[ayaghmour2]

April 29th, 1929
Chicago Cougars (4-10): 1
Cleveland Foresters (7-6): 16

W: Max Wilder (1-1)
L: Joe Foley (0-1)

Well... At least this game ended? Joe Foley made his first start on the North Side, and it could not have gone any worse. He allowed 10 hits and 9 runs in 5 innings with 4 walks and just 1 strikeout. Clyde Lincoln, who did well up until today, allowing 8 hits and 7 runs in 1.2 innings. He walked 2 and struck out just 1. We only had 4 total hits. Dick Fessel had half of them, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

April 30th, 1929
Chicago Cougars (4-11): 1
Cleveland Foresters (8-6): 5

W: Jim Wilson (2-0)
L: Babe Wilder (0-3)

And the offensive force continues! Another game with just a single run as the Foresters took the series lead with this win. Mack Deal and Joe Davis were both 2-for-4 in this one. Wilder had the last hit, going 1-for-3. He did have his best start of the season too, going 8 innings with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

May 1st, 1929
Chicago Cougars (4-12): 1
Cleveland Foresters (9-6): 4

W: Bob Lawrence (2-2)
L: Dick Lyons (1-2)

Three straight losses. Three runs total. It was disappointing to say the least, however, at least it was not a sweep. Mack Deal had another good game, 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Harry Simmons was 1-for-4 with a run scored. On the mound, Dick Lyons had a good start, 7 innings with 7 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Not much else to report on in this game.

May 2nd, 1929
Chicago Cougars (5-12): 7
New York Stars (8-8): 6

W: Clyde Lincoln (2-0)
L: Earl Slater (0-1)
SV: Ace McSherry (2)

WE SCORED RUNS!!! It was a nail-biter and we managed to get to their bullpen, scoring 2 in the top of the 9th before Ace McSherry shut the door in the 9th. He walked just 1 en route to the save. Cotton Taylor got the start and was alright, 7 innings with 9 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), and 5 strikeouts. The only downfall was his 7 walks. He was also 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk and run scored. Dick Fessel went 2-for-3 with 2 walks, a triple, run scored, and RBI. John Dibblee was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Harry Simmons was 1-for-5, but he doubled home two and scored a run. Art Panko was 1-for-4 with a triple, walk, and run scored. Barney Green hit a pinch-hit solo homer in the 9th with two outs.

May 3rd, 1929
Chicago Cougars (5-13): 2
New York Stars (9-8): 5

W: Mutt Pharr (2-2)
L: Vince DaCosta (0-4)

The Stars evened up the series with the win here. DaCosta continued his quest for 32 losses, allowing 10 hits and 5 runs (4 earned) with 4 walks and a strikeout in 8 innings. Bob McCarty went 2-for-5. Mack Deal was 1-for-3 with a double, sac-bunt, and RBI. Gary Sanders was 1-for-3 with a double, walk, and RBI.

May 4th, 1929
Chicago Cougars (6-13): 12
New York Stars (9-9): 5

W: Clyde Lincoln (3-0)
L: Del Plummer (2-1)

Even with the off day tomorrow, we didn't win the series with this 12-5 victory since we play the Stars a fourth time on Monday. Joe Foley got the start, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with a strikeout before leaving with shoulder tendinitis with 2 outs in the 5th. Clyde Lincoln pitched the rest of the game, allowing 6 hits and 1 run with a strikeout in 4.1 innings as he improved to 3-0 on the season. The offense nearly scored more runs today then all week, lead by a 4 hit performance from Art Panko. He doubled and scored in 6 at bats. George Sanders was 3-for-4 with 2 runs, 2 RBI's, and his first homer on the season. Harry Simmons was 3-for-5 with a double, run scored, and 5 driven in. Mike Smith came off the bench and was a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 runs, a double, and RBI. Bob McCarty was 3-for-4 with a triple, walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's.

Stars of the Week
Mack Deal : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .364 AVG, .818 OPS
Harry Simmons : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .333 AVG, .792 OPS
Dick Fessel : 16 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, .974 OPS

Looking Ahead: We finish our series with the Stars where we can win our first series of the year. We then continue our long road trip with three in Brooklyn (10-10) and three in Montreal (10-9). We have yet to play the Kings or the Saints this season. We our in 8th, 6.5 games behind the Sailors (12-6) in the Continental Association.

Injury Report: Bill Ashbaugh is still not healthy, and I am really worried about this. A 2 week injury has turned into an almost month long recovery. We lost two pitchers as well, with Joe Foley's shoulder tendinitis and Charlie O'Hare's rotator cuff strain. Foley will likely miss 2 weeks and O'Hare 3 weeks. Johnny Douglas will return to the roster and take Foley's vacated rotation spot. Ike Quinn will make his season debut in LaCrosse as he's now fully recovered. Down in Lincoln, 2B Red Cowell will miss 1-2 weeks with blurred vision.

Transactions: To replace O'Hare on the active roster, I called up Ed Woodward from AAA Milwaukee. He's allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and struck out 1 in 6 innings out of the pen.

Minor League Report:

SP Heinie Bretz (A Lincoln Legislators): Just 3 starts were all Bretz needed to earn the promotion to Lincoln. He worked to a 2.25 ERA (207 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP with 5 walks and 7 strikeouts in 24 innings. As long as he doesn't show too much struggles with the Legislators, he's very unlikely to return to San Jose.

SS Clyde Hinzman (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a strong week for the glove first Hinzman as he was named Heartland Player of the Week. He went 13-for-27 with a home run and 5 RBI's to take home the award. It's been a nice start to the season for the almost 22 year old, as he's hit .405/.476/.568 (179 OPS+) in 10 games. The Rabbit Forrest experiment at short hasn't started too well (-4.2 ZR in 8 games), so Hinzman may find himself in AA before May ends.

LF Earl Johnson (AA Mobile Commodores): His hit streak was ended at 25 by the New Orleans Showboats, but after two hitless games he responded with 3 and 4 in the two following. He's now hitting .367/.426/.551 (155 OPS+) with 1 homer, 2 steals, and 10 RBI's in 11 games with the Commodores.

1B Luke Nixon (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Despite skipping AA as a whole, Luke Nixon has shown that he didn't need to spend any time in Mobile. He was recently named Player of the Week after going 14-for-28 with a home run and 5 RBI's. It actually lowered his season line, as he's hitting .524/.588/.786 (248 OPS+) with 1 homer and 12 RBI's in 51 trips to the plate. With John Dibblee set at first, there's no easy way for Nixon to get playing tmie in the majors, however, if Dibblee shows signs of fatigue I can platoon the righty Nixon with him. It will be hard to move a legend like him to the bench, but Nixon definitely needs more then just 10 games in the upper minors before getting the call to the show.

Amateur Report:

SP Tom Blalock (Chicago Poly Panthers): Not too far from North Side Grounds, there's a pitcher who actually does a good job of not allowing runs. Blalock, a draft eligible junior, is building off an elite sophomore year (303 ERA+), going 5-1 with a 1.57 ERA (304 ERA+), 0.81 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. He's been a big reason why the Panthers are a division best 20-11, and Blalock is pushing to make a case for himself to be the #1 pick in the draft. I still prefer Tom Barrell to him, but whatever team selects him is going to be very lucky.

SP Chick Stout (Rainier College Majestics): He was recently named Continental Pitcher of the Month, and the almost 21-year-old Chick Stout has been a perfect 8-0 with a 1.09 ERA (430 ERA+), 0.70 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. He was decent his first two seasons (254 ERA+, 167 ERA+), but the two-way righty has picked the perfect time to breakout. Rainier College has been the best team in the league, going 26-6 with a 5 game lead over Lubbock State. Stout is an extreme groundballer who sits in the low 90s with a dominant sinker. He's not the best hitter out there, but he can play a little second, third, left, center, and right. Like Blalock, he's doing his part to take the #1 spot in the draft.

SP Tom Barrell (Georgia Baptist Gators): In a 5-0 shutout over the Cumberland Explorers, the brother of Cougar farmhand Fred Barrell, the righty struck out 11 and allowed just 4 hits while also going 2-for-4 with an RBI. It's been a great season all around for the senior, who's 6-2 with a 2.13 ERA (224 ERA+), 0.82 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 76 innings. He's also hitting .357/.431/.591 (158 OPS+) with 7 homers and 30 RBI's as a first basemen. The scouts loves Barrell (maybe because his dad is one of them?) and his velocity has reached the high 90s. He looks like a future ace and cleanup hitter and is the early favorite to be taken #1 overall by whichever CA team has the worst record.

RF Vic Crawford (Commonwealth Catholic Knights): Since enrolling at Commonwealth Catholic, all the Honolulu native has done is hit. He's upped his current hit streak to 20 after a 4-for-5 showing with 2 homers and 6 RBI's in a 10-7 win over Frankford State. He's now upped his batting line to .366/.448/.992 (261 OPS+) with 21 homers and 56 RBI's in 123 at bats for the Knights. One of the hitters in the league, he's also a plus fielder and has had a positive zone rating each season in right. He's a powerful right handed slugger with a lot of potential in his bat. The consistency Crawford's show his whole career makes him look like a lock to be a high selection as his "worst" season saw him record a 205 OPS+.

SP Ike Joyal (Wilkes-Barre HS Warriors): The Sophomore righty known as "Farmer" Ike Joyal has built off an excellent 1928 season as the Warriors find themselves in first place. Joyal is 4-1 with a 0.76 ERA (445 ERA+), 0.70 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. He throws four pitches, headlined with an excellent forkball. He doesn't throw too hard, but at just 16, he's got a lot of time to grow into his 6'1'' frame (only 165 lbs) and increase his velocity. It's a little early to consider him a draft prospect, but two solid seasons give him a good chance to be a higher round selection.

SP Bud Hastings (Pittsburgh HS Pipers): It's the first season for the sophomore out of Vegas, and he's had a good start so far. He may be 1-3, but he has a nice 2.38 ERA (142 ERA+) and 0.91 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 53 innings for the Pipers. The best of his three pitches is his cutter, but his secondary offerings need a little work. He's a high ceiling, low floor kind of guy who already sits at the top of the Pittsburgh rotation.

3B Buddy Kircher (Elmira HS Emeralds): After spending the past two seasons as a full time third basemen, the almost 18-year-old has started to pitch and while his offense has tanked, he's excelled on the mound. After hitting .363/.452/.592 (152 OPS+) and .333/.373/.683 (185 OPS+) with 19 homers and 59 RBI's, he's dropped down to .174/.229/.233 (36 OPS+) with just 1 homer and 14 RBI's. In 7 starts, however, he's 4-2 with a 1.50 ERA (220 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 48 innings. This makes his draft stock really interesting, as his future could now be in the rotation of the lineup.

SS Phil Barber (Cleveland HS Barons): In his first season with the Barons, the now 16-year-old Phil Barber is having a great season. He's hitting .370/.427/.474 (158 OPS+) with 14 steals and 23 RBI's atop the Cleveland HS Barons lineup. Cleveland is now stuck in a three way tie with Chicago and Cincinnati and just 1 game above St. Louis and 2 above Toledo in a crowded Midwestern division. He's not the only star on his team, as SP Austin Vance, also a first year player, is 4-1 with a 1.33 ERA (253 ERA+), 0.91 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings. The groundballer throws five decent pitches headlined by a "nifty" slider. He throws in the mid 80s now, but a velocity boost is likely for the righty.

CF Bill May (Greensboro HS Giants): One of the best outfielders in the HS circuits, the lefty Bill May can do it from both sides of the field. As a hitter, he's hitting .445/.480/.577 (216 OPS+) with 13 steals and 23 RBI's and in the field he's earned an impressive +6.6 ZR in center, unheard of in first year players. He's got blinding speed which helps him run down nearly any ball hit in his vicinity and he sprays line drives all around the field. He's tiny, just 145 pounds, but he's got time to grow and polish his raw talent as he attempts to blossom into an FABL draft prospect.