[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 4-8 (8th, 4.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Rich Langton : 26 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.000 OPS
Cliff Moss : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .318 AVG, .969 OPS
Harry Mead : 24 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .292 AVG, .737 OPS

Schedule
4-24: Win at Kings (9-8)
4-25: Loss at Kings (6-8)
4-26: Win at Kings (4-1)
4-27: Loss vs Saints (6-1)
4-28: Loss vs Saints (4-3)
4-29: Loss vs Saints (4-3)

Recap
Last place, yay! To be fair, it's not as bad as it looks, as once again, we took two of three from a New York team, we were once again swept by the Saints. We've lost all six of our games against Montreal, dropping two more one-run games while being outscored 14-7 in Chicago. We just cannot score runs, ranked dead last in the Continental Association, even less then the Wolves who have played three fewer games. All the production in the lineup has come from Rich Langton and Cliff Moss, who once again has strong weeks. Langton went 12-for-26 with a double, steal, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs to raise his average to a second best .431 in the league. Cliff Moss hit his 4th home run, going 7-for-22 with a triple, 4 walks, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. We can't be a two man show, so hopefully Harry Mead, who was 7-for-24 with a homer, can try to replicate his 142 WRC+ from last season.

Once again, Ken Mayhugh and Don Lee outperformed their counterparts, earning more starts for the next week. Mayhugh finished 5-for-15 with his first homer of the season, pairing it with 2 runs and 3 RBIs. It was his first big league homer since 1941, and he's hit an impressive .333/.391/.524 (150 OPS+) in 23 trips to the plate. Don Lee was just 3-for-14, but all three hits were doubles, and he drew three walks with an RBI and four runs scored. In contrast, Steve Jones was just 1-for-8 and Orlin Yates 3-for-13. Both doubled, but Jones is hitting .150 and Yates .111. To make matters worse, Jones defense hasn't been too great, which means he could quickly fall into a bench role. Tip Harrison is really struggling in regular time as well, going 0-for-14 with a sac-fly and two walks. This opens the door for Jimmie James or Ollie Page to get more at bats, although I wouldn't be too excited about either playing every day. Skipper Schneider is struggling to reach base as well, but with a 4.4 zone rating already he doesn't have to worry about being replaced. Skipper went just 4-for-18, but it raised his season line to .195/.292/.244 (48 OPS+). It's no wonder we are struggling to score, but he's one of the few bats I'm not all that worried about. The offense has a lot of work to do, but it's already clear we're not going to outscore anyone this season.

Billy Riley finally looked like Billy Riley, picking up his first win of the season in a 4-1 win over the Kings. Riley went 8, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, and a run with 4 strikeouts. He only made one start, while both Harry Parker and Art White made two. White beat his former employers, but it wasn't a pretty showing, just 6 innings with 10 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with a strikeout. 4 of the 6 runs were unearned, including 2 more when Rusty Petrick was in the game. He was better against the Saints, but was charged with a loss in the complete game. The Saints got 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 5 walks with a single strikeout. No wins for Parker, who got a loss and no decision. He went 6 against the Kings, charged with 9 hits and 5 runs with 5 strikeouts. He was then bested by the Saints a second time, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. Parker hasn't been great early on, 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with 6 walks and 13 strikeouts.

Ken Matson's first start didn't go so well, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in just 6.2 innings pitched. With his struggles, starts this week will go to Rusty Petrick and Dick Lyons, as we have a double header to cover on Sunday. Lyons hasn't faced more then two batters in a game, getting two outs on the 19th against the Stars and single outs on the 20th and 27th against the Saints. He faced a single batter each time, getting a double play and two pop outs. Petrick, on the other hand, threw 6 innings in 3 games this week, allowing 5 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. The 6 runs are a bit deceiving, as five were unearned, and his 0.75 ERA (534 ERA+) is second in the CA. Our rotation is going to be very fluid, something that isn't normally the case, and after three weeks we'll have seven pitchers start at least one game.

Looking Ahead
Lucky for us, we don't have to deal with the Saints this week, and we'll avoid them until June 5th. Instead, we get the two teams we've actually beat this season, starting with three against the Kings in Chicago. We're one of the few teams to best the Kings so far, as they are 10-5 and leading the Continental Association. Led by Jake Shadoan (.300, 2, 11), Ben Brazel (.452, 3, 2), and Vernon Ruch (.302, 3, 14), the Kings have scored the most runs in the league, but they've allowed the second most runs in the league. They've gotten two strong starts from Clarence Barton (0-1, 1.26, 4), who we are likely to see, and three from Bill McGraw (1-0, 3.00, 8), who I'm hoping we'll miss. Even with their hot start, I like our chances here, but we've disappointed so far, and there is a chance this will continue.

Quickly back on the road as we head to the Big Apple for four games in three days against the Stars. Like us, New York has really struggled to get things going, losing eight games just like us, albeit with two more wins. The offense has been middle of the pack, but the 3-4-5 of Howie Smith (.381, 2, 13), Chubby Hall (.352, 1, 13), and Ray Cochran (.315, 1, 9, 2) have produced a majority of their runs. Jim Honeywood (.237, 1, 7) did hit his first FABL home run since 1939, but his average is almost 100 points lower then his career average and Elijah Bourdeau (.185, 3, 1) has struggled to put the ball in play. Those two should be big parts of their offense, so if they want to compete, they'll need assistance from these two. On the mound, Eli Panneton (2-1, 2.52, 13) is off to an excellent start, while Ed Cornett (1-1, 2.35, 13) has thrived in his first three starts as a Star. Dixie League (1-0, 4.29, 7) has had a bit less success, but still approximately average in his three starts. The rest of the rotation could use some work, but 41-year-old Eddie Hite (1-0, 1.98, 3) continues to defy logic with his dependable performances. If he can function as a dependable fourth starter, the Stars could make a decent run in the first division.

Minor League Report
3B Danny Richardson (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It took just one week of minor league play for a Cougar farmhand to earn Player of the Week, as former 3rd Rounder Danny Richardson took home the award in the Century League. Richardson helped propel them to a 4-1 record in the opening week, going 9-for-17 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 walks, and 5 RBIs. It's a great start for Richardson, who reached AAA last season and made 20 appearances for the Blues. In just shy of 100 PAs, Richardson hit an average, in terms of WRC+, .210/.354/.284 (87 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 7 RBIs, and an impressive 18-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Now 25, Richardson is on the cusp of a big league debut, and with Steve Jones' struggles, Richardson could get some starts at third this year if Ken Mayhugh cools down. He's a good defender with a great eye, but he doesn't have the power for a corner. When Hank Barnett returns, it will be next to impossible for Richardson to get starts, so with an excellent start to the season, he could earn a big league debut before all the soldiers return home.