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RHP Pug Bryan (140th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Lincoln College

"This kid is underrated. I don't care what OSA says. I don't care what my scout says. Pug Bryan is going to be a really good pitcher. I took him in the 2nd Round last year out of Lincoln College which is in Springfield, Illinois and he started his season in San Jose. Bryan pitched to a 2.73 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 4 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 33 innings. After that it was off to Lincoln, where he tossed 75.1 innings. He was 6-2 with a 3.11 ERA (177 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 31 walks, and 36 strikeouts. I got a little bold, moving him up to Mobile for September. Bryan responded with 4 dominant starts, just 19 hits, 3 runs, 11 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 36 innings. That's a 0.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9, and 6.3 K/9. Oh yeah, and he won all four starts too. Simply put, Pug was unhittable this year. He's going to be 23 in April and by 24 he might already have some FABL innings under his belt. I like almost everything about him, he throws in the high 80s with his fastball and generates a ton of groundballs with his sinker. Best part is, his best pitch is supposed to be his change up which is likely far from developed now. He'll be back in Mobile to start next season, but based on how quickly he moved up, he might not be there for that long. I may also bring him to Chicago for training camp."

Oh Pug... What could've been...

When he debuted in 1937, the former 2nd Rounder looked like a long-term building block in our rotation. The 24-year-old had an impressive rookie season, going 8-9 with a 3.69 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 64 walks, and 68 strikeouts, and was worth a full two wins above replacement in 158.2 innings. Unfortunately for Pug, he set many personal bests, including WAR and innings, and for samples of more then 25 innings, ERA, ERA+, FIP- (101), WHIP, strikeouts, BB/9 (3.6), and K/BB (1.1). Entering 1938, he was a member of the rotation, but he got demoted to the pen and eventually demoted to Milwaukee due to poor performance. In 11 starts and 11 relief appearances, Pug went just 4-9 with 2 saves, a 5.03 ERA (79 ERA+) and 1.61 WHIP. He walked (46) more batters then he struck out (39), but Bryan was effective in 12 starts for the Blues. He went 5-3 with a nice 3.78 ERA (118 ERA+) and even better 3.40 FIP (76 FIP-), striking out 42 with just 19 walks in 66.2 innings pitched.

No longer really considered a starter, Pug did start 12 games in Milwaukee the following season, but his next 68 appearances all came in a Cougar uniform, and all out of the pen. He didn't really establish himself there, but he was out of options, and I couldn't cut the pitcher I became so attached to, and had such high hopes for. He had mixed results in the pen, but never really got into many games. In '42 and '43 he was pretty solid, working to a 2.22 (149 ERA+) and 2.66 ERA (123 ERA+), but it came in just 44.2 combined innings. His time on the roster was ticking down, but there were plenty of pitching needy teams in the war, and he had some nice qualities. He doesn't allow many homers, strikes out a fair amount of batters, generates a lot of groundballs, and most importantly, can start games. The Dynamos were in need of starters, and we sent Pug to Detroit for their 8th Round Pick, which ended up being the versatile Johnny Carlisle. Pug didn't enter the rotation right away, but he started 18 of his 30 appearances with the Dynamos, winning a personal best 10 games with a pair of saves. He had a respectable 3.73 ERA (92 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP, but had far too many walks (74) in 140 innings pitched. That winter he was called into the Navy, leaving plenty of open spots in Detroit, including one that was filled with Art White. Pug will be in the post-war mix, but it will be tough for him to earn a long-term spot. Still, he's cracked the 500 inning mark (505) and his 4.26 ERA (90 ERA+) isn't terrible, and he could still eat some innings out of the pen.

LF Larry Robison (155th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 19th Round, 303rd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Queens HS

"Robison had to fight off a fractured hand that cost him most of the season, so he just got into 26 games with the Legislators. He hit .356/.444/.505 (128 OPS+) with a homer, 6 RBI's, and 16 steals. Yeah, 16 steals in 26 games. Not sure what got into him, just 10 last year in 123 games, but speed is his thing. He's an "elite menace on the basepaths", but unfortunately that doesn't translate into being good at center field. He's really only just average in left, but has always shown above average contact potential at the plate. I'm shocked he was only a 19th rounder as he had really impressive high school numbers."

Robison's speed was his only tool, as he had a 72 steal season for us in 1937. He even made a plate appearance for us in 1939, drawing a walk on his debut. The former 19th Rounder deserved it, hitting .323/.378/.468 (133 OPS+) in 127 games for the Blues. The Eagles decided to take a chance on that production, sending us a 5th Round pick for the 1940 draft. He then struggled in limited time, hitting just .204/.254/.315 (60 OPS+) in 60 trips to the plate. He didn't return to the majors, and was cut before Opening Day 1941. He's now spent the last five seasons with the Houston Bulls of the LSA, and is coming off a 152 WRC+ season where he was worth just slightly less then 5. He's one of those guys who crushes minor league pitching, but when it comes to the best of the best, he just can't quite hang.

LF Dave Haight (157th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 13th Round, 207th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Dallas HS

"With all the depth we have in the outfield, Dave Haight was stuck in La Crosse the past three seasons. That didn't stop him from playing well, however, as he slashed .397/.447/.582 (142 OPS+) with 7 homers, 78 RBI's, and 34 steals in 490 trips to the plate. He'll be up in San Jose next year, and may again see time in both left and right. Haight does have something really cool about him; he's from Juneau, Alaska! Not sure the FABL has any representatives from Alaska, but Haight's got a tough uphill climb if he wants to be the first. He's got the tools, excellent speed, an excellent hit tool, and okay defense, but he lacks the power that most corner outfielders can offer. Still, he managed to cut down on his strikeouts this year and is a good influence in the clubhouse."

He did it! The Alaska native made it all the way up to the FABL, but the debut didn't come with the Cougars. Looking to upgrade at third base heading into the 1938 season, Dave Haight and quarterback Del Thomas were shipped off to New York to acquire Gotham's third basemen Johnny McDowell. That trade felt like a failure, as McDowell scuffled for us, was let go for basically nothing, and then got selected to three straight All-Star games and his 158 WRC+ this season would have been huge in a lineup that sees Ken Mayhugh (95), Steve Jones (6), and George Sutterfield (48) handle most of the starts at the hot corner. Not only that, the then 24-year-old rookie outhit McDowell (.270/.315/.354, 88 OPS+), slashing 308/.364/.453 (121 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 12 triples, 5 homers, 77 RBIs, and 8 steals in 147 games. Haight also boasted an absurd 44-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio, as that hit tool surely was excellent. He wasn't as productive the following season, but it's hard to call a .310/.349/.422 (108 OPS+) batting line a sophomore slump. He didn't have as many extra base hits (21, 7, 5), but he stole (21) more then twice as many bases and still walked (28) far more then he struck out (10).

Unfortunately for Haight, the '39 season was the last time he was useful, and his production plummeted in 1940. He appeared in just 70 games and hit a pitiful .233/.260/.307 (60 OPS+) and actually struck out (10) more often then he walked (8). He was waived prior to 1941's Opening Day, and grabbed by the Dynamos in an effort to boost their outfield depth. He didn't debut in the majors, stashed in their system, but he was DFA'd again in August. The Cannons picked him up, and placed him on the big league roster for September. He came off the bench a decent amount, appearing in just 11 games for Cincinnati, but he went just 5-for-17. He did have with 3 doubles, a walk, and no strikeouts, but he didn't last the offseason. He was DFA'd in October, this time claimed by the other New York team, the Stars. He didn't appear in 1942, but he spent the 1943 season on the Stars bench. He came off the bench a lot for speed and defense, and made a PA just 45 times despite appearing in 71 games. A .244/.234/.267 (50 OPS+) triple slash will do that for you, and he failed to draw a single walk. If it wasn't for a call to the Army, Haight would probably have been DFA'd one again, and the Juneau native likely played his last FABL game.

2B Gene Evans (163rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Worcester HS

"Evans started the season in San Jose and hit .308/.371/.493 (128 OPS+) with 8 homers, 5 steals, and 49 RBI's in 320 trips to the plate. He then got a promotion to Lincoln, but the competition was tough there. He hit just .278/.335/.439 (85 OPS+) with 4 homers, 6 steals, and 30 RBI's in 243 trips to the plate. Not sure where he'll start next season, but Evans has had issues with defending at second. He has decent speed and he hits the ball pretty well, but he never added any strength or size. Almost 22, he's still just 5'10'' 160, and likely won't hit many homers."

I never really thought Gene Evans would be anything special, so it's no surprise he's one of the few who didn't debut. We let him go in the 1938 Independent League draft for Bots Shearer, but it was the lone season Evans played for the Portland Green Sox. It was a bit surprising, as he hit a productive .317/.369/.434 (118 OPS+) against AAA pitchers. He's bounced around a lot since, and currently plays in the Cleveland Foresters organization. He hit pretty well in A (64, 155 WRC+) and AA (58, 157 WRC+). At 31, he doesn't have much of a future, and I doubt the former 10th Rounder will ever get the chance to play in the majors.

RF Dick Earl (176th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 17th Round, 271st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Meridian HS

"Another 1932 draftee, Earl flat out mashed in La Cross when the year began. He hit .421/.482/.771 with 22 homers, 104 RBI's, and 34 walks in 338 trips to the plate. Up in San Jose he calmed down a bit, but still hit .276/.374/.405 (107 OPS+) in 214 trips to the plate. The homers, however, disappeared, just one in 51 games after the 22 in 67. Earl has a cannon out in right and he's got excellent patience at the plate."

Dick Earl has managed to work his way all the way back to Chicago, as after the Dynamos cut him in July, I picked him up a month later. He made just 12 appearances off the bench split between Mobile and Milwaukee, returning to to The organization that game him three games in 1940. Earl is best known for being part of the John Lawson deal, and tore up the Stars minor league season. He had four well above average seasons before coming back to us in a salary dump, and spent a few weeks in the majors as we were dealing with an injury. We cut him soon after, and that's when he joined the Dynamos. He's at risk of being cut prior to next season, and will likely retire before recording his first hit.