OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

ayaghmour2 · 03-04-2021, 05:42 PM

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 55-68 (6th, 23 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 14 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.133 OPS
Ollie Page : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.067 OPS
Rich Langton : 29 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .310 AVG, .892 OPS

Weekly Schedule
8-19: Win at Stars (10-2)
8-20: Loss at Stars (6-8)
8-21: Loss at Stars (5-7)
8-22: Loss at Saints (4-10)
8-23: Loss at Saints (5-6)
8-24: Loss at Saints (3-6)
8-25: Win at Saints (4-0)

Summary
What a rough week... A five game losing streak sucks, but if you focus only on the first and last games, it was pretty great. The win against the Stars was an excellent preview for the future. Hank Spencer made the start, tossing a 9-hit complete game with 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He even hit a two-run homer off Dick Leudtke in the 8th. That's his first, and potentially only, big league home run. After tossing a shutout in his first start back, Spencer had two six run outings in losses to the Sailors and Kings. It's been a tough rookie season for Spencer, but this is just a sign of what he could be. We also saw our three rookies Ollie Page, Rich Langton, and Leo Mitchell have excellent games. Page was a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Langton was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI's. He also hit his first big league homer, a two run homer off Harry Carter in the first. Mitchell was 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs, and a solo homer. Page isn't much of a home run hitter, so this may be a rare occurrence where all three homer on the same day. Mitchell's already hit his third, and he's bound to hit a ton more.

The last game of the series was in Montreal, and Dave Rankin took full advantage of that. He was brilliant and tossed a 4-hit, 3 strikeout shutout in a 4-0 win to finish the week. He pitched okay in his first start, but Rankin has really turned things around in August. In his 5 starts he's 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. I don't like how he's walked 15 and struck out just 7, but I'll sacrifice some strikeouts if it means more outs. Rankin has really had issues with the longball this year, 24 on the season in 28 starts. He has thrown 214 innings, but his ERA is just 4.84 (97 ERA+) and his WHIP 1.45. As mentioned, he's had a drop in strikeouts, and now those are even with walks (81). I think he'll turn things around down the stretch and he'll keep getting consistent outings. The better our defense gets the better Rankin will get, and the less strikeouts I think he'll have.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before three with the Cannons in Baltimore. At 52-72, they hold a 2 game lead in the Rufus Barrell sweepstakes over the Stars. Jim Mason has continued his strong rookie season, slashing .344/.392/.461 (118 OPS+) in a lineup that's not too bad. They have started to give more time to former 12th Rounder Joe Watson who has been on a solid run. He's hitting .305/.404/.473 (124 OPS+) with 6 homers and 40 RBI's in 265 trips to the plate. Joe Welsh has cooled down a bit, but he's still hitting .308/.341/.492 (111 OPS+) with 14 homers and 65 RBI's. 1932 6th Overall Pick Whit Williams is having a nice second year of his own, batting .311/.373/.429 (105 OPS+) with 3 homers, 42 RBI's, and 7 steals. Unfortunately, Pinky Conlan has fallen on some rough times. He's still got a good line, but his ERA is up to 4.12 (111 ERA+) and his WHIP 1.42. His K/9 dropped to 2.0 from 2.7 while his BB/9 jumped up a full point. Still, he's just 26 and having a really good season. They've recently brought up Lou Forbes to the big leagues, an 11th Round selection from 1927. We'll likely be the second big league start for him.

We're then off again on the 30th before a two game series against the Sailors to finish the month. Sailors sit at 63-60 which is third, but closer to last (11.5) then first (15). Merritt Thomas has had mixed results in the rotation, but he looked really good against Cleveland and Baltimore. Of course, they don't need too much from him when they also have William Jones, Herb Flynn, and Doc Newell. John Kincaid hasn't hit all that great to start his Sailors career, just .294/.364/.338 (89 OPS+) in 77 trips to the plate. They've recently brought up one of their top prospects, shortstop Hal Carter. The 22-year-old was the 9th pick by the Sailors in the '33 draft, but flew through their system. He's already played 30 FABL games and hit .313/.364/.406 (106 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 13 RBI's. He's struggled a bit defensively, but was doing well down in AAA. He's got the tools to hit .350 and walk five times as much as he'll strikeout. He fits Philly really well, but he's probably going to end up at second once baseball's 10th best prospect Rip Lee is ready for the show. The Sailors system is loaded, ranked right behind us.

Oh, and look what is right around the corner? Roster expansion! That's a holiday for bad teams!

Minor League Report
SP Mel Leonard (AA Mobile Commodores): Since coming over from the trade I've used Mel Leonard strictly in the rotation and I think it's helped him straighten things up. He still has issues with walks, 24 compared to 19 strikeouts, but his 52.1 innings in Mobile have gone pretty well. He's 2-4, but with a 3.96 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP. Interesting enough, it's actually been the last two starts that have gone poorly. Last one was 10 hits and 5 runs in 8 innings and the one before was 9 hits and 7 runs (6 earned). I need to protect him in the Rule-5 draft, so perhaps I give him a call next week or when the minor league season ends.

2B Melvin Salazar (C La Crosse Lions): While he is technically a second basemen, he's spent more time at third, left, and center this year then he did at second. I'm trying to find a position for the speedster as he has just raked in Mobile. The 21-year-old from Mexico is slashing .368/.478/.515 (135 OPS+) with 6 homers, 56 steals, and 53 RBI's in 511 trips to the plate. He's walked an impressive 86 times compared to just 21 strikeouts. This his kid has blinding speed and I really hope he has the range to play center field. My scout raves on his range, but the plate discipline is what is really impressive. He's moving up the prospect ladder as I've been cycling players out and up. We really don't have much speed, so that could play well for Salazar. It's up to San Jose for him and I'm going to give him a shot at short as I don't really have anyone there. It may be a temporary position, but San Jose will be his final destination this season.

Amateur Report
SP Al Duster (Council Bluffs): Just a sophomore, Al Duster, the Prince of the Prairie, has already made a name for himself. As a freshman he was 11-0 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 18 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 116.2 innings pitched. That's an impossible line to replicate, but he did do his best. The tiny righty was 7-2 with a 1.15 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 15 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 93.2 innings. Just 5'8'' and 130 pounds, he still throws mid 80s and absolutely dominates the Iowa high school circuit. My scout really likes his "Bugs Bunny changeup" and he gets a ton of movement on his slider. I'm expecting him to blossom into an excellent pitcher and he should be able to front rotations.

SS Tim Humphrey (Madison Heights): Here's a kid eligible for this draft that I really like. He's super versatile, able to play short, second, third, left, and right and he should be a strong defender there. He's a really fast runner and swiped 40 bases in just 50 high school games. He had a nice senior year, slashing .477/.537/.682 with 16 extra base hits and 32 RBI's in 124 trips to the plate. He struck out just 3 times and walked 12, and he hits from both sides of the plate. My scout says he has " a good combination of bat speed and barrel control" and considers him a frontrunner for an audition at short. He may not sign, however, demanding a bonus to pass up his commitment to Charleston Tech. That could cause him to fall a bit, but he should be selected in the first few rounds.

03-04-2021, 05:42 PM	#375
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 19: August 19th-August 25th Weekly Record: 2-5 Seasonal Record: 55-68 (6th, 23 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 14 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.133 OPS Ollie Page : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.067 OPS Rich Langton : 29 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .310 AVG, .892 OPS Weekly Schedule 8-19: Win at Stars (10-2) 8-20: Loss at Stars (6-8) 8-21: Loss at Stars (5-7) 8-22: Loss at Saints (4-10) 8-23: Loss at Saints (5-6) 8-24: Loss at Saints (3-6) 8-25: Win at Saints (4-0) Summary What a rough week... A five game losing streak sucks, but if you focus only on the first and last games, it was pretty great. The win against the Stars was an excellent preview for the future. Hank Spencer made the start, tossing a 9-hit complete game with 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He even hit a two-run homer off Dick Leudtke in the 8th. That's his first, and potentially only, big league home run. After tossing a shutout in his first start back, Spencer had two six run outings in losses to the Sailors and Kings. It's been a tough rookie season for Spencer, but this is just a sign of what he could be. We also saw our three rookies Ollie Page, Rich Langton, and Leo Mitchell have excellent games. Page was a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. Langton was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI's. He also hit his first big league homer, a two run homer off Harry Carter in the first. Mitchell was 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs, and a solo homer. Page isn't much of a home run hitter, so this may be a rare occurrence where all three homer on the same day. Mitchell's already hit his third, and he's bound to hit a ton more. The last game of the series was in Montreal, and Dave Rankin took full advantage of that. He was brilliant and tossed a 4-hit, 3 strikeout shutout in a 4-0 win to finish the week. He pitched okay in his first start, but Rankin has really turned things around in August. In his 5 starts he's 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. I don't like how he's walked 15 and struck out just 7, but I'll sacrifice some strikeouts if it means more outs. Rankin has really had issues with the longball this year, 24 on the season in 28 starts. He has thrown 214 innings, but his ERA is just 4.84 (97 ERA+) and his WHIP 1.45. As mentioned, he's had a drop in strikeouts, and now those are even with walks (81). I think he'll turn things around down the stretch and he'll keep getting consistent outings. The better our defense gets the better Rankin will get, and the less strikeouts I think he'll have. Looking Ahead Off to start the week before three with the Cannons in Baltimore. At 52-72, they hold a 2 game lead in the Rufus Barrell sweepstakes over the Stars. Jim Mason has continued his strong rookie season, slashing .344/.392/.461 (118 OPS+) in a lineup that's not too bad. They have started to give more time to former 12th Rounder Joe Watson who has been on a solid run. He's hitting .305/.404/.473 (124 OPS+) with 6 homers and 40 RBI's in 265 trips to the plate. Joe Welsh has cooled down a bit, but he's still hitting .308/.341/.492 (111 OPS+) with 14 homers and 65 RBI's. 1932 6th Overall Pick Whit Williams is having a nice second year of his own, batting .311/.373/.429 (105 OPS+) with 3 homers, 42 RBI's, and 7 steals. Unfortunately, Pinky Conlan has fallen on some rough times. He's still got a good line, but his ERA is up to 4.12 (111 ERA+) and his WHIP 1.42. His K/9 dropped to 2.0 from 2.7 while his BB/9 jumped up a full point. Still, he's just 26 and having a really good season. They've recently brought up Lou Forbes to the big leagues, an 11th Round selection from 1927. We'll likely be the second big league start for him. We're then off again on the 30th before a two game series against the Sailors to finish the month. Sailors sit at 63-60 which is third, but closer to last (11.5) then first (15). Merritt Thomas has had mixed results in the rotation, but he looked really good against Cleveland and Baltimore. Of course, they don't need too much from him when they also have William Jones, Herb Flynn, and Doc Newell. John Kincaid hasn't hit all that great to start his Sailors career, just .294/.364/.338 (89 OPS+) in 77 trips to the plate. They've recently brought up one of their top prospects, shortstop Hal Carter. The 22-year-old was the 9th pick by the Sailors in the '33 draft, but flew through their system. He's already played 30 FABL games and hit .313/.364/.406 (106 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 13 RBI's. He's struggled a bit defensively, but was doing well down in AAA. He's got the tools to hit .350 and walk five times as much as he'll strikeout. He fits Philly really well, but he's probably going to end up at second once baseball's 10th best prospect Rip Lee is ready for the show. The Sailors system is loaded, ranked right behind us. Oh, and look what is right around the corner? Roster expansion! That's a holiday for bad teams! Minor League Report SP Mel Leonard (AA Mobile Commodores): Since coming over from the trade I've used Mel Leonard strictly in the rotation and I think it's helped him straighten things up. He still has issues with walks, 24 compared to 19 strikeouts, but his 52.1 innings in Mobile have gone pretty well. He's 2-4, but with a 3.96 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP. Interesting enough, it's actually been the last two starts that have gone poorly. Last one was 10 hits and 5 runs in 8 innings and the one before was 9 hits and 7 runs (6 earned). I need to protect him in the Rule-5 draft, so perhaps I give him a call next week or when the minor league season ends. 2B Melvin Salazar (C La Crosse Lions): While he is technically a second basemen, he's spent more time at third, left, and center this year then he did at second. I'm trying to find a position for the speedster as he has just raked in Mobile. The 21-year-old from Mexico is slashing .368/.478/.515 (135 OPS+) with 6 homers, 56 steals, and 53 RBI's in 511 trips to the plate. He's walked an impressive 86 times compared to just 21 strikeouts. This his kid has blinding speed and I really hope he has the range to play center field. My scout raves on his range, but the plate discipline is what is really impressive. He's moving up the prospect ladder as I've been cycling players out and up. We really don't have much speed, so that could play well for Salazar. It's up to San Jose for him and I'm going to give him a shot at short as I don't really have anyone there. It may be a temporary position, but San Jose will be his final destination this season. Amateur Report SP Al Duster (Council Bluffs): Just a sophomore, Al Duster, the Prince of the Prairie, has already made a name for himself. As a freshman he was 11-0 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 18 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 116.2 innings pitched. That's an impossible line to replicate, but he did do his best. The tiny righty was 7-2 with a 1.15 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 15 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 93.2 innings. Just 5'8'' and 130 pounds, he still throws mid 80s and absolutely dominates the Iowa high school circuit. My scout really likes his "Bugs Bunny changeup" and he gets a ton of movement on his slider. I'm expecting him to blossom into an excellent pitcher and he should be able to front rotations. SS Tim Humphrey (Madison Heights): Here's a kid eligible for this draft that I really like. He's super versatile, able to play short, second, third, left, and right and he should be a strong defender there. He's a really fast runner and swiped 40 bases in just 50 high school games. He had a nice senior year, slashing .477/.537/.682 with 16 extra base hits and 32 RBI's in 124 trips to the plate. He struck out just 3 times and walked 12, and he hits from both sides of the plate. My scout says he has " a good combination of bat speed and barrel control" and considers him a frontrunner for an audition at short. He may not sign, however, demanding a bonus to pass up his commitment to Charleston Tech. That could cause him to fall a bit, but he should be selected in the first few rounds.