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ayaghmour2 · 11-29-2021, 08:39 PM

This week is going to be a little slow, and there probably will not be too much to write about as we have to get our rosters set for tomorrow, then run the Rule-5 draft Wednesday with the Independent and Minor League drafts following to end the week. I do expect to at least attempt to get a player in the Rule-5 draft, but I'm not sure if I will make an attempt in the other two drafts. I had my roster set already, well, other then Leon Drake who I added due to the trade. Right now, not only does new manager Clyde Myer still have Ollie Page bat second, he has Leon Drake hitting eighth. I can't imagine there is a better eight hitter then Leon Drake. Drake spent almost all season batting either 5th or 6th in one of the games best offense. And while I can't see him staying in the 8th spot, I think that's a good sign for the rest of the offense. Plus, now that Donnie Jones is a Cougar prospect, his morale has already jumped to Good! Interesting enough, Johnnie isn't as happy as I thought, just feeling Normal, but I am super psyched to have them pitch together. Our system now ranks 6th in the league with 128 points, just seven above the Sailors. Donnie and Johnnie don't rank in the top 10 yet, 11th and 15th respectively, but we now have four prospects in the top 30 and they are the 4th and 6th ranked pitchers.

Since there may not be much to write about this week, I decided why not write an Amateur Report! This one will cover some of the eligible draftees with cool nicknames that I have not yet mentioned.

RHP Ray Bell
School: Whitney College
1939: 9-4, 117.2 IP, 2.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 38 BB, 82 K
Career (HS): 37-7, 448.2 IP, 1.34 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 100 BB, 509 K
Career (COL): 17-8, 228.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 94 BB, 159 K

A former 5th Round selection by the Wolves, he was a four year starter at Slayton in his home town of Slayton, Minnesota, and decided to get his degree at the prestigious baseball school Whitney College. A sidearm southpaw nicknamed "Box Car," Bell had a sub 1.60 ERA in all four of his prep seasons and had an impressive sophomore season for the Engineers. He set career bests in college for ERA, WHIP, WAR, BABIP, innings, and strikeouts. He also cut his walk rate from 4.6 to 2.9, which while not great, is still not too bad. His control needs to improve as he looks to become a big league starter. He has a nice splitter and a 88-90 fastball, but his change will determine if he can pitch in the big leagues. Bell is a quick learner, which should help him improve a lot as he develops, and I think he'll get selected in one of the first five rounds this year.

2B Gordon Carter
School: Carteret
1939: .457/.528/.804, 110 PA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .460/.530/.818, 333 PA, 40 2B, 17 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 82 SB

I can see the headlines now, Gordon "Slap N Dash" Carter leading a lineup for an FABL team! He'll be looking for a fourth solid season for Carteret, as the Newark Native has had back to back .800 slugging seasons and he's had a .450 or better average in each of his three seasons. He has great bat speed, helping to earn his nickname of Slap N Dash, and he has a great eye at the plate. He takes advantage of poor defenses and will always look to take the extra base, but he's not really the best defender. That's not to say he can't improve, he's just 18, but I think his bat is going to be much better then the glove. I think his future is more as a table setter then run producer, but every lineup needs guys like Carter to provide the spark.

C Frank Gould
School: Frostburg
1939: .402/.457/.598, 116 PA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .399/.483/.614, 356 PA, 30 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 24 SB

He may not have the best stats, but Frank "Fat Cat" Gould gives me some John Dibblee vibes, but Gould is not nearly as heavy as Dibblee, just 190 despite being 6'4''. The catcher is an extremely athletic catcher, but my scout and OSA aren't really a fan of him. He's not the best hitter, lacking a top contact tool and he hits a ton of groundballs for a big strong guy. I'd love to see some improvements, but perhaps Gould is just not much of a catcher and is better suited for another position. Since we are in stats only, we have no way to know if he has good infield or outfield ratings, but some team is probably going to get the AI to take him, and they could have a hidden gem on their team.

RHP Wally Hunter
School: Branford
1939: 8-2, 96.1 IP, 1.78 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 25 BB, 106 K
Career: 16-4, 197.1 IP, 1.46 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 45 BB, 232 K

Who is better to have on the mound in a big game then "Big Game" Wally Hunter! The 6'2'' righty didn't pitch varsity as a Freshman, but he broke out as a sophomore. Hunter went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 20 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched. He isn't the hardest thrower yet, sitting in the 84-86 range with his cutter, but he also features a slider, change, and forkball. His change looks to be his best pitch, but the other three are more average then plus. He doesn't have the best control, and that should hold him back for now, but if he gets that sorted out, he may actually pitch in some big games. Another plus of Hunter is scouts think he can end up in the outfield or at first, potentially better as a hitter instead of pitcher. They think he can have a good eye with decent power and a strong contact tool. I wish he could get some at bats at Branford, but like Goff, I think they will just keep him on the mound. He's a hard worker, but not always the most focused, so a good clubhouse could be what he needs.

CF Johnny Jones
School: Roanoke
1939: .413/.446/.679, 124 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 17 SB
Career: .422/.485/.680, 344 PA, 32 2B, 10 3B, 8 HR, 77 RBI, 58 SB

"Jumpy" Johnny Jones is nothing like Johnnie Jones, but I love the triple alliteration of the Illinois native! He could be a regional pick for us, there aren't usually many good Illinois players, so I may end up taking a risk on the soon-to-be four year starter. He has decent speed, so when he puts the ball in play he can make things happen, but he does have some issues with striking out. It was nice that he hit 4 homers this season, a decent number for a high schooler, but he also tends to hit groundballs instead of liners. I hope his walks return, 17 as a freshman, but less then 10 the past two seasons, but I think Jones will be available in the regional round, and if there aren't many other interesting options, he could be a Cougar after graduating from Roanoke.

11-29-2021, 08:39 PM	#671
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Amateur Report This week is going to be a little slow, and there probably will not be too much to write about as we have to get our rosters set for tomorrow, then run the Rule-5 draft Wednesday with the Independent and Minor League drafts following to end the week. I do expect to at least attempt to get a player in the Rule-5 draft, but I'm not sure if I will make an attempt in the other two drafts. I had my roster set already, well, other then Leon Drake who I added due to the trade. Right now, not only does new manager Clyde Myer still have Ollie Page bat second, he has Leon Drake hitting eighth. I can't imagine there is a better eight hitter then Leon Drake. Drake spent almost all season batting either 5th or 6th in one of the games best offense. And while I can't see him staying in the 8th spot, I think that's a good sign for the rest of the offense. Plus, now that Donnie Jones is a Cougar prospect, his morale has already jumped to Good! Interesting enough, Johnnie isn't as happy as I thought, just feeling Normal, but I am super psyched to have them pitch together. Our system now ranks 6th in the league with 128 points, just seven above the Sailors. Donnie and Johnnie don't rank in the top 10 yet, 11th and 15th respectively, but we now have four prospects in the top 30 and they are the 4th and 6th ranked pitchers. Since there may not be much to write about this week, I decided why not write an Amateur Report! This one will cover some of the eligible draftees with cool nicknames that I have not yet mentioned. RHP Ray Bell School: Whitney College 1939: 9-4, 117.2 IP, 2.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 38 BB, 82 K Career (HS): 37-7, 448.2 IP, 1.34 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 100 BB, 509 K Career (COL): 17-8, 228.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 94 BB, 159 K A former 5th Round selection by the Wolves, he was a four year starter at Slayton in his home town of Slayton, Minnesota, and decided to get his degree at the prestigious baseball school Whitney College. A sidearm southpaw nicknamed "Box Car," Bell had a sub 1.60 ERA in all four of his prep seasons and had an impressive sophomore season for the Engineers. He set career bests in college for ERA, WHIP, WAR, BABIP, innings, and strikeouts. He also cut his walk rate from 4.6 to 2.9, which while not great, is still not too bad. His control needs to improve as he looks to become a big league starter. He has a nice splitter and a 88-90 fastball, but his change will determine if he can pitch in the big leagues. Bell is a quick learner, which should help him improve a lot as he develops, and I think he'll get selected in one of the first five rounds this year. 2B Gordon Carter School: Carteret 1939: .457/.528/.804, 110 PA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB Career: .460/.530/.818, 333 PA, 40 2B, 17 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 82 SB I can see the headlines now, Gordon "Slap N Dash" Carter leading a lineup for an FABL team! He'll be looking for a fourth solid season for Carteret, as the Newark Native has had back to back .800 slugging seasons and he's had a .450 or better average in each of his three seasons. He has great bat speed, helping to earn his nickname of Slap N Dash, and he has a great eye at the plate. He takes advantage of poor defenses and will always look to take the extra base, but he's not really the best defender. That's not to say he can't improve, he's just 18, but I think his bat is going to be much better then the glove. I think his future is more as a table setter then run producer, but every lineup needs guys like Carter to provide the spark. C Frank Gould School: Frostburg 1939: .402/.457/.598, 116 PA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 8 SB Career: .399/.483/.614, 356 PA, 30 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 24 SB He may not have the best stats, but Frank "Fat Cat" Gould gives me some John Dibblee vibes, but Gould is not nearly as heavy as Dibblee, just 190 despite being 6'4''. The catcher is an extremely athletic catcher, but my scout and OSA aren't really a fan of him. He's not the best hitter, lacking a top contact tool and he hits a ton of groundballs for a big strong guy. I'd love to see some improvements, but perhaps Gould is just not much of a catcher and is better suited for another position. Since we are in stats only, we have no way to know if he has good infield or outfield ratings, but some team is probably going to get the AI to take him, and they could have a hidden gem on their team. RHP Wally Hunter School: Branford 1939: 8-2, 96.1 IP, 1.78 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 25 BB, 106 K Career: 16-4, 197.1 IP, 1.46 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 45 BB, 232 K Who is better to have on the mound in a big game then "Big Game" Wally Hunter! The 6'2'' righty didn't pitch varsity as a Freshman, but he broke out as a sophomore. Hunter went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 20 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched. He isn't the hardest thrower yet, sitting in the 84-86 range with his cutter, but he also features a slider, change, and forkball. His change looks to be his best pitch, but the other three are more average then plus. He doesn't have the best control, and that should hold him back for now, but if he gets that sorted out, he may actually pitch in some big games. Another plus of Hunter is scouts think he can end up in the outfield or at first, potentially better as a hitter instead of pitcher. They think he can have a good eye with decent power and a strong contact tool. I wish he could get some at bats at Branford, but like Goff, I think they will just keep him on the mound. He's a hard worker, but not always the most focused, so a good clubhouse could be what he needs. CF Johnny Jones School: Roanoke 1939: .413/.446/.679, 124 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 17 SB Career: .422/.485/.680, 344 PA, 32 2B, 10 3B, 8 HR, 77 RBI, 58 SB "Jumpy" Johnny Jones is nothing like Johnnie Jones, but I love the triple alliteration of the Illinois native! He could be a regional pick for us, there aren't usually many good Illinois players, so I may end up taking a risk on the soon-to-be four year starter. He has decent speed, so when he puts the ball in play he can make things happen, but he does have some issues with striking out. It was nice that he hit 4 homers this season, a decent number for a high schooler, but he also tends to hit groundballs instead of liners. I hope his walks return, 17 as a freshman, but less then 10 the past two seasons, but I think Jones will be available in the regional round, and if there aren't many other interesting options, he could be a Cougar after graduating from Roanoke.