[ayaghmour2]

June 15th, 1931
Baltimore Cannons (34-26): 2
Chicago Cougars (33-28): 5

W: Dick Leudtke (6-5)
L: Rabbit Day (7-7)

We shook of the loss quickly as an excellent outing by Dick Leudtke helped us take the middle game 5-2. He went all nine with 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts as he shook off a few recent rough starts. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a steal and RBI. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-2 with a walk, run, sac-fly, and steal. Cy Bryant was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

June 16th, 1931
Baltimore Cannons (34-27): 1
Chicago Cougars (34-28): 4

W: Jim Crawford (7-4)
L: Dutch Leverett (7-5)

Jim Crawford was near unhittable in the rubber match, and we took the series with a nice 4-1 win. He allowed just one earned run with 4 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in the complete game victory. Rule-5 Pick Phil Vaughan was the entirety of the offense, going 2-for-4 with a walk, solo homer, and three run homer. Fred Barrell was 1-for-4 with a double. Vince York was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

We're off tomorrow, but I think I know the strategy for winning when we get back to playing baseball: Don't play the Kings or Saints.

Oh wait...

June 18th, 1931
Chicago Cougars (35-28): 8
Brooklyn Kings (32-30): 2

W: Max Wilder (7-6)
L: Lou Loiselle (1-1)

Last time we played the Kings was in Chicago and they did most of the winning. This time we are in Brooklyn for four. Now that they're over .500, we decided that we can beat them, and piled on 8 runs in an 8-2 victory. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a homer, walk, 3 runs, and 3 RBI's. Vince York was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh was 2-for-5 with a double, run scored, and driven in. Slim Bloom was 2-for-5 with a double and run scored. Cy Bryant was 1-for-4 with a walk, double, and run. Cy Bryant was 1-for-4 with a double, walk, and run scored. Max Wilder continued the run of impressive starts, 8.2 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

June 19th, 1931
Chicago Cougars (36-28): 6
Brooklyn Kings (32-31): 1

W: Dick Lyons (8-3)
L: Lyman Weigel (7-7)

The run of starts with 2 or less runs allowed continued, as this time it was Dick Lyons who pitched the gem as we topped the hosts 6-1 and every hitter in our lineup got a hit. He allowed 4 hits, a run, and a walk with a pair of punch outs in the complete game victory. He was also 2-for-4 with a run scored and driven in. Harry Simmons was 2-for-5 with 2 doubles and RBI's. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a walk, steal, and run scored. Jim Kyle was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

June 20th, 1931
Chicago Cougars (37-28): 9
Brooklyn Kings (32-32): 6

W: Steve Castellini (5-7)
L: Tommy Wilcox (10-7)

The run of effective starts ended here, but our win streak is now up to five and we set up a four game road sweep. Vince York led the way with 3 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's in five at bats. Harry Simmons was 3-for-4 with a run scored, walk, and RBI. John Dibblee was 2-for-6 with a triple, run scored, and two driven in. Cy Bryant was 1-for-3 with 2 walks and 2 runs. Steve Castellini made the start, 8 innings with 11 hits, 5 runs, and a walk. Chick Meehan allowed 2 hits, a run, and walk with a strikeout in an inning of work.

June 21st, 1931
Chicago Cougars (37-29): 2
Brooklyn Kings (33-32): 7

W: Milt Fritz (11-6)
L: Jim Crawford (7-5)

Now that the Kings are no longer over .500, we forgot how to win, and they salvaged the finale with a 7-2 win. It was a rare rough outing for Jim Crawford, 7.2 innings with 12 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Harry Simmons was 1-for-3 with a double and run scored. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

Stars of the Week
Harry Simmons : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.027 OPS
Tom Taylor : 24 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .907 OPS
Vince York : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .348 AVG, .901 OPS

Weekly Summary
A 5-1 week is just what the Doctor ordered, but we didn't really gain too much ground on the pack. We're tied with the Sailors (36-28) for third while Baltimore (38-27) is back in first after sweeping the Wolves. New York (36-27) is right behind after a four game sweep of the Foresters. After three games in Montreal (28-36), we have to go to both Baltimore and New York for four games before a day off to end our roadtrip.

I think the biggest shock of the season so far is how it's been our pitching that's led the team instead of the offense. We've fallen to 4th in runs scored, but we're up to 2nd in runs against and we have the best rotation in the league. A big part of that is the breakout of 25-year-old Jim Crawford. He's just 7-5, but he's got an elite 2.85 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched. Just three pitchers have a better ERA then him in the CA, and just ERA leader Rich Fisher (193) has a higher ERA+.

Steve Castellini just turned 37 on June 17th, but his return to Chicago hasn't gone as planned. He's not having a bad season per say, but his 5-7 record, 4.23 ERA (102 ERA+), and 1.54 WHIP aren't at the level they should be. Last year he lead the league in BB/9 (1.0) with the Gothams, but he's already at 19 walks compared to 28 last year and his K/9 rate has dropped from 3.1 to 2.0. One reason for this could be attributed to his velocity drop. When I traded for him in November, he was throwing 91-93, but come Opening Day he dropped all the way down to 87-89. I was worried this trend would continue, but thankfully he hasn't dropped anymore. I'm not sure Castellini can pitch more then two more seasons, but I think he'll hold up for the rest of the year. His acquisition would look worse if Russel wasn't injured, but Castellini has still provided us with dependable innings. In a few years, perhaps I regret letting Ben Turner go (who's having an excellent season in AA), but I don't have any buyers remorse as I knew it was a risky pickup.

Injury Report
LF Harry Humphrey (A Lincoln Legislators): Activated from the DL
SP Roy Arnold (B San Jose Cougars): Activated from the DL

Amateur Report
Henry Hudson's pitching was too good, as the Explorers took two our of three from the Central Ohio Aviators. I covered the Explorers yesterday, so here's the runner up Aviators:

2B Freddie Jones: By now, you probably know who Freddie Jones is. The 21-year-old is the favorite for the #1 overall selection this season, and this season was the first year he didn't hit over .400. Jones will finish his college career with a .425/.550/.601 (210! OPS+) batting line with 16 homers, 102 RBI's, and 22 steals. Jones had a famous Freshman season where he hit an astronomical .486/.625/.665 (257 OPS+) where he set the single season on base percentage and walk (64) record. Jones is an extremely talented baseball player who can flat out hit. It's nearly impossible to get him to swing and miss as he only struck out 19 times in almost 700 plate appearances. There really aren't many prospects that could make the jump from college straight to the majors, but I think Jones could probably start at second for almost any team in the league right now.

SP Joe Stevens: Like Jones, Joe Stevens is also draft eligible, but he's going to be taken a lot of picks behind him. That's not to say he isn't good, as he's tallied 284 collegiate innings with a 3.33 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP. He's 21-11 with 274 strikeouts, and struck out 100 or more batters as a freshman and junior. This season was probably the best for him, as he finished 9-6 with a 2.72 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched. Stevens is a tall righty who sits comfortably in the low to mid 90s with a pretty solid fastball. He's got good control and won't make too many mistakes when on the mound. He's got a lot of upside and could fit nicely in the middle of an FABL team's rotation.

SP Jim Taylor: His junior season was the worst of his college career, and it ended with a herniated disc. Jim Taylor went 6-3 with a 3.66 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 10 starts before the injury so he didn't get to pitch in the postseason. He finished his college career 17-11 with a 3.22 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 253 strikeouts in 279.1 innings pitched. Taylor features a really good low 90s sinker and he is a groundball artist. The injury hurt his draft stock a bit, but he should still be a nice middle round pickup for someone.

CF Levi Redding: A native of Chicago, Levi Redding is an athletic center fielder who can steal a ton of bases and has excellent range in the grass. The sophomore had a nice season, hitting .350/.402/.486 (137 OPS+) with 5 homers, 20 steals, and 27 RBI's. The lefty is an excellent leadoff hitter with the potential to hit well over .300 in the majors. Not only that, he does a good job getting on base, and that's where he's most dangerous. He can steal bases effortlessly and already has 33 in just two seasons. He's got a little pop too and should hit double digit homers a year. He's got a lot of upside and should patrol center for decades on a big league club.

SS Tony White: Another really good sophomore, Tony White hit .345/.419/.461 (136 OPS+) with 5 homers, 12 steals, and 31 RBI's in 206 at bats. White is an extremely versatile player, who can man second, third, short, and left. His freshman year he struggled at short, but he turned things around this season with a +5.1 ZR and 1.040 efficiency. He's got good speed and a lot of range in the infield and there seems to be no limit to the balls he can get to. At the plate he's extremely patient and will make the pitcher work. It helps hitting before Freddie Jones, but next season him and Redding will have to carry a larger portion of the offense. White has the talent to be a great shortstop for years to come.

LF Bob Gillespie: It was a "down" year of sorts for Gillespie, as he couldn't match his .399/.455/.649 (183 OPS+) batting line as a freshman. And while he hit "just" .322/.391/.541 (148 OPS+), he doubled his homers from 4 to 8 and drove in 58 runs in 230 trips to the plate. Gillespie adjusted his approach to add more power to his bat, but he also saw his strikeouts jump from 5 to 11. Gillespie has a lot of offensive talent and a big league future, but his upside is different from White and Redding. They are both provide excellent defensive value, while Gillespie is just a passable defender out in left. His value is tied completely to his bat, which makes him a little less valuable. Even then, he's a far better hitter who will likely replace the graduating Jones in the 3 hole.

1B Tom Cannon: They may be losing Freddie Jones next season, but the Sophomore class at Central Ohio is just so deep. Slugger Tom Cannon will likely cleanup next year after hitting .260/.341/.531 (130 OPS+) with 12 homers and 42 RBI's. It's a big improvement on a Freshman campaign where he hit just .226/.308/.417 (86 OPS+) with 5 homers and 25 RBI's. Cannon has a decent eye, but he takes big cuts which turn into a lot of swings and misses. He's loaded with power potential and provides a lot of thump. He's not a top prospect, but Cannons looks draft worthy and he could work his way onto a big league roster.

RF Chick Merritt: Yep, another sophomore! Chick Merritt has a nice .297/.358/.496 (122 OPS+) career batting line with 15 homers and 67 RBI's in 436 plate appearances. A lefty slugger, Merritt does a good job of only swinging at the strikes and uses every inch of his 6'3'', 200 pound frame when he unleashes a swing. When he makes contact, the ball absolutely flies and he lines shots all around the field. He's a little awkward out in right, but he's got a nice arm and with a little work he could be an alright defender. He's been consistent, but he'll need a strong Junior year if he wants to be selected early.

SP Ed Owens: Undrafted last year, Ed Owens decided to attend Central Ohio and it's one of the best decisions he could have made. As a high school senior, he had a 9.00 ERA (45 ERA+) and 2.29 WHIP with 21 strikeouts in 24 innings for Reading HS. One year later, the Southpaw went 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. Could it be a fluke? Perhaps, but he added a little velocity on his fastball and cutter which made his change up look a little bit better. He's young and has a lot of time to develop, but the Aviators may have found a gem here for their staff.