Weekly Record: 3-5
Seasonal Record: 24-24 (6th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.415 OPS
Hal Sharp : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .867 OPS
Clark Car : 34 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .206 AVG, .670 OPS
Schedule
5-27: Loss vs Saints (7-6): 12 innings
5-28: Loss vs Saints (7-2)
5-29: Win vs Saints (2-7)
5-30: Loss vs Kings (2-1)
5-30: Win vs Kings (2-4)
6-1: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
6-2: Win at Foresters (7-1)
6-2: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
Recap
I think I hate this team...
We scored four more runs then our opponents this week, but still managed to lose five of eight games to the teams that were in 6th, 7th, and 8th place. The Saints are no longer, as they're a game over .500 (25-24) and a half a game above us.
Yes, we're in sixth place...
So how did this happen? More one run losses! There were four (!!) of them, including a 12 inning loss to start the week. We are somehow 3-12 in games decided by a single run. Yes, we have lost exactly half of our games by a single run. How can this be happening! We are vastly underperforming our +48 run differential, which would place us in a first place tie with the Cannons. At this point I'm not sure what to do, as we don't really have a position to upgrade, and you would think that our luck would have to change. Right? Please... I don't think I can take four more months of this...
Leo Mitchell has absolutely exploded, now leading two of the three triple crown categories, and second in the third. Mitchell became the second Cougar in as many weeks to take home Player of the Week, going 14-for-30 with a double, 3 walks, 4 homers, and 9 RBIs. Mitchell was also rightfully named Batter of the Month, slashing an astronomical .411/.451/.637 (209 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 7 homers, 8 walks, and 23 RBIs. This rose his season line to an absurd .385/.426/.621 (197 OPS+) in just shy of 200 trips to the plate. He's produced a 216 WRC+ and been worth 2.6 wins above replacement. No CA hitter has a higher OPS+ or WRC+, and Mitchell also leads in average, homers, slugging, OPS (1.047), hits (70), total bases (113), and wOBA (.477). While the rest of the world seems to be crashing down on us, Mitchell continues to be the most reliable hitter I've ever seen, and I'd be scared to know what we'd do without him. He seems like a lock for his 6th All Star appearance, and perhaps he can get the Whitney Award that was stolen from him in 1944.
Most of the offense continued to disappoint, but Hal Sharp produced after a stretch of poor play. He went 7-for-21 with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Same for Ray Ford, who was 5-for-14 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Platoon partner Dick Walker wasn't great, but compared to the rest of the bunch, 4-for-19 with a homer, steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs looks like star production. Hank Barnett had a similar week, 6-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Both corner infielders have 8 homers on the season, while Walker's .982 OPS is still second best in the league. Our middle of the field had plenty of struggles, with bad weeks from Skipper, Carlos Montes, Billy Hunter, Harry Mead, and Clark Car. The up the middle players went 25-for-123 (.203), with the only Brightside being Car providing two doubles and homers. Otherwise, the production from the All-Stars were nearly non-existent, and just a little bit of timely hitting could have made this a 6-2 week instead.
Donnie Jones has really started to heat up, picking up another complete game win in our 4-2 win over the Kings. He allowed just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 7-2 on the season. Peter the Heater picked up his seventh win as well, but it wasn't one of his finer starts. Yes, he went all nine and allowed just three hits, but he walked and struck out six. He also allowed an earned and unearned run, dropping his ERA to a team best 2.06 ERA (163 ERA+). The last win of the week went to Johnnie Jones, coming in his second of two starts. He allowed 5 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a 98 pitch complete game win over the Foresters. The Saints had plenty of success with him, rallying for 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks while striking out just once. These three will be making plenty of starts for us this season, and all three have ERAs and WHIPs below 2.50 and 1.20. Eventually our luck will shift, as these guys give us a chance to win day in and day out.
Billy Riley made two starts, a no-decision against the Saints and a loss to the Foresters. He was arguably better against Cleveland, going 8 with 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Against Montreal he ran out of gas, allowing his fourth and fifth run in the 8th and 9th. He left with two out and a runner on first, charged with 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick got a quick third out, but then walked three and allowed a run in the tenth. The last two innings went to Rusty Watts, who got the loss after 2 hits, 3 walks, and a run. Harry Parker had a rare lapse in command, walking 5 with 4 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Both runs came in his last inning, the 6th, and since we couldn't touch Pitcher and Rookie of the Month Leo Hayden (6-3, 2.11, 36), he got the loss. Petrick and Watts actually pitched good in this one, each striking out one, while Petrick's walk of Joe Bell (.270, 1, 11, 1) was the only blemish in the final three innings. The last start went to Joe Brown, who pitched better then he has. It still wasn't great, but I can live with 8 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts. What I can't live with is the way it happened, as he completely fell apart in the ninth. Hal Burres (.268, 2, 7) singled to start the inning, former Cougar draftee Hank Stratton (.325, 16) followed it with a double, and then Jim Adams Jr. (.284, 1, 31, 2) tied things up with a double. He did bounce back with a groundout and got Cal Howe (0-2), but Brown left a knuckle-curve in the zone, allowing him to bloop it to right and end the game.
Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, which I'm hoping will help us right the ship. We'll use the day to travel to Philadelphia to face the 25-23 Sailors. They're a game ahead of us and five out of first, as they're middle of the pack in most things. One person who isn't middle of the pack is Slick Wesolowski, who not only dominates us, but is 8-1 on the season with a 2.57 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 25 walks, and 43 strikeouts. We're stuck facing him, Win Lewis (5-1, 3.07, 31), and Charlie Gordon (4-4, 3.18, 31), making things very difficult on us. The lineup can score some runs, as even with Les Cunha (.294, 2, 26) coming down to earth a bit, they have plenty of valuable hitters. Ed Reyes (.326, 2, 20, 1) has a strong 130 WRC+ and Harvey Brown's (.323, 19, 10) is even higher at 140. That matches Cotton Dillon's (.261, 2, 17, 1) mark as well, and Woody Stone (.289, 3, 24) and Rip Lee (.279, 2, 9, 3) aren't showing much rust. This will be annoyingly tough series, so expect three more one run losses.
There will be three more after, as we're stuck with three in Cincinnati afterwards. The Cannons are 30-18 and 3.5 games above the Wolves, matching our expected record with their actual performance. Adam Mullins (.349, 3, 22) is hitting like a Whitney Winner, as are Al Wheeler (.289, 7, 27) and Denny Andrews (.287, 6, 26). Andrews is the only one of those who doesn't have one, but he's on an insane 11.2 WAR pace. His 8.1 zone rating in 48 starts at the hot corner is already a career high, and his 159 WRC+ is easily a personal best. Add in Chuck Adams (.273, 7, 38), Fred Galloway (.274, 3, 21, 2), and Sam Brown (.286, 2, 16, 1) and it's easy to see why they're in first. The pitching isn't great, but with Rufus Barrell (8-0, 1.97, 35) pitching like he is and all the run support, it might not matter. Les Bradshaw (6-3, 2.84, 42) has somehow decided to be a good pitcher, but even he doesn't have an above average FIP-. Other then Barrell, just Butch Smith (5-5, 3.42, 30) can say that, and his 98 is almost in line with his 100 ERA+. Regardless, they'll find a way to allow one fewer run then whoever toes the rubber for us, and we may find ourselves in 7th place for the weekend.
Minor League Report
RHP Joe Swank (AAA Milwaukee Blues): While Duke Bybee may be the star of the Blues staff, Joe Swank was the one who came home with the hardware. The former 7th Rounder had a superb month, going 4-1 with a 0.98 ERA (411 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts. His April start was impressive as well, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 earned runs and 6 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched, making him 5-1 on the 26-11 first place Blues. Our 14th ranked prospect, Swank was added to the 40 this offseason, and while he's not the first man up, he may be the second. Sure, Mike Thorpe and George Oddo are big league quality pitchers, but I want to see what the Cleveland native can do against big league hitters. A solid three pitch pitcher, he locates his pitches well and has a tendency to miss bats. He keeps the ball on the ground, so having Skipper Schneider at short would really benefit him. There's no obvious spot in our rotation, but he has the goods to start and could still improve. I expect him to start every day the rest of the season, but if the playoff race is decided after the minor league season ends, I'll give him a start or two. The minor league numbers are impressive, as he's put up back-to-back sub-80 FIP- while on pace to set a personal best at 67. Our AAA rotation could probably compete with most FABL lineups, and all six members are 24 or younger.
RHP Harry MacRae (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's been pitching strictly out of the pen this season, and while that may initially have felt like an insult, it could work in his favor. The 24-year-old righty has put himself in a position to claim a spot on the big league pen, as none of our relivers are doing very much. MacRae is a more traditional reliever, and ranks #1 in current ratings for relievers, right ahead of the hard throwing Rusty Watts. Watts has an option, and has allowed 11 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. Before enlisting, Watts had a dominant season at 25, going 3-3 with a 1.72 ERA (232 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. That has earned him a bit of a leash, but MacRae is making things tough.
The former 7th Round Pick spent last season as a starter for the Commodores, but with our logjam of starters I thought he would be better served stopping in the Century League, as relievers tend to get a lot of innings. A two pitch pitcher, MacRae has appeared in 17 games, going 3-9 with 7 saves, a 0.38 ERA (1,076 ERA+), 0.79 WHIP, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. His curveball is lights out and his low 90s fastball is commanded well. In a small sample, it will be very tough to follow his pitches with all the extra spin. He'll be able to pitch nearly every game, as he's topped 200 innings in each of the past two seasons, including 38 complete games. Reliever prospects aren't much to get excited about, especially considering our relievers haven't been in a single save situation this season, but he could be a stabilizing force in the late innings, something we have severely lacked.
RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): Jimmy Ballard must have felt snubbed when the didn't win Pitcher of the Month, and he took it out on the New Orleans Showboats. They may have cost him the award, as they got 10 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), and 5 walks on him in 7 innings. The rematch on the road was much different, as the former 6th Rounder tossed a 6-hit shutout with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts. This is already his second shutout in seven starts, going 5-2 with a 1.35 ERA (260 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 29 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The walks will always be an issue for Ballard, but the sidearmer is tough to square up and it's very easy to beat one of his pitches into the ground. If this was modern day, I think Ballard would be an awesome high leverage reliever, but he's a bit too early. Instead, he could be an interesting Rule-5 pick for a team in need of pitching. He has the stuff to start, but big leaguers will be able to run his pitch count up.
2B Johnny Carlisle (A Lincoln Legislators): When I saw the email that Johnny Carlisle won Player of the Month, I wasn't the least bit surprised. The 23-year-old hit .361/.434/.513 (174 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 17 RBIs. He walked (16) more the he struck out (12), and is hitting .354/.425/.493 (165 OPS+) in 37 games this season. I wrote a bit about him yesterday, so I'll keep it short, but Carlisle has a good chance of receiving a promotion if we need an injury replacement. His versatility means it could be an infielder or outfielder, but we've been bringing a lot of guys back so guys have been going down. He may hit his way up to Mobile anyways, as there are a few Commodores I'd move to the bench in favor of him if I really had to.
One last thing, I am just loving Bob Allen and uber anxious to see his senior year season. Tom Weinstock finished scouting him, and has about as glowing of a report as it gets! "Allen is an ace. If he develops as expected he could leave a trail of disappointed, over-matched hitters in the wake of his talent." I'm pretty sure Peter the Heater had this exact same final thought when he was a prospect.
Maybe not getting Yank Taylor was a good thing...
I don't March 2nd me would have taken too kindly to that suggestion!
But hey, this kid is good!
Cougars in the GWL
RHP Rube Finegan (Dallas Centurions): Believe it or not, Ira Hawker (6-4, 1.92, 30) isn't the only former Cougar farmhand having a great season in Dallas. Former 11th Rounder Rube Finegan didn't start a single game in our minor league system, but the Centurions have been rewarded for placing him in the fifth spot. Finegan doesn't go deep into games, just 44 innings in his 9 starts, but the results have been good. He's 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA (143 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Now 29, Finegan would have been in contention for a bullpen spot for us, but he's just not a great guy. His ego managed to outweigh his production, as he was very effective for the Blues last season. Finegan saved 14 games and finished 8-6 with a 2.85 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 32 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Dallas has been unlucky just like us, just 22-24 despite being 3rd in both runs scored and allowed. Billy Marshall (.288, 1, 13, 7) has started to heat up, and he's helping lead a lineup that wants to crack the first division.
RHP Luis Sandoval (San Diego Conquistadors): I wouldn't be surprised if you don't recognize Luis Sandoval's name. His time as a Cougar was short, spanning just April 19th, 1937 to October 15th, 1937. We got him for another short stint Cougar, 1934 Allen Winner Hardin Bates, in
a trade with the Dynamos. Getting Bates in the first place was a trainwreck,
as he cost us Charlie Wheeler and a pick, and gave us 13 awful starts. While injuries did slow down Wheeler, he put up five really good big league seasons.
Sandoval, on the other hand, has pitched in the majors recently, actually making 26 starts for the 1944 Chiefs. In his one season with us, he was used primarily as a reliever, going 3-3 with 6 saves, a 3.46 ERA (117 ERA+), 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. That offseason we sent him to the Miners, acquiring a 4th Round Pick. This was back in the lottery years when a 4th was sort of a 2nd,
that turned into Sammy Dillon, who is actually still in the organization and the Commodores team captain. Sandoval pitched for four teams in the big leagues, with most of his innings coming with the Chiefs. He appeared in 152 games across five seasons, going 17-40 with 16 saves, a 4.17 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP. He's had much more success in the GWL, going 6-2 with a 2.32 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 14 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He's thrown 66 innings in front of the worst defense in the league, and is the only member of the staff to succeed. Former first pick Curly Jones (3-5, 3.75, 32) is his ace, but Sandoval has outperformed him in nearly every metric. There are a few other Cougars in the pen, with Bill Anderson (0-0, 3.81, 8) and 1937 1st Rounder Preacher Pietsch (1-0, 3, 1.00, 5), but with all the struggles, there may be some roster churning as the Conquistadors try to get back on their feet.