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ayaghmour2 · 02-02-2023, 07:44 PM

Weekly Record: 3-1
Seasonal Record: 81-70 (3rd, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 18 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.167 OPS
Dick Walker : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .353 AVG, 1.068 OPS
Billy Riley : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 3 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
9-17: Win at Cannons (2-0)
9-19: Loss vs Saints (4-1): 12 innings
9-22: Win vs Stars (5-6): 11 innings
9-23: Win vs Stars (2-3)

Recap
Get this! Billy Riley allowed just one run in a shutout of the Cannons, but we again lost to the Saints! Again! We are done with the Cannons, who finished 14-8 against us, but we still have two more against the Saints, who are an even better 13-7. Those two teams prevented us from competing, as we were .500 or better against every other Continental Association squad. We also now have 81 wins, so we will finish with 80 or more wins for seven consecutive seasons, and 79 or more wins for nine in a row. We have one more consecutive 80 win season then the Cannons, who are the closest team to us there. Of course, I'd trade the streak for three (likely) consecutive pennants, but we've been as consistent as it gets.

But no complaining today. Today is about Dick Lyons.

Yes, we couldn't capture the win for Lyons, but it's hard to ask for much better of a final start. In our last home game of the season, we honored our rotation stalwart with a jersey retirement ceremony. In front of 13,000 fans, Lyons twirled one of his patented quality starts, 6 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and a walk in a 3-2 win over the Stars. Ollie Page's 16th error on the season cost him the win, but it was a fitting end to the Cougar legends big league career.

A respected clubhouse leader, franchise icon, and popular pitcher to both fans, teammates, and competitors, the 5-Time All Star, was the last remaining Cougar (and has been for a while) from the days before humans. A 2nd Round selection in 1921, Lyons had an impressive season in Mobile in 1925, going 13-13 with a 3.38 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 44 walks, and 90 strikeouts in 266 innings pitched. He was probably ready for the big leagues, but since I was just getting used to how stats only worked, the 25-year-old started the season in Milwaukee, and the young lefty was impressive. Lyons was a bit unlucky, just 7-7, but with a dominant 2.97 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with 30 walks and a remarkable 144 strikeouts. The strikeouts never stuck, but he was awarded well earned debut to end the season, but unfortunately for Lyons it didn't go very well. He made four starts and two relief outings, but allowed 45 hits and 25 runs in 27.1 innings pitched. He walked and struck out 8, and his 1.94 WHIP was just as bad as the 8.23 ERA (49 ERA+). This gave him a five game stint with the Blues the following season, but that was the last time he pitched in the minor leagues.

Lyons had an average rookie season for a 7th place Cougars team, going 11-6 with a 4.00 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.51 WHIP with 40 walks and 46 strikeouts in 20 starts and 7 relief outings. His 3.55 FIP (89 FIP-) explained that he was a bit unlucky, and it was the first of 13 consecutive seasons where Lyons had an above average FIP. Bad Cougar teams cost Lyons wins early on in his career, as he was 9-18 despite a 3.88 ERA (103 ERA+) and league low 0.3 HR/9 in just shy of 250 innings pitched. Again, his FIP (3.54, 88) was better then his ERA, and Lyons seemed to breakout despite the nightmare that was the 1929 Cougars Pitching staff. I did a really good look-back of that terrible staff, but it turned into a "wow this Dick Lyons guy was really good" after his 1933 breakout season.

Lyons was a useful member of the '31 and '32 staffs that won a pennant and 188 combined games, but he was part of the elite rotation that contained eventual Allen Award winner Tommy Wilcox (21-11, 2.58, 113), Chief's Pitching Coach Max Wilder (15-10, 2.70, 102), and the reigning win leader Dick Leudtke (17-11, 2.87, 89), a group that won 589 FABL games (although if you told me Wilcox's 91 would be the lowest career total of that group in 1933, I'd have called you crazy). Lyons was selected to his first career All Star game, going 17-11 with a personal best 2.83 ERA (127 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with a league low 1.3 BB/9. Lyons was worth 5.4 WAR, a personal best he broke the next season (5.5) with a personal low 81 FIP- despite his elevated 4.14 ERA (102 ERA+). We all know 1934 was one of the worst seasons in Cougar history, as after the championship collapse, Tommy Wilcox's elbow exploded and the Cougars won just 78 games.

Things got worse for Lyons and the Cougars, had he was hit very hard in our two most recent sub-.500 seasons. In '35 he had a career worst 5.50 ERA (79 ERA+) and 1.70 WHIP before going 8-12 with an again elevated 4.90 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. Part of this wasn't his fault, as his FIP- (93, 89) was above average both seasons, as the double play duo of Bill Ashbaugh and Ollie Page left plenty to be desired.

The Cougars were completive again in 1937, and things started to go right for Lyons. He was an impressive 15-5 with a 3.84 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 36 walks and 45 strikeouts in 187.2 innings pitched. He was selected to his second All Star game, but took the next step as a 37-year-old. Lyons led the league in ERA (2.59, 153) and WHIP (1.15) and was named not just an All Star, but the CA's Allen Winner. He allowed just 6 hits in 250 innings pitched, and was worth 5.4 wins above replacement and his 83 FIP- was the best of his career. Despite going just 13-14 the following season, Lyons put together another 5 WAR season and a fourth All-Star selection. His 3.67 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP were well above average, and he struck out 54 in 257.1 innings pitched. 1940 was his 5th and final All-Star selection in a season where he turned 40. He was a win away from his second 20-win campaign in three years, working to a 3.46 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP with a league best .243 BABIP.

He put together back-to-back above seasons, defying age with excellent starts at 40 and 41. It seemed he'd never stop pitching, and in 1943, Lyons went 11-11 with a 2.65 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with a league best 1.5 BB/9. This was a season where he turned 43 in June, and finished with a 3.8 WAR, 89 FIP-, and 30 strikeouts in 203.2 innings pitched. It was his last 200 inning season, but Lyons was above average until 44, as he went 7-10 with a 3.35 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP in 155.2 innings pitched. This season Lyons didn't throw many innings, just 32.2 in 2 starts and 9 relief outings, but still managed to finish 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. The 45-year-old beat the Sailors on the 19th of August, and is widely believed to be the oldest pitcher to win a game in FABL history. When him and Mike Taylor pitched this Sunday, they are assumed to be the oldest battery with nearly 85 years of life between the two vets.

There's little shot of Lyons entering the Hall of Fame, but he's solidified himself as one of the best Cougars of All Time. He tallied 3,972 innings in 563 career games, going 237-187 with a 3.80 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 848 walks, and 970 strikeouts. Lyons has been worth 67.6 wins above replacement, and ranks top 10 in numerous Cougar related pitching categories. He leads all Cougars in starts (532) and checks in at second for wins, WAR, innings, and games, third in rWAR (63.9), fifth in strikeouts, tied for fifth in BB/9 (1.9), tied for sixth in shutouts (16), and ninth in complete games (125). For pitchers that debuted in the human era, he ranks 4th All Time in innings and wins, but the most impressive part of his career was his ability to perform at a high level even in advanced age. Likely Hall of Famer Rabbit Day retired at 40 and wasn't the same pitcher after 35, Charlie Stedman decided to hang up the cleats at 41, and Jim Lonardo (11-7, 3.28, 24) are the three guys ahead of him, and while Lonardo did have a good season at 40, he'll need at least three more good seasons to match Lyons' longevity.

In fact, he's lasted so long, that Lyons was the first thing I wrote about in my first post of this dynasty, and while he predated the 1929 Opening Day roster, he pitched long enough for his career to span over 1,000 posts in the thread. It will feel very weird with him not on the roster next season, but he's given me plenty of enjoyment the past three years of real life time.

Good bye Dick Lyons, it was fun well it lasted!

Looking Ahead
Just three games left in the season, as we'll look to hold off the Sailors for third place in the Continental Association. At 80-71, they're a game behind us, but not only is third at stake, but extra lottery balls. Were neck-and-neck with the Stars for two balls again. We end the season in New York, which is their only remaining game. They won 72 games last year and have 70 this season, while we won 85 and are currently at 81. If we beat them and the Saints once, we'll hold the tiebreaker due to place in the standings, as both teams would be -2. Montreal will be tough, but only one win is needed before what could be a duel between Pete Papenfus (3-3, 3.43, 51) and Allen hopeful Eli Panneton (19-13, 2.96, 110). In Montreal, however, we're stuck facing Pat Weakly (13-9, 3.16, 131), who just threw 9 excellent innings in Chicago with 9 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Losing to him won't kill us, as game two will likely be against Ben Watkins (12-10, 4.08, 57), their #5 starter. Montreal is a lock for three balls, so they may rest some starters, with guys like Art McMahon (.294, 6, 43, 13), Vic Crawford (.320, 14, 95), Bill Greene (.276, 18, 94, 17), Jake Hughes (.311, 5, 63, 33), and Gordie Perkins (.291, 4, 49) all candidates for a day off. Of course, they could be like me and want to win no matter what, and I don't like our chances against their regular eight.

With the weekend coming up, I have plenty to write about, as we wait until what could be the most hectic offseason. We'll get a full minor league report and a no-trade team, but I've also been working on a three part piece on our top 30 prospects after the 1935 season. I'll release that during the playoffs, before kicking things back up with our annual top prospect list and a potential roster preview for how the Cougars will look post-war. As always, there's the chance of trades, especially as we look like we're going to be a mess financially. The offseason may be long, but I have plenty of ideas I can't wait to get on paper.

02-02-2023, 07:44 PM	#1005
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 24: September 17th-September 23rd Weekly Record: 3-1 Seasonal Record: 81-70 (3rd, 11 GB) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 18 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.167 OPS Dick Walker : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .353 AVG, 1.068 OPS Billy Riley : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 3 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 9-17: Win at Cannons (2-0) 9-19: Loss vs Saints (4-1): 12 innings 9-22: Win vs Stars (5-6): 11 innings 9-23: Win vs Stars (2-3) Recap Get this! Billy Riley allowed just one run in a shutout of the Cannons, but we again lost to the Saints! Again! We are done with the Cannons, who finished 14-8 against us, but we still have two more against the Saints, who are an even better 13-7. Those two teams prevented us from competing, as we were .500 or better against every other Continental Association squad. We also now have 81 wins, so we will finish with 80 or more wins for seven consecutive seasons, and 79 or more wins for nine in a row. We have one more consecutive 80 win season then the Cannons, who are the closest team to us there. Of course, I'd trade the streak for three (likely) consecutive pennants, but we've been as consistent as it gets. But no complaining today. Today is about Dick Lyons. Yes, we couldn't capture the win for Lyons, but it's hard to ask for much better of a final start. In our last home game of the season, we honored our rotation stalwart with a jersey retirement ceremony. In front of 13,000 fans, Lyons twirled one of his patented quality starts, 6 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and a walk in a 3-2 win over the Stars. Ollie Page's 16th error on the season cost him the win, but it was a fitting end to the Cougar legends big league career. A respected clubhouse leader, franchise icon, and popular pitcher to both fans, teammates, and competitors, the 5-Time All Star, was the last remaining Cougar (and has been for a while) from the days before humans. A 2nd Round selection in 1921, Lyons had an impressive season in Mobile in 1925, going 13-13 with a 3.38 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 44 walks, and 90 strikeouts in 266 innings pitched. He was probably ready for the big leagues, but since I was just getting used to how stats only worked, the 25-year-old started the season in Milwaukee, and the young lefty was impressive. Lyons was a bit unlucky, just 7-7, but with a dominant 2.97 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with 30 walks and a remarkable 144 strikeouts. The strikeouts never stuck, but he was awarded well earned debut to end the season, but unfortunately for Lyons it didn't go very well. He made four starts and two relief outings, but allowed 45 hits and 25 runs in 27.1 innings pitched. He walked and struck out 8, and his 1.94 WHIP was just as bad as the 8.23 ERA (49 ERA+). This gave him a five game stint with the Blues the following season, but that was the last time he pitched in the minor leagues. Lyons had an average rookie season for a 7th place Cougars team, going 11-6 with a 4.00 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.51 WHIP with 40 walks and 46 strikeouts in 20 starts and 7 relief outings. His 3.55 FIP (89 FIP-) explained that he was a bit unlucky, and it was the first of 13 consecutive seasons where Lyons had an above average FIP. Bad Cougar teams cost Lyons wins early on in his career, as he was 9-18 despite a 3.88 ERA (103 ERA+) and league low 0.3 HR/9 in just shy of 250 innings pitched. Again, his FIP (3.54, 88) was better then his ERA, and Lyons seemed to breakout despite the nightmare that was the 1929 Cougars Pitching staff. I did a really good look-back of that terrible staff, but it turned into a "wow this Dick Lyons guy was really good" after his 1933 breakout season. Lyons was a useful member of the '31 and '32 staffs that won a pennant and 188 combined games, but he was part of the elite rotation that contained eventual Allen Award winner Tommy Wilcox (21-11, 2.58, 113), Chief's Pitching Coach Max Wilder (15-10, 2.70, 102), and the reigning win leader Dick Leudtke (17-11, 2.87, 89), a group that won 589 FABL games (although if you told me Wilcox's 91 would be the lowest career total of that group in 1933, I'd have called you crazy). Lyons was selected to his first career All Star game, going 17-11 with a personal best 2.83 ERA (127 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with a league low 1.3 BB/9. Lyons was worth 5.4 WAR, a personal best he broke the next season (5.5) with a personal low 81 FIP- despite his elevated 4.14 ERA (102 ERA+). We all know 1934 was one of the worst seasons in Cougar history, as after the championship collapse, Tommy Wilcox's elbow exploded and the Cougars won just 78 games. Things got worse for Lyons and the Cougars, had he was hit very hard in our two most recent sub-.500 seasons. In '35 he had a career worst 5.50 ERA (79 ERA+) and 1.70 WHIP before going 8-12 with an again elevated 4.90 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. Part of this wasn't his fault, as his FIP- (93, 89) was above average both seasons, as the double play duo of Bill Ashbaugh and Ollie Page left plenty to be desired. The Cougars were completive again in 1937, and things started to go right for Lyons. He was an impressive 15-5 with a 3.84 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 36 walks and 45 strikeouts in 187.2 innings pitched. He was selected to his second All Star game, but took the next step as a 37-year-old. Lyons led the league in ERA (2.59, 153) and WHIP (1.15) and was named not just an All Star, but the CA's Allen Winner. He allowed just 6 hits in 250 innings pitched, and was worth 5.4 wins above replacement and his 83 FIP- was the best of his career. Despite going just 13-14 the following season, Lyons put together another 5 WAR season and a fourth All-Star selection. His 3.67 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP were well above average, and he struck out 54 in 257.1 innings pitched. 1940 was his 5th and final All-Star selection in a season where he turned 40. He was a win away from his second 20-win campaign in three years, working to a 3.46 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP with a league best .243 BABIP. He put together back-to-back above seasons, defying age with excellent starts at 40 and 41. It seemed he'd never stop pitching, and in 1943, Lyons went 11-11 with a 2.65 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with a league best 1.5 BB/9. This was a season where he turned 43 in June, and finished with a 3.8 WAR, 89 FIP-, and 30 strikeouts in 203.2 innings pitched. It was his last 200 inning season, but Lyons was above average until 44, as he went 7-10 with a 3.35 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP in 155.2 innings pitched. This season Lyons didn't throw many innings, just 32.2 in 2 starts and 9 relief outings, but still managed to finish 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. The 45-year-old beat the Sailors on the 19th of August, and is widely believed to be the oldest pitcher to win a game in FABL history. When him and Mike Taylor pitched this Sunday, they are assumed to be the oldest battery with nearly 85 years of life between the two vets. There's little shot of Lyons entering the Hall of Fame, but he's solidified himself as one of the best Cougars of All Time. He tallied 3,972 innings in 563 career games, going 237-187 with a 3.80 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 848 walks, and 970 strikeouts. Lyons has been worth 67.6 wins above replacement, and ranks top 10 in numerous Cougar related pitching categories. He leads all Cougars in starts (532) and checks in at second for wins, WAR, innings, and games, third in rWAR (63.9), fifth in strikeouts, tied for fifth in BB/9 (1.9), tied for sixth in shutouts (16), and ninth in complete games (125). For pitchers that debuted in the human era, he ranks 4th All Time in innings and wins, but the most impressive part of his career was his ability to perform at a high level even in advanced age. Likely Hall of Famer Rabbit Day retired at 40 and wasn't the same pitcher after 35, Charlie Stedman decided to hang up the cleats at 41, and Jim Lonardo (11-7, 3.28, 24) are the three guys ahead of him, and while Lonardo did have a good season at 40, he'll need at least three more good seasons to match Lyons' longevity. In fact, he's lasted so long, that Lyons was the first thing I wrote about in my first post of this dynasty, and while he predated the 1929 Opening Day roster, he pitched long enough for his career to span over 1,000 posts in the thread. It will feel very weird with him not on the roster next season, but he's given me plenty of enjoyment the past three years of real life time. Good bye Dick Lyons, it was fun well it lasted! Looking Ahead Just three games left in the season, as we'll look to hold off the Sailors for third place in the Continental Association. At 80-71, they're a game behind us, but not only is third at stake, but extra lottery balls. Were neck-and-neck with the Stars for two balls again. We end the season in New York, which is their only remaining game. They won 72 games last year and have 70 this season, while we won 85 and are currently at 81. If we beat them and the Saints once, we'll hold the tiebreaker due to place in the standings, as both teams would be -2. Montreal will be tough, but only one win is needed before what could be a duel between Pete Papenfus (3-3, 3.43, 51) and Allen hopeful Eli Panneton (19-13, 2.96, 110). In Montreal, however, we're stuck facing Pat Weakly (13-9, 3.16, 131), who just threw 9 excellent innings in Chicago with 9 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Losing to him won't kill us, as game two will likely be against Ben Watkins (12-10, 4.08, 57), their #5 starter. Montreal is a lock for three balls, so they may rest some starters, with guys like Art McMahon (.294, 6, 43, 13), Vic Crawford (.320, 14, 95), Bill Greene (.276, 18, 94, 17), Jake Hughes (.311, 5, 63, 33), and Gordie Perkins (.291, 4, 49) all candidates for a day off. Of course, they could be like me and want to win no matter what, and I don't like our chances against their regular eight. With the weekend coming up, I have plenty to write about, as we wait until what could be the most hectic offseason. We'll get a full minor league report and a no-trade team, but I've also been working on a three part piece on our top 30 prospects after the 1935 season. I'll release that during the playoffs, before kicking things back up with our annual top prospect list and a potential roster preview for how the Cougars will look post-war. As always, there's the chance of trades, especially as we look like we're going to be a mess financially. The offseason may be long, but I have plenty of ideas I can't wait to get on paper.