[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record:6-1
Seasonal Record: 14-7 (2nd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 18 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .692 AVG, 1.753 OPS
Freddie Jones : 14 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .714 AVG, 1.622 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .300 AVG, .897 OPS

Schedule
4-28: Win vs Foresters (7-9)
4-29: Win vs Foresters (3-5)
4-30: Win vs Foresters (2-4)
5-1: Win vs Foresters (1-9)
5-2: Loss vs Cannons (6-2)
5-3: Win vs Cannons (5-6): 10 innings
5-4: Win vs Sailors (4-7)

Recap
Hey, hey, hey! I can get used to this! The home cooking was wonderful, and the Cougars ran off a wonderful 6-1 week! Yes, four of the wins came against the 5-15 Foresters, and yes, five of the wins we won by three or less ones, but hey! A 6-1 week! And we didn't lose in regulation! The CA looks a lot different then last season, as the parity is already starting to fall apart. Other then us and the 15-4 Stars, no other CA team has a winning record and only the Kings have joined us with double digit wins.

The offense exploded this week, and even though his ended with a sore back (and he'll miss a game this week), Ray Ford came back with a vengeance and took home Player of the Week. He slashed a well beyond elite .692/.714/.1.038 (385 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, steal, 2 walks, and 7 RBIs. He didn't strike out while being worth a full win above replacement. His week was actually matched by Freddie Jones, who hit .714/.765/.857 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs. They had a lot of help, including from Cliff Moss, who was 7-for-22 with a triple, 4 runs, 4 walks, and his first Cougar homer. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 6 RBIs. John Lawson showed his power, 9-for-30 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 8 RBIs. Leo Mitchell struck out just 5 times instead of 7, while going 7-for-21 with a double and RBI. Part-timers Mike Taylor and Rich Langton got into the fun too, 7-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Sure, Harry Mead, Carlos Montes, and Billy Hunter didn't produce too much, but with how the rest of the team carried the load it really didn't matter.

The pitching wasn't great, but Harry Parker was. He tossed another complete game win, this time with 4 hits, a run, walk, and 6 strikeouts. His first start of the season was terrible, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs without getting out of the second, but in the three complete game victories since ,he allowed just 10 hits and 2 runs with 11 strikeouts in. Jim Lonardo picked up a complete game victory, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs with a pair of strikeouts. Dick Lyons pitched fine, but got the loss, 8 innings with 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Eddie Quinn made a pair of starts, but neither were that great. He allowed 16 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), and 10 walks with 4 strikeouts in what could be two of his last starts as a Cougar. Milt Fritz will be back next week, so unless Quinn tosses a gem and Lyons' arm falls apart, Quinn may move to the pen. Peter the Heater was our other two start starter, and while the outings weren't great, he did pick up a pair of wins. He allowed 15 hits and 7 runs with 8 walks and 18 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. The fireballer now has 45 strikeouts, 20 more then Rusty Petrick and Wally Doyle, who are tied for second in the FABL. The inning eater fireballer has already thrown 714 pitches in his 5 starts, averaging 142.8 pitches per outing. His ERA is a bit higher then we'd like (3.86, 94), but it's hard to get mad at a 4-1 pitcher with modern day strikeout numbers.

Looking Ahead
We took the opener already, and now have two more games with the Sailors. Philly is tied for third and 9-9, and are looking to move longtime first basemen Dick Walker. He's never had a season with an OPS+ below 90, and all but 1934 were above 100, but the 34-year-old is hitting just .228/.371/.246 (68 OPS+) with a double, 5 RBIs, and 13 walks. Bob Smith is hitting above .400, slashing .408/.482/.551 (176 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 6 walks, and 6 RBIs. Don Homer's line has slumped a bit, but his .355/.394/.516 (142 OPS+) line is still impressive. They really don't have many holes in their lineup, but the rest of the lineup can be navigated through. Their rotation has four of five pitchers with ERA+s of 100 or better, with Doc Newell sort of looking like his old self. The 33-year-old is an unlucky 0-2, but with a 3.12 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Herb Flynn is having a nice bounce back season, 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 9 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It will be a tough series for us, but we're red hot right now and I'm hoping we can keep riding it out.

Our homestand ends with two games hosting the Wolves, who are off to a slow start at 8-10. I also think they're going to get the unlucky news that Fred McCormick's deferral was denied, but the 31-year-old is hitting a not-so-McCormick-like .239/.345/.352 (87 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a homer, 2 steals, and 7 RBIs. They have seen a return for Walt Pack, who's hitting a solid .316/.366/.434 (114 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBIs. The offense has struggled, with Levi Redding, Reginald Westfall, Tom Frederick, Charlie Artuso, and Clarence Howerton are all hitting below .240. I can't see that continuing for the middle three, but the team has been really cold and it's spread to the pitching too. Joe Hancock has had a terrible start, 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA (57 ERA+), 1.82 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Same goes for George Garrison, who's a bit better at 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Luckily it hasn't spread to Bernie Johnson, who is an unlucky 2-2 despite his 1.57 ERA (240 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Chick Wirtz has done great as well, 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, and 5 walks and strikeouts. I'm hoping their struggles will continue a little longer, but they are definitely a team to be respected.

The week ends with our toughest series of the season yet, three games in New York with the supernova-ing Stars. At 15-4, they've had their way with the entire league, and are the only team to give us consecutive losses on the season. The pitching is great, the hitting is great, and the defense is great, and other then catcher, they don't really have a weakness. Bill Barrett is absolutely destroying baseballs, slashing .390/.449/.727 (218 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 8 homers, and 23 RBIs. Dave Trowbridge is showing 42 isn't too old for being a good hitter, slashing .418/.458/.507 (164 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs. Clark Car has cooled off a bit, but his .339/.364/.500 (134 OPS+) line is still well above average. The pitching is incomparable, with the highest ERA on the staff Lou Robertson's 3.04. Vern Hubbard has somehow been the best pitcher in the game, 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA (255 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 15 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Billy Riley has done great atop the rotation, 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 6 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Chuck Cole is a similar 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 9 walks, and 12 strikeouts while Chris Clarke is 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. This is a big test for us, as a bad series could drop us in a hole too deep to dig out of while a good series could put us in first for the first time this season.

Minor League Report
RF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): La Crosse has had an excellent season already, now 13-4 and leading the UMVA, but there are very few games they've played with a 16-1 domination over Rock Island. Leo Davis was a huge part of that, going 5-for-5 with a double, homer, walk, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. That launched his .222/.294/.244 line to .300/.368/.400, and he finished the week with a nice .294/.364/.441 (118 OPS+) split. He's added 3 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 4 steals, and 13 RBIs. Our 8th Rounder last season, the 22-year-old will look to earn a promotion after our draft, and he's shown elite defense out in right field. His contact skills are a bit below average, but with his speed he can beat out a ton of ground balls and wreck havoc on the basepaths. He profiles more as of a 4th outfielder, but we're hoping we can get the most out of him.

RHP Mel Haynes (C La Crosse Lions): He keeps bouncing up and down the prospect lists, but in my mind, nothing has really changed. Currently 7th in our system and 80th overall, Haynes has been flat out dominant in his first three starts. The third was top notch, allowing just 3 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in a complete game win over, you guessed it, Rock Island. That improved his season record to 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA (284 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 26 innings. He's also gotten some time at first, and has hit .346/.469/.423 (143 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 6 walks. If he keeps pitching and hitting like this I can see him finishing his season in San Jose, but I don't want to rush the talented teen. I think his future is on the mound, but he's a decent enough hitter too. He projects to hit over .300 and has great pitch recognition skills. On the mound he's much more exciting, with a quality four pitch repertoire. His best may be his sinker, an 89-91 pitch that allows him to generate a ton of groundballs. His change may end up better, as it could turn into a really tough pitch to hit. He should be able to record a bunch of strikeouts, but control may end up an issue. I think Haynes could develop into a mid-rotation arm with the chance to fill out at the top, but his upside is immense.

RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): It wasn't against Rock Island, but Harry Stewart took his dominance out on the Marshalltown Kings. The 18-year-old allowed just 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 4 walks in a complete game win. He's been outstanding in each of his three starts, 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA (569 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 8 walks, and 6 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He doesn't turn 19 until the end of May, and has started throwing 91-93 this season. He has a nice four pitch mix, led with a filthy change and nice fastball. His curve and splitter could develop into decent pitches, and he can flat out dominate when he's finding the zone. Like many others, his control problems may stop him from reaching his potential, but he has the upside to fill out a big league rotation. Last year's 5th Rounder ranks 13th in our system and 151st overall, and I think he'll end up a top 100 prospect before graduating off the lists. He's a skinny righty who may end up throwing a bit harder as he ages, and I'm excited to see what he turns into.