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July 23rd, 1929
Montreal Saints (49-43): 7
Chicago Cougars (36-54): 10

W: Cotton Taylor (6-8)
L: Charlie Stedman (12-7)
SV: Ace McSherry (12)

Both teams had 5 run innings, but we managed to hold off a late Saints rally to take the opener. Cotton Taylor wasn't perfect, but 4 of his 7 runs were unearned. He went 8 innings with 8 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. John Dibblee was 2-for-4 with a double and 4 RBI's. Mack Deal was 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI. Bob McCarty was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Dick Fessel was 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Taylor was 1-for-2 with a sac-bunt, run scored, and two driven in.

July 24th, 1929
Montreal Saints (49-44): 2
Chicago Cougars (37-54): 4

W: Charley O'Hare (4-3)
L: John Barrie (4-3)

This was a really shaky game pitched by Charley O'Hare, however, he allowed 2 unearned runs with 10 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Luke Nixon was 2-for-3 with a double, walk, run scored, and RBI. Bob McCarty was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Mack Deal was 1-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI's.

July 25th, 1929
Montreal Saints (50-44): 14
Chicago Cougars (37-55): 13

W: Leo Hall (8-6)
L: Ace McSherry (0-4)

It was a huge slugfest that was tied at 13 in the 9th before the Saints took the lead in the 9th. Ace McSherry allowed a hit and run with a strikeout while getting the loss. Dick Kadlec had a rough start, allowing 11 hits and 8 runs with 4 walks and a strikeout in just 4 innings. Ed Woodward allowed 7 hits and 5 runs with a strikeout in 2 innings. John Dibblee was 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBI's. Bob McCarty was 3-for-5 with a double and 3 runs scored. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI's. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a walk, double, 3 walks, and an RBI. Mike Smith was 1-for-3 with a walk, homer, and three driven in. Mack Deal and Luke Nixon were both 1-for-4 with a steal and run scored.

July 26th, 1929
New York Stars (51-42): 13
Chicago Cougars (37-56): 4

W: Mutt Pharr (10-9)
L: Joe Foley (0-2)

The Stars were in town and they had the way with our pitching. It was a rough start for Joe Foley in his first game back. He allowed 11 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), and 2 walks. Ed Woodward allowed 9 hits and 4 runs with 2 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Fred Barrell was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI's and just a homer away from the cycle. John Dibblee was 2-for-2 with a walk. Bob McCarty was 1-for-3 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Dick Fessel was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

July 27th, 1929
New York Stars (51-43): 2
Chicago Cougars (38-56): 4

W: Dick Lyons (11-8)
L: Dick Richards (9-5)

Dick Lyons pitched an excellent game to even the four game series back up. He went the distance, allowing 7 hits, a run, unearned run, walk, and strikeout. John Dibblee was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Harry Simmons was 1-for-3 with a walk and 2 RBI's. Luke Nixon and Bob McCarty were 1-for-4 with a run.

July 27th, 1929
New York Stars (51-44): 4
Chicago Cougars (39-56): 7

W: Charley O'Hare (5-3)
L: Del Plummer (8-10)
SV: Chick Meehan (1)

The game was pitched by two recent callups, with Charlie O'Hare tossing 6 innings with 7 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout. Chick Meehan tossed 3 in a save, allowing a hit and walk with 2 strikeouts. Mike Smith was 2-for-4 with a two run homer. Bob McCarty was 2-for-3 with a double, walk, run scored, and RBI. John Dibblee was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 1-for-3 with a solo homer. Mack Deal was 1-for-4 with 2 runs scored.

Stars of the Week
John Dibblee : 23 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 12 RBI, .609 AVG, 1.408 OPS
Bob McCarty : 23 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .478 AVG, 1.147 OPS
Charley O'Hare : 2 Wins, 15.0 IP, 6 BB, 2 K, 2.40 ERA

Looking Ahead
We have a chance to finish the Stars (51-44) series with a win before a four game series with Baltimore (52-46). The home streak continues with four against the Kings (42-54) and then a pair of off days. The deadline is in two games, but I can't see any trades being made. I'd love to move Panko, but my guess is he won't have interest. We sit 21 out of the Sailors (60-35) with the Stars and Saints (52-46) 9 and 9.5 games out.

I can't wait until September when I can bring all the young guys up. Then I will have more flexibility with my entire roster.

Injury Report
SP's Heinie Bretz and Ike Quin will head back to Lincoln and La Crosse. Sacramento CF Pete Slater will miss the rest of the season with shoulder inflammation. It seems like injuries are too common for the youngster. They will also be without 2B Bill Rose for 4-5 weeks with a pinched nerve in his neck. SP Pete Carey will miss a week with wrist soreness.

Transactions
I made a small change to the rotation, sending Cotton Taylor to Milwaukee while recalling Andy Chastain. Taylor was 6-8 with a 4.98 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 121 innings pitched through 18 starts. Chastain on the other hand spent time between the rotation and bullpen in AAA going 4-5 with a 3.63 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.

Awards
John Dibblee took home the Player of the Week award! He went 14-for-23 (.609!) with 12 RBI's. At 41, he's still raking, hitting .354/.393/.463 (109 OPS+) with a homer and 48 RBI's.

Minor League Report

RF Ed Rhoden (AA Mobile Commodores): A right fielder by trade, Rhoden has getting some playing time in center as well. The former 13th Round pick has been great with the bat as well, hitting .340/.375/.480 (121 OPS+) with a homer and 17 RBI's in 150 at bats with the Commodores. He's got above average contact potential and could be a solid defender in right if center isn't for him. As he builds versatility, Rhoden is likely to see himself in the majors soon.

C Ben Richardson (C La Crosse Lions): It was a great week for the young backstop who hit .500 with 5 RBI's and 10 runs to take home the award for the Upper Mississippi Valley Association. It's been a solid season for the 15th round pick, hitting .308/.361/.421 (129 OPS+) with 2 homers and 21 RBI's. He's currently up to our 22nd ranked prospect and the youngster's stock keeps rising. My scout is a big fan of him, considering him "a front runner audition as a catcher" who can hit .330 and play solid defense. He's gotten better each year, as only his Junior season was the only season he put up above average offensive production (134 OPS+) in high school. With Barrell locking down the catcher position for years to come, Richardson is a nice new addition to the farm system.

SS Joe Taylor (C La Crosse Lions): Selected in the 8th Round out of Detroit City College, he was red hot in July after a rough June. He hit .310/.423/.517 with 2 homers and 22 RBI's to raise his season line to .230/.327/.371 (104 OPS+) on the season. He's also been elite defensively at short, earning a +6.2 ZR in 48 games. He's a slow base runner, but it doesn't hurt him in the field. He's got a lot of developing to go, but it's been a nice rebound for him.

Amateur Report

The first school I'll touch on is the Whitney College Engineers. They finished 25-25 and 8 games behind Chicago Poly in the Midwest division. Unfortunately for them, they have never made the postseason. We have a farmhand, Harry Humphrey, who went to Whitney College.

RF Bobby Many: He'll be eligible for this years' draft, and a strong junior season in his second full year of starting has rocketed him up draft boards. The 20-year-old hit .410/.530/.781 (220 OPS+) with 17 homers and 76 RBI's. The lefty swinger tied 1B Will Bryant of Central Ohio for the second most RBI's in a single season. Bryant had his 76 this season, and the All-Time record of 85 was set this season by Vic Crawford. Of course, he'll leave Whitney College as the single season RBI leader as well as the career leader with 136. His 17 homers hit were also the most by an Engineer player as were his 46 walks, 55 runs, 1.311 OPS, .530 OBP, and .781. He finished his career with a .351/.455/.623 (176 OPS+) line with 28 homers and 136 RBI's. Many seems set to be a prolific FABL power hitter.

2B Al Haynes: It was a strong freshman season for the 19-year-old Haynes who will have to step in as "the man" next year. Hitting above Many, the switch hitter had a productive .424/.462/.544 (144 OPS+) line with 16 steals, 2 homers, and 32 RBI's. His calling card is his solid contact potential and despite a -8.7 ZR, my scout is convinced he is an excellent defender. Haynes didn't draw many walks (14) although a lot of this could be due to Many batting behind him. He was pitched to contact routinely, however, Haynes will likely never have the same offensive impact as Many.

SP Gary Swanson: Another freshman, Gary Swanson was an impressive 10-2 with a 2.52 ERA (192 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. The righty can throw five pitches and the hard stuff sits in the 86-88 MPH range. He's 6'4'' and is likely to add velocity, and his height really helps him generate ground balls. He has excellent control of his pitches and he could lead the staff next year.

The next team to look at is the defending champion Richmond HS Rebels. They took down the Mobile HS Commodores after finishing the regular season 28-12 with just a 1 game lead over Greensboro HS. It was their sixth postseason trip, but their first championship.

LF Joe Owens: He'll have the opportunity to get drafted after hitting .396/.465/.560 (208 OPS+) as a senior with 19 steals and 31 RBI's. He finished his high school career .360/.446/.537 (174 OPS+) with 11 homers, 37 steals, and 92 RBI's. The lefty swinger makes a lot of contact and has dazzling speed. That speed doesn't quite translate to defensive ability, but he's definitely playable in left. With all high school players, they are difficult to gauge how high they will be taken. There's always risk involved and he's currently "extremely hard" to sign. Whoever seeks out "Seeker", however, will have an excellent addition to their system if they can persuade him to sign on.

SP Dick Smith: It's crazy that for the lefty, going 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA (184 ERA+) and 60 strikeouts in 57 innings could be considered a "down" year. His WHIP did improve to 0.89, but he was 4-2 with a 1.70 ERA (254 era+), 1.17 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. He's draft eligible next season and has a chance to be taken in the first couple rounds of next year's draft. The only downside is he throws around 83-85 with his cutter, although at 6'2'' 170 he has time to add muscle and speed. Interesting enough, of his four pitches, his forkball is the best.

RF John Sexton: A versatile sophomore, the 15-year-old John Sexton hit .333/.394/.852 (157 OPS+) with 8 steals and 21 RBI's in his first year playing for the Rebels. Sexton has experience in all three outfield spots as well as the corners in the infield and while right field is his home (where he plays pretty well), he offers a lot of flexibility for the Rebels next year who will be losing their 1B, CF, and LF. Scouts aren't a big fan of him yet, but with another solid season he can set himself up nicely for the 1931 draft.

SP George Pratt: An interesting case, George Pratt didn't pitch a single inning until his senior year. He was considered the team ace and went 4-3 with a 2.83 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 60.1 innings while also hitting .368/.455/.447 (172 OPS+) with 9 RBI's in 44 plate appearances. I think he's likely to head to college, although he has made it clear that if drafted he will sign. I think a lot of teams may pass on the righty and he can then establish himself as a collegiate pitcher.

CF Dick Walls: After cracking .400 as a Sophmore, he never quite matched that year's production. In his three years as a starter, he hit .350/.432/.503 (159 OPS+) with 22 steals, 10 homers, and 99 RBI's. He did, however, take a huge step forward defensively with a +5.7 ZR in center that is better then his career mark of +4.9. He's a steady defender and has a promising eye at the plate. He'll add a few steals too, but Walls seems like a AAAA player more then a big league starter.