[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 21-13 (2nd, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .476 AVG, 1.065 OPS
Cliff Moss : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.162 OPS
John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .890 OPS

Schedule
5-13: Win at Foresters (10-5)
5-14: Win at Foresters (17-9)
5-15: Loss at Sailors (6-8)
5-16: Loss at Sailors (3-5)
5-17: Loss at Sailors (1-9)
5-18: Loss at Sailors (2-4)

Recap
Not really the week we were looking for here... Yes, we swept the Foresters, but we let the Sailors run us right out of town and dropped the first came in Cincy, falling to 3.5. games out of first. We wasted all our runs in the first two games, and another week like this and we may fall out of the race as the Stars have decided losing is overrated. The big league team stayed healthy and we should have Billy Hunter back next week, but we'll need to get things turned around quickly.

One guy who has really struggled so far is Leo Mitchell, who had another tough week and went 5-for-21 with 6 more strikeouts. He's now hitting just .260/.300/.309 (65 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs with the same amount of strikeouts (32) as hits. This is very concerning for the 28-year-old, who has put up OPS+ of 133, 139, 134, and 135 in the past four seasons. I'm sure it's just bad luck more then anything, but he will see some of his at bats against lefties go to Rich Langton instead. Mitchell is hitting just .217/.242/.283 against same side pitchers this year despite a .308/.341/.398 (104 OPS+) measure for his career. Langton, who had a rough season last year, is coming off a 5-for-11 week with a double and 3 RBIs, and pushed his season line up to .340/.411/.440 (130 OPS+).

Despite the bad week, we did have a lot of hitters play well, including new Cougar Dick Walker. It was just 10 PAs, but the lefty was 4-for-9 with a double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Cliff Moss has started to turn a corner, and was 8-for-19 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. Same for Skipper Schneider, who had easily his best week of the season, going 10-for-21 with a double, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. John Lawson was 9-for-25 with 4 doubles, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones went 6-for-18 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Our catching duo did have it's struggles, with Mead and Taylor combining to go 4-for-23 with a Mead double and Taylor triple.

We did not pitch well this week, with just Harry Parker in the rotation not allowing 5 or more earned runs. He did allow 5 runs, just two were unearned, with 13 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in 8 innings. Milt Fritz did not have a nice return to the staff, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks in 6.2 innings. Dick Lyons was ineffective in his start, 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and strikeout in just 3 innings against Cleveland. Jim Lonardo went 7 with 13 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. Pete Papenfus was the lone two start starter, beating Cleveland and losing to Cincinnati. He went 17 innings with 18 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts. The pen had issues too, with Pug Bryan allowing 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Joe Brown saw his ERA rise yet again with 2 hits and a run in his lone inning. After a 2.84 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP in 73 innings last year, his 11 innings this season have seen marks of 7.36 and 1.64. The pitching should come around, but it seems the staff has been very hit or miss in the early goings.

Looking Ahead
We get two more with the Cannons, who after beating us moved up to 14-18 and 9.5 games out of first. There are a lot of options for them to go with in our series, and they announced later in the week former #2 Overall Pick and #5 prospect Bill Sohl will make his big league debut. We won't face him, but he was 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 27 walks, and 21 strikeouts. I expect for us to see Butch Smith, who is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 18 walks, and 23 strikeouts. With Sohl coming up, they may move Vic Carroll, who is the most rested rotation member, to the pen after he allowed 12 hits and 8 runs in his first start after 6 excellent relief outings. If they skip him that would mean Smith and Glenn Payne, who is now 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 17 walks, and 23 strikeouts. The Cannons have scored the third most runs in the league, but the offense hasn't really performed that well. Charley McCullough has done well at the top of the lineup, hitting .316/.414/.368 (108 OPS+) and Mike Taylor rode a hot week and boosted his season line to .285/.346/.431 (104 OPS+). They'll get a nice boost when Adam Mullins returns to the lineup, probably two weeks from now, as he's exponentially better then Buster Farrar and his .224/.319/.296 (63 OPS+) line. These two games are must wins, as we can't afford to let another struggling team stop their struggling against us.

We then finish our road trip with two in Toronto against the Wolves. They're a week in to the year without Fred McCormick, but they improved their record to 14-17 and we'll hope they end up 15-17 after a game with the Stars on the 20th. Replacing McCormick at first is Walt Pack, who is being replaced at third by 25-year-old rookie Ockie Holliday. I actually made a run at Holliday in the offseason, but when Otto Christian fell to us in the draft, I decided it wasn't worth having both. It wasn't a great debut week for Ockie, who went just 6-for-20, but he scored five times and drove in four. Pack is having a much better season himself, hitting a nice .316/.372/.453 (113 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBIs. The Wolves lost their center fielder Levi Redding for 4-5 weeks, which opened a spot for former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales. The Wolves have been unlucky at the plate and on the mound, but they've gotten good production from Larry Vestal and Bernie Johnson. Vestal, who tends to start hot, is hitting .333/.457/.450 (136 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, steal, and 19 RBIs. Johnson has arguably been the best pitcher in the league this season, 4-2 with a 1.58 ERA (257 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 13 walks, and 14 strikeouts. He's carried the staff with the uncharacteristic slumps from Joe Hancock and George Garrison, who have ERAs of 5.65 (72 ERA+) and 4.34 (93 ERA+) respectively. Garrison started slow last season, but Hancock won the 1939 Allen Award and is coming off back-to-back 7+ WAR seasons and has never had an ERA above 4. Toronto is definitely better then their record, but a Wolves team without Fred McCormick doesn't seem like a pennant contender.

Big off day on Friday before what could be the five most important games of the season. That's because we face the New York Stars, who are 4-1 against us. It starts with three in Chicago and then two in New York, and these are huge games that could really make the pennant race less interesting. They already have a 3.5 game lead cushion, and with another series win against us, we could fade away into irrelevance. The biggest catalyst for the Stars success has been William the Conqueror, who has exploded this season and hit a robust .442/.527/.800 (246 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs. And not only has he led them to a league high runs scored, but their staff has allowed the fewest runs. Vern Hubbard went from potentially losing his rotation spot to 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA (293 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 23 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Chuck Cole has followed up his strong 1940 with a better 1941, 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA (199 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Then there is Lou Robertson, who shook off a rough start with 4 straight starts with 2 or fewer earned runs, and is now 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Crazy enough, they traded their best arm last season George Phillips for Lou Seals, and none of those three are the best arm left. That would be 26-year-old Billy Riley, who is 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 12 walks, and 29 strikeouts. The offense does need to be a bit more well rounded, as Joe Angevine and Clark Car have started to slump and Lew Seals and Chink Stickels haven't really gotten it together, but there is a lot of talent in the lineup. Of course, Dave Trowbridge keeps trucking along, hitting .364/.419/.448 (129 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, homer, and 24 RBIs. This series will be a true test of both teams merits, and I know the rest of the league is hoping for an even series so they can keep their playoff hopes alive.

Minor League Report
2B Ossie Grogan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He was 0-for-4 in Chicago, but his first week in Milwaukee, Ossie Grogan was as good as it gets. Taking home Player of the Week, the 25-year-old went 13-for-27 with 4 doubles and 11 RBIs, good for a .481/.533/.630 (218 OPS+) line. It's nice that we were able to get Grogan with Walker, as he's going to get far more playing time with the Blues compared to what he would have with us, as he was behind Hunter, Jones, and Page. One of out top 10, he ranks just outside the top 100 at 117, and at 9th is our first non-top 100 prospect. Sure, the switch hitter is a bit lazy, but he has recognizable upside at the plate after putting up OPS+ of 134 and 152 in AA and AAA last season. He should be able to hit comfortably above .300 with improving pitch recognition skills and a reliable glove at the keystone. Not much power, but he has good speed and does well when he puts the ball in play. Tom is a big fan of Grogan, thinking he has the talent to flourish in a big league role, but I'd even be happy if he is no more then an Ollie Page type player.

RF Sammy Dillon (AA Mobile Commodores): We have a pretty stacked outfield in the upper minors, but that didn't stop Indiana's Sammy Dillon from putting together a remarkable week. The 24-year-old slugger went 10-for-17 with 3 homers, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. This upped his season line to an absurd .344/.517/.766 (229 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 18 RBIs. Dillon missed 4 months last season with a fractured ankle, and I was afraid it would have some impact on his power, but he's shown no signs of deterioration. In 26 games last season he only homered once, and this year he's basically homering each week. A former 4th Rounder, Dillon doesn't rank in the top 500, but this can be very common for slugging corner bats. His offensive prowess is clear, and he projects to hit a lot of homers. His contact tool isn't the greatest, and could limit his value, but he's a patient and selective hitter who can wait out wild pitchers and punish their mistakes. Right now he's stuck behind Oscar Panduro and Fred Vargas for corner bats, and with Bunny Hufford hitting well and a much more exciting prospect, he's not even the next man up. He is Rule-5 eligible now, so we risk losing him if we don't bring him up, but for now he's going to remain in Mobile.

C Solly Skidmore (A Lincoln Legislators): 1940 was an insane season for Solly Skidmore, who hit .388/.437/.581 (163 OPS+) in La Crosse and .395/.437/.566 (159 OPS+) in San Jose, combining 43 doubles, 17 homers, and 108 RBIs. I then pushed the 20-year-old a bit further, having him start the season in Lincoln. He had a bit of a slow start, but he was great against Terre Haute on the 14th, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. He then went 7-for-13 in the next three games and increased his season line to an impressive .353/.395/.437 (129 OPS+). Sure, it's not the astronomical numbers from the year prior, but these are great numbers for a catcher, especially one as young as Solly. His extra base hits have dropped a bit, just 4 doubles and 2 homers with 25 RBIs, but he's walked (9) nearly five times as frequently as he's struck out (2) and he may find himself up in Mobile soon. He projects to be a well above average hitter in the big leagues, with plus-plus contact skills due to his smooth as silk swing. He has a great eye and should continue to walk more then he strikes out in the big leagues, and he is good enough behind the plate with a bat like his. The only question mark is the power, as I'm not sure he'll ever be a double digit home run hitter in the FABL. He's a big guy, 6'3'' 200, which bodes well for his home run hitting, but guys who can slug in the low minors don't always have that success as they age. He is one of the brightest prospects in the game, 21st overall and the top ranked catcher, and while Harry Mead is struggling severely this season, he could potentially be a top-5 catcher. Skidmore is a great fall back option, and with the 6 year age difference, they could coexist like Mead and Taylor are now.

RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): After a dominant 1939 season, Joe Crosby seemed like he was ready to take the league by storm, and work his way up the top prospects list. Unfortunately, 1940 was a nightmare, as he dealt with shoulder tendinitis and finished with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+) and 1.52 WHIP while walking more (48) batters then he struck out (43). I gave him another go in Lincoln, and his 5 starts this season have gone much better. He was a single hit away from a no-hitter in his most recent outing, allowing 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in a complete game win as we slaughtered the Gary Steelman 12-0. That improved the 22-year-old to 3-2 on the season with a 2.04 ERA (183 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, 12 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Crosby put himself back in the top 500, but down to 322 from 132 after the 1939 season. He is throwing a bit harder now, sitting at 90-92 with his fastball, and it should turn into a plus pitch. So should his curve, but right now the slider is looking like an average pitch at best. Command is still a little of an issue, as he consistently has a BB/9 over 3, but I'm hoping we can work him out of his control problems as he continues to move up the ladder. He's not the top prospect he once looked like, but he could end up as a nice swingman option with more upside then the waiver wire vets.

RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): Okay, this is just getting silly now! Stewart bested Waterloo again, this time with 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. He's now thrown three consecutive complete game shutouts and hasn't allowed a run in 34 consecutive innings. He's made 5 starts this year and is a perfect 4-0 with a 0.41 ERA (966 ERA+), 0.89 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 44 near perfect innings. The UMVA league average ERA is 3.84 and the next best qualified pitcher has a 1.60 ERA. He will be promoted to San Jose, but I first have to see if he can keep this streak going any longer! I'm really not sure what's gotten into the 18-year-old (although he'll be 19 on the 21st), as his production has skyrocketed despite his K/9 dropping from 5.3 to 1.8. I'm sure there is some luck involved, as he's getting a lot of balls put in play, and our defense has been really good. I'm not sure how long he'll continue to be effective with a lowered K/9, but it's looking more and more like his ceiling is much higher then spot starter. If he can continue to dominate in the zone like he has, we could have another exciting young pitcher on our hands, and hopefully one with a long big league career.

CF Don Lee (C La Crosse Lions): I remember when I was making my second rounder last season, I was really worried if I made the right pick. My scout absolutely loved Don Lee, ranking him in his top 10th, but OSA wasn't as fond, and he dropped out of the first round. Fast forward to the June portion and he wasn't really present on the Mock Drafts, and panic started to set in a bit. Luckily for us, he was an instant top 200 prospect, and currently ranks 11th in our system and 122nd overall. He was great last season, hitting .289/.411/.481 (132 OPS+), but he's taken it to the next level this season. The 19-year-old had a week to remember, hitting .393 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. This increased his season line to .350/.439/.553 (166 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 23 RBIs. He's also been reliable out in center, with a 1.076 efficiency this season after looking just average last year. I'm not quite ready to move him up, we have a full outfield in San Jose, but I can't imagine staying in La Crosse after the draft. Lee is an extremely hard worker who I expect to continue to improve, but unless we have injury troubles, there's no rush to move him up. He looks to have the most upside in the outfield in our system, and while far from a star, he could be a really reliable center fielder.