qualifier was Joe Swank (13-3, 3.88, 37) who was a reliable arm at the top. Oddo (9-5, 4.07, 61) and Lenhart (7-2, 4.11, 56) were above average in their time here, but both finished in San Jose, and new draftees Bill Chapman (5-2, 3.96, 37) and Babe Stinson (3-4, 3.53, 18) looked really good. Bill Ballantine (6-0, 3, 2.43, 32), Stan Flanders (15-4, 2, 3.59, 31), John Lash (5-2, 5, 2.85, 62), and Russ Cushing (8-4, 2, 4.33, 64) all split time between the pen and rotation, and put together strong seasons. As always, the Lions see a lot of different faces, but it seems like most of the guys we put in produced.

1942 No Trade Team
 

A little ironic this comes out at the same time TWIFB covers a big trade rumor in the FABL, but it's that time of the year!

Catchers
Fred Barrell (BRK): 57 OPS+, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 0.2 WAR
Harry Mead (CHC): 132 OPS+, 16 HR, 81 RBI, SB, 5.9 WAR

Infielders
Arnie Scurlock (WAS): 77 OPS+, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 5 SB, 0.5 WAR
Billy Hunter (CHC): 107 OPS+, 12 RBI, SB, 0.7 WAR
Tommy Wilson (STL): 108 OPS+, 4 HR, 68 RBI, 6.8 WAR
Ducky Jordan (CHI): 55 OPS+, 9 RBI, SB, -0.3 WAR
Hal Wood (TOR): 106 OPS+, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 0.7 WAR
Skipper Schneider (CHC): 104 OPS+, 4 HR, 67 RBI, 8 SB, 7.8 WAR
John Lawson (CHC): 92 OPS+, 8 HR, 62 RBI, -0.4 WAR

Outfielders
Leo Mitchell (CHC): 127 OPS+, 14 HR, 72 RBI, 3 SB, 4.2 WAR
Reginald Westfall (TOR): 92 OPS+, 4 HR, 53 RBI, SB, 0.3 WAR
John Johnson (WAS): 52 OPS+, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 2 SB, -0.5 WAR
Rich Langton (CHC): 117 OPS+, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 6 SB, 2.2 WAR
Chink Stickels (NYS): 91 OPS+, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 13 SB, 4.2 WAR
Carlos Montes (CHC): 110 OPS+, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 13 SB, 5.7 WAR

Pitchers
Danny Hern (STL): 17-13, 101 ERA+, 107 K, 3.7 WAR
Dean Astle (BOS): 16-8, 135 ERA+, 85 K, 5.5 WAR
Tom Barrell (PIT): 2-3, 3 SV, 72 ERA+, 15 K, -0.0 WAR
Mike Murphy (DET): 13-13, 106 ERA+, 55 K, 3.4 WAR
Pete Papenfus (CHC): DNP - Military Service
Harry Parker (CHC): 21-10, 116 ERA+, 105 K, 4.2 WAR
Phil English (TOR): 1-0, 217 ERA+, 6 K, 0.3 WAR
Pug Bryan (CHC): 2-3, SV, 152 ERA+, 6 K, -0.2 WAR
Frank Gordon (DET): DNP - Military Service

Totals
Hitters: 38
Pitchers: 16.9
Total: 54.9
Approximate Wins: 81

I decided not to replace military service guys, as this Cougar staff still has five starting pitchers plus Barrell who started some, so we had enough innings anyways. The offense here produced most of the WAR as they had extra at bats, but there still was a slight advantage to the Cougars team we rolled out. We had four players worth 5.5 or more WAR, and it would have been really nice to have Tommy Wilson at third instead of John Lawson.

Offseason Moves for 1942
If needed, Art Saunders can replace Pete Papenfus
Replace Phil English with Sam Hodge
Replace Fred Barrell with Solly Skidmore

Notable Prospects/Picks Traded
January 1942: Traded a 1st Round Pick for Clark Car, a 4th Round Pick, and a 7th Round Pick

Blockbuster Alert!
 

Everyone in baseball was focused on the Subway Series, but between game two and three, This Week in Figment Baseball released a story detailing a rumor of a blockbuster trade between the two Chicago teams, who were in the midst of an exhibition series to help raise money for the war effort. Nothing was official, as trades are still frozen as they have been since July 31st, but shortly after the Gothams won game seven 3-1 in 10 innings, the blockbuster was announced. Hank Barnett is on the move; and he won't need to change his address!

Barnett, now 33, has been a target of the Cougars pretty much since he debuted at just 20 back in 1930 for Montreal. A 6th Rounder in the 1927 Draft, Barnett appeared in 54 games for the Saints and was a league average hitter in terms of WRC+. He hit .305/.343/.436 with 9 doubles, 6 homers, and 42 RBIs, and after another 54 game sample in '31, he became a full time starter in 1932, and has played over 150 games in all but one season since (144 in '32) and was above average offensively in terms of both OPS+ and WRC+. Barnett broke out in that '32 season, hitting a strong .284/.338/.451 (106 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 7 triples, 16 homers, and 89 RBIs in the power crushing Parc Cartier. Despite that, Barnett managed 14 or more homers in each of his season with the Saints, and hit .282/.363/.433 (111 OPS+) with 108 homers and 588 RBIs. With the Saints in a state of limbo, it was announced Barnett would be available, and the Cougars were one of many suiters. Eventually the Saints settled on an offer from the Dynamos, receiving a pick, Frank Davis, and former Cougar prospect Karl Wallace for their young slugger. Barnett never played a game for the Dynamos, traded within a month to the Chiefs in a deal they'd like to have back.

The Chiefs parted with Bob Walls and Ron Coles, both who had very little success as Dynamos and didn't last very long in Detroit. Now in a stadium that is as easy to hit homers as ours, Barnett had a huge power surge, slashing an elite .312/.393/.543 (153 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 6 triples, 31 homers, and 124 RBIs. Since then, Barnett has launched 131 homers and drove in 518 runs in a Chiefs uniform, hitting .300/.378/.487 (139 OPS+) with 111 doubles and 25 triples. Barnett is coming off an elite year for the Chiefs, hitting an elite .310/.396/.472 (147 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 24 homers, and 107 RBIs. He managed to draw more walks (84) then strike outs (68), posted an astronomical 160 WRC+, and was worth 7.8 wins above replacement, matching his new left side of the infield partner Skipper Schneider. It's hard to find a bigger positional upgrade, as Barnett, who currently ranks as the best third basemen in the FABL, was worth 8.2 more WAR then the struggling vet John Lawson this season, and is a career .290/.370/.457 (124 OPS+) hitter. He also currently ranks as the 5th best hitter in the FABL, joining Harry Mead (9th), Skipper (11th), and Carlos Montes (19th) as top 20 Cougar hitters, with the enlisted Peter the Heater (8th) and Harry Parker (15th) cracking the top 20 on the other side. Once Bill Barrett enlists, Barnett will arguably be the best hitter in the Continental Association, and assuming no major callups/enlistments on our end, he should help us cement our status of favorite to win the 1943 Continental Association pennant.

After a disappointing attempt at defending their title, this is a huge move for the Cougars who already have a dangerous lineup. His entrance into the Cougar lineup should be a huge boost to a deep Leo Mitchell (.318, 14, 72), Mead (.287, 16, 81), Skipper (.291, 4, 67, 8), Montes (.268, 9, 55, 13), Ray Ford (.289, 10, 40), Dick Walker (.269, 4, 40, 11), Clark Car (.291, 3, 37, 8), Freddie Jones (.333, 5, 39), and Rich Langton (.294, 5, 32, 6), who were all above average hitters in terms of both OPS+ and WRC+. The Cougars also have a ton of lefties in the lineup, so his right handed bat should help balance the order an improve the squads 32-29 record against southpaws. Of course, when acquiring a player of this caliber, you have to give up a lot, and the Cougars certainly paid a pretty penny. As a team with a lot of big league and minor league depth, they can certainly afford it, but parting with top quality prospects is never easy to do. Solly Skidmore (22nd) and Mel Haynes (69th), a pair of former 1st Rounders and longtime top 100 prospects will join the Chiefs organization, as well as talented second basemen Ossie Grogan. Skidmore was blocked by Mead, Grogan behind Jones, Hunter, and Car, and Haynes' future in the rotation was a bit murky with Papenfus, Parker, Joe Brown, Duke Bybee, Danny Goff Jr., and the Jones brothers all projected (or currently) to be at least middle rotation arms, with legit ace potential from Parker, Bybee, the Jones brothers, and Peter the Heater. There is still a very long offseason ahead, but the Cougars look to be the team to beat now, as they chose to be greedy while the rest of the league is fearful with the uncertainty.

Top Prospects!
 

We just traded a few of our more promising prospects to get Hank Barnett, which dropped us to 9th in the prospect rankings, a single point behind the Sailors. I can't remember the last time we had a system rank in the bottom half of the league, let alone outside of the top 5. But it is well worth it, as we've graduated a ton of talented youngsters in the past few seasons, and we have a team firmly ready to compete, and hopefully dominate, the rest of the league. We still hold 7 top 100 prospects, 20 top 250 prospects, and 48 top 500 prospects. And despite a relatively weak draft class that lacked a 1st Rounder, 7 of our draftees ended the season inside of our top 30, with 4th Rounder Dick Hamilton just barely missing the top 100. I don't plan on trading my 1st this year, so we should get a nice boost, as our last 10 1st Round Picks were at one point top 100 prospects, including star quality players in Carlos Montes, Charlie Wheeler, Pete Papenfus, and Skipper Schneider, as well as a pair of current top 30 prospects in Otto Christian and the recently traded Solly Skidmore.

1. LHP Johnnie Jones (12th Overall): 2nd/12th
2. LHP Duke Bybee (16th Overall): 3rd/15th
3. 3B Otto Christian (26th Overall): 6th/464
4. CF Bunny Hufford (66th Overall): 8th/100th
5. RHP Danny Goff Jr. (77th Overall): 9th/123rd
6. RHP George Oddo (90th Overall): 18th/209th
7. C Eddie Howard (92nd Overall): 5th/26th
8. SS Dick Hamilton (106th Overall): 62nd Overall Pick
9. LHP Leo Hayden (127th Overall): 13th/133rd
10. CF Don Lee (153rd Overall): 11th/130th
11. RHP Sam Hess (182nd Overall): 145th Overall
12. 2B Jimmie James (195th Overall): 21st/218th
13. CF Ed Neal (208th Overall): 80th Overall Pick
14. CF Harry Carr (209th Overall): 16th/184th
15. RHP Harry Stewart (216th Overall): 17th/196th
16. LHP Bill Chapman (217th Overall): 48th Overall Pick
17. RHP Roscoe Brown (218th Overall): 22nd/245th
18. LHP Harl Haines (219th Overall): 19th/210th
19. RHP Ira Hawker (233rd Overall): 14th/136th
20. 1B Jocko Pollard (239th Overall): 26th/299th
21. SS Jim Dickinson (256th Overall): 10th/126th
22. RHP Harry MacRae (261st Overall): 112th Overall Pick
23. RHP Jack Huston (267th Overall): 15th/154th
24. CF Henry DeVeaux (272nd Overall): 32nd Overall Pick
25. RHP Babe Stinson (280th Overall): 64th Overall Pick
26. LHP Oliver Allen (282nd Overall): Not ranked
27. RF Harry Harris (293rd Overall): 24th/286th
28. RF Ducky Cole (295th Overall): 97th Overall Pick
29. LHP Ed Wilkinson (322nd Overall): 30th/324th
30. RHP Bill Ballantine (323rd Overall): Not ranked

Top Prospects: 1-5
 

A little news first. I should have mentioned that Eddie Quinn retired after spending most of the season in Milwaukee. We picked him up in the 1939 offseason, but he was injured 9 starts into his Cougar tenure, proving to be the nail in his coffin. He made 29 appearances with us, going 8-8 with a 4.75 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 64 walks, and 27 strikeouts. In total, the former 2nd Overall Pick pitched 2,330 innings at the highest level, finishing 127-130 with a 3.86 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 809 walks, and 865 strikeouts.

New Cougar Hank Barnett was also named the Whitney Winner in the Fed (5, 158), edging out George Cleaves (5, 154) with Bobby Barrell (4, 113) a close third. This is the first time a Fed winner won after a trade, second overall as it happened to Max Morris too. The CA awards weren't close, as expected, with sweeps from Rufus Barrell and Bill Barrett. A few Cougars picked up votes, with Mead (100) and Skipper (87) second and third in the Whitney Voting. Leo Mitchell (57) and Carlos Montes (16) picked up a few late votes, and Harry Parker (10) got a few in the Allen race.

LHP Johnnie Jones (12th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Washington (1939)
Drafted: 1st Round, 4th Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: St. Paul Golden Bears

It must be tough for Johnnie Jones, a golden arm who's long been dubbed a future ace, yet he just hasn't been able to put things together. His walk issues have held him back, and watching his younger brother dominate in the Cougars rotation makes things even tougher. He did join Donnie in August, as the "Patron Saint of Groundballs" made 3 starts and 2 relief appearances, going 0-3 with a 3.28 ERA (103 ERA+) despite a 1.70 WHIP, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Johnnie stills project as a top of the rotation arm, but he'll need to get his command straightened out. He has excellent stuff and gets great movement on his pitches. Jones has a nice four pitch arsenal, headed by a dominant mid 90s sinker that generates a ton of groundballs. His forkball is a really good #2 pitch, and his slider is really tough on lefties, but his change still needs some work. He won't need the change, the other pitches are good enough, but if he can't locate his offerings, it doesn't matter who hard to hit they are. We will have to deal with a lot of double headers next year, so even if he doesn't initially break the rotation, he should see a lot of innings. Him and Dick Lyons will likely share starts at the back of the rotation until (hopefully) Jones gets over his walk issues and surpasses Lyons in talent. Of course, the alternative could happen and Lyons could sink below him, but the now 42-year-old Lyons seems to have subscribed to the Dave Trowbridge school of holding off age. Johnnie still has a lot of development to do, and some pitchers will take longer to reach their peak, and if Jones does, we should have another tremendous young arm in what could be a star studded rotation.

LHP Duke Bybee (16th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 49th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Brooklyn Friends Quakers

Our highest ranked prospect to enlist, youngster Duke Bybee didn't throw a single pitch, but that's not to say the 20-year-old hasn't been working out and trying to improve. The skinny 6'4'' southpaw has seen a huge velocity boost, which I like to account to Marine Corps strength and conditioning and filling out his frame, with his fastball jumping from just 91-93 to 95-97. The four extra miles should help him take a huge step forward when he returns to service, and he'll be able to fast track his way up to Chicago. The kid has great stuff, and his strike throwing ability and movement on his pitches should allow him to strike out a lot of hitters and keep the ball in the park. Bybee has a deep Harry Parker-esque six pitch repertoire, and most of them can fool even the best FABL hitters. His change is great, and all pitches except his curve are decent or better offerings. Not getting stats for him for three years is tough, but with the huge steps forward he's already made, this at least prevents the talented youngster from getting a devastating arm injury. In most organizations he'd be a team's future ace, for us he's more of the 3 or 4 depending on what Johnnie Jones does, but he has all the tools to be a longtime big league starter, and he's an outstanding influence in the clubhouse.

3B Otto Christian (26th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Walla Walla Warriors

It was rumored that Otto Christian would be involved in the Hank Barnett trade, but there was never any intention in my mind to move Otto. I always thought he would succeed Lawson, who was coming off a Whitney quality campaign at 38, but his sudden decline this season caused me to pivot. Otto just turned 20 in September and got his first promotion midseason, so it would be a huge stretch to force him up. I still expect 2-3 seasons before the Walla Walla Walloper is walloping FABL pitchers, and Hank Barnett should be able to hit at an elite level until Otto is ready. Christian started the season in La Crosse, and hit an outstanding .307/.451/.514 (138 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 14 homers, and 84 RBIs in 366 trips to the plate. His 76-to-22 walk-to-strikeout ratio was impressive for someone with his power, and he more then earned his promotion to San Jose. He didn't hit nearly as well, and his power stroke slowed down, as Otto hit .254/.312/.328 (91 OPS+) in about 100 fewer PAs. He had just 6 doubles, a triple, and 3 homers with 33 RBIs, and he struck out (31) more then he walked (20). I'm not too worried, he was a teen at the time and dealing with a lot of pitchers far more experienced then him, and I expect a much better showing from him next season. Otto's power potential is well known, and he's arguably the best home run hitter in the minors, which is in part due to his aggression at the plate. Despite his tendency to swing, he does have good discipline, and it's more of a "he'll swing at all the close pitches, but takes the bad ones" approach where he does whatever he can to put hittable pitches over the fence. I'm really excited to watch him develop into a premier slugger, and he should be one of the most dangerous hitters in the big leagues if he reaches his power potential.

CF Bunny Hufford (67th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 57th Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Chesapeake State Clippers

Like Johnnie Jones, Bunny Hufford finished his season in Chicago with the Cougars. He spent most of his season in Milwaukee, and had a very productive season for the Blues. Our former 4th Rounder hit .310/.389/.427 (126 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 9 steals, and 78 RBIs. He made 568 trips to the plate and had a nice 68-to-21 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Unfortunately, his defense in center field wasn't too great, with a .963 efficiency and -10.2 zone rating, meaning he may have to end up in a corner instead. Bunny got a few PAs in Chicago to end the year, 28 to be exact, and got more time with the Carlos Montes injury. Hufford went 7-for-25 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs with 2 walks and a strike out. 25 in just two days, Hufford will be back in camp this Spring, and will look to earn a roster spot, competing against guys like Orlin Yates, Aart MacDonald, and Cliff Moss. He'll be used more for his bat, featuring plus-plus contact ability with a very smooth swing. He has a good feel for the strike zone, which should lead to few strikeouts and a high average, and with his speed and plate discipline he's got everything you are looking for in a leadoff hitter. I don't envision him replacing Carlos Montes out in center, but he could step into the left side of our right field platoon shortly, sharing at bats with Rich Langton. Bunny doesn't project to be an elite big leaguer by any stretch of the imagination, but he should be a capable big league starter who can help a team score runs.

RHP/RF Danny Goff Jr. (77th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Hempstead Hawks

Goff also debuted with Hufford this September, and will look to compete with him next spring as well for the lefty side of right field. One benefit Goff has, of course, is he can also pitch, giving us an extra arm for the staff. Unlike Hufford, however, Goff spent most of his season in Mobile, where he really turned it up in the second half of the season. The 24-year-old made great strides on the mound, going 15-4 with a 3.79 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 70 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 178.1 innings pitched. He managed to hit even better, slashing .353/.435/.489 (139 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 6 triples, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 41 RBIs, with an elite 52-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His defense wasn't great, splitting time between first, center, and right, but I do think he'll develop into a really good right fielder. He has a great arm and great range, although not quite what I like out in center. OSA is a big fan of his pitching, thinking he can end up near the top of a big league rotation. I'm a little less excited about his pitching future, seeing him more of a solid back end guy as his flyball problems may hurt him in Chicago. He does have solid stuff and he can pitch deep into games, but I think he's going to be a better hitter. He has plus contact ability and should hit for a high average, plus he'll walk far more then he'll strike out. Of course, putting both of those together makes him extremely valuable, and the early returns with the Cougars were extremely impressive. Goff went 4-for-13 with 3 runs, 6 walks, and an RBI, and went 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA (178 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. I can't see him starting him breaking camp with us, I'd like to get him more innings down in Milwaukee, but with the uncertainty the war brings, we may need him at some point in Chicago.

Top Prospects: 6-10
 

Had this done way earlier and forgot to post...

RHP George Oddo (90th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 125th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Pawtucket Raiders

One of our highest risers in our system this year, George Oddo jumped over 100 spots up and manage to place inside the top 100. Our 8th Round selection last season, George Oddo has shown marked improvement, as the 6'4'' righty has already added a pair of miles on his fastball. He's also done a good job developing all three of his pitches, as his curve is a money pitch that generates a ton of swings and misses, while he locates and mixes his fastball and change well. His control is just average, but he tends to hit his spots and does a good job keeping the ball in the park. He looked good in his first full season too, splitting starts between La Crosse (15) and San Jose (9). He was great at both stops, but a bit better, as expected, with the Lions. He went 9-5 with a 4.07 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.147 WHIP, 39 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 95 innings. The UMVA is a very hitter friendly league, but his 3.7 BB/9 was a bit high. He carried that into a successful performance with the Cougars, going 3-2 with a 2.71 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 19 walks, and 32 strikeouts. These are impressive numbers for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old, so if he avoids selective service, he can climb the ladder on the Mel Haynes track. Otto doesn't have the upside of Haynes yet, but he has all the tools to pitch in the big leagues. I think he can fill the middle of a rotation, but he's got a lot of developing before he gets there.

C Eddie Howard (92nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: St. Joseph Chiefs

Eddie Howard may have dropped a lot in the prospect ranks, but the former 2nd Rounder is now the top catching prospect in our organization. At just 19, he has a lot of developing left to go, but he did have an excellent season with the San Jose Cougars. Howard hit an impressive .302/.351/.401 (125 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 3 triples, and 56 RBIs. The lack of homers is a little concerning, but he does hit the ball hard and a lot of his line drives end with him standing on second base. I'd like to see more power from him, and with how young he is, he has a lot of time to add some muscle. Being nine years younger then Harry Mead will allow us to take our time with him, but Howard will end up in Lincoln next year. Tom Weinstock is also a big fan of him on the mound, and I may end up giving Howard some goes in the rotation. He might get hit hard, as he has just 10.2 innings over the past season and a half, but his stuff and his control could allow him to hold his own. I think his future is behind the plate, but being able to soak up some innings as well could help. He should be an above average backstop, and while there are a decent amount of talented catching prospects right now, the position is rather weak at the highest level, and it never hurts to have good options behind the plate.

SS Dick Hamilton (106th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 62nd Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Maryland State Bengals

One of our 4th Rounders in the most recent draft, shortstop Dick Hamilton was our highest ranked prospect from the Class of 1942. The now 22-year-old spent most of his time in La Crosse, because we had a lot of depth in the infield and I didn't want to demote anyone to make room for him. As expected, he was great offensively, slashing .370/.455/.545 (147 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 43 RBIs in 275 trips to the plate. He then got a late season call to San Jose when rosters expanded, but Hamilton went just 9-for-45 without an extra base hit. He did a great job with the glove at both levels, accumulating a 4.7 zone rating and 1.044 efficiency at short. I'm not sure if he'll stick at short, he may end up at second or in the outfield, but he has a good swing that should play at most positions. I'm not sure if the power will stick, but the tiny 5'6'' infielder should be a decent big leaguer who might be able to make a quick rise up our system.

LHP Leo Hayden (127th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 29th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Benicia Panthers

Another prospect of ours out of the organization and in the military, Leo Hayden is out flying planes for the Air Force. Like Bybee, he's seen a velocity boost while away, going from 87-89 to 90-92 with his fastball. His pitches are very developed for someone who just turned 20, and he'll feature a great curve, good change, and decent slider. The southpaw had great stuff, but his command is coming around, and scouts think he'll develop into a middle of the rotation guy. I think he'll get to skip a few levels when he returns, and he may not be in the minors for too long.


CF Don Lee (153rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lincoln High School Lions

It was a big year at the plate for the 20-year-old Don Lee, who started the season in San Jose and finished in Lincoln. He had a great start to the year, slashing .275/.423/.396 (145 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 11 triples, a homer, 12 steals, and 34 RBIs with an impressive 89-to-16 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 442 trips to the plate. He didn't slow down in Lincoln, hitting .313/.393/.423 (127 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 17 RBIs, 3 steals and another impressive 25-to-5 walk-to-strikeout rate in 192 PAs. I'm keeping Lee out in center for the time being, but I'm not sure if he'll be all that great out there. He's done alright so far, but with his speed I'd like to think he has the range to stick. At the plate he's reliable too, working the count well and putting the ball in place consistently. He's still got a lot of upside and could continue to grow, but Lee already projects to be a solid starter in the outfield. He's advanced for his age, and may spend some time in Mobile next year, and he's yet to run into trouble with pitchers.

Top Prospects: 11-15
 

RHP Sam Hess (182nd Overall)
Draft: 10th Round, 145th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Athens Eagles

Despite lasting all the way until the 10th Round of the most recent draft, Sam Hess is ranked as one of the top 200 prospects in the FABL. A now 19-year-old righty, Hess made 11 of his 12 starts in San Jose, and more then held his own as a teen. He went just 3-5, but with a 2.85 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP in 79 innings pitched. The 33 walks to just 12 strike outs definitely brings up some concern, but for an 18-year-old not pitching in La Crosse, he did really well in his first taste of professional hitters. Hess could develop into a really good pitcher, as even as a soft tosser who sits in the mid 80s, scouts seem to think he could fill a big league rotation. His stuff isn't great, but his cutter is a strong offering that will only improve with more velocity. His curve and change aren't strike out pitches yet, but he's able to keep them down in the zone, which leads to more groundballs then flyballs or line drives. He's already surpassed my expectations, as most 10th Rounder never rank as a top 500 prospect, let alone 200, and we might be able to develop him into a nice young pitcher with big league upside.

2B Jimmie James (195th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 53rd Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lane State Emeralds

It was a bit of a weird season for Jimmie James, who split time between two levels and six positions this season. He's already had experience at short, second, third, left, and right, but even got some time in center as we have more infield prospects then outfield prospects in our system. A natural shortstop, James didn't spend much time there, with most of his games coming at second. He looks to be really good there, but we're hoping to see more from his bat. He looked good with the Legislators, however, hitting .275/.358/.413 (113 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 26 RBIs in 218 trips to the plate. This earned him a promotion up to Mobile, where WRC+ (104) liked him and OPS+ (88) thought he was a bit below average. James hit .248/.386/.338 with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 42 RBIs. The on base percentage was extremely impressive, as James walked 69 times in 87 games, while striking out just 39 times. He tends to have more or less equal walks and strikeouts, so this was a marked improvement on his production at the past two levels. His pitch recognition has improved greatly since we selected him in the 4th Round of the 1940 draft, and he does a great job making contact. He seemed to be a bit unlucky in Mobile as a lot of his hits were gobbled up by opposing defenders, and he probably deserved a higher batting average. His versatility is a huge plus, as he's at least secured a depth role when we have to protect him from the Rule-5 draft. With Ossie Grogan now set to start games for the Chiefs, James is our second base prospect, and I think he could be a useful starter there if needed.

CF Ed Neal (208th Overall)
Draft: 5th Round, 80th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: St. Blane College Fighting Saints

Another member of our 1942 draft class, we grabbed Boston native Ed Neal in the 5th Round. He did miss almost a month with a rotator cuff strain, but when healthy, Neal looked pretty good. He did a good job out in center, going 80-for-80 on balls he made a play on, with an also impressive 4.2 zone rating and 1.075 efficiency. He spent a little time in left too when 2nd Rounder Henry DeVeaux joined him, but it does look like Neal has the range for center. He has good speed and good range, with the speed translating to production at the plate too. He had just one steal, but hit .257/.328/.381 (112 OPS+) with 6 triples, a double, and 7 RBIs. No homers, although he had just 8 of those in three seasons at St. Blane, but the 21-year-old is already looking like a triples machine. He'll draw his share of walks too, which I hope eventually means he'll turn some of those walks into "doubles" with steals, and he projects to hit around .290 in the big leagues. He could be a quick riser in our system, and I'm ready to send him to Lincoln after just 33 games in San Jose. He may not be a great big league player, but he's more then serviceable, and I think he could be a right handed version of Orlin Yates, who my managers love to try starting over guys like Leo Mitchell, Rich Langton, and Cliff Moss.

CF Harry Carr (209th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Buchtel Griffins

Our 10th Rounder back in 1938, Harry Carr spent his entire season with the Commodores, and did a very good job at the plate. The 22-year-old hit a strong .323/.366/.485 (134 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 13 steals, and 36 RBIs. He was worth near 4 WAR due to great defense as well, with an 11.2 zone rating and 1.074 efficiency. Al this came in just 70 games, as bone chips in his elbow and a high ankle sprain cost him a lot of time. These are really the first two injuries of Carr's young career, as he has only had one other absence of more then four days. This likely cost him time in Mobile, but we're expecting the young outfielder to report there next year, with the chance to finish the season in Milwaukee or even Chicago. He has great speed and is strong despite his size, and he's got an excellent contact tool that should allow him to maintain averages over .300. He won't walk very much, but he'll keep his strikeouts down too. Carr may not develop into a longtime big league starter, but he's got everything you look for in a fourth outfielder, just with more upside. He may be a season or two from being big league ready, but with all the enlistments ahead, a spot could open up for a player like him, and I think he'd be able to take advantage of it.

RHP Harry Stewart (216th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 69th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Bell Academy Big Red

I was really excited for Harry Stewart, who last season dominated in Class C before holding his own in San Jose as a teen, but instead of getting another season of quality pitching, he was drafted into the Air Force. A tall and lean righty, Stewart hasn't gotten the velocity boosts that Duke Bybee and Leo Hayden received, but he is throwing a bit harder, with his fastball now sitting in the 92-94 range. It's one of his four pitches, and a nice 1-2 with his great change. His splitter is decent too while his curve needs some work, but he does have the skeleton of a strong four pitch repertoire. He has work to do on his command, but his isn't as bad as some of our other young arms. With that under control, his stuff and movement can help him pitch deep into games, and he should be able to fill out the back of a rotation. We don't quite know how he's going to look when he comes back, and I think he's less along then Bybee and Hayden, but he's a quality young arm with a lot of upside, and someone definitely worth following as he ages.

Top Prospects: 16-20
 

LHP Bill Chapman (217th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 48th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Edina Eagles

Our regional pick in this most recent draft, Bill Chapman added a little velocity before the official June draft, and got off to a nice start to his professional career. The now 19-year-old southpaw spent his season in La Crosse, going 5-2 with a 3.96 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 24 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched. The low amount of innings is a bit of a concern, as Chapman did not exceed 100 pitches in a start, and reached 90 just once in his first start with the Lions. I'm hoping he can start going deeper, as he has a deep six pitch mix that will play much better in the rotation then the bullpen. They need some work, but all six of his offerings should be at least average, and he does a good job mixing his pitches. His stuff should miss bats and his control should limit free passes, which leads me to believe the only thing standing in his way is his endurance. I'm not sold on him becoming a dominant starter, but he could be a decent filler arm. Of course, he's really young and could make improvements as he continues to pitch, and I'm really hoping that one of those is an increase in stamina.

RHP Roscoe Brown (218th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 113th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Covington Cougars

It was a rough end of the season for Roscoe Brown, who had to undergo elbow ligament reconstruction surgery after his 24th start of the season. Brown likely won't pitch at all next season, which is a huge loss for the 20-year-old righty. He was average for San Jose this season, going 9-8 with a 3.26 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 34 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 132.2 innings pitched. Just like Chapman, however, he did not crack 100 pitches in a start this season, and I'm guessing that when he comes back from elbow surgery he's more likely to lose stamina then gain it. This may mean that Brown will have to shift into a relief role, and since he does throw a 93-95 mph fastball and sinker with a sharp curve, his stuff may end up playing better in the pen then the rotation. Brown has dealt with some command issues, which has also led to a few homers, but it should be something he can get back under control. I still think Brown could end up a starter, but injuries like this have a way of ruining pitchers, and I'm not sure he's going to be as effective as a starter when he comes back.

LHP Harl Haines (219th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 149th Overall (1935)
Alma Mater: Niagara Falls Big Red

This was supposed to be a big season for Harl Haines, who would have been in the mix for a rotation spot, but he was instead drafted into the Navy and won't pitch for us for a few more seasons. Recently 25, the submariner won't pitch in the FABL again until he's 27, and with all the young arms improving, it may be really tough for him to earn innings. He has a nice four pitch mix with great stuff, and he does a good job keeping walks down and strikeouts up. He's exactly what you want from a fifth starter, a guy who's consistent and can eat innings, and he also had upside to work his way up. It would be nice to have access to him next season, and I think the war will make it much harder for him to reclaim a spot in the big leagues.

RHP Ira Hawker (233rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1938)
Drafted: 26th Round, 252nd Overall (1937)
Alma Mater: Glasgow Greyhounds

He didn't end up debuting, but Ira Hawker secured a 40-man roster spot, and will be in camp next Spring to potentially earn a bullpen spot. The 23-year-old spent most of his season in Mobile before 4 Spring starts with Milwaukee. He was a bit overmatched in AA, going 7-12 with a 4.76 ERA (92 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 79 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 164.1 innings pitched. Walks have always been an issue for Hawker, and it's no surprised they surfaced here as well. Tom Weinstock thinks Hawker will end up as a 5th starter, noting his nice curve and groundball tendencies, which should help him pitch in the big leagues. He also thinks his command is pinpoint, although I'm sure he's think more about his potential then his currents, but if Hawker can get his command down, he could end up a decent starter. Despite being 23, he's still a very raw prospect as he didn't start pitching until he was 20, but I'm hoping he'll be big league ready before his options run out.

1B Jocko Pollard (239th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 95th Overall (1935)
Alma Mater: Grafton Indians

Jocko Pollard spent most of his season in Milwaukee, and for the first time since his debut season in 1936, he didn't hit very well. Pollard hit a bit below average, just .272/.317/.400 (98 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 82 RBIs in 546 trips to the plate. He then got an at bat in the big leagues, and since he managed to homer off reliever Billy Stall, Pollard had the best possible batting line of 1.000/1.000/4.000, good for a 5.000 OPS, 1,299 OPS+, 1,438 WRC+, and 2.273 wOBA. Unsustainable, of course, but Pollard will always be able to brag to his friends and family that those were his stats in the FABL for the 1942 season! A slugging corner infielder, Pollard is stuck behind guys like Ray Ford, Dick Walker, and now Hank Barnett, but he'd be a really strong pinch hitter. With one option year left, I can stash him in Milwaukee again, but it may be tough for Pollard to hold a 40-man spot for a long time. He has the offensive talent to stick in the big leagues, even if he isn't the greatest defender, and could be a decent piece on a rebuilding squad.

Top Prospects: 21-25
 

SS Jim Dickinson (256th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Calumet Catholic Missionaries

It was the first full season for Jim Dickinson, but he dropped a lot in the prospect rankings. He hit much better then he did last season where he had just a 43 OPS+. This year he was still a bit below average, hitting .245/.333/.335 (85 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 10 triples, 2 homers, and 48 RBIs. He did strike out a ton, but he did manage 66 walks in 601 trips to the plate. His calling card is his defense, however, and he had an impressive 19.9 zone rating and 1.108 efficiency at short. Dickinson isn't the best hitter, but has a really good eye at the plate and should get on base a lot. He has good speed, although it works more to his range then his baserunning, but I'm hoping he won't go 2-for-11 in steals each year. He has a decent contact tool, but he hasn't shown much of it yet. I still think he could be a decent shortstop, but he'll need to show more at the plate and put the ball in play more frequently to earn a spot in the big leagues.

RHP Harry MacRae (261st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 112th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Topeka State Braves

A sprained ankle cost Harry MacRae six weeks, so our 7th Rounder this year made just 6 starts. 5 of them were with San Jose, and he looked really good, a perfect 4-0 with a 0.83 ERA (394 ERA+), 0.77 WHIP, 6 walks, and 8 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched. A two pitch pitcher, MacRae looks like he will end up in the pen, but OSA thinks he can be a back end rotation piece and Tom Weinstock on draft day thought it future was in the rotation. He has a really good fastball that can sit in the 90s and his curve is a nice secondary pitch. I'm hoping he can add a third pitch, but even if he doesn't, he has the perfect mentality for a closer and it cool and composed under pressure. Relief prospects aren't as helpful in this era, but having a reliable arm at the end of the game is always a plus, and MacRae may end up being that guy.

RHP Jack Huston (267th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Bay State Bulldogs

It was the first full season for Jack Huston, who put together 12 great starts with both Lincoln and San Jose. He was just 3-3 with the Cougars, but with an impressive 2.33 ERA (140 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP with 27 walks and 53 strikeouts. He was arguably better with the Legislators, going 8-1 with a 2.44 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 32 walks, and 53 strikeouts. The 23-year-old may be near big league ready, and depending on the depth in our upper minors, he may start next season up in Mobile. The sidewinding righty still needs to work on his three pitches, but his stuff is pretty decent and he has the ability to miss a lot of bats. His fastball sits in the 88-90 range, his slider is devastating for same side hitters, and his curve should be a really good piece. He should develop into a decent starting pitcher, and if he's the worst guy in your rotation, you probably have a really deep rotation. He still has a lot of developing to go, but I think he might be a decent big league starter.

CF Henry DeVeaux (272nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 32nd Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Mississippi A&M Generals

Our first pick in the 1942 draft, Henry DeVeaux was the last pick in the 2nd Round, but the outfielder got off to a dreadful start in his minor league career. I thought he'd be ready for A ball, but was quickly proved wrong, as he hit just .149/.247/.203 (25 OPS+) with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. He did manage 8 walks in 86 trips to the plate, but DeVeaux was set down 14 times. This then sent him down to San Jose, where he wasn't much better. The outfielder hit just .224/.287/.284 (71 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, and 17 RBIs. He struck out 21 times and went just 1-for-7 on stolen base attempts, ending a very rough initial campaign. He at least played good defense out in center, combining to accumulate a 14 zone rating and 1.080 efficiency. That's one of DeVeaux's greatest strengths, as he projects to be a quality defensive center fielder and can steal a lot of bases and draw a lot of walks. I hope he can develop into a quality contact hitter who's speed should lead to a lot of steals and extra base hits. I thought he'd be a reliable big league starter, but now he's looking like more of a bench role. He's just 22, and still has some time to develop into a better player, but it would be hard for him to have a worse start to his young career.

RHP Babe Stinson (280th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 64th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Louisville Coyotes

One of our two 4th Round picks, Babe Stinson started his pro career in La Crosse, and he looked pretty good. He was just 3-4, but with a 3.53 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 23 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. The 18-year-old soft tosser sits in the 83-85 range with cutter, and his change, splitter, and forkball should all develop into quality big league pitches. His change is a pretty good pitch and should be his go-to for strike outs, but he still has a lot of developing left. He keeps the ball in the part due to his quality movement and ability to keep hitters on their toes. Right now he looks like more of a spot starter/long relief guy, but if he grows a few inches or adds some velocity, he could be an interesting development project. It may take him a bit to get out of La Crosse, as he just turned 18 in August, but if we take our time with him, he could exceed expectations and turn into an interesting option on the mound.

Military Callups
 

It's that time of year again! More military callups for the Cougars organization, and these will continue as the offseason drags on. The big news so far is Ray Ford has been selected into the Air Force. This is a big loss for us, but we do have Dick Walker on hand, and guys like John Lawson and Freddie Jones can fill in at first when needed. I also am now tracking just enlistment/draft date, as I think everyone will come back at the same time, and I'm not too sure when that is. New callups will be denoted with a *

Army
LHP Rusty Watts (March 31st, 1941)
RHP Ray McNeill (December 22nd, 1941)
SS Jimmy Bach (December 22nd, 1941)
2B Harry Avery (December 22nd, 1941)
CF Max Rucker (December 22nd, 1941)
RF Sammy Dillon (December 22nd, 1941)
RHP Bob Leonard (December 25th, 1941)
RF Harry Harris (January 5th, 1942)
RHP Charlie Everett (January 5th, 1942)
RHP Pat Rhodes (January 5th, 1942)
2B Stu Stasny (January 5th, 1942)
CF Glenn Shepperd (January 6th, 1942)
2B Jim Nickerson (June 22nd, 1942)
1B Bobo Shafer (June 22nd, 1942)
CF Hugh Oubre (June 22nd, 1942)
LF Hippo Carney (June 22nd, 1942)
CF Phil Davis (June 22nd, 1942)
*RHP Donnie Jones (November 9th, 1942)
*RHP Joe Crosby (November 23rd, 1942)
*3B Hod Seagroves (November 30th, 1942)
*CF Harry Carr (December 28th, 1942)
*RHP Joe Stuart (January 4th, 1943)
*LHP Hugh Vaughn (January 11th, 1941)
*2B Skippy Ellis (January 11th, 1941)
*LHP Charlie Harlan (January 18th, 1943)
*SS Nick Bryan (January 18th, 1943)

Navy
RHP Pete Papenfus (December 8th, 1941)
RHP Harl Haines (December 8th, 1941)
RF Alex Ingraham (December 8th, 1941)
C Diego Bernal (December 22nd, 1941)
SS Connie Wright (December 27th, 1941)
LHP Art Ramsey (December 31st, 1941)
RHP Walt Leonard (December 31st, 1941)
LHP Jim Fetrow (June 22nd, 1942)
RHP Jim Bob Clark (June 22nd, 1942)
CF Johnny Kirtz (June 22nd, 1942)
*3B John Lawson (November 2nd, 1942)
*RHP/RF Danny Goff Jr. (November 16th, 1942)
*LHP Ed Wilkinson (November 16th, 1942)
*CF Carlos Montes (November 16th, 1942)
*RHP Fred Thaxton (December 28th, 1942)
*2B Bill Hunt (December 28th, 1942)
*Eddie Howard (January 4th, 1943)
*C Hugh Elasser (January 11th, 1941)
*RHP John Lash (January 18th, 1943)
*RHP Bill Lyman (January 18th, 1943)
*RHP Chet Williams (January 18th, 1943)

Air Force
RF Fred Vargas (December 8th, 1941)
RHP Tommy Wilcox (December 25th, 1941)
RHP Harry Stewart (December 31st, 1941)
3B Wally Burnett (December 31st, 1941)
LHP Leo Hayden (January 7th, 1942)
C Butch Stone (June 22nd, 1942)
SS Frank Beacham (June 22nd, 1942)
*1B Ray Ford (November 2nd, 1945)
*3B Otto Christian (November 2nd, 1942)
*RHP King Price (November 30th, 1942)

Marines Corp
RHP Duke Bybee (December 31st, 1941)
1B Joe Powers (December 31st, 1941)
SS Dave Gilbert (June 22nd, 1942)
*CF Ernie Martini (November 30th, 1942)
*LHP Bob Hobbs (January 4th, 1943)
*RF Dave Bryant (January 11th, 1941)

Coast Guard
LHP Joe Bement (December 31st, 1941)
LF Skinny O'Hanesian (June 22nd, 1942)
*1B Jocko Pollard (November 2nd, 1942)
*LHP Joe Ferrara (November 30th, 1942)