[ayaghmour2]

September 9th, 1929
Baltimore Cannons (75-59): 9
Chicago Cougars (53-83): 10

W: Dick Kadlec (5-12)
L: Earle Charlton (0-1)
SV: Ace McSherry (16)

New week, new offense as the Cougars managed to score 10 in the finale to avoid the sweep. Slim Bloom lead the way, 3-for-4 with a double, hit by pitch, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Bob McCarty was 3-for-4 with a steal and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 3-for-4 with a walk. Vince York was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI's. Harry Simmons was 2-for-5 with a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with 3 runs and a walk. George Jordan was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Dick Kadlec allowed 11 hits and 8 runs with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts in 7 innings. Ace McSherry went 2 with 2 hits, a run, 2 walks, and a strikeout.

September 11th, 1929
New York Stars (78-56): 8
Chicago Cougars (53-84): 5

W: Jack Carr (5-1)
L: Chick Meehan (1-5)
SV: Phil English (17)

We were off before starting the Stars series, but they managed to take down our rested squad. Dick Lyons got the start, 6.1 innings with 8 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Chick Meehan got the loss, allowing 3 runs off 4 hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Harry Simmons was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Bob McCarty was 2-for-5 with a triple and 2 runs scored. Mack Deal was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Fred Barrell was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

September 12th, 1929
New York Stars (79-56): 7
Chicago Cougars (53-85): 6

W: Lou Martino (10-3)
L: Cotton Taylor (6-9)
SV: Boyd Harper (5)

After being down 7-0, we almost completed a thrilling comeback. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-3 with 2 walks, a double, run scored, and RBI. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Harry Simmons was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Luke Nixon was 1-for-4 with a steal, walk, and RBI. Bob McCarty was 1-for-5 with a two run double. Johnny Johnson was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Cotton Taylor allowed 7 runs with 9 hits and 5 walks in 6 innings in his return to the big leagues.

September 13th, 1929
New York Stars (79-57): 2
Chicago Cougars (54-85): 4

W: Ben Curtin (2-3)
L: Del Plummer (8-12)
SV: Ace McSherry (17)

We avoided the sweep with a close 4-2 victory in the finale before another off day. Bill Ashbaugh won this game single handedly, going 2-for-4 with 2 homers and 3 RBI's. Luke Nixon was 3-for-4. George Jordan was 1-for-4 with a solo homer. John Dibblee was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Ben Curtin allowed 13 hits in 8 innings, but it only amounted to 2 runs. He struck out 2 and walked 3.

September 15th, 1929
Brooklyn Kings (62-76): 11
Chicago Cougars (54-86): 4
Game 1

W: Lyman Weigel (7-6)
L: Gus Cain (0-2)

The first game of a double header was a blowout as the visiting Kings thrashed us 11-4. Gus Cain was rocked for 9 runs on 11 hits in 5 innings with 5 walks and a strikeout. Andy Chastain allowed 2 hits and 2 unearned runs in 4 innings of mop up. Luke Nixon was 3-for-4 with a steal and 2 runs scored. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-5. Fred Barrell was 1-for-3 with a double, walk, run scored, and RBI. Bob McCarty was 1-for-2 with 2 walks.

September 15th, 1929
Brooklyn Kings (62-77): 1
Chicago Cougars (55-86): 9
Game 2

W: Dick Kadlec (6-12)
L: Mickey Beavers (0-1)

Despite a lineup of nearly all backups, we overpowered the Kings 9-1 to split the double header. It's hard to say Dick Kadlec was great, but he allowed 10 hits with a run, walk, and, strikeout in the complete game victory. John Dibblee was 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, and 3 walks. Slim Bloom was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored. Luke Nixon was 2-for-3 with an RBI. George Jordan and Johnny Johnson were both 1-for-4 with 3 RBI's while Jordan added a walk. Tony Stewart was 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored, and RBI. Charlie Gamble was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

Stars of the Week
Bill Ashbaugh : 20 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .600 AVG, 1.617 OPS
Slim Bloom : 9 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .667 AVG, 1.589 OPS
Bob McCarty : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.125 OPS

Awards
Another Player of the Week for Bill Ashbaugh! He was 12-for-20 with 2 homers, 4 RBI's, and 4 runs scored for his second Player of the Week since August. Ashbaugh heated up in August and is now hitting .404/.472/.596 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's in 13 September games. He won't reach 20/20, but he has a shot for 20/15 (19/13) with a few games left to go. We don't really have a youngster to take at bats for him, so Ashbaugh is likely to play most of our remaining games.

Looking Ahead
We have two more against Brooklyn (62-77) before Montreal (71-67) comes to town for a four game series with an off day in the middle. We then have five(!) days off before the Foresters (56-82) come to town in a battle for the #1 pick in a quick two game set. We then have two more off days followed by 5 in Cleveland and a final game at home hosting the Sailors (95-46). Philly will likely have 100 wins and the pennant rapped up by then, as their 14 game lead seems almost impossible to blow.

I'm also enjoying the performance of some of the younger guys. Slim Bloom is 6-for-13 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI's, Vince York is 10-for-22 with a double and 3 RBI's, George Jordan is 10-for-26 with a double, homer, and 5 RBI's, and Johnny Johnson is 4-for-12 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's. As September continues, they will see more and more game action despite our lack of actual games. And as much as I hate how losing helps bring us closer to a Barrell battery, I'm not sure the struggling Foresters can "blow" their 2.5 game lead considering we play each other seven times and I can't see either team winning a majority of those games.

Injury Report
Joe Foley's return is now unknown, so I think I made the right choice sending him to the DL. He might not make it back next sim.

Transactions
The double header will cause us to need an additional starter, so I am bringing up Milt Nelson from AAA and moving Lou Gaffin to the 60-Day DL as he will not be able to return this season. I have guys I can DFA, but with the minor leagues still in session, I don't want to take a player away from their rosters.

Minor League Report

SP Milt Nelson (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Nelson, 25, will make his big league debut despite being slightly below average (99, 96 ERA+) in both AA and AAA. He throws absolute gas (for this era) and can hit 96 with his cutter. He's a groundballer with an excellent change-up and splitter as well and he can be unhittable at times. A former 4th Round Pick out of Bayou State, he and an 8th Round Pick came from Brooklyn for last year's surprise ERA leader Buzz Ham. Luckily (?) for us, Ham has been awful for the Cannons this season, going 6-6 with a 5.88 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 75 innings split between the pen and the rotation. Nelson finished his Mobile time 7-7 with a 4.51 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts in 111.2 innings while he finished Milwaukee 9-5 with a 4.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 106.2 innings.

SS Clyde Hinzman (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I gave him the September promotion to AAA when Slim Bloom was recalled, and he responded by mashing the ball. The glove first shortstop hit .450/.521/.675 (209 OPS+) with 2 homers and 7 RBI's in 49 AAA plate appearances. His AA numbers were impressive as well, as he hit .306/.363/.419 (101 OPS+) with 3 homers and 57 RBI's to go with a +10.3 ZR. Our 6th round pick in the 1925 draft, Hinzman ranks 3rd in our system (right above Slim Bloom) and 52nd in all of baseball. We are really deep at shortstop, but Hinzman has done everything he can to stick out. I can't see him starting next year in the majors, but he's definitely on the cusp of making his debut.

SP Art Black (A Lincoln Legislators): When the season started, Black was ranked our 28th prospect and I decided I'd let him pitch in the rotation even though he only had two pitches. He responded with a great season in Lincoln, going 12-8 with a 3.33 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 184 innings. The 5th Round Pick from 1927 has shot up all the way to 7th in the organization and cracked the top 100, sitting at 81st in the FABL. Black added an extra mile to his velocity and brought his walk rate down from 2.8 to 2.1. My scout thinks he can stick in the rotation, and after the results this season, I'm definitely willing to see what he can do long term. "Burger" might be a nice draft steal even though I was going for his counterpart Art Black on draft day.