[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 43-49 (4th, 14.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Doc Love : 37 AB, 16 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .432 AVG, 1.097 OPS
John Kincaid : 34 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .412 AVG, .944 OPS
Jake Moore : 10 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.383 OPS

Weekly Schedule
7-15: Loss vs Stars (14-12)
7-16: Win vs Stars (3-5)
7-17: Loss vs Stars (8-4)
7-18: Win vs Stars (0-4)
7-19: Loss vs Saints (15-7)
7-19: Win vs Saints (8-13)
7-20: Win vs Saints (4-5)
7-21: Win vs Saints (4-9)

Summary
So Tommy Wilcox is hurt again, likely out 8-9 weeks with bone chips in his elbow. It keeps getting worse for him, as he pitched awful in the opener against the Stars and then lasted just one inning on the 20th. I'm sad, my favorite player is broken and I can't be happy about the 5-3 week. The two players left on the team, John Kincaid and Doc Love, both had excellent weeks and I think Doc Love wants out. A three homer week back at home and I'm hoping he can add three more. I think the deadline is Monday or Tuesday, so we have a little time to work something out. I did not expect to make one deal last night, but managed to put together three last night so who knows what's in store for us next.

I was happy with the week. Even though the season is over, I do want to win every game possible. Losing sucks, and waking up to a 5-3 sim is a much better feeling then seeing the 1-5. Still a long way to go, and I'd rather fill that win wins and not losses.

Looking Ahead
After getting the teams ranked in seventh and eighth, we welcome the teams in first and second. First is Brooklyn for four with the 57-34 Kings. They hold a 4 game lead over the 53-38 Foresters who come to town for three after. These are both really good teams that can pitch and hit and considering we can only hit some of the time, I'm already bracing for a one or two win week. Despite all of that, we're actually 7-5 against the Foresters so perhaps we can really make the Kings happy this week.

Batters
The trade case for Doc Love: Only Al Wheeler has hit more CA homers. He's batting .343/.374/.530 (125 OPS+). It would also make me very happy. His morale is "Great", so maybe he doesn't actually want out, but this guy flat out rakes. He turns 29 on the 29th, and since trades are processed on the Monday, if I can move him he'll be traded on his birthday!

The trade case for John Kincaid: His lowest single season OPS+? 110. His lowest zone rating at third? +2.3 (this year). The 30-year-old Kincaid has been as consistent as it gets the passed seven seasons, owning a nice .333/.373/.449 (116 OPS+) career line with 91 triples, 26 homers, and 589 RBI's. He used to be a stolen base threat, but we really don't run much anymore. Still, Kincaid is in the midst of a strong .341/.380/.464 (111 OPS+) season and currently ranks as our best player on the team. It's not really saying much, as after the Kelly trade, we don't have a single top 20 player.

Joe Masters, is that you? Rising from the ashes like a great Phoenix, the lefty slugged .308/.550/.615 with a homer and 6 RBI's during the week in possibly his only good week of the year. Ollie Page matched his line almost exactly, substituting the .550 OBP with a .500 mark. No homers, but he did triple twice. Jake Moore looked good too, 5-for-10 with a double, triple, and 5 RBI's. Bill Ashbaugh has slumped, his line down to .305/.361/.479 (109 OPS+) and his ankle sore. I'll let him rest for the week, maybe a start or two at the end.

Pitchers
Even though the only pitcher I want to talk about got hurt, there was a few alright performances. Starting with Dave Rankin, who was suck on a four start stretch with 7, 6, 5, and 7 earned runs, he finally found the light. On the 18th he tossed a 3-hit, 7 strikeouts masterpiece as we topped the Stars 4-0. A beautiful performance by Rankin who sits third in the CA with 68 strikeouts. He's four behind Harry Carter, but neither will catch Tom Barrell and his 114. Wayne Robinson actually made two really good starts (with a tough relief outing sandwiched between), picking up a win against both teams. Against New York he went 7.1 with 10 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Against Montreal he went 8 with 12 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Sure, not great, but still respectable lines that are good enough to win. Dick Leudtke's last Cougar start was against his new team, and they were not that nice to him. In 8 innings he allowed 16 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts.

Minor League Report
Thought I'd cover some of the new Chicago Cougars:

LF Rich Langton: Sharing a birthday with Doc Love, Langton will turn 24 when Love turns 29 on the 29th. He gets his gift a little early, the purchasing of his contract from AAA Milwaukee. Langton is slashing .352/.426/.522 (134 OPS+) with 7 homers, 13 steals, and 62 RBI's. If you ignore the 19 caught steals, it is really hard to find a weakness in Langton's game. He's capable out in left, he's got good speed, and he absolutely laces the ball whenever he hits it. He won't strike out, just 82 times in 2,072 plate appearances since 1930. He almost struck out more in college (40) then he did in affiliated ball (42), and he played 300 more affiliated games. He walks two, averaging one every other game in AAA and 185 total in the same time period. If you can't tell already, I am beyond excited for this guys debut. It may be bold, but I am so high on Langton that I'd bet if him and Love remain teammates this season, Langton will outperform Love from this point on. I haven't decided how I would align them, but since I let Langton pick up reps in right last week, I'll at least let him get a few more in the majors. It's tough because Love is not a good left fielder, but I can't imagine he'd do well learning right. I do want Langton getting some time in left, so every so often I'll flip them.

SP Art Black: He did debut last season, but 26-year-old Burger Black will rejoin the Cougars for round two. Last season he made 3 starts, going 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA (78 ERA+), 2.17 WHIP, 15 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He got roughed up in his most recent AAA start, but prior to that, Black was dealing. Now that we've been able to add a lot of other young pitchers, Black's spot on the depth charts has fallen a bit, but I still have faith. He's a hard thrower who sits in the mid 90s with both his fastball and cut. He throws three other pitches too, all big league caliber. Walks are his issue, however, and that is the only thing stopping him from being a big league arm.

I did also bring back Russ Combs from rehab (he got hurt again, but it's one day so I don't really care) and Pete Walker to fill the bullpen. I debated bringing up Johnny Walker, but now I can go back to a five man rotation.

Amateur Report
SP Johnny Godfrey (Moss Point): The hardest adjustment for the draft leagues is figuring out what to make out of something like Godfrey. As a Junior, he was okay, 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 16 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 13 appearances (8 starts). For a high schooler, that isn't all that inspiring. But, sure enough, he made all 12 starts as a senior and finished 6-3 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 18 walks, and 107 strikeouts. Everything got better, the ERA, WHIP, K9, BB9, homers, innings, you name it! So, does that mean Godfrey is a better prospect now then last year? Has his potential changed? Has his currents changed? Well, who knows?

Here's my take:

First, I think his stamina has to have changed. For the most parts, starts and games have been pretty similar for prep guys. Sure, the number might change, but the ratios generally don't. Rufus started all his games both years, Leon Cavazos went 15-9 to 16-9. George Garrison started 16 then 13, but still no relief outings. There are a few others who add a start or two or drop a start or two, but no one went from 62% to 100% (at least of the 20ish I looked at). But other then that, there is nothing that I know he got better at. His velocity still sits at 87-89 and he throws the same four pitches as last season.

So here is my theory: his potential is unchanged, but he developed during the season. I think he added stamina and just had the regular development of a 18-year-old. I think players like Godfrey are going to be really hard for us GM's to scout. In the feeders, it was normal when guys had really weird seasons (James Demastus anyone...), so I have glad we haven't lost that. There is still some RNG role where we get players that develop in HS/College. But I'd bookmark Godfrey. Not sure I'm going to be the one to take him, but he will be an interesting player to watch develop.

SP Frank Barker (Sadler College): After a strong sophomore season that saw him finish 9-5 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 45 walks, and 75 strikeouts against the toughest competition. But, as a senior, he definitely collapsed. In 18 starts like last season, he was 7-7 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 58 walks, and 59 strikeouts. This is very concerning, as he seemingly lost control this season. Still, I'm a huge Barker fan and I think he's got middle of the rotation potential. He's a righty who does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. He doesn't throw too hard, sitting in the 84-86 range, but he has five pitches that he generally commands really well. His splitter may be the best, which is a little concerning, but at least tools wise, Barker has a lot of the things I look for in an arm.

2B Jim Lightbody (Alexandria): With brother's Doug and Frank both outfielders taken in the first round out of Mississippi A&M, Jim took a different path. Unlike his brother's, he is a second basemen and is eligible out of high school. He's one of the top prep prospects, and hit a nice .517/.600/.805 with a homer, 35 steals, and 28 RBI's as a senior. He is the lightest body, 165 compared to the 190 and 185 of Doug and Frank, but I'd be shocked if he was taken in the first six picks like his brothers. That's not a knock at Jim, he's got good speed and a nice hit tool, but he does not profile as a middle of the order mainstay like Doug and Frank. OSA projects him to be the 2nd pick of the 2nd Round.

SS Marv Walton (Bonne Terre): It wasn't a great senior season for Marv Walton who watched all three parts of his batting line drop to .406/.477/.625 with three less steals, one few RBI, and a single homer again. Walton is a tall string bean at short, 6'2'', 160, so I'm betting on him putting on some muscle and potentially adding some power. He seems committed to Eastern Kansas, telling most teams that he really doesn't want to sign. I think it's a smart choice on his end, as he seems primed for a collegiate breakout. He's really athletic, boasts great range in the field, and supposedly a really good bunter. Not much love for his contact/power tools, but when you have a good athlete you can teach him how to hit a ball. Although, Walton is pretty complacent, so he may be another case of wasted potential.