[ayaghmour2]

June 13th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (40-20): 11
Baltimore Cannons (25-35): 2

W: Jim Crawford (9-3)
L: Ken Carpenter (5-9)

We wouldn't get swept and at least had the chance to split the series after crushing the cannons 11-2. Bill Ashbaugh was 3-for-4 with a steal, walk, run, and RBI. Fred Barrell was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI's. Tom Taylor was 2-for-3 with a homer, 3 runs, and 2 RBI's. Cy Bryant was 2-for-4 with a run, 2 RBI's, and 2 walks. Harry Simmons was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, run, and 2 RBI's. John Kincaid was 1-for-4 with a walk, run, and sac-fly. Jim Crawford picked up the win, going all nine with 6 hits, 2 unearned runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts.

June 14th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (40-21): 5
Baltimore Cannons (25-36): 7

W: Lee Drouillard (1-1)
L: Claude Purvis (4-3)

We just can't beat the Cannons... For the first time all season, we lost a four game series after dropping this one 7-5 as our little rough patch continues. Even worse, Tom Barrell left with shoulder brusitis and will miss three weeks. He allowed 9 hits and 5 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings. At the plate he was 1-for-1 with a walk, run, and sac-bunt. Claude Purvis picked up the loss, 2 hits and 2 runs with a strikeout in an inning of work. Cy Bryant was 3-for-5 with a double, run, and 3 RBI's. Arnold Bower was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Fred Barrell and Harry Simmons were both 2-for-5 with a run scored.

June 15th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (41-21): 5
Montreal Saints (30-32): 2

W: Steve Castellini (3-1)
L: Dave Paynter (7-5)

Our next stop was north of the border where we'd see the Saints for a four game set. A big four run eighth gave us a lead we'd hold onto, and we took the opener 5-2. Steve Castellini continued his strong work, 9 innings with 11 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 2 walks. He was also 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI's. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, run, and 3 RBI's. Tom Taylor was 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored. John Kincaid was 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.

June 16th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (42-21): 5
Montreal Saints (30-33): 2

W: Dick Lyons (8-2)
L: Walker Moore (5-7)
SV: Claude Purvis (11)

The score is not a mistake. We won game two also 5-2, but this time it was a 4 run 9th that propelled us to victory. Lyons pitched well, 8 strong innings with 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. Purvis picked up the save, a hit and a strikeout in a scoreless ninth. Fred Barrell was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI. Arnold Bower was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Phil Vaughan was 1-for-4 with a double, run, and 2 RBI's. Cy Bryant was 2-for-5 with 2 doubles.

June 17th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (43-21): 4
Montreal Saints (30-34): 0

W: Dick Leudtke (7-4)
L: George Thomas (3-5)

If it wasn't for a pair of errors, this game would have lasted more then nine innings. Instead, Dick Leudtke tossed a 4-hit shutout with a walk and 4 strikeouts in a 4-0 win. Vince York was 3-for-5 with a triple, run, and RBI. Jim Kyle was 3-for-4 with a run scored. John Kincaid was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Tom Taylor was 1-for-3 with a double, walk, and 2 RBI's.

June 18th, 1932
Chicago Cougars (44-21): 1
Montreal Saints (30-35): 0

W: Jim Crawford (10-3)
L: Earle Whitten (1-2)

Jim Crawford is back! He didn't need (or get...) in any run support, but it didn't matter.as he looked like an ace again with a 2-hit, 2 strikeout shutout as we completed the sweep. Arnold Bower was 2-for-4 with the lone RBI. Fred Barrell was 1-for-4 with the lone run scored. John Kincaid and Bill Ashbaugh were both 1-for-4 with a double.

Stars of the Week
Jim Crawford : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Fred Barrell : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.071 OPS
Arnold Bower : 21 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.121 OPS

Weekly Summary
A huge 5-1 week put us half a game ahead of the Stars (43-21) who mark our next opponent. We were off Sunday, and would start the week with a four game series in New York. We'd be off again, before heading to Toronto for a three game set with the Wolves (18-48) who are just 2-16 this month. We usually have trouble with the Wolves, so I wouldn't be surprised if we lose the series. More importantly, however, is the Series with the Stars as anything other then a split could really distance one team from the other.

Russ Combs is on his way back, and he'll replace Tom Barrell who's headed to the DL. With the off day during the week, I only need four starters so I can stick with four starters until Max Wilder is healthy once again. Combs was 13-29 with three doubles, a triple, steal, and 3 RBI's in six games with the Commodores. He looked decent enough at second base, with just one error in 36 chances plus a +0.7 zone rating and 1.076 in a very limited sample. Arnold Bower has been elite in his absence, hitting .368/.421/.540 (143 OPS+) with 2 homers, a steal, and 16 RBI's in just under 100 trips to the plate. It's not Combs' .396/.433/.604 (161 OPS+), but it's about a million times better then I expected. Those two and Harry Simmons will begin to rotate between the middle infield spots, with Combs ideally getting two off days a week to help him stay on the field. Simmons will likely get the least amount of starts, as he's hit really poorly all season. This means a lot of games at second for Combs which could be a really good or really terrible thing.

And what about Jim Crawford? I talk about how he needs to pitch better and he decides to not allow a single earned run in 18 innings. With 8 hits, one walk, and 4 strikeouts to go with two complete games, I think he deserved Player of the Week. Brooklyn's Mike Taylor had an impressive week of his own, winning the award with 3 homers and 6 RBI's to go with a .481 average and pitchers almost never get the award. Crawford now leads the league in both wins and quality starts with 10 a piece, and it's really been just four really poor starts that have inflated his numbers. I really wish I could match him with Lou Martino in the Stars series, but he's set to pitch the finale instead.

Injury Report
SP Tom Barrell (FABL Chicago Cougars): Shoulder bursitis (3 weeks)
RP Fred Carter (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Returned from the DL
RP Phil Clarke (A Lincoln Legislators): Sprained Ankle (5 weeks)
SP Joe Tillman (C La Cross Lions): Back spasms (5 days)

Minor League Report

SP Johnny Walker (AA Mobile Commodores): He got 10 starts in Mobile last year that didn't go well, but this year has been much different. The 22-year-old Walker has been outstanding, 6-7 with a 2.77 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts in 113.2 innings pitched with the Commodores. Walker has never ranked high on our prospect list, currently 22nd for us and 263rd in all of baseball, but the durable lefty continues to produce in the minors. He sits comfortably in the mid 90s and does an excellent job of keeping the ball on the ground and overpowering hitters. His stuff is elite, with an knee buckling curveball and a hard cutter with great late movement. My scout thinks he's the most advance prospect in our system minus Barrell and I really think Walker has a promising big league future. I don't think he'll be ready for the majors this season, but I can see Walker coming up next September and perhaps never going back down.

Amateur Report

I've slacked a little on my Amateur reports this year with being pretty busy the past couple weeks with finals and work, so the college and high school seasons are already over. I'll headline the top prospects for the champions, and then hopefully on the weekend get a bonus report in.

Henry Hudson Explorers

SP Curly Jones: June 15th was a happy day for every Explorer except potential #1 overall pick Curly Jones. The Explorers crushed the Coastal California Dolphins 18-3 to repeat as champions, but Jones left after five with recurring back spasms. He'll be healthy in about a month, but it was disappointing to see him leave with injury. It was a dominant three seasons for Jones, who finished 20-8 with a 2.72 ERA (175 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP, and 357 strikeouts in 328 innings. Jones features an overpowering fastball that can touch triple digits occasionally and a cutter that's just a little bit slower. He's got a nice change too, and Jones shapes up to be an ace. He's easily the best college prospect and even with the injury I have no doubt that he'll go first.

SP George Gilliard: Maybe the second best college pitcher, George Gilliard has spent three seasons in Jones' shadow, but he actually had a better junior year. He was 6-3 with a 2.25 ERA (233 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, and 105 strikeouts with just 6 walks in 92 innings. He's always had a lot of potential, but his freshman and sophomore seasons didn't live up to the hype. He finally blossomed this season, and has positioned himself as a top 5 pick. He's a sidearmer with four pitches and he does an excellent job generating groundballs. He has excellent command of his slider and he can overpower hitters with a mid 90s fastball.

SP Joe Hancock: Their pitching is so good that sophomore Joe Hancock may be the third best college pitcher. He'll lead the staff on his own next year, but his season may have been even better then Gilliard's! He was 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA (239 ERA+), 0.80 WHIP, and 109 strikeouts in 90.1 innings pitched. He doesn't throw very hard, but he has the nastiest change up you'll ever see. He can place it wherever he wants and the bottom just drops out. He's had trouble pitching deep into games, but when he's on the mound it's hard to get things going. I'd say he's an early favorite for #1 overall next year, and he can really stand out without two top picks ahead of him.

SP/LF Art Newton: Don't worry, Newton isn't a future ace. He's a so-so pitcher and so-so outfielder, but he's draft eligible and will likely be taken in the later rounds of the draft. He had 7 solid starts this season, going 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched. The bat is okay, hitting .289/.371/.390 (95 OPS+) with 5 homers and 35 RBI's in 520 collegiate plate appearances. He's an excellent defender in the field, but the bat is relatively uninspiring. On the mound he throws a decent low 90s fastball with a slider, change, and forkball. He's one of those guys that will likely need to specialize if he wants to succeed, but he's pretty even as a pitcher and hitter.

CF Whit Williams: If you thought the Explorers could just pitch, you'd be dead wrong. They have one of the best position player prospects in Whit Williams who will be their third first round pick in December. Williams was great as a freshman, but terrible as a sophomore. He decided to take things up a notch this year, and hit 12 homers and 44 RBI's, more of both then he did his first two seasons combined. Not only that, he stole 10 bases and slashed .412/.482/.713 (182 OPS+) all while playing excellent defense in center. He's an elite hitter, defender, and base runner and there really isn't anything he can't do. Williams is basically Joe Johnson, who we took 17th Overall and currently ranks 18th of all prospects.

2B Joe Binkley: He doesn't have the prospect fanfare that his teammates have, but the righty was an important part of the offense. He hit 12 homers and 42 RBI's with a .342/.449/.550 (138 OPS+) batting line and 15 steals as a junior. It's a bit better then his .299/.392/.518 (129 OPS+) career line, but Binkley has been a dependable hitter for the Explorers the past three seasons. He doesn't have much range at second, but he's a great fielder who won't hurt the defense. He's got good speed and can barrel up the ball to make hard contact. He projects to be taken in the 5th-10th round area, but I think he has good upside and could be a big league second basemen.

3B Russ Griffin: He didn't play as a sophomore, but he had an impressive junior year where he hit .347/.410/.589 (136 OPS+) with 11 homers and 47 RBI's in the seven spot in the order. He's a solid defender and he's got excellent power, but he won't ever hit for a high average. He's worth a late round flyer, but I'm not sure there's much here. He does have versatility, being able to play all three outfield spots as well, so that alone could help him make the big leagues.

1B Jim Bowman: The freshman first basemen won't be draft eligible until 1934, but he launched 16 homers and drove in 36 runs while hitting .247/.324/.566 (108 OPS+) in his first season with the Explorers. He's got an excellent eye and obvious power, but he's going to be plagued with strikeouts. Right now, he's a generic all-or-nothing power hitter, but he's got a lot of development time left.

SS Bruce Nielsen: Another draft eligible player, Bruce Nelson started at third his first two seasons before moving to shortstop as a junior. He's a competent defender there and a decent hitter. His junior year was the best offensively, hitting .350/.415/.507 (120 OPS+) with 4 homers and 47 RBI's. He's got a great eye and is extremely athletic, but he may not have what it takes to make it to the big leagues. He's a likely late round pick, but he may decide to stay for his senior year.

C Bill Malachi: He didn't start everyday, but Bill Malachi had an excellent .364/.449/.609 (151 OPS+) batting line with 5 homers and 25 RBI's in 127 trips to the plate this year. He's got a solid bat and calls a good game, but a lot of that could be attributed to the otherworldly pitching staff he's handled. Catching is a position with not a lot of talent, so Malachi could be taken off the board early, especially considering the bat.

Elmira HS Emeralds

SP Bob Ponte: While Henry Hudson's rotation was dominated by upperclassmen, the best Emerald starter was the "Tall One" Bob Ponte. Standing at 6'4'' at just 15, the freshman ace was a perfect 8-0 with a 2.61 ERA (179 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts in 76 innings. He's not even close to being draft eligible, with three years at Elmira HS left, but he's going to be key to their longterm success. He's a groundballer who doesn't throw too hard yet, but he's got a great fastball, curve, and circle change. He's an intimidating right with pinpoint control, and while he's got a long way to go, he projects to lead an FABL rotation.

SP Guy Lowe: This guy was supposed to be the ace. Then he fractured his coracoid (part of the shoulder) in his first start this year, and missed the rest of his senior season. Lowe was supposed to be an early pick, as the sinkerballer was a career 10-4 record with a 2.36 ERA (162 ERA+), 0.99 WHIP, and 188 strikeouts in 167.2 innings pitched. He's got a really good change and curve as well and he mixes in a slider to complete his four pitch arsenal. He has a lot of uncertainty due to the injury, and I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to go to college instead of going pro.

SP Paul Richardson: He doesn't have a long track record, but the senior was 3-4 with a 2.95 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts in 10 starts across 55 innings. He hasn't been able to go deep into games, but he's got solid stuff that could profile well in the pen. He's supposed to have good command, but he had his issues with walks this season. I think he'll benefit from going to college, but he'll likely be a late round pick.

SP/CF Joel Kastner: Unlike Henry Hudson's two way player, Joel Kastner is a really good hitter and pitcher. As a senior on the mound, he was 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA (337 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 52 innings. He finished his prep career 16-4 with a 2.30 ERA (206 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 145 innings. He's got a high 80s cutter with a nice curve and change and he does well keeping the ball on the ground and in the park. As a center fielder, he's got a good glove with great range and a decent enough bat. He's a career .326/.427/394 (127 OPS+) hitter with 2 homers, 36 steals, and 32 RBI's. He's a prototypical leadoff hitter with excellent speed and he doesn't strike out too much. He's high on my radar, and I think he'd be a nice pickup towards the end of the human portion of our draft.

3B Lee Miller: A sophomore who actually started as a freshman, Lee Miller has a nice .326/.405/.500 (149 OPS+) batting line with 10 steals, 9 homers, and 63 RBI's in 351 trips to the plate. He was an awful fielder last year, but really worked on learning his position and put up positive numbers this year. He's got decent foot speed and an excellent eye at the plate, and he's shown improvement between this year and last. He's got to polish up his skills, but I can see him working his way up draft boards if he keeps up his trend.