[ayaghmour2]

To make roster cuts easy, I decided to go with a 9 man staff. Last year was the first season since I've been GM that we had an ERA under 5.00 (impressive, I know...) but out park is not the friendliest for pitchers, especially for those who love giving up home runs. Here's how the rotation is going to shape up:

LHP Dick Lyons: A 28-year-old from Denton, TX, Lyons was the Cougars 2nd Round pick in 1921 out of Frankford State. It took him a bit to make the show, debuting at 25 in 1926 with a 27.1 inning audition that did not go to well. Last season was his second full season in the league and he has slowly blossomed into a dependable arm at the top of the rotation. He lead the league in HR/9 (0.3), even with the 300 feet fences down the line. He was just 9-18 (we had the worst record in the league last season), but had a solid 3.88 ERA (111 ERA+) with 81 strikeouts, 70 walks, and a 1.50 WHIP. If WAR is your cup of tea, his was an impressive 5.1 in 243.2 innings pitched. He's excellent and generating groundballs, so our fielders always have to be ready when he's on the mound.

RHP Vince DaCosta: A tale of two seasons it was for the now 35-year-old veteran. In 1927, he was lead the league with 22 wins and worked to a 3.99 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts despite leading the league in homers for his second straight season. In 1928, it couldn't have been more different, as he lead the league with 22 losses and owned a 5.71 ERA (75 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, and just 46 strikeouts. His homers dropped significantly, but the meteoric fall in strikeouts is much much worse. For a rebuilding team like ours, DaCosta's only job is to eat innings until the younger guys are ready, but the former 4th round pick definitely has FABL pedigree. In his career with the Gothams and Cougars, he's 86-97 with a 4.39 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 1,695.2 innings spanning 10 seasons. He's topped 250 innings every season since 1924, but with another season like last he's likely not going to reach that this year. He's an interesting bounce back candidate that can be moved near the deadline if we find ourselves near the bottom of the standings again.

RHP Johnny Dougals: If only he could stay healthy... Last season was shaping out great for the 5'5'' Douglas, as his 10 starts were elite. He was 4-4 with a 2.99 ERA (144 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP before forearm inflammation cost him his season. He got a late start too, as a tender elbow and then herniated disc also caused him to miss time last season. All after tearing his flexor tendon towards the end of the 1926 season, costing him all of 1927. He was acquired in a trade with the Stars that season for 3B John Lawson and CF Joe Snider which looks really bad now. Joe Lawson had an excellent rookie year, hitting .344/.404/.518 (157 OPS+) with 22 homers and 106 RBI's. He really came out of nowhere, as before trading him, I just signed him as a minor league free agent, but I could have had my 3B of the future if I held on to them. In Douglas' defense, he's been just as good when healthy, going 10-9 with a 3.00 ERA (158 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP in 26 starts. We're hoping he can stay healthy and perform at the level he's shown.

LHP Babe Wilder: Like DaCosta, the 36-year-old veteran is here to eat innings. He's been an FABL pitcher since 1915 where he debuted with the Miners as a 22-year-old. He spent half the season in the minors last year, but when called up to Chicago, he was excellent. He went 6-7 with a 3.58 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 14 starts. We grabbed him off waivers from St. Louis in the 1926 offseason, making Chicago his third stop in the league. For his career, he's 131-121 with a 4.03 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 787 strikeouts in 2,258.2 career innings. If he continues his pace, the veteran lefty could be flipped for prospects near the deadline. The only problem is he hasn't been an above average pitcher since 1922 (discounting last season), so it may have been a lucky handful of starts.

RHP Cotton Taylor: We round out the rotation with 26-year-old Cotton Taylor, who we poached from the Foresters organization in the 1926 Rule-5 Draft. A former 11th Round pick by Baltimore out of Cumberland in the 1923 draft. Taylor has been effective the past two season, going 14-22 with a 4.37 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 356.2 innings the past two seasons. Last year he was used strictly out of the rotation, and he looked very comfortable in 26 starts in the majors. He may have been 6-13, but he had a solid 4.10 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in just under 200 innings. I love his upside, and he can slowly work is way up the rotation.

I sent a trio of young starters to AAA Milwaukee to start the season, 23-year-old Ben Curtin and 24-year-olds Lou Gaffin and Dick Kadlec. Kadlec is the only of the trio with big league experience, as he made three September starts for us last season. All three rank in our top prospect list, so I will talk more about them in those posts. Veteran Benny Walker also did not make the team, but the 34-year-old hasn't pitched since 1927 and suffered from two setbacks after being diagnosed with shoulder inflammation.

The bullpen is next!