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April 25th, 1932
Philadelphia Sailors (4-9) 8
Chicago Cougars (11-2): 0

W: Rollie Beal (2-1)
L: Dick Leudtke (1-2)

All good things must come to an end, and we looked completely inept in an 8-0 shutout at the hands of Rollie Beal. Dick Leudtke, who's picked up both losses this season, allowed 13 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) with 2 walks and a strikeout in 6 innings. Gus Cain pitched 3 innings of relief, allowing 4 hits, a run, and a walk with 4 strikeouts. Leudtke and Phil Vaughan were both 1-for-2. Russ Combs and Tom Taylor 1-for-4.

April 26th, 1932
Philadelphia Sailors (4-10) 3
Chicago Cougars (12-2): 5

W: Dick Lyons (3-0)
L: Doc Newell (1-2)
SV: Claude Purvis (3)

We got right back in the win column and took the third of four 5-3. Russ Combs was a perfect 4-for-4 with a steal and home run. Tom Taylor was 1-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI's. Mike Smith was 1-for-4 with a solo homer. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with a walk and double. John Kincaid was 1-for-3 with a walk. Dick Lyons became our third pitcher to start 3-0, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a walk with 2 strikeouts in 8 strong innings. Claude Purvis picked up another save, striking out one in a perfect 9th.

April 27th, 1932
Philadelphia Sailors (4-11) 0
Chicago Cougars (13-2): 14

W: Max Wilder (4-0)
L: William Jones (0-4)

We blew the Sailors out of the water in the finale, piling on 20 hits which led to 14 runs in a shutout to win our fourth straight series to start the year. Bill Ashbaugh was 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 3 RBI's. Tom Taylor was 3-for-5 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Fred Barrell was 3-for-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI's. John Kincaid was 3-for-4 with a sac-fly, walk, and 2 runs scored. Vince York was 2-for-5 with a walk and two runs scored. Russ Combs was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Starter Max Wilder got in on the fun as well, going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI's. His pitching performance was just as impressive, tossing a 7-hit shutout with a walk and 4 strikeouts.

April 28th, 1932
Toronto Wolves (6-10) 3
Chicago Cougars (14-2): 9

W: Jim Crawford (4-0)
L: Harry Myers (0-2)

We kept on rolling as we welcomed the Toronto Wolves to town with a 9-3 victory to start the four game set. Russ Combs was 4-for-5 with 3 runs and an RBI while falling just a homer shy of the cycle. John Kincaid was 3-for-4 with a sac-bunt, run scored, and three driven in. Vince York was 2-for-5 with a steal, run scored, and RBI. Starter Jim Crawford was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. On the mound he went all nine, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with a pair of strikeouts.

April 29th, 1932
Toronto Wolves (7-10) 9
Chicago Cougars (14-3): 1

W: Frank Howk (2-2)
L: Tommy Russel (2-1)

The Wolves flipped the script on us, and absolutely dominated us in a 9-1 win to tie the series. Tommy Russel was roughed up for 16 hits and 9 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. Gus Cain pitched 4.2 hitless innings with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. Cy Bryant was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Cain was 1-for-1 with a sac-bunt.

April 30th, 1932
Toronto Wolves (7-11) 6
Chicago Cougars (15-3): 7
11 Innings

W: Claude Purvis (1-0)
L: Birdie Smith (1-3)

After letting the Wolves tie the game at six in the 8th, we had our first extra inning game of the year on the last day of April. Vince York sent the fans home happy in the 11th with a sac-fly off starter Birdie Smith's 164th pitch of the game. York was 2-for-5 with a pair of steals, 2 runs, and the sac-fly. Former Wolf Cy Bryant was 3-for-5. Tom Taylor was 1-for-3 with a solo homer, walk, and sac-fly. Fred Barrell was 1-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Dick Leudtke went 10 in his start (I wish Pozza took him out after 7...), allowing 13 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Claude Purvis allowed just one hit in a scoreless 11th.

May 1st, 1932
Toronto Wolves (8-11) 3
Chicago Cougars (15-4): 2

W: Bert Sweet (4-1)
L: Dick Lyons (3-1)

Tied at one headed to the ninth, the Wolves scored two off Lyons in the top half to make it 3-1. We battled back and got one in the bottom half, but came up short as the Wolves would leave Chicago with a series split, ending our streak of four consecutive series wins. Lyons allowed 8 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. He was also 2-for-3 with an RBI. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a steal and run scored. Bill Ashbaugh was 1-for-4 with a solo shot. Cy Bryant was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Stars of the Week
Russ Combs : 27 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.149 OPS
Bill Ashbaugh : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.029 OPS
Tom Taylor : 29 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .276 AVG, .808 OPS

Awards
Batter of the Month: RF Tom Taylor
Pitcher of the Month: SP Max Wilder

Weekly Summary
While a 4-3 week isn't terrible, it feels a lot more like a 2-5 week based on how we've played last September and the rest of this month. We're now tied with the New York Stars who are also 15-4. The third place team is now the Cleveland Foresters (10-9) who sit five games out of first place. We've played them eight times and gone 7-1 and have been almost perfect against the Wolves and Sailors. We'll take a quick trip to Philly for a three game set with the Sailors (5-14) before returning home to host the Kings (8-10) and Saints (8-12) for the first time this year.

A few things to note on after the first month ended. Both Pitcher of the Month Max Wilder and Jim Crawford have won all four of their starts. Wilder has a beautiful 2.53 ERA (168 ERA+) and 1.34 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 32 innings while Crawford has a still solid 3.34 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 8 strikeouts in 35 innings. Dick Lyons may actually be pitching better, and he's 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts in 32 innings. We've gotten a lot of production from our front three, and I expect our rotation to continue to be a strength.

As good as the pitching is, the offense may be even better. Two batters are leading the way, Tom Taylor and Russ Combs. Starting with Taylor, he's been absolutely raking and putting up MVP numbers again. It's not the astronomical numbers from 1928 and 1929, but he's hitting an impressive .359/.388/.628 (157 OPS+) with 5 homers, 15 RBI's, and a pair of steals in 85 trips to the plate. And as usual, he's been elite as a defender, already accumulating a +4.2 zone rating with a 1.184 efficiency rating. Taylor has also took home his second straight Batter of the Month, winning September last year and now April this year. Combs, however, is actually approaching the levels Taylor was at his peak. He's slashing .423/.452/.679 (187 OPS+) with 3 homers, 4 steals, and 13 RBI's in one less plate appearance. The big difference is the defense, as the "above average defender" according to my scout has made 12 errors in just 55 attempts with a -2.1 zone rating and .878 efficiency. I'd love to get a shortstop so I can move Combs to second, but there's also the fact he's been an excellent defender as recently as 1930. If he keeps hitting like this I could care less about his defense, but I'm hoping he doesn't make 100 errors like he's on pace to.

Bill Ashbaugh has also started out really hot as well, finally showing similar production to what we saw in his Rookie year back in 1927. The 28-year-old is hitting .370/.427/.562 (152 OPS+) with a homer, three steals, and 12 RBI's. He's also been one of the best first basemen in the league as he's really adjusted well to his position change. It's been really nice seeing him take the next step, and I hope he can keep it up.

It's not all good in Chicago, however, and if there was one player I would not have expected to have a rough start, it was Vince York. York has consistently been one of our most dependable hitters, but he's really struggled to start the year. York has hit just .259/.287/.321 (57 OPS+) with no homers. He does have 3 steals and 9 RBI's, but his batting line is far from his career .355/.397/.505 (132 OPS+) line and York is usually competing for a batting title. His average is almost 100 points lower then last year and over 100 points lower then from his rookie year. I expect him to turn things around, but it's one of the few trends we're experiencing that I want to stop.

Injury Report
C Herman Rachford (AA Mobile Commodores): Latissimus dorsi strain (2-3 weeks)
1B Sam Reeves (AA Mobile Commodores): Sore back (6 days)
RP John Peterson (AA Mobile Commodores): Back spasms (5 days)
SP Bobby Love (A Lincoln Legislators): Fractured elbow (5 months)
RP Phil Clarke (B San Jose Cougars): Activated from the DL
SP Ike Quinn (C La Crosse Lions): Strained hamstring (2 weeks)
SP John Harts (C La Crosse Lions): Activated from the DL
3B Buddy Kircher (C La Crosse Lions): Activated from the DL

Minor League Report

SP Tom Barrell (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After missing nearly all of last season, Tom Barrell does not look like a guy who hasn't pitched competitively in a year. In three starts for the Blues, he's 2-1 with a 1.27 ERA (316 ERA+), 0.70 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts and just 1 walk in 21.1 innings. My scout thinks Barrell is ready for the majors, but considering how few minor league innings he's thrown, it'd be hard to promote the 24-year-old this early in the season. That's not to say that he's going to be in AAA all season, as if Russel and/or Castellini struggle, I would much rather call him up then go outside the organization. Barrell boasts a high 90s fastball and throws three big league quality pitches. He's got excellent command and great life and even with the injury setback he looks like a future anchor in any FABL rotation.

RF Howard Moss (AA Mobile Commodores): Fresh off a Player of the Week, Howard Moss has had a real nice start to the season. The former 4th Rounder is hitting .357/.426/.762 (214 OPS+) with 3 homers and 11 RBI's in just under 50 plate appearances. Moss is stuck in Mobile with Ed Rhoden starting at right in AAA, but Moss is probably big league ready already. Not only is he behind Rhoden, but our best player Tom Taylor also plays right field and there really isn't room for Moss. He's a fringe starter, but a team that isn't set on contention could benefit from giving him everyday at bats.

2B Bill Rose (B San Jose Cougars): He won't show up on any top prospect lists, but Bill Rose has gotten off to a blazing start to the 1932 season. The 24-year-old is hitting .333/.395/.394 (123 OPS+) with a steal and 6 RBI's in 10 games. Rose is an extremely versatile infielder who can handle all four positions, although it's probably best if he doesn't play short. He's got excellent speed and a decent swing, but he's got a tough uphill climb up the prospect ladder ahead of him.

Amateur Report

LF Bobby Mills (San Antonio HS Warriors): For most hitters, .364/.440/.579 (172 OPS+) is the best you'll hit in a year. For the 18-year-old Bobby Mills, it's actually a "down" year. After hitting .384/.451/.648 (227 OPS+) with 7 homers and 34 RBI's as a sophomore and .384/.451/.656 (244 OPS+) with 7 homers and 36 RBI's as a junior, Mills' senior year is still an extremely impressive year. He's also hit 6 homers and drove in 27 runs through 27 games, so he's likely to break his career highs for both of those this year. Mills is one of the top outfield prospects in the upcoming draft, boasting top tier contact potential with an aggressive approach at the plate. He rarely strikes out and draws his share of walks as well. He can handle left well, but it's probably the only outfield position he'll ever call home. I'm not sure if he's a first round pick, but he'll definitely be taken in the first few rounds.

1B Sam McMorris (North Carolina Tech Techsters): A switch hitting first basemen from St. Paul, Minnesota, Sam McMorris isn't your typical slugging first basemen. He'll still hit his homers, 14 in three years in college so far, but his best skill is his contact ability and eye. He's got an impressive .397/.470/.588 (163 OPS+) line with 6 homers and 23 RBI's as a junior which is a bit better then his career .357/.430/.527 (149 OPS+) line. Despite the nickname "Phenom", McMorris isn't a can't miss prospect, but he's got a solid big league career ahead of him and he should be selected in the early rounds this December.

SP Vance Sears (Holyoke HS Oaks): Despite being a Freshman, Vance Sears sits comfortably atop the Holyoke rotation. He's had a great year so far, 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA (203 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. The 14-year-old does a great job of keeping the ball on the ground and mixing his three pitches to fool more experienced hitters. The lefty sits in the 84-86 MPH range with elite command. He's working on polishing his pitches, but it's a good sign for his future that he's getting consistent innings even as a Freshman. He's a name to watch, but won't be draft eligible until 1935, so a lot can change.

SP Johnny Cox (Mississippi A&M Generals): One of the better college arms available for this year's draft, Cox got the misfortune of tearing his UCL in what could be his last start in college. He was 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts compared to just 5 walks in 61.1 innings pitched. A high upside arm, the torn UCL couldn't have came at a worse time and he's likely to miss 13 months. He's definitely going to fall on draft lists, and he may not have a chance to make up for things next year if he isn't selected or doesn't sign. Cox has a nice four pitch arsenal headlined by a high 80s fastball and quality splitter. This is the first injury of his young career, but it may be a tough one to overcome.

SP Bud Robbins (Niagara Falls HS Sailors): After a slightly above average sophomore and junior year, Bud Robbins has burst onto the scene as a senior. He's 3-2 with a 1.99 ERA (237 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched. The lefty has a really good fastball that sits in the mid to high 80s with a nice circle change and curve to go with it. He's a tall lefty sitting at 6'2'' and he's likely to add more velocity as he matures. His breakout has been key for the Sailors, as they sit tied for first with the Elmira HS Emeralds.

SP Curly Jones (Henry Hudson Explorers): Arguably the best available prospect and likely the best college arm available, Curly Jones has been flat out dominant as a Junior. The Explorers righty is 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA (233 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched. Jones can light up the radar gun, sitting comfortably in the upper 90s with an overpowering fastball and cutter. His change up looks way slower then the rest of his offerings, and he gets numerous swings and misses on it. He can paint the corners if he needs and is just loaded with potential. He's got future ace written all over him and even though I love Lefty Allen, I'd be surprised if Jones doesn't go #1 overall.