[ayaghmour2]

April 28th, 1930
Philadelphia Sailors (10-3): 13
Chicago Cougars (7-7): 3

W: William Jones (2-1)
L: Dick Kadlec (0-2)

It was a rough start for Dick Kadlec as the defending pennant winners thrashed him for 9 hits and 8 runs with 3 walks in just 3 innings. Bill McLean got mop up duty, 5.1 innings with 10 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Fred Barrell went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored. John Dibblee was 2-for-4 with a sac-fly and run scored. George Jordan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Mack Deal was 1-for-3 with a sac-fly. Harry Simmons was 1-for-3 with 2 walks.

April 29th, 1930
Philadelphia Sailors (11-3): 12
Chicago Cougars (7-8): 3

W: Rollie Beal (2-1)
L: Max Wilder (1-2)

Another game of bad offense and bad pitching as the Sailors looked poised to sweep the four game set. Max Wilder allowed 14 hits and 6 runs, but struck out 7, in 5.1 innings. Michael Ivory allowed a hit and run with 4 walks in 1.2 innings. Chick Meehan allowed 7 hits and 5 runs in 2 innings. Vince York was 2-for-3 with a run scored and walk. Bill Ashbaugh and Mack Deal were both 1-for-4 with an RBI.

April 30th, 1930
Philadelphia Sailors (12-3): 4
Chicago Cougars (7-9): 3

W: Oscar Morse (4-0)
L: Ace McSherry (1-1)

The finale was much closer then any game all series, but the Sailors held off our late comeback to finish April with a sweep. Of course, since the starting pitcher didn't get absolutely destroyed, it was Ace McSherry who made the start. He went the distance, allowing 9 hits and 4 runs with 3 strikeouts. Harry Simmons went 3-for-5 with a steal and run scored. Vince York was 2-for-4 with a walk, steal, and solo homer.It was the first of his big league career.

May 2nd, 1930
New York Stars (8-9): 3
Chicago Cougars (8-9): 4

W: Tommy Russell (3-0)
L: Jack Carr (3-3)

We started May hosting the New York Stars in a four game series after a much needed day off. We also managed to break the 3 run mark for the first time all week, as Fred Barrell laced a single off Jack Carr to send the fans home with a nice 4-3 walk-off win. Barrell finished the game 2-for-5 with a double, run scored (the tieing run) and driven in (the winner). Bob McCarty was 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and run scored. John Kincaid was 2-for-4 with a double. George Jordan was 1-for-4 with a steal and run scored. Mack Deal was 1-for-4 with a steal and RBI. It was another complete game for Tommy Russell on the mound, as he allowed 7 hits and 3 runs with a pair of walks and strikeouts. He helped himself out at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in.

May 3rd, 1930
New York Stars (9-9): 8
Chicago Cougars (8-10): 2

W: Moxie Nelson (3-0)
L: Dick Lyons (1-2)

The offense remained dormant as the pitching returned to being awful as our rough week continued with an 8-2 loss. Dick Lyons didn't do too bad, 5.1 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts. Michael Ivory allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in 1.2 innings pitched. Chick Meehan allowed 3 runs and 4 hits in his 2 innings. George Jordan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fred Barrell was 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored, and RBI. Harry Simmons was 1-for-4 with a steal and run scored.

May 4th, 1930
New York Stars (10-9): 11
Chicago Cougars (8-11): 1

W: Skinny Foster (1-3)
L: Dick Kadlec (0-3)

Our nightmare week ended with the worst loss of the week, an 11-1 thrashing as the Stars took game three of four with a 21 hit barrage. Dick Kadlec allowed 15 of them in 6.2 innings with 9 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Bill McLean allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks in 2.1 innings. We didn't do too much at the plate in this one. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Harry Simmons was 1-for-4 with a double. Recently acquired Cal Blackshear was 1-for-2 off the bench.

Stars of the Week
Harry Simmons : 25 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .320 AVG, .730 OPS
Fred Barrell : 20 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .250 AVG, .668 OPS
Vince York : 23 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .217 AVG, .656 OPS

Weekly Summary

Well...

That was a rough one...

Given that we were playing two of the three best teams in the division, I'm not too surprised with the results, although it would have been nicer to pick up some wins at home. We can still split the series with the Stars, but the Sailors handled us like it was nothing. The pitching was awful, the hitting was awful, but at least the defense didn't suck. None of the runs were unearned which has to be a first for us.

Changes to the pitching will be made soon, with the most likely culprits being Dick Kadlec, Chick Meehan, or Michael Ivory. Kadlec has at least one more start, but if I can find a better arm for the pen I'm going to jump on it. I do want to add an additional arm to the pitching staff as we really seem to need additional support for the starters. I'll likely call up someone next sim.

Speaking of next sim, both RF Art Panko and SS Russ Combs should be able to start making rehab appearances. Combs has yet to make his Cougar debut due to a spring training injury. If all goes well, his stint should likely just be a week. I'll likely take more time with Panko as I don't really have a spot for him.

I've been really happy with the results from both Ace McSherry and Tommy Russell which has made up for the struggles shown by both Dick Lyons and Max Wilder. They are still extremely small sample sizes, but the early results have been pleasant for two of the unproven members of the rotation. I'd like to see Bill Ashbaugh hit more home runs, but the top four in our lineup all have OPS+ north of 100. I'd like to see some support behind them, but I'm glad the defense has been dependable.

One thing I don't remember if I touched on was the signing of former Detroit Dynamo manager Dick Pozza. With a current managerial record of 269-213, he lead the Dynamos to a World Series Championship last season. It was his third season as the Dynamos manager, and he was previously bench coach for the Sailors (1917-1921), the Eagles (1922-1923), where he made the playoffs both times, and the Pioneers (1924-1926). He's rated an "Excellent" manager who is regarded as a field general. He has a good relationship with most of the players on the team and will have a very cool seat as we plan to let him live out at least the five years in his contract.

Looking ahead, we finish the series with the Stars (10-9) before hosting the Kings (11-8) for three and the Saints (9-10) for four. Our homestand will end with three against the Cannons (7-12) who have really hit a rough patch, although that usually happens when you have to play the Sailors. All in all though, I have to be happy with a 7-9 April to start the year.

Injury Report
SP Art Black (AA Mobile Commodores): Recurring Back Spasms (6 weeks)
1B Jim Fisher (AA Mobile Commodores): Broken Kneecap (8 months)
2B John Quick (A Lincoln Legislators): Sprained Ankle (3 weeks)
RP Bob Bliss (B San Jose Cougars): Herniated Disc (3-4 weeks)

Minor League Report

RF Mike Smith (AAA Milwaukee Blues): One of our Rule-5 Picks last season, Mike Smith has gotten reps in right as he gets everyday at bats with the Blues. He's absolutely raked in 10 games, hitting .366/.409/.537 (139 OPS+) with a homer, 4 steals, and 5 RBI's to start the season. The lefty swinging Smith boasts a lot of power at the plate and he runs the bases well. Defense is a weakness for him, but he's not as bad of a fielder as someone like Earl Johnson, Vince York, or Jerry Johnson as he can still handle center. Right seems like a more ideal final position for Smith, but to crack the big league roster he's going to have to continue to stand out.

SP Ben Turner (AA Mobile Commodores): He's saw his prospect rating take a hit, but that hasn't stopped the 22-year-old and former 9th Round Pick from getting off to a quick start to the season. In 2 starts with Mobile, he's 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA (281 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 7 strikeouts across 17 innings. This is the third season he's seen time in AA, but likely the last as Turner works his way on up the organizational ladder. A sinkerballer who generates a lot of groundballs, Turner lives in the upper 80s and lower 90s with good movement and control. He pounds the zone and gets batters to roll over his pitches as he gets excellent downward movement. He's still one of our best pitching prospects, even if Barrell and Crawford have taken some of the spotlight off him.

CF George Alt (Lincoln Legislators): It was a big game for #25 prospect George Alt, as he was 5-for-7 as Lincoln slaughtered the Cedar Rapids Chiefs 24-1. The season hasn't been perfect for Alt, who's hitting just .282/.378/.333 (88 OPS+) with 7 RBI's in 45 plate appearances, but this performance should work to jump start the rest of his season. He's been getting time in left and at second, and has looked good thusfar in a short sample size. If the hitting can pick up, the 23-year-old should find himself in Mobile later on the season.

Amateur Report

LF Al Horton (College of San Diego Friars): One of the few top players in this draft class, it's been a drop in production for the switch hitting Al Horton. He hit .402/.458/.613 (193 OPS+) last season, but he's saw his triple slash drop to .364/.393/.568 (137 OPS+) in 132 at bats this season. He still hit 6 homers and has 22 RBI's to go with 6 steals, but it's a tough time for a down turn as a draft eligible junior. He's a solid defender out in left and he has decent power mixed with good speed. The raw tools are there, but the Ft. Worth native needs the production to return in the home stretch of the season.

SS Harry Barrell (Atlanta HS Peaches): The last of the Barrell brothers Harry Barrell is having a good season at the 3/4 point in the High School leagues. The brother of Cougars Fred and Tom, Harry is hitting .347/.410/.476 (141 OPS+) with 2 homers and 12 RBI's in 142 trips to the plate. He also has an extremely impressive +8.6 ZR at short. An elite prospect, he's a future gold glover with an outstanding pure hit tool and quality eye at the plate. He doesn't seem to be on the level of Tom, Fred, or Bobby (#3 prospect in all of baseball), but he looks like a middle to late first round selection. Of course, with the Barrell name the FABL GM's all have been watching this youngster his whole life.

C Harry Mead (Memphis HS Pharoahs): A native of Harvey, Illinois, the 15-year-old catcher Harry Mead was named the best hitter in April as his school sits 21-9 with a 3 game lead in the Southern division. It was an excellent month for the lefty swinger who hit .495 with 5 homers and 33 RBI's. Despite being listed as a catcher, he's spent most of his time in left field where he's held his own. This year has been excellent for him, as he has an impressive .492/.550/.808 (265 OPS+) batting line with 6 homers and 43 RBI's.

SP Josh Livingston (St. Pancras Lions): Another player of the month, the freshman Josh Livingston was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.66 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 38 innings. The southpaw has a season line of 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA (227 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. He's also played a bit at second and is hitting .379/.379/.690 (152 OPS+) with 3 homers and 7 RBI's in 29 at bats. On the mound he's a groundballer who sits in the high 80s. He mixes four pitches, a fastball, slider, change, and forkball with solid command of each pitch. It's hard to project pitchers in this league, especially when they are this young, so Livingston's run of dominance can be short lived or the start of something bigger.

SP Joe Owens (Lubbock State Hawks): The counterpart in the Continental League, Joe Owens took home Pitcher of the Month after continuing his perfect season. He was 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 47 innings. In 81 innings on the season he's a perfect 8-0 with a 2.67 ERA (197 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts as Lubbock State sits just 3 games out of first in the stretch run. The 6'4'' Owens can already hit 90 as an 18-year-old and throws a fastball, curve, change, and forkball. He's got good stuff and has a finesse approach to his pitching and Owens looks like a very polished young arm.