[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 27-26 (3rd, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Hal Sharp : 28 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .321 AVG, .857 OPS
Billy Hunter : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .353 AVG, .950 OPS
Ken Matson : 1 Win, 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-2: Loss vs Wolves (8-2)
6-3: Loss vs Sailors (4-3)
6-4: Loss vs Sailors (4-2)
6-5: Win vs Sailors (3-5)
6-6: Win vs Cannons (0-1): 11 innings
6-7: Loss vs Cannons (2-0)
6-8: Loss vs Cannons (2-1)

Recap
And just like that, we're back to being bad! Yay!

The Cougars seem to be sleepwalking through the season, as quite literally nothing has been all that exciting about this team. I mean, you know its bad when one of your "Top Performers" of the week got one out and a win. Sure, Hal Sharp and Billy Hunter are looking great, but that's pretty much the entirety of the offense, as we continue to struggle scoring runs. We let the Wolves crush us and then barely scored against the Sailors and Cannons. When you hold the first place team to four runs in three games, you expect to win, but we got just two runs total, one on Rufus (4-4, 3.22, 50), one on Red Hampton (6-5, 4.09, 12), and none on Bob Arman (5-3, 3.87, 37), the certified Cougar killer who managed to win a start with 8 walks and 1 strikeout. The inconsistency has been infuriating, and it's making me consider a small retool. The only issue is all the bats are struggling, and our pitchers aren't available.

So who could we move? Clark Car (.222, 1, 2, 4)? He's having his worst season, well, ever... Dick Walker (.215, 5, 3)? Who wants a struggling 40-year-old? Harry Mead (.224, 4, 20)? Soon-to-be 33-year-olds having their worst full season don't bring many much excitement... So are we stuck? Do we add? Do we stay put? These aren't the type of questions I expected to ask myself this season...

At least we have Hal Sharp, who I guess could contend for a Whitney. It was a "down" week for him, but 9-for-28 with 2 homers and 4 RBIs is still an excellent week. This dropped his season line slightly to .368/.410/.537 (156 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 7 homers, and 29 RBIs while being worth exactly 2 WAR despite his poor defense. He's two RBIs away from the team triple crown, and he paces all FABL hitters in average. The second base duo looked good, with Hunter and Car the only guys who got regular time to hit well. Hunter went 6-for-17 with a solo homer while Car was 4-for-14 with a triple and solo homer. Hunter got a game in center with Montes hurt, and he actually looked pretty good out there. In his two starts he fielded all four of his routine balls, the only chances he had. Since Don Lee went 4-for-24 (at least he swiped three bags), more time in center will open for Hunter, giving Car some more time at the keystone. We need Leo Mitchell (5-24, HR, 2 RBI) to finally wake up as the offense just can't get anything going. We're now 6th in runs scored (221) and dead last in extra base hits (118). I'm not sure what's wrong with the lineup, but something has to change.

Joe Brown was roughed up by the Wolves on short rest (guess he couldn't handle it...), but bounced back quickly in a tough loss to the Cannons. The Wolves got 9 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 6.1 innings while Brown went all nine against the Cannons. He allowed just 7 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts, with a Chuck Adams (.266, 5, 24) two run shot the only offensive output in the game. Pete Papenfus made a pair of starts as well, but he's still struggling to strike guys out. He went all nine in both starts, but again walked (9) more guys then he struck out (7). He also lost both starts, with 10 hits and 4 runs against the Sailors and 11 hits and 2 runs against the Cannons. His K/9 is back below 5 (4.8) and he's on pace for a career high of 17 home runs allowed. It feels so weird to see him struggle like this, but part of that is due to his sky high talent. Most guys would kill for a 3.56 ERA (110 ERA+), but for Pap it feels so underwhelming. If he can find the zone more, he'll be fine, but it's just another thing that isn't going right for us in this frustrating season.

The Jones Brothers are red hot, and poor Johnnie was robbed of a win. He had a shutout, but we couldn't score, he then completed the tenth. Still nothing. And finally he left with two outs in the 11th. He allowed just 6 hits and walks with 4 strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 3.29 ERA (119 ERA+). Ken Matson got that final out (after a walk), picking up his first win of the season. Donnie picked up a complete game win over the Sailors, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts. He's been our best pitcher by a wide margin, now 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 33 walks, and 49 strikeouts. If we got this production from his last season, I think we're celebrating a championship and unphased by the slow start, but instead, we're searching for answers. It's crazy that a team where their "worst" rotation member(s) (Johnnie and Duke) still sport a 3.77 ERA (103 ERA+), but they still manage to lose just as often as they win.

Fun stuff!

Looking Ahead
We finish off our homestand with three with the Foresters, who are hot coming off a win against the Stars (25-30) and a sweep of the Kings (25-30). They are doing their best to stay out of the cellar, 24-31 and a game above the Saints who have lost the same amount of games but capture two fewer victories. They are one of the two offenses to score fewer runs, ranked dead last with 208, and they are 7th in runs allowed. We're stuck with their top three, the ultimate sophomore slumper Richie Hughes (2-8, 5.94, 37), the "vet" of the staff Ducky Davis (4-6, 3.09, 23), and a second sophomore in Augie Hayes Jr. (4-6, 4.18, 29). On paper, we'll have the pitching advantage, but I'm sure Richie Hughes will figure things out for our series and we won't be able to muster much offense off the other two. Luckily, the lineup can be managed well, as Paul Porter (.307, 16, 4) is the only bat with more then 150 PAs that has an above average OPS+ (102) and WRC+ (111). They have gotten some production from Lorenzo Samuels, who has hit .389/.478/.593 (180) in a part time role, and the red hot first basemen hits against righties, displacing top 100 prospect Ivey Henley (.250, 1, 12), but "The Cuyahoga Crusher" is being aided by a crazy .367 BABIP and his season is just 67 PAs. Utilityman Constantine Peters was 0-for-11 against the Kings, but has since hit .395/.447/.512 (151 OPS+) in 47 PAs as a Forester. We'll see an interesting, rag-tag group of guys in this series, but I expect to throw at least one, if not more, of the games. We're now just 15-15 at home, and I can't tell you the last time the Cougars finished this poorly in Chicago, so my expectations are very tempered.

We're then off to lick our wounds before heading off on a road trip that starts in Toronto. The Wolves are just a game and a half behind us, sitting at 26-28 so far. Fred McCormick almost has more homers then the rest of the lineup combined, as his 10 are one short of the remaining seven hitters in the lineup. He also accounts for most of the production, slashing an elite .333/.430/.595 (167 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, and 30 walks in his first 49 games. The worst part is we struggled to hit Cookie Myers (3-1, 2.68, 17), who is doing what he tends to; start off strong before tailing off after the All-Star break. We'll likely miss him, but are again stuck with a teams 1-2-3, and George Garrison (3-5, 3.62, 33), Joe Hancock (5-2, 2.96, 22), and Jimmy Gibbs (2-4, 3.88, 22) won't be easy for our anemic offense. I'm worried that in the spacious dominion stadium, we'll be just as bad getting hits, but our outfield defense will be greatly tested. No Carlos Montes hurts, as Lee and Hunter aren't nearly as good as him. I may have to throw Ray Struble in for a game, but he's hitting just .235/.316/.294 (67 OPS+) in his 19 PAs. I'm fully prepared for an 0-6 week, so at least anything better will be welcomed!

During the first game of the Wolves' series, the draft pool will be officially published, so we'll get to see just how good our draftees did in their final seasons. And more importantly, how much they're going to want to sign with us. I'll do Amateur Reports in the coming sims before the draft to cover how our guys are looking. Dixie Marsh has been rather consistent with his draft list rankings, as he's kept our first two picks Jerry Smith and Garland Phelps at 4th and 10th respectively. I'm a little scared one of these two, or Dudley Sapp, will be extremely tough to sign, but we have a large draft budget (65,910) and about $85,000 to spare with our budget. I'd like to keep as much as that as possible if we need to make an upgrade, but some of these guys are more then worth ponying up extra cash for.

Minor League Report
SS Bob Stout (A Lincoln Legislators): He's had a green arrow for a while now, and I decided to rearrange my infield in Lincoln and Mobile to get Stout playing against tougher competition. A 6th Rounder last season, the 22-year-old hit .250/.392/.391 (115 OPS+) in 159 trips to the plate. His defense has been impressive at short as well, producing a 3.1 zone rating and 1.097 efficiency in 320 innings. Stout isn't a contact oriented hitter, but he has drawn 29 walks in 159 trips to the plate. Sure, 30 strikeouts are a lot, but he's added 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 5 steals, 25 runs, and 13 RBIs. The glove is probably his best asset, but it's been interesting watching his approach at the plate develop. He has great command of the strike zone and the speed to make a difference on the bases. If he could add any bit of power, or just cut down the strikeouts, he could be a very tough out and a guy to help keep a rally going. We don't have many shortstop prospects, so despite being 19th in our system he's the highest rated of the bunch. Granted, 19th in our system is still top 200 in the league (187th), and since we weren't able to get Irv Clifford, Stout seems likely to remain our top ranked shortstop. It will be interesting to see how he takes to the tougher competition, but he's very advanced for someone with as little experience as him.

LHP Bert Rogers (B San Jose Cougars): Turns out Bert Rogers was ready for Class B! I should have known the guy with a 3.51 FIP (82 FIP-) was far better then the guy who displayed a 6.10 ERA (70 ERA+), and that's exactly what Rogers has shown so far. After a beautiful 8-hit, 6-strikeout shutout of the Fresno Falcons, Rogers improved to 5-1 on the season with an impressive 2.42 ERA (156 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP. In 44.2 innings he has struck out 23 and walked 18, and his 3.03 FIP (80 FIP-) is even better then it was last season. Even better, he's shown the ability to pitch deep into games, topping 115 pitches in three starts prior to this one, as just 111 were needed in the shutout. It's hard to find a flaw in the 52nd ranked prospects season so far, but he could improve on his 1.3 K/BB. Considering he's not allowing many hits and has a groundball percentage of 50, it's something you can live with, and he's yet to allow a single homer. I'd like to see him add a little velocity to his fastball, but as a finesse guy it is not a must. His slider is looking really good and he has tremendous confidence in all his pitches. When he's on the mound, he knows he can get guys out, and its nice that the results are finally coming. Dixie isn't his biggest fan, but I think Rogers has the tools to comfortably fit in the middle of a big league rotation. And I bet the Chicago kid would love to pitch for his hometown team.

LF Clyde Parker (B San Jose Cougars): June 4th was a day to remember for Clyde Parker, who went 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, 2 homers, and 6 RBIs. It's about as good of a game as you can have, and it helped him hit an impressive .300/.462/.750 (238 OPS+) for the week. Surprisingly, not good enough for Player of the Week, but it upped his season line to .266/.336/.469 (125 OPS+) in 143 trips to the plate. A bat first guy with a great hit tool, his batting average is surprising, but he's been making the most of his at bats. Those two homers were Parker's first of the year, but he's totaled 8 doubles and 6 triples, putting him on a 28 and 21 pace for 120 games. Just 20, the former 7th Rounder has put up strong minor league numbers and if he can hit some more homers, he could be a Hal Sharp/Leo Mitchell type hitter. Currently ranked 20th in our system, Parker ranks just inside the top 200 (194th) and profiles as more of a bench bat. His work ethic could push him past that, and I think the game doesn't give his batting profile enough credit. He's a line drive hitter who should eventually control his whiffs, although he's a very raw project. He's an interesting guy to keep an eye on, but bat-first corner outfielders need to truly excel to be given a chance.