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ayaghmour2 · 08-23-2021, 04:28 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 29-31 (5th, 12 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .949 OPS
Dick Lyons : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .263 AVG, .879 OPS

Schedule
6-14: Loss at Cannons (6-7): 13 innings
6-15: Loss at Cannons (1-2)
6-17: Loss at Cannons (4-5)
6-17: Win at Cannons (5-0)
6-18: Win at Kings (3-2)
6-19: Loss at Kings (1-2)

Recap
Well it looks like we suck again... This week was more of just bad luck, all but one game decided by one run and all four of our losses were one run losses. We are just falling apart as a team, and this will likely lead me to make some changes with the roster. This likely means trading a pitcher or two, perhaps Oscar Morse or Dave Rankin, but we do have a more pressing matter to deal with. Carlos Montes left the first game of the double header with an elbow strain, and will miss the next three weeks. The 22-year-old wasn't having a great year, hitting just .249/.327/.393 (92 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, and 21 RBIs. Replacing him on the active roster and in the starting lineup will be 26-year-old Aart MacDonald, who has been killing it in Milwaukee. The current 70th rated prospect in the FABL is hitting .303/.408/.626 (160 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 triples, 9 homers, 2 steals, and 35 RBIs in 184 trips to the plate. I was planning on bringing him up soon to replace Moore or Yates, but now he'll instead come up early to get everyday at bats.

It was a bad week for most, but Dick Lyons was brilliant in his start. He tossed a 6-hit, 2 walks shutout against the Cannons to improve to 6-4 on the season. Now 38, Lyons has a nice 3.29 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP with 13 walks and 17 strikeouts. Dave Rankin tossed two quality outings, but lost both games on the road so he only got 8 innings in each. He allowed just 11 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts as he fell to 5-8. Rankin had a slow start to the season, but he owns a 3.40 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 27 walks and 33 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. Milt Fritz looked good against Brooklyn, but not so good against Baltimore, combining for 15 innings, 17 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts, but he was not given a decision in either outing.

The bats really struggled, but John Lawson showed us a vintage week, going 9-for-25 with a double, homer, three runs, three walks, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was just 5-for-19, but he hit two homers and drove in six. Bench bats Ollie Page and Johnny Waters combined to go 3-for-9 with two runs and three walks. Orlin Yates filled in for Montes this week, going 5-for-15 with three walks and a run scored. McDowell and Langton really struggled, combining to go 7-for-40 with a run scored and driven a piece.

Looking Ahead
Despite the terrible week, we could win the series against the Kings, likely to face Art White in the finale. He's made four starts on the year, 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, and 9 walks and strikeouts. The Kings just lost Frank Lightbody for the season after he tore his ACL in the opener against us. The younger Lightbody hit .299/.343/.420 (97 OPS+) in what will be a new career low for plate appearances, 170. This could mean more time for Sal Pestilli's brother Alf, who hit .264/.343/.495 (115 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 homers, and 17 RBIs off the bench. And even with Brooklyn's 6.5 game lead over the Wolves, it hasn't been because of Al Wheeler, who's .259/.375/.431 (108 OPS+) batting line looks almost mediocre, and his 7 homers and 38 RBIs aren't blowing away the competition.

We'll stay in New York as we draw the Stars for three. At 23-36, they have the worst record in baseball and we cannot afford to blow anymore games against them. The pitching has really been their downfall, and the Stars have given another rookie a chance to start games for them. Soon-to-be 24-year-old Bill Riley's first 15 appearances were out of the pen, but he made his first big league start against the Sailors on the 17th. The former 9th Rounder is the Stars #2 prospect and #35 in the league and is 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 11 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He should be able to help take some of the pressure off George Phillips, who is 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 35 walks, and 28 strikeouts. The middle three in the rotation all have ERAs north of 5, but all three arms should be throwing much better. They are without Dave Trowbridge in the lineup, who will miss 3-4 more weeks with recurring back spasms. He wasn't playing everyday, but still hit .325/.385/.526 (136 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 homers, and 27 RBIs in 130 PAs. Hank Jones hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, and the 30-year-old is slashing an impressive .345/.398/.500 (135 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 42 RBIs. Former Cougar Chink Stickels is also having a good year, batting .309/.372/.490 (125 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 5 steals, and 22 RBIs.

Our next stop is Montreal, where we will face the 26-34 Saints. They sit three games behind us in the standings, and are floating the idea of a George Thomas trade around. The 28-year-old innings eater is 5-7 with a 4.35 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 33 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 111.2 innings pitched. His ERA is actually the highest on the staff, with the lowest still Jake DeYoung. He's had three really bad starts in a row, but still holds an impressive 3.28 ERA (129 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 14 walks and 37 strikeouts. Red Bond's batting line has dropped to .318/.361/.472 (114 OPS+), but he's still hit 15 doubles, 7 triples, and 34 RBIs on the season. There middle infield has not been hitting well, with gloveman Frank Davis batting just .260/.316/.327 (66 OPS+) while former Cougar prospect Red Moore is hitting a lower .240/.275/.332 (56 OPS+). Third basemen Gary Carmichael has also seen a steep drop in his production, as his .332/.356/.448 (117 OPS+) line from last year is now just .261/.329/.342 (74 OPS+). We're then off to start next week, but we need a huge week to get back on track. We'll also see our new draftees join the system tomorrow, and it'll be interesting to see if we remain 3rd in the farm rankings, or perhaps we may fall out of the top 5.

Minor League Report
CF Elias Canady (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He may have been passed up for promotion with the Montes injury, but Canady is fresh off a 5-hit performance against the Toledo Tornados as the Blues crushed their guests 20-6. Canady homered and drove in 2 to improve his season line to .325/.386/.473 (118 OPS+) in 189 trips to the plate. He's been getting a lot of looks in right, and despite it being his first time out there, has a not too bad -0.9 zone rating and .973 efficiency. With MacDonald on his way to Chicago, Canady will shift back to his more comfortable center field, where he is an excellent defender. The biggest thing right now for Canady is polishing up his power, with 11 currently his year best. He's on track for 14 this season, and if he can build more strength, he's going to be a very scary hitter at the plate. He is good at taking bad pitches, won't chase too much, and will reach via the walk, and that discipline should allow him to hit more homers then he would normally be able to. Right now he's just looks like a fringe starter, but if he can hit 10+ homers in the big leagues while also offering great defense, he will be a very valuable asset.

RF Henry Cox (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A teammate of Canady, the powerful Henry Cox slugged his way to a Player of the Week award. The 22-year-old outfielder was 11-for-24 with 4 homers, 10 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. He's hitting .268/.333/.565 (126 OPS+) on the season with 15 homers and 45 RBIs. He's on pace for 41 and 124, truly outstanding numbers at any level. Cox is stuck in AAA with Mitchell and Langton currently operating the corners in Chicago, but his power is unmatched by anyone in our system (except potentially Dillon who we just drafted). Discounting a 19 game stint in AA as a 19-year-old, Cox has never had an OPS+ lower then his current 126 and slugged 30 homers in the past two seasons with 42 his first year. Cox will never get any prospect love, but all this guy does is hit dingers and even if he just ends up as a lefty masher when Mitchell needs a day off, he'll provide us with huge value. And off the bench, a guy who can hit the ball 500 feet is a huge bonus for any team. He's also got a cannon in the outfield, can even handle center if needed, but projects to be an elite right fielder.

08-23-2021, 04:28 PM	#580
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,039	Week 9: June 13th-June 19th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 29-31 (5th, 12 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .949 OPS Dick Lyons : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .263 AVG, .879 OPS Schedule 6-14: Loss at Cannons (6-7): 13 innings 6-15: Loss at Cannons (1-2) 6-17: Loss at Cannons (4-5) 6-17: Win at Cannons (5-0) 6-18: Win at Kings (3-2) 6-19: Loss at Kings (1-2) Recap Well it looks like we suck again... This week was more of just bad luck, all but one game decided by one run and all four of our losses were one run losses. We are just falling apart as a team, and this will likely lead me to make some changes with the roster. This likely means trading a pitcher or two, perhaps Oscar Morse or Dave Rankin, but we do have a more pressing matter to deal with. Carlos Montes left the first game of the double header with an elbow strain, and will miss the next three weeks. The 22-year-old wasn't having a great year, hitting just .249/.327/.393 (92 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, and 21 RBIs. Replacing him on the active roster and in the starting lineup will be 26-year-old Aart MacDonald, who has been killing it in Milwaukee. The current 70th rated prospect in the FABL is hitting .303/.408/.626 (160 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 triples, 9 homers, 2 steals, and 35 RBIs in 184 trips to the plate. I was planning on bringing him up soon to replace Moore or Yates, but now he'll instead come up early to get everyday at bats. It was a bad week for most, but Dick Lyons was brilliant in his start. He tossed a 6-hit, 2 walks shutout against the Cannons to improve to 6-4 on the season. Now 38, Lyons has a nice 3.29 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP with 13 walks and 17 strikeouts. Dave Rankin tossed two quality outings, but lost both games on the road so he only got 8 innings in each. He allowed just 11 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts as he fell to 5-8. Rankin had a slow start to the season, but he owns a 3.40 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 27 walks and 33 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. Milt Fritz looked good against Brooklyn, but not so good against Baltimore, combining for 15 innings, 17 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts, but he was not given a decision in either outing. The bats really struggled, but John Lawson showed us a vintage week, going 9-for-25 with a double, homer, three runs, three walks, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was just 5-for-19, but he hit two homers and drove in six. Bench bats Ollie Page and Johnny Waters combined to go 3-for-9 with two runs and three walks. Orlin Yates filled in for Montes this week, going 5-for-15 with three walks and a run scored. McDowell and Langton really struggled, combining to go 7-for-40 with a run scored and driven a piece. Looking Ahead Despite the terrible week, we could win the series against the Kings, likely to face Art White in the finale. He's made four starts on the year, 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, and 9 walks and strikeouts. The Kings just lost Frank Lightbody for the season after he tore his ACL in the opener against us. The younger Lightbody hit .299/.343/.420 (97 OPS+) in what will be a new career low for plate appearances, 170. This could mean more time for Sal Pestilli's brother Alf, who hit .264/.343/.495 (115 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 homers, and 17 RBIs off the bench. And even with Brooklyn's 6.5 game lead over the Wolves, it hasn't been because of Al Wheeler, who's .259/.375/.431 (108 OPS+) batting line looks almost mediocre, and his 7 homers and 38 RBIs aren't blowing away the competition. We'll stay in New York as we draw the Stars for three. At 23-36, they have the worst record in baseball and we cannot afford to blow anymore games against them. The pitching has really been their downfall, and the Stars have given another rookie a chance to start games for them. Soon-to-be 24-year-old Bill Riley's first 15 appearances were out of the pen, but he made his first big league start against the Sailors on the 17th. The former 9th Rounder is the Stars #2 prospect and #35 in the league and is 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 11 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He should be able to help take some of the pressure off George Phillips, who is 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 35 walks, and 28 strikeouts. The middle three in the rotation all have ERAs north of 5, but all three arms should be throwing much better. They are without Dave Trowbridge in the lineup, who will miss 3-4 more weeks with recurring back spasms. He wasn't playing everyday, but still hit .325/.385/.526 (136 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 homers, and 27 RBIs in 130 PAs. Hank Jones hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, and the 30-year-old is slashing an impressive .345/.398/.500 (135 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 42 RBIs. Former Cougar Chink Stickels is also having a good year, batting .309/.372/.490 (125 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 5 steals, and 22 RBIs. Our next stop is Montreal, where we will face the 26-34 Saints. They sit three games behind us in the standings, and are floating the idea of a George Thomas trade around. The 28-year-old innings eater is 5-7 with a 4.35 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 33 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 111.2 innings pitched. His ERA is actually the highest on the staff, with the lowest still Jake DeYoung. He's had three really bad starts in a row, but still holds an impressive 3.28 ERA (129 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 14 walks and 37 strikeouts. Red Bond's batting line has dropped to .318/.361/.472 (114 OPS+), but he's still hit 15 doubles, 7 triples, and 34 RBIs on the season. There middle infield has not been hitting well, with gloveman Frank Davis batting just .260/.316/.327 (66 OPS+) while former Cougar prospect Red Moore is hitting a lower .240/.275/.332 (56 OPS+). Third basemen Gary Carmichael has also seen a steep drop in his production, as his .332/.356/.448 (117 OPS+) line from last year is now just .261/.329/.342 (74 OPS+). We're then off to start next week, but we need a huge week to get back on track. We'll also see our new draftees join the system tomorrow, and it'll be interesting to see if we remain 3rd in the farm rankings, or perhaps we may fall out of the top 5. Minor League Report CF Elias Canady (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He may have been passed up for promotion with the Montes injury, but Canady is fresh off a 5-hit performance against the Toledo Tornados as the Blues crushed their guests 20-6. Canady homered and drove in 2 to improve his season line to .325/.386/.473 (118 OPS+) in 189 trips to the plate. He's been getting a lot of looks in right, and despite it being his first time out there, has a not too bad -0.9 zone rating and .973 efficiency. With MacDonald on his way to Chicago, Canady will shift back to his more comfortable center field, where he is an excellent defender. The biggest thing right now for Canady is polishing up his power, with 11 currently his year best. He's on track for 14 this season, and if he can build more strength, he's going to be a very scary hitter at the plate. He is good at taking bad pitches, won't chase too much, and will reach via the walk, and that discipline should allow him to hit more homers then he would normally be able to. Right now he's just looks like a fringe starter, but if he can hit 10+ homers in the big leagues while also offering great defense, he will be a very valuable asset. RF Henry Cox (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A teammate of Canady, the powerful Henry Cox slugged his way to a Player of the Week award. The 22-year-old outfielder was 11-for-24 with 4 homers, 10 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. He's hitting .268/.333/.565 (126 OPS+) on the season with 15 homers and 45 RBIs. He's on pace for 41 and 124, truly outstanding numbers at any level. Cox is stuck in AAA with Mitchell and Langton currently operating the corners in Chicago, but his power is unmatched by anyone in our system (except potentially Dillon who we just drafted). Discounting a 19 game stint in AA as a 19-year-old, Cox has never had an OPS+ lower then his current 126 and slugged 30 homers in the past two seasons with 42 his first year. Cox will never get any prospect love, but all this guy does is hit dingers and even if he just ends up as a lefty masher when Mitchell needs a day off, he'll provide us with huge value. And off the bench, a guy who can hit the ball 500 feet is a huge bonus for any team. He's also got a cannon in the outfield, can even handle center if needed, but projects to be an elite right fielder.