[ayaghmour2]

June 9th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (30-24): 11
Brooklyn Kings (30-23): 7

W: Ace McSherry (5-3)
L: Lyman Weigel (0-2)

SWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was a crazy one. We looked down and out, but rallied for 6 in the 8th to take the finale and finish off a four game road sweep of the 2nd place Kings. The all .300 lineup worked well, as we totaled 16 hits in the finale. Vince York was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and driven in. John Dibblee was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, and 3 RBI's. Art Panko was 2-for-5 with a triple and 2 runs scored. Russ Combs was 2-for-4 with a walk, steal, sac-bunt, and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 2-for-5 with 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Harry Simmons was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Ace McSherry was 2-for-3 with a triple, sac-bunt, RBI, and two runs scored. On the mound, he went 8 with 12 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), 3 walks, and a strikeout. Bill McLean allowed a run off 2 walks and a hit in the 9th.

June 10th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (30-25): 4
New York Stars (24-31): 7

W: Mutt Pharr (1-0)
L: Tommy Russel (5-4)
SV: Jack Carr (4)

It wasn't a far trip to New York, but our Brooklyn magic ran out and the Stars took the opener 7-4. Tommy Russel had a rough start, 6 innings with 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Russ Combs was 2-for-5 with a double, triple, and run scored. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored, and run driven in. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-4 with a steal and RBI. John Kincaid was 1-for-4 with a double and sac-fly. Bob McCarty was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

June 11th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (31-25): 6
New York Stars (24-32): 4

W: Dick Kadlec (4-5)
L: Jim Cavender (0-2)

We evened the series up with a close 6-4 victory. Dick Kadlec was great on the mound, 9 innings with 10 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He also went 2-for-3 with 2 doubles, a sac-bunt, and RBI. Vince York was 2-for-5 with a two run homer. John Kincaid was 2-for-4 with an RBI and double. Mack Deal was 1-for-4 with a hit by pitch, run scored, and stolen base. George Jordan was 1-for-3 with a triple and run scored.

June 12th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (31-26): 1
New York Stars (25-32): 4

W: Moxie Nelson (7-3)
L: Max Wilder (4-4)
SV: Phil English (4)

The offense fell asleep in game three, as the Stars topped us 4-1 and would look to take the series tomorrow. Max Wilder went 8 with 10 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He was also 1-for-3 with the only run scored. Vince York was a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk. Fred Barrell was 1-for-3 with a triple. Harry Simmons was 1-for-3 with a walk.

June 13th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (32-26): 5
New York Stars (25-33): 3

W: Dick Lyons (6-6)
L: Skinny Foster (3-8)
SV: Len Moore (4)

We took the finale and left New York with a rather disappointing split in the four game set. Dick Lyons pitched well, 7.1 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Len Moore allowed an unearned run in 1.2 innings as he picked up the save. Russ Combs was 2-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBI's. John Kincaid was 2-for-5 with 2 RBI's. Harry Simmons was 1-for-2 with a sac-fly, sac-bunt, and run scored. Fred Barrell was 1-for-2 with a walk, hit by pitch, and run scored. Bob McCarty was 1-for-3 with a run scored and sac-bunt.

June 14th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (32-27): 1
Montreal Saints (28-30): 5

W: Dave Paynter (4-6)
L: Ace McSherry (5-4)

Our road trip ends north of the border, as we started four against the Montreal Saints with a 5-1 loss. The big news in this one was losing Ace McSherry one batter into the fifth. He strained his forearm and will miss 3 months. He allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Bill McLean tossed 3.1 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, and a strikeout. Chick Meehan finished the game, allowing a hit while getting the final two outs. Vince York was 1-for-3 with a double and hit by pitch. Cal Blackshear was 1-for-1 with a walk and RBI. Bob McCarty was 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with an RBI.'

June 15th, 1930
Chicago Cougars (32-28): 2
Montreal Saints (29-30): 3

W: Charlie Stedman (4-5)
L: Tommy Russel (5-5)

We were up 2-1 in the 9th, but they tied the game off the starter Russell and then Ed Pinkham sent the fans home happy with a walk-off single. Russel went 8.2 innings with 10 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts. Vince York was 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored, and RBI. Mack Deal was 1-for-3 with a double and walk. John Kincaid was 1-for-2 with a walk, sac-bunt, and steal. Fred Barrell was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Stars of the Week
Vince York : 30 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.104 OPS
Harry Simmons : 14 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .429 AVG, .938 OPS
John Kincaid : 29 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .241 AVG, .592 OPS

Weekly Summary
I was a little disappointing to finish the week 3-4, but the sweep of Brooklyn was really nice. I think the road trip was starting to take a tole in the Kings series and we are gassed for the Saints series. We have just two more games before finishing the road trip. Losing Ace McSherry was tough, but we won't need a 5th starter next week so I'll role with a four man rotation. I'm thinking of eventually calling up either Jim Crawford or Cotton Taylor after this week ends. It might cause us one game on short rest (depending on Milwaukee's schedule), but I'd rather have an extra arm and not have to keep them in the majors not pitching.

I'm hoping Bill Ashbaugh can start to pick things up soon. He's hitting a respectable .310/.399/.467 (109 OPS+), but that's nothing near his talent. He also has just 5 homers and 5 steals, but his 45 RBI's are impressive. He's a 20+ home run hitter, not a 10-15 home run hitter. Vince York is supplying the power, and he's on pace for 21 homers and 103 RBI's.

Another thing I want to mention is how clutch Len Moore has been. When the back of the bullpen was pitiful, he's come in and pitched really well. The waiver claim has a 2.31 ERA (206 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP in 11.2 innings with 4 saves. He's been a lot better then Meehan was, but he's been excellent as a setup man. He's seen his ERA drop down to 5.58 and he's tallied 17 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. He had a 3.75 ERA in May and has been perfect in 4 innings half way through June.

After finishing the Saints series, we'll host the Cannons (30-29) for four followed by the Stars (26-34) for three and the Kings (32-27) for four. I'm hoping Brooklyn isn't too mad at us and rolls right through Chicago. We sit 11 out of first behind the Sailors (42-16) who don't really lose. Only the Foresters (6-8) have beat them more then twice and we're just 2-7 against the defending pennant winners.

Injury Report
SP Ace McSherry (FABL Chicago Cougars): Strained forearm (3 months)
SS George Sanders (FABL Chicago Cougars): Began rehab assignment with the AA Mobile Commodores
RP Elmer Wood (AA Mobile Commodores): Returned from the DL
RP John Peterson (A Lincoln Legislators): Strained hamstring (3 weeks)
CF Ken Allen (B San Jose Cougars): Finger blister (1 day)
RP Phil McNair (C La Crosse Lions): Mild hamstring strain (2 days)
RP Lee Ralph (C La Crosse Lions): Rotator cuff inflammation (3 months)

Transactions
We signed former Forester righty Karl Clasby to a 1-year, $3,880 contract. He was originally going to head to Milwaukee to be used as depth, but with the McSherry injury he'll join the active roster for the week. The Benton, Illinois native had a 5.32 ERA (86 ERA+), 2.00 WHIP, and 7 strikeouts in 22 innings across 12 games with Cleveland. He was also 3-1 with 4 saves, but he'll be used as an emergency arm before heading down to Milwaukee.

Minor League Report

2B Red Cowell (AA Mobile Commodores): It's been a rough season for the 25-year-old who's hitting just .246/.296/.310 (56 OPS+), but he started to turn things around with a nice 20 game hit streak after a really terrible start to the season. Cowell is a great runner and has excellent range in the infield, proven by his +7.2 ZR in 439 innings so far this season. He's nothing more then a depth piece, but guys like this always find a way to surprise you in this league.

SP Roy Byrd (C La Crosse Lions): For someone who was 5-1 with a 0.82 ERA (404 ERA+) and 0.65 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 55 innings as a high school senior, you'd think he wouldn't have too much trouble at the lowest minor league level. It's been rough sailing for the 28th overall pick in last year's draft, as Roy Byrd has been hit hard all season. In his 9 starts, he has an awful 7.12 ERA (74 ERA+) and 1.79 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 43 innings. A flyball pitcher, Byrd can hit 91 with his fastball and he looks to have a decent slider and change as well. The 19-year-old was a risky pick, as his first two seasons in high school weren't great, and perhaps last year's dominance was a fluke. We're hoping it wasn't, as Byrd looked to me to be a dependable rotation option in the future.

Amateur Report
The college championship will see the Garden State Redbirds (31-20) take on the Northern California Miners (33-17). Here's some of the highlights from that game:

SP George Budd (Garden State Redbirds): He won't be playing in the game due to injury, but the freshman Redbird ace was 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA (174 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 98 innings. His velocity is approaching the 90s, and he mixes a cutter, slider, and change really well. The changeup will determine if he remains a starter, but the early results have looked good. As long as his strained shoulder doesn't erode his skills, he could be a top pick when eligible in a few seasons.

RF Bill Butterfield (Garden State Redbirds): One of the better power hitters in the league, the sophomore hit 15 homers and drove in 52 RBI's while hitting .332/.380/.615 (144 OPS+) in 229 trips to the plate. He's a dependable defender in right unlike most big lefty sluggers. He's an above average contact hitter with 20+ home run potential. He also has an excellent eye and should see high on base percentages because pitchers won't want to pitch to him and he won't have to chase. He's young for his class, won't turn 20 until November, and will be eligible for next seasons draft. With a strong junior year, Butterfield should be a top 5 round selection.

SP Jim Hook (Garden State Redbirds): Another freshman pitcher, Jim Hook was 3-3 with a 3.36 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 59 innings. He hits 87-89 with his fastball and also features a curveball and slider. His curveball is his best pitch, and when he has control of it, he can get a lot of swing and misses. He will hang it occasionally, and better hitters will punish him for it. He is young, but with his small frame he may not add much more velocity. He profiles as a starter in the long run, however, and should see improvements next year with more experience.

SS Junior Scheel (Garden State Redbirds): The junior switch hitter Junior Scheel isn't known for his bat. He hit just .248/.327/.407 (96 OPS+) in his college career with 19 homers and 78 RBI's. But, he's an excellent defender who recorded an impressive +10.5 ZR this season. He's a great defender, but has a great sense of the strike zone as well. There is a little power, especially for his position, and in a relatively week draft class this year Scheel would be worth gambling on. A slick fielder with pop is hard to find at short, and Scheel looks promising in that aspect.

SP Bernie Johnson (Northern California Miners): Despite not pitching as a freshman, the sophomore Bernie Johnson broke out this season. He was 11-1 with a 3.32 ERA (156 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched. The ace of the Miners is an extreme groundballer who can hit the 90s with his sinker. He also throws a slider, change, and circle-change, but the secondary offerings aren't quite there yet. He can pound college players with his sinker, but FABL players won't be dominated as easily. He needs to work on polishing the secondary pitches if he wants to be a big league starter, but his fallback as a reliever isn't bad.

1B Nick Shed (Northern California Miners): A young slugging first basemen, Nick Shed hit .379/.466/.641 (162 OPS+) as a freshman with 13 homers and 55 RBI's. His raw power is unmatched by most, and like most power hitters, he has an excellent eye at the plate. He also doesn't strike out too much and hits line drives instead of flyballs. He's young and has a lot of time to grow, but Shed looks to be one of the more promising prospects in a pretty deep 1932 draft class. Like most freshman, however, he'll have to be consistent if he wants a nice slot bonus.

2B Bill Perkins (Northern California Miners): Another freshman, the Miners seem to be set for a few years. Perkins hit .388/.451/.608 (150 OPS+) with 6 homers and 53 RBI's in 235 plate appearances. He doesn't have the power of Shed, but he's a much better defender and can hit from both sides of the plate. He has decent speed and he makes consistent contact from either side of the plate. He does have a tendency to pull, but that's not a bad tendency as a switch hitter. His upside isn't as high as Shed, but Perkins is a solid future FABL role player if not everyday starter.