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ayaghmour2 · 09-03-2021, 04:37 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 60-56 (4th, 15 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .565 AVG, 1.322 OPS
Rich Langton : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .348 AVG, 1.030 OPS
Carlos Montes : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .991 OPS

Schedule
8-15: Win vs Wolves (8-12)
8-16: Loss vs Wolves (9-4)
8-17: Win vs Foresters (1-3)
8-18: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 13 innings
8-19: Win vs Sailors (4-5)
8-20: Loss vs Sailors (5-2)

Recap
Home sweet home! The boys looked like a good team again, and we took four of six from the best non-Kings team in the league. A few more one run games, but this time the home side came back on top! We even swept the Foresters, and one of my favorites Leo Mitchell led the team this week with an outstanding week. Our former 2nd Rounder was the best in the league this week, going 13-for-23 with 5 runs scored and 2 more driven in. It has been a bit of an up and down year for Mitchell, but he's hitting an effective .331/.373/.457 (122 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 6 steals, and 58 RBIs in 440 PAs. He hasn't quite settled into a position yet, 49 games at first, 53 in left, and 12 more in right, but my guess is Mitchell will settle into the left field role as long as Ray Ford can stay on the field. Mitchell hasn't walked all that much this season, but batting ahead of John Lawson when their is a righty on the mound or Ray Ford with a lefty will give Mitchell a lot of hittable pitches. The 25-year-old has already set career highs in hits (136), doubles (24), homers (8), RBIs (58), and steals (6) while he'll still need 21 more plate appearances for that high. Mitchell's bat has really come along, and while he ranks 6th in the league for left fielders, I think he'll hit is way to an eventual top 3 ranking.

Mitchell wasn't the only hitter with an impressive week, as his outfield mates Rich Langton and Carlos Montes made consistent contact as well. Langton was 8-for-23 with 3 doubles, a triple, a steal, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. That improved his season line to .316/.382/.440 (120 OPS+), but Langton has seen a huge drop in his power production. The 21 doubles and 7 triples are nice, but he's homered just 5 times and looks likely to fail to reach double digits for the first time in his career. Montes hasn't hit nearly as well during the year as Langton, but he got back on track by going 7-for-22 with a double, triple, homer, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, and 6 runs scored. Montes is at 7 homers, and could still reach 10 by season's end, but he's hitting just .258/.327/.408 (96 OPS+) in 338 trips to the plate. John Lawson hit another out of the part, 6-for-22 with a double and six driven in as well. Billy Hunter looked nice, 7-for-20 with a double, four walks, and two runs scored and driven in. The errors have been an issue for Hunter as well, as he's had a little bit of a disappointing sophomore season. Of course, he's just 23, and a lot of 23-year-old are waiting for a chance to play in the FABL, while Hunter is a borderline top-5 shortstop.

The pitching wasn't great this week, but Milt Frtiz has really started to heat up. He didn't pick up a win, but he pitched 10 in our 13 inning win, allowing just 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned...), and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. Harry Parker pitched the other game against Cleveland, a complete game victory with 5 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts to improve to 6-2. Our two start starter this week was Pete Papenfus, but he had absolutely zero command of his pitches. He walked nine in both starts, combining for 15.2 innings pitched. He lost one and picked up a no decision, dropping to 6-2, and he allowed 12 hits and 9 runs (7 earned) with 10 strikeouts. He's one shy of 60 and has a legit chance to crack double digits with more then a month left in the season. He hasn't thrown a complete game since the 2nd, but his last three starts have seen him hurl 160 or more pitches. I'm not sure how this kid throws 100 100 mile per hour fastballs per game, but I'm not going to question greatness.

Looking Ahead
We start the week with the Sailors, as we look to beat Chuck Murphy to take the series. They are 61-54, and a game and a half ahead of us for third. Murphy's last start was a good one, 9 hits, a run, and 2 walks in a complete game win over the Foresters. That's three straight complete games for the 29-year-old, who has adjusted well to the rotation. Former Cougar Mack Deal is having a decent year, as the now 32-year-old is hitting .290/.352/.403 (95 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 9 steals, and 28 RBIs while also offering excellent defense at the hot corner. River Grove's Woody Stone is having a decent year too, as the 22-year-old is hitting a slightly below average .293/.356/.398 (95 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 43 RBIs, while walking 31 times and striking out just twice. If the power comes, Stone will be one of the best catchers in the game, but Stone is looking more like a contact first singles hitter.

Our next stop is Montreal, for a two game set with the now last place Saints. They've really fallen on rough times, dropping to 46-69 and a game behind the Stars. Billy Stall, who replaced the injured George Thomas, is still pitching fine, 4-8 with a 3.54 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 23 walks, and 37 strikeouts in just under 100 innings pitched. Now 25-year-old Biff Henson hasn't hit the best, just .276/.336/.316 (70 OPS+), but the natural shortstop has looked good at the keystone as well. Red Bond continues to slug, now with 14 homers and 59 RBIs to go with a strong .311/.359/.471 (114 OPS+) batting line. He's making up for part of Vic Crawford's struggles, who is batting just .263/.329/.410 (91 OPS+) with 9 homers and 62 knocked in. Bert Lass has a hold on the three spot in the batting race, hitting an impressive .342/.413/.459 (126 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs in 416 trips to the plate. His nickname is Red (which would make things a bit confusing in the clubhouse), but the rookie is recently 24 and complete a very strong outfield.

Next up is the CA juggernaut, the 75-41 Kings, who sit 9 games ahead of the fierce young Wolves. Mike Murphy has turned into Tom Barrell, 13-4 with a CA-best 2.44 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 41 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 158.2 ace-like innings. Day after day I wish Tommy Wilcox never got hurt, because seeing Murphy pitch this well would bring nothing but happiness. He'll likely start 30 games again this year, which should be his third season with 30 or more starts and a 150 or higher ERA+. The Kings also have the runner up for the ERA crown, Chicagoan Bob Cummings, who is 12-3 with a 2.65 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 54 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched. The former 7th Overall Pick is really breaking out at 25, and after giving up a league high 23 homers in 1936, he's allowed just 5 this year after 4 in 89 innings last year. Limiting the homers has been huge, and Cummings is shaping up to be another strong member in an already strong rotation. The Kings boosted their farm at the deadline, sending Bill May to the Chiefs, and one of the pieces they got back was the well-traveled former Cougar Bob Worley. He was doing terrible for the Chiefs, but he's slashing an outstanding .347/.421/.653 (176 OPS+) with 4 homers and 11 RBIs in 59 post-trade plate appearances. The Kings also look to have three 20 homer players, with Al Wheeler hitting 20 on the 18th and Vance and Pestilli within five.

We then finish the week with just one of our two games with the Stars. There is a lot of news around New York with the firing of their General Manager, an illegal trade (no trades past July 31st allowed) that would've built a super outfield in Detroit, and the long overdue promotion of #1 prospect Bill Barrett. The 18-year-old doesn't play like an 18-year-old, and he launched three homers in his big league debut week. He's just 5-for-22, but he added a triple and drove in 6. He'll handle center now, with Chink Stickels moving to right. Stickels' average has dropped a bit, but he's still hitting a robust .334/.398/.539 (145 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 14 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 50 RBIs. This moved clubhouse leader Hank Jones to the bench, and while he has cooled off greatly from his outstanding start, he's still hitting .296/.352/.440 (108 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 64 RBIs. The Stars have also seen improved pitching, with four of their current starting five holding ERAs below 4. They even have a legit ace, George Phillips, who is 9-6 with a 2.75 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 59 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. He's got the best ERA for CA pitcher not on the Kings, but it's only a bit better then top prospect Billy Riley. In 11 starts and 15 relief outings, he's 7-7 with a 2.86 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 30 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Fellow top prospect Glenn Payne has been a bit unlucky, 2-9 on the year, but he's got a 3.43 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 49 walks and 41 strikeouts in 12 starts and 11 relief outings. The Stars are showing signs of improvement, but it may be a few more seasons before the Stars are back to their prestigious selves.

Minor League Report
2B Bill Dickens (AA Mobile Commodores): One of the more surprising Player of the Weeks so far this season, part timer Bill Dickens took home the award for the Dixie League. Dickens was 11-for-18, including a trio of 3-for-4 games, as he improved his season line to .330/.380/.431 (118 OPS+) for the year. He's started just 53 of the 80 games he's played, but he's looked impressive at the plate and great at both middle infield spots. He's stuck behind Homer Ray, Dick Voss, and Ivan Cameron at the moment, but top prospect Tommy Wilson got hurt in AAA, and with the rosters expanding shortly, I'm comfortable moving one of them up to AAA so Dickens can see a little more time in the last month or so. Part of the John Kincaid deal in the Summer of '35, Dickens wasn't used too much in Philly, part of the reason I asked for him with Stumpy. He's not the most exciting prospect, but he's well developed and a very versatile infielder. He may never quite hit .300, but should be able to hold his own at the plate with tougher pitching. The switch hitter was passed up in the Rule-5 draft last offseason, and while I definitely don't want to lose him, I won't be upset if another team gives him a more regular opportunity.

RHP Ray McNeill (A Lincoln Legislators): A 7th Round selection last year, Ray McNeill had everything working against the Cedar Rapid Chiefs. It didn't matter too much, the offense scored nine, but McNeill allowed just 2 hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out 8. That was his 6th start since a callup from San Jose, and the Maryland State alum is now 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA (176 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 9 walks, and 26 strikeouts across 44 innings pitched. He's always been a big strikeout pitcher, but his current 5.3 K/9 is outstanding. A polished six pitch pitcher, the righty could strike out his share of FABL hitters, as he's able to place the soft stuff well. His fastball doesn't overwhelm, sitting in the mid 80s, and he uses both of his change ups to rack up the strikeouts. He's not one of our top prospects by any means, but I'm a big fan of serviceable college arms who can race up the system and eventually develop into either trade bait or a suitable inning eater.

EDIT: Our commissioner posted on the Barrell thread(https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...&postcount=160), and the most recent post was very Cougar-centric and brought back a lot of good memories. Definitely worth checking out, as always a really good piece in the Barrell story. Although it is almost Tommy Wilcox time...

09-03-2021, 04:37 PM	#592
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,037	Week 18: August 15th-August 21st Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 60-56 (4th, 15 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .565 AVG, 1.322 OPS Rich Langton : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .348 AVG, 1.030 OPS Carlos Montes : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .991 OPS Schedule 8-15: Win vs Wolves (8-12) 8-16: Loss vs Wolves (9-4) 8-17: Win vs Foresters (1-3) 8-18: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 13 innings 8-19: Win vs Sailors (4-5) 8-20: Loss vs Sailors (5-2) Recap Home sweet home! The boys looked like a good team again, and we took four of six from the best non-Kings team in the league. A few more one run games, but this time the home side came back on top! We even swept the Foresters, and one of my favorites Leo Mitchell led the team this week with an outstanding week. Our former 2nd Rounder was the best in the league this week, going 13-for-23 with 5 runs scored and 2 more driven in. It has been a bit of an up and down year for Mitchell, but he's hitting an effective .331/.373/.457 (122 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 6 steals, and 58 RBIs in 440 PAs. He hasn't quite settled into a position yet, 49 games at first, 53 in left, and 12 more in right, but my guess is Mitchell will settle into the left field role as long as Ray Ford can stay on the field. Mitchell hasn't walked all that much this season, but batting ahead of John Lawson when their is a righty on the mound or Ray Ford with a lefty will give Mitchell a lot of hittable pitches. The 25-year-old has already set career highs in hits (136), doubles (24), homers (8), RBIs (58), and steals (6) while he'll still need 21 more plate appearances for that high. Mitchell's bat has really come along, and while he ranks 6th in the league for left fielders, I think he'll hit is way to an eventual top 3 ranking. Mitchell wasn't the only hitter with an impressive week, as his outfield mates Rich Langton and Carlos Montes made consistent contact as well. Langton was 8-for-23 with 3 doubles, a triple, a steal, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. That improved his season line to .316/.382/.440 (120 OPS+), but Langton has seen a huge drop in his power production. The 21 doubles and 7 triples are nice, but he's homered just 5 times and looks likely to fail to reach double digits for the first time in his career. Montes hasn't hit nearly as well during the year as Langton, but he got back on track by going 7-for-22 with a double, triple, homer, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, and 6 runs scored. Montes is at 7 homers, and could still reach 10 by season's end, but he's hitting just .258/.327/.408 (96 OPS+) in 338 trips to the plate. John Lawson hit another out of the part, 6-for-22 with a double and six driven in as well. Billy Hunter looked nice, 7-for-20 with a double, four walks, and two runs scored and driven in. The errors have been an issue for Hunter as well, as he's had a little bit of a disappointing sophomore season. Of course, he's just 23, and a lot of 23-year-old are waiting for a chance to play in the FABL, while Hunter is a borderline top-5 shortstop. The pitching wasn't great this week, but Milt Frtiz has really started to heat up. He didn't pick up a win, but he pitched 10 in our 13 inning win, allowing just 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned...), and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. Harry Parker pitched the other game against Cleveland, a complete game victory with 5 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts to improve to 6-2. Our two start starter this week was Pete Papenfus, but he had absolutely zero command of his pitches. He walked nine in both starts, combining for 15.2 innings pitched. He lost one and picked up a no decision, dropping to 6-2, and he allowed 12 hits and 9 runs (7 earned) with 10 strikeouts. He's one shy of 60 and has a legit chance to crack double digits with more then a month left in the season. He hasn't thrown a complete game since the 2nd, but his last three starts have seen him hurl 160 or more pitches. I'm not sure how this kid throws 100 100 mile per hour fastballs per game, but I'm not going to question greatness. Looking Ahead We start the week with the Sailors, as we look to beat Chuck Murphy to take the series. They are 61-54, and a game and a half ahead of us for third. Murphy's last start was a good one, 9 hits, a run, and 2 walks in a complete game win over the Foresters. That's three straight complete games for the 29-year-old, who has adjusted well to the rotation. Former Cougar Mack Deal is having a decent year, as the now 32-year-old is hitting .290/.352/.403 (95 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 9 steals, and 28 RBIs while also offering excellent defense at the hot corner. River Grove's Woody Stone is having a decent year too, as the 22-year-old is hitting a slightly below average .293/.356/.398 (95 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 43 RBIs, while walking 31 times and striking out just twice. If the power comes, Stone will be one of the best catchers in the game, but Stone is looking more like a contact first singles hitter. Our next stop is Montreal, for a two game set with the now last place Saints. They've really fallen on rough times, dropping to 46-69 and a game behind the Stars. Billy Stall, who replaced the injured George Thomas, is still pitching fine, 4-8 with a 3.54 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 23 walks, and 37 strikeouts in just under 100 innings pitched. Now 25-year-old Biff Henson hasn't hit the best, just .276/.336/.316 (70 OPS+), but the natural shortstop has looked good at the keystone as well. Red Bond continues to slug, now with 14 homers and 59 RBIs to go with a strong .311/.359/.471 (114 OPS+) batting line. He's making up for part of Vic Crawford's struggles, who is batting just .263/.329/.410 (91 OPS+) with 9 homers and 62 knocked in. Bert Lass has a hold on the three spot in the batting race, hitting an impressive .342/.413/.459 (126 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs in 416 trips to the plate. His nickname is Red (which would make things a bit confusing in the clubhouse), but the rookie is recently 24 and complete a very strong outfield. Next up is the CA juggernaut, the 75-41 Kings, who sit 9 games ahead of the fierce young Wolves. Mike Murphy has turned into Tom Barrell, 13-4 with a CA-best 2.44 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 41 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 158.2 ace-like innings. Day after day I wish Tommy Wilcox never got hurt, because seeing Murphy pitch this well would bring nothing but happiness. He'll likely start 30 games again this year, which should be his third season with 30 or more starts and a 150 or higher ERA+. The Kings also have the runner up for the ERA crown, Chicagoan Bob Cummings, who is 12-3 with a 2.65 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 54 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched. The former 7th Overall Pick is really breaking out at 25, and after giving up a league high 23 homers in 1936, he's allowed just 5 this year after 4 in 89 innings last year. Limiting the homers has been huge, and Cummings is shaping up to be another strong member in an already strong rotation. The Kings boosted their farm at the deadline, sending Bill May to the Chiefs, and one of the pieces they got back was the well-traveled former Cougar Bob Worley. He was doing terrible for the Chiefs, but he's slashing an outstanding .347/.421/.653 (176 OPS+) with 4 homers and 11 RBIs in 59 post-trade plate appearances. The Kings also look to have three 20 homer players, with Al Wheeler hitting 20 on the 18th and Vance and Pestilli within five. We then finish the week with just one of our two games with the Stars. There is a lot of news around New York with the firing of their General Manager, an illegal trade (no trades past July 31st allowed) that would've built a super outfield in Detroit, and the long overdue promotion of #1 prospect Bill Barrett. The 18-year-old doesn't play like an 18-year-old, and he launched three homers in his big league debut week. He's just 5-for-22, but he added a triple and drove in 6. He'll handle center now, with Chink Stickels moving to right. Stickels' average has dropped a bit, but he's still hitting a robust .334/.398/.539 (145 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 14 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 50 RBIs. This moved clubhouse leader Hank Jones to the bench, and while he has cooled off greatly from his outstanding start, he's still hitting .296/.352/.440 (108 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 64 RBIs. The Stars have also seen improved pitching, with four of their current starting five holding ERAs below 4. They even have a legit ace, George Phillips, who is 9-6 with a 2.75 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 59 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. He's got the best ERA for CA pitcher not on the Kings, but it's only a bit better then top prospect Billy Riley. In 11 starts and 15 relief outings, he's 7-7 with a 2.86 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 30 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Fellow top prospect Glenn Payne has been a bit unlucky, 2-9 on the year, but he's got a 3.43 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 49 walks and 41 strikeouts in 12 starts and 11 relief outings. The Stars are showing signs of improvement, but it may be a few more seasons before the Stars are back to their prestigious selves. Minor League Report 2B Bill Dickens (AA Mobile Commodores): One of the more surprising Player of the Weeks so far this season, part timer Bill Dickens took home the award for the Dixie League. Dickens was 11-for-18, including a trio of 3-for-4 games, as he improved his season line to .330/.380/.431 (118 OPS+) for the year. He's started just 53 of the 80 games he's played, but he's looked impressive at the plate and great at both middle infield spots. He's stuck behind Homer Ray, Dick Voss, and Ivan Cameron at the moment, but top prospect Tommy Wilson got hurt in AAA, and with the rosters expanding shortly, I'm comfortable moving one of them up to AAA so Dickens can see a little more time in the last month or so. Part of the John Kincaid deal in the Summer of '35, Dickens wasn't used too much in Philly, part of the reason I asked for him with Stumpy. He's not the most exciting prospect, but he's well developed and a very versatile infielder. He may never quite hit .300, but should be able to hold his own at the plate with tougher pitching. The switch hitter was passed up in the Rule-5 draft last offseason, and while I definitely don't want to lose him, I won't be upset if another team gives him a more regular opportunity. RHP Ray McNeill (A Lincoln Legislators): A 7th Round selection last year, Ray McNeill had everything working against the Cedar Rapid Chiefs. It didn't matter too much, the offense scored nine, but McNeill allowed just 2 hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out 8. That was his 6th start since a callup from San Jose, and the Maryland State alum is now 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA (176 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 9 walks, and 26 strikeouts across 44 innings pitched. He's always been a big strikeout pitcher, but his current 5.3 K/9 is outstanding. A polished six pitch pitcher, the righty could strike out his share of FABL hitters, as he's able to place the soft stuff well. His fastball doesn't overwhelm, sitting in the mid 80s, and he uses both of his change ups to rack up the strikeouts. He's not one of our top prospects by any means, but I'm a big fan of serviceable college arms who can race up the system and eventually develop into either trade bait or a suitable inning eater. EDIT: Our commissioner posted on the Barrell thread(https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...&postcount=160), and the most recent post was very Cougar-centric and brought back a lot of good memories. Definitely worth checking out, as always a really good piece in the Barrell story. Although it is almost Tommy Wilcox time... Last edited by ayaghmour2; 09-03-2021 at 05:47 PM.