[ayaghmour2]

THE CHICAGO COUGARS ARE YOUR 1936 SPRING TRAINING CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

*crickets*

Well, we did finish the last week 3-2, good for a 15-9 Spring which was one game above of my pick for the 1936 Continental Association champs, the Brooklyn Kings. Before last year's mix-up, I predicted three of the four CA champions, but now it looks like I just get it right every other year.

Anyways, big shoutout to Dave Rankin and his excellent spring, 16 innings with 12 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Dick Lyons looked fine, 16 innings with 13 hits, 5 earned, and 3 strikeouts, but he did walk a batter every other inning. Some of my optionable pitchers are making things really hard on me, with Pete Walker, Bill Kline, Wally Larkin, and Norm Stewart all recording 10+ innings with a 1.00 or lower WHIP and sub 2 ERA (Walker was the only above 1). Stewart actually struck out 8 in just 11 frames with 4 hits and 4 walks. The only run was a solo homer.

On the offensive side, no Cougar came to the plate more then utility man Russ Franklin. He did his best, hitting .345/.379/.527 with 2 homers, 12 RBI's, and 13 runs scored while also swiping three bags. Is that enough to earn him the starting center fielding job? I've got the weekend to decide, but Montes hit .256/.360/.465 while Moore hit .286/.375/.310. Moore looks like a longshot to break the roster, but I still have the weekend to decide. A lot of our hitters hit, with Love, Mitchell, Ford, Langton, Ed Pinkham, Mike Taylor, and even Johnny Turner and Pete Asher all boasted .300+ averages in 30 or more PA's. Very few guys struggled, just autograph signer John Lawson, Orlin Yates, Ollie Page, and Bill Ashbaugh not reaching that mark. I've started to trim down the roster today, so here's who is left in camp:

RHP Art Black
RHP Milt Fritz*
RHP George Johnson
RHP Wally Larkin
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Chuck Matthews
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Dave Rankin*
RHP Mac Watters
RHP Tommy Wilcox*
LHP Bill Kline
LHP Ace McSherry*
LHP Norm Stewart
RHP Pete Walker
C Ed Pinkham*
C Mike Taylor*
1B Joe Masters
1B Leo Mitchell*
2B Bill Ashbaugh*
2B Russ Combs
2B Ray Ford
2B Clyde Hinzman
3B Pete Asher
3B John Lawson*
3B Jake Moore
3B Johnny Turner
SS Ollie Page*
LF Doc Love*
CF Russ Franklin*
CF Carlos Montes
CF Roy Moore
RF Rich Langton*
RF Mike Smith*

* denotes guaranteed spot

That's 33 players for 23 spots, so ten of them won't make Opening Day. I've already got 15 spots locked, so 18 players will be battling for 8 spots. Out of options members include Black, Franklin, Johnson, Matthews, McSherry, Pinkham, Purvis, Rankin, and Smith. Technically, I could keep all my out of options guys if needed, but my guess is I won't hang on to both Black and Matthews. There's also the Rule-5 pick Mac Watters, who I don't think will break camp. I'll have a busy weekend, but nothing beats a real life Opening Day that coincides with a simulated one!