Spring Training: Week 1
 

Weekly Record: 7-0
Overall Record: 7-0 (3 GA)

Notable Stories
Perfection!: Well here's something you don't see very often. Or at least not for a very long time. Zero losses! We won all seven of our games, including 4 shutouts and 2 one-run games. I love our pitching! Peter the Heater (4 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K) was brilliant, Johnnie Jones (5 IP, 3 H, 8 K) was insane, and Harry Parker (4 IP, H, 3 K) was almost perfect. Duke Bybee (3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) was the only member of the rotation to struggle, as George Oddo (4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and Donnie Jones (9 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K) were outstanding. All of our guys were striking out plenty, and Ed Fisler (4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) was the only reliever to allow a run. All 24 of our pitchers (that includes Eddie Howard) threw at least one inning. Not all of those were good innings, but about half of them had WHIPs below 1. The pitching was never a worry, but it's nice knowing that we can win games when we scored just one or two runs.

Leo Mitchell: Is our star done for? Sure it's just the Spring, but Mitchell went 0-for-12 and struck out six times in the opening week. He wasn't completely useless, as he drew a pair of walks, but this is a very concerning performance for the 34-year-old. If we want to win, we need him hitting. Interesting enough, the yearly WRC+ re-calculation brought last season's up to 100, so technically he wasn't a below average hitter last year! Sure, it's nothing like the 130+ he posted in the previous nine seasons, but we need more from someone who would be perfect for the deplorable position known as the designated hitter. There's no pressure on our captain, but it's tough seeing him struggle like this. We have plenty of options for left field, from Carlos Montes to Don Lee to Johnny Peters, but I'm not ready to move on from our former 2nd Rounder. I'm hoping he can rebound quickly and is getting the bad at bats out early, but we're at our best when Mitchell is piling on hits in the middle of the order.

Veteran Thump: We hit almost a homer a game, with all six of them coming from players above 33. It was surprising that Reginald Westfall (3-10, HR, RBI) got into the fun, and you could make the case for Ray Ford (5-8, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI) as well, but the other four homers came from what I expect to be our main providers of home runs. At least against righties. Walt Pack and Red Bond both sent two out, with Bond's most impressively coming in just 9 trips to the plate. The former Saint's only had two hits in seven at bats, but he made them count. He drove in three and drew a pair of walks as well, and I'm very excited to see how many he can hit out playing half his games in a homer friendly park. Pack played a bit more, and "The Wolf" was 6-for-14 with a double, walk, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. He's coming off a rebound season, as the veteran third basemen hit .273/.346/.507 (139 OPS+) with 24 homers and 82 RBIs in his first season as a Cougar. This came after a rough 1946 where he hit just .239/.297/.358 (89 OPS+) with just 12 homers and 69 RBIs in almost 100 more PAs. As of now, rookie Manager Max Wilder has this duo batting 3-4 against righties, and they can be crucial for our offensive output. Both are among the top sluggers in the game, and the early returns show that the veterans should top 20 homers once again in 1948.

Spring Training: Week 2
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 10-3 (1 GA)

Notable Stories
Utter Dominance from the Rotation: Yes, these games mean little to nothing, but oh man! This rotation! I think George Oddo already secured the 5th spot, as he twirled 5 near perfect innings against the Kings. Oddo allowed just one hit and struck out seven, giving him 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 12 strikeouts in a compete games worth of innings. The only "issue" is Harry Parker has been pretty darn good too, as he followed up 4 scoreless with 4 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts in 4 more innings. But none can match Pete Papenfus, who allowed 4 hits, a walk, and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings. Like Oddo, it gives him 9 innings, but they feature 7 hits, 2 walks, and 11 strikeouts without allowing a run. We also got four scoreless frames from Duke Bybee and Donnie Jones, who weren't great their first go around. Donnie didn't allow a hit in 4 innings, just a walk with 3 strikeouts while Duke went 4 with 2 hits and strikeouts. The only starter who wasn't near flawless was Johnnie Jones, as he allowed 8 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 5 innings. That's still livable, especially considering his 8-strikeout, 5-inning shutout last week.

Impressive Offense from Part-Timers: Last week was dominated by regulars Red Bond and Walt Pack. This week, it was some of the guys who don't have consistent playing time locked down. That's new territory for Carlos Montes, who despite only appearing in more then 130 games once, has entered most seasons of his career locked in as the center fielder. That's not to say he won't play, as Montes should be getting time against lefties out in right, but we're playing him a lot this Spring to get him more acquainted with right and third. The new positions didn't affect him this week, going 5-for-11 with a run, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs. George Sutterfield had himself a good week as well, going 4-for-10 with an RBI and 2 doubles. He's likely in line for a reserve role, but if Otto Christian (who was just 1-for-8 this week) gets off to a slow start, Sutterfield will find himself in line for more time. Especially as an excellent defender, he could fill in at third or second late in the game.

Second base is another one of those timeshares, and both Billy Hunter and Clark Car hit well. Hunter went 3-for-6 with a double and 3 runs while Car was 3-for-7 with a steal. These two won't play a natural platoon, as Hunter can handle righties and Car is basically the same hitter regardless. It's almost impressive how similar his numbers against righties (.271/.313/.401, 3,063 PA, 101 WRC+) and lefties (.273/.310/.410, 1,399 PA, 101 WRC+). To keep Hunter healthy, he's set for a two on, one off schedule, with some lean towards Hunter facing lefties. If and when Hunter gets hurt, time could open up for Sutterfield to get in the mix if Car doesn't get off to a great start. Regardless, all four of these guys will be on the big league roster, and it's great that all are doing well to get things going.

More of the Same?: It's nice seeing Peter the Heater look like his old superstar self. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Leo Mitchell and Sal Pestilli. Mitchell at least got a hit (two in fact!) this week, but he's hitting just .091/.231/.136 in 26 trips to the plate. The walks are nice, as his 15.4% walk rate is more then double his career norm, but he just can't buy a hit. Sal's hitting a bit better at .222/.250/.259, but he hasn't drawn a single walk in 28 trips to the plate. Pair that with six strikeouts, and it is very unlike him. In 1,172 FABL games, he's drawn 354 walks while striking out just 163 times, and last season was the first year he walked (42) fewer then he struck out (45). Sure, if our starters just never give up runs, it doesn't matter how much offense we produce, but once we face real lineups day-in and day-out, we're going to have to produce some runs of our own. So far it hasn't hurt too much, but we dropped three of our last four games, and will need to get production from more then just Walt Pack and Red Bond.

The Cougars are bouncing back this year. I feel it!

Spring Training: Week 3
 

Fingers crossed!

Weekly Record: 4-3
Overall Record: 14-6 (t-1st, 2 GA)

Notable Stories
Bringing the Heat: I was never really worried about good ol' Peter the Heater, but there was always the slightest slimmer of doubt that maybe he wasn't the guy. That's all gone now. In his first two starts two spring starts, Pap threw nine shutout innings. But somehow his two starts this week were even better. Starting with the reigning CA champs, Papenfus allowed just 1 hit with 6 strikeouts in a 4 run shutout. He then bested the runner up Cannons for his third win of the spring, allowing 3 hits and a walk with 8 strikeouts in 5 innings. Now in the equivalent of back-to-back shutouts, the soon-to-be 30-year-old has allowed just 11 hits and 3 walks with 25 (!!) strikeouts, setting down nearly every batter that comes up. Yeah, it's the spring, but 18 shutout innings is 18 shutout innings, and for a guy coming off an 18 loss season, it's the win he needed as he looks to erase his worst season since he was allowed to drink. It's going to a be a big season for our co-ace, who will be watching reigning Allen Winner Donnie Jones on Opening Day. Last season he posted numbers below his career averages in ERA (3.95), WHIP (1.51), BB% (13.3), K% (13.2), K/BB (1.0), ERA+ (95), and FIP- (104). I'm hoping the failure sets up his best season yet, as we could use a few resurgences from our veteran stars.

Pap wasn't the only one with big strikeout numbers this week, as rookie righty George Oddo struck out 9 in 5 shutout innings against the Saints. Oddo has now allowed just one run in 14 innings, and has struck out 21 with just 6 hits and 3 walks. The former 23rd ranked prospect is in need of a resurgence of his own, as he had a huge home run problem last year. He allowed 32 homers in 172.1 innings split between Milwaukee and Chicago, so seeing none yet this year is huge. In fact, he's approaching the 16 innings he pitched in two starts up in Chicago, but was tagged for 5 homers in that short span. On the bright side, Oddo has always posted strong strikeout and walk numbers, with consistent K/BBs above 1.5. It seems like every season we have a young pitcher who has a breakout season. He's no stranger to that himself, as he had a 3.02 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP in 17 starts the last year of the war. Oddo's dominance makes me feel better about letting Mel Haynes go, as it would be impossible to option him down after this performance. As long as he stays healthy, he's starting in the rotation, and it'll be his spot to lose the rest of the way.

Tight Race for Bench Spots in the Outfield: We're more or less at the halfway point, which means time is running out for guys to make their case for a roster spot. A lot of players aren't helping their cases, including the out-of-options Ray Struble. Acquired at the 1945 deadline from the Sailors for Ed Neal, he's spent the past two and a half seasons as a fifth outfielder, and hit a below average .228/.309/.352 (90 OPS+) in 183 trips to the plate. That's came in 174 games, as Struble's defense out in center is impressive. With Carlos Montes now on the bench, Struble's glove in center isn't as important, as I would never use Struble to replace him or Sal out in center. He's on the edge of the roster, but he's been aided by the struggles of Don Lee (6-33, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 SB). There's also the alternative of Reginald Westfall, who's hit .375/.423/.583 with a homer and 2 RBIs in 26 trips to the plate. Westfall isn't on the 40, but we have three spots, and one could just as easily be opened with Struble being DFA'd. It's a longshot for Westfall, but he's always been able to hit, and could be a useful bat off the bench.

Life Shown from Leo!: Is he back? I don't know! But 5-for-11 with a triple and home run? Sign me up! After back-to-back rough weeks, "Mitch the Metronome" is having a little fun, and has gone 7-for-33 with 5 walks, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. While a .212 average seems lackluster, he has a 106 WRC+ due to a .316 on base percentage and one of each extra base hit. As much as we need Mitchell to hit this season, he also has a big responsibility in the clubhouse. While always one of the captains, Joe Brown was always seen as the one in charge. He'll get support from youngsters Duke Bybee and Don Lee, but Mitchell is now the team's undisputed captain. With Max Wilder replacing the well liked Clyde Meyer, I'm hoping Mitchell can help ease the transition. If his struggles leak into his morale, that could be the difference between a pennant and another failure.

Spring Training: Week 4
 

Weekly Record: 5-1
Overall Record: 19-7 (1st, 1 GA)

Notable Stories
Rosters Thin: With ten games left in the Spring, I started making initial cuts so those in roster battles have a chance to show out even more. Most non-roster guys were sent down, but pitchers Roscoe Brown (8 IP, 5 H, 6 BB, 5 K, SV, HLD), Jimmy Ballard (8.1 IP, 9 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K, SV, HLD), Chet Williams (9 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, SV, 2 HLD), and Bob Hobbs (8 IP, 7 H, EB, 6 BB, 4 K, 3 SV, 3 HLD) are all still in camp. I was hoping Art Keeter (8.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, BB, 3 K, 2 HLD) would have a better spring, but a 5 run inning against the Cannons really set him back. This leaves us with 18 pitchers and Eddie Howard on the staff for the last two weeks, and it's a great time for Paul Richardson (2-0, 5 IP, H, BB, 2 K, SV, HLD), Jim Kenny (6 IP, 3 H, 7 K, SV, 2 HLD), and Charlie Kelsey (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HLD) to show they have what it takes to stick. I don't think all three of them can break camp with us, as I won't be keeping more then nine pitchers.

On the offensive side, we're hanging onto catchers Lee Teide (1-3, R) and Bob Mundy (8-37, 3 2B, RBI, 2 R) as a precautionary measure, as I don't want just Mead and Howard in camp. Otherwise it's just Reginald Westfall (11-30, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB), as the struggling Johnny Peters (2-11, 2B, RBI) showed he's not ready for the show yet. We're down to 44 players, meaning I still have 20 more cuts. There are a few easy ones with guys like Ducky Cole (4-10, 2B, 4, 2 BB), Bob Schmelz (3-7, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB), and Jimmy Hairston (0-4) are all better suited for everyday time in the minors. There will be some tough cuts, but luckily I'm confident in the roster we are bringing to start the season.

Canadian Bash Brothers?: Yes, neither of them are actually Canadian, but Walt Pack and Red Bond spent most of their careers north of the border, and boy can they bash! No one has hit more homers the Red Bond this season, as he's crushed six in just 38 trips to the plate. It's the most of any hitter this spring, and Walt Pack's 4 are less then just Bond and the Stars' Jack Welch (.319, 5, 8). And they're providing more then just homers too. Bond is slashing an astronomical .364/.447/.939, which makes Pack's also impressive .360/.396/.640 seem almost pedestrian. As a team, we haven't hit many homers, with Otto Christian (.256, 3, 8) the only other Cougar with more then one. Our park is perfect for home runs, and if these two can keep it up during the regular season, we may be able to outscore anyone any day.

Happiness is Optional!: It's not directly Cougar related, but it's Spring Training and I'm the one who makes the rules! The running joke is that the city is cursed, as lately there have been a lot of good teams in the city, and discounting a three year period where the Chiefs won two titles, it's been tough a Chicago sports fan. The curse of the Cougars seems to have infected the Chicago Packers, as after dominating the NAHC all season, they were upset by the New York Shamrocks in the first round of the playoffs. This is the same team that not only had more points (by a wide margin as well) then the rest of the league, but also scored the most goals while allowing the fewest. Not only do they have the games best player in Tommy Burns, but an elite goaling in Norm Hanson and a very deep roster that contains excellent players in Wes Burns, Marty Mahoney, Pete Moreau, Jesse Santoro, Jeremy MacLean, Ed Delarue, Moose Vezina, Mike van Tol, Jerry Finch and Jarrett McGlynn. The Chicago Panthers, who are dominating in basketball, must be sweating, and with all the failures the Cougars dominance in the spring will only setup heartbreak later on. Despite all the competitive and talented teams in the Windy City, it seems that for sports fans, their happiness is optional!

Spring Training: Week 5
 

Weekly Record: 7-0
Overall Record: 26-7 (1st, 5 GA)

Notable Stories
Save Some for the Regular Season!: Hey now! The Cougars look really good! The annual disappointment isn't looking so disappointing, as we ran off a second perfect week and now have won thirteen of our last fourteen games. With just three games left in the spring, we have guaranteed a "title" and will finish with no more then 10 losses in 36 games. If we can keep that up, it'll be an easy season for the Cougs, who could use a few things going their way.

There's plenty to like about a perfect week, but the best part is those suckers Leo Mitchell and Sal Pestilli have started to catch fire as they prepare for another season in their long careers. Mitchell started hitting last week, but was an impressive 8-for-16 with a double, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 6 runs, and 3 walks. He's now hitting .286/.394/.518 -- good for a 161 WRC+ -- with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 10 runs, and 14 RBIs. Even better, he's walked (10) almost as often as he struck out (11), something he's never really came close to in 12 big league seasons. Sal played a bit less, but his 6-for-13 with a steal, 2 homers, 3 walks, 7 runs, and 7 RBIs is impressive as well. His spring line isn't as good, just .262/.328/.410, but that's still light years better then the pitiful .232/.288/.360 (80 OPS+) he posted in 139 games last season. I've said it a thousand times, but for the Cougars to succeed, we need these two superstar to produce. And this week gave us a glimpse in what could be a very promising future for the 1948 Chicago Cougars.

A Collection of Golden Arms: The pitching has always been a strength of ours, and this spring has been no different. We've had six pitchers start games, and the results have been remarkable. The group of Donnie Jones, Pete Papenfus, Duke Bybee, Johnnie Jones, Harry Parker, and George Oddo have combined to go 18-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 148.2 innings pitched. Only Harry Parker (3.15) has an ERA above 2.50, and he's expected to start the season in the pen. The six starters have struck out 122 hitters with just 23 walks, good for an elite 5.3 K/BB. The command has been great, the stuff has been great, and aside from the 4 longballs Parker's conceded and just 10 Ks in 25.2 innings from Duke Bybee, it's hard to find a weakness in the staff's performance. The top three are done, with Donnie and Pap sporting similar 1.61 and 1.67 ERAs with Duke's a point higher at 2.45. Johnnie, Parker, and Oddo will finish things off, and barring a horrible combination of miscues, it should be an excellent end to an excellent spring.

Final Cuts Await: More trimming today, as we bring the roster down to 31 as the season approaches. Some casualties were actually doing quite well, with Roscoe Brown (11 IP, 8 H, ER, 7 BB, 5 K, 2 HLD, 2 SV), Chet Williams (2-0, 11 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, SV), Bill Ballantine (10 IP, 8 H, R, 8 BB, 6 K, 2 HLD, 2 SV), Jimmy Ballard (10.1 IP, 9 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K, SV, 2 HLD), Bob Schmelz (5-12, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 3 BB), Ducky Cole (5-12, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB), and Al Clement (3-9, RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 SB) all heading down to the farm. There are a still interesting battles left, with Charlie Kelsey (12 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HLD), Frank Sartori (0-1, 10 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 4 SV, 3 HLD), Jim Kenny (8 IP, 6 H, ER, 7 K, SV, 2 HLD), Harry MacRae (7.1 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K, SB, 2 HLD), Ken Matson (7 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 6 K), and Paul Richardson (7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K, SV, 2 HLD) all competing for the final two pen spots. The hardest part is the guy I want on the roster the most, Ken Matson, is the only one struggling. Half of these six won't break camp, and Sartori, MacRae, and Matson are the three that can be optioned. That might be how it shakes up, but it feels weird sending Matson to Milwaukee after how useful he's been the past few seasons.

The bench isn't as exciting, but Reginald Westfall is someone to watch. He's hit .368/.419/.632 with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBIs through 43 plate appearances. He's not on the 40, but the Foresters took him (and later returned) in the Rule-5 draft last offseason, and he was a pretty solid hitter for the Wolves. He doesn't have the easiest path to the majors, but he's seemed to have surpassed veterans Ray Struble (12-54, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 4 R, 5 BB, SB) and Leon Blackridge (1-20), who have both struggled despite the team's success. The only guy in camp without a shot is Bob Mundy (12-47, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 5 BB), our 13th Round pick last season, who's in camp as the third catcher. He's looked good and is ready for the show, but he's not passing Eddie Howard or Harry Mead. As always, a late injury could derail everything, but we've been pretty good at staying healthy so far, and should enter the season at full strength.

End of Spring Training
 

We went 1-2 in the last sim, but it was much better then that. We lost 2-1 and 3-1, classic Cougars, but the win? Oh man! 21-2!!! The crazy part is we only scored in four inning: a 3-run 1st, 5-run 3rd, 4-run 5th, and a 9-run 7th! What a game! Don Lee, Harry Mead, Hal Sharp, Walt Pack, and Billy Hunter all went deep, and Lee (2-2, 3B, 2 R, 5 RBI), Sharp (1-1, R, 2 RBI) Leon Blackridge (3-3, 3 R, RBI), Leo Mitchell (2-2, R, 3 RBI), and Carlos Montes (2-2) were all perfect.

We did endure a minor injury in the 36th game of the Spring, as Skipper left with a sore Achilles tendon. It's just day-to-day, and only for three days, so I'm not going to have him miss Opening Day. Skipper loves these annoying day-to-day nagging injuries, and I almost think he does it so he doesn't have to play as much. That lazy little nerd...

Final roster cuts are on the way, and we're down to 27 players. Three more players need to be sent down, a pitcher and two hitters. That pitcher will be either Ken Matson or Paul Richardson, and I'm really not sure what I'm going to do yet. Matson had a rough spring, but Dixie Marsh and Max Wilder think he's our 5th best starter. He won't be in the rotation, the five spot will be George Oddo, but it feels weird sending Matson down. He's been on the big league roster for the entirety of the last three seasons, and his 3.81 ERA (98 ERA+) was his first below below average showing since 1943. The only thing is he can be optioned, while Richardson needs to be exposed to waivers. I'm leaning towards Matson, but I have until tomorrow to make the final call.

The bench is a mess, as the only optionable guys (Otto, Sutterfield, Lee) are guys I don't want to send down, so we're going to have to DFA two guys unless a trade can be made. That likely means Ray Struble and Leon Blackridge will see their time as a Cougar end, as I don't really see any way for them to earn regular playing time. It would suck to lose them, as I'm sure neither wants to go to AAA, but I really like how our roster is shaping up, and maybe -- just maybe -- this is the year we finally capture the ever so elusive title. But World Championship or not, no one can take away our Spring title away from us! Nobody!

Opening Day!
 

It's that time of year again! BASEBALL. IS. BACKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After the Cougars disappointment last year and the Packers disappointment a few days ago, Opening Day couldn't come quickly enough. We'll look to build off a very strong spring and return to the first division. Obviously I want to win the pennant, like each and every year, but after last season's struggles I just want to win 80 or more games. It should be easy enough, but can I really trust this team? I think not!

Anyways, check out the 24 guy who we will open the series with:

LHP Duke Bybee
RHP Donnie Jones
LHP Johnnie Jones
RHP Charlie Kelsey
LHP Jim Kenny
RHP Ken Matson
RHP George Oddo
RHP Pete Papenfus
RHP Harry Parker
C Eddie Howard
C Harry Mead
1B Red Bond
1B Ray Ford
2B Clark Car
2B Billy Hunter
3B Otto Christian
3B Walt Pack
SS Skipper Schneider
SS George Sutterfield
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Don Lee
CF Sal Pestilli
RF Carlos Montes
RF Hal Sharp

The final three roster casualties were Paul Richardson, Leon Blackridge, and Ray Struble, who will all be exposed to waivers. There was a guy recently waived, Chet McCormick, I was interested for a backup role, but I figured someone with a higher waiver priority would scoop him up. Instead, we'll stick with these 24 until an inevitable injury. It's a really strong squad, as Leo Mitchell (9th) is the only position player who does not rank in the top 7 for their position, and as you might expect, our rotation ranks #1.

The preseason predictions think this is our year, as they expect us to finish 93-61, ten games ahead of the New York Stars (83-71). In the Fed, they have the Detroit Dynamos (85-69) edging the Philadelphia Keystones (83-71) and the Washington Eagles (82-72). I really like our chances against Detroit, but I think it will be the Gothams (77-77) who come up on top. OSA also believes we'll have a trio of top pitchers and hitters, including a repeat Allen Award for Donnie Jones (21-10, 2.89, 145). They expect huge seasons from Duke Bybee (17-12, 3.02, 105) and Pete Papenfus (20-11, 3.78, 156) as well, with big numbers at the plate for Red Bond (.293, 29, 91), Walt Pack (.265, 23, 84), and Leo Mitchell (.311, 11, 64). The addition of Mitchell is very reassuring, as while I have faith in his rebound, it's nice to know the game agrees. None of those three rank in OSA's top 20 players list, but Skipper checks in at #7. All three pitchers are there, with Donnie 2nd, Pap 4th, and Bybee 16th. As always there is plenty of talent on this team, but the big question is whether we can capitalize!

The farm is looking good, but with a weak draft and a few guys graduating, we may finish the season in the bottom half of the list. For now, we rank 4th, but our 171 points are very far behind the top three of Brooklyn (207), Pittsburgh (207), and Cleveland (195). We no longer have two top 10 prospects, but Bob Allen leads the way at 8th with Jerry Smith four spots behind. We do have 7 in the top 50, a pretty impressive amount, but Otto Christian (34th) won't be there for much longer. We have just one other top 100 prospect with 20 in the top 250 and 49 in the top 500. Dixie Marsh has soured on a lot of our draft picks, with Jeff King, who ranks 15th, the only bat in his top 25 for position players. Bob Allie was 7th not too long ago, but he's dropped down to 47. Plenty can happen between now and the draft, but this class may end up being a rare thin one for us. I was never too thrilled with the overall talent, but a lo of guys I took in the 8th through 10th last year I may have taken in the first four rounds this year.

We start the season in Montreal, playing the Saints for three games with one being used to honor the retired Vic Crawford. Montreal has their roster set, with Wally Reif (13-10, 4.85, 107), Pat Weakly (14-14, 3.47, 123), and Bert Cupid (10-18, 3.73, 112), set to square up against the three headed monster of Donnie Jones (16-9, 2.89, 139), Pete Papenfus (9-18, 3.95, 146), and Duke Bybee (14-11, 2.91, 104). We have a significant advantage on the pitching side, and I don't think their lineup is going to cause too much damage. There is a few new faces, as they picked up slugger Pinky Pierce (.249, 21, 89) from the Miners to play left field. Bill Elkins (.200, 20), Maurice Carter (.268, 6, 27), and Bob Jennings (.206, 2) all played last year, but none of the trio was in the Opening Day lineup. Our staff doesn't have too much experience with them, but in the end I think we'll have a nice start to the year and should win two or three games in the initial series.

Our home opener follows, as we host the Stars over the weekend. It's a good time to play them, as Bill Barrett (.297, 21, 93, 5) is not quite ready to return. Instead, former Cougar Chubby Hall (.209, 6, 22) will open the season as the starting right fielder. He's not the only change, as Freddie Jones (.276, 5, 46) has replaced Bill Barnett (.234, 22, 77) at first, 29-year-old Andy Gross (.167, 2) will start the season at second, and 75th ranked prospect Dan Atwood is set to make his big league debut behind the plate in Brooklyn. Going by their rotation setup, we'll see 4-5-1, which means we're stuck facing Eli Panneton (19-11, 3.11, 117) in the finale. Expect two or fewer runs in that one, but at least we'll get #5 Henry Shaffer (5-8, 3.16, 57). The Stars are very good, and they love hitting homers off Johnnie Jones (12-11, 3.96, 91). Add in George Oddo's (0-1, 5.06, 8) homerun issues and things could get out of control quickly. I'm hoping for the best, but it wouldn't surprise me if they bash our brains out even without William the Conqueror.

That looks like a team ready to dominate in '48.

Week 1: April 19th-April 25th
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 3-3 (t-5th, 3 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 21 AB, 8 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.387 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.097 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .741 OPS

Schedule
4-20: Loss at Saints (6-8)
4-21: Win at Saints (4-2)
4-22: Loss at Saints (0-4)
4-23: Win vs Stars (3-7)
4-24: Win vs Stars (0-7)
4-25: Loss vs Stars (8-5)

Recap
The optimist in me thought we would go 5-1. The pessimist expected a much less exciting 1-5 week. Turns out the average me was right! Rather surprisingly, our series win came against the Stars, not the Saints, as Montreal won the opener for Vic Crawford and Wally Reif (13-10, 4.85, 107) twirled a 3-hit, 9-strikeout shutout. The offense came back in Chicago, as we scored 19 runs, and we were a late game blowup away from a sweep.

Red Bond had himself a week, and was brilliant in Montreal. He followed up a 6 home spring with a 4 homer week, slashing .381/.435/.952 (272 OPS+) with 4 runs and 7 RBIs in 23 trips to the plate. While completely unsustainable, this would translate to a 103 homer and 180 RBI season -- in just 128 games. Wouldn't that be fun!?!? Shockingly, he was not named Player of the Week, as a 301 WRC+ didn't impress the in game algorithm. And while it wasn't quite a one man show, most of the starting lineup struggled. Skipper Schneider was not among them, as the veteran shortstop went 9-for-21 with a double, homer, and 5 RBIs, and his .429 batting average is best in the CA. Leo Mitchell had a decent week, 9-for-27 with a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs, but he struck out six times and didn't walk. The rest of the production came from the side pieces, with Otto Christian an impressive 3-for-4 with a homer and Carlos Montes 2-for-3 with a double. Hal Sharp was 3-for-18, Sal Pestilli was 5-for-28, and Harry Mead was 3-for-14. Isn't this fun!

The pitching was inconsistent, and reigning Allen Winner Donnie Jones had a really rough start to his season. He three 7.2 innings in both of his starts, and in both cases picked up the loss. He allowed 21 hits, 13 runs, and 7 walks with 8 strikeouts. The most shocking part was the 3 homers, as he allowed just 17 in 249.1 innings last year, 17 in 263.2 innings the year before that, and just 9 in 243.1 innings as a rookie. Of course, there's no reason to panic, but it's surprising to see him pitch this poorly early on. Luckily Pap looks like himself, as he picked up a complete game victory. He finished with 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Same goes for Johnnie Jones, who gave up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. George Oddo's pitch count prevented him from going all nine, as despite two hits and no runs, he finished with 7 walks and 8 strikeouts in 8 innings. The last start was Duke Bybee's, as he allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 7 innings. Ken Matson made me regret keeping him around, as he allowed 4 hits and 4 runs with a walk and strikeout in 1.2 innings. Jim Kenny had a nice Cougar debut, throwing a perfect inning after Oddo's start. The last inning went to Harry Parker, who allowed 3 hits and a run. I'm hoping for more from the staff, as this should be the strength of the team. I don't trust our offense one bit, so these guys need to pitch well enough to keep us in games.

Looking Ahead
Our schedule starts to get annoying, as we keep alternating road to home. We'll quickly head out to Brooklyn for a pair with the Kings, who won four of their first seven games this season. Lucky for us, the top two in their rotation isn't rested, so we'll instead face Johnny Slaney (16-12, 3.13, 82), Harry Carter (14-13, 3.98, 70), and Rusty Petrick (13-10, 1, 3.90, 82). And while that may seem good, the Kings did win all three of their starts, with Carter and Petrick earning the wins themself. The Kings lineup is similar to last year, but they have a new second basemen Charlie Woodbury (.281, 10, 86), who they picked up from the Saints for young first basemen Gilbert Ocasio (#85 prospect) and a 3rd Round Pick. And with Juan Pomales (.286, 3, 47, 23) out for five more weeks, 23-year-old Pat Petty (.273, 1, 8) has started the season as their left fielder and #2 hitter. He currently ranks 3rd in their system and 23rd overall, and could be one of the better outfielders in the game. He's got a great bat and eye, and it's just going to be another talented King we're stuck dealing with for the next decade or so.

We then return home for another quick two game series, getting a second chance at the 4-3 Montreal Saints. Montreal spit with the Kings, and is fresh of winning the double header to end the series. They could adjust their rotation, but right now it looks like we'll see Wally Doyle (7-17, 5.00, 127) and Pat Weakly (14-14, 3.47, 123), who at one point looked liked potential co-aces. Despite beating us, Weakly had a rough Opening Day, so I'm hoping we can pile on some runs in Chicago. We struggled plenty against Pinky Pierce (.249, 21, 89), who hit a pair of homers, and in Chicago you can expect a few more. While we should sweep here, I don't think we will, and it wouldn't be crazy if they took both here.

More traveling after, as it's off to the Big Apple for four games in three days with the Stars. New York struggled in the opening week, dropping two of three to the Kings and us. Don't expect that to continue, and the Stars should be able to welcome back Bill Barrett (.297, 21, 93, 5), who should be ready for their finale in Montreal. It will be a huge boost for them, as they rank 7th in runs scored with just 21. Granted, the pitching has allowed the second most runs (37), and chances are we'll see four of their five rotation members. It looks like we'll miss Vern Hubbard (12-16, 4.63, 93) again, but will be stuck with Eli Panneton (19-11, 3.11, 117). He wasn't flawless, but won the finale, going all nine with 11 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), a walk, and 3 strikeouts. It's going to be a road tough series, and I'm worried we're going to be multiple games below .500 tomorrow. Classic Cougar fun!

Cougars in the GWL
3B Elmer Hutchins (Los Angeles Knights): The GWL season started a week before ours, so this was actually week two. Elmer Hutchins was off to a slow start, but erupted on the 22nd, as the Knights beat the Green Sox 8-3. The 37-year-old veteran was a perfect 5-for-5 in the victory, coming just a triple away from the cycle. Hutchins scored twice and drove in four, and with the season so young, he raised his average from .235 to .409. Unfortunately for the first place Knights, three days later he strained his back, and their starting third basemen will miss two to three weeks with a strained back. It stopped a strong start for Hutchins, who followed up a strong first GWL season last year. Hutchins hit .280/.326/.380 (112 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 5 homers, and 60 RBIs in 142 games last season, and was slashing .333/.324/.515 (142 OPS+) in the new campaign. A former 8th Round Pick of ours, Hutchins has had an interesting career, and was part of the awful Rankin/Masters blockbuster back in 1934. He debuted the next season for the Chiefs, but hit .259/.328/.315 (69 OPS+) in 31 games. The next season was much better, as he appeared in one more game and hit an impressive .355/.375/.538 (140 OPS+). Unfortunately for Hutchins, it wasn't good enough for the Chief's brass, as he was banished to AAA. But eventually he got another chance, as the war decimated FABL rosters, and he returned at 34 in 1945. It was an impressive breakout, as Hutchins hit .334/.374/.500 (157 OPS+) in 379 trips to the plate. That line dropped to .247/.296/.363 (95 OPS+) in a FABL high 406 PAs, which opened the door for his career out west. Even though he should be back soon, it may be a tough loss for the Knights, as Hutchins is a really good hitter. Interesting enough, he may be replaced by another former Cougar, Billy Tate, who is in AAA and on the 40.

Week 2: April 26th-May 2nd
 

Weekly Record: 4-4
Seasonal Record: 7-7 (t-4th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Walt Pack : 30 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.104 OPS
Red Bond : 26 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .385 AVG, 1.182 OPS
Harry Mead : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .353 AVG, 1.097 OPS

Schedule
4-26: Loss at Kings (5-9)
4-27: Win at Kings (10-8)
4-28: Win vs Saints (1-2)
4-29: Win vs Saints (1-5)
4-30: Loss at Stars (1-2)
5-1: Loss at Stars (3-4): 12 innings
5-2: Win at Stars (9-3)
5-2: Loss at Stars (3-5)

Recap
After having the most disappointing offense last season, things are really clicking early on, as we've scored an association best 67 runs through 14 games. Walt Pack led the charge this week, as the veteran third basemen took home Player of the Week. Pack went 12-for-30 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 2 walks, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. He's now hitting .333/.382/.569 (156 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 10 RBIs. You could argue that Red Bond had the better week, as the sizzling slugger went 10-for-26 with 3 more homers. He drew 4 walks, drove in 6, and scored 7, and actually lowered his season line to .383/.444/.830 (242 OPS+) in 54 trips to the plate. Bond leads us in all triple slash categories with his .383 average, 7 homers, and 13 RBIs, and he ranks top three (3rd, 1st, t-1st) early on in the CA triple crown. I knew coming into the season that Bond and Pack would be the two biggest catalysts of our offense, and unlike most Cougars, they have not disappointed.

Again, it was more part-timers who supported the dynamic duo, but Harry Mead had an even year week, going 6-for-17 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 RBIs. Carlos Montes made the most of his time, 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Same for Clark Car, who was 5-for-13 with a double, steal, triple, run, and 4 RBIs, and Ray Ford, who was 2-for-6 with 2 walks and an RBI. Sal Pestilli is still struggling, just 7-for-37, but he continues to hit extra base hits. This time it was 2 doubles, a triple, and a homer, so he's slugging .400 despite hitting just .185. Billy Hunter had a really rough week, just 3-for-21 with a walk and run scored. Same goes for Leo Mitchell, who was just 7-for-34 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Mitchell struck out six times and didn't walk, giving him 12 strikeouts to just 3 walks in his first 14 games. These three should all be hitting much better, and while it's still early, it's making me a bit nervous that Mitchell and Pestilli may have their best days behind them.

We struggled to keep runs off the board this week, but one guy who has stood up well is George Oddo. The guy I was worried about most, picking up a complete game victory over the Saints. He allowed just one run off 4 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the season. Donnie Jones had a much needed bounce-back start, but was still tagged with the loss as we couldn't score for him. Donnie went 8 since we were on the road, allowing just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. Brother Johnnie made two starts, and was excellent in the win and a little shaky in the loss. He beat the Saints, going all nine with 4 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He went just 7 in the double header on short rest, but on the bright side he didn't give up any homers to the Stars! Still, 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks isn't very fun, but he struck out 5 and kept the ball in the park. Including the Spring, this was his third start against them, and all three of his homers (in 53 innings!) came against the Stars.

The other two two-start starters were Pete Papenfus and Duke Bybee, and they both had a good and bad start. Papenfus was hit hard by the Kings, allowing 12 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts in just 6 innings pitched. He bounced back against the Stars, but left after 8 in a tie game. He looked much better, with just 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Harry Parker then lost the game in extras, but a walk and Skipper error allowed the Stars to walk it off. He's not quite striking guys out like he does, just 14 in 23 innings, but that's still tied for 2nd in the CA. Bybee has had some strikeout problems of his own, with just 2 in 11 innings this week. He was the only guy to beat the Stars, going 8 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Like Pap, the Kings got to him, but we ended up coming back to win. Duke went just 3, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and a walk. The longball hurt him again, with two in this start and four in 18 innings this season. He allowed just 13 in 228.2 innings last season, so it's a shock to see such poor home run numbers early on. Charlie Kelsey finished his game, and was rather effective in 6 innings. He allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, but we held on to win 10-8. He then threw an inning against the Stars later in the week, with a hit and strikeout in the scoreless inning. Ken Matson was busy again, throwing 6 innings in 3 outings. He was far more effective this week, just 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. I am a bit surprised that we haven't really dominated any games on the mound this season, but it's still very early, and I have plenty of faith -- maybe too much -- in what should be the best rotation in the league.

All three guys we waived cleared waivers, but shockingly only Paul Richardson declined the outright assignment. He'll be released, and seems like an interesting option for a GWL team. The 33-year-old has pitched in 151 FABL games, going 25-31 with a 4.12 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP. Leon Blackridge and Ray Struble will stick around as AAA depth, and both could be in line for a callup as a short term injury replacement. Blackridge will actually start for the first week, as Blues third basemen Johnny Carlisle will miss at least a week with back tightness.

Looking Ahead
We get our first off day of the season on Monday, and we'll use it to travel to Toronto for two with the Wolves. They have won more with the Cannons, so and depending on the outcome of the games on Monday, they could be 8-4 and in first place. We're scheduled to face Jimmy Gibbs (12-8, 3.23, 63) and Jerry York (11-12, 4.46, 84), with the latter 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA (509 ERA+) and 11 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. A breakout form York would be huge, as the former 8th Overall Pick once ranked as the #2 prospect in baseball, and is a guy I thought would be really good for them. I'm hoping we can get some runs off him, but luckily the Wolves haven't been scoring too much. Young outfielder Dom Tripp has gotten off to a nice start to his career, going 6-for-13 with a double and four walks and Fred McCormick (.321, 27, 102) is hitting .295/.418/.614 (169 OPS+) early on. Unfortunately the only other hitters with OPS+ above 100 are Hal Wood (.281, 8, 94) and Charlie Artuso (.247, 5, 64, 9), with most of their everyday players off to slow starts. I'm hoping this can help get our staff back on track, but it's going to be very hard for us to put up runs. The Wolves have allowed just 27 runs, and they are the only FABL team to allow fewer then 40 runs this season. A split would be ideal, but I'm worried that if we drop these two games, we're going to really struggle on a tough road trip.

Next stop is three with the Cannons, who have given the Wolves all of their losses so far. Let's hope that ends once we get to this series, as we face one of the three teams currently tied with us for fourth place. We're stuck facing the always dangerous Rufus Barrell (14-13, 3.48, 135), who is sporting a fine 1.82 ERA (208 ERA+) and 0.89 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 24.2 innings pitched. After that it's Charlie Griffith (18-8, 3.66, 97) and Les Bradshaw (12-12, 3.85, 92), giving us their three best. Luckily, we may not have to score many runs, as no team has scored fewer runs then the Cannons so far. Sam Brown (.333, 9, 84) isn't the issue, he's hitting .325 with a homer and 3 RBIs, but 1948 Continental doubles (40) and walks (110) leader Denny Andrews (.288, 16, 76) is hitting a miniscule .122/.196/.195 (4 OPS+) in 46 trips to the plate. This could end up being quite literally his worst first 50 PAs ever, Andrews owns a .263/.405/.451 (142 OPS+) career batting line and is coming of a 151 WRC+ season. I really hope he doesn't figure thing out until after we leave town, as vintage Andrews could really ruin this series for us.

Next stop is Philadelphia, where we have a Sunday double header against the Sailors. Last year's pennant winners are 9-5 and tied with the Montreal Saints for first place. Win Lewis (17-12, 2.88, 87) and Charlie Gordon (2-8, 4.14, 33) are a perfect 5-0 while David Molina (10-3, 26, 3.06, 102) has allowed just one run in 13.1 innings to start the year. The Sailors just added a former #1 pick on waivers in Vic Carroll (4-4, 2, 4.11, 29), and it's interesting to see if they use him to replace the injured Slick Wesolowski (15-11, 3.80, 92). What may be most interesting about the Sailors is they have not hit a home run yet. Despite that they're hitting .286/.365/.378 and rank second in the association with 64 runs scored. One of their most productive hitters has been former Cougar Solly Skidmore (.278, 2, 56), who is hitting .409/ with a 174 WRC+. If it was in Chicago, I'd guarantee a home run from them, but with the game at Sailors Memorial Stadium we might be able to keep them in the park. They're always tough to beat, but with the right pitching matchups, we may be able to split the double header.

Minor League Report
RHP Fred Terry (AA Mobile Commodores): Run support can be fun, and Fred Terry took full advantage of the Commodores 14-run 2nd inning. Not only did he contribute to that, finishing the game 3-for-6 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, but he threw a 4-hit, 1-walk shutout as Mobile throttled the Atlanta Peaches 22-0. Terry was one of five hitters to record three or more hits, including Ed Neal who went 5-for-6 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Tom Brownleaf's game, however, was most interesting, as he had a scheduled day off but was needed to pinch run for Billy Biggar in that hectic 2nd. Not only did he score, but he came back up with the bases loaded, and hit his 2nd home run of the season. His .300/.356/.550 (124 OPS+) batting line is almost identical to his .326/.364/.494 (125 OPS+) line last season.

Terry, 23, is an interesting prospect who has the ideal work ethic and a durable arm that allows him to pitch deep into games. In his first start he threw 141 pitches in a 7-5 complete game win. It's an impressive first two games for someone who was drafted in the 8th Round last season, and only had 8 starts in A ball. Those were very impressive, as the Yellowhammer State alum went 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA (142 ERA+) and 0.92 WHIP in 57.1 innings pitched. He had an elite 34-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he allowed just one home run. There's no shortage of pitching in our organization, but if he keeps winning games like this he could pitch his way into a big league role. He's not one of our higher ranked prospects, just 40th in the organization and 446th overall. What works against him now is he's a sinker heavy pitcher, as his fastball, change, and splitter aren't always effective. Right now his sinker can dominate lesser hitters, but FABL hitters will eventually get to him. That could push him into a bulk stopper role, pitching most games for a few innings at a time.
LF Clyde Parker (A Lincoln Legislators): A guy who got a huge boost in the prospect rankings after the move to 24, Clyde Parker is doing a good job proving the pundits right. Despite hitting just .240/.320/.382 (98 OPS+) in 104 games for Class B San Jose, the 64th ranked prospect is hitting .457/.500/.657 (201 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 walks. Sure it's just 38 plate appearances, but a 210 WRC+ is a 210 WRC+. I always envisioned Parker as a Leo Mitchell type player, and he's starting to show this season. He puts the ball in play a ton and the extra base power now will translate to home run power when he matures. Despite his good eye, he'll still strike out a lot, but I don't think it will ever be as pronounced as Mitchell. Parker has the tools to be an every day big leaguer and contend for batting titles, but if he doesn't hit he may move around a lot. He'll never bring much value defensively, and with athletic outfielders like Jerry Smith, Johnny Peters, and Henry Norman all ahead of him, playing time will be tough to secure.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Karl Wallace (Los Angeles Knights): I almost covered Karl Wallace yesterday, but since I covered his teammate Elmer Hutchins yesterday, I'd just wait until he won Player of the Month. And as an added bonus, he took home Player of the Week. Wallace was brilliant in three April starts, going 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA (319 ERA+) and 1.00 WHIP. He started April with an 8-hit shutout, and if it wasn't for an error, he would have started his May with a scoreless outing. He left an 8-1 victory with two outs in the 7th, leaving with 8 hits, a walk, 3 strikeouts, and an unearned run. He's now 4-0 with a 0.80 ERA (413 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP in 33.2 innings pitched, He has accounted for 40% of the first place Knights wins this season, and with as much run support as he's received he could lead the league in wins. He has plenty of support from Jim Hatfield (.403, 1, 8, 1), Ace Anderson (.375, 2), and Bennie Griffith (.327, 1, 8). When Elmer Hutchins (.333, 1, 6) returns the lineup is going to get even more dangerous, but his replacement Dee French has been very impressive. A former 20th Round Pick by the Kings back in 1943, French has been in independent ball since 1944, and is a rare "homegrown" prospect in the young league. His first week went well, 5-for-15 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. If he keeps hitting, his versatility may keep him in the lineup, as he has experience at second, short, left, and center as well.

Week 3: May 3rd-May 9th
 

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 10-11 (t-6th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 25 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .240 AVG, .749 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 24 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .292 AVG, .810 OPS
Jim Kenny : 1 Win, 1.1 IP, 0 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-4: Win at Wolves (4-3): 10 innings
5-5: Win at Wolves (8-4)
5-6: Loss at Cannons (1-4)
5-7: Loss at Cannons (1-2)
5-8: Loss at Cannons (0-1)
5-9: Loss at Sailors (2-7)
5-9: Win at Sailors (4-1): 19 innings

Recap
it's just three weeks and I already hate this team... When we hit, we can't pitch. When we pitch, we can't hit. We're losing one run games again and can only win in extras. Duke (1-2, 4.50, 9) sucks, Pap (1-2, 4.20, 19), Donnie (1-3, 3.77, 15) has had basically one good start. Mitchell (.250, 1, 6) can't hit, Sal (.213, 2, 8, 3) still sucks, and Hal Sharp (.268, 4) isn't hitting or fielding. Imagine what would be going on if Red Bond (.333, 8, 17) and George Oddo (2-0, 1.74, 20) weren't performing like two of the best players in the world! But luckily, no one in the CA is doing much of anything, so we're still just two back of the first place Cannons (11-8) and Sailors (12-9), with the Cannons recently sweeping us and holding us to just two runs in three innings.

One interesting game was the finale of the double header with the Sailors Donnie Jones made the start on short rest, and despite that, managed to throw 128 pitches in 10.2 innings pitched. We didn't score much, just a single run, so he left with 11 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He allowed his run in the 6th, and the next 12 innings didn't see a single run cross the plate for either team. Thankfully, we got things going in the 19th, as Leo Mitchell singled, Red Bond doubled, and Carlos Montes was hit to load the bases. Hal Sharp flew out to shallow left, so the bases stayed loaded, but our usual extra inning hero Harry Mead did what he does best, help out his staff. It wasn't a hit, but a sac-fly gave us the 2-1 lead. Then Skipper cleared the bases with our second double of the inning, giving us a 4-1 lead that Jim Kenny managed to hold onto. Kenny, Eddie Howard, and Ken Matson combined for 8.1 shutout innings, which was one of the rare times are pen held up. We're definitely tired for the coming week, but luckily we are off on Tuesday. Let's start winning!

The offense was very poor this week, with Skipper, Mitchell, Ford, Montes, Hunter, and Otto combining to go 18-for-99 (.182) the same amount of hits as strikeouts. They had just four extra base hits, with two of those coming in the 19th inning. One of the few hitters to contribute was Sal, who was 7-for-24 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 3 steals. Despite that strong showing, he's still hitting just .213/.260/.404 (81 OPS+), somewhat in line with the .232/.288/.360 (80 OPS+) he hit last year. Just what we were hoping for!

Man, this season can't end soon enough...

Do I want to talk about the pitching? Well... I may have overstated how bad it was. Pap wasn't great, but he did strike out 5 with no walks in 7 innings. He got the loss with just 6 hits and 2 runs, but needed 130 pitches to do it. Bybee pitched fine too in his loss, 8 innings with 5 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Same goes for Johnnie, 8 innings with 6 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. If we could have provided any runs for them off Rufus Barrell (2-1, 1.60, 18), Charlie Griffith (3-1, 3.21, 10), and Les Bradshaw (2-2, 4.13, 14) we might be sitting in first, but things just did not go our way. Elsewhere, George Oddo pitched a pair of no decisions, combining to go 14 innings with 15 hits, 5 runs, 5 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Oddo now ranks second in the CA with 20 strikeouts, trailing just Bob Arman (2-3, 1.71, 23), who has thrown 11 more innings then our young righty. His 1.74 ERA (208 ERA+) is best on the team, and he's tied for our win lead with Johnnie Jones (2) as the only two Cougars to have more then one victory. It's crazy that with all the struggles he's had in the past few seasons, he's the one guy we haven't had to worry about, as our pitching has yet to get going early on.

Looking Ahead
We have one more with the Sailors, one I'm sure both teams would rather not play. After 28 innings the previous day, both teams are thoroughly exhausted, but baseball must be played! Pete Papenfus (1-2, 4.20, 19) will look to get back on track against Bill Martino (2-1, 2.82, 12), who has been lucky (133 ERA+ vs 103 FIP-) compared to Peter the Heater's unluckiness (86 ERA+ vs 88 FIP-). We'll hope for the fortunes to change, but our offense can't hit, and theirs is tied for the association lead with 93 runs scored, despite having 15 less (18 to 3) home runs then us. Heck, Red Bond (.333, 8, 17) has almost tripled their total while Walt Pack (.300, 3, 11) has matched it. Two of their three homers came in game one of the double header, with Cotton Dillon (.218, 1, 9) and Ed Reyes (.389, 1, 15) taking home run machine Harry Parker deep in the 7th and 8th innings. The third (well, first) homer was courtesy of Billy Forbes, who took former Cougar draftee Leo Hayden (2-2, 5.08, 10) deep in the Sailors 16th game of the season. They make up the lack of power with regular old hits, as Reyes, Marion Boismenu (.355, 7, 2), and another former Cougar draftee, Solly Skidmore (.356, 4, 1) are all hitting over .350. We'll have out work cut out for us in this one, one I fully expect to lose as our disappointing start continues.

Off on Tuesday, but we still have two more games left in our 14 game roadtrip. Those come against the Foresters, who at 7-15, are the only CA team with a worse record then us. The way things are looking now, we may be competing with them for 8th, so these are absolute must win games. If we get swept here, there may not be a write up tomorrow, as I'll be too busy contemplating by job security to focus on all the things that went wrong. Part of that is drawing the Foresters top two, meaning we'll have to best last year's ERA leader Ollie White (0-3, 5.68, 16), who has seen his command collapse in his second season. He's already walked (36) more batters then completed innings (31.2), while his already lofty 15.6% BB% from last year is 7.2% lower then his mark this season. In his five starts, he's yet to go more then 7 innings and has walked 6 or more hitters in each start. Despite that, I can already see the shutout email where he walks just 2 and strikes out 11 in a 13-0 walloping. After that we'll take on 19th ranked prospect John "Stonewall" Jackson (2-2, 4.95, 10), who hasn't had the smoothest start to his pro career. At the plate, however, the Foresters are producing, and have scored the third most runs (89) in the association. First basemen turned left fielder Ivey Henley (.408, 3, 14) is leading the batting race, but he's the only qualified hitter batting above .255 on the roster. Glenn White (.405, 7) has replaced Jim Adams Jr. (.250, 1, 3) at second, as a strained back cost him this week and next week. Avoiding him is nice, but the Foresters have scored plenty of runs without their players having much to show at the plate. Our staff should be able to keep them off the board, but will we score enough to make it worth it? I'm leaning towards no...

Perhaps the antidote to our struggles is our home stadium, as we finish our week with three hosting the Kings. Brooklyn is an even 10-10, half a game above us and a game and a half out of first. The Kings are the team tied for the most runs with the Sailors, but they've managed to do it in one fewer game. Their lineup is loaded, and the top three of Charlie Woodbury (.333, 2, 14), Pat Petty (.333, 2, 13), and superstar Ralph Johnson (.321, 5, 13) has impressed. The biggest surprise, however, is Hank Barnett, who at 38 is hitting .273/.377/.530 (140 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBIs. He's produced a 162 WRC+, walked (11) more then he's struck out (6), and even has a triple for good measure. On the other side, the pitching has been somewhat of a let down, with Leo Hayden and Harry Carter (2-1, 5.06, 3) off to rough starts. You'd think Bob Arman would be one of them if you saw his 2-3 record, but the Kings just don't provide him with any run support, as he sports a 1.71 ERA (218 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in his first five starts as a King. I'm hoping we avoid him, but it looks like we'll see him on Friday, followed by Hayden and Johnny Slaney (1-1, 3.71, 11). I'm really worried about this week, but with how bunched up the CA is, we could find ourselves in first with a few series wins.

Minor League Report
2B Bob Schmelz (AAA Milwaukee Blues): While the Cougars offense doesn't do much scoring, the Blues offense does, and Bob Schmelz was one of the key contributors this week. He captured the Century League Player of the Week, going 10-for-25 with 2 homers, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. This upped his season line to .308/.418/.508 (132 OPS+) in his first 17 games. He's walked (13) more then three times as often as he's struck out (4) with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 15 RBIs. This comes after a .271/.390/.379 (101 OPS+) showing last season and if he keeps hitting like this I could move him up to the big leagues if we need a jolt. He debuted last season, and while I don't want to do it, one of Don Lee or George Sutterfield could head to Milwaukee to play more regularly. They're both just 26 and have only gotten a combined five at bats so far. It would make sense for Sutterfield to get more comfortable at second, as Billy Hunter has gotten off to a slow start. We'll see how the next few weeks go, but this is a situation that could get some consideration.

RHP Dick Garcia (AA Mobile Commodores): Remember when Dick Garcia allowed 82, 57 runs, and 25 walks in 46 innings this winter? I'm not sure he does!

It's just three starts, but he's already over half way to his innings total after a pair of complete game wins and an eight inning loss. The 23-year-old has allowed just 22 hits, 5 runs, and 9 walks, equating to an impressive 1.73 ERA (245 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP. I could not be happier for the hard working righty, as it was tough watching him labor for 9 starts. While still not considered a legitimate prospect, he does ranks just inside the top 500 (405th Overall) and does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. His sinker is an effective pitch, and if he can command it better he could be an effective innings eater. We needed Eddie Howard to throw almost 6 innings in an extra inning double header, which is something Garcia would excel at. Give him a good defense and he can best a tired offense, and there are far worse options to mop up games. He certainly has the experience pitching in blowouts!

Week 4: May 10th-May 16th
 

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 14-13 (t-4th, 1.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Walt Pack : 19 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .368 AVG, 1.368 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 4 BB, 12 K, 1.50 ERA
Sal Pestilli : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, .923 OPS

Schedule
5-10: Win at Sailors (4-2)
5-12: Win at Foresters (10-2)
5-13: Win at Foresters (5-0)
5-14: Loss vs Kings (6-5)
5-15: Win vs Kings (1-3)
5-16: Loss vs Kings (9-2)

Recap
Hey now! A winning week! I can't remember the last time we had one of those for meaningful games! And we're back above .500? Isn't that fun!

(The last time was the last week of August last year!)

We made up just half a game on the first place Cannons, but if you ignore the Sunday game, it was a pretty strong week. Sure, we had yet another one run loss (already 5 of those in just 7 attempts!), but we pitched well, hit well, and won some baseball games! You can thank Peter the Heater for most of it, as despite no vintage double digit strikeout games, the fireballing veteran picked up complete game victories against the Sailors and Kings. The Sailors are one of the toughest teams to strike out, and Pap set them down six times, finishing with 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. He was even better against the Kings, and was the only Cougar that bested them this week. Again he walked 2 and struck out 6, but the now 30-year-old allowed just 3 hits and a run in the win. He's now 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA (116 ERA+) on the season, and his 31 strikeouts are tied with Bob Arman (3-3, 1.62, 31) for the CA lead. It's not quite vintage Papenfus yet, but his 1.04 WHIP and 6.3 BB% would be career bests. If we want to go far this season he's key to our success, and I'd love to see him put together another Allen quality year.

The offense showed out this week, with a big showing from slugger Walt Pack. Pack went 7-for-19 with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 6 runs, and 9 RBIs. He's been scorching CA pitching so far, now slashing .315/.371/.596 (162 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 6 homers, and 20 RBIs in 3 PAs shy of 100. Sal Pestilli had another nice week, going 7-for-22 with a double, homer, 4 walks, and 4 RBIs. He now has a 100 WRC+ in 26 games, which is the first time in his Cougar career he has not had a below average WRC+. Leo Mitchell and Hal Sharp both have below average ones, but each was effective this week, with the duo going 14-for-38 with a double and triple. Both are hitting below .300, but Sharp is just 5 points away and has improved vastly on his .212/.257/.273 (46 OPS+) April line. We also got quality production from our part-timers, with Montes, Ford, Hunter, and Christian combining to go 11-for-28 with 5 runs and 6 RBIs, with both Montes and Ford hitting balls out of the park. Even reliever Charlie Kelsey got in on the fun, going 1-for-2 in 4 mop up innings. With all the scoring, we're now tied for 2nd in runs scored, and the offense may be approaching the level they should be playing at.

Johnnie Jones continued his brilliant start to the season, as the 29-year-old veteran tossed our first shutout of the season. Jones allowed just 5 hits and a walk with 5 strikeouts in our 5-0 win over the Foresters. He's now 3-2 with a team low 2.14 ERA (173 ERA+) in 42 innings pitched. His 1.05 WHIP is impressive and he's finally walking (16) fewer batters then he's striking out (20). Our other hot starter, George Oddo, was cooled off by the Kings excellent offense, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in 6 innings. Donnie struggled too, dropping to 1-4 after allowing 7 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks in 7 innings. He did strike out 9, and has 24 in 50 innings, but his 4.32 ERA (86 ERA+) is uncharacteristically high. His ERA+ does match his FIP- (3.20 FIP), so positive regression can be expected, but for some reason Allen Awards cause our pitchers to collapse the following season. The last start went to Duke Bybee, who came an out away from a complete game win. He left after 127 pitches, finishing with 10 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Like Donnie, he's not off to the greatest start, but after three solid starts in a row his ERA is down to 3.89 (95 ERA+). His 1.41 WHIP is still elevated and he's walked (12) one more batter then he's struck out (11). The drop in K% has been significant, down four points from 11.3 to 7.3. It's far too early to be concerned, but our pitchers never seem to be good at the same time. At least two need to have issues!

Okay, that's enough doomer for this post. We actually had wins! I should be happy! Let's go Cougars!

Looking Ahead
Our homestand didn't get off to the greatest start, dropping two of three to the visiting Kings, but they were red hot and we played a lot of games on the road with very little rest. We get some to start the week, and then the Wolves come to town for three. They're off to a nice start this season, sitting half a game out of first at 14-11. Just like us, they're off on Monday, but it doesn't affect their rotation. Regardless, we would see the top three, led by ace George Garrison. He's been one of the best pitchers early on, 3-2 with a 1.67 ERA (229 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts in 5 starts. He's not going very deep into games, as he didn't get past the 7th in his first three starts. His most recent one saw him go all nine, needing just 104 pitches in the complete game win. It would be nice to chase him out early, as while they do have a 2.10 pen ERA (2nd in the CA), I'd much rather face Lou Jayson (4, 2.57, 1) and Cookie Myers (3-2, 1, 1.96, 4) then him. After Garrison it's Joe Hancock (2-0, 4.00, 10) and Jimmy Gibbs (1-2, 4.81, 17), but don't let the ERAs fool you. Gibbs has been crazy unlucky, as his 2.89 FIP (75 FIP-) is better then Garrison's (2.97, 77) and Hancock's (3.81, 99) is almost exactly average. These are three good pitchers that can keep us in check, so we'll have to do the same to their lineup. They haven't scored too much, just 6th (104) in the association, but former Cougar Hal Wood is on a 7 WAR pace. He's slashing .363/.434/.473 (140 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and a 156 WRC+. Of course, Fred McCormick (.297, 4, 21, 2) is killing it as always, Chink Stickels (.281, 5, 14, 5) still doesn't look like he's approaching 37 (3.1 ZR, 1.046 EFF in center!), and rookie Dom Tripp (.370, 10) has a 170 WRC+ in his first 18 games. We can't underestimate the Wolves as this is a big year for them. They're playing for manager Bob Call's job and trying to prove to the doubters that their window is not closed.

We'll do our best to emphatically shut it.

Our next two games come against the Sailors, who dropped out of first and are tied with us and the Saints for fourth. Win Lewis is off to a spectacular start, perhaps with a chip on his shoulder after falling short to Donnie in the Allen race last year. Lewis is 4-1 with a beautiful 1.62 ERA (237 ERA+) and 1.03 WHIP in 39 innings pitches. It continues to stay pretty, as his 2.34 FIP (60 FIP-) is impressive and his 22-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio is even better. That 4.4 K/BB would be his personal best, and is almost unheard of in this era. 2 is impressive enough, as even real life stars like Bob Feller and Hal Newhouser, never surpassed 3. In fact, Feller led one year with 2.21, basically half of Lewis' start. The back half of the rotation has struggled, so it's only fitting that we'll draw Lewis and Charlie Gordon (3-1, 2.89, 17) in the two game series. Combine that with the offense we're tied for 2nd with in runs scored and it's going to be tough. I'm still surprised we beat them in the finale, and Solly (.373, 1, 6), Marion Boismenu (.374, 7, 2), and Ed Reyes (.380, 1, 18) are all hitting above .370. I'm worried that home field advantage may not do us too well, but things would look much better if the rotation shaped out a little different.

We finish the week with the first of two against the Foresters. Cleveland is the only CA team with single digit wins, just 8-20 and 8 games out of first. I'll cover them a bit more tomorrow, but I was wrong about Ollie White (0-4, 5.67, 21) dominating us. He did go 8, but allowed 8 hits, 5 runs, and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The only rotation member that has done much is #5 Davey Morris, who not only has a 2.25 ERA (171 ERA+), but a 183 WRC+. He's actually had some minor league experience in right, and is hitting .412/.444/.529 (157 OPS+) in 18 trips to the plate. That's better then most of the lineup, with one of the lone exceptions Ivey Henley. Now moved to the leadoff spot, the recently turned 24-year-old is hitting an elite .374/.508/.538 (177 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 homers, and 15 RBIs. His 206 WRC+ is best among qualified CA hitters, and he's the Foresters only qualified hitter batting above .275. These are absolute must win games, and I know dropping either would do great harm to our playoff aspirations.

Minor League Report
RHP Harry Beardsley (AA Mobile Commodores): Johnnie Jones wasn't the only member of the organization to hurl a shutout, as former 10th Rounder Harry Beardsley allowed just 2 hits and struck out 2 in 10-0 shutout over the Birmingham Ironmen. The crazy thing is he didn't need the 3-for-5 outing from Billy Biggar (homer away from the cycle!) or Franklin Thomas, as Beardsley homered in one of his four plate appearances. It was the first longball of his minor league career, but it's not the first shutout, as he threw one in his sixth professional start. Currently ranked 10th in our organization and 93rd overall, the 23-year-old righty is off to a superb start to the season, allowing four or fewer runs in each of his four complete games. He's 3-1 with a excellent 1.75 ERA (244 ERA+) and 0.81 WHIP, walking 7 with 13 strikeouts. This comes after 11 starts with the Commodores last season, where he was a more pedestrian 5-6 with a 3.95 ERA (106 ERA+) and more walks (49) then strikeouts (40). Command will never be his strong suit, but he's always had tremendous stuff. All four of his pitches are weapons, from his excellent change up to his reliable sinker. Last July he started hitting 90, which was the fourth velocity boost in just two seasons for the young righty. I don't expect that trend to continue, but if he starts sitting in the mid 90s he's going to be dangerous. He's ranked as our third best pitching prospect, but with all the depth we have in the big leagues he doesn't crack the top five (and probably ten) in Dixie Marsh's potential ranks.

What's craziest is Bob Allen, who is ranked as the 11th best prospect in the league and 2nd among pitchers, checks in at number 4. I'm sure you can guess who the top three are, but number five? That would be George Oddo! That kid is going to be really good! Maybe it's good that no one wanted him when I was trying sell low...

1B Billy Biggar (AA Mobile Commodores): Not only was Billy Biggar just a homer away from the cycle, but Biggar took home Dixie League Player of the Week. And after going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks on Opening Day, he's recorded a hit in each of the next 21 games. During this time he's produced 10 multi-hit games, with three hits three times and four hits in a 7-6 win over the third place Memphis Excelsiors. I'll admit, I wasn't sure the 23-year-old could handle AA, but it's hard to find a fault with his AA debut. The Canadian is hitting a robust .420/.464/.568 (160 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, steal, and 13 RBIs. He's struck out just once in 97 trips to the plate, but don't think that mean's he doesn't walk. He's drawn 8 already and is coming off a season where he walked (85) almost twice as often as he struck out (48). The additions of Dudley Sapp and Cal Rice have caused some uncertainty in Biggar's playing time, but if he keeps hitting like this we'll find somewhere to play him. His hit tool has always been great, and if he had any sort of power he'd be exactly the type of guy you want at first base. He excels at putting the ball in play and can contend for batting titles, and if he continues to walk more then he strikes out, he's got a chance to hit his way onto a big league roster. He gives me Ed Reyes vibes, which also means he'll likely have to wait a long time to earn a shot in the big leagues. We're at an interesting point in the franchise where we have plenty of first base prospect depth, or otherwise Biggar would be one of the more exciting ones, but instead the odds of him being a Cougar are pretty low. But with him being Rule-5 eligible, the door is open for a big league opportunity elsewhere.

RHP Barney Gunnels (A Lincoln Legislators): A few days after Beardsley's shutout, Barney Gunnels threw one of his own. He only struck out one, but survived that by allowing just one walk and four hits. He also improved to 3-1 on the season, with an impressive 2.23 ERA (186 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP. The lack of strikeouts here is not normal, as Stinson struck out 6 in his last start and has 14 in 32.1 innings pitched. That's not to say he's a big strikeout arm, but does tend to rely on his defense more then his stuff. Another former 10th Rounder, Gunnels does not rank inside our top 40 prospects and has been with the organization since 1943. He's still just 23, so there could be some time to grow, although I wouldn't expect much give his work ethic. He hasn't worked much on his control, which has always been a problem of his. In each of the past two seasons he's walked at least 11% of the hitters he's faced and has walked (269) more hitters then he's struck out (258) since debuting for La Crosse as an 18-year-old. I'm hoping he can continue to strikeout more guys then he walks this season, but if his BB% (5.5) reverts closer to his career averages, he could find himself mopping up games by seasons end.

Week 5: May 17th-May 23rd
 

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 17-16 (t-4th, 1.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ken Matson : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 2.1 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, .848 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .867 OPS

Schedule
5-18: Loss vs Wolves (4-3)
5-19: Loss vs Wolves (11-6)
5-20: Loss vs Wolves (3-2)
5-21: Win vs Sailors (3-4): 10 innings
5-22: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
5-23: Win vs Foresters (3-8)

Recap
The winning ended just as quickly as it started, as we returned to treading water with yet another 3-3 week. It could have been worse, as the Wolves embarrassed us at home, sweeping us with a pair of those pesky one-run losses. Luckily, we quickly bounced back, as we snatched one-run wins from the Sailors before a comfortable win against the Foresters. There's no change for us in the standings, we're still tied for 4th and 1.5 games back, but now we're tied with the Cannons while the 19-15 Kings lead the association.

We didn't do much scoring this week, but we hit a lot of home runs. Six different Cougars hit one out of the park, including Clark Car who was 5-for-19 with a double, 2 triples, the homer, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. This was his most involved week, as before Billy Hunter's struggles he wasn't playing regularly. Now he's taking most of the at bats against righties, and is hitting a productive .284/.293/.500 (114 OPS+) in 75 trips to the plate. Carlos Montes is doing his best to play more, going 2-for-3 with a walk and walk-off homer. He's made just 33 trips to the plate, but has hit an impressive .320/.469/.640 (201 OPS+). He's not going to replace Sal, who was 7-for-21 with a homer, but both Leo Mitchell and Hal Sharp are off to rough starts. Mitchell is hitting just .273/.304/.331 (74 OPS+) while Sharp is a bit better at .296/.327/.352 (86 OPS+). I'm not ready to move either to the bench in favor of Montes, but it's starting to at least be considered. Montes already plays right against lefties, but he may get the occasional start against righties, with Sharp moving over to left. Ideally, Mitchell returns to form and we can rely on Montes more as a defensive replacement, but I wouldn't count on that sorting itself out.

This is the year of Johnnie Jones, but as always, we just refuse to win his starts. This is a guy who won 10 games in 1946 despite a 2.64 ERA (133 ERA+), and he's dealing with some of that luck this year. Johnnie went nine and allowed 7 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks, but two of the runs were unearned, and we should have won his game in nine. Instead, Ken Matson came on for the 10th, picking up the win after Montes' walk-off homer. Matson also picked up a save in our 2-1 win over the Sailors, striking out Harvey Brown with a runner on 2nd for the 27th and final out. George Oddo started the game and looked much better then he did against the Kings, allowing 6 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-1 in 6 starts. His 2.62 ERA (143 ERA+) trails just Johnnie's 1.94 (193 ERA+) on the team, and his production has really made up for Donnie Jones' struggles. He had another rough start, going just 4 while allowing 6 hits, 6 runs (2 earned...), and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Jim Kenny was much worse, charged with 4 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks in 3.2 innings. Sure, you can blame the three errors, but there were too many guys on the bases.

Duke Bybee made a pair of starts, picking up a loss against the Wolves and a win against the Foresters. He went 8 against Toronto, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with just a single strikeout. The strikeouts came back against the Foresters, as he set down 5. Like Oddo, he got all the outs except one, leaving with 8 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks. The last out went to Charlie Kelsey, who got Jim Adams Jr. to roll into a fielder's choice. I'm still surprised by Bybee walking (18) one more hitter then he's struck out (17) considering command is his thing and he struck out 104 hitters last season. Command has never been Pap's thing, and 5 walks contributed to his complete game loss. He did do fine overall, just 8 hits and 3 runs in our 3-2 loss, but he struck out just 3, his fewest on the season. As much as I love the strikeouts, I'll trade them for 3-run complete games, as maybe the 200+ strikeout days of Peter the Heater are a thing of the past...

Looking Ahead
The homestand continues with the finale against the Foresters, as a struggling Donnie Jones (1-4, 4.33, 27) faces a struggling Ollie White (1-4, 5.32, 26). The two aces have similarly terrible numbers after finishing third and first in ERA last season. White finally captured his first win of the season in a 14-3 domination of the Saints where he finally struck out (5) more hitters then he walked (4). In just 47.1 innings he's allowed 46 free passes, and his 20 BB% looks like it came from Juan Soto's baseball reference page. His 2.01 WHIP is almost higher then his 2.40 ERA from last season, but I'm just glad he beat the Saints. We can't be his first win anymore! That's not going to stop him from throwing a gem, but perhaps the Foresters offense is exactly what Donnie needs. Jim Adams Jr. (.237, 1, 3, 1) has scuffled early on and Lorenzo Samuels (.190, 2, 7) is dealing with a major sophomore slump after posting a 143 WRC+ in 104 games as a rookie last season. They should be their two best hitters, with Ivey Henley (.353, 3, 19) firmly in the mix, but it's shaping up to be another long season in Cleveland. The Foresters do do one thing well, as the back of their pen has been brilliant. Both Dick Lamb (2-0, 1.95, 9) and Walt Hill (6, 1.99, 13) have been remarkable, and they've pitched enough to qualify for rate stats. Of course, the game's usually decided before they come in, but if the Foresters have a lead late, there's a good chance they're going to keep it. Let's hope it doesn't come to that!

Our homestand then ends with three with the Cannons, who slumped last week and are now tied with us for 4th, with both of us a percentage point above the 18-17 Stars. The Cannons have the lowest scoring offense (107) in the association, and that will only get worse after Sam Brown (.289, 2, 10) head to the IL with a sore elbow. The biggest surprise on the Cannons is superstar Denny Andrews, who is doing his best Sal Pestilli impersonation. Andrews hit .288/.405/.451 (142 OPS+) last season, posting a 151 WRC+ and leading the association in runs (104), doubles (40), and walks (110). This season, everything has gone wrong, as he's somehow hitting just .159/.248/.195 (19 OPS+) with one double and one homer in 129 trips to the plate. He's walked (14) les frequently then he's struck out (18), something he has never done since debuting for the Cannons in 1940, and his 27 WRC+ is nearly 100 points lower then his previous worst -- a still impressive 111 as a 25-year-old back in 1941. If he was anything close to resembling his former self, I have to imagine the Cannons would be leading the league, and he's far too good to not turn things around.

The pitching has kept them in games, but despite allowing the fewest runs (115) in the league, they have a -8 run differential. Jim Anderson has decided he's the best pitcher in the league, and he has not need a reliever in any of his six starts. He's 4-1 with a miniscule 1.17 ERA (328 ERA+), which happens to be lower then his 1.19 WHIP. Some regression is expected, as he's walked (24) just as many hitters as he's struck out, and no one can be this dominant for a whole season, but his 3.00 FIP (77 FIP-) is still well above average. Him and Rufus Barrell (4-1, 1.38, 26) have been the best 1-2 punch in the game, so it's only fitting that we'll have to face them both. That makes things almost impossible for us, if the Cannons get a good outing from Charlie Griffith (3-2, 3.90, 19) chances are they'll sweep us, as I don't have any confidence in our lineup. Barrell is almost an auto-win, and with how unlucky Chicago sports teams are, I don't envision Anderson returning to form against us.

The weekend is going to be tough, and I'm worried our momentum will be in the gutter before and after we take on the Kings in Brooklyn for three. At 19-15, they're a game ahead of the Wolves (17-15) and Saints (18-16), and they're scoring runs at a torrid pace. Ralph Johnson (.278, 6, 21) has slumped a bit, but Charlie Woodbury (.349, 2, 25) and Pat Petty (.321, 3, 25) have WRC+ above 140. The lineup tails off a bit behind those three, but Chuck Collins (.307, 2, 16) is off to a good start. The rest of the lineup hasn't been great, and with their pitching struggles it may come back to hurt them. Ace Bob Arman (4-4, 1.94, 42) has been as advertised, but Johnny Slaney (2-2, 4.42, 16) has struggled and Leo Hayden (4-4, 3.82, 23) still doesn't look like the dominant pitcher from his rookie season. With two off days this week, the Kings will be well rested and can adjust their rotation, which doesn't bode well for our chances. This is a huge week for us, as we need to take advantage of the congestion in the association. It's only a matter of time before someone separates from the group, so why can't that be us?

Well, other then for the fact that we're cursed...

This whole city is cursed...

I mean check out the Chicago Panthers...

That's a collapse worthy of the Cougars!

Minor League Report
RHP Jim N Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): Last season did not end well for Jim N Smith, as after a promotion to A ball he had a 5.07 ERA (83 ERA+) and 1.62 WHIP in 11 starts. This year has gone much better, and "Noodles" put an exclamation mark after his fourth start. The former 6th Rounder threw a 3-hit, 1-walk shutout while setting down 4 Steelmen down on strikes in a 5-0 victory. He's now 2-1 in his 4 starts with an impressive 2.12 ERA (198 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP. He's walked just 5 and struck out 17, with his 3.4 K/BB significantly higher then the 1.4 he posted in 139 innings between San Jose and Lincoln last year. A five pitch pitcher, Smith's cutter tops out at just 87, but he mixes his pitches well and has posted solid strikeout numbers in the past. His control has handicapped him in the past, but his 4.2% BB% is almost half as much as his previous best (8 in 68 innings for San Jose last year). Right now he's the next man up if we need a starter in AAA or AA, and I expect him to finish his season in AA as long as his effectiveness doesn't completely crater.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Cy Sullivan (Oakland Grays): It's been an excellent start to the season for Cy Sullivan, who is on a run of three consecutive starts with allowing one run or fewer. The middle start was nearly perfect, as Cy allowed just one-hit with two walks and strikeouts in a 9-0 shutout win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It's his first shutout of the season, but his 8th since joining the Oakland Grays in the inaugural season of the GWL. Sullivan has a legit shot at the Pitcher of the Month award for May, but a 2-2 record might work against him. He has just a 2.08 ERA (168 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP in 34.2 innings pitched, giving him a 2.31 (151 ERA+) and 1.05 mark on the season. The rubber armed Sullivan is a big reason the Grays are within a game of first, as the rest of the rotation has an ERA of 3.00 (116 ERA+) or higher. That 3.00 comes from another former Cougar, Danny Goff Jr., who has transitioned into the rotation this year. He's gone 2-3 with a 1.45 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 51 innings and is scheduled to open the week for the Grays in Oakland against the last place Green Sox. Goff's brother, Jack, is also in the Grays rotation, and is an impressive 6-1 with a 3.32 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP. "Black Jack" won the GWL ERA crown (2.15) last season, and the trio have done well early as the Grays look to defend their title.

Week 6: May 24th-May 30th
 

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 22-18 (t-1st, 0.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 16 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.500 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 27 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .259 AVG, .841 OPS
Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 17.2 IP, 3 BB, 6 K, 2.55 ERA

Schedule
5-24: Win vs Foresters (1-5)
5-25: Win vs Cannons (1-2)
5-26: Win vs Cannons (1-2)
5-27: Loss vs Cannons (2-0)
5-28: Win at Kings (7-3)
5-29: Win at Kings (7-5)
5-30: Loss at Kings (2-6)

Recap
Well would you look at that! First place! Sure, we're tied with the Saints, who we start next week with, but it was the first time all season we actually did what a pennant winner should! We swept the worst team in the league and took two of three from the teams above us. It's going to be tough to stay atop, but this is huge for us. With four teams sitting at an even .500 everything is extremely congested, so maybe just one more 5 win week can give us a lead we can hold on to. Winning on the road is tough, and we're still not really handling teams like we should, but positive progress is starting to be made. We even won two one run games!

After starting to slump, Red Bond had another power explosion, going 7-for-16 with a double, 3 homers, and 5 RBIs. Bond is now tied with Bill Barrett (.323, 12, 37, 2) for most home runs in the league, as each slugger has hit 12, although Bond has done it in twenty fewer plate appearances (138) then Barrett (158). Red is slashing .317/.370/.643 (172 OPS+) as we approach June, and his 9.4 K% would be the first time he had a single digit K% in a 250+ PA season. Bond didn't have too much help this week, but Leo Mitchell showed some signs of light, going 8-for-23 with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Sal Pestilli had another solid week, 7-for-27 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 2 steals, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. Pestilli has a somewhat pedestrian .252/.306/.453 (105 OPS+) batting line, but he's added 8 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, and 6 steals, is walking (13) more then he strikes out (8), and has accumulated a 6.1 zone rating (1.043 EFF) out in center. It's still not the Sal Pestilli we were hoping for, but after a slow start in April he has a 126 WRC+ in May and may finally be turning the corner. Even better, he's finally not pissed off, and is even happy about a few things. This is it! Its' time for the Sal Pestilli we all know and love to make his mark on the city! My excitement is through the roof!

Donnie Jones was a Skipper Schneider error away from a 6-hit shutout and then came an out away from a two complete game victory week. He still picked up the win in our 7-5 win over the Kings, but since all but one of their runs came in the ninth it makes sense that Ken Matson got the final out. He came in with runners on first and second and walked Charlie Woodbury (.321, 2, 26) to load the bases for Pat Petty (.308, 3, 26). After a called strike on a 2-0, Matson got Petty to lift a lazy fly ball to right, securing the victory with the winning run at the plate. Donnie was solid until the 9th, and was charged with 5 runs off 9 hits and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. His record improved to 3-4 and he's lowered his ERA and WHIP to 3.89 (97 ERA+) and 1.33. His 3.13 FIP (82 FIP-) is actually better then last year's 3.38 (89 FIP-) so with better luck things would look a lot different. Like Pap, Donnie isn't striking out many batters, and his 10.7 K% would be a career low. This has offset his drop in walk percentage (7.5 from 8.1) and if he can rely on his defense a bit less he'll win more games. I don't remember any starts of actual length last season where he had just one or two strike outs, but he already has three starts of nine innings or more. Yes, he faced 43 Sailors (10.2 innings!) in Philly and struck out only two. Even this week he only struck out one in his complete game win over the Foresters. I'm still pleased with his week and it makes me excited for our road trip where he'll see his former organization in Toronto.

Pete Papenfus had a pair of starts as well, but only one went as planned. He outdueled rookie Johnny Whitter (3-5, 1.45, 24) in our 2-1 win over the Cannons, allowing just 3 hits, 2 walks, and a single run. The Kings got to him in Brooklyn, and snapped his streak of four consecutive complete game. The Kings tagged him for 6 runs of 7 hits and walks, striking out just 3 in 5 innings pitched. It's his shortest start of the season, with the previous low coming back in April just over a month ago when the Kings tagged him for 7 runs off 12 hits in 6 innings. I now know he can only face the Kings in Chicago, as he struck out 6 in a complete game victory earlier in the month. Still, he looks plenty better then last year, and has managed to keep hitters off base better. Now that we've managed to claw our way into first, his starts will become more and more important, as the back of the rotation has really excelled and he could drop a bit in the order as we look to chase victories.

Johnnie Jones came an out away from a complete game victory, as he left after 148 pitches and the tying run on base. Knowing Matson needed just one pitch to end things makes you wonder if Johnnie should have stayed out, but as a former pitcher I think Max Wilder knows something about the right time to leave a game. Johnnie did allow 4 hits and a season high 6 walks, but it's another impressive start from the veteran. He improved to 4-2 with a 1.81 ERA (209 ERA+) in his 7 starts. Duke Bybee also won his fourth game, going all nine in a complete game win over the Kings. It was a start reminiscent of his rookie year, as the young southpaw struck out 6 while allowing just 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks. George Oddo didn't get any run support in his start, but in our offense's defense it was the uber talented Rufus Barrell (5-1, 1.21, 29) and he doesn't give up many runs. That didn't stop Oddo from looking fabulous, as he gave 8 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The former 8th Rounder is now 3-2 with a 2.56 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts. He's a big reason why we're in first even though he's the guy I initially planned on skipping starts for. But the mix of his performance, the amount of double headers, and the lack of real off days, there really haven't been any of those opportunities. He's earned his starts and will continue to if he keeps pitching like this.

Looking Ahead
If you told me that on the last day of May we'd be playing a double header for first place against the Saints I wouldn't believe it. Even moreso that it's because of their pitching and hitting. Of course the biggest surprise is that we're actually in first place, as other then this week we haven't really won any games. The Saints, however, have had some insane pitching performances from guys that never quite pitched like they should. The main perpetrator is 28-year-old Wally Reif, who is 5-2 with a miniscule 1.15 ERA (339 ERA+) and 0.95 WHIP in 70.1 innings pitched. The former top 20 prospect has seemingly cured his home run issues, as after allowing a league high 28 last season he has yet to give one up this year. When you pitch in Montreal that's easy, but he threw shutouts in two of his three road games. We won't have to deal with him, but it's not like Pat Weakly (4-3, 2.92, 27) and Bert Cupid (4-3, 1.93, 21) are easy to hit either. The key to this double header is keeping Montreal off the board, as their lineup is thin. Bill Greene (.278, 4, 16, 10) does have an impressive 152 WRC+ and is on pace for a 7+ WAR season, but he doesn't have much protection. 23-year-old Jack Spahr (.300, 9) is off to a nice start and Bill Elkins (.278, 13, 3) and Gordy Perkins (.287, 2, 13, 3) have been productive. The foundation in is place, and the Saints may decide to tap into their system for the first time in a while. With seven of the eight teams within two games of first, it's anyone's game, and they have to be taken seriously.

We're off on June 1st, which gives us time to time to start a twelve game road trip. That first stop is Toronto, where we'll play four games against the 20-20 Wolves. George Garrison is off to a tremendous start, as their ace is 5-3 with a 1.78 ERA (219 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP in his eight starts. He's struck out 27 and walked just 17, and we're likely to face him him as he's scheduled to pitch a game in the double header against the Foresters to start their week. Former co-ace Joe Hancock (2-2, 5.79, 16) has not been nearly as effective, and he's allowed 4 or more earned runs in each of his last five starts. He is also likely to take the ball in the Foresters double header, which means the most rested starters will be the back half. #5 Jim Morrison (1-4, 3.29, 14) has been the best of the non-Garrison starters, but I'm not sure it's going to matter whether its him, Jimmy Gibbs (1-2, 4.08, 22), or Jerry York (3-5, 3.86, 25). It's not that they're bad, it's just they're not George Garrison, and if we have a good Sal Pestilli (.252, 6, 21) and an out for revenge Walt Pack (.281, 7, 21), we could put up a ton of runs. And the Wolves haven't provided their pitchers with much, as Fred McCormick (.265, 5, 24, 2) has cooled off a bit and Charlie Artuso (.237, 1, 18, 2), Hank Giordano (.268, 1, 12, 4), and even Chink Stickels (.250, 4, 14) aren't providing much. Home field advantage should help keep balls in the park, but can parks really contain Pack and Bond (.317, 12, 25)? Hasn't looked like it so!

Our week ends with another double header, as like the Wolves, the Foresters will host us for a double header. Cleveland is the only team in the CA not within two games of us, and at 15-26 they have a worse record then every team except the Pittsburgh Miners (11-30). Despite the poor record, they are actually scoring the second most runs (185) in the association, as despite a 73 WRC+, Paul Porter (.244, 1, 24) has one fewer RBI then Red Bond, and Ivey Henley (.361, 3, 21) and Orie Martinez (.304, 4, 18, 2) have produced plenty of runs. It's a nice start for the former King, who is following up a .259/.349/.422 (117 OPS+) season with a .304/.420/.496 (140 OPS+) triple slash and 149 WRC+. If Lorenzo Samuels (.216, 4, 13) and Jim Adams Jr. (.238, 1, 4, 2) can turn things around, they might be a team to look out for, as a high scoring team is always a threat. The pitching has been poor, but Ollie White (1-6, 5.05, 42) is way better then he's shown and top prospect John Jackson (2-3, 5.60, 18) has the talent to turn things around. I still think the Foresters are a season or two away from contention, but they'll be at home and will get a chance to impress for their fans.

Are we still going to be in first place tomorrow?

Let's hope so!

Minor League Report
1B Billy Biggar (AA Mobile Commodores): It finally happened. Billy Biggar didn't get a hit. It took 30 games before an 0-for-4 snapped his impressive hit and on base streak. He quickly rebounded with two there-hit games in three days, and is hitting an astronomical.420/.462/.566 (162 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. He has walked (12) three times as often as he's struck out (4) and has a 177 WRC+ in 156 trips to the plate. 24 next month, Biggar has recently cracked the top 500 prospect list, checking in at 493rd overall and 45th in our system. Scouts have always loved his hit tool and it's hard to ignore the results he's been putting up. Unfortunately for the former 10th Rounder, 25-year-old Bill Payne is playing regularly in Milwaukee at first, and as a 40-man player he currently has priority for playing time. And with a 128 WRC+ and a whopping 24-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio, I don't think Payne is going to play himself out of a job. All Biggar can do is hope for a first basemen injury, otherwise he's likely stuck in Mobile the rest of the season.

RHP Harry Beardsley (AA Mobile Commodores): For some reason, the prospect people have quickly soured on Harry Beardsley, as he went from 93rd to 147th in just a few weeks. That didn't seem to phase the coincidentally also former 10th Rounder, as Beardsley threw yet another shutout. This time it was a 6-hitter with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts, as he improved to 5-2 after a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Peaches. In 7 starts and 60.1 innings, he owns a stellar 2.54 ERA (169 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP with nearly twice as many strikeouts (28) as walks (15). With a few more starts like this is going to be tough to keep him down here, but he's still only in his second full season as a minor leaguer. We have a full rotation in Milwaukee and if I send Beardsley up I don't want to have to send him back down. Without an immediate need for pitching, I don't want to rush him, as he has great stuff that will only get better. The command has started to come around, and if he can maintain a low walk rate he's going to be really good. I think he's still at least a year and a half away from the majors, so he may be best served by spending the whole season in AA.

RHP Jim N Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): He did it again! Just one start removed from a 3-hitter, "Noodles" might have taken it up a notch, striking out 7 in a 5-hit shutout. This improved him to 3-2 and dropped his ERA below 2 to 1.97 ERA (214 ERA+) in 45.2 innings pitched. He has an impressive 1.09 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and just 11 walks, improving in nearly every way from his 11 starts with the Legislators last season. He's doing his best to force my hand into a promotion, but it's still early and there's no room on the Commodores staff. We've been rather lucky with injuries so we haven't needed to move anyone up yet either. Unless I just jinxed us, I imagine Smith will come close to matching his 11 starts from last year before returning to AA, where he started (and struggled in) nine games in 1946. He still doesn't rank on the prospect list, but with draft trading a thing of the past, he could the type of player a team takes a flier on where they would have instead preferred a pick. You can never have too much pitching, especially in the upper minors, and as a current "starter" he's more advanced then most.

Week 7: May 31st-June 6th
 

Weekly Record: 3-5
Seasonal Record: 25-23 (3rd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
None generated this week

Schedule
5-31: Loss vs Saints (3-1)
5-31: Win vs Saints (4-5)
6-2: Win at Wolves (6-0)
6-3: Loss at Wolves (1-3): 10 innings
6-4: Loss at Wolves (0-3)
6-5: Loss at Wolves (1-9)
6-6: Loss at Foresters (1-2)
6-6: Win at Foresters (3-2)

Recap
I got a question for you: how does a mediocre team follow up a 5-win week? Why with a 5-loss week of course! Luckily, we had an extra game this time, so instead of two wins we had three, giving us a slight net benefit.

One step forward, two steps back...

Aside from the potential 1948 Whitney Winner Red Bond, the offense was abysmal, with only three players, qualified or unqualified, producing an OPS+ above *check notes* 70. Yeah, it was that bad...

Bond was probably more productive then everyone else combined, going 9-for-24 with a triple, 3 homers, 2 walks, 6 RBIs, and 6 runs. Our slugging star -- who Max Wilder originally wanted on the bench -- is now slashing .327/.378/.673 (182 OPS+) with 15 homers and 31 RBIs. He's on pace for nearly a 50 homer, 100 RBI season, something no Cougar has ever came close to accomplishing. Tom Taylor is the only Cougar to hit at least 30 homers in a season, with 30 in 1932 and 31 in 1934. And with Ray Ford hitting just .224/.308/.328 (74 OPS+), I think it's time for Bond to try to hit lefties again. I'll keep my expectations down, as he's way better against righties (149 WRC+) then lefties (101 WRC+). Although based on the performances this week, I think only Sal Pestilli (8-27, 3 3B, HR, SB, 4 RBI) outperformed Bond against lefties. Good thing Sal is back!

Now where did everyone else go...

The rotation did well, with all five members having a weekly ERA under 3.40, and now all five members have an ERA+ above 100, with Donnie's 105 (3.63 ERA) the lowest on the staff. Despite that, only one starter picked up a win, and Duke Bybee won both of his starts. The first was another annoying 1-strikeout game, but considering it was a 4-hit, 1-walk shutout, I'll allow it. He then helped salvage the double header with the Foresters, going 8 with 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Bybee is red hot, allowing 3 or fewer runs in 8 or more innings in each of his last four starts. Johnnie Jones did the reverse, losing both of his starts, but it's really hard to blame him. We didn't give him support against the Saints, and he went all nine with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He was then cruising against the Wolves before a Skipper Schneider error in the 8th, everything fell apart. They ended up with 8 unearned runs, with six of them charged to Johnnie. In total, he allowed 11 hits, 2 walks, and an earned run with 4 strikeouts. Charlie Kelsey then allowed two walks and a hit before we mercifully got the final out.

With eight games in the week, we had one more two start starter, with George Oddo picking up a pair of no decisions. The first came in our 5-4 win over the Saints, where he went 7 with 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Ken Matson picked up the win here, going 2 with 2 hits and a walk. He was much better against the Foresters, but we couldn't get him any runs. He left after 8 with 5 hits, a run, 3 walks, and an impressive 10 strikeouts. Matson got the loss this time, getting one out before allowing two hits and a run. Oddo now leads the team with 49 strikeouts and ranks second in the CA behind just Bob Arman who has 51 in 16 more innings. Pap and Donnie didn't have the strikeouts going for them, with Pap setting down 3 and Donnie just 2. Pap's start was better, but got the loss, going 8 with 8 hits, 3 runs, and a walk. Donnie went 7.2 in a no decision, allowing 5 hits, 4 walks, and a run. It sucks because we pitched like a team that had a winning week, but like always we fail to play complete games. More one run losses, more blown games, and more general misery, as we continue to sleepwalk through a season where we should be having success.

Looking Ahead
Even tough we're off to start the week, we will face the Foresters on Tuesday. We split the double header with them, and the loss in game one was the first we suffered against them this season. They have played a bit better of late, now 20-29, and they've moved within three games of the Cannons for 7th. We are scheduled to face ace Ollie White (1-7, 5.32, 46) who struck out 10 in a loss to us in Chicago back in May. I still can't believe the Foresters have scored a league high 222 runs, but I can believe they've allowed a league high 235 runs. I wonder if its a stadium thing, as RBI leader Paul Porter (.279, 1, 30, 3) has just a 91 WRC+. In theory, Donnie Jones (3-4, 3.63, 35) should be able to keep them under control, as he'll be on full rest and can miss bats when he's feeling it. A win here is going to be important, as we're back to chasing and can't afford to fall off the pace.

Next stop on the road trip is Philadelphia, where we'll face the Sailors for three games. They've had a rough go recently, and have dropped to an even 24-24. That's just a game behind us and three off the leading Saints (27-21), so a strong showing this week can push them right back into it. The lineup has cooled off a bit and now Marion Boismenu (.344, 8, 4) is hitting the IL with a fractured foot. Boismenu was one of three Sailors, the others being old friends Ed Reyes (.385, 2, 30) and Solly Skidmore (.349, 1, 16), still hitting over .340. Unfortunately there also the only members of the lineup hitting over .300, as Cotton Dillon (.241, 1, 22, 2) and Billy Forbes (.237, 1, 23, 10) are off to slow starts and Harvey Brown (.288, 17, 15), Rip Lee (.267, 24), and Les Cunha (.266, 2, 23) aren't exactly lighting the world on fire. The back of their rotation has struggled as well, but Win Lewis (5-3, 2.39, 33) has been his regular dominant self. Lucky for us, he's scheduled to go up against the first place Saints as Philly looks to avoid the sweep. I'm not sure how they're setting up their rotation, but I'd love to get John Thomas Johnson (2-4, 4.97, 13) and Art Hull (4-3, 1, 4.05, 21), who have both been hit hard early on. I expect us to avoid the southpaw Hull, instead getting JTJ, Charlie Gordon (4-1, 3.57, 23), and Al Duster (3-3, 3.51, 30). All righties may be a benefit, as Red Bond (.327, 15, 31) and Walt Pack (.266, 7, 22) have feasted on righties. This is a big series for both teams, as it could play a large part in determining which of us stay in contention.

Our week and road trip ends with a weekend series in Cincinnati where we'll look to take advantage of the struggling Cannons. For the first time all season, they're closer to last (3 GA) then first (4.5 GB), losing four of their last five games. At least Denny Andrews (.195, 3, 16) is having a resurgence, going 9-for-21 last week with 2 doubles, a homer, 7 runs, 4 RBIs, and an impressive 8 walks. It's good that he's heating up as Chuck Adams (.251, 9, 32) has cooled off and Adam Mullins (.248, 10), Fred Galloway (.229, 1, 17), and Charlie Rivera (.208, 2, 11, 4) haven't looked like themselves. And aside from Rufus Barrell (6-2, 2.14, 38) and Jim Anderson (4-3, 2.01, 33), the rotation has struggled. If we miss them I like our chances here, and I hope we can pile on the misery while they're down.

The Amateur Draft Pool was officially revealed today, but I'll touch more on our draftees over the weekend in a stand alone post. I'm not overly thrilled with our class, but plenty of Cougars appear on the conflicting mock drafts. No first rounder on either of my two computers, but Jeff King (13th) and Bob Allie (14th) appeared in other members of the league. None crack Dixie's top 15, but King (20th), 2nd Rounder Amos Peterson (29th), and 4th Rounder Elmer Grace (18th) are on his 32 player first round list.

Minor League Report
LF Ducky Cole (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was an excellent birthday month for the now 24-year-old Ducky Cole, who was named Batter of the Month in the Century League. Ducky hit an impressive .382/.434/.555 (149 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 homers, 23 RBIs, 14 runs, and 9 walks. He's now hitting a strong .357/.408/.506 (130 OPS+) with a 143 WRC+ in his first 40 games. He's added 12 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 walks, and 28 RBIs and is on pace for an impressive 5.3 WAR in just 127 games. One of two 40-man players in the Blues outfield, Cole is the more likely of the two (the other being Jimmy Hairston) to receive a callup, and he good be a good short-term solution if one of our outfielders gets hurt. Although he generally plays in one of the corners, he has played some center field in the past and will begin to play more this season as I want to give Johnny Peters some reps in right. Whenever he returns to Chicago he'll be in line for his first big league hit, as he was 0-for-2 last fall. He seems in line for a September callup, but if he keeps hitting like this he'll get a chance to jolt a very nonchalant lineup.

CF Franklin Thomas (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite hitting just .254/.319/.411 (96 OPS+) in A ball last season, I decided to give Franklin Thomas one of the three outfield spots in AA. The former 9th Rounder has not disappointed. Through 43 games, Thomas has hit .349/.391/.537 (135 OPS+) with a 144 WRC+, and is fresh off a Player of the Week award. He went 13-for-28 and added a double, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, 9 runs, 5 walks, and 2 steals. He now has 9 doubles, 3 triples, and 6 homers with 9 steals, 23 RBIs, and a whopping 40 runs scored. Leading the order with Rupert Abbott (.329, 3, 31, 4) and Billy Biggar (.425, 1, 31, 2) behind him, Thomas has not been left on base very often, but a lot of that can be accounted to Thomas' own skills. He's a great base runner who can make a defense sweat, and he makes consistent hard contact. He has a quick bat that handles the fastball, and while breaking pitches can fool him, he's cut down on his whiffs. A natural center fielder, Thomas has spent most of his time in left, and he's more then excelled at the position. He should be a plus defender at all three spots, making it a bit easier on him for cracking a big league roster. I wouldn't bet on him being an every day player, but he has the skillset to be a useful role player who can help his team win games.

2B Roxy Hilts (B San Jose Cougars): Just when I was talking about how we didn't have many injuries, Bob Stout goes down with a severe hip strain. And while that's not good news for him, it is for Roxy Hilts, who has more then earned a promotion to Lincoln. In 44 games with San Jose, Hilts slashed .383/.418/.533 (143 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, a steal, and 20 RBIs. He was worth nearly 2 WAR and was on pace for 6 in 140 games, and he played impressive defense at second (3..9, 1.059). If there was a fault, it was his 4.9% walk rate which is much lower then his 15.8% strikeout rate. His strikeout rate is higher then Leo Mitchell (15.3) this season, and he'd be on a 92 strikeout pace for a full season. That will be something to watch in A ball, but like a younger Mitchell, Hilts still projects to hit for a very high average. His bat is his strength and he could hit around .330, but it's not going to come with much power. That's why it's going to be important to keep his strikeout rate down, or at least start to walk more. Roxy turns 20 tomorrow, so it's a rather aggressive promotion, but the former 4th Rounder is advanced for his age. I would have preferred to promote third basemen Billy Nash (.345, 2, 23), but third base is covered by Buddy Brumbaugh (.257, 1, 18) in Lincoln. This will bring Hilts, who ranks 19th in our system and 224th overall, closer to a big league debut, which OSA thinks isn't too far off. They have him scheduled to reach the majors in 1950, but I think that might be a little too close. There's still plenty of work to be done with the bat, but if he doesn't slow down he could quickly find himself in the upper minors.

1948 Draft: Rounds 2-4
 

2nd Round, 26th Overall: 3B Amos Peterson
School: Union City Golden Tornadoes
Commit School: Hammond College Harries
1948: .510/.579/.781, 114 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .514/.588/.883, 216 PA, 27 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 13 SB

Despite still hitting above .500, it was a noticeable down season for Amos Peterson, who saw his slugging drop over .200 points from 1.000 to .781 as he hit 3 fewer doubles, one less homer, and 3 fewer homers. He also drew one less walk in twelve more plate appearances, and pretty much every category except steals (6 to 7!) saw the A-Train take a step back. That's not overly surprising, as Dixie Marsh has cooled on Amos a bit and he's been dropped to 29th on his draft list. He does still project Peterson to be "an above average big league third basemen" while complimenting his strength, power, and eye. He should also hit for a high average, as he excels at putting the ball in play from both sides of the plate. He'll always have the platoon advantage and gives tough at bats, and he's able to fill in at first, second, third, left, and right. I view him as a third basemen long-term, but if all goes well with Otto Christian that spots not going to be open. I expect him to get reps at multiple positions down in La Crosse, and I'm very excited to see him this Summer.

3rd Round, 36th Overall: CF Bob Allie
School: Canarsie Chiefs
Commit School: Richmond State Colonials
1948: .509/.569/.795, 133 PA, 12 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 20 SB
Career: .499/.562/.834, 511 PA, 58 2B, 16 3B, 18 HR, 135 RBI, 61 SB

A curious prospect, Bob Allie has been bouncing up and down Dixie Marsh's draft list and and depending on which mock you are looking at, he could be anywhere from a first to third round talent. That hasn't tempered my excitement for the "Alley Cat" and the four-year starter finished things off with a career high .509 batting average, which almost pushed his career high school line over .500. Again, Allie hit 4 homers, giving him three seasons of 4 and one of 6. The power is really exciting from a center fielder, and he has the contact tool to hit around .300 in the big leagues. He has quick hands, a smooth swing, and is able to lay off the tough pitches. Add in some speed and you have the makings of a really exciting outfielder. He's spent most of his time in center, and that should be his eventual position, but with how many talented center fielders he'll likely spend some time in the corners. I'm hoping once Allie signs we can get him in the weight room, as he's just 145 now, and the more muscle he builds the more homers he'll hit. Even without double digit power, he's got the tools to play regularly, and he'll join a growing list of impressive outfielders in our system.

3rd Round, 40th Overall: CF Jeff King
School: Millville Middies
Commit School: Brandywine Patriots
1948: .485/.558/.743, 122 PA, 12 2B, R 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 24 SB
Career: .500/.577/.771, 231 PA, 4 2B, 9 3B, 3 HR, 55 RBI, 41 SB

Year two wasn't quite as good as year one, as Jeff King hit just .485 in 24 games for Millville. He did cut his strikeout rate from 5.5 to 3.3 and stole 7 more bases, but that's not enough to make up for a drop in all three triple slash categories. Still 17, the 6'3'' outfielder is versatile and may spend more time in the infield then outfield for us, as he's got experience in the middle infield and should be able to pick up third. His elite hit tool paired with top level speed makes him the ideal leadoff hitter, but he does hit the ball on the ground a lot. That's good when it's not very hard, but a good defense could keep him in check. We can't expect much power, but that shouldn't prevent him from recording extra base hits. If he keeps walking like he has he'll find himself on base all the time, and that should allow him to steal plenty of bases. Since he won't turn 18 until the end of July, he likely has a lot of developing ahead of him, but the finished product should excite. Even if he never hits any homers, he's going to cause more then enough damage on offense, and he reminds me a lot of the guys that have success out in Philly. King may be the highest upside prospect we added, but he comes with plenty of risk due to his player profile.

4th Round, 52nd Overall: SS Elmer Grace
School: St. Dominick's Padres
1948: .310/.384/.464, 268 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .309/.388/.454, 486 PA, 21 2B, 3B, 13 HR, 80 RBI, 30 SB

Our first college draftee, Elmer Grace is actually listed as the guy the game thinks should have been the second of our two three rounders. He had two similar seasons at St. Dominick's. The noticeable difference was a nice power surge, as Grace hit 8 homers and drove in 49 RBIs, an increase of 3 and 18 respectively. That's good news for the shortstop who will turn 21 just five days after the draft commences. Like Jeff King, he has a nice contact/eye combo, but the addition of power would be huge. Very few shortstops are able to hit home runs, so if Grace is able to provide 10-15 that's a huge boost. And a switch hitter with power? That's definitely something! The issue with him may be his position, as I'm not sure if he has the glove to stick at shortstop. I'll bet on his athleticism allowing him to be at least passable at short, but he could end up at third. That's okay if he's able to hit a bunch of home runs, and he has the potential to have a promising future in the big leagues.

4th Round, 55th Overall: LHP Dixie Gaines
School: Capital University Catamounts
1948: 8-4, 114.2 IP, 2.59 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 28 BB, 113 K
Career: 19-7, 249 IP, 2.39 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 59 BB, 242 K

Despite a slight increase in runs allowed as a junior, Capital University's Dixie Gaines maintained his BB% (5.6 to 5.9) and K% (23.4 to 23.8) and he allowed the same amount of homers (3) in a few less innings (134.1 to 114.2). On one of my mocks, Gaines was listed as a 4th Rounder, and old Dixie ranks new Dixie 10th in his list of pitchers. 21 in August, A five pitch pitcher, Gaines does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground, using his mid 80s sinker to get out of jams. Its a very good pitch, but his best pitch is expected to be his changeup. His splitter and fastball should be solid too, so only his curveball doesn't miss many bats. I think he's going to strike out a ton of hitters, so the combination of that and his groundball tendencies give him the makeup of a useful big league starter. I'm not sure where he's going to end up starting his pro career, but we'll give him regular starts and he should be able to pitch his way onto a big league staff. He's not an ace, and even middle of the rotation may be too much to ask for, but Gaines looks like a useful innings eater who is useful at the back of a rotation.

1948 Draft: Rounds 5-7
 

5th Round, 65th Overall: 1B John Kerr
School: Chicopee Pacers
Commit School: Henry Hudson Explorers
1948: .447/.511/.675, 134 PA, 13 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .460/.519/.683, 239 PA, 22 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 63 RBI, 13 SB

John Kerr didn't have the greatest senior season, hitting just .447 with 3 homers and 34 RBIs. Luckily, the 30 point drop in average gave him four extra base hits, but the big first basemen still doesn't hit many homers. Despite being 6'4'', he's not all that strong, and doesn't predict to hit many home runs. There's still plenty of time for him to add muscle, and with his approach to at bats some pop would be very nice. He has a very nice swing and hits the ball to all fields and has struck out in less then five percent of his high school plate appearances. We are now pretty deep at the first base position, with three of our top twenty five prospects first basemen and it doesn't include hitting machine Billy Biggar. Him and Dudley Sapp may have to share time. I can't platoon with both being righties, and unless I move one of our first basemen there's not going to be room for one in San Jose. The job is Sapp's to lose, so Kerr may spend more time on the bench then he has anticipated. With a redo in June I don't think I'd make this pick, as it's going to be tough to give everyone the playing time they will need.

5th Round, 68th Overall: CF Doc Zimmerman
School: Bryan Rams
Commit School: Sumter College Wildcats
1948: .482/.550/.759, 131 PA, 15 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 25 SB
Career: .466/.538/.762, 388 PA, 43 2B, 13 3B, 9 HR, 96 RBI, 67 SB

Year three was the best for Doc Zimmerman, as all three parts of his .482/.550/.759 triple slash were personal bests. The senior at Bryan set bests for runs (51), hits (151), wOBA (.551), and WAR (2.7) as well, finishing his prep career on a high note. The speedy center fielder projects to be a solid defender and strong baserunner, allowing him to impact the game in multiple ways. One of the few things he doesn't do is hit for power, but he has a good eye and should hit around .300. In high school he drew 43 walks and struck out just 14 times, and Doc's combination of bat speed and discipline should allow him to walk about as often as he strikes out against better competition. His athleticism allow him a floor of a 4th outfielder, while his bat will determine how far he goes. He has plenty of roadblocks in his path with all our outfield depth, so the big thing for him will be securing regular playing time. We've got a stacked outfield at San Jose with Henry Norman (4th, 29th), Jerry Smith (1st, 8th), and Frank Reece (11th, 132nd) there now. At least one of the three will get promoted before the draft, but there's three more guys waiting in La Crosse. Doc may have to bounce around, but he'll have every chance to hit his way into the lineup.

5th Round, 71st Overall: SS Cecil Burr
School: Anacortes Seahawks
Commit School: Chesapeake State Clippers
1948: .462/.511/.684, 136 PA, 15 2B, 4 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 32 SB
Career: .474/.527/.703, 243 PA, 26 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 23 SB, 66 SB

The last of three fifth rounders, Cecil Burr is actually our selection on the mock for our first pick in the third round. That even came after seeing most of his numbers decline in year two, as he hit just .462 with a homer and 29 RBIs in 27 games. While still decent numbers, Burr did play six more games with four more doubles. Otherwise his slight increase in walks (9.3 to 9.6) was offset by twice as many strikeouts (3 to 6) and he stole two fewer bases. Lucky for us, Burr's appeal come from his glove, as he's an excellent defensive shortstop. His speed and footwork allow him to get to some of the crazy balls Skipper gets to, and he has the arm to succeed at third and in right as well. The bat is what will determine if he makes it to the big leagues, as aside from a decent hit tool he doesn't offer much at the plate. He doesn't have the eye that some of our earlier round picks have, so we'll need him to use his speed to take advantage of his liners in the gap. He's never going to be a star, but he has plenty of value as a utility infielder. And as a line drive hitter, there's a chance he impresses at the plate.

6th Round, 84th Overall: RHP Hal Carter
School: Loyola Knights
Commit School: Rainier College Majestics
1948: 9-2, 116.1 IP, 2.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 53 BB, 164 K
Career: 30-10, 421.2 IP, 1.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 148 BB, 561 K

There was no breakout season for the four year starter, as Hal Carter was a pedestrian 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in a career high 15 starts. After back-to-back sub 1.65 ERAs as a freshman and sophomore, "Harry Jr." lost his command and didn't quite dominate like his father has at times in the majors. That didn't stop Rainier College from offering him a scholarship to pitch for them, and that's the prestigious west coach school that produced Cougar great Bill Ashbaugh. I don't think we'll let him make that commitment, as I'm hoping we can unlock something from the young hurler. The 6'2'' righty just tops out at 86, and it really neutralizes the downward movement on his sinker. It's somewhat of a non-factor right now, and he doesn't locate his pitches very well. At times that helps, as he gets hitters to swing out of their shoes on pitches they shouldn't offer at. Better hitters can wait him out, and the more times they seem him the better they can identify his five pitches. He needs to do what Harry Parker did, go from a kitchen sink guy to a guy with good pitches. All he needs is two plus pitches to be effective, and with his stuff he could survive his flyball tendencies. Command will be key for him as without a reliable catcher he may pitch himself into jams.

7th Round, 100th Overall: 2B Dick Cunningham
School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1948: .253/.322/.311, 304 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 31 SB
Career: .267/.337/.345, 572 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 91 RBI, 68 SB

Dick Cunningham and the Carolina Poly Cardinals are back in the AIAA tournament, and as the 6th seed they'll face Redwood University. "D.C." wasn't as big of a reason this year, hitting just .253 with 2 homers, 45 RBIs, and 31 steals in just over 300 trips to the plate. He was worth a full win above replacement less as a junior, as his rate stats took a hit and despite more playing time, he didn't surpass many of his county stats from his sophomore season. Despite that, his versatility and switch hitting bring plenty of excitement, as at worst he's a useful bench guy who can make tough roster decisions easier. He'll always have the platoon advantage, he's a great base runner, and you can put him almost anywhere on the field. He has experience at second, third, short, left, and right, and I bet he could play anywhere but catcher and pitcher (although he can tough 87!). With a weak class, it was still worth taking him and his brother, and they'll play second and short together somewhere. My best guess would be Lincoln, but that would mean sending some young guys down. With injuries and eventual cuts there's a lot in flux, but the A.C/D.C. middle infield will get their shot somewhere.

1948 Draft: Rounds 8-10
 

8th Round, 116th Overall: SS Archie Cunningham
School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1948: .270/.355/.370, 218 PA, 6 2B, 5 3B, HR, 30 RBI, 37 SB
Career: .275/.348/.368, 429 PA, 11 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 64 RBI, 71 SB

On draft day, Dick Cunningham looked to be the more talented Cunningham brother. Now? It looks like Archie is the better prospect. One of the few guys to have a better 1948, Archie improved his OBP, slugging, and extra base hit numbers with more steals, more walks, and a higher WAR. "A.C." even makes an appearance on the mock draft, slotting in as the 8th pick in the 2nd round. That's the highest of any of our draftees on my initial mock draft, which is surprising because I don't think Archie is nearly that good. There's a chance he had a great spring, but he's just 66 on Dixie Marsh's position player list I'd split the difference on that, as Archie is an extremely valuable piece, even if it comes without much upside. He's a switch hitting shortstop and they don't make better utility players then that. He's no wiz with the glove, and you may not want him playing much short in the big leagues, but he's more then capable on athleticism alone. He's as fast as it gets and has the arm to make the move to third or right. With little power that's not ideal, and I only really plan to have him play short this year. Him and Dick could rise quickly through our system, and it will be fun to watch them play the middle infield together.

8th Round, 116th Overall: 2B Johnnie Love
School: Bluegrass State Mustangs
1948: .264/.328/.423, 265 PA, 11 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 40 SB
Career: .272/.338/.413, 784 PA, 33 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 110 RBI, 114 SB

Bluegrass State ranks as the #1 school in the nation and they got plenty of production from their three year starter. Johnnie Love hit .264 with career high's in homers, RBIs, and stolen bases. Love was a nice supplement to All-American's Jim Urquhart (.328, 4, 50, 36) and Hank Estill (.281, 17, 58, 15), both of which were taken in the first round. Love isn't on their level, but the switch hitting middle infielder plays solid defense and hits the ball hard. He may develop strikeout issues as he faces better pitchers, but he makes enough contact it shouldn't hold him back. He's best when he's putting the ball on base, as his speed puts pressure on the defense and he can beat out many of his grounders if it's a tough play or the fielder makes a mistake. He's got a tough path ahead, but he loves the game and could work his way onto a big league bench.

9th Round, 132nd Overall: LHP Joe Oates
School: Narragansett Navigators
1948: 5-5, 96.2 IP, 4.28 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 51 BB, 72 K
Career: 13-10, 220.1 IP, 4.08 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 115 BB, 167 K

Year two didn't go so well for southpaw Joe Oates, who went 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA and 72 strikeouts. The hardworking Oates is still a soft tosser, and with his flyball tendencies that could mean two things. He'll either get pounded because his pitches are hittable, or he'll have good enough stuff that it's not easy to hit very far. He can be an effective pitcher with a developed change up, but if he continues to struggle with his command it won't matter too much. With a lot of interesting pitchers in the system, I may keep him in the San Jose or Lincoln pen to get his feet warm. In the minors relievers do pitch more and he could still get decent innings. Until he improves his repertoire short stints may be better, as lineups could get used to him quickly. His work ethic will allow him to hang around, but he does have a few pathways to a starting spot.

9th Round, 135th Overall: C Sam Bird
School: Northwest Knights
Commit School: Central Ohio-Ashland Eagles
1948: .420/.482/.590, 114 PA, 11 2B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .411/.473/.589, 467 PA, 33 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 114 RBI, 18 SB

Our first and only catcher, Naperville's Sam Bird hit .420 with 11 doubles and 29 RBIs. Son of legendary backstop Tom Bird, Sam's potential resembled as 18-year-old Tom, not the eventual 10-Time All Star, but there's a lot to like about the young backstop. He's a strong kid who could eventually hit for decent power, but he's already displayed the excellent plate discipline that made Tom as great as he was. Sam drew 50 walks and struck out just 21 times, and he should be able to do that in the minors. What could separate him from other catchers is if he can play solid defense. He'll start his Cougar career in a timeshare in La Crosse, but with Garland Phillips in the system and Eddie Howard in the majors, he may need to get used to limited playing time.

10th Round, 148th Overall: RF Gene Dibblee
School: Canton State Bulldogs
1948: .278/.328/.350, 289 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .281/.339/.350, 779 PA, 22 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 112 RBI, 106 SB

Another legacy pick, I could not pass up Gene Dibblee, and with three tenth rounders it wasn't a high cost to do so. The son of the legendary John Dibblee, who is the Cougars all-time leader in games (3,009), hits (3,913), OBP (.425), slugging (.509), OPS (.934), WAR (181.9), runs (1,940), total bases (5,763), doubles (561), triples (517), RBIs (1,528), steals (752), and walks (1,535). Some of these seem unbreakable, and I can guarantee you that if one does get broken, it won't be by Gene. The 22-year-old Chicagoan hit just 32 extra base hits in 154 games at Canton State. He did inherit his dad's speed, as Gene swiped 40 bags last year and 106 in total, and it's easily his greatest tool. He isn't expected to hit much, but I'm okay keeping him in the organization as a depth guy. It could make for a nice storyline if he works his way up to the big leagues, but I don't think that opportunity will come.

10th Round, 151st Overall: RHP Nick Tomlinson
School: Mobile Leopards
Commit School: Bayou State College Cougars
1948: 9-1, 107 IP, 2.10 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 39 BB, 118 K
Career: 36-7, 473 IP, 1.88 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 150 BB, 562 K

Purely a project pick, Nick Tomlinson is a 6'4'' righty who throws a fastball, curve, and cutter .If he pitches in the 90s, he could be really good. If he doesn't get much higher then 87, he might not have much of a pitching career. Tomlinson didn't have the best high school career, seeing his ERA and WHIP rise in each of his four seasons. I was really hoping he'd break that trend as a senior, but there were know noticeable improvements. I had some homes as he was throwing a mile faster as a senior, but he actually set personal worsts in strikeouts and K%. I'm somewhat debating letting Tomlinson go to Bayou State, but I think he'll end up soaking up some innings in the Lions pen.

10th Round, 156th Overall: LF Johnnie Cloud
School: Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers
1948: .282/.362/.458, 300 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 30 SB
Career: .276/.367/.458, 882 PA, 30 2B, 3 3B, 33 HR, 162 RBI, 102 SB

The last of seventeen picks, Johnnie Cloud checks in as a 5th Rounder on the initial mock draft and helped sneak Eastern Oklahoma into the tournament. As the 16 seed, he will square off against Johnnie Love, but this Johnnie will be far more important to his team's success. Cloud hit 11 homers, scored 55 runs, and drove in 59. If the Pioneers want any chance of upsetting the one thing they'll need a big showing from their slugger. The power is what attracted me to Cloud, but he also has a good eye and makes consistent contact. If he's going to make it to the big leagues, it'll be the bat that carries him, but despite being a primary left fielder he has spent time in center and right. He's one of the more developed players we added, and could potentially go straight to A ball. Injuries will determine how much he plays, but the 22-year-old will get a few starts somewhere.

Week 8: June 7th-June 13th
 

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 27-27 (5th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Hal Sharp : 19 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.373 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .318 AVG, 1.055 OPS
Clark Car : 16 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.349 OPS

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

Recap
I am really starting to hate this team....

I don't know what it is, but we just can't do anything right. We don't play complete games, we'll either hit or pitch, and so many of our games are decided by thin margins. This week all but one game was decided by two or fewer runs, including three more one run losses. The absolute bane of our existence, 1948 is just like every year, where we lose (11) more one-run games then we win (8), allowing us to perpetually win less games then our run differential would suggest. We were also dealt a minor injury, as Clark Car is dealing with back spasms and is day-to-day for four more days. It comes at an inopportune time, as Car is coming off an excellent 6-for-16 week with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 3 walks, 2 runs, a steal, and an RBI. He's shaken off a slow start and has hit a slightly below average .250/.286/.450 (97 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 3 steals, and 13 RBIs. The 34-year-old has played more time at second over the past month or so then Billy Hunter, who is hitting just .234/.273/.339 (63 OPS+) in 25 fewer PAs. In Car's absence, Hunter and George Sutterfield will split starts at second, but we expect Car. Setback aside, this will only cover three games (off to start the week) and Car should be able to return to the lineup for our weekend series against the Cannons.

Hal Sharp finally produced at the plate this week, going 9-for-19 with 2 homers, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 5 RBIs. The veteran outfielder is hitting a slightly below average .292/.345/.385 (98 OPS+), but is slashing .314/.415/.486 (144 OPS+) in 11 June games. Unfortunately Sharp's success came at the expense of Red Bond and Walt Pack, as the sluggers went just 7-for-44 with 4 runs, 6 walks, and 5 RBIs. Both did hit home runs, but if they hit anything like they did the rest of the year, we probably steal a few extra wins. Leo Mitchell is hitting just like he has, but as of recently that's not a good thing. He was just 4-for-23 with a double, 3 walks, and 3 runs, and has hit just .265/.308/.318 (70 OPS+) in 52 games. I'm already looking for a righty bat to replace him in the outfield, but we're getting to the point where I'm seriously considering calling up Johnny Peters from AAA to replace him. He had a slow start, but just picked up Player of the Week by going 13-for-30 with 2 homers and 4 RBIs. The 24-year-old is now Rule-5 eligible, so he'll need to be protected eventually, and now has a strong .317/.411/.437 (113 OPS+) line -- good for a 123 WRC+ in 235 PAs. He's added 9 doubles, 5 homers, 20 RBIs, and 4 steals with an impressive 30 walks. He doesn't have much experience in left, but he's gotten some time in right and could push Hal Sharp to left if I want to bench Mitchell. I'm not sure that's the course of action I want to take, but we're running out of time to get things going, and we need a winning season after our collapse last year.

The pitching wasn't great, but Duke Bybee has really started to heat up, but we had four errors which led to two unearned runs. He went just 8 in a no-decision that should have been a win, allowing 8 hits, 5 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. That snapped a streak of four consecutive victories, but the young lefty has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last five starts. Pete Papenfus had a big victory, going all nine against the Sailors with 4 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He's now an even 5-5 with a 3.17 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.12 WHIP in 11 starts. Donnie Jones was our two start pitcher, but went just 6.2 and 7 innings in his two starts. He split the decisions, allowing 13 hits, 5 runs, and 8 walks with 8 strikeouts. It's somewhat concerning to see Jones not going very deep in starts this season, as after averaging over 8 innings a start last year, he's only gone 8 or more on 5 occurrences this year.

The previously hot Johnnie Jones ran into a wall in Philly, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts before leaving with two outs in the 8th. This rose Johnnie's ERA from 1.89 to 2.36 (164 ERA+) and it was is first start this year where he allowed more then five runs. George Oddo struggled with a weak Cannons lineup, charged with 11 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), and 2 walks. He struck out just two and left with two outs in the sixth, and it was his first start this season where he failed to record at least five outs. Despite this roadblock, it's hard to be upset with Oddo, who's gone 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA (124 ERA+) while ranking 3rd in the CA with 51 strikeouts. The pen had it's issues, with Eddie Howard's scoreless streak snapped at 13. He allowed 6 hits, a run, and 2 walks in 4.2 innings this week, and was charged with the loss in our 15-inning affair in Philly. Ken Matson made three appearances, picking up a loss and going 4 with 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. Charlie Kelsey allowed 2 hits, a run, and a walk in 3.1 innings. Jim Kenny was hit hard with 3 hits, 3 runs, and a walk. He did strike out one, but got only one other out, which inflated his ERA from 2.25 to 5.19 (74 ERA+). The only pen member not to allow a run this week was Harry Parker, who allowed runs in each of his three previous outings. He struck out one in a perfect inning and a third. This week really illustrated the shakiness of our pen, and I make make one or two adjustments to it if we can't get back on track.

Looking Ahead
Luckily the miserable road trip is over, as after winning the first three, we dropped 8 of the last 11 and lowered are road record to a poor 15-19. I'm hoping the off day and return to Chicago can get us going. Our first guest is the last place Foresters, who as expected, won the finale as Ollie White (3-7, 4.34, 56) was an Eddie Morris (.233, 4, 22, 2) error away from a 5-strikeout shutout. He just beat the Kings in Cleveland, so luckily we'll avoid him this time around. They have an off day as well, so they can adjust their rotation as they please, but I expect Davey Morris (3-6, 4.29, 24), John Jackson (4-4, 4.74, 29), and Augie Hayes Jr. (4-7, 4.74, 24). One thing we can do is hit homers, and this trio has allowed 17 so far. That's close to how many they've hit (29) and Orie Martinez (.286, 6, 28, 2) is the team leader with six. Jim Adams Jr. (.235, 1, 5, 3) has yet to get going, but with an impressive 28-to-12 walk-to-strikeout ratio he still finds his way on base. Ivey Henley (.339, 3, 26) has dropped out of the top three in average and him and Orie are the only lineup members with WRC+ above 100. With Pap (5-5, 3.17, 49), Johnnie (4-4, 2.36, 36), and Duke (6-3, 2.95, 32) lined up it's going to be tough for them to score, so if we can put some balls in the seats I like our chances of securing a much needed series win.

We finish the week with three with the seventh place Cannons. Getting the two worst teams at home should be good for us, but this week will show if we should be taken seriously as a contender. I think we're stuck facing Rufus Barrell (7-2, 2.02, 46), who has bounced back from a "down" season where he went 14-13 with a 3.48 ERA (111 ERA+). He's dropped his WHIP from 1.21 to an even 1 and he has 46 strikeouts and 24 walks in 89 innings pitched. It seems we're stuck facing "Jersey Jim" too as breakout veteran Jim Anderson (5-3, 1.91, 37) is fresh off a 1-run complete game victory. The rest of the rotation has ERAs above 4 with Charlie Griffith (5-4, 4.32, 32) the only one below 5. Denny Andrews (.183, 5, 20) was just 3-for-27 after his excellent week, and they will be without Charley McCullough (.219, 4) for 2-3 months with a bone bruise. He recently replaced Charlie Rivera (.215, 2, 14, 4) in the lineup, and Rivera could reclaim the starting role. They have Clifton Smith and Nellie Walters on the 40 in AAA Indianapolis and the former early round draftees could be in line for another chance in the big leagues. This may be tough for us with the pitching matchups, so our offense really needs to step it up. We have done well at home, so I am holding out hope for a Leo Mitchell led win streak. Please let it happen!

The AI portion of the draft is quickly approaching, as we'll get players for the 11th through 25th rounds. I don't expect too much from those picks, and I imagine I'll let most of the guys that don't have a future with us return to school. We actually have two open roster spots in La Crosse but with such a large class their will be plenty of cuts. We've been really healthy so far, with just one player currently on the injured list. There are plenty of cuttable players, but there's no reason to bring on guys who wouldn't have a role with us.

Minor League Report
RHP George Carter (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a rough start to the season for George Carter, who entered his most recent start 2-3 with 30 strikeouts a 6.05 ERA. He didn't look like that same pitcher on Saturday, as Carter set down 10 Captains in a 2-hit, 2-walk shutout. It was a dominating performance from the Maywood native, who has a 5.24 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP in 67 innings. The surface numbers aren't great, but Carter has an impressive 3.67 FIP (80 FIP-) with 40 strikeouts and just 14 walks. Our 25th ranked prospect (317th Overall), Carter was selected in the 9th Round last season, and split time between then pen and rotation for the Lions. The Bluegrass State alum has excellent stuff, but his command can desert him at times. He's done a good job so far, as his 4.9 BB% is very impressive, and he's walking batters much less then he did in college. His stuff is still raw, but is fastball hits 88 and he mixes his four pitches well. He may end up with home run issues, but he's allowed just 3 so far this season. If he can keep the ball around the zone and limit the longballs he'll have his share of success as a big league starter, but he's got a lot of work. His stuff isn't quite good enough where he can dominate for long stretches, but he's done a great job adding velocity. He's gone up a mile in each of the last two seasons, and the harder he throws the more effective he's going to be. Right now he's no more then a spot starter, but he has some exciting tools that can be refined.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Danny Goff Jr. (Oakland Grays): The war really sabotaged Danny Goff Jr's FABL career, as after debuting in 1942 (2-0, 1.90, 11), he was in line for the fifth spot in our rotation. Instead, he got drafted in the Navy, and when he returned from overseas he was no longer a Cougar. He spent time in the Gothams and Dynamos organization before joining the Oakland Grays in 1947. He pitched sparingly, throwing just 34.1 innings in 11 games, but the Grays decided to give him a shot in the rotation this season. It's certainly paid off, and Danny just put together a 5-hit, 3-strikeout shutout with no walks in a 10-0 win over the Dallas Centurions. The Grays are starting to run away with the GWL, 4.5 games above the Los Angeles Knights for first. Goff has made 9 starts, going 4-3 with a 2.78 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP. He's struck out 30 and walked 25, but Goff has thrown 8 or more innings in all but one of his starts. Unfortunately the former two-way player hasn't hit very well, just .200/.245/.289 (50 OPS+) in 49 PAs this season. Even though he's the sixth starter, he's one of their more reliable arms.