[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 53-56 (t-5th, 10 GB)
Stars of the Week
Rich Langton : 26 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.154 OPS
Ray Ford : 28 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .393 AVG, 1.040 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .894 OPS

Schedule
8-21: Win at Wolves (9-8)
8-22: Loss at Wolves (0-7)
8-23: Loss at Foresters (7-8): 14 innings
8-24: Win at Foresters (5-3)
8-26: Win at Sailors (17-1)
8-27: Loss at Sailors (2-3)

Recap
You guessed it! Another 3-3 week! We managed to win one and lose one against each team we played, with three of the games being of the one run variety. We continue to make things difficult for ourselves, but hey! That 17-1 win! What a game! Would have been fun to save one of those runs for the 3-2 loss directly after, but 23 hits and 14 runs in the last three innings are pretty cool! A lot more cool then our 14 inning loss, and the playoffs are now double digit games away from us. The draft signing deadline also passed, so our four unsigned players will officially enroll into their new schools. Bill Mangrum will attend Texas Presbyterian, Dave Gilbert Texas Panhandle, Hack Mills Eastern Oklahoma, and Gordon Miller Coastal State. All four will be eligible again in 1942, and I'll keep an eye on them. College should help them all secure higher selections, and sometimes these impossible guys develop into very interesting prospects.

Lyons and Lonardo were our two start pitchers, but both had a seven run start and a good start. Lyons allowed 19 hits, 10 runs (7 earned), and 3 walks in 13 innings while Lonardo allowed 24 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts in 14.2. Neither were as bad as Harry Parker, who was roughed up for 10 hits and 8 runs with a walk and 3 strikeouts in just two and a third. At least Milt Fritz picked up a complete game victory, 8 hits with 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. The pen, however, was almost perfect, just a single run allowed in 17.2 innings pitched. Leverett was charged with the run, but he allowed just a single hit with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts in 6.1 strong innings. Peter the Heater was scoreless again, 6 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. The pitching really hurt this week, and I expect more of the same in the last month or so.

Rich Langton had a great week, 11-for-26 with a steal, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 runs, 4 walks, and 8 RBIs. Ray Ford had a similar 11-for-28 week with a double, triple, homer, walk, 7 runs, and 7 RBIs. Freddie Jones turned things around, 9-for-26 with a homer, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, and 7 walks. John Lawson was 10-for-30 with 5 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Aart MacDonald had a nice return to Chicago, 6-for-19 with 3 doubles, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs while going just 1-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Mike Taylor will miss a few games with an elbow contusion, but was 6-for-19 with a double, triple, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 RBIs. The offense wasn't bad by any means, but with the lack of pitching it didn't matter all that much. Hunter and Mitchell had rough weeks, which could have been the difference in some of those one run games, but for the rest of the season, I just want my guys to perform well, even if the wins stop coming.

Looking Ahead
We can't split with anyone and thankfully can't go 3-3, but we start the week in Montreal with three against the Saints. At 58-56, they are in fourth and about 7.5 out of first. Jake DeYoung's struggles could have potentially kept them out of the pennant race, as the talented 26-year-old is just 11-11 with a 5.56 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 32 walks, and 90 strikeouts in 184.2 innings pitched. Same goes for talented 25-year-old Bud Robbins, who is 9-7 with a 5.72 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.82 WHIP, 66 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 113.1 innings pitched. Rookie Bill Stewart has cemented his rotation chances, 7-3 with a 3.94 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 41 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched. He has been helped by the #1 scoring offense in the game, led by star outfielder Red Bond. He's hitting .334/.410/.500 (130 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, and 75 RBIs in 481 star level plate appearances. No other Saint is close to that line, but Adam Mullins has a nice .318/.409/.453 (119 OPS+) triple slash with 27 doubles, 8 homers, 79 RBIs, 63 walks, and 6 strikeouts. A surprising star for them has been rookie and former top 50 prospect Mark Burns, who is hitting a productive .307/.381/.476 (116 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 4 triples, 9 homers, 64 RBIs, 42 walks, and 12 strikeouts. We also may get our first look at #7 prospect Wally Doyle "The Waco Kid" who made five starts last season and two this season. He hasn't been great, 0-2 with a 6.28 ERA (66 ERA+), 1.95 WHIP, 37 walks, and 19 strikeouts, but he won't turn 21 until after the season. Regardless, he's one of the most exciting youngsters in the game, and he should turn into an outstanding weapon for them. This will be another tough road trip, and I'm ready to be disappointed.

We finish August and then start September with the last place Cannons, who were able to easily dispose of us last time we met. At 48-66, they are the only team yet to win 50 games in the Continental Association. Year two for Rufus Barrell has looked closer to what we have expected for him, as the 22-year-old southpaw is 11-7 with a 3.95 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 42 walks, and 82 strikeouts in 159.1 innings pitched. He's been a good #2 for Gus Goulding, who is 9-14 with a 3.86 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 70 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 216.2 innings pitched. 28-year-old swingman Butch Smith is making his case for a more permanent role, 7-8 with 3 saves, a 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 55 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 110.2 innings pitched. The former 3rd Rounder debuted out of the pen last season, but he does look interesting enough as a starter and the fans absolutely love him. With Whit Williams on the mend, former 13th Overall Pick and current #14 prospect Mike T. Taylor has had his contract purchased and has looked like a vet at the plate. Now 21, Taylor is hitting .265/.387/.510 (133 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 13 RBIs while walking 11 times without a single strikeout. The kid is a horrid defender, but his bat will be more then enough for him to make a name for himself. The rest of the offense has really struggled, but "The Mouse" Fred Galloway has slashed a robust .305/.388/.475 (124 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 20 triples, 3 homers, and 53 RBIs in 477 excellent plate appearances. He was their lone All Star, and looks like a piece they can build on long term. We really need to win this series, and while a sweep is ideal and unlikely, I'd be more then happy with just a series win.

We finish the week by starting a three game set with the Stars. Still in the hunt, they're 61-51 yet three and a half games out. Now 41, Dave Trowbridge has still been outstanding. He's hitting .334/.415/.489 (133 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 74 RBIs. Moxie Pidgeon has started to cool down, but he's still hitting a respectable .305/.356/.452 (107 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 17 homers, and 73 RBIs behind him. Bill Barrett is still in recovery, but Hank Jones has hit well in his absence, maintaining a .324/.366/.459 (112 OPS+) line with 9 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs. Ray Cochran has continued to hit well, but his defense, like Pidgeon, has been really poor. Still, Cochran's 3.0 WAR is just barely best then his last season career high of 2.9, and he's hit .290/.378/.481 (120 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 17 triples, 8 homers, 42 RBIs, and 63 walks. William Jones suffered shoulder inflammation last week, and will miss the next nine months with his injury. His 7 starts with the Stars were as awful as the injury, 1-3 with a 5.36 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 9 walks, and 8 strikeouts. He was supposed to form a solid 1-2 with Billy Riley, who is 13-10 with a 3.75 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 68 walks, and 89 strikeouts in his first 200 inning season. The 25-year-old was a former 9th Round selection from 1932, and owns a career 3.52 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.34 WHIP in 368.1 innings pitched. The rest of the rotation has let them down, but George Phillips' 96 strikeouts are better the any non-Peter the Heater pitcher. He's 13-9 with a 4.35 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 110 walks in 231.2 innings pitched. I'm hoping we can win at least one of these three games, but we'll only get the opener tomorrow.

Minor League Report
LHP Harl Haines (AA Mobile Commodores): A 10th Rounder in 1935, fireballing submarine southpaw Harl Haines has really done great at polishing his craft and developing into a future big league starter. His most recent start was impressive, a 3-hit, 3-strikeout shutout in a 4-0 win over the Nashville Chieftains. It was his 12th start in Mobile, 19th overall, and he has very similar ERA+'s at both stops, 161 and 164. With the Commodores, Haines is 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 23 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched. Ranked 13th in our system and 151st overall, the 6'3'' Haines has done an excellent job racking up the strikeouts while keeping the walks manageable. His best pitch is his mid 90s cutter, and while his overall stuff isn't the best, he makes up for it with pinpoint control and a lot of groundballs. The skinny southpaw has the floor of a 5th starter, but since he joined our system, he's done nothing but improve and exceed expectations. I think he could be ready for Milwaukee, but with a full rotation there, I can expect to see Haines spending the rest of the season in Mobile. He's maybe a season or two away from being big league ready, but I think he still has a lot of growing and untapped potential left.

3B Jocko Pollard (A Lincoln Legislators): Playing time has been a little tough to come around for Jocko Pollard, but that didn't stop him from going 5-for-6 in a 14-5 crushing of the Peoria Pastimers. He doubled three times and drove in five, and is now hitting an impressive .353/.406/.636 (152 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 18 homers, and 86 RBIs in just over 300 trips to the plate. The 22-year-old has spent his whole season in Lincoln, and he's played a majority of his games at third. He's had a terrible time in the field, a .892 fielding percentage, -8.6 zone rating, and .859 efficiency in 457.1 innings. First base is his likely landing spot, but with Bill Dambreville there now, he's stuck spending most of his time at the hot corner. He has made his way up our prospect rankings, checking in at 23rd and 270th, mainly due to his bat. He has well above average contact skills, and he's done an excellent job improving his power and strength. He has a smooth swing with quick hands, and his pitch recognition skills are rapidly improving. Weinstock doesn't even like his defensive skills at first, and he's way too early for the DH to save him. He's far from a sure thing, but he may already have an FABL ready bat, and a hitter like him may be extremely valuable in these stupid one run games we keep losing.