[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 19-20 (t-5th, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Freddie Jones : 24 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .542 AVG, 1.363 OPS
Ray Ford : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .357 AVG, .973 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 22 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.014 OPS

Schedule
5-29: Loss vs Cannons (7-6): 12 innings
5-30: Win vs Cannons (2-6)
5-31: Win vs Stars (1-8)
6-1: Loss vs Stars (7-4): 10 innings
6-2: Loss vs Sailors (13-6)
6-3: Win vs Sailors (1-10)
6-4: Win vs Sailors (4-8)

Recap
Another annoying 4-3 week for the Cougars, but we did move a bit up in the standings. What makes it worse, is two of the losses were of the extra inning variety, something we tend to struggle with. We're still a game under .500, but things are at least starting to trend in the right direction. We managed to split the end of the Cannons series, giving us the win there, before splitting the two game set with the Stars. We finished the week with a series win over the Sailors, finishing the homestand a respectable 7-5. The biggest issue with the season, however, has been our fireballer Peter the Heater. He left his last start with a shoulder, and while he won't really miss much time, it's yet another setback in the promising youngsters career. I may or may not be working on acquiring a big name starter, and with a weird set of games this week, he's likely going to spend the week in the pen. Just 2-5 with a 6.96 ERA (61 ERA+) and 1.66 WHIP in 42.2 innings, he's walked and struck out 30 hitters a piece. I don't want to option him, nor do I think he will, but he may end up working as a stopper the rest of the way. Our rotation hasn't been great by any means, but the other four have been leaps and bounds better then Papenfus. Still too early to panic, but I don't think he could have had a worse start to his year.

Lucky for us, we have Dick Lyons, who has really started to heat up. He won his most recent start, 8 innings with 5 hits, a run, a walk, and 5 strikeouts to even his record at 3-3 and lower his ERA and WHIP to 3.21 (133 ERA+) and 1.21, with the ERA, ERA+, and WHIP all second in the Continental Association. Our two start starters both threw two complete games, those being the youngsters Harry Parker and Cy Sullivan. Technically only one of Parker's starts was a complete game, as it was nine innings in an extra inning loss, but he allowed 19 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with 7 strikeouts. Sullivan, however, won both of his, and picked up his 5th and 6th win of the season, behind just Ben Turner's 7 in our league. Cy also allowed 19 hits, but one less run with 6 walks and 8 strikeouts. Milt Fritz pitched nine in the other extra inning loss, allowing 10 hits and 4 runs with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Pug Bryan had a week to forget, six and a third with 11 hits, 8 runs, 7 walks and 2 strikeouts. Joe Brown matched the 7 walks and 2 strikeouts, but in 4 innings with 5 hits and 5 runs (4 earned).

The bats came alive, and it's appalling that Freddie Jones was snubbed of Player of the Week yet again. Mel Carroll was 14-for-31 with a homer, 8 runs, and 9 RBIs, and probably won the award because of his homer. Jones, however, was 13-for-24, leading to an astronomical .542/.571/.792 (254 OPS+) batting line for the week. He added 4 doubles, a triple, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs, improving his season line to .369/.439/.585 (166 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. He's tied for second in the CA for batting average, and his 1.024 OPS is third. Our catching platoon may have been just as good, with Mead and Taylor going 13-for-26 with with 3 doubles, a homer, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs. Ray Ford has started to turn things around, 10-for-28 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Leo Mitchell had another good week, 8-for-22 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. The center field platoon worked as well, with Montes actually having a decent week. Sure, just 3-for-14, but with a double, homer, steal, and two RBIs. Aart MacDonald was 4-for-13 with a double, triple, run, walk, and a pair of RBIs in his first week back in Chicago. Ollie Page and Johnny McDowell looked good in limited time too, both 3-for-7, while Page triples, drove in a run, and scored twice with McDowell doubling, stealing a base, and driving in and scoring a pair of runs. I was hoping Lou Kelly would get #2,000 against the Cannons, but was 0-for-4. He then hit #1,999 out of the park against the Stars, a three run shot to reach 1,180 RBIs.

Lastly, the Eagles decided to return outfielder Red Looney. Our 10th Rounder from 1934, the Chicagoan turned 27 on May 15th and made 32 starts with the Eagles. Let's just say it could have gone better, as Looney hit just .148/.198/.241 (13 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 7 RBIs, while striking out (21) more then five times as frequently as he walked (4). I really didn't expect him to last the whole season in Washington, but I definitely expected much better then this. With four open spots on my 40, I'm okay putting Looney there for now, and he can function as the fourth outfielder down in Mobile, as I already have Juan Pomales sharing starts with our three starters in Milwaukee. Of course, Looney will likely be one of the first guys DFA'd if I need to free up a 40-man spot, but I'll always have a soft spot for Chicagoans.

Looking Ahead
Our weird week starts on the road, with three games in two days against the first place Foresters. 10 games over at 25-15, the Foresters have a 3 game lead over the new look Stars, but we can bring ourselves much closer with a strong series. Former Cougar Ben Turner leads the league with his 7 wins, but his 4.06 ERA (10 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP aren't quite living up to the wins, especially with the 25 walks compared to just 11 strikeouts. Dean Astle, however, is nowhere near his normal self, 4-5 with a 6.72 ERA (66 ERA+), 1.70 WHIP, 23 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 68.1 tough innings. The last former Cougar in the rotation, Dave Rankin, almost splits the difference between them, 2-5 with a 4.87 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The offense has been the driving force for them, led by the previously mentioned Mel Carroll. He's hitting .366/.419/.500 (130 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 29 RBIs. Right behind him is Dan Fowler, with an alright .266/.361/.468 (107 OPS+) line to go with 8 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 34 RBIs. Lefty Bill Moore will miss the week with a viral infection, and that is very lucky for us. Moore is hitting an outstanding .389/.471/.611 (170 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 17 RBIs. Interesting enough, nearly every other Foresters has a below 100 OPS+, and despite being ranked 7th in OBP and wOBA with the least amount of walks, no Continental Association team has scored more runs then Cleveland. It will be a tough season, but I really like our chances against them.

After a day off, we get one with the Kings, another off day, and then a second game. It is in our best interest to beat them both times, as the worse the Kings do, the better chance we have of them selling, and there are two Cougar draftees I'd love to bring home. They are tied with us for 5th, and have had a really disappointing season. I still think they are the best team in the league, but their two most popular players aren't quite playing like they are used to. Tom Barrell is 4-3, but with a 5.04 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 15 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Same can be said for Al Wheeler, who's batting line has dropped to just .223/.320/.419 (86 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 25 RBIs. Lucky for the Kings, however, Art White and Alf Pestilli have picked up the load. White, who I've tried to acquire on many occasions, has followed up a strong 1938 with a nice 1939. He's 2-2 with a 3.35 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 14 walks, and 26 strikeouts in his 8 starts. Alf is the first hitter to 10 homers, and he's hitting a strong .295/.331/.597 (130 OPS+) with 12 doubles and 29 RBIs, and he ranks right behind Leo Mitchell as the 3rd best FABL left fielder. Harry Barrell is on a 10 WAR pace, hitting .327/.383/.478 (117 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 13 RBIs to go with a 11.4 zone rating and 1.195 efficiency at short. One of the more surprising stories, however, has been John Langille's struggles, as the Canadian second basemen is hitting just .234/.367/.351 (56 OPS+) with eight doubles, a triple, a homer, and ten driven in. He's never come close to his .359/.404/.545 (152 OPS+) 1934, but it's still nowhere near his .300/.362/.444 (114 OPS+) career line. Selfishly, I hope the Kings continue their struggles, but my guess is without any subtractions, they'll still find themselves in the pennant race come September.

Sunday we'll stay in New York, with a double header against the Stars. The pitching has been tough for the high scoring Stars, as even George Phillips has dropped to a below average ERA+. He's 5-2 with a 4.64 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, 37 walks, and 37 strikeouts. The pen has been much better then the rotation, however, with Robert Curry and Boyd Harper pretty unhittable in the late innings, which has really helped the Stars win games. Curry came over with Pidgeon and Hancock from the Eagles, and has a 2.86 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, with 6 saves and 17 walks and strikeouts. Harper, the long time Stars "Fireman" has left his usual stopper role, but his 2.59 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts are impressive. Moxie Pidgeon has been very helpful for the offense, batting .339/.387/.548 (137 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 homers, and 30 RBIs. Behind him sits Dave Trowbridge, with a strong .335/.411/.475 (127 OPS+) line with 7 doubles, 5 homers, and 29 RBIs. But no one is quite like the interesting Roy Cochran, a well-traveled 33-year-old who is hitting an exciting .325/.413/.506 (135 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, 6 steals, and 12 RBIs with 24 walks and 6 strikeouts in his first 39 games with New York.

Minor League Report
RF Bobby Mills (AAA Milwaukee Blues): We finished our first month of the season, and you know what that means! Player of the Months! The one in the Century League was Bobby Mills, our 25-year-old outfielder who somehow doesn't have a positional rating in right anymore. Of course, everyone knows that Mills' talent lies with the bat, and hitting .385 with 7 homers, 29 RBIs, and 31 runs scored in a month will tend to help make up for defensive shortcomings. The two time Cougar has hit .383/.457/.699 (172 OPS+) so far with 13 doubles, a triple, 9 homers, and 36 RBIs in 152 trips to the plate. If Tommy Sandstorm didn't have a .944 OPS in the big leagues, I think Mills would be on his way up, but if we need a bench bat, Mills should be the first one up. Best suited as a first basemen, Mills projects to be a very disciplined hitter who should have a much better then .300/.400/.500 FABL line. Sure he's slow as molasses and equally unplayable in the field, and even though I hate the DH with all my heart, he would be perfect for it. Mills may be stuck in the minors for a season or two, but if he is able to get a starting role, I don't think he'd lose it because of his bat.

LHP Harl Haines (A Lincoln Legislators): In one of the most impressive starts this season, Harl Haines tossed an 8-hit, 12 strikeout shutout of the Evansville Hawks. He didn't need to pitch that flawless, we managed to win 13-0, but it was already the second double digit outing of the season for him. The 21-year-old has been outstanding in his six starts this season, a perfect 4-0 with a 3.19 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 7 walks, and 38 strikeouts. His current 9.3 K/9 is the best of his affiliated ball career, three points higher then his 6.1 in 13 starts in San Jose last season. I've always been a big fan of the former 10th Rounder, and Haines has leaped up the prospect ladder. Now 13th in our system and 166th overall, Haines has finally cracked the top 200, and he has his eyes set on the top 100. The funky submarine southpaw has a biting fastball and cutter, each sitting in the 94-96 range, with a devastating slider and screwball that have outstanding movement in the opposite direction. Even better, he has the one thing nearly every other one of my pitchers lack, control, a sparky 1.7 BB/9 that matches Dick Lyons' 1937 and 1938 marks. Tom thinks he'll just end up as an emergency starter, and OSA tends to agree, but I think he should work his way into a comfortable mid-rotation spot.

RF Max Rucker (C La Crosse Lions): Just like I expected, Max Rucker took home the UMVA Batter of the Month. Rucker hit .464/.507/.736 with 8 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, 6 steals, and 40 RBIs in 136 trips to the plate. His season batting line is still above .400, .404/.448/.649 (131 OPS+) with 9 homers and 43 RBIs, while still maintain above average defensive metrics in all three corners. He has a 1.061 efficiency in left, 1.029 in center, and 1.087 in right with 61.2, 122.2, and 112.1 innings at each spot. Rucker still doesn't get much prospect love, ranked 38th in our system and 453rd in the league, but once the new comers join the system, he'll get a tougher challenge up in San Jose. The strong and athletic Rucker has above average contact potential, and is showing much improved power, already three more homers then last season in less then half the time. OSA and Tom think he's just a bench bat in the future, but if he keeps hitting like this, I think he'll have some nicer scouting reports in his future.

LHP Oliver Allen (C La Crosse Lions): The same day Rucker won Player of the Month, Oliver Allen held the Moline Pioneers to just 2 hits with 7 strikeouts in a complete game shutout as the Lions won 3-0. Runs are way up in the UMVA this season, so the 4-0 Allen's 4.26 ERA (171 ERA+) is actually elite. He also has a nice 1.23 WHIP, 8 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 31.2 innings pitched. During the offseason, the southpaw improved his velocity to 92-94, and his fastball and cutter have looked really good so far. The fastball should be his best pitch, but his change and forkball are pretty nice pitches as well. He has solid stuff, but he can struggle with commanding his pitches when he is hit hard. His 4.9 BB/9 last year is now over two points lower, down to an impressive 2.3 early on. Just 19, our 4th Rounder last year ranks at the outskirts of the top prospect lists, 42nd in our system and 468th overall. Despite that, both OSA and Weinstock think he'll be a spot starter, I really like the way he is developing so far. The skinny 6'2'' southpaw is on the right path so far, and I think I'm going to be very happy with what he turns into.