OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

ayaghmour2 · 05-23-2020, 09:32 AM

April 14th, 1931
Philadelphia Sailors (1-0): 8
Chicago Cougars (0-1): 4

W: William Jones (1-0)
L: Max Wilder (0-1)

Baseball is back! The Cougar fans packed North Side Ground with over 22,000 fans excited for baseball to return to Chi-Town. We hosted the reigning champion Philadelphia Sailors, and Tom Taylor instantly got to face his old team while Mack Deal hit leadoff for the Sailors and started the season with a single off Wilder. Unfortunately, the game didn't quite go as planned, and the Sailors spoiled Opening Day with an 8-4 win. It was no fault of Harry Simmons', who went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, run scored, and RBI. Russ Combs went 4-for-5 with a double and RBI. Bill Ashbaugh was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, and three runs scored. Taylor was 1-for-5 in his Cougar debut and Cy Bryant was 0-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Mac Wilder went 6.2 innings with 6 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Taylor Collins also made his debut in the 9th, allowing a hit and walk in a scoreless frame.

April 15th, 1931
Philadelphia Sailors (1-1): 8
Chicago Cougars (1-1): 16

W: Tommy Russel (1-0)
L: Russ Reel (0-1)

Game two saw Steve Castellini make his return to Chicago, but it, like most of the spring, he did not have his best stuff. He left after three with a sore thumb, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and a walk before Tommy Russel came in. Russel was great, going 6 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout as we crushed the Sailors 16-8 to pick up our first win on the season. Tom Taylor crushed his former team, 2-for-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBI's, 2 walks, and 2 homers. Cy Bryant was 4-for-5 with a triple, 2 runs, and an RBI. John Kincaid was 3-for-5 with a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Russ Combs was 2-for-6 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 3-for-5 with a run scored and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbuagh was 3-for-5 with a run scored, double, and 3 RBI's. Lee Sparks got a pinch-hit RBI double in his first big league appearance.

April 16th, 1931
Philadelphia Sailors (2-1): 7
Chicago Cougars (1-2): 3

W: Oscar Morse (1-0)
L: Dick Lyons (0-1)

The offense kind of fell asleep after the explosion last year, dropping the third of four 7-3. Dick Lyons had a rough outing, 12 hits and 7 runs with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in 6 innings. Vince York went 3-for-4 with an RBI. John Kincaid was 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI. Russ Combs was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

April 17th, 1931
Philadelphia Sailors (2-2): 3
Chicago Cougars (2-2): 7

W: Dick Leudtke (1-0)
L: Rollie Beal (0-1)

We did all our scoring in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and flipped the score on the Sailors to finish the series with a split. We finally had a good outing from out starting rotation, tossing a complete game with 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Vince York was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI's. Russ Combs was 1-for-4 with a run scored, sac-fly, and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with a walk, 2 runs, a triple, and 2 RBI's. Cy Bryant was 1-for-4 with a steal and run scored.

April 18th, 1931
Toronto Wolves (2-3): 1
Chicago Cougars (3-2): 8

W:Jim Crawford (1-0)
L: Harry Myers (0-1)

The second half of our homestand began with a four games series with the Toronto Wolves. Jim Crawford tossed a gem, 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game victory. He was also 2-for-3 with a sac-bunt and RBI. Vince York was 3-for-5 with a double, 2 runs, and an RBI. John Kincaid was 3-for-5 with a run scored and driven in. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a solo homer, walk, and 2 runs scored. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored, and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in. Cy Bryant was 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

April 19th, 1931
Toronto Wolves (3-3): 6
Chicago Cougars (3-3): 2

W:Art Harvey (1-1)
L: Max Wilder (0-2)

It was another poor outing for ace Max Wilder as the Wolves evened up the series with a 6-2 win. He allowed 12 hits and 6 runs with a walk and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. Fred Barrell was 2-for-3 with a walk, run scored, RBI, and two doubles. Vince York was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Tom Taylor was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Stars of the Week
Vince York : 27 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .519 AVG, 1.111 OPS
Tom Taylor : 23 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 3 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.283 OPS
Bill Ashbaugh : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .360 AVG, .985 OPS

Weekly Summary
A three and three week is not what I was hoping for, but it could have been much worse. Castellini's injury was minor and he'll start the upcoming game against the Wolves. The offense has been excellent and new Cougars Cy Bryant and Tom Taylor have started off on the right foot. Taylor already has more homers in just one week then I think anyone on the team had all of April last year. Vince York has torn the cover off the ball and everyone else other then Harry Simmons have hit well in the early going. The pitching has been rough, but Jim Crawford tossed an absolute gem in his start.

We'll finish our four game series with the Wolves (3-3) before heading on the road for the first time this season. We'll see the Sailors (4-2) again for four more before heading to Cleveland for four with the Foresters (2-4).

Minor League Report

LF Billy Marshall (C La Crosse Lions): C Ball has been going on longer then the majors, and the Lions have gotten off to an awful 3-14 start. Billy Marshall, however, has been excellent. Last year's 10th Round pick has started getting reps in left as opposed to center, and is hitting an impressive .343/.425/.457 (146 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 6 RBI's. Marshall is an excellent runner who should turn into a pretty solid left fielder, but he doesn't have the power potential of most corner outfielder. He hit just 3 homers all of last season, so the 2 he has already likely won't increase too much. Marshall has rose up our system, ranking 11th in our organization and 194th in the league. He currently ranks as our top left field prospect, but I'm not sure he'll ever grow passed Vince York.

RF James DeMastus (C La Crosse Lions): Our first round pick this year, James DeMastus is a catcher by trade, but I'm not sure he'll ever get much time as a catcher. I'm working him out in right field, but I really don't know where he's going to end up defensively. Luckily for him, the bat will always find him a spot in the lineup. In 64 trips to the plate with the Lions, he's slashing .356/.406/.576 (171 OPS+) with 3 homers and 6 RBI's. The 19-year-old can absolutely rake, and has enormous power potential. He's a big strong guy with long arms and a pure swing and he's able to drive the ball out of the park. He's going to be an interesting prospect to follow and if I can find a spot where he's at least passable on defense, he could be a great big league asset.

Amateur Report

LF Buck Marshall (St. Pancras Lions): One of the top college prospects in the 1932 class, Buck Marshall has built off a strong freshman season with an even better sophomore year. He's hitting .374/.412/.593 (155 OPS+) with 3 homers and 16 RBI's in just under 100 trips to the plate. The lefty swinger has top contact skills and is a passable defender out in left. He's not a power hitter, but he hits the gaps well and can knock a few out of the park as well. He's a relatively safe prospect who you can find in the 3rd through 5th rounds of the draft. The Lions are a talented team with a lot of good players in their lineup, but Marshall might be the best of the bunch.

SP Billy Stall (Nashville HS Hawks): A junior at Nashville HS, the southpaw Billy Stall is in the midst of his 3rd straight season with a sub 3 ERA. In just over 30 innings, he's 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA (129 ERA+), 0.82 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts with just 4 walks. His career numbers are solid as well, 10-12 with a 2.60 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in 163 innings. Stall sits in the high 80s with a cutter, and he mixes in a change and curve. He's working on polishing his secondary stuff, and if he can, he'll have all the tools to start. Stall is a rare prep arm who has been consistent his whole high school career which means he likely has less risk then most prep arms. He's got about 15 more high school starts to boost his stock, but he could be a nice pickup in the 6th-10th round in next year's draft.

SS Cal Ruth (Ellery Bruins): After an excellent freshman year, Ruth had a rough sophomore year that made his FABL future a little cloudy. This year has gone much better, as he's hitting .274/.358/.595 (139 OPS+) with 7 homers, 5 steals, and 23 RBI's. It's not at the same level of his freshman year, but it's a nice improvement and solid showing for a draft eligible junior. His freshman year numbers were great, as he knocked out 16 homers and drove in 49 runs while hitting .299/.377/.609 (158 OPS) in 223 trips to the plate. One thing that has changed since freshman year, however, is his signifianct improvements defensively. After a -15.2 ZR and .853 efficiency, he rebounded to +1.5 and 1.011 last year and has a +2.3 and 1.048 this season. Ruth is a very disciplined hitter with a lot of power, and if the defensive improvements are legit, he could be a very attractive draft pick come December.

05-23-2020, 09:32 AM	#124
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,133	Week 1: April 14th-April 19th April 14th, 1931 Philadelphia Sailors (1-0): 8 Chicago Cougars (0-1): 4 W: William Jones (1-0) L: Max Wilder (0-1) Baseball is back! The Cougar fans packed North Side Ground with over 22,000 fans excited for baseball to return to Chi-Town. We hosted the reigning champion Philadelphia Sailors, and Tom Taylor instantly got to face his old team while Mack Deal hit leadoff for the Sailors and started the season with a single off Wilder. Unfortunately, the game didn't quite go as planned, and the Sailors spoiled Opening Day with an 8-4 win. It was no fault of Harry Simmons', who went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, run scored, and RBI. Russ Combs went 4-for-5 with a double and RBI. Bill Ashbaugh was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, and three runs scored. Taylor was 1-for-5 in his Cougar debut and Cy Bryant was 0-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Mac Wilder went 6.2 innings with 6 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Taylor Collins also made his debut in the 9th, allowing a hit and walk in a scoreless frame. April 15th, 1931 Philadelphia Sailors (1-1): 8 Chicago Cougars (1-1): 16 W: Tommy Russel (1-0) L: Russ Reel (0-1) Game two saw Steve Castellini make his return to Chicago, but it, like most of the spring, he did not have his best stuff. He left after three with a sore thumb, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and a walk before Tommy Russel came in. Russel was great, going 6 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout as we crushed the Sailors 16-8 to pick up our first win on the season. Tom Taylor crushed his former team, 2-for-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBI's, 2 walks, and 2 homers. Cy Bryant was 4-for-5 with a triple, 2 runs, and an RBI. John Kincaid was 3-for-5 with a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Russ Combs was 2-for-6 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 3-for-5 with a run scored and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbuagh was 3-for-5 with a run scored, double, and 3 RBI's. Lee Sparks got a pinch-hit RBI double in his first big league appearance. April 16th, 1931 Philadelphia Sailors (2-1): 7 Chicago Cougars (1-2): 3 W: Oscar Morse (1-0) L: Dick Lyons (0-1) The offense kind of fell asleep after the explosion last year, dropping the third of four 7-3. Dick Lyons had a rough outing, 12 hits and 7 runs with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in 6 innings. Vince York went 3-for-4 with an RBI. John Kincaid was 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI. Russ Combs was 2-for-5 with a run scored. April 17th, 1931 Philadelphia Sailors (2-2): 3 Chicago Cougars (2-2): 7 W: Dick Leudtke (1-0) L: Rollie Beal (0-1) We did all our scoring in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and flipped the score on the Sailors to finish the series with a split. We finally had a good outing from out starting rotation, tossing a complete game with 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Vince York was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI's. Russ Combs was 1-for-4 with a run scored, sac-fly, and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with a walk, 2 runs, a triple, and 2 RBI's. Cy Bryant was 1-for-4 with a steal and run scored. April 18th, 1931 Toronto Wolves (2-3): 1 Chicago Cougars (3-2): 8 W:Jim Crawford (1-0) L: Harry Myers (0-1) The second half of our homestand began with a four games series with the Toronto Wolves. Jim Crawford tossed a gem, 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game victory. He was also 2-for-3 with a sac-bunt and RBI. Vince York was 3-for-5 with a double, 2 runs, and an RBI. John Kincaid was 3-for-5 with a run scored and driven in. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a solo homer, walk, and 2 runs scored. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored, and 2 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in. Cy Bryant was 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored. April 19th, 1931 Toronto Wolves (3-3): 6 Chicago Cougars (3-3): 2 W:Art Harvey (1-1) L: Max Wilder (0-2) It was another poor outing for ace Max Wilder as the Wolves evened up the series with a 6-2 win. He allowed 12 hits and 6 runs with a walk and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. Fred Barrell was 2-for-3 with a walk, run scored, RBI, and two doubles. Vince York was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Tom Taylor was 1-for-3 with a walk. Stars of the Week Vince York : 27 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .519 AVG, 1.111 OPS Tom Taylor : 23 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 3 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.283 OPS Bill Ashbaugh : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .360 AVG, .985 OPS Weekly Summary A three and three week is not what I was hoping for, but it could have been much worse. Castellini's injury was minor and he'll start the upcoming game against the Wolves. The offense has been excellent and new Cougars Cy Bryant and Tom Taylor have started off on the right foot. Taylor already has more homers in just one week then I think anyone on the team had all of April last year. Vince York has torn the cover off the ball and everyone else other then Harry Simmons have hit well in the early going. The pitching has been rough, but Jim Crawford tossed an absolute gem in his start. We'll finish our four game series with the Wolves (3-3) before heading on the road for the first time this season. We'll see the Sailors (4-2) again for four more before heading to Cleveland for four with the Foresters (2-4). Minor League Report LF Billy Marshall (C La Crosse Lions): C Ball has been going on longer then the majors, and the Lions have gotten off to an awful 3-14 start. Billy Marshall, however, has been excellent. Last year's 10th Round pick has started getting reps in left as opposed to center, and is hitting an impressive .343/.425/.457 (146 OPS+) with 2 homers, 4 steals, and 6 RBI's. Marshall is an excellent runner who should turn into a pretty solid left fielder, but he doesn't have the power potential of most corner outfielder. He hit just 3 homers all of last season, so the 2 he has already likely won't increase too much. Marshall has rose up our system, ranking 11th in our organization and 194th in the league. He currently ranks as our top left field prospect, but I'm not sure he'll ever grow passed Vince York. RF James DeMastus (C La Crosse Lions): Our first round pick this year, James DeMastus is a catcher by trade, but I'm not sure he'll ever get much time as a catcher. I'm working him out in right field, but I really don't know where he's going to end up defensively. Luckily for him, the bat will always find him a spot in the lineup. In 64 trips to the plate with the Lions, he's slashing .356/.406/.576 (171 OPS+) with 3 homers and 6 RBI's. The 19-year-old can absolutely rake, and has enormous power potential. He's a big strong guy with long arms and a pure swing and he's able to drive the ball out of the park. He's going to be an interesting prospect to follow and if I can find a spot where he's at least passable on defense, he could be a great big league asset. Amateur Report LF Buck Marshall (St. Pancras Lions): One of the top college prospects in the 1932 class, Buck Marshall has built off a strong freshman season with an even better sophomore year. He's hitting .374/.412/.593 (155 OPS+) with 3 homers and 16 RBI's in just under 100 trips to the plate. The lefty swinger has top contact skills and is a passable defender out in left. He's not a power hitter, but he hits the gaps well and can knock a few out of the park as well. He's a relatively safe prospect who you can find in the 3rd through 5th rounds of the draft. The Lions are a talented team with a lot of good players in their lineup, but Marshall might be the best of the bunch. SP Billy Stall (Nashville HS Hawks): A junior at Nashville HS, the southpaw Billy Stall is in the midst of his 3rd straight season with a sub 3 ERA. In just over 30 innings, he's 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA (129 ERA+), 0.82 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts with just 4 walks. His career numbers are solid as well, 10-12 with a 2.60 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in 163 innings. Stall sits in the high 80s with a cutter, and he mixes in a change and curve. He's working on polishing his secondary stuff, and if he can, he'll have all the tools to start. Stall is a rare prep arm who has been consistent his whole high school career which means he likely has less risk then most prep arms. He's got about 15 more high school starts to boost his stock, but he could be a nice pickup in the 6th-10th round in next year's draft. SS Cal Ruth (Ellery Bruins): After an excellent freshman year, Ruth had a rough sophomore year that made his FABL future a little cloudy. This year has gone much better, as he's hitting .274/.358/.595 (139 OPS+) with 7 homers, 5 steals, and 23 RBI's. It's not at the same level of his freshman year, but it's a nice improvement and solid showing for a draft eligible junior. His freshman year numbers were great, as he knocked out 16 homers and drove in 49 runs while hitting .299/.377/.609 (158 OPS) in 223 trips to the plate. One thing that has changed since freshman year, however, is his signifianct improvements defensively. After a -15.2 ZR and .853 efficiency, he rebounded to +1.5 and 1.011 last year and has a +2.3 and 1.048 this season. Ruth is a very disciplined hitter with a lot of power, and if the defensive improvements are legit, he could be a very attractive draft pick come December.