[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 43-60 (t-6th, 25 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ollie Page : 20 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.150 OPS
Amos LeBlanc : 21 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, .857 OPS
John Lawson : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .286 AVG, .739 OPS

Schedule
8-4: Loss vs Wolves (10-4)
8-5: Win vs Wolves (1-4)
8-6: Loss vs Wolves (8-3)
8-7: Win vs Wolves (3-6)
8-8: Loss vs Sailors (12-8)
8-9: Loss vs Sailors (11-4)

Recap
In the things I never would have expected to see during the season, Amos LeBlanc being listed as a Star of the Week was probably the #2 thing on that list, right next to winning another World Series. But with Roy Moore getting hurt on the 5th and heading to the DL, LeBlanc spent most of the week manning center. He looked pretty alright, 8-for-21 with 2 doubles and 3 runs driven in and scored. Luckily for us, Rich Langton is healthy again, so he'll take Moore's spot on the roster. Langton will go back to right, Love to left, and Wilson to center. Moore is likely out until September so he'll be ready to come back when rosters expand. It wasn't the only injury, as the often hurt George Johnson is out for the year after undergoing radial nerve decompression surgery. It makes me really want to call up Pug Bryan and let him start the rest of the way. At least for now, since we only need four starters this week, he'll remain in Mobile, but I might bring him up next week.

We also had a really rough week, just 2-4, but Milt Fritz put on a show. He tossed a complete game win with 5 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in our 4-1 win over the Wolves. It's been a long time since a good Fritz start, so hopefully he can build upon it. Hardin Bates first two starts sucked, 21 hits and 13 runs (11 earned) with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts in just 9.1 innings pitched. Not the start we were looking for, but it can only go up from here. Our hitters also struggled, even John Lawson, but only Ollie Page really showed out. He was 8-for-20 with a triple, homer, 5 RBI's, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Page is the third Cougar to reach double digits for home runs, and with one more steal, he'll be the first Cougar to reach ten. He may be having a slightly down season, a little rough on defense with just a .283/.346/.410 (93 OPS+) batting line with 30 extra base hits and 51 RBI's. He's seen his strikeouts jump a bit, but he's still just 26 and has a ton of talent on both sides of the field. He currently ranks as the 4th best shortstop in the FABL despite some of his struggles.

Looking Ahead
We start the week in Toronto with three against the Wolves. We managed to split the four game set. The only pitcher we missed last series was Otis Cook and we'll likely miss him again. We'll be stuck seeing Joe Hancock again as well, but should miss Chuck Cole. Offensively, they've added former #2 overall pick Freddie Malley back to the lineup and the veteran has had a run of success. He's hitting .352/.414/.507 (127 OPS+) with 2 homers, 33 RBI's, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 239 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Frank Huddleston has had an awful season, slashing .228/.270/.309 (43 OPS+) with 4 homers, 10 steals, and 26 RBI's in just over 300 plate appearances.

We're then off before three in Cleveland and then another off day. The Foresters could use the three wins, now 67-41, tied with the Sailors, and four and a half behind the Kings. Despite having Dean Astle, Lee Drouillard, and Eddie Quinn, the Foresters have two of the three top ERA leaders in the CA. Lyman Weigel leads the league with his 2.74 ERA (175 ERA+) and Sergio Gonzales checks in at third with his 3.23 ERA (149 ERA+). Gonzales has been a surprise, with a combined 13 starts and 13 relief appearances across 120 innings. He's 10-5 with 5 saves, a 1.33 WHIP, 37 walks, and 33 strikeouts. He's just 24 and could be another one of their strong options to eat innings. Unfortunately, Ben Turner has really been roughed up, 6-4 with a 6.47 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.70 WHIP, 38 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched. The hitting is great, also boasting three hitters with double digit homers, but we don't have a Dan Fowler. He's got 27 with 94 RBI's and 81 walks, more then three times his 26 strikeouts. With Max Morris hurt, they've been using rookie Mel Hancock Jr., and the 3rd Rounder has looked great. He's slashing .370/.449/.444 (121 OPS+) with 14 RBI's and 13 walks. I'm a big fan of the 23-year-old switch hitter who's shown the ability to fill in at all positions except pitcher and catcher. I'm hoping they eventually move him to short, making a certain George Dawson available, but one can only hope.

Minor League Report
RHP Karl Wallace (AA Mobile Commodores): After an excellent start in Mobile, Wallace had a few rough starts before a pair of excellent outings. He was brilliant against Knoxville, a 4-hit, 2 strikeout shutout in a 7-0 victory. That was his 10th start in AA, and he's 7-3 with a 3.70 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 31 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 87.2 innings pitched. It's been about two seasons since we grabbed Wallace from the Minutemen and he's developed exactly how I wanted him to. He's got a polished four pitch arsenal with a nice mid 90s fastball and he has nice command of his arsenal. The walks have rose a little since his promotion from Lincoln, but after a 1.3 BB/9, I imagined it to jump a little, just maybe not to 3.2. He's the #2 pitcher in our system and 59th in the league while my scout thinks he's a middle of the rotation options. I'm expecting bigger then that, potentially a #1 or #2, but not the "ace" type of a former Tommy Wilcox. I think the biggest sign of encouragement is his pitch count. In all but one of his starts, he's managed 110 or more pitches while getting every possible out except one in his starts. And the only one of less then 110? Well, that's just because the last start only needed 86. Ahh I'm excited for this kid!