[ayaghmour2]

Trade fever is sweeping the FABL a bit early this year, as we're about a month from the deadline and there has already been a flurry of activity. The Chiefs have picked up Freddie Jones, Bob Cummings, and Al Wheeler, the Cannons Billy Dalton, Chris Clarke, and Sam Brown, and the Wolves Chink Stickels. Now it's our turn to get into the fun! It looks like a response, but it's actually a deal that has been in the works for a long time, as the Cougars finally landed a pitcher they've been chasing since his 1934 debut; Art White.

The Kings ace will be on his way to Chicago in exchange for four pitching prospects, giving the Cougars one of the games most reliable pitchers. The 31-year-old lefty was a 3rd Round Pick back in 1932, and a source close to the Cougars GM reported that it was either White or Walker Pearce who the Cougars were looking at with the 30th Pick, a mistake he would easily go back and change if he could. White went up the Kings ladder quickly, debuting in 1934 with a pair of starts and a relief appearance. He got just under 60 innings in Brooklyn the next season before entering the rotation full time in 1936. Since then he's topped 170 innings in each year, with his 97 ERA+ in 1937 is only below average performance. From 1939-1942 he threw 200 or more innings, and while last year was the best of his career, it did end early with shoulder inflammation. White went 15-10 with a 2.00 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 71 walks, and 56 strikeouts in 28 impressive starts for Brooklyn. He was worth 4.4 WAR, his lowest total since 1938, which was followed by three seasons of 5.5 or higher. White is also elite when it comes to keeping the ball on the ground and preventing homers, with just 48 in his big league career. He's allowed double digits just once, and it was only 10 in 224.1 innings back in 1936. For comparison, Harry Parker gave up his 48th homer before he hit 300 innings, and has allowed 136 in 1,235 innings pitched. Our park is one of the easiest to hit home runs at, but White should be able to match Dick Lyons, another groundballer with a nice 0.4 career HR/9.

This year has been more of the same for White, who despite being 5-6 owns a productive 2.70 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 36 walks and 30 strikeouts in 116.2 innings pitched. He's not quite the complete game machine Harry Parker is, but White does a great job keeping his pitch counts low, which allows him to go deep into games without worrying too much about who has to finish it for him. He's thrown 1,762.1 big league innings and completed 100 of his 224 starts, going 109-85 with a 3.45 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 501 walks, and 488 strikeouts. He is also one of the highest rated pitchers in the game, currently ranked 6th in the FABL behind just Pete Papenfus, Rufus Barrell II, Joe Hancock, Ed Bowman, and Ed Wood, and he's been named to the All Star game three times. White brings more value then just ace-level production, as the southpaw is a captain among men, offering great leadership with impressive experience, and while the clubhouse is already ecstatic, our leadership duo needs to be strong to get the most out of the outspoken Clark Car. The addition of White plus the emergence of Johnnie Jones really helps lengthen the Cougars rotation, which is rumored to be moving to six men as the squad deals with numerous double headers. Once White joins the mix, manager Clyde Meyer declared he will use a more unconventional staff, letting all his starters pitch out of the pen as well, using his top guys late in games to preserve wins.

The package going back to the Kings is a big one, but the Cougars are comfortable making it as they have been collecting pitching prospects with recent trades and draft selections. The headliner is top 50 prospect Leo Hayden, the Cougars 3rd rated prospect and former 2nd Round selection. The imposing 6'6'' lefty was dominant after being selected in 1941, but he's currently overseas in the Air Force. Just 20, Hayden projects to end up near the top of any rotation, but he's not going to be able to help the Cougars any time soon, and will have to deal with the talented young core of pitchers in Chicago's system. It'll be hard for him to surpass Pete Papenfus, the Jones brothers, and Duke Bybee, so he's a little more expendable. Plus we have another talented 20-year-old in George Oddo, who is not only still pitching stateside, but ranked just 5 spots lower then him on the prospect ladder. The Kings pick up another talented enlisted pitcher in Harry Stewart as well, and then Oliver Allen and Pinch Lenhart who can both report to the Kings during the season. It's an expensive price to pay, but when you can get one of the top pitchers in the game, you worry about how good the guys you give up are later.