[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 65-60 (4th, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 22 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .227 AVG, .625 OPS
Mike Taylor : 15 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .267 AVG, .800 OPS
Doc Love : 24 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .208 AVG, .542 OPS

Schedule
8-30: Loss at Stars (1-5)
8-31: Win at Kings (2-1)
9-1: Loss at Kings (0-3)
9-2: Loss at Kings (2-3)
9-4: Win vs Sailors (2-3)
9-5: Loss vs Sailors (4-3)

Recap
Definitely a disappointing week, especially considering the loss to the Stars was against Dick Leudtke. Add in a pair of one run losses, a shutout from Joe Shaffner, and very minimal offense and it's quite clear why we had a rough week. It's been a while since we had a losing week and now we'll start a long run of games without a day off until the regular season ends. We'll have some reinforcements with roster expansion, and I'll be bringing them up little by little. With about a month left, I'm hoping we can win as many games as possible until there aren't any more left.

Let's start with the good, we really pitched well this week and secured the top spot for CA rotation ERA. Five runs was the most allowed in a game and just a pair of innings needed to be covered by the pen. Rankin and Fritz both made two starts and each picked up a win (of course, Rankin lost too). Rankin went 17 innings with 17 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Fritz went 16 with 16 hits, 4 runs, 6 walks, and a single strikeout. Oscar Morse had a great start, 8 innings with 3 runs (1 earned) and a walk, but he was tagged with the loss. Dick Lyons was too, going eight with 7 hits, 3 runs, and a strikeout. No start for Pug this week, but he'll get two this next one. As mentioned, the offense was terrible, with Mike Taylor the only starter with an above average week, and he was only 4-for-15 with a homer and two walks, runs, and RBI's. Lawson, Ford, Love, and Mitchell all homered, but Lawson and Love led that group with just five hits. Rich Langton played like he was still on the DL, 2-for-22 with a triple, RBI, two runs, and three walks. Ray Ford had a rough week in the field and at the plate, but considering nearly everyone failed to hit, I'm not going to correlate the two. He did add another homer, but had a three error game in Morse's 3-2 loss to the Kings.

Looking Ahead
No series to start the week, just a double header in Chicago with the first place Foresters. At 73-53, they've dropped to three behind the Sailors. Dan Fowler is a homer away from another 20 homer season, and is batting .287/.367/.473 (113 OPS+) in the cleanup role for Cleveland. Other then Bill Moore, however, he's the only Forester with an OPS+ above 105 (although they have just one with less then 90). We're set to face Lou Martino, who is 11-10 with a 4.07 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 66 walks, and 80 strikeouts in his first season as a Forester. We'll also look to give Sergio Gonzales his second loss of the season, but that may be hard considering his 3.01 ERA (144 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP in 215 elite innings this season.

The we welcome Toronto for four games. At 57-69, they are in sixth and almost twenty games behind the Sailors. With rosters expanding, there may be some new Wolves on the way up. Personal favorite Jim Morrison is hanging out in AAA Buffalo, but my guess is he'll remain there. Rotation mate Buddy Long seems like a much more likely option for a promotion or former Cougar draftee Reginald Westfall. They did make a move early, bringing up top prospect and former #4 overall pick Charlie Artuso to bat eighth and man short. First week wasn't great, 4-for-24 with a double, triple, two walks, and two RBI's, but he flashed the leather exceptionally and won't turn 22 until mid October. He's got all the tools to be a superstar in the league, adding another extraordinary shortstop to the Continental Association. This moved the struggling Frank Huddleston to second. Huddleston is hitting just .250/.279/.362 (63 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 15 steals, and 56 RBI's. They've added John Herrick to the lineup, a switch hitting first basemen who slugged 38 homers down in Buffalo. He should help aid a porous lineup where only Chicagoan Levi Redding has a respectable line. He's played plus defense in center and hit .301/.383/.405 (102 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 11 triples, a homer, 18 steals, and 44 RBI's with a 69-to-14 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It's been a strong season for the rookie who's had the weight of the lineup on his shoulders since Larry Vestal went down with injury.

On Saturday we'll be in Philadelphia to start a three game set with the Sailors. William Jones beat us last week, his eleventh consecutive victory as he lowered his ERA to a stunning 2.86 (151 ERA+). Jack Cleaves is healthy again, and the return of his .298/.383/.480 (120 OPS+) line should help spark the offense in the pennant race. No other everyday player has an OPS+ above 115, but they still have scored a tied for league best 645 runs. They walk and steal a lot and won't strike out, but they sit 5th in average, slugging, OPS, WAR, wOBA, and hits. They may not be a star studded team, but the sum of the whole is far greater then the parts, and this team could very well represent the CA in the Fall classic this year.

I wanted a third catcher, and while Harry Mead may eventually make an appearance, I'm temporarily bringing up Ken Wyatt. He's destined to be DFA'd in the offseason (or maybe earlier), but the former 4th Rounder has been in our system since the 1925 draft and I want Mead getting everyday at bats. He's bounced between Mobile and Milwaukee since the 1931 season, and owns a .266/.323/.374 (84 OPS+) career line at the highest level. He's not the only fourth rounder on his way up, as outfielder Roy Moore will help shore up the bench and give us another capable defender out in center. He was up earlier in the season and missed sometime with injury, but got into 75 games with the Blues. He hit an okay .256/.320/.308 (90 OPS+) with 13 doubles, a homer, 15 steals, and 18 RBI's while getting some time in both center and right. He's a perfect late game bench option due to the glove and speed, and he's generally held his own in the majors. Last new bench bat will be Freddie Bennett, a 23-year-old infielder set to make his big league debut. A 12th Rounder in 1932, Bennett is one of the best defensive shortstops in the system and since Ollie Page is really the only one in Chicago comfortable at short, I really wanted a second option. He should get a few starts, but I have no expectations of him hitting much at all. He did well in Mobile, but most of his 121 games this year came in Milwaukee. The light hitting Bennett hit .213/.273/.300 (73 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 11 steals, and 31 RBI's. At one point Bennett looked like a legit 20/20 player, but he hit more homers in 1934 (25) then he has since (20). Of course, you forget all about that when you see his career 1.090 efficiency at short and his 1.111 this season. The last piece coming up will be an arm, and like Wyatt, likely a temporary addition. We'll welcome back former Cougar Bill Kline, who pitched 20.1 innings for us last season. This year in Milwaukee he's 8-5 with 17 saves, a 2.14 ERA (156 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has tossed 183.2 FABL innings with a 4.31 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP. I don't expect him to throw too frequently, but it never hurts having an extra arm, especially with the lack of off days. The 40 now sits at 38, but we have eight more active roster spots and a handful of guys I'm okay DFA'ing if needed.

Minor League Report
1B/LF Bobby Mills (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's doing everything he can to show he deserves a late season callup, taking home Batter of the Month in the final full month of the minor league season. He actually hit a little less then his season line, .291, but with 5 homers, 21 RBI's, and 18 runs scored. It's now just over 200 AAA at bats for the former 6th Rounder who is hitting an elite .316/.374/.524 (169 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 9 homers, and 38 RBI's. Combined with Mobile, that's 13 homers, good for his fourth consecutive season with double digit longballs. Nearly all his reps this season came at first, but my scout views him as a future starting left fielder. He has the hit tool to hit over .330 with excellent plate discipline and decent pop. He's not very fast or athletic, but he's one of those "professional hitters" that will always give you a good at bat. The Blues play until the 21st, so that's about how long he'll stay there, but regardless of a late season callup, it'll be impossible not to use a 40-man spot on him.

2B/SS Ducky Jordan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It hasn't been a great season for Ducky, but that won't stop him from making his Cougar debut this year. His start to the season was awful, and interesting enough, his Milwaukee numbers are actually far superior to his Mobile numbers, especially when it comes to power. All of his six homers happened in Milwaukee, despite about 75 less PA's. His .215/.321/.362 (106 OPS+) line is respectable and he added six doubles and seven steals. Jordan has really started to struggle making contact in the upper minors, but the "Hot Springs Hotshot" is a solid infield defender with great speed and a quick bat. OSA thinks he can hit .330, not sure I share that same sentiment, but Jordan's floor (at least for contact) is similar to Ollie Page. He may match some of the power too, but Jordan should be a superior defender. He's shaping up to be our second basemen of the future, but Tommy Wilson is going to give him good competition. I debated bringing up Jordan today (he's on the 40), but I want to keep giving him everyday at bats. My scout and the prospect rankers have soured on him a bit, but this pair of sixth rounders looks like reliable future big leaguers.