[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 81-68 (2nd, 20 GB)
Stars of the Week
Cliff Moss : 20 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.150 OPS
John Lawson : 20 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, .950 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 26 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .308 AVG, .879 OPS

Schedule
9-14: Win vs Foresters (2-5)
9-16: Win vs Sailors (0-3)
9-17: Win vs Sailors (9-6)
9-18: Loss vs Stars (7-4)
9-19: Loss vs Stars (9-6)
9-20: Win vs Stars (4-5)
9-20: Loss vs Stars (4-1)

Recap
We went undefeated against teams who were not the New York Stars this week, but went just 1-3 against those Stars. When you consider the one win was a rare one run win, it really shows how much better of a team they are. What is nice is that despite now being 20 games out of first, we've more or less secured 2nd, as the Cannons had a rough week and sit 3.5 games behind us. We also surpassed the 80 win mark, the fifth time in six years, with the lone exception our 79 win 1938. Just one more week with 5 more games before the offseason.

Danny Goff Jr. had an outstanding first career start, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the Sailors with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts. He hit pretty well too, 2-for-7 with 3 walks and 2 runs. He didn't throw our only shutout, as Harry Parker was even better, tossing a 4-hitter of his own with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. This was his 20th win on the season, and Parker has increased his win total in each of his five seasons. It will be hard to top this next year, but he's managed to lose just 10 or 11 games in each of the last four seasons. Dick Lyons did great in his last start of the season, keeping the Stars in check during a no decision. He allowed 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 7.2 innings pitched. This year is his sixth consecutive with an ERA+ of 100 or better, going 6-8 in 23 starts with a 3.06 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 34 walks, and 15 strikeouts. I have yet to decide if Lyons will start again next season, but the fact that the now 42-year-old managed to be worth 2.1 wins above replacement with just a 0.8 K/9 is extremely impressive. Jim Lonardo picked up a win and no decision, going 16 innings with 17 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Joe Brown really struggled with the Stars, going 6 innings with 9 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), and 3 walks. Donnie Jones had a rough start too, 9 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 7 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The Stars are tough, so it does make sense those two had issues with them, but our bullpen had their troubles too. Ben Curtin got a win in one of his two outings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout in 3.1 innings pitched. Hooks Camp picked up a loss, allowing 3 runs of a hit and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. The last week I'll give some rest to Lyons and Lonardo to get some of the younger guys a chance.

Some of our vets hit really well, with a huge showing from Cliff Moss. The 36-year-old went 8-for-20 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. John Lawson also went 8-for-20, a double, triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. I don't think he'll reach an 100 OPS+, as his .278/.319/.358 (94 OPS+) line looks to fall just short. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-26 with a steal, 2 doubles, a homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Ray Ford made just 10 PAs, but was 3-for-8 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. Skipper went 6-for-22 with a double, homer, steal, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 7 RBIs. Like with the staff, more youngsters will start to play in the final week as we look to secure as many wins in the remaining games as possible.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before our final game with the Montreal Saints. Just a game under .500, they have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1930, and they need just two wins for their most wins in a season since that year as well. We're set to face veteran Ed Baker (10-17, 4.02, 48), but one of their most interesting rotation members is "Preacher Man" Jimmy Mayse (2-2, 3.60, 18). A 26-year-old from East St. Louis, is looking to take a rotation spot for the future, as the former 1st Rounder will likely secure a roster spot next Opening Day. He could really solidify their rotation along with Jake DeYoung (17-11, 2.86, 92), if the long awaited breakout is legit, and Wally Doyle (12-13, 3.81, 148), who will be just 24 and is one of the best strikeout arms in the league. With the pitching shored up, they will be a real threat in the pennant race, as their offense is really good. Club leader Jake Hughes (.318, 2, 55, 16) has one of the best bats at short, Bert Lass (.320, 5, 90) continues to be an effective hitter, and youngsters Charlie Woodbury (.295, 5, 39) and Spud Bent (.300, 4, 28) will only get better. If Bill Greene (.248, 4, 54, 9) and Red Bond (.253, 15, 77) can get back on track next year, they should be able to replace the Stars as the highest scoring offense.

Speaking of those Stars, we have to deal with them three times to finish the season. The first is at home on Wednesday before an off day, which is are last home game of the year. We also get them the last two games of the season in New York. With an even 100 wins, they are officially the highest winning Stars team, and are all but guaranteed to host the Gothams (88-61) in what should be an exciting Subway Series. For some reason Bill Barrett (.339, 25, 83) doesn't really drive in many runs, or else he'd waltz home with a triple crown. He has, however, walked 154 times in 147 games, while striking out just a dozen times. He has a tremendous 11.2 WAR and 189 OPS+, and he'll win his 2nd Whitney before his 23rd Birthday this November. In another year Billy Riley (21-4, 2.05, 88) would take home the Allen, but Rufus Barrell (23-5, 1.82, 158) has just been too dominant. Percy Sutherland and Jiggs McGee have this Stars team winning the series in six, and while I think they're right about the Stars winning, I'm guessing they'll pull it off in 5. The Gothams are a young and talented team, but the Stars are really in a league of their own. Their rotation should have no issue with the Gothams lineup, and even against the Gothams outstanding pitching, their lineup has too much firepower.

Off Thursday before our last home game on Friday against the Kings. Despite a rather large drop in attendance, with our per game figure down over 12%, we have attracted the most fans in the FABL this season. 1,734,131 baseball fans have caught a game at Cougars Park. We have a 90,000 fan lead over the Stars, who have just two home games left to our three. Now the Kings won't draw as many fans as the Stars will, as they are just 69-80 and without Joe Herman (.267, 3, 28, 11) and Art White (15-10, 2.00, 56) there aren't many players who will put fans in the seats. Of course, who wouldn't want to see Al Wheeler (.264, 23, 96) and Harry Barrell (.310, 2, 40, 8), but Howard Brown Jr. (2.96, 1, 16, 10), Jim Crawford (11-15, 3.54, 1.29), and Stumpy Beaman (7-16, 4.06, 50) don't have as much pull. They did have a decent debut this month from Gabe Wimberly (.324, 1, 6), but the former 2nd Rounder strained his groin last week. Another rookie George Smith (2-0, 2.62, 8) has had a nice first month too, but some of their exciting young prospects Jim Kenny and Lou Ormsby will have to wait in AAA a little longer. I'd love to win won more for the fans who have supported us all season, and give them a talented youngster to preview Danny Goff Jr. against his dad's team.

Minor League Report
The minor league season is now concluded, and I'll cover callups here as well as other happenings. I will do a full minor league team report either Friday or over the weekend. Our whole organization finished over .500, and unless we don't win a game this week, San Jose's 82 will be the lowest win total in the system.

RHP Joe Crosby: Boney Joe will get a chance to debut after a tough first season with the Blues. The 23-year-old was a bit below average, going 10-7 with a 4.15 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 58 walks, and 76 strikeouts. The skinny righty gives up a lot of flyballs, but he managed to allow just 6 homers in 132.1 innings pitched, and his HR/9 has yet to climb above 0.5 in his minor league career. Crosby is also throwing a bit harder, getting his 8th velocity boost this May to 93-95. His fastball is a reliable pitch, but the curve is his best. His slider is effective when he locates it, but Crosby doesn't have the greatest command of his pitches. He doesn't leave many pitches over the heart of the plate, but he will miss badly out of the zone. He may be reaching his ceiling and I can't see him pitching beyond a back-end rotation role. He'll continue to start in the minors, but his eventual home may be in our pen or another teams rotation.

RHP Ken Matson: One of our Rule-5 selections this offseason, I knew carrying two in the pen would be impossible, so I tried to get a deal for one of them. I couldn't get one done for Camp, but Matson was acquired for another young pitcher Willie Gonzalez Jr. The 24-year-old made 12 starts in both Mobile and Milwaukee, going 11-7 between the two stops. He had a 3.48 ERA (126 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP with 27 walks and 62 strikeouts in Mobile, before a 3.31 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 30 walks and 43 strikeouts in Milwaukee. As expected, he was better with the Commodores, and while his ERA was higher, he allowed far fewer hits and walks with more strikeouts. He's a huge strikeout pitcher as he can overpower hitters with his mid 90s cutter. and his change and curve really keep hitters off balance. His stuff is his most tantalizing tool, as he'll always be able to fallback to the pen. If he can keep his walks down, he can be an effective big league starter, but it will be a tough trial for him to overcome. He'll run into some speed bumps along the way, but we can afford to take our time with him, and give him the option to start games until he forces us not to. He doesn't rank in our top 30, but Matson currently checks in at 383rd in the league. He wasn't on our 40, taking the 39th spot.

LHP Ed Wilkinson: I debated bringing him up earlier in the year, but I decided to keep the 25-year-old down in AAA and bring Johnnie Jones up instead. Wilkinson was arguably our best starter down in Milwaukee, going 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 53 walks, and 103 strikeouts over 189 innings. This makes me believe the former 4th Rounder is already ready to start games in the big leagues, we just don't have an obvious spot for him yet. The southpaw has nice stuff and good control, able to execute and locate all five of his pitches to keep batters out of sorts. He can also eat a ton of innings, eclipsing the century mark in all 24 of his starts, including multiple starts with over 125. He's not a guy you want atop your rotation, but he's a useful option to keep you in most games with solid, respectable performances. He'll look to earn a spot on the staff next Spring, but his remaining options will likely work against him.

1B Jocko Pollard: He debuted last season for us, but since he was 0-for-2, he'll be looking for his first big league hit. A 6th Rounder of ours in 1935, Pollard has always hit for power, and slashed .272/.317/.400 (98 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 82 RBIs in his second season with the Blues. This was his first below average season since his pro debut in 1936, as his walks fell and his strikeouts rose. Pollard has always been loved by our scouts, but his lack of production this year and his limited positional versatility makes him one of the last players on the 40. Power like his is a huge plus, however, and he's a good teammate, but with Ray Ford and Dick Walker at first, plus the decline of John Lawson, he's got a lot of experienced players blocking his path.

2B Ossie Grogan: Ossie Grogan was a force at the plate this year, slashing .322/.373/.434 (123 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 10 triples, 6 homers, 13 steals, and 75 RBIs. The switch hitter will now get to finish his season in Chicago, but with the arrival of Clark Car and the resurgence of Freddie Jones, it will be hard for him to get much time, and even harder to crack the roster next season. This could make Grogan an enticing trade piece for us, as a lot of teams need second basemen, and Grogan is definitely a good one. He's a great fielder and puts the ball in play a lot, and the 26-year-old was worth an impressive 5.4 wins above replacement in 134 games. He has good speed, a great contact tool, and he'll walk (46) more then he'll strike out (10). He doesn't have much power, and actually didn't hit a homer last year, but he has all the tools to be a capable big league starter. He's a bit lazy, just like Billy Hunter, and relies too much on his natural talent. It will be tough for him to make an impact for us, but with all the uncertainty, he can get an opportunity to play, and I think he'd take full advantage of it.

SS Eddie Curtis: Another player with a chance for his big league debut, Eddie Curtis spent all season at Milwaukee. The 24-year-old hit .313/.353/.403 (109 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 12 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 55 RBIs in 632 trips to the plate. Curtis demonstrated great plate coverage, walking (37) almost twice as often as he struck out (20) while hitting the ball hard and all across the diamond. He does a good job putting the ball in play, and with his speed the defense is constantly on their toes. He's not the greatest defender, but he's capable of handling second, third, short, left, and right, and his work ethic should allow him to keep improving as he gains more experience. We have a lot of depth in the middle infield, but his last option will be next year, making it a big season for the former 7th Rounder.

RF Chick Browning: It's been a long time coming for the Chicago native, who was taken in the 8th Round of the 1936 draft. This was his sixth big league season, and he'll finally get a chance to debut for his hometown team. An excellent hitter, the 24-year-old hit .299/.387/.402 (119 OPS+) in 452 PAs for the Blues, collecting 14 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 50 RBIs. I was hoping for more power from Browning, who hit 15 homers last year and has hit double digit in each season since 1938, including a pair of seasons with more then 20. An intercostal strain, which cost him five weeks in the middle of the season, could have limited his strength. 4 of his homers came before the injury, and he was on a pace for 8-12 homers when he got hurt. As a lefty bat, he could be a useful pinch hitter for a team, but defensively he's limited to first, left, and right, and if he doesn't hit, he likely won't play.

Our roster is now full with 35 players, and we have just one open spot on the 40. Unless Dick Lyons retires, at least one player will have to be DFAd, and I expect more as there will be players to protect in the Rule-5 Draft. Of course, a trade (or trades!) could materializing to solve our numbers game.

RHP Fred Thaxton (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a brilliant last start for Fred Thaxton, who allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a shutout victory. This capped off a dominant season, finishing 13-5 with a 3.10 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 55 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. The recently turned 24-year-old did make 9 starts in Mobile last year, so it wasn't his first time at this level, but he showed vast improvement this year. His stuff is pretty well developed, featuring a nice high 80s fastball and cutter with a decent change mixed in as well. He does have some walk issues, with a 3.4 BB/9 that was higher then his 2.9 K/9. Despite that, he does a really good job limiting solid contact, and he allowed just 2 homers all season. He has a future in the rotation, likely closer to the back then the middle, but he's got a very high floor and could produce in the big leagues next season if needed.