[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 24-9 (1st, 4.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Hank Barnett : 32 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.456 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .312 AVG, .863 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 31 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .323 AVG, .808 OPS

Schedule
5-15: Win at Cannons (7-6)
5-16: Win at Cannons (7-2)
5-17: Win at Sailors (8-2)
5-18: Win at Sailors (6-5): 10 innings
5-19: Loss at Sailors (5-6)
5-20: Win at Foresters (10-3)
5-21: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
5-21: Loss at Foresters (4-5)

Recap
This was a strange week, one I'm sure was effected by our long run of games. It started out well, winning both in Cincinnati before two more in Philly. After that tight 1 run victory in 10th, things sort of fell off, as we lost the finale before heading to Cleveland. We took the opener, but the Foresters managed to sweep us in the double header, finishing our week 5-3. I think we ran out of energy at the end, as we had to play 14 road games in 12 days. The road trip went well, as we finished 10-4, including a 9-2 stretch against the second, third, and fourth place teams in our league. Our lead was cut to 4.5 as the Wolves had a great week, now 19-13 and 4.5 games behind us. As good as things have gone, we've been playing far too many one run games, including five games this week and all three of our losses. We're 9-4 in one run games (.692), slightly worse then our .727 overall win percentage. The big highlight of the week came from Hank Barnett, who launched 4 longballs en route to the first Cougar Player of the Week. Barnett hit an absurd .438/.550/.906 (310 OPS+), scoring 13 times while driving in 10. He drew 8 walks while striking out just twice, adding a double and triple to his impressive week. The 34-year-old slugger is off to an impressive start, slashing .341/.409/.538 (168 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 6 homers, 27 runs, and 25 RBIs. He's now tied with teammate Cliff Moss and the Kings' Hal Reynolds for the CA home run lead, while on track for an impressive 9.7 WAR season.

Most of the offense put up great numbers, with just Dick Walker having a below average week. He was just 5-for-29, but he walked 12 more times, scored 6 runs, doubled, and stole 3 bases. Billy Hunter managed to turn things around, 8-for-24 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He added a third homer, matching his overall total since the 1940 season. Leo Mitchell had a "down" week, but a still impressive 10-for-32 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 walks, 5 runs, 2 doubles, and 9 RBIs. Same goes for Cliff Moss, who was 9-for-32 with a double, triple, homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Mitchell now has a 191 OPS+ and Moss 171, elite numbers from our corner bats. Skipper went 10-for-31 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Even Orlin Yates got in on the fun, 11-for-32 with a double, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 7 runs scored.

Despite the close losses, it's hard to fault the offense, as we scored 5 or more runs in 6 of our games, but just 7 in our losses against the Foresters. We still rank 1st in nearly every category, just failing to lead in average (2nd, .287), strikeouts (2nd, 93), and if you consider it offense, baserunning (4th, +6.0). What's more impressive is this has almost come exclusively on the road, with 24 of our 33 games coming outside of the great city we call home. In fact, a Cougar hitter leads the CA in average (Mitchell, .426), homers (3-way tie; Moss, Barnett, 6), RBIs (Mitchell, 29), OBP (Mitchell, .473), SLG (Moss, .591), OPS (Mitchell, 1.023), WAR (Mitchell, 2.3), hits (Mitchell, 56), runs (Barnett, 27), total bases (Mitchel, 72), steals (Walker, 9), walks (Walker, 44), ISO (Moss, .290), OPS+ (Mitchell, 191), WPA (Mitchell, 1.57), wOBA (Mitchell, .447) and even sacrifice hits (Yates, 9) and sac-flies (Barnett, 4)! Will this keep up? Of course not! But the Cougar offense is not something you want to mess with.

The pitching wasn't great, as Dick Lyons imploded this week as his luck has started to turn. He got a pair of no decisions, charged with 14 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and a strikeout in 10.2 innings. Add a 4th homer as well, with one coming in four of his starts. Art White struggled, blowing a 5-4 lead in the 9th. He left with one out in the 9th after 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a single strikeout. Ben Curtin came in and finished the game, improving to 5-0 with a single hit in an inning and a third. Rusty Petrick wasn't great against the Foresters, allowing 12 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in an 8 inning loss. The rest of the starts were better, as Ken Matson tossed a complete game win in Cincinnati, allowing 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. He made a pen appearance as well, and it didn't quite go as well. He replaced Lyons with two outs in the 6th, with the intent to get the game to Curtin in the 9th with the lead in tact. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2.1 innings. He left with the game tied, and Curtin's magic ran out, walking Joseph Mills to start the inning before pinch hitter Red Blackburn walked it off with a two out single.

Mike Murphy picked up a win in a near-complete game win, getting all but one out against the Foresters before Cal Knight got a ground out to end the 10-3 game. Murphy allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a strikeout to improve to 3-0. Harry Parker made a pair of starts, including another complete game win. He allowed just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 5-0. His record didn't stay perfect for long, as he allowed 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in the second game of the double header. A Skipper Schneider error proved to be the difference, but it was nice to see Parker match his 121 pitch total which potentially means he could have gone further. We also got a strong outing from Merritt Thomas, who bailed Lyons out in our 7-6 win over the Cannons. He did allow the tie to be broken, but he finished with 4 solid innings, allowing just 4 hits and a run with a strikeout. This was one of our roughest weeks pitching, but we still have great numbers overall. Like with hitting, we rank 1st in most pitching categories, but are still top 4 in ERA (2nd, 2.92), starter's ERA (2nd, 3.11), WAR (2nd, 5.3), homers allowed (3rd, 10), and strikeouts (5th, 103). A lot of this has to do with Harry Parker, who currently ranks as the top active pitcher in the Continental Association. He has a chance for a triple crown, ranked 3rd in ERA (2.15), tied for second in wins (5) with teammates Art White and Ben Curtin, as well as Johnny Slaney who gave Parker his first loss, while tied with Butch Smith and Pat Weaky in strikeouts (31). His 1.8 WAR is good enough for the early lead there as well, and he leads in WHIP (1.06) and opponents average (.216) while top five in BABIP (2nd, .245), quality starts (t-2nd, 6). rWAR (2nd, 2.0), FIP (2nd, 2.46), ERA+ (2nd, 172), K/9 (4th, 4.8), and innings (5th, 58.2). If Parker's 7 starts came after his 12 last season, I wouldn't have been surprised, but for a guy who missed six month with a torn flexor tendon, Parker's dominance has been a very pleasant surprise.

Looking Ahead
We head home for a quick one game series with the Saints, who have dropped to 13-20 and 11 games behind us. Montreal scores a lot of runs, but they can't do much when it comes to preventing them. Montreal's 166 runs are second to just us, with the top six in their lineup putting together really impressive seasons. Vic Crawford has had a resurgence, as while he was an above average hitter in each season 100+ game season of his career, last year's 135 OPS+ was his highest since his 141 in 1935. This year has been even better, as the slugger from Hawaii is thumping to the tune of .349/.430/.512 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBIs. He's had a lot of support in the lineup, with fast starts from Bernie Green (.352, 10, 3), Jake Hughes (.349, 20, 6), Bill Greene (.279, 2, 19, 3), and Spud Bent (.287, 2, 17). What's hurt them as mentioned is the pitching, with just Pat Weakly (3-3, 3.47, 31) putting up an above average ERA+, and his is only 105. He pitched yesterday, so we won't have to deal with him, likely leaving us with either Ed Baker (2-2, 5.30, 9) or former Cougar draftee Bill Ross (4-1, 4.41, 8). Ross is far better then the numbers suggest, so I'd much rather take our chances with the veteran Baker. The home cooking should serve us well, and I'd like to chalk this one up as a win.

Our next guest is the team closest to us in the standings, and a team we tend to have trouble with regardless of record. We'll welcome the Wolves for three after they get a pair of days off. That will work out really well for them, as they'll get to set up their rotation exactly how they want. Toronto is 7th in the league in runs scored, which should help us keep runs off the board, but they've allowed fewer runs then everyone except us. Bernie Johnson has been unhittable, going 4-2 with a 1.60 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 17 walks, and 10 strikeouts. He gets a lot of support from Bob Walls (4-1, 2.63, 17), who is having his best season since 1939, and sophomore Jimmy Gibbs (3-2, 3.38, 18) who has been effective even if it's not at the same level as last season. Runs will be hard to come by, so we'll have to keep Chink Stickels (.317, 3, 13, 3), Charlie Artuso (.327, 2, 14, 1), and Hal Wood (.340, 2, 9) in check. Their offense should improve as the weather heats up, with Juan Pomales (.248, 16, 2) and Walt Pack (.261, 3, 16) likely to turn things around shortly. This will be another tough test, but we took three of four from them in Toronto, and we are playing some of the best baseball we have in a while.

Our week ends with three games in two days against the Foresters, who did a good job against us in Cleveland. We'll have one more on Monday, but these games are really important. They're just a game under .500 at 16-17, and they're middle of the pack in both runs scored and allowed. Johnny Slaney (5-1, 3.34, 23) had led the rotation well, rookie Ducky Davis (0-1, 3.38, 8) has allowed just three earned runs in each of his three starts, and George Rotondi (3-2, 3.42, 27) has rode a productive end of the season. I trust Slaney to keep this up, but Davis and Rotondi bring a lot more question marks, and former Cougars Ben Turner (3-3, 4.04, 14) and Dave Rankin (1-4, 8.17, 7) have not gotten off to good starts. The offense has had some success, with excellent production from their middle infield. 35-year-old team leader Brooks Meeks (.326, 4, 25, 2) has gotten off to the best start of his career, and rookie sensation Jim Adams Jr. (.303, 1, 11, 2) is a strong hitter atop the lineup. And while they are in contention for a first division spot, it will be interesting to see if they decide to add or subtract if they hang around the .500 mark. Along with Meeks, they have veteran bats in Lou Balk (.307, 1, 12, 2) and Bob Mullins (.283, 1, 13, 1) who could be looking for new homes. After dropping two games to them already, I'd hate to lose more, but we cannot treat these Foresters like the ones of recent past.

Minor League Report
LF Huck Hanes (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After spending all of last season in Milwaukee, Huck Hanes saw himself right back there to start the season, and he's trying to hit his way up to Chicago. Now 25, the former 4th Rounder is now hitting .343/.432/.402 (136 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 11 RBIs with an excellent 15-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This was improved by his recent Player of the Week, where Hanes went 13-for-30 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Never ranked too high on the prospect list, Hanes is a bit of a one tool prospect, with all of his value linked to his hit tool. He'll occasionally hit a homer and sometimes he'll take the extra base, but he's more of a singles hitter then someone who can change the game with one swing. The improvement in discipline is strong, as after more strikeouts (59) then walks (49) last season, he's back to being able to walk far more then he strikes out. If the discipline is legit, this adds another facet to his game, but with a lack of defensive ability, everything he brings with the bat will be crucial. I want him to get an extended look in Chicago this season, so if Moss or Langton gets hurt, he'll head up to get at least semi-regular playing time. I still think he can be a decent big league starter, but worst case he's a really helpful piece off the bench in the late innings.

RHP Bill Tuttle (AAA Milwaukee Blues): On the same day that the Keystone's pitcher Pepper Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout, Blues pitcher Bill Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout of his own. The 25-year-old righty walked and struck out 3 in a 4-0 win over the Lumberjacks. This comes up after a rough start in Fort Wayne, but the hard thrower is now 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 16 walks, and 10 strikeouts. A hot start is crucial for Tuttle, who is a member of our 40-man roster and will be looking to pitch his way onto the big league roster. It won't be easy for him, as he has one option after this season left, but other then a slightly below average showing in 9 starts with the Blues last season, Tuttle has been consistently above average since transitioning into a starter. A three pitch pitcher, Tuttle features a mid-90s cutter that he attacks hitters inside, while his change and splitter vanish off the plate. I'm not sure yet if he's going to be a spot starter, back of the rotation arm, or maybe just a mop up pen guy, but he's pretty well developed and could make an impact at the big league level soon.

RF Jim Madsen (AA Mobile Commodores): He's fallen his way down the prospect ladder a bit, but the now 27-year-old is trying to hit is way back up to Milwaukee or even Chicago. Madsen took home Player of the Week in the Dixie League, hitting an even 12-for-24 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. The outfielder is off to a quick start, slashing .396/.477/.495 (161 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 steals, and 19 RBIs with a strong 14-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's also looked really good in right, as expected for a natural center fielder, and he can cover all three spots well. His speed and defense is helpful, but he's struggled in limited time in AAA and this is far and away the best performance of his career. If we need a stopgap bench outfielder, Madsen can fill that role, but it might be the only way he gets onto a big league roster.