[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 79-75 (5th, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 29 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .345 AVG, 1.103 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .300 AVG, .923 OPS
Mike Taylor : 22 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, 1.011 OPS

Schedule
9-26: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
9-27: Loss vs Sailors (16-7)
9-28: Win vs Sailors (3-5)
9-29: Loss vs Sailors (10-4)
9-30: Win at Wolves (8-5)
10-1: Loss at Wolves (2-3): 18 innings
10-2: Win at Wolves (8-6)

Recap
So closeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

With just one more win, every single Chicago Cougar affiliate would have won 80 games this season, but the big boys up top fell just short of the 80 game mark. I'd imagine with Montes and Hunter healthy for September we probably could have finished third, but regardless, we still finish above .500 for the second consecutive season. Our last game at North Side Park was played, a 10-4 loss to the Sailors, but the story of the week was the collapse of the Toronto Wolves. A remarkable season none the less, but we started and ended a seven game losing streak for them, and while they kept their season alive on a historic 18 inning game, it was all for naught as the Kings won as well, clinching another Continental Association pennant.

I think Dick Lyons secured the Allen Award with the outcomes of this final week. The 38-year-old vet made two starts, both against the Wolves. Lyons recorded victory #20 on the 26th, going 7 with 6 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, and 3 walks. He was also the pitcher in the crazy 18 inning game, pitching the first half of the game. He allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 2. The parade of Pug Bryan, Allen Purvis, and Harry Parker didn't allow a hit until a 16th inning single by Nick Wallace. Pug and Purvis did walk 5, but Purvis and Parker both struck out a pair. Lyons finished the season with exactly 250 innings, and he led the FABL in both ERA (2.59) and WHIP (1.15). He was 20-6 with a 157 ERA+, 47 walks, and 48 strikeouts and was worth 5.7 wins above replacement. This was easily the best season of his 12 full seasons, but the iron man just dropped his career ERA below 4 with his last start. He is 169-123 with a 1.41 WHIP, 593 walks, and 785 strikeouts in 2,709.1 big league innings. Of course, this isn't Lyons only good season, he was an All Star in 1933 where he finished 17-11 with a 2.83 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 37 walks, and 63 strikeouts in 30 starts. In total, he's had an above average ERA+ in 8 seasons, so generally reliable, just never elite. This season was reminiscent to 1933 Max Wilder, although he finished the season 36. Wilder was 15-10 with a 2.70 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 63 walks, and 102 strikeouts. Of course, this was the same year Lyons had his All Star season and that Cougar team broke the Human ERA single season record.

I miss Tommy Wilcox...

Although he did have a 2.74 ERA this year! But in 42.2 innings out of the Legislators bullpen...

Sigh...

In the actual present and important news, Lyons also got some help from his teammates, as the Cougars piled on 9 hits and scored 6 runs (5 earned) against Joe Hancock in his 35th and final start of the season. Hancock still had a great year, just not Lyons good. He was 22-8 with a 3.02 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 91 walks, and 145 strikeouts in 283 innings pitched. His wins and strikeouts were most in our league, but Rabbit Day won 26 and Lefty Allen struck out 218. A lot of other pitchers had good seasons, so guys like Mike Murphy, Dean Astle, and maybe even Del Lyons (for those thinking they picked Dick!) stealing votes from the two favorites. I won't be bogus, I'm voting Joe Hancock second even though it will hurt Dick, I really think he my guy deserves it bias aside. Plus, Hancock is a total stud pitching in Toronto, and will just as easily pitch this well next season while Lyons ERA will be north of 5 by May.

And poor Tom Barrell. Somehow he was 13-14 with a 4.33 ERA (97 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP despite 129 strikeouts and just 54 walks. He had a league best 6.9 WAR and 77 FIP-, showing that he was beyond unlucky. It's crazy the Kings won 90 despite Barrell having one of the most unlucky seasons I've ever seen. I already mentioned Wilcox, but even in his awful starts post trade with us, his FIP- was a still poor 102 compared to his dreadful 6.70 ERA (62 ERA+). And yes, if he was just league average we would've paced Lawson's Stars in 1932... I do miss those Wilcox vs. Barrell games that I thought we'd see dozens of... I think I'm going to stash him in the pen next year or the year after, but he's still got an option year left.

Huh, I almost forgot that we played games this week!

We hit a ton of homers last week, so many that even Lou Kelly hit career homer 269. The Pekin kid is now up to 1,996 career hits, and he may get those four next ones in a Cougar uniform. For his career, Kelly has hit .314/.374/.530 (140 OPS+) with 381 doubles, 91 triples, and 1,176 RBIs. He can't play defense anymore, but he's an outspoken leader with pop off the bench, and the Chicago fans absolutely adore him. Ray Ford added three of his own, going 10-for-29 with 7 runs and 6 RBIs. He ended the season with 16 homers and 72 RBIs in just 504 trips to the plate. If he didn't get hurt, he might have hit 20, but it was another above average season for Ford. He's now increased his OPS+ (114, 127, 129) and WAR (2.4, 2.8, 2.9) in each season so far. John Lawson also hit 16 homers, so he added 2 and drove in 9 in another strong week. He was 9-for-30 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored, and I'm hoping he saved all his hot months for next year. Technically it was a down year for the soon-to-be 36-year-old, but he was just super consistent with no peaks or valleys and he did come just 2 RBI's short (108) of Al Wheeler for the most in the CA. Mike Taylor added two homers and was 7-for-22 with 2 walks, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. After three awful offensive seasons, Taylor recorded an above average OPS+ (103) and reached double digits for homers (12).

No homers for Ollie Page, but he was an even 7-for-14 with four walks, a run scored, and two more driven in. It was another rough season for Page, but since Johnny McDowell didn't really do anything well, and both Dave Haight and Del Thomas supposedly broke out (fricken Thomas is a borderline top 100 prospect, I always knew the Alaskan could hit), so Page might as well be the favorite at second again. He looked great with the glove, and while I will look to upgrade, him, Jordan, Tommy Wilson, and more will be fighting for the keystone. Rich Langton dealt with back spasms for the final series, but was 8-for-26 with a homer, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. That homer was enough for Langton to reach double digits, and he's now done that in each of his first four seasons. He's never had a repeat, 11 then 14 then 12 before the 10 this season. It was, however, his first 10/10 season as he swiped a team high 12 in 24 attempts. Leo Mitchell, however, swiped a bag this week and was a much better 9-for-14 in stolen base attempts. He was also 8-for-24 with a double, 4 walks, and 7 runs. Mitchell cracked the .330 mark, hitting .337 in a 4 WAR season.

I also had a little fun the last week of the season with Tip Harrison, and purchased his contract to fill up the 40. An all time favorite of mine, I loved his versatility and most definitely would have used a second round pick on him in 1934 if I wasn't even more obsessed with Pug Bryan. I was ready to snatch him in the third, but the Kings used the 13th pick in the 2nd Round to grab the Bluegrass State shortstop. Unfortunately, he never hit much, but was part of the Al Wheeler blockbuster (still kicking myself about this one too) as a top 100 prospect. I grabbed him and Homer Ray in the Spring from Detroit, and let him play the ultimate super utility role in Milwaukee. He didn't hit at all, but he helped keep the starters fresh as we avoided serious injuries in the infield (other then Tip himself) to one of our exciting youngsters. He started 6 games and was 3-for-21 with a double and walk. This created a pitiful 143/.182/.190 batting line, making him a complete zero. And no, that's not an insult. That's his OPS+! Harrison did the remarkable, but the 27-year-old was no more then an old fashion publicity stunt. I showed off the versatility, and he started a game at second, third, short, left, center, and right.

On the mound, Harry Parker finished the season off strong, as his last start against the Sailors was good. Of course, he went all nine, allowing just 5 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. And like Lyons, he used his last appearance, two relief innings, to drop his career ERA below 4 to 3.99 (102 ERA+). The longball will always be a problem for him, as he allowed 15 homers in 130.2 innings pitched. Parker struck out 69 with just 29 walks, and his 1.15 WHIP and .250 BABIP are really impressive. It was a decent rookie year for the 6'6'' righty, and I can't wait for a full season next year. Things did not go nearly as well for Cy Sullivan, who was crushed for 9 hits and 10 runs with 5 walks and a strikeout in just 4 innings pitched. His ERA jumped from 3.62 to 4.21 (97 ERA+) and he ended his season with a 1.47 WHIP. He was terrible in September, 2-2 with a 7.83 ERA and 1.86 WHIP with 14 walks and 8 strikeouts. It ruined what was looking like a great rookie year, but I'm confident he'll bounce back next year. He wasn't the only youngster with a tough September, as Peter the Heater was also 2-2, but with a 8.42 ERA, 2.39 WHIP, 38 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Yes, you read that right. 2.39... Perhaps Pete wasn't as ready as I thought, as the wild righty was 8-6 with a 4.52 ERA (90 ERA+), 1.78 WHIP, and 117 walks in 123.1 innings pitched. He did reach 100 strikeouts, ending with 103, but the wheels really fell off towards the end. I am looking into a replacement pitching coach, so I'm hoping that could help the youngsters a bit.

Minor League Report
LHP Clarence Crane (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He didn't get a late season callup to the big league roster, but southpaw Clarence Crane was crucial atop the Blues rotation in the final month of the season. He took home Pitcher of the Month, going 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Crane finished with 10 starts, an impressive 8-2 with a 3.50 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 29 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched. I was a little surprised he didn't pitch that deep into games, as in the Minutemen organization he threw 288 innings and started 36 games up in AA. He had a tough year up in Chicago, 13 walks and 11 strikeouts with a 5.54 ERA (73 ERA+) and 1.65 WHIP in 26 frames. He was a reliable pen arm as a Rule-5 pick last year, but now Crane is in danger of losing his roster spot. He does have four decent pitches and keeps the ball on the ground, but the mix of age and stuff could make 1938 the last season he faces FABL hitters.

CF Tony Mullis (A Lincoln Legislators): Another Player of the Month in the organization, as Mullis took home the award in the Heartland League. He hit .398 for Lincoln with 21 runs scored and driven in. The 20-year-old from Detroit spent 72 of his 129 games with the Legislators, batting .333/.411/.510 (152 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 12 triples, and 54 RBIs in exactly 300 trips to the plate. Mullis spent some time in right, but had an awful -4.8 zone rating and .846 efficiency in 21 starts. Defense does look like a weak point for the 20-year-old, who doesn't have the power to make up for a poor glove. The former 5th Rounder is an extremely hard worker, consistently focusing on the tasks ahead of him as he looks to develop into a better baseball player. I'm hoping this translates to more range and more power, but the 20-year-old does rank just outside the top 100 at 111. We have a ton of quality outfielders, so he may be stuck in Lincoln to start the year, but I imagine he'll push his way up quickly and I'm hoping he'll ascend into the top 100 shortly. Marv thinks he'll hit .350, but gives the backhanded "bland diet rather than a spicy pate" note before saying he'll be a "solid starter at center field".

LHP Harl Haines (B San Jose Cougars): Another 20-year-old, Haines took home the C-O-W Pitcher of the Month after finishing 4-0 with a sparkly 1.12 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while striking out 17 with just 5 walks. The 6'3'' submariner made 13 starts with the Cougars, 9-3 with a 2.41 ERA (179 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 15 walks, and 61 strikeouts. Haines has always drawn parallels to Harry Parker, a late round high school arm with the "starter" designation, but Haines isn't near the same quality wise. They are also in no way similar in terms of pitching, as Haines never gives up a homer, they throw different, and use different arms. They do both strike out a lot of hitters without walking many, one of the qualities a pitcher can have. Even against tougher competition up in A ball, Haines had a 4.8 K/9 with a 2.5 BB/9 in 64 innings pitched. 21 tomorrow, he's a wiry pitcher with an absolutely unhittable slider. It pushes 90 as his fastball and cutter average 95. Add on a screwball that looks like it's down the middle of the plate before it almost hits you in the leg, and you can imagine it's pretty scary to hit against this guy. I thought he might hit a lot of batters, but after 26 last season, just 6 this year. I really like this kid, Marv and OSA think he's more hit or miss, but he's inside our top 20 and the games top 200 at 18 and 187 respectively.

LHP Ralph Kendall (C La Crosse Lions): Here's something you'll rarely see, a stopper winning Pitcher of the Month! That's what 1935 5th Rounder Ralph Kendall managed, going 3-1 with 7 saves, 14 strikeouts, and a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings out of the pen. Kendall was formerly thought of as a starter, 23 starts in 1936 and 12 (of 38 games) in 1937, but he functioned strictly out of the pen this year. Still, he managed more innings this year (106.2) then last year (97.1) and was extremely effective. The 20-year-old was 10-4 with 23 saves, a 2.02 ERA (206 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 46 walks, and 77 strikeouts. A four pitch pitcher, really only his high 80s sinker is any good, as he uses it to roll up a ton of ground balls. His splitter also looks good, but unless he does something with one of his two change ups, his future likely lies as a multi inning pen arm. His walks are a bit high, a 3.9 BB/9 this year is actually his career low, but Kendall is a hard worker who is working to build strength. There was a time he ranked in the top 500, but those days are likely behind him as he'll just serve as useful pen fodder.

No promises on an end of the season review, I usually mess up and refresh things midway through a long report, but I probably will give one a shot in the next day or so as I wait for the offseason to start. It'll be a rematch of 1936 where the Chiefs swept the Kings. I'm not sure who I want to win, as the Kings one last year and the Chiefs have just one less championship then we do. I feel obligation to vote for the fellow Chicago team, but also to support my association. I guess that's a longer way to say I want a Game 7, as nothing tops exciting baseball. I'm giving the edge to the Saints, as their 1-2 of Lonardo and Day is pretty awesome, and I guess Jack Beach is a 20 game winner? Plus Hank Barnett his finally free of Montreal, and showing what he could have done at second in Chicago... They also have an MVP quality hitter in Tom Bird, but the Kings are a well build team that loves to underperform. The Chiefs have one former Cougar, the 4-time World Champion Tom Taylor, while the Kings have Tom, Fred, Murphy, and John Kincaid.