Week 1: April 8th-April 14th
 

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 3-2 (t-3rd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jack Gibson : 20 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.350 OPS
Dode Caudill : 22 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.162 OPS
Henry Watson : 22 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.026 OPS

Schedule
4-9: Win vs Wranglers (4-10)
4-10: Loss vs Wranglers (8-2)
4-11: Win vs Wranglers (12-1)
4-13: Loss vs Sailors (4-3): 11 innings
4-14: Win vs Sailors (5-2)

Recap
Baseball is back!

Joy and excitement fill the year, and it was a successful first week for the Cougars. 3-2 is exactly what I expected, two of three from Dallas and a split with the Sailors, but what I didn't expect was some of the performances we got this week.

I want to call it three different debuts, but in reality it's two debuts and a return, but our arguably three most impactful players got off to near perfect starts. Impactful does not mean most talented, though for two of those it might fit, but there are three areas that I'd argue have the largest variance between the production we could get at the high and low end. Those spots being left field, the #1 spot, and second.

Dode Caudill had the traditional debut, going 1-for-5 with a run and RBI on Opening Day, but from then on out it got and better and better. His first career homer was really the only right spot in are loss to the Wranglers, as he was 2-for-4 with a single and solo shot. He homered in the 12-1 thwacking too, an impressive 3-for-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. Sure, there was another 1-for-5, only Hank Walker (1-2, HR, 2 RBI) had much fun the extra inning game, but he finished the week with a third multi-hit game. Add it all together, and the 3rd ranked prospect hit .409/.435/.727 (214 OPS+) with 3 extra base hits, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. No steals, though he didn't make an attempt, as it's really all he didn't accomplish in his debut week. 24 on the final day of the month, I'd love for him to celebrate it the next day with an award, and even though it's an extremely small sample I'm absolutely thrilled with how our future cornerstone has looked so far.

On the mound, that role will be filled by Don Griffin, who was lights out in his Cougar debut. The only Wrangler to reach base on him was Earle Farmer, who started the 3rd out with a groundball single. He wasn't on base for long, as while he made Herm Ford look silly on a 3-2 pitch, Dutch Miller was able to fire a dart to second to catch the stealing Farmer. He got the third out without many issues, and punched through all nine members of the lineup their second time through. When it was all said and done, he picked up his 100th career win, striking out 4 in 6 dominant innings. Ready and rested for week two, he'll start on Tuesday and Sunday, again getting Dallas before having to deal with the Sailors in San Francisco. If I can help it, he'll keep pitching every fifth day, and aside from a perfect game, what more could he do? The hook was early, so he actually had a higher game score (74) then pitch total (73), but we were up 6-0 and there was no reason to push him hard in his first start, so unless it becomes a trend, I won't mess with Buck's plan.

You might have guessed that the third debut is Jack Gibson, as while it's not a FABL or Cougar debut, it is debut under me! Our much maligned superstar, Jack Gibson started his spring with a 3-homer week, so it was only fitting he did the same thing in Chicago! Doing no worse then a 1-for-4, Gibson homered once against former Cougar Sid Moulton and twice against 1961 ERA leader Charlie Lawson. Good enough for Player of the Week, the 1960 All-Star was 9-for-20 with 4 RBIs, and I guess if he had a walk or double he could have gotten some recognition. All I care about, however, is that pop, as he's on as unsustainable 97 homer pace. He also looked himself at second, making all the plays that came his way. Our major x-factor, he's a contender for the Continental lead in homers, and while he's not going to push triple digits, he has a legit chance to break Jerry Smith's team record of 47 homers in 1953.

There's a ton of stuff worth noting, and since I'm behind (sim happened while I was writing!) I'll keep this short and sweet. The pen was great, with Pug White pretty much copying Doc Wilson. Like our new ace, he threw 6 innings without allowing a run, but his came with two hits and six strikeouts. He picked up two saves and pitched before our extra inning game got there, and I expect many more 6-inning weeks from him. We also got a great start from Ken Stone, who went the furthest of inning of our starts. Lasting 7.2 innings, he picked up 10 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts, earning a win in his first start of the season. He'll get plenty more, but it is a shame him and Wilson had the only starts worth noting.

Looking Ahead
No need to rehash the Opening Day post, as we get the Wranglers and Sailors to finish six games against each in two weeks. They will all be on the road, as we get three in Dallas and four in San Francisco. Those four out west are annoying, as it's a double header already. This is why it could have been nice having a six man rotation, and I'm about to find out how much it sucked pitching Roy Ellis on short rest. It would be lovely if Bob Allen was rested enough to start the week, pushing the starts until Doc comes back up back, but I may have to make a move to get a fresh arm. I don't love it, but I can always DFA Buddy Byrd, as I doubt anyone would claim him. He could hang out DFA'd for two weeks, while I bring up someone like John Mitchell up to lighten the load. For a little, I can keep optioning and waiving those two, or someone else who falls out of favor, or even just option Jim Barton. That would be a worst case, he should be in Chicago, but with how versatile our roster is, we at least have multiple options to address the need for the occasional spot start.

Week 2: April 15th-April 21st
 

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 6-6 (t-4th, 2.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 30 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .367 AVG, .975 OPS
Henry Watson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .967 OPS
Jack Gibson : 29 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .276 AVG, .931 OPS

Schedule
4-16: Win at Wranglers (5-0)
4-17: Win at Wranglers (8-1)
4-18: Loss at Wranglers (5-6)
4-19: Win at Sailors (5-4)
4-20: Loss at Sailors (2-6)
4-21: Loss at Sailors (3-5)
4-21: Loss at Sailors (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Ah man... It was more fun last week!

This week was tough, as while we did take two of three from the Wranglers in Dallas, we lost three straight in San Francisco, including a sweep in the double header, to drop that series. I'd say I learned the hard way in the double header that guys can't pitch on short rest, as the AI went to Bob Allen instead of a short rest Roy Ellis, but considering how well Allen pitched, it wasn't the hard way. In fact, if it wasn't for one of our four errors, including three from the elite Tom Halliday, Allen would have had a complete game victory. Going all nine of regulation, two of the three runs he allowed were earned, as Allen finished with 4 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Unfortunately, Earle Turner's first run of the season led to a Heinie Spitler (.311, 2, 6, 1) walk-off RBI single. That completely changed the scope of the series, turning it from a respectable split to a brutal series loss.

In better news, Don Griffin held a double digit scoreless week, as he won our opener in Dallas with 5 solid frames. Leaving with 3 hits and a strikeout, the pen did great work, with Arch Wilson shouldering three innings of bridge work. If we didn't get 2 in the 8th, he probably leaves in the bottom half for Pug, but instead he got a hold with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Allen allowed a hit in the 9th, but he got the outs to complete our 5-0 shutout. Doc's first allowed run came in our 5-3 loss to the Sailors, though he got the no decision. In 5 here, he allowed 5 hits and 2 runs with 3 strikeouts, but through 16 innings the imposing righty has yet to allow a free pass. I'm hoping we can get him deeper into games, he's topped out at 76 pitches, as I'd love to see him around 85. We had a great long start from Roy Ellis, who completed 8 in an 8-1 win. He held Dallas to 6 hits, a run, and 2 walks, striking out 7 to match Doc at 2-0. The top of our rotation has been great, and it's something I hope lasts the rest of the year.

Same for Jack Gibson's power surge, as he added a second three-homer week to become the first FABL slugger with six homers. It was an extra base bonanza, as the 8-for-29 Gibson had a pair of doubles too, scoring and driving in 5 runs. Dode Caudill matched his two-homer week, 7-for-27 with a double, triple, walk, 5 runs, and 4 RBIs. Still no steals or attempts, but Dode's been hitting everything in sight, and he's in a tie for the third most homers in the Conti. The rest of the outfield was great, as we got a nice bounce back from Jerry McMillan. Going from one of our least productive players to one of the most with an 11-for-30 week. McMillan launched two homers of his own, adding a double, walk, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs. Henry Watson had a similar week, 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Our offense will rely a lot on these four, especially if Gene Case can't get going. Our best bat last year, he's just 8-for-45 now, with just one homer, one double, and a pair of steals. He's a much better hitter then this, and to get back on track, we need to get back in the win column.

Last news of note is a surprising waiver claim, as no one wanted a guy who had 13 consecutive seasons with an above average OPS+ and WRC+ before hitting just .205/.328/.310 (69 OPS+) in 522 PAs last year. That guy is Rex Pilcher, who just turned 33 and recently looked like he was still a star. The longtime Pioneer and Gotham had a 131 WRC+ as recently as 1961, and he's a career .274/.386/.477 (134 OPS+) with 282 doubles, 286 homers, and 955 RBIs. One of the most disciplined players in the league, he has 1,029 career walks, but he's not the type of guy to avoid strikeouts. He swings hard and with authority, and when he first came up, he was as lethal a hitter as ever. Four of his first five WRC+ were above 150, and the fifth was 141. Before last year, it was never below 110, and he still walked in 14.8% of his PAs. Sure, adding an outfielder, especially one that can't play center, kind of crowds things, but I had no expectation of us getting him. He won't join the roster right away, I have to figure out how to fit him in, but he gives us veteran depth with an outstanding work ethic. He doesn't have much range, but he's got 5s for error and arm. In other environments, he could have been a starter, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, and having a 2-Time All-Star to call off the bench can't hurt.

Looking Ahead
So something bad happened, our sim tonight went ten days instead of seven, so the looking ahead is kind of going to be weird. We have two in New York, two hosting the Stars, three hosting Montreal, and two in Cincinnati. Even worse, both of those extra games were losses, and the rest of the week wasn't that great. Oh well. Plenty more games to go!

Week 3: April 22nd-April 30th
 

Editor's Note: The sim accidentally did a few extra days, so this covers nine days instead of the usual seven

Weekly Record: 3-6
Seasonal Record: 9-12 (8th, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 32 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .375 AVG, .849 OPS
Jack Gibson : 35 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .286 AVG, .820 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 33 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .333 AVG, .739 OPS

Schedule
4-22: Win at Imperials (10-5)
4-23: Loss at Imperials (0-1)
4-24: Win vs Stars (1-2)
4-25: Win vs Stars (1-4)
4-26: Loss vs Saints (6-4)
4-27: Loss vs Saints (4-3)
4-28: Loss vs Saints (6-3)
4-29: Loss at Cannons (3-6)
4-30: Loss at Cannons (3-4)

Recap
Yeah....

The damage was real bad...

This might be a quick one...

I proved time and time again that my changes and decisions for the team actually matter, but if there was any doubt, this cements it. We were a mess those two extra games, with guys playing who shouldn't and a little bad luck, and now the guys are all gassed and not ready for this week. Even worse, my roster plans were foiled, as I can't DFA Buddy Byrd because his time would run out during the week, and then he'd just be cut without being put back on the roster. That means to make rook for Rex Pilcher, I had to option Jim Barton, who will at least get to play everyday in Milwaukee.

On the bright side, the pitching had it's moments, with back-to-back-to-back one run games. Sure, we lost one, as someone shut us out on Tuesday (no box score...), but that was huge. Even the rest of the week, no one got more then six, and of the nine games just two saw more then four. But regardless, a 9-12 month is just awful, and we're only better then the two expansion teams so far.

This should be a pennant contender!

Way too early to call it quits on 1963, especially with a +16 run differential! We should be way better then we've played, but we just collapsed against the Saints and our current five game losing streak is tied for the longest active losing streak. Tied with a 1-18 team...

Despite all this, plenty of guys have been playing great. He didn't get out of the fifth, a pair of homers and his first three walks caused plenty of trouble, but Doc Griffin got to 83 pitches and is 2-0 with a 1.77 (218 ERA+), 0.74 WHIP, and an 11-to-3 K/BB ratio. Jack Gibson added two more homers, tied with Hank Williams for most in the CA, as he's hit .321/.329/.655 (167 OPS+) with 11 extra base hits, 15 RBIs, and 15 runs. 1 walk to 14 strikeouts is concerning, but he doesn't usually walk much anyways. Henry Watson is third in the batting race, hitting .380/.417/.519 (159 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 homers, and 13 RBIs, and despite not getting Rookie of the Month (the CA is stacked with newcomers), Dode Caudill has hit .282/.341/.538 (141 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 7 walks, 8 RBIs, 13 runs, and his first FABL steal. And finally, Ken Stone has been getting it done, as despite the high walk totals (15, 11.4%), something very unusual for him, as OSA thinks his command is his best skill. Hasn't caused him trouble either, as the 23-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA (130 ERA+) in 30.1 innings.

Looking Ahead
As we do the opposite of catch up (slow down?) the coming "week" sees just five games. It starts with two in Toronto, as we'll face one of the other
four nine win teams. They all have fewer losses, 11 for the Wolves and 10 for the Cannons and Saints, and if we can take both games here we'll at least pass the Wolves. Lucky for us, they can't score or prevent runs, as adding our two ranks together (4 + 4) equals the average (7, 9) of their two categories. The offense part makes sense, but this should be a really good staff. Don't let the ERA fool you, Arnie Smith (0-1, 6.56, 17) is a top arm, and I expect having to deal with him in the finale. George Hoxworth (2-3, 6.85, 14) was elite, though the major injury could have put a damper on that, and at least Phil Colantuono (3-0, 1.67, 14) is pitching like "The King" should. Can't forget about 22-year-old Bill Medley (1-2, 3.71, 16) either, as he was awesome last season and sports a 1.01 WHIP in 26.2 innings. Offensively, only two guys have done anything, as star Tom Reed (.121, 2, 6) had multiple 7-hit weeks last season, and has just 7 hits in his first 18 games. 12th ranked prospect Ed Savage (.323, 2, 9) is showing his emergence was no fluke, but the same can't be said about Chick Reed (.361, 4, 9, 1). I don't think he suddenly learned to be an All-Star caliber hitter at 27, but he's been a necessary bright spot in a rough campaign.

Our weekend is going to be a challenge, as we're stuck facing the Kings in Kansas City for three. Just one win would be nice, but with how we look right now that might be a tough task. KC may have struggled with the Foresters last week, and a lot of that is due to the bats. Sure, Hank Williams (.333, 8, 16), and Pat Davis (.305, 4, 17, 2) is a guy I really wish was in Chicago, but aside from those two and the always reliable Ken Newman (.309, 2, 8) the King lineup is vastly underperforming. The pitching has held, most surprisingly Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.30, 22), and part of the reason Dode didn't win Rookie of the Month is because Johnnie Higgins (3-0, 1.61, 19) has been dominant. He took the fifth spot, pushing former Cougar Henry Henderson (2-0, 1, 0.00, 4) to the pen, though it seems like the right call so far. Full of talent, they're still my favorite for the Conti this season, so when we struggle here it won't be much of a surprise.

Wow! I missed the start of the season, and you guys are already 21 games in!

What are your prospects for a turnaround? Do you think it's a stroke of early-season bad luck?

Yeah some poor run differential luck (we're 2nd in the CA lol) and then the bad luck of the sim going long and not getting to use my 7-day lineups. A turn around is possible, but what's toughest is there aren't many easy wins available. Got to start winning and can't look back!

Week 4: May 1st-May 5th
 

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 12-14 (7th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.342 OPS
Gene Case : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.099 OPS
Pug White : 1 Win, 2 Saves, 5.2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K, 3.18 ERA

Schedule
5-1: Win at Wolves (6-5)
5-2: Loss at Wolves (3-4): 13 innings
5-3: Win at Kings (3-1)
5-4: Loss at Kings (4-5)
5-5: Win at Kings (9-5)

Recap
I guess it took longer then expected, as after 23 games Jack Gibson is back to being hurt. I really want to blame the extra games, as he would have been off Monday or Tuesday. Part of it's on me, I should have benched him and not taken him out of the lineup, so he pinch hit and then got hurt the next day instead of starting on full rest. On a 50-homer pace, Gibson had a .310/.326/.632 (159 OPS+) line to go with, posting a 169 WRC+, 1.4 WAR, and 15 runs scored and driven in. Replacing him is going to be impossible, and for hopefully just three weeks I'll rotate between George McKee, Buddy Byrd, and Pete Meany. Byrd and Meany will fill in at the Keystone, while McKee and his cannon will go to the hot corner, shifting Cal Randall to second. On the plus side, our defense will still be elite, but I'm sure we'll lose plenty more one-run games because of the Gibson sized hole in the middle of the lineup. Meany has the best bat, and even though it's a tiny 22 PA sample, his .429/.455/.571 (183 OPS+) batting line is technically better then Gibson's. Believe me, I thought he was solid, and he's ranked just outside the top-100 the past few sims, but it's crazy that this early I'm already okay throwing him in the lineup. A high contact hitter, he's got a great eye and he doesn't strike out, and I feel comfortable hitting him second ahead of Case, Watson, and now Dutch Miller.

Both our losses this week were one run games, so yeah we're back to being the same old Cougars. For one reason or another, we just can't be both a good team and good at winning one run games, as our run differential is good enough for second as our real record is bad enough for 7th. With how we hit, we're actually kind of lucky we won three of our games, but potential Whitney candidate Henry Watson continued his excellent start. He's not slugging homers like he usually does, but he hit #3 this week, going 12-for-26 with 2 triples, a walk, steal, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. He got support from Gene Case, who was 8-for-26 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. Dode's 78 WRC+ was the only other above 75 for guys with more then 10 PAs, leaving plenty of room for improvement.

Dick Champ things to have figured things out, as even though he didn't win his start (though the team did), he's now allowed a single run in two of his last three starts. This one was most impressive, as he held the Kings to 4 hits, a run, and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 6 innings. He had the best start, but I loved seeing Ken Stone go 128 pitches in our 9-5 win over the Kings. The 23-year-old has gotten as high as 137, and has yet to throw less then 100 in a start. That's big for us, especially since most of the time Don Griffin pitches after him. Off days aside, I'm going to try to keep them together, as in most Stone starts the pen stays rested. Here he worked through 7.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Improving to 3-1, he's now match his previous high of 5 starts from 1961. His emergence has been big for us early, and I'm just salivating at the thought of how good he can be.

Even with more work then the average team, the pen has continued to hold up. Pug White, Bob Allen, and Earle Turner all put up more then five innings for the week, with Allen's 3.00 ERA the highest. He went 6, as though he had 3 hits, no walks, and 6 strikeouts, two of those hits were solo home runs. Pug had the most innings of the bunch, recording 7.2 with 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. And it was Turner with the best overall numbers, as in 5.2 innings he allowed 4 hits, a run, and a walk with 7 strikeouts. This trio has been outstanding, as Pug's 2.51 ERA (154 ERA+) is the highest of the group. Even then, he has a 0.98 WHIP and 2.9 K/BB, and he's on pace to go 19-6 with 25 saves and 125 strikeouts in 178.2 innings. If he can manage anything close to that, it may be one of the best relief seasons in history, He's got more then twice as many innings then Turner, who is 11.1 innings has a pristine 1.59 ERA (243 ERA+) and 1.71 FIP (44 FIP-). A guy we were lucky to get off waivers last year, he's got 11 strikeouts to 3 walks, continuing to keep the ball on the ground and in the park. In short outings, he can really dominate with the sinker, and I love having another weapon out of the pen that we didn't have to pay anything for.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, but we still get seven games as we have a double header in Cleveland on Saturday. Because of that, Jack Gibson was replaced on the active roster by a pitcher, as last year's rotation member John Mitchell will come up from Milwaukee to start one of the games. 26 last month, he leads the Blues rotation, a perfect 4-0 in his four starts. Mitchell lasted 28.1 innings, sporting a sub-1 ERA and a WHIP. The WHIP is a bit higher, 0.99 to 0.95 (405 ERA+), and while the FIP isn't below 1, a 2.77 FIP (71 FIP-) is basically the Adrian Czerwinski (4-0, 1.30, 21) equivalent of the Century League. The start will be his 135th as a Cougar, but his time in Chicago will be just for the week. That's not to say he's not coming back, we'll need a sixth starter the week of the 27th and 10th, so he could get another three weeks later on. At lease while Gibson is hurt, we'll stick with ten pitchers, but I think we're one of the few teams that can survive with nine pitchers. Mitchell would be a weapon too, but I need him to figure out a third pitch, and that's not going to happen in the pen.

Before getting to Cleveland and the double header, we'll host the New York Imperials, who are loving the fact that their loss record will be surpassed. At 11-13, they're four games out just like that, though they've only scored 78 runs and they don't do much on the mound. Granted, they've got two young arms I really like, as Frankie Sawyer (1-1, 2.87, 26) and Bob Brown (1-3, 3.34, 24) are pretty exciting young pitchers. Both were acquired after the expansion draft, as Sawyer came over for former Cougar Joe Dorch (.269, 2) and Brown was the first pick of the Rule-5 draft. I'm a big Sawyer fan, even if his first FABL shutout was a 3-hitter in a 1-0 win over us, as the 24-year-old has a wicked fastball and slider that sits in the 96-98 range. He also has no glaring weakness, at least baseball wise, he's one of the dullest guys you'll meet, giving him a high ceiling with room for growth. Brown is a similar pitcher, relying on his fastball, though it paired with a really nice change. He does give up his share of hits, but the stuff can be overpowering and he seems to always be ahead in the count. He attacks and gets swings, but improvement on the overall command stands between him and stardom. Still, both these guys could be mid-rotation arms, and there's something to be excited about for their future.

Cleveland will be the tougher match, as at 17-11 they're tied with the Kings for first. Of course, we have better pythags then both of them, but what we don't have is a Czerwinski or Hank Williams (.340, 12, 24). Okay, a Don Griffin (2-0, 2.16, 15) is pretty great, but Czerwinski can do that for an entire game if he needs to. The rest of the rotation doesn't really scare me (though it turns out one of the guys should have), though 26-year-old Les Hanauer (3-0, 3.93, 28) has some of the best stuff in the game. His fastball/slider mix is simply elite, and the chance and splitter are legit wipeout pitches too. His weakness is when he gets hit, he's hit hard, and a lot of those balls end up in the air. Lucky for him, the Foresters score plenty of runs, so he hasn't lost a game yet. Sherry Doyal (.462, 1, 6, 1) being out is rough, but Tom Carr (.324, 1, 12, 7), Paul Williams (.357, 2, 18), John Low (.282, 1, 14), Stan Kleminski (.302, 1, 10, 4), and Earl Howe (.308, 3, 19) are all producing in his absence. We'll have our hands full, but I trust our guys, and think we can hold our own on the road.

Week 5: May 6th-May 12th
 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 16-17 (6th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .360 AVG, 1.260 OPS
Henry Watson : 26 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.201 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 32 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .281 AVG, .638 OPS

Schedule
5-7: Loss vs Imperials (12-5)
5-8: Win vs Imperials (1-5)
5-9: Win vs Imperials (2-13)
5-10: Loss at Foresters (6-7): 11 innings
5-11: Loss at Foresters (0-5)
5-11: Win at Foresters (1-3)
5-12: Win at Foresters (0-5)

Recap
No one run losses! And we won more then we lost again!

Still a little before we're back to .500, we won the easy series and split the tough one. The offense was working, well, aside from the 5-0 shutout at the hands of Sonny Stoyer (3-0, 2.52, 21), as despite not showing up there we had five or more runs in five of the games this week. In one of the one's we didn't, temporary Cougar John Mitchell got the work done, going two outs away from a shutout in a 3-1 win. This came in the second game of the double header, as Mitchell allowed just 1 run on 7 hits and 4 walks, striking out 5 in the win. No matter how well he pitched, he was going back down, and replacing him will be Bob Burdick. The 35-year-old pitched well last season, working to a 2.72 ERA (165 ERA+) with 46 strikeouts in 76 innings, but he was optioned when we opened with just nine arms. Now with Gibson out, he'll return to the bigs, coming off a nice 10 inning stint (3 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 11) in Milwaukee. We'll need a spot start on the 30th and the 2nd, so I expect Mitchell to be back for that week.

Roy Ellis came even closer to a shutout, getting all but one out in our 5-1 win over the Imperials. Allowing just 3 hits, a run, and a walk, he struck out 9, giving him three straight starts with just a single walk. Now 4-1, he's got a nice 3.23 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP, striking out 34 with just 10 walks. Pitching at an ace level, he gives a nice 1-2 punch with Don Griffin, even if Doc doesn't go too deep into the game. He got his first loss, allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks against the Imperials, but he gave us 5.2 scoreless innings in Cleveland. Charged with 2 hits and 4 walks, he's got a 2.57 ERA (154 ERA+) and 1.00 WHIP on the year, but with just 35 innings he's fourth on the team. Ironically, Pug White has two thirds of an inning less, though he really struggled this week. The Imps got 6 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in an inning and a third, while the Foresters piled on 5 hits and 3 runs in 2.1 innings. This inflated his ERA to 4.46 (89 ERA+), but I'm sure in a few weeks time it'll be right back to where it should be.

I know I lead with the offense, before getting distracted by the pitching, as I should have led with Gene Case starting to heat up. Our talented first basemen was 9-for-25, hitting 3 homers and a double with 6 runs, 7 walks, 8 RBIs, and 3 steals. After hitting .215/.262/.329 (61 OPS+) in April, he's up to .370/.491/.696 (221 OPS+) in May, including 4 of his 5 homers and 11 of his 16 walks. In the aggregate, his .272/.355/.464 (123 OPS+) line looks nice, even if it is lower then each of his first two seasons. It was only a matter of time before he started heating up, and a major reason we won was that he was able to match Henry Watson. Watson continued to hit the ball hard, and he doubled his homer total by matching Case there and in hits, runs, and RBIs. He had one more at bat, four less walks, and two less steals, but the 24-year-old owns a robust .387/.424/.629 (185 OPS+) batting line. Easily our best player this season, he's on a shocking 11 WAR pace, already more then half way (2.2) past his total from last season (3.8) and the year before (4.2). An athletic outfielder, he's got 15 extra base hits and a pair of steals, playing strong defense in right (2.4, 1.058). One of our best players so far, he's up to 2nd on OSA's list of right fielders, trailing only the gifted Pat Davis (.291, 4, 19, 4). These two will continue to be contributors to the lineup, and we'll need them at their best to make up ground in the association race.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, and then we host a pair of teams for three games a piece. It starts with the Cannons, who like us, have had poor run differential luck. Despite being 14-18, they're 2nd in runs scored and 4th in runs against, good enough for a +30 run differential that is identical to ours. We do it with fewer runs scored and allowed, giving us a slight edge (20-13 to 19-13) in expected record. Most surprisingly, they're doing a lot of scoring without their best player at their best, as while Dallas Berry's (.252, 7, 22, 3) 144 WRC+ is well above average, it's over 30 points lower then last season and 10 points lower then his career average. In fact, Berry doesn't even lead his team, behind Bonnie Chapin's (.342, 4, 22) 175, Joe Case's (.353, 5, 18, 2) 169, and #2 prospect Mark Boyd's (.294, 6, 16) 158. Boyd is one of the two guys ahead of Dode Caudill (.260, 4, 15, 2), and at least offensively, Boyd has the edge so far. Even after Berry, the Cannons are producing runs, with only Milt Senecal (.220, 3, 11, 2) and his major sophomore slump producing a below average WRC+.

Then on the mound, they're having a ton of success, with just 22-year-old Jack Meeks (1-4, 5.49, 24) having trouble keeping runs off the board. Fellow 22-year-old Charlie Warren (1-3, 3.09, 36) is as dominant as ever, despite the poor record, as his 3.09 ERA (131 ERA+) lines up nicely with his 3.04 FIP (74 FIP-). A true innings eater at the top, he's easily their most talented arm, but he's not the one pitching the best. In fact, a third 22-year-old entered the Cannons rotation, as 26th ranked prospect John Walker (3-1, 1.89, 30) as been elite. Another member of the Pioneers pitching factory, he came over in the deal for Danny Daniels (3-2, 1.59, 36), and Walker is starting to make up for that loss. He got a quick cup of coffee last year, and is another talented young arm to earn a spot in Cincy. With an elite fastball/slider mix, he's been overpowering hitters left and right, striking out 7 or more in each of his last three starts. Pushing a near 20% K%, he's been tough to solve, and I think we're going to be tasked with him. It's not like they have a weak spot, 6th ranked prospect Marco Middleton (4-1, 3.28, 44) has an even higher K% (21.6), while Jim York (1-2, 3.86, 21) is starting to like the pitcher he was at 22. And of course, you can't forget unlucky stopper Paul Williams (1-5, 2, 14), who's one of the best in the game. No matter how you look at this series, it will be a tough one, but with home field advantage I think we can escape with the win.

It gets even harder after, as we'll host the first place Kings for three. At 20-13, they're a game above Cleveland and 4 clear of us, but technically we can pass them with a good week. For reasons unknown to men, the Kings are not scoring runs, as despite the offensive juggernaut known as Hank Williams (.350, 13, 28), who's tied for the CA lead in homers and RBIs, they only rank 7th in runs scored. Ken Newman (.261, 5, 13) looks worse then he did when he was hurt last year, Charlie Rogers (.268, 1, 9, 3) is hitting slightly below average, and both aging vets Al Farmer (.238, 2, 13, 2) and Bob Burge (.247, 1, 10) have seen their production plummet. Aside from Rogers, these guys all had WRC+ above 125 last season, while this year just Williams and Pat Davis (.291, 4, 19, 4) can say that today.

Granted, there's a reason they're in first, as the young staff has been dominant. Ranked 1st in rotation ERA (3.02), FIP (3.40), and WAR (6.5), they've allowed the second fewest runs as well, all with the Allen hangover from ace Beau McClellan (0-5, 4.29, 26). In his place, Gene Bailey (5-0, 2.16, 32) has emerged, and the Kings have won all six of his starts. Veteran Jack Halbur (3-1, 1.97, 30) went from awful deadline add to potential ace, 25th ranked prospect Johnnie Higgins (4-1, 3.32, 30) has beat down opposing hitters with his elite fastball/slider combo, and despite the record, Allie Boone (0-3, 3.51, 34) has looked as good as he has last year. And when a six starter is needed, old pal Henry Henderson (3-0, 2, 1.17, 6) has moved from the pen to the rotation. If the starters leave with a lead, Del Lamb (4-1, 5, 2.67, 32) usually holds it, and it's no surprise that they've gotten off to the start, at least overall record wise, that they have. We need a series win to catch up, and the problem is that even if we play great, it might not be enough.

Minor League Report
1B Ed Duncan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): The Century League superstar is at it again, as 37-year-old Ed Duncan took home Player of the Week. The longtime Denver Bruin went 11-for-26, tallying 7 runs, 2 doubles, a homer, 5 RBIs, and 3 walks. Another great week for the league's second 300 home run hitter, he's got four more this season, slashing a gaudy .338/.463/.581 (184 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 12 RBIs, 15 runs, and 18 walks. A solid all around performance, he's anchored the top scoring lineup, and it's easy to hide his defense at first base. Good enough for FABL, he really belongs in AAA, as at this point any callup would feel trivial. The vet gets to be the big fish in a small pond, and the fans at this level truly appreciate him. In FABL, he'd just be the old dog blocking a young buck, and there's not a role for him starting anywhere. Instead, he has a chance to keep climbing the CL leaderboards, less then 100 hits away from 2nd All-Time. A little tougher is the All-Time WAR mark, as with 43.6 he's just over 3 WAR shot of the legendary Monroe Johnson (46.8). That's reachable in two seasons, and I'm sure that record would be far more meaningful to him then a cup of coffee in Chicgao.

RHP Sam Davis (AA Little Rock Governors): A guy I think is way better then the prospect people realize, I made the call to start Sam Davis in AA this season. A former 8th Rounder, he was reliable for Rockford in 1962, 11-6 with a 3.36 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and 142 strikeouts. A true innings eater, he threw 187.2 innings in his 29 starts, picking up a shutout for the fourth consecutive season. He made that five on May 10th, as in a 12-0 domination Davis used 129 pitches to complete a 5-hit shutout. A little wild, he did walk 6 and strike out 5, but the 22-year-old Chicagoan usually works around his free passes. Through 4 starts in Little Rock he's 2-1, working to a 3.90 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP with 12 walks and 17 strikeouts. With just one homer allowed, he's got an outstanding 2.91 FIP (70 FIP-), and excluding the game he got knocked out in the 5th he's been able to top 115 pitches.

Ranked outside our top 30 and the league's top 500, Davis is no scrub, as he's got better stuff then most of our staff. His curve is elite, and he's got a plus-plus fastball, slider, change, and splitter. The fastball, as well as his cutter that he might as well drop, sits in the mid 90s, as he's able to power through a lot of minor league hitters. The movement is good too, but now he's effectively wild instead of straight effective. A 4-3-2 pitcher, that's FABL quality, but Dixie just sees spot start or long relief. I think with the right defense, he can be a middle rotation arm, and we're certainly protecting him from the offseason Rule-5 draft. Part of the scouting reports being less favorable could be because Dixie thinks him and Don Griffin are relievers, even though the two couldn't be further apart. He has just Pug White between them, which in theory makes sense, but he doesn't consider most guys relievers anyways. If the prospect guys view him that way too, they could be holding that against him, which has allowed him to fly under most team's radars.

CF Bill Reinhard (A Rockford Wildcats): Our second Player of the Week, Bill Reinhard was the talk of the Heartland League, 10-for-23 with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. A 22-year-old outfielder, Reinhard's been developing rapidly since I took over, and he's now got a 4 gap power with 3s in the other hitting categories. On paper, that's better then Dode Caudill, but Reinhard doesn't have an up arrow even in Rockford. Still, he's probably ready for a new challenge, as his .344/.455/.531 (163 OPS+) line is well above average, and he hit .277/.402/.455 (127 OPS+) in 124 games last year. Unfortunately for him, we have a ton of outfielders, so there's been no real motivation to push him forward. Besides, he needs more reps in center (2/3), and in AA Orlando Benitez is manning center now. Benitez is the better defender, and while it would be nice improving his versatility, I want him focused on center for the time being. That means Reinhard will have to wait a few more weeks, but come June there's a solid chance he's up in Little Rock.

RHP John Roberts (B San Jose Cougars): Two levels below Davis, another pitcher threw a shutout, though this one ranked inside the top 30 and 500. 19th in our system and 383rd overall, John Roberts continued his dominant start to the season, spinning a 3-hit shutout with no walks and 6 strikeouts. Through four starts, the former fourth rounder has a miniscule 0.93 ERA (375 ERA+), but it's the 0.48 WHIP that really jumps out at you. The 21-year-old has allowed just 1 walk and 13 hits, striking out 17 in 29 innings. A groundballer with good control, he had a razor thin 3.2 BB% last season too, walking just 22 in 158.1 innings. If that level of command can continue, we'll have an absolute stud, but unfortunately for Roberts the control seems to be at it's peak. It's good enough for the C-O-W, but his stuff not good enough where it won't get hit. Working in his favor is the groundball tendencies and his ability to keep runners close, so he can live without great stuff. For that, he needs to keep improving his command, as without low walk numbers I can't see him finding success in the majors.

Week 6: May 13th-May 19th
 

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 20-19 (6th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .360 AVG, 1.260 OPS
Henry Watson : 26 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.201 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 32 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .281 AVG, .638 OPS

Schedule
5-14: Win vs Cannons (3-5)
5-15: Win vs Cannons (2-3)
5-16: Win vs Cannons (5-8)
5-17: Loss vs Kings (2-1)
5-18: Win vs Kings (3-5)
5-19: Loss vs Kings (8-2)

Recap
Back over .500!

Thanks to a sweep of the Cannons, we won 20 games before we lost 20, and now sit 20-19 and 4 games out. Still in 6th despite maintaining the 2nd best run differential, we did have trouble with the Kings, and after beating Cincy in a one-run affair we dropped one to KC two days later and let them take the series. It was an inconsistent week, some days we pitched well, some days we hit well, and I guess in the 5-3 wins you can say we did both, but for every player with a great week, it seemed there was another to counter that with a poor one.

Gene Case was one of the guys who was great, as he stayed hot with a 9-for-21 week. Adding an RBI, triple, 3 doubles, 4 runs, and 4 walks, he was our top offensive performer, and he increased his May triple slash to a more then twice above average .388/.500/.687 (219 OPS+). Now with a 139 WRC+ in 39 games, he's third among Cougars with more then 15 starts, and has helped carry the load with Jack Gibson hurt. He should be back next week, or maybe the week after, which will only make our lineup stronger. His replacements haven't done much, but this week the rest of infield did. Along with Case, both Tom Halliday and Cal Randall produced with the bat, including a rare homer from Halliday. He had just two last season, and his solo shot off Jerry York (1-2, 3.43, 26) ended up the difference in a 3-2 game. Finishing 7-for-19, he added 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs, and a 2nd RBI, providing a much needed boost to his .248/.319/.325 (76 OPS+) line. Randall homered too, 8-for-22 with a double, 2 runs, and 7 RBIs. Sporting a similar .257/.277/.389 (79 OPS+) line, neither has offered much at the plate, but both have well above average defensive numbers on the left side of the infield. Still, I'd love to see more offense from them, and it was nice to see production from guys who haven't done much this year.

On the mound, Dick Champ continued his rebound, but he couldn't get his second win of the season. Lasting 7.1, he left with 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts, and we didn't take the lead until the bottom of the 8th. Champ's now allowed 2 or fewer runs in 4 of his last 5 starts, dropping his ERA from 12.91 to a closer to palatable 4.83 (83 ERA+). Ken Stone also got to drop his ERA, going 7.2 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 4 walks, and a season high 8 strikeouts. Stone has now gone 7 or more in 6 of 7 starts, 4-2 with a 3.44 ERA (117 ERA+) and 31 strikeouts. The walks are still high, something I just cannot comprehend, but if he's winning games and eating innings either before or after a Don Griffin start, I'll keep letting him do what he's doing. The pen had some issues, as did some of our starters, but Pug White quickly turned things around. After a brutal week, he went 6.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and a run with 8 strikeouts and no walks. Appearing in just over half (20) of our 39 games, his 40 innings of work have been mostly good, striking out 31 with 11 walks. 6 homers have did him in, as his 1.3 HR/9 is over twice as high as last season's 0.6, but he's allowed less walks and hits per inning. Earle Turner added 4 more shutout innings with 2 from Arch Wilson, as the back of our pen helped us pull off some close wins against good teams.

Looking Ahead
Off again to start the week, as we continue our nice and long homestand. Up first is the Wolves, who at 21-18 sit a game ahead of us in the standings. Ranked 5th in runs scored and runs against with 182, Toronto is having a bizarre season. Tom Reed (.209, 5, 19) sucks, Arnie Smith (3-2, 5.07, 38) sucks, George Hoxworth (2-5, 9.08, 27) sucks and got optioned. But Chick Reed? He's slugging at a Hank Williams pace. A relatively unheralded 27-year-old outfielder, Reed has blasted 13 homers with 32 RBIs, slashing .350/.344/.611 (147 OPS+) as he absolutely refuses to take the fourth ball. Like my road to the show player, he's abstained from free passes, so his .344 OBP is lower then his .350 average. A clubhouse leader, he's been a big reason for their success, though it's been graduated 9th ranked prospect Ed Savage (.302, 7, 23) who's been the best bat. Sure, Reed has the slug, but Savage has 23 walks to just 22 strikeouts, and while they have matching 147 OPS+, his 162 WRC+ is three points higher. These two have done near all the heavy lifting, but glovemen Sid Cullen (.286, 4, 11) has scored plenty, while rotation members Phil Colantuono (5-1, 2.49, 31) and Bill Medley (4-3, 3.21, 35) have pitched like Smith and Hoxworth should be. A solid team, I do think we're better, and especially home there is no excuse for not winning. Even if we get Colantuono, Medley, and Smith.

It get's tougher after that, as we'll welcome the third place Foresters for three before an off day ends our homestand. At 24-18, they're just a game and a half out of first, and enjoying another prime season of Adrian Czerwinski (5-2, 2.87, 33). Not to be confused, of course, with former Cougar Marty Czyzewski (0-2, 4.26, 17), who I can't believe not only made the Foresters, but got 4 starts and hasn't been released yet. He's one of eight non-Czerwnisnki pitchers to make a start, as they've rotated out their guys who have struggled, making way for Ike Johnson (2-1, 3.19, 25), Sibby Smith (4-0, 1.91, 28), and Sonny Stoyer (3-1, 3.19, 27). A staff of misfits, they don't jump out at you, but Czerwinski is still an ace, Johnny Ogden (1-3, 6, 3.22, 24) is an elite stopper, and I think both Johnson and Les Hanauer (4-2, 4.18, 48) can be useful mid rotation arms. The lineup is better, though it's very top heavy. Stan Kleminski (.291, 1, 17, 6) is everything you want in a leadoff hitter, setting up a star studded segment with John Low (.288, 1, 18), Tom Carr (.290, 1, 15, 10), Hal Kennedy (.297, 5, 19), and Paul Williams (.324, 3, 25). The lineup will be even more dangerous when Sherry Doyal (.462, 1, 6, 1) returns, hopefully after they leave town, but deep down I think we're the better team, and this coming week could help get us back in the top half of the standings.

Minor League Reports
3B Mooney Vetter (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He may not have hit a lick in the majors last year, but boy is Mooney Vetter elite when it comes to hitting Century League pitching. His first go was 48 games in 1958, where he hit .340/.374/.531 (162 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 homers, and 25 RBIs. He was back for 111 the next year, and somehow that line improved to .356/.385/.560 (172 OPS+), as the former 8th pick clubbed 28 doubles and 20 homers with 103 RBIs. Each of his next three seasons came completely in Chicago, but since he had options and others didn't, he was back at Conover Park in April.

It's been more of the same for Vetter, now getting his reps at short, who through 118 PAs has an outstanding .381/.400/.559 (164 OPS+) line, producing a 177 WRC+ with 4 doubles, 5 homers, 16 runs, 32 RBIs, and a triple. The eventual Century League Player of the Week, Vetter had a major game in our 12-4 win over Toledo, a perfect 5-for-5 with a run and 4 RBIs. All singles, he finished his week with 2 doubles and a triple, 13-for-26 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. A guy who excels at putting the ball in play, he didn't walk or strikeout, and has rates of 2.4 and 5.6 respectively on the year. Both lower then his FABL metrics, it's been a breeze for him to make contact on lesser pitchers, and I'm really hoping it helps bring his confidence back. In his three seasons as a starter, most of his stats trended down, and as a singles hitter he really needs to be able to keep the average up, and bashing in some minor league pitching can help get him back above .280.

RF Cliff Coleman (A Rockford Wildcats): We've been winning Players of the Week in twos, as down in the Heartland League Cliff Coleman was able to take home the award. Just like last week, we won here and in the Century League, as Coleman had a power surge. Going 11-for-27, he clunked 4 homers and drove in 13, giving him 10 and 27 on the season. Coleman added a double too, as he's got 15 extra base hits and a .359/.473/.761 (225 OPS+) line in 112 PAs. He must have had a great offseason, as this is way above the .276/.314/.410 (106 OPS+) in San Jose last year, and the former 14th Rounder is showing why he ranks in our top-10. Checking in at 7th on the team and 125st overall, he's are highest ranked guy outside of the top 100, as Rule-5 pick Pete Meany has bounced up to 87th. A much different player, Coleman is a slugger not a contact hitter, and he'll both walk and strikeout. He's walking (20) more then he's striking out (13) now, but he's already 7 walks away from his total in 136 games last season. I doubt he maintains a 17.9 BB%, or even anything above 12, but this is a guy who's on pace for 56 homers, 151 RBIs, 112 walks, 118 runs, and a 0-for-22 stolen base success rate. Jokes aside, he's a decent outfielder who's got plus-plus pop, and if he can turn that 3 into a 4, we may have a big league starter on our hands. As crowded as the outfield is, it's going to be tough for him to work his way in, but he's just 22 and has real promise. It may be too early to start thinking promotion, but he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, and it would be smart to get him in AA to see just how close he is to joining us in Chicago.

Week 7: May 20th-May 26th
 

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 25-20 (t-3rd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 25 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.124 OPS
Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .360 AVG, 1.127 OPS
Gene Case : 24 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .292 AVG, .995 OPS

Schedule
5-21: Loss vs Wolves (1-0)
5-22: Win vs Wolves (4-6)
5-23: Win vs Wolves (3-5)
5-24: Win vs Foresters (2-3): 10 innings
5-25: Win vs Foresters (2-7)
5-26: Win vs Foresters (3-6)

Recap
Now this is what I'm talking about!

Sure, another one-run loss sucks, especially in a 1-0 game, but when you win the next five, including a one-run game in extras, who cares! It's our first win in a game that took more then 9 innings to complete, as we swept the Foresters out of town. I was actually pretty confident in this week, I mean we are a good team even if our record wasn't showing it, and the best part is we get Jack Gibson back without a setback!

It's a nice boost to the lineup, as having Gibson in the middle makes us far more dangerous, and despite missing almost four weeks he's still leading the team in home runs. Only by a homer, as this week got two guys to 7, as we had an absolute offensive explosion. Four guys had a weekly WRC+ above 170, with two more above 200, including the struggling Dode Caudill. After an outstanding start to his pro career, he got into a little slump, but the almost graduated #3 prospect packed a punch in our great week. Dode knocked 3 homers, making him one of the two Cougars with 7, finishing 9-for-25 with a steal, 2 walks, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs. Now over the 1 WAR mark, he's got a nice .265/.328/.476 (115 OPS+) line, tallying 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, 16 walks, 22 RBIs, and 28 runs. Joining him at 7 homers was Gene Case, who went 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and a steal. Our best May hitter by a wide margin, Case has hit .363/.468/.670 (204 OPS+) with 6 homers, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 steals, and 18 runs scored and driven in, making a serious case for May's top hitter. Turk Ramsey's (.295, 15, 39) 12 homer month may make that difficult, but our first basemen has the edge in both OPS+ and WRC+ despite half the homers.

As good as Dode and Case were, it was actually Jerry McMillan who had the best week, and it was a much needed improvement for our talented center fielder. Off to a slow start, he was an even 10-for-25, adding a double, 2 homers, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs. Easily his best week of the season, McMillan is hitting a slightly below average .290/.328/.409 (98 OPS+) with a bit above average 105 WRC+. Combined with capable defense, he's contributed 7 doubles, 5 homers, 21 RBIs, 31 runs, and 6 steals, and I'm hoping this can spark his overall production. Still a great leadoff hitter, he's on pace for his first sub-120 WRC+, but I have confidence he can get right back up there as the season goes on. I wouldn't expect that from Dutch Miller, but our catcher produced here, 6-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and 5 walks. The highly disciplined Miller's walk rate is down a bit, just 12.2% compared to the 13+ he posted in each of his last three seasons, but his .252/.351/.354 (92 OPS+) season line is much better then we got from the position last year. 34 in June, what he's done best is control the staff, helping us lead the Conti with the fewest runs allowed. As happy as I am that in AAA Chappy Sanders improved his blocking, but the 26-year-old is hitting just .217/.290/.350 (76 OPS+), making the decision to go with Miller look even better.

Our best pitching performance came in the lone loss, though none of our starters allowed more then three runs in a start. It started with Dick Champ, who delivered 6.1 innings with 4 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts, getting the tough draw of going against Phil Colantuono's (6-2, 2.39, 42) 7-hit shutout. It was Champ's 4th loss, but he improved to 2-4 by beating the Foresters to finish off our sweep. The 31-year-old vet spun a complete game victory, scattering 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a walk, striking out 7 to improve his K/BB to an outstanding 2.8 in 56.1 innings. A Henry Watson (.363, 6, 31, 3) error means I have to change my verbiage, as Champ has now allowed two or fewer EARNED runs in 6 of his last 7 starts. Fully out of his early season slump, our Champ lowered his ERA to 3.99 (103 ERA+), and with a 1.22 WHIP he's really done well keeping runners off base. 9 homes have hurt, he's nearly half way to his total in 201.2 innings last year, but this is a guy who hasn't allowed more then a HR/9 in a season since his last season as a reliever in 1956.

Our "worst" start was Don Griffin, who allowed 7 hits and 3 runs with 3 strikeouts in 5 innings against the Wolves. Earning his 3rd victory of the season, his ERA moved to an even 3.00 (137 ERA+) in 45 innings, while his 1.07 WHIP still leads the Conti. Best part is he's back to having a "4" for stuff, as while he can't pitch for very long, he sure is effective when he's out there. That's why it's so crucial that Ken Stone has shown out, as the 23-year-old picked up our first of two complete games this week. Coming right after Doc's start, Stone needed just 124 pitches, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) to improve to 5-2. 1 strikeout sucked, but coming with no walks makes it better, and he's done really well making up for short starts. With strong starts from Roy Ellis (7 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K) and Hank Walker (W, 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), we didn't have to tap into the pen much, but we won't always get this lucky.

Looking Ahead
Our week ahead is a weird one, as we have two off-days and two double headers. The off-days are Monday and Wednesday, and we get one to start next week too, while double headers are scheduled for both Thursday and Sunday. Due to this, we made two roster moves, as I needed to make room for Gibson and bring John Mitchell back up. I sabotaged Mitchell, forgetting to put him back in the Blues rotation, so he made thre relief outings instead of at least two starts. At least the 26-year-old will be rested, but considering Bob Burdick (3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 K) was beat up, I would have been better off stashing Mitchell in the pen. Regardless, he'll pitch the Sunday double header, and with another waiting for us in each of the next two weeks, he'll get a few starts before going down again. The other move is DFA'ing Buddy Byrd, as despite hitting .206/.250/.324 (54 OPS+), he was made about not playing every day. I really hope DFA'ing him will make him mad, or at least accept an outright assignment, but my guess is him and maybe John Morrison will bounce on and off the roster until Gibson inevitably gets hurt again. It's a tough b'day gift, he just turned 32 on the 26th, and if this is his last week in our organization, my former trade acquisition will end his Cougar tenure with 1,189 FABL games. There was plenty good, he's quick, good at defense, and a high contact hitter, batting a respectable .293/.323/.400 (98 OPS+) with 598 runs, 221 doubles, 97 triples, 19 homers, 382 RBIs, and 224 steals. An All-Star in 1956 and the Diamond Defense winner at second last year, he's still got some value, but he seems like a safe bet to clear.

Off to the road, we have a tough week ahead, facing the tied for first place Stars for one on Tuesday and two on Thursday. 28-19, they're percentage points below the Kings, and they're both two above us. Winners of 8 of their last 10, they've been crushing CA pitchers left and right, as both Ralph Barrell (.330, 11, 31, 5) and Lou Allen (.282, 11, 36) have slugged 11 homers each, while Bobby Garrison (.302, 4, 21, 7) has had a big breakout in year two. Just 20, the speedy Chicagoan has been a revelation, and without much defensive ability, he's going to need to keep hitting like this. That trio makes up a dangerous 3-4-5, and they've seen Charlie Barrell (.265, 6, 32) turn things around as 21-year-old backstop Bob Griffin (.289, 3, 22) has really emerged as a legit starting catcher. Our offense might not be able to keep up with them, but out pitching is way better, especially with Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) straining his triceps. The gap between our staff and there's is larger then our two lineups, and aside from exciting 22-year-old Harry Stout (3-4, 3.72, 50), I'm not too worried about their staff. Sure, Sy Dunn (3-2, 3.60, 46) and Floyd Warner (5-2, 4.39, 37) are quality arms, but with Gibson back in the fold, it's going to be really tough to keep us off the board.

Montreal may struggle with that too, and we'll get to face them four times in three days over the weekend. At 19-26, they're closer to last (3.5 GA) then they are to us (6 GB), and we really should be winning three of these games. That's not easy, obviously, and I know it's only a matter of time before former Cougar draftee Ham Flanders (.251, 4, 22, 5) wakes up. The reigning Kellogg winner has just a 108 WRC+ in 201 PAs, a far cry from his 167 last season. Third basemen Andy Gillman (.244, 9, 24) has slumped some too, but Harry Swain (.321, 7, 28) is as consistent as ever. Though as good as he's been, the true gem is Henry Woods, as the 20-year-old and #5 prospect has shown that he's clearly FABL ready. The former 3rd pick has hit an outstanding .368/.429/.632 (180 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 homers, and 25 RBIs, even stealing three bases while playing quality defense. It's helped the staff, as 29th ranked prospect Juan Quintana (4-3, 3.22, 39) has looked amazing, while the pen has seen great production from Hank Myer (1-0, 2, 0.82, 12), Chuck Droste (1-0, 2.49, 12), and Gene Faulkenberry (4-2, 5, 3.21, 36). He's one to watch, as the Saints moved the 22-year-old innings eater from the pen to the rotation, coming off 7-shutout innings against the Cannons in Cincinnati. Between him and 23-year-old Chicagoan Bob Nelson (3-5, 4.33, 49), they have the starts of a good rotation, but right now it's very hittable, and if we can keep Woods, Swain, and Flanders limited, we'll be in good shape.

Minor League Report
1B Jack Drake (AA Little Rock Governors): No C-O-W Player of the Week this week, but we got another for the Dixie League, as Jack Drake extended the Governors Player of the Week streak to three. A non-traditional first basemen, he hasn't shown much power, but for some reason the 24-year-old hit 5 homers in 6 games, including a two-homer game against Nashville. He had six other hits too, all singles, as the former Pioneer prospect was 11-for-26 with 2 walks, 8 runs, and 9 RBIs. On his last option year, he's actually yet to play in AAA, making two late season appearances for the Cougars the past two seasons. Ed Duncan is in AAA, and I don't want either of these guys on the bench, so despite his now much higher .302/.374/.526 (141 OPS+) season line, he might be stuck in AA for a while. Considering he's only 24, there's a tiny chance that he actually improved his power, which would make him a whole lot more valuable. Sure, he won't replace Gene Case, but a useful lefty bat off the bench is crucial, and he's quick, has a good eye, and generally loves to hit doubles. It'll take a lot to hit into our plans, but it's nice seeing an improvement on the .250/.341/.399 (101 OPS+) he sported last season.

RHP Humberto Fonseca (B San Jose Cougars): Few pitchers have had a better start to the season then Humberto Fonseca, as our former 6th Rounder has done great keeping runs off the board. Allowing three or fewer runs in each of his first five starts, his 6th start was the best, twirling a 3-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts. Now 4-0, he has a pristine 1.43 ERA (248 ERA+) and 0.74 WHIP, striking out 39 to just 4 walks. With a 2.21 FIP (62 FIP-) the ERA seems legit, and it's time to give him a tougher challenge. Recently 21, he struggled in San Jose last season, but he has a nice offseason where he really fine tuned his skills. He's got 3s across the board, though the pBABIP is a 2, and he's a hard throwing innings eater who can overpower guys. A five pitch arm, they're all at least average, while his fastball is a plus-plus pitch. Dixie isn't the biggest fan, but he's ranked 16th in our system, 324th in the league, and fifth among our pitchers. I'm a fan of his talent, not his attitude, as he's really advanced for his age. A high floor arm, I'd be surprised if he doesn't end up in AAA and then FABL by time his career is done.

Nice run! Keep it up!

Seeing that you are two games back of two teams, this would be a great statement week against the Stars to put more pressure on them and the Kings. Let's go, Cougars!

It would have been! But those dreaded one run losses...

Good news, we outscored the Stars 15-9! Bad news? Just one win... We just refuse to win one-run games. 14 of our 25 losses...

Week 8: May 27th-June 2nd
 

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 27-25 (t-4th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 26 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .308 AVG, 1.054 OPS
Dode Caudill : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .346 AVG, .933 OPS
Ken Stone : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 4 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-28: Loss at Stars (3-4)
5-30: Loss at Stars (3-5)
5-30: Win at Stars (9-0)
5-31: Loss at Saints (2-7)
6-1: Win at Saints (5-4)
6-2: Loss at Saints (2-3)
6-2: Loss at Saints (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Sometimes I cannot truly express my disdain for this stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid simulated baseball team. Outscore the Stars in a three game series? Two losses! Finish the week with an even run differential? Five losses! And you know why???

One-run losses!!!!!!!!!

Fourteen. Fourteen. FOURTEEN!

FOURTEEN ONE RUN LOSSESS

WE'VE ONLY LOST 25 GAMES

HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY LOSE 56% OF OUR GAMES THIS SEASON BY ONE FREAKING RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I'M GOING TO GO CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

*deep breaths*

Okay. You know. It's not just one-run games. We have only lost five games by more then three runs. That's it. Five. Every. Other. Loss. Has. Been. A. Save. Situation.

Why do the OOTP gods torture me like this!?

On the bright side, we still allow the fewest runs in the association, and Jack Gibson didn't spontaneously combust, even if he was just 4-for-19 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Plus Dode is now the #2 prospect in baseball (Mark Boyd graduated), and he was one of the few guys who hit this week. The rookie went 9-for-26 with a double, homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. The biggest offensive star was Gene Case, 8-for-26 with 3 homers and 7 RBIs, but our best performance came from Ken Stone. The innings eater had no problem with the "#1 ranked offense" in LA, holding them to just 2 hits on 4 walks and 6 strikeouts. Now 6-2, he leads the Cougars with a 2.82 ERA (146 ERA+), and his 70.1 innings are tied for the team lead with Roy Ellis, who has an extra start on him. I always knew he had talent, but even in my wildest dreams I didn't expect this level of performance. Yeah, the peripherals still aren't great, as his 4.36 FIP (105 FIP-) leaves a lot to be desired, but FIP hates literally all are pitchers, so I'm not paying it too much attention.

There was a bunch of other stuff, some good, mostly bad, but I'm behind and our minor leaguers got some awards. Let's not dwell on the bad!

Looking Ahead
Way better at home (16-9) then the road (11-16), we should do better this week, getting a nice off day before welcoming the Sailors (28-23) and Wranglers (18-34) to town. The two teams couldn't be much further apart, as the Sailors are a good team who should be even better, and the Wranglers are a team that will stay near or at the bottom of the standings. So that means we'll beat the Sailors and get swept by the Wranglers, dropping three one run games! San Fran is rocking a four man rotation still, something I hop ewe can exploit, while in Dallas I'm just hoping we can exploit everything. We're a good team, even if this week didn't say it, and if there is any justice in this world, we'll be back to winning five games in no time!

In a week. Got to specify. Not the rest of the season please!

Minor League Report
3B Mooney Vetter (AAA Milwaukee Blues): May was a great month for Mooney Vetter, who after a Player of the Week, ended up picking up the Batter of the Month. It was a strong one for the 28-year-old, who hit .367/.393/.541 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 19 runs, and 25 RBIs. For the season, he has a similar .351/.376/.512 (145 OPS+) line, putting up 10 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, 23 runs, and 36 RBIs. A hard worker, it's been nice seeing him take the demotion in stride, as he's positioned himself for a callup should Jack Gibson get hurt for a long time. With another option after this year, he may be stuck in AAA a bit more, but all it takes is one chance to get back on track, and he can emerge back as a FABL starter.

RF Cliff Coleman (A Rockford Wildcats): To the absolute surprise of no one, Cliff Coleman won Heartland League Player of the Month. Hitting a more the twice above average .320/.460/.720 (213 OPS+), the former 14th Rounder looked like a Whitney winner, knocking 11 homers with 7 doubles, 23 runs, 29 RBIs, and 25 walks, worth almost 2 full wins above replacement in 29 games. Surprisingly he was better in both April and his first two games in June, so his .333/.467/.726 (217 OPS+) season line is somehow even better. He matched his 13 homers from last season in 136 games in more then 100 less, and with 33 walks he's got more then his 27 from last season. I can't promote him now, but now it's only a matter of time before he goes up to Little Rock. He's been climbing the prospect lists too, up to 7th in our system and 118th overall. There's an outside chance he cracks the top-100 by season's end, giving us another talented outfield option with nowhere to put him. He's got an uphill battle supplanting Dode, McMillan, or Watson, but hitting the way he is right now at any level is impressive, and you can never have too many good options.

Week 9: June 3rd-June 9th
 

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 32-27 (4th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jack Gibson : 23 AB, 8 H, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .348 AVG, 1.298 OPS
Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.224 OPS
Gene Case : 22 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .318 AVG, 1.192 OPS

Schedule
6-4: Loss vs Sailors (4-2)
6-5: Win vs Sailors (1-3)
6-5: Loss vs Sailors (14-6)
6-6: Win vs Sailors (2-4)
6-7: Win vs Wranglers (1-6)
6-8: Win vs Wranglers (0-12)
6-9: Win vs Wranglers (1-2)

Recap
Ayeeeeeee! We're back!

After that embarrassing 2-5 week, we flipped the script, winning 5 of 7 while winning a one-run game and getting blown out in another! Blowouts are usually bad, but with how many close losses we have had, getting crushed 14 to 6 almost felt like a good thing. The pitching just didn't show up, though errors made the score look worse then it was, but it helped spark a four game win streak, including a 12-0 thrashing of the Wranglers followed by a tight 2-1 win. We clobbered them in the sweep, outscoring them 20-2, for once asserting our dominance against a poor team. Sure, we didn't make up any ground, but we've won five games in three of the last four weeks, and the offense has really started to heat up.

John Mitchell is starting to make my life even more difficult, as he was the guy on the mound for the 12-0 win. A dominant showing all around, Mitchell held the Wranglers to just 3 hits and a walk, striking out 5 in a dominant complete game shutout. The 26-year-old has made three starts for us, and will get a fourth this coming week, 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA (355 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. It would feel awful sending him back down to Milwaukee, and with a bunch of double headers coming up I may keep him around. There's one this coming week, and every week in July, so aside from the week of the 17th, we have starts that need to be covered. With how good he's been, he's more then earned his place, and since this is his last option year he might have pitched his last game in Milwaukee without realizing it.

Mitchell wasn't the only starter to pitch well, as four other guys had starts with two or fewer runs allowed. That includes the red-hot Ken Stone, who for some reason was taken out after 73 pitches in 6 innings. Allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts, there was no reason to pinch hit for him in the 6th, but since we ended up winning the game 3-1, I can't really complain. Pug White came in to finish the game, throwing three shutout innings with two hits and a strikeout. Improving to 6-3, he then picked up a two-inning save on the 9th, giving him 8 on the year. Just turned 33, he brought his ERA back down to 3.30 (124 ERA+) in 57.1 innings, just as I expected him to. The save was after Roy Ellis' good start, as our #2 went 7 with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. Doc Griffin picked up his fourth win, 5 innings with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 4 strikeouts, while Hank Walker went all nine in our 4-2 post-double header win over the Sailors. It was big for the pen, as Walker allowed 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 4 to improve to 4-2 with a 4.30 ERA (95 ERA+). It's been an up-and-down season for him, but he gives us innings, and will continue to hold a rotation spot even with Mitchell's impressive pitching.

Jack Gibson was back to being Jack Gibson, as our prolific slugger knocked four out of the park in a 8-for-23 week. He added a double, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs, upping his season line to .302/.328/.643 (155 OPS+) with 13 homers and 27 RBIs. Gibson was one of three Cougars with a 200+ WRC+, as both Dode (211) and Gene Case (222) had huge weeks at the plate. Dode had the highest average, 11-for-25, and the speedster added a double, two triples, a homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. The former 12th pick now sports a .294/.357/.511 (132 OPS+) season line with 24 extra base hits, 22 walks, 29 RBIs, and 35 runs scored. Case hit three homers, giving him 13 on the season, 7-for-22 with 5 runs, 6 RBIs, and 5 walks.

Henry Watson added a three-homer week of his own, 8-for-29 with a double and 4 RBIs. No longer in the batting title race, he's still hitting a robust .329/.369/.529 (140 OPS+), and is tied with Dode for third on the team with 9 homers. An excellent right fielder, there's a small part of me that wants to move him to third to allow us to bring in a big bat, but as constructed our defense is one of the bests, as there's really no weakness. Tom Halliday is a part of that, but the slick fielding shortstop brought the boom, hitting his second homer in as many weeks. Halliday had just two in 151 games last year, and on the week finished 6-for-21 with a double, triple, 4 runs, and 5 walks. Jerry McMillan knocked a pair of home runs, 10-for-32 with a double, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 steals. The only regular not to homer was Cal Randall, and the struggling infielder was just 6-for-23, as even in a 3-for-17 week Dutch Miller had a homer and double. In 49 games, Randall has hit just .232/.255/.331 (58 OPS+), and his 60 WRC+ is almost half of the 101 and 102 from his previous two seasons. At least the captain's been great in the field, but he's a way better hitter then he's shown. There's a small part of me that wants to bring Mooney Vetter back up, but for now there's no real room.

Last note is a roster move, as after Buddy Byrd cleared waivers and refused an outright assignment, he went back on the FABL roster. He replaced first basemen John Morrison, who's hit just .167/.286/.250 (47 OPS+) in a small 14 PA sample. As a first basemen only, he hasn't gotten much time, but last year he was so good for us. Looking like a fluke, Morrison hit .342/.419/.658 (180 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 7 homers, and 24 RBIs. This came in just 86 PAs, and there's a chance the 33-year-old gets claimed by a team needing a righty bat. My guess is the $90k salary will scare most away, and I have yet to decide what I'll do if he clears. A release seems likely, but he's really the only natural first basemen in Chicago other then Case. Right now Buck has the 5'10'' Byrd as the top backup, though luckily Case is a machine, appearing in all 59 of our games and starting all but one.

Looking Ahead
We'll spend the entirety of this week on the road, starting with two in Cleveland against the Foresters. We just broke the tie with the, as at 32-28 they've got the same amount of wins with one more loss. After we finish, I hope they end up with three more losses, but the struggling club seems to have righted the ship after Paul Williams' (.335, 5, 39) BBQ cookout. Statistically, they're a middle of the pack team, sitting with 261 runs scored and allowed. The best thing for us is we avoid Adrian Czerwinski (7-2, 2.63, 59), though Sibby Smith (5-2, 2.24, 43) has impressed in the rotation and out of the pen, while Sonny Stoyer (4-2, 4.05, 34) shut us out in Chicago. On paper though, these are good matchups for us, so if we can make it so Johnny Ogden (1-4, 8, 3.34, 46) can't finish us off, I like our chances. The offense is underperforming a bit, as Stan Kleminski (.267, 1, 23, 8) has cooled off, Sherry Doyal (.287, 3, 12, 2) still has some injury rust, and both Tom Carr (.291, 2, 23, 10) and John Low (.264, 1, 20) have been more average then there usual good-to-great. Hal Kennedy (.306, 6, 28) has had to shoulder more of the load then usual, and while he's been good, his 121 OPS+ is double digits lower then his career average. His 137 WRC+ is more in line with what he does, but right now he's the main threat, and I think we can handle them even away from home.

San Francisco will be tougher, but at least like the Forester series it's just two games. At 32-26, they're half a game above us, as they match our win total with one less loss. No longer the association leader in run differential, they are +56 to our +54, while the Kings at +61 are now the best. Cincy is between us at +55, which really shows how evenly matched these teams should be. Ranked 3rd in runs against and scored, the Sailors are a team without many weaknesses, though catcher Bill Jenkins (.195, 1, 15) is hitting worse then Hank Walker (99 OPS+), who's actually homered twice against the Sailors this season. I wasn't planning on it initially, but now that I know his love of Sailors pitchers, he'll be on the mound for the finale. I'm curious to see which of their pitchers we face. It won't be Charlie Lawson (6-4, 3.11, 53), he'll get the nod in Dallas, and with double headers they've used swingman Eddie Whitney (6-3, 1, 3.17, 41) to keep their front four more rested. I'm hoping all the games will tire out the staff, as I know we'll struggle mightily with the 3-4-5 of John Kingsbury (.335, 8, 44, 4), Heinie Spitler (.381, 4, 33, 7), and Otis Haldeman (.319, 10, 44, 4). This team is really tough, but we might have hit our stride, and with Gibson I'm confident in us being able to consistently score more then we allow.

After that we'll look to pile on the misery in Dallas, as we get four games with the Wranglers in three days. Including a sweep at our hands, they've lost eight in a row, and at 18-40 are the only sub-20 win Continental team. 19.5 out of first, they won't be making a pennant push anytime soon, and they don't really have anyone to move for prospects. There are a few interesting players on the squad, of course Butch Abrams (5-5, 4.24, 37) being one of them, but they've got 28-year-old Rex Conner (3-3, 3.82, 33) going this season. After walking a Conti-high 95 batters with just 76 strikeouts last season, he's dropped his BB% from 11.8 to 8.7 and rose his K% from 9.4 to 11.9. Him, Abrams, and Steve Miller (3-7, 3.86, 37) are all decent starters, but they rank last or near last in nearly every offensive category. Disciplined slugger Ken Hudson (.222, 6, 20) has really struggled, and it's not like they had much talent around him to begin with. At least Ed Thomas (.272, 3, 22) has a WRC+ above 100, as does Ray Hughes (.268, 6, 19, 3), but it's nowhere near enough. Another sweep here seems likely, but as long as we can at least take 3 of 4, it will be a nice end of a hopefully successful roadtrip.

Minor League Report
RF Cliff Coleman (A Rockford Wildcats): Okay Cliff. I get it. You're ready for Little Rock. Who cares if it makes thing difficult on the rest of the guys in the system.

Fresh off Batter of the Month, Cliff Coleman took home Player of the Week, going 8-for-19 with 3 doubles, a triple, a homer, 6 walks, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. In 44 games, he's now hit an outlandish .344/.482/.740 (227 OPS+) with a 230 WRC+, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 14 homers, 43 RBIs, 38 runs, and 39 walks. Sitting at 118th on the league's prospect list, all Coleman has done this year is rake, and I don't think that will change up in Little Rock. I do expect more strike outs and a lower average, he's not a great contact hitter, but the power is legit and he's athletic, quick, and strong. Still ways from a FABL debut, the pipeline says 1965, there's a chance he spends a few season in AA, but I can see him getting a cup of coffee next season since he'll be on our 40.

Week 11: June 10th-June 16th
 

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 37-30 (3rd, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 31 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .452 AVG, 1.485 OPS
Jack Gibson : 24 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .292 AVG, 1.024 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 36 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .278 AVG, .639 OPS

Schedule
6-10: Loss at Foresters (2-6)
6-11: Win at Foresters (7-1)
6-12: Loss at Sailors (7-4)
6-13: Win at Sailors (4-1)
6-14: Win at Wranglers (2-1)
6-15: Win at Wranglers (12-5)
6-16: Win at Wranglers (7-6): 12 innings
6-16: Loss at Wranglers (4-7)

Recap
Another 5-win week is fun, but guess what? We lost games in the pennant race! In fact, we've won 5 games in 3 of our last 4 sims, but still lost 4 games on the red hot Kings. They're crushing everything in their sights right now, which is going to make things really tough for us. But on the bright side, we've won three straight one-run games! Now isn't that fun!

Less fun is the injury to Cal Randall, though he's been struggling pretty much all season. The new captain has hit just .238/.268/.330 (61 OPS+) through 220 plate appearances, and he'll now miss at least the next two weeks with a strained achilles tendon. His third base defense has been great, as expected, but aside from his 5 homers he hasn't helped us much at the plate. With him heading to the IL, we'll now handle third like I expected to when the season was about to start, with a platoon of George McKee and Mooney Vetter. Vetter has cooled off a little since his monster May, but he's hitting .330/.354/.484 (132 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 homers, and 38 RBIs in 226 Century League PAs. Even with his down season last year, he's a career .281/.312/.410 (91 OPS+) FABL hitter, much higher then McKee's .228/.277/.315 (60 OPS+) in 101 PAs this season. But, he's an elite defender and a lefty, so I'm hoping he can do better with a little more playing time. Vetter may get an occasional start against righties, especially if he hits really well this coming week, but once Randall is healthy he's likely to go right back down.

In better news, Henry Watson continued his assault on pitching this week, as the Continentals most valuable player took home Player of the Week. Crushing four homers, the now 25-year-old Watson was 14-for-31 with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 12 RBIs. Worth 3.7 WAR in 65 games, he's less then a tenth of a run above the Whitney frontrunner Hank Williams (.345, 20, 59), quietly putting together a truly elite season. He's shown improvement in the field too, now a 4 rated center fielder, but since he's playing Diamond Defense level defense in right (6.8, 1.110), he's not moving unless Jerry McMillan gets hurt. Plus, it's helping that gaudy WAR total, which pairs well with his .344/.383/.586 (158 OPS+) triple slash. Add on 13 doubles, 5 triples, 13 homers, 40 runs, and 48 RBIs, he seems like a lock for his second All-Star award, and he's easily been our best player this season.

Along with the WAR lord, we have the current ERA leader too, as Ken Stone continues to dominate. Starting with a complete game win in Cleveland, Stone improved to 7-2, as he allowed 6 hits, a run, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. Later in the week, the now 62nd ranked prospect Pete Meany's first error of the season cost him a win, as all four runs Stone allowed were unearned. It wasn't his best showing, he did allow 10 hits and 7 walks with 5 Ks in 7 innings, but he lowered his CA best ERA to 2.34 (176 ERA+) through 12 starts. Now 7-2, he's got a 1.32 WHIP and 51 strikeouts, tied with Pug White (7-3, 9, 2.98, 41) for the team lead in wins, and Dick Champ (3-7, 5.59, 51) for second in strikeouts. Stone has also thrown the most innings (92.1) on the team, while his 1.2 WAR is second to Don Griffin's (4-3, 3.31, 37) 1.5. Stone has been a revelation so far, and I still can't believe I considered starting his season in the minors.

Despite the winning, it wasn't the greatest all-around week for our Cougs. Watson did a lot of the heavy lifting, but since Jack Gibson was healthy, Jack Gibson hit homers. Just two, giving him 15 in 165 PAs, which is an even better rate then his 15 in 198 last time he was healthy. Our star slugger has heated back up after his slow return week, 7-for-24 with a double, triple, 3 walks, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs. He jumped ahead of Gene Case, who hit his 14th homer, 6-for-23 with 2 doubles, 6 walks, 4 RBIs, and 8 runs. Still on track for a full 162, he's tired for the first time this season, but with an off day, his quest for 162 can continue without a hitch! We also got good starts from Roy Ellis (6 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 2 K) and Hank Walker (W, 6 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 3 K), while Pug White delivered 6 more shutout innings. Picking up a win and save with 4 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, with both coming in three inning stints. 7-3 with 9 saves, a 2.98 ERA (138 ERA+), and 1.15 WHIP, Pug has been elite outside of a two game stretch, and in a 63.1 inning workload he's walked 21 with 41 strikeouts. The real workhorse of the staff, Pug will continue to be a key cog of our success, and I really hope we can find a way for him to qualify for an ERA title.

Last thing of note was sending John Mitchell down, as after a brutal start in Dallas I figured he was best actually getting regular starts in Milwaukee with all the upcoming off days. He'll be back soon, but the Wranglers tagged him for 11 hits, 7 runs, and 3 walks, though he did strike out 6 in 8 innings. This jumped his ERA to a still impressive 2.87 ERA (143 ERA+), but we have four off days in the next 15 days. He'll be back on the fourth off day, as we have a ton of double headers in July. There's one on the 4th, 14th, 21st, and 28th, though he's not necessarily pitching in each double header. The three Sunday ones it makes most sense, but I think I want him pitching the 7th before the All-Star break, giving the rest of the rotation a four day break instead of three. It's too early to think about August, but we have double headers on the 11th and 18th, which may allow him to stay from July through roster expansion. It won't be Bob Burdick replacing him, as I'm going with lefty Doc Cook. The 26-year-old is a one inning guy, but he's got an outstanding 2.20 ERA (169 ERA+) and 1.12 WHIP in 28.2 innings, striking out 23 with 9 walks. He's pitched for us in each of the past two seasons, going 0-2 with a save, 3.44 ERA (130 ERA+), and 1.45 WHIP, walking 23 with 21 strikeouts. The stuff isn't great for a reliever, but he's got decent movement and control, and should help situationally for us in his quick stay.

Looking Ahead
So while we start the week with an off-day, it won't happen until next week, as our commish is on vacation and won't be simming. Now normally that would suck, but I have my final this week for school and we get the whole week to draft, so there will still be posts. As I'm writing this, I watched 9 of the 11 players on my list taken, so unless the Chiefs pull an audible, I'll probably get the last player with that pick. In some ways it's good, we're guaranteed an ace level pitcher, but I really wanted Carlos Jaramillo (.283, 2, 24, 16) 2.0 in Jack Goodman. Sure, we don't need another shortstop, but "Jack Rabbit" has 5s across the board for infield and most of the baserunning stuff, with "just" a 4 for speed. Add in the 2s for all the offensive categories and you got the lowest floor player ever, with the chance of a multiple-time All-Star winner. Oh yeah, and his teammates look up to him. Even though he's a Wolf now, I hope that he still develops into a star, but it's going to be annoying that the two best shortstops are in our association.

Oh well, Tom Halliday is still awesome! And 5 range is 5 range!

Just, you know, please improve on that 79 WRC+, 'mkay? It was 105 before I got here! Wouldn't that be fun!?

Anyways, we'll eventually host the Foresters for three, who we split with to start last week. I expect more at Cougars Park, even if we have to start by facing Adrian Czerwinski (8-2, 2.41, 62). If Gene Bailey (11-0, 2.53, 69) didn't exist, Czerwinski probably would be the Allen frontrunner, but he's got five of those and six would be hard to fit in his trophy cabinet. No one else in the rotation will get one, and I'm sad to see Les Hanauer (4-5, 5.55, 68) get clobbered in his last two starts. We'll miss him, the rest is up to how they arrange their rotation, but as before the non-Czerwinski arms don't scare me. I'm more worried about Hal Kennedy (.306, 7, 30), Sherry Doyal (.321, 3, 14, 3), and Paul Williams (.314, 5, 41), but I have plenty of faith in our staff securing the series.

It gets easier after, as we'll deal with the struggling Imperials. At 24-42, they've gone 6-12 in June, and sit two games above their expansion counterparts at the bottom of the association. As bad as they are, they have this guy Turk Ramsey, who hits homers at a rate higher then anyone. His 23 leads all of FABL, and he's hit an outstanding .304/.323/.621 (145 OPS+) with 41 runs and 56 RBIs. Pretty much the entirety of their offense, he has more then half of the teams 62 home runs, as last year's 26 home run hitter Jack Woods (.245, 6, 21) is the only guy with more then five. He's had a brutal year, but at least the Imps have gotten some production elsewhere. Despite not being fit for second base, Vern Reynolds (.289, 5, 23) is 26 and a solid bat, Joliet native Willie Dieter (.308, 3, 15) has been useful, and backstop Tom Reed (.326, 5, 11) has somehow managed a 148 WRC+ in 100 PAs. The staff is a mess, but 24-year-old Frankie Sawyer (4-5, 3.83, 64) is a legit building block and I have faith in the now 24-year-old Bob Brown (1-8, 4.88, 65). There's more holes then spots filled, but they've done a decent job building from the ground up and they shouldn't set anymore loss records.

Minor League Report
C Chappy Sanders (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Hey! Some life from Chappy!

Things weren't going great for last year's starting catcher, but he's sneakily picked things up, and I wouldn't have noticed had he not gotten his Player of the Week. 8-for-20 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 8 RBIs, he's now hitting .326/.385/.609 (174 OPS+) in June and .269/.340/.462 (122 OPS+) in 209 PAs on the season. Now 26, the catcher/outfielder is in his first option year, and if he keeps hitting and Dutch Miller (.227, 4, 19) starts to slip, he could be back in Chicago soon. An improving defender, he's gone from good to great, with his only 3 now his arm. The bat is almost perfect, but he just swings and misses too much. He doesn't have strikeout problems and he still walks, but he's not great at putting the ball in play. When he does, he usually hits it hard, as he's got solid pop and great gap power. In Chicago he had 21 doubles and 14 homers, and in Milwaukee he's got 12 and 7. Still an option for the catcher of the future, the optioning wasn't a reflection on him, as it was more about getting him more playing time. I think it's best to keep him in the farm for now, but if we get closer to first and need a jolt, I won't hesitate to DFA Milt Payne, who's probably outlived his usefulness.

SS Sam Pratt (A Rockford Wildcats): One of the guys who's happiest that Jack Goodman is not a Cougar prospect, Sam Pratt had fun before hand, with the game of his life on the 10th. During the 14-7 win over Davenport, the Wildcat went 5-for-6 with 4 runs and 4 RBIs, recording a cycle with two doubles. Then three days later in Peoria, he was then 4-for-5 with a double and homer, and as you might be able to guess, the 20-year-old utility man took home Player of the Week. Hitting an outstanding .577/.656/1.154 (384 OPS+), Pratt collected 4 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 9 runs, 10 RBIs, 6 walks, and a steal, all without striking out. Our 4th Round selection in 1961, Pratt has taken his promotion well, hitting .367/.444/.646 (192 OPS+) in his 18 Class A games, so far tallying 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 16 RBIs, 17 runs, 10 walks, and 3 steals. The versatile Pratt has really looked good at short, but he'll play plus defense anywhere but catcher. Starting to get some prospect love, he's up to 12th in the system and 279th overall, and his contact tool has really started to take form. This new power is something to watch, but he's more of a put it in play and run run run type. Good work ethic, speed, and defense, it's easy to root for this guy, and at worse he's going to be an amazing utility player at worst, and hopefully a useful starter at best.

1963 Draft: Round 1
 

1st Round, 11th Overall: RHP Hub Russell
School: Dupont Manual Crimsons
1963: 6-0, 73.2 IP, 0.73 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 12 BB, 130 K
Career: 6-0, 73.2 IP, 0.73 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 12 BB, 130 K

Picking 11th, I had 11 players on my first round list. After pick one, it went down to 10. Then 9. Then 9. Then 8. Then-- well. You get the point. All the way down to 1!

On the bright side, it wasn't my 11th player, and Dixie is somewhat happy considering he was 10th and eight of the nine guys ahead of him were already gone.

Hopefully replacing 84th ranked prospect Jim Place as our highest ranked pitching prospect, Hub Russell became our first round pick, as we added the high school righty to our system. 18 in October, the Evansville native was a one-year starter at DuPont Manual, where he split time between the rotation and pen. He looked good overall, 6-0 with a 0.73 ERA and WHIP, but what stands out most is the 0.42 FIP and 10.8 K/BB. He's also more developed then the average high school pitcher, which give me some hope that he'll come close to his potential. He may be undersized, but the tools jump out at you, and he's flashed a ton of potential as he tore through minor league hitting.

A four pitch pitcher, he's a fastball heavy arm, with a fastball, sinker, and cutter at his disposal. They sit in the 88-90 range, which may be where the 5'10'' hurler tops out. His stuff is pretty great, but his sinker is elite, and it should help him survive Cougars Park. While not a groundballer, he does have excellent command, and OSA notes his ability to avoid the longball. That's almost more important then getting groundballs, as plenty of them can be susceptible to homers. By avoiding the center of the plate, he could be an extremely effective arm. As good as our staff is, we need assistance in the farm, and both Dixie and OSA view him as a front line starter. They say that about a lot of these guys, but Dixie's report is at least "Very High" on Hub, even if he doesn't say too much about him. Another plus in his favor is hit personality, he's the type who can handle the big moments, setting up the possibility of a late inning role if he can't crack it as a starter. I don't think that will be an issue, and I can't wait to see how he performs against UMVA pitchers. If it goes well, he could finish in San Jose, but regardless of his early on field performance, the Evansville native instantly becomes one of our most important pitching prospects.

1963 Draft: Round 2
 

2nd Round, 21st Overall: RHP Johnny Kern
School: Phillipsburg Stateliners
1963: 10-0, 106.2 IP, 1.01 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 16 BB, 151 K
Career: 10-0, 106.2 IP, 1.01 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 16 BB, 151 K

I hate that I doubled up on pitchers, but(ts) the guy I wanted went right before my pick, and there really were no other bats worth grabbing here. Sure, part of me regrets passing on a few hitters that I hope will be there at 3, but the pitchers available are just so much better, and our system is thin on the mound, so it might be for the best. Especially since Dixie Marsh thinks we were able to snag two of his top sixteen prospects.

Back to the prep arms we went, as I took the few weeks from 18-year-old Johnny Kern. A Jersey native, he came out of nowhere as a senior, going 10-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 151 strikeouts, starting all 14 of his appearances. A different type of pitcher then Hub, Kern is a control freak, projected to operate with pinpoint command. He's got a four pitch mix too, using a fastball, slider, change, and cut, but his stuff isn't what I typically look for when drafting. That's not to say he doesn't have good stuff, it's at least average, but he sits in the 86-88 range and won't ever overpower anyone. Of course, the mentioned command is far more important, as there are plenty of pitchers who have the filthiest stuff in the world, but it doesn't matter because they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Kern instead prefers to flaunt his command, effortlessly locating pitch after pitch where his catcher wants it.

Aside from the command, there's a lot to like about Kern, who's one of the more advanced high school pitchers. Even moreso then Hub. He's also able to pitch far deeper into games, and while not quite a Ken Stone, he's at worst a Dick Champ. Pitch counts over 100 shouldn't be an issue, but with the command he generally keeps those under control. This has got me dreaming of a lot of complete game wins, as he attacks pitchers to get quick outs. With 2s across the board and a 3 for pBABIP, he's already half way to being decent, and OSA thinks he's one of the many pitchers in the draft with frontline potential. I think that's a bit too presumptuous, all the likely aces have been snapped up, but he's somewhere between that and the middle rotation label Dixie gives him. With his command, I think he's a really good #2, and he's a prime candidate for the dev lab. Improving his secondary pitches will be critical, as while the change and cut should be above average offerings, I'm less sold on his fastball and slider. Not the brightest bulb, he makes up for it with his work ethic, and I'm hopeful he'll start his pro career inside the top-150, maybe even the back half of the top-100. Even if I really wanted the rangey John Butts, I'm psyched to have gotten a pair of top-notch arms, quickly restocking an area of weakness with him, Hub, Jim Place, and Whitey Gates, likely our top four pitching prospects once the draft ends.

1963 Draft: Rounds 3 and 4
 

3rd Round, 51st Overall: SS Art Strait
School: Coalfield Cardinals
1963: .479/.537/.668, 214 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .479/.537/.668, 214 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 3 SB

I probably should have picked a pitcher here, but we already grabbed two and we were running out of quality shortstops. With no John Butts, it made sense to go with Art Strait, though they aren't really similar players. Butts, the El Paso Methodist alum is probably the rangiest player in the draft, both in the infield and the outfield and the guy with one of the highest floors, but he's not very sure handed and acts like, well. A butt.

Strait meanwhile is more of a straight arrow, a high upside prospect who went from team manager to starting shortstop at his Tennessee high school, he was named captain of the baseball team. A leader on and off the field, he hit an impressive .479/.537/.668 with 78 runs, 56 RBIs, and 24 extra base hits. He's not the fastest guy, and if anything is a negative on the bases, but he's got the range for short with a lot of room for improvement. 18 in October, he has above average contact potential, able to put the ball in play often. Both Dixie and OSA think he "can be penciled in for a lion's share of starts at his position," and I hope they're both on to something. Dixie will get another look at him once he joins the organization, but what I like most so far is that both him and OSA note above average power. You can never have too much pop, and out stadium is perfect for guys that can clear the fence. I don't ever want Strait hitting the ball on the ground, he's not going to make anything out of it, but when he elevates good things can happen. The bat is good enough where he can move off of short and still be useful, as he'll remain a plus defender the infield. Add on the personality and at worst you have exactly the kind of guy you want mentoring star shortstops

4th Round, 71st Overall: C Clem Barney
School: Golden Gate Grizzlies
1963: .292/.355/.429, 248 PA, 10 2B, 7 HR, 42 RBI
Career: .292/.355/.429, 248 PA, 10 2B, 7 HR, 42 RBI

I completely overrode my scout with this one, as with all due respect, I think the scouts are crazy on this one. Both OSA and Dixie think that Barney is a bubble player who may never make the majors, which I think is absolutely laughable. I mean currently, "Bedrock Barney" is better then Milt Payne, and not that I'm saying Milt Payne is the barometer for quality, he literally only has a job because he's the most "successful" piece of the useless trading of prized Cougar draftee Jerry Smith and it's just a backup catching spot. The longwinded point is that if I had two years from now or even next year Clem Barney when this season started, he'd have a legit chance to be the backup catcher.

Instantly our best defensive catching prospect, the 21-year-old Cali kid is pretty much the best catcher overall, but the roster filler of Dave Marsh, who I like to pretend is only in the organization because he's Dixie's son, is technically a 5-4-5 while Clem is "only" a 4-4-5. No one is every going to steal off him, it'll be the pitcher, as our future catcher has an absolute cannon behind the plate. The blocking and framing are obviously elite as well, and as a college catcher I think he's probably no worse then ready for A ball. Some of these guys come fresh out of the box ready, as if anyone remembers Bob Mundy, he had a green arrow up to Chicago. Don't expect that here, he's got a lot of work needed with the bat, but he actually has offensive upside. He has a quick swing that will lead to solid contact, but averages much over .250 shouldn't be expected. Instead, his value will come from walks drawn and at bats extended, with the threat to hit a double or homer. As long as I don't rush him, I think we can develop him into at least a top-tier backup catcher, but I wouldn't dream of limiting his ceiling there. I think he can be an approximately 100 WRC+ hitter, and at a muscular 6'2'', 210, he could be a legit power threat. If everything works out like I'd like it to, this is a top-3 catcher, as he could be a Hal Kennedy with an even better glove. No need to get ahead of myself, but I really like think this pick will work out well for us, and at least makes it so I don't have to worry about a backup catcher anytime soon.

1963 Draft: Rounds 5 and 6
 

5th Round, 91st Overall: 2B Ralph Tuomi
School: Inglewood Aztec Eagles
1963: .466/.518/.733, 166 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 43 RBI, 4 SB
Career: .466/.514/.707, 663 PA, 65 2B, 10 3B, 19 HR, 168 RBI, 14 SB

A guy who probably fell further then he should have, as in just under a month Ralph Tuomi went in Dixie's eye from a bench player to someone who should be in the lineup most of the time. A four year letterman in high school, the California native recorded 274 hits in 135 games, slashing .466/.518/.733 with 244 runs, 168 RBIs, 94 extra base hits, and 63 walks. Nearly all his offensive stats are records at his Inglewood high school, and he's a raw and moldable athlete that could excite with the bat. Aside from the talent jump that some might not have caught, Tuomi is a very underdeveloped "second baseman" who will never be mistaken for Buddy Byrd or Jack Gibson. Or even Pete Meany. But a 6'2'' potential slugger who can turn double plays? He could easily shift to first base or function as a right handed bat off the bench. Despite 1s across the board, the still 17-year-old has above average potential across the board. Dixie thinks he can hit around .290 while drawing at least an average number of walks, and the power potential is projectable. It may be a little too early to grab a bat only prospect, but I got my shortstop, two pitchers, and a catcher, and we're starting to get to the point where the lists don't shrink as quickly. Since we actually finished the first twelve rounds already, I know exactly how things turned out, and the risk reaped reward by filling most of the needs I had going in.

I'm excited about the depth of our system again!

Maybe it's time to make some trades! Get rid of some of the old as a strong overall 1963 class made for an interesting end. I'm actually looking forward to setting up my in-game list!

6th Round, 111th Overall: RHP George Jones
School: Hamburg Hawks
1963: 7-2, 91.1 IP, 1.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 20 BB, 114 K
Career: 28-9, 370.2 IP, 1.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 89 BB, 510 K

If there was a theme of this draft, it would be watching the guy I want go to the Chiefs, as our crosstown rivals seemed to have a peek at our draft plan. I hate that I missed out on Harley Thompson, a potential back-end or better innings eater, I don't think Tuomi would be here, and I do really like George Jones. Plus the guy I chose Tuomi over went just after him, leading me to a different bat first prospect.

A bit on the older side, the four year starter turns 19 in September, but in terms of development he's behind Hub and Kern. Jones dominated prep ball in Pennsylvania, finishing 28-9 with a 1.43 ERA and 510 strikeouts. In each of his four seasons he held hitters to less then a walk and hit per inning, starting 13 games all four years. Jones was best as a freshman, 7-2 with a 1.22 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 21 walks, and 126 strikeouts. His 6.0 K/BB was tied for a career best, and he set bests in ERA, innings (95.2), and HR/9 (0.1). A three pitch pitcher, Jones sits in the mid-to-high 80s, and has shown the ability to pitch deep into games. A hard worker, he's improved different aspects of his game each year, and I'm looking forward to seeing him start games. Dixie thinks he can be a back-end starter, and he projects as the solid, if not spectacular guy. Sort of a Dick Champ type, solid stuff, movement, and control, but not the highest upside. The benefit with Jones, however, is the makeup, as he's one of the hardest working guys on the team. He's an obvious dev lab candidate, and I'd consider gambling on adding a pitch to arsenal. That could be what he needs to take it to the next level, but he has plenty of time to develop and take advantage of his first man in, last man out mentality.

1963 Draft: Rounds 7 and 8
 

7th Round, 131st Overall: CF Bob Adams
School: Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies
1963: .296/.340/.496, 250 PA, 10 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 41 SB
Career: .290/.341/.501, 819 PA, 39 2B, 19 3B, 27 HR, 149 RBI, 116 SB

A guy I would have been happy with in the 3rd Round last season, Bob Adams is a pretty useful center fielder, who's main strength is his athleticism. Lean and athletic, the 19-year-old Adams skipped a grade to get to college ball quicker, recently completing a three season run at Amarillo Methodist. 20 in August, Adams had a consistent three year career, hitting .290/.341/.501 while averaging 9 homers and 39 steals a season. An interesting hitter, Adams has continued to improve his approach, looking to take advantage of his speed. A guy you always want taking the extra base or giving it a try stealing, putting the ball in play is a good thing, and I wish he had more then an above average hit tool. The range is what makes a him valuable, as he can track down most balls hit in center. He does lack an arm, so right really isn't an option, but he's still extremely valuable in left and center. All three of our current outfielders have much better arms, so it would be easy for him to a fill the fourth outfield role without having to play an inning in right.

A high upside fourth outfielder, we could probably start him in Rockford if I wanted, but what's most important right now is getting him reps in center field. We've got a center fielder from San Jose to Little Rock, and I don't think Orlando Benitez (.266, 8, 34, 4) is quite ready for AAA. This could lead to Adams starting in La Crosse just so he can play his natural position. There's no one penciled in the lineup right now, and he can get his feet wet with what should be less experienced competition.

8th Round, 151th Overall: LHP Alex Perry
School: Cowpens State Fighting Green
1963: 5-8, 126.2 IP, 6.54 ERA, 2.09 WHIP, 131 BB, 112 K
Career: 8-15, 227.1 IP, 7.28 ERA, 2.16 WHIP, 239 BB, 206 K

I kid you not. Alex Perry has the best stuff in the draft.

Of the 142 draft eligible pitcher, only one pitcher is a current "Starter," and it's the one who had the third highest ERA and WHIP this season, which was actually an improvement on his first season.

Dixie gives the 6'3'' lefty five "4" rated pitchers, all while hitting 97 with his fastball. OSA gives his sixth pitch, his change, a 4, as the wild lefty has some of the best stuff in baseball. While not quite Doc Griffin level stuff, our ace is one of 11 pitchers with a 5 rated pitch, and only Art Ozburn has more then one, so Perry basically has 5 or 6 pitches that could be the best or second best pitch in any one's arsenal.

Despite the utter lack of command, Perry gives one of the toughest at bats you can imagine, and one of our talented defensive catchers should be able to reign him in. The command may never improve, and he leaves way too many pitches in the center of the zone, but with how hard he throws and how many weapons he has, it's tough to put the ball in play. Walks, strikeouts, hit by pitches, and homers will be a plenty, as he has one fastball and five wipeout pitches. The lefty's slider is devastating against same side hitters, his two curves comes from an identical arm angle, and his splitter almost disappears out of the hand. Even if the change is just average, that's just an absurd repertories, and maybe just maybe this guy decides to be dominant. Either in short bursts or long starts. He could do the both, and I'm going to do my best to milk whatever development I can out of this intriguing prospect.

1963 Draft: Rounds 9 and 10
 

9th Round, 171st Overall: SS Horace Stewart
School: Whitwell Tigers
1963: .431/.479/.701, 188 PA, 18 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 32 SB
Career: .447/.502/.697, 757 PA, 79 2B, 22 3B, 15 HR, 176 RBI, 113 SB

Our second shortstop of the draft, Horace Stewart was a four-year letterman at Whitwell, as the switch hitter was a mainstay for his varsity team. The Nashville native collected exactly 300 hits in 153 games, hitting an impressive .447/.502/.697 with 79 doubles, 22 triples, and 15 home runs. A skilled defender, Stewart has the range to stick at short, but to build his versatility I expect him to get reps at second and third when necessary. As we add more infield depth, more guys will get to play different positions, and if he's at the same level as Art Strait, time at short will be limited. He's the better defender, but Strait is a better hitter both now and in the future, and the more he plays there the better he's going to get. Stewart needs to improve the bat first, but he has the swing to hit his way into a lineup. Able to barrel the ball with a quick, compact swing, he hits the ball hard to all fields, and with balls in play his speed is a weapon. And at 6'3'' he has the chance to build muscled and add power to his game. Another hard worker, we need to get him in the weight room ASAP, and he'll have all the time he needs to get into a groove before the on-field results really matter. At worst a utility player, at best a potential regular, he could end up one of our better infield prospects.

10th Round, 191st Overall: RHP Johnny Maples
School: Adirondack State Mountaineers
1963: 8-4, 112.1 IP, 3.69 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 57 BB, 97 K
Career: 24-11, 331 IP, 3.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 110 BB, 288 K

As cool as the name Johnny Maples is, this was not a name pick in the 10th Round, as he's a really good pitcher that only fell because this class had so many good pitchers. The almost 20-year-old broke out as a freshman at Adirondack State, going 10-4 in 19 starts with a 2.50 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts. It ended up an outlier season, but the 6-2 right was still excellent as a sophomore and junior. He did take a step back this season, seeing his walk rate nearly double. His 11.2 BB% is just short of his 1961 (5.0) and 1962 (6.8) rates added together (11.8), so this might be what his career hinges on. The stuff is good, but not overcome a ton of walks good, but each project to be plus pitches. His sinker is already a weapon, even in the mid 80s, as he has no issues throwing his go-to pitch. With a good defense behind him, he can produce better results then deserved, and he's pretty well developed. At least a useful innings eater, there is room in San Jose for a starter right away, and I have faith in his ability to skip a level.