[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 37-41 (5th, 16 GB)
Stars of the Week
Orlin Yates : 9 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.323 OPS
Cy Sullivan : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
John Lawson : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .699 OPS

Schedule
7-4: Loss at Wolves (3-8)
7-4: Win at Wolves (2-1)
7-8: Win vs Foresters (5-6)
7-9: Loss vs Foresters (5-2)
7-10: Win vs Foresters (5-6)

Recap
This was a split week, a loss on either side of the main festivities, the All-Star game. It was another crazy extra inning affair, with the Continental Association taking the 13-inning game 5-4. Billy Hunter came off the bench and finished the game at short, but was 0-for-2. Dick Lyons blew the save in the 8th, 3 hits and a run in his only inning.

The biggest news on the field (a ton off the field) was Cy Sullivan's first (of hopefully many) big league start. He pitched the second game of the double header against the Wolves before the break, and drew up a ton of weak contact. He pitched all nine and picked up the win, allowing 10 hits with a single walk and strikeout. Sullivan will remain n the rotation, entering the four slot ahead of Harry Parker, and he should be pitching about every fifth game the rest of the way. He currently ranks 36th in the league, but he is very close from graduating. None of the other starts went all that well, with Fritz, Parker, and Lyons all allowing five runs against the Foresters. Lucky for us, we managed o score six in Parker and Lyons' start, so we won our first series of the second half.

We still aren't hitting the ball at all, with the only three players having a successful week all part-time players. Orlin Yates looked great, 4-for-9 with a homer, a steal, two walks, and three runs scored and driven in as he filled in out in center. He'll retain his roster spot, as Carlos Montes is ready to return. Mike Taylor also did well, 3-for-8 with a double and two walks. Doc Love was just 1-for-6, but he homered and walked. Sadly Hunter and Mitchell really struggled, combining to go 9-for-39 while Hunter doubled and Mitchell stole a base.

All are non impossible draftees have signed, and a lot have placed in the top 500. The biggest surprise is my first actual pick, 3rd Rounder Danny Richardson, who checks in at 11th in the league and 73rd overall. 10th Rounder Harry Carr just missed the top 200, 23rd and 227th respectively with 4th Rounder Oliver Allen (33rd/378th) and 5th Rounder Steve Jones (36th/413th) filing in behind him. I'd imagine most picks have signed by now, and we currently have 44 top 500 prospects (will be 45 with Sacchetti) and our system ranks 2nd with 216 points. We are the only 200 point team, as the Gothams now have 304 points due to 33rd Overall Pick Ed Bowman (who myself and many others would have loved to take in the first two rounds) hopping up to 2nd ahead of Peter the Heater. Bowman is no Papenfus, end of story, but it is annoying how the mock draft didn't even think he deserved a selection in the first five rounds.

Looking Ahead
The new look rotation of the Cougars first test will be against the Sailors in Chicago. We'll see them for two games, so no Papenfus (he pitched two days ago) sighting will happen against the Sailors. They sit at 40-37, tied for third with the Foresters and 12.5 games behind the Kings. William Jones is back on the mound for the Sailors, and despite being an unlucky 3-6, he's got a beautiful 2.71 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and 19 walks. All-Star Doc Newell has continued his strong season, 11-5 with a 3.52 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 38 walks, and 52 strikeouts. Walt Wells has cooled off a bit, but the 30-year-old southpaw is still 9-4 with a 3.85 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 57 walks, and 46 strikeouts. River Grove's Woody Stone was also an All-Star, and the former top 10 prospect is slashing an impressive .342/.413/.458 (125 OPS+) as he's more then seized the job away from Red Jackson. The Sailors have also welcomed back the now healthy Joe Watson, who is hitting .320/.402/.454 (121 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, a steal, and 19 RBIs in just under 100 at bats for the year. The top five in the order is now extremely scary, with Nava (131), Walker (118), Watson, Smith (128), and Stone all having well above average seasons. The bottom of the order, however, is a cakewalk, but if exciting young shortstop Rip Lee gets back on track, the Sailors can be a really tough team to get out.

The rest of the week is much easier, starting with the 27-49 Stars. New York sits 25 games out of first place, and has had a really tough time scoring and preventing runs. A team like the Sailors could potentially use right fielder Hank Jones, their All Star, who hit .335/.385/.486 (129 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 4 homers, 4 triples, and 50 RBIs. They won't trade Chink Stickels, but he continues to improve at the plate, now hitting .332/.397/.529 (143 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 20 triples, 2 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBIs. He was part of the Lawson deal, and while not the best defender, currently ranks as the 3rd best center fielder in the game. On the mound, fellow 27-year-old George Phillips continues to lead the staff, 6-3 with a 2.72 ERA (152 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 41 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 99.1 innings pitched. The only downside to Phillips is his stamina, with almost half (7 of his 15 starts) seeing him leave after the 6th or earlier.

Our long homestand continues with the Cannons, with two of three this weekend. Baltimore is a bit ahead of New York, 32-45, but four games behind Montreal for the now important sixth place. Gus Goulding continues to be a reliable inning eater atop their rotation, 7-9 with a 3.87 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 41 walks, and 63 strikeouts as he's on pace for a second 300 inning season. 22-year-old Art Edwards hasn't found nearly as much success, now 7-11 with a 5.28 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.63 WHIP, 74 walks, and 68 strikeouts. They should be getting Rusty Petrick back next week, but his replacement Howie Pike has had walk issues and a 4.98 ERA (82 ERA+) in 4 starts and 5 relief outings. Almost 28-year-old Oscar King has never hit much, but this year his .190/.328/.286 (66 OPS+) batting line is the first time he's been below a 70 OPS+ and his efficiency is down to just 1.031, which would also be a career low. They also just lost one of their few productive hitters, Bunny Stapleton, who will miss at least four weeks with torn quadriceps. He was hitting an average .299/.354/.414 (105 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 homers, and 34 RBIs. We really need to win these games against New York and Baltimore, and I think our young arms will be up to the task.

Minor League Report
RHP Preacher Pietsch (A Lincoln Legislators): 1938 has been almost a perfect season for Preacher Pietsch, who had a few poor starts and an injury after the draft last season. This year has been anything but, 6-4 with 2.20 ERA (183 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 19 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 12 starts with the Legislators. Since draft day he's added a lot of velocity, going from 88-90 to 92-94 and now the prospect people are starting to see he's not a sub-500 prospect. At the most recent rankings, Pietsch checks in at the century mark, and I still think that might be a little low. He boasts an imposing 6'6'' presence on the mound with a nice cutter he can place effortlessly. He has good command of his curve and splitter too, all big league quality pitches, and he has a regular fastball he can use as well. Walks should never be an issue for the 22-year-old, and Marv thinks he'll be a useful rotation arm. OSA is higher on him, thinking middle of the rotation arm, and I think that's closer to accurate. I'm a little biased, but I do think he could end up towards the top of a middle of the pack rotation, but hopefully towards the bottom of should be a dominant Cougar starting five.