[ayaghmour2]

Well guess what? I didn't forget to do he 1926 class. That was done here! And here! Not sure how I forgot post 1,000, but I did actually forget to do 1927, so here's the first of either two or three parts!

1st Round, 3rd Overall: CF Harry Humphrey
School: Whitney College Engineers
Career (AA): .298/.345/.378, 384 G, 1,607 PA, 47 2B, 33 3B, 2 HR, 152 RBI, 50 SB, 98 WRC+, 5.8 WAR

One of the biggest misses in Cougar history, I used pick #3 on Harry Humphrey, as I couldn't resist the center fielder from Whitney College. He had an excellent college career, as after an average freshman year (102 WRC+) he hit .414/.494/.600 (196 OPS+) as a sophomore and .413/.490/.630 (189 OPS+) as a junior with matching 188 WRC+. A strong defender with speed, Humphrey was the exact type of player I desired, but he never quite developed as planned. He quickly moved to A ball, getting one PA in San Jose first, and after hitting .308/.344/.454 (114 OPS+) in 109 games for the Legislators, he finished his season with 21 games in Mobile. That's where he spent most of his Cougar career, as he never got past AA and his minor league career stalled out.

In the 1932 offseason, Humphrey departed the organization in the old Independent Draft, as we swapped him to the Houston Bulls for Jose Serna. He didn't last long with the now GWL team, and was cut before the season started. He caught on with the Amarillo Stars, playing in parts of three seasons before they cut him. I brought him back to Chicago at 29, and he spent parts of the next three seasons appearing in 44 games for Lincoln (10) and Mobile (34) before calling it quits after the 1937 season. Obviously things didn't go as planned for the Florida native, but most of the top players from the 1927 draft did not amount to much. 1st Overall Pick Cliff Moss (51.1) was the only first rounder hitter worth more then 25 WAR, while Bill Anderson, taken 13th in the round, was the only first round pitcher worth more then 7 WAR (27.40). Yes, Frank Lightbody (4th, 29), Andy Carter (10th, 32), and Jim Watson (12th, 30.5) all had solid careers, but the best players came later. While not highly touted at the time, this class produced starts like Moss, Frank McCormick (6-11, 78.1), Hank Barnett (6-1, 72.3), Ed Wood (2-9, 61.1), Leon Drake (14-12, 58.9), Ron Rattigan (14-5, 57.4), Mahlon Strong (8-6, 43), Milt Fritz (12-12, 46.2), Mike Taylor (8-15, 45.9), and someone you'll see later, Dean Astle (9-3, 64.9).

2nd Round, 19th Overall: RHP Bobby Love
School: New Orleans HS Cavaliers
Career (AA): 32-37, 79 G, 570.2 IP, 5.38 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 377 BB, 168 K, 83 ERA+, 0.2 WAR
Career (A): 23-16, SV, 61 G, 408 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 178 BB, 331 K, 123 ERA+, 6.7 WAR

More of a project pick, Bobby Love had a remarkable high school career where he went 14-5 with a 2.39 ERA (191 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 60 walks, and 260 strikeouts in 222.1 innings pitched. That was more then enough to entice me for a selection, and while it didn't end up panning out, the 6'5'' righty was worth the risk. He sat in the low 90 with his sinker, one of his five pitches he never truly mastered. His command wasn't initially a problem, consistently posting K/BBs above 2 and even over 3 in the minor through the 1932 season, but things fell apart once he turned 24. He never again struck out more batters then he walked, totaling 487 walks to just 212 strikeouts. In the end, 89 walks and 38 strikeouts in 137 innings with a 5.39 ERA (82 ERA+) in AAA at 27 isn't anything to write home about, and after just 3 appearances with Mobile the following year he decided to hang up the cleats. Back then the Cougars weren't as adept at developing pitchers as we are now, and Love was one of many young pitchers who never quite found their footing in the system.

3rd Round, 35th Overall: RHP Ed Stevens
School: Travis College Bucks
Career (AAA): 43-26, SV, 93 G, 601 IP, 3.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 156 BB, 368 K, 127 ERA+, 11.4 WAR
Career (AA): 41-28, 4 SV, 118 G, 706.2 IP, 3.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 165 BB, 209 K, 125 ERA+, 10.8 WAR

Another failed pick, Ed Stevens was a three-year standout at Travis College, with hi best season coming as a junior. Stevens went 10-5 with a pair of saves, working to a 2.71 ERA (189 ERA+) and 1.12 WHIP in 126.1 innings pitched. He walked 31 and struck out a whopping 120 hitters, equating to an impressive 22.9 K% and 3.9 K/BB. Unlike Love, he actually had a lot of success in the minors, so perhaps the 3rd Rounder deserved a shot at the major leagues. From his pro debut in 1928 through the 1932 season, Stevens had an above average ERA+ and FIP- at every stop, with the most impressive a six start stint in Lincoln as a 23-year-old where he went 4-2 with a 2.64 ERA (168 ERA+) and 2.97 FIP (66 FIP-), his best combination of the two metrics. Most of his work came in the upper minors, as from 1930 and to 1936 all his time came at either AA or AAA. Stevens left our organization before Opening Day on 1934, as he was waived to either make room on the 40 or 24. I'm not sure why that decision was made, but the Kings picked him up, and stashed him in the minors. He spent parts of the next four seasons in their organization, before his eventual release in June of 1937. At season's end, Stevens called it quits, and despite not having any FABL success, he was a very productive minor leaguer who probably deserved a chance to pitch his way onto a big league staff.

4th Round, 51st Overall: RF Howard Moss
School: Garden State Redbirds
1935 (DET): .294/.382/.555, 60 G, 249 PA, 8 2B, 7 3B, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 139 WRC+, 1.0 WAR
Career (FABL): .268/.371/.469, 132 G, 535 PA, 17 2B, 11 3B, 17 HR, 85 RBI, 118 WRC+, 1.3 WAR
Career (AAA): .298/.422/.498, 451 G, 1,885 PA, 61 2B, 48 3B, 49 HR, 318 RBI, 18 SB, 151 WRC+, 14.4 WAR

Hey, look at that! An actual big leaguer! They do exist! It was a long road to the big leagues for Howard Moss, who despite always tearing the cover off the ball, never really got a shot with us. He didn't have much of a glove, and spent a lot of time in a part-time role, and it took until he was 26 for him to reach AAA. Once he did, he made a huge impact, as he posted WRC+ of 139, 160, 187, and 194 in four seasons for the Blues. The first two came in 100+ games, the second two in just under 250 PAs total, but the start to his 1935 season was one to remember. He hit .430/.511/.701 (201 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 35 RBIs, and 18 walks in 36 games. This was enough to get him attention from elsewhere in the league, and the Dynamos sent us young third basemen Harry Peterson in a trade filled day that saw a bunch of Cougars find new homes.

Moss spent the rest of his season in Detroit, and it was about as good as his time in the minors. The 29-year-old outfielder hit an impressive .294/.382/.555 (143 OPS+) in a PA shy of 250 with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, 33 walks, and 15 strikeouts. He was not very good in right (-3.9, .956), and even appeared for two innings at short, but it looked like the bat-first Moss finally found a home. Turns out, that wasn't the case, as Moss split 1936 between AAA and the majors. The AAA time was elite, as he hit .298/.426/.551 (152 OPS+) in 52 games with 6 doubles, 12 triples, 5 homers, 42 RBIs, 40 walks, and just 12 strikeouts. His time with the Dynamos wasn't quite the same, as in 72 FABL games he hit a just below average .245/.361/.392 (97 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, 33 RBIs, 44 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Now 30, the future value wasn't too high, and despite his nice mix of extra base ability and plate discipline, he was cut early in the 1937 season. He did catch on with the Chiefs, and hit .221/.374/.332 (122 OPS+) in AAA Ft. Worth, walking 78 times to just 33 strikeouts with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, and 61 RBIs. He did survive the offseason, but after just 5 games with the Warriors the next season, the Chiefs cut him 364 days after the Dynamos.

That didn't cause him to retire, as he toiled around free agency the rest of the year, all of 1939, and all of 1940 before finally hanging up the cleats that offseason. While not the most storied career, Moss certainly was a talented hitter, and like so many others from this class, probably deserved a more serious look. In hindsight, it looks like I didn't do a great job moving players up the system like I think I do now, and Moss is one of those guys lost in the shuffle. Granted, a lot of these guys don't have the upside of say a Jerry Smith, Bob Allen, or Johnny Peters, but even guys like Bob Schmelz, Zane Kelley, and Harley Dollar had far more upside then Moss ever had. He's more of a Bill Payne type, good bat but not much else, and I'm sure if I knew what I did now he would have gotten a bit more time on the fringes of the big league club.

5th Round, 67th Overall: RHP Art Black
School: Cincinnati HS Tigers
Career (FABL): 4-5, 18 G, 77.2 IP, 6.03 ERA, 2.05 WHIP, 69 BB, 24 K, 71 ERA+, -0.7 WAR
Career (AAA): 91-57, 69 SV, 1,296.2 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 694 BB, 510 K, 118 ERA+, 12.5 WAR

When I selected Art Black in the 5th Round, I thought I was selecting Art Blake, who the Kings selected in the 2nd Round and ended up making 121 FABL appearances (21), mostly with the Wolves. Despite the mix-up, "Burger" Black was a pretty interesting prospect, and after spending a season in the pen, he became a full-time starter during the 1929 season. By 1933 he was in AAA, and the following season he earned a promotion to the big league club. That came after 27 excellent starts with the Blues, going 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts. The issue for Black, which eventually held him back, was the command, as he allowed 75 free passes in 150.1 innings pitched. As you might expect, hi time in Chicago didn't go great, as he was 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA (75 ERA+) and 2.17 WHIP in 19.1 innings pitched, walking 15 to just 6 strikeouts in his three starts.

With the subpar performance, Black started 1935 in Milwaukee, where he made 18 starts and finished 6-4 with a 4.78 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.74 WHIP. He still walked (54) more guys then he struck out (49), but it was far more acceptable with such a slight difference. This earned him a rotation spot on a very poor pitching staff, and he started 7 of his 8 appearances with the big league club. Again, he didn't do great, going 2-4 with a pitiful 6.07 ERA (72 ERA+) and 2.02 WHIP and pathetic 44-to-17 walk-to-strikeout ratio. As you might expect, he was banished to Milwaukee, not returning to Chicago again. He spent the next two seasons in the Blues rotation, before eventually being moved down to the pen for the next two seasons. He still got his innings, 127 in '38 and 114.2 in '39, and he went an impressive 23-5 with 28 saves as the stopper. This caught the eye of the Cannons, who were set for their first season in Cincinnati, and they made him a Rule-5 selection. He made the Opening Day roster, but lasted just 12.1 innings, allowing 14 hits, 9 runs, and 10 walks with just one strikeout. He was then sent back to us, where he made 18 relief outings before being given his release papers a second time. He did catch on with the Eagles, finishing off the season there, and eventually bounced between the Kings and Houston Bulls organization before retiring after the 1946 season. It wasn't the prettiest career, but over 2,000 professional innings is more then most accomplish, and he'll be able to tell his kids and grandkids about the 77.2 innings he pitched against FABL hitters.

6th Round, 83rd Overall: RHP George DeForest
School: San Antonio HS Warriors
1934 (BRK): 3-6, 87.1 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 44 BB, 36 K, 95 ERA+, 0.7 WAR
1944 (DET/CIN): 1-1, 3 SV, 46.1 IP, 1.75 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 25 BB, 15 K, 196 ERA+, -0.1 WAR
1945 (CIN): 3-1, SV, 39.2 IP, 2.50 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 14 BB, 11 K, 148 ERA+, 0.3 WAR
Career (CIN): 3-2, 2 SV, 55.1 IP, 2.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 22 BB, 16 K, 150 ERA+, 0.2 WAR
Career (FABL): 16-12, 6 SV, 330.1 IP, 4.09 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 163 BB, 115 K, 98 ERA+, 0.7 WAR

Unlike the rest of these losers, George DeForest was a legitimate big league prospect. Not right away, but it took just one season for scouts to notice him, and he was named the 53rd best prospect on the 1929 Opening Day list. This came after a pretty solid season in San Jose where a 19-year-old DeForest went 16-9 with a 4.31 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, and 160 strikeouts. He had a strong 4.06 FIP (82 FIP-), A 4.8 WAR, and 92 walks in 208.2 innings pitched. One of the first posts ever on this thread, as since I started around 1929 Opening Day, it was the first and only (as far as I know) time I covered top prospects in the spring instead of right when the season ended. DeForest was our 5th ranked prospect at the time, and was part of a top 20 where each member ended up playing in the majors. Most are role players like DeForest was, but this group included the headliner of the Tom Taylor deal Mack Deal, longtime Forester hurlers Ben Turner and Dean Astle, the guy I wanted to manage the 1948 Cougars Fred Barrell, and the Cougars All-Time batting leader Vince York (.347 in 2,121 PAs).

I was very fond of the then 20-year-old, declaring he "could be a #2 if not #3 in any rotation in baseball." While that may seem shocking now, that might have been an undersell, as DeForest had a really nice arsenal and could really rack up the strikeouts. He threw five pitches with a fastball that comfortably remained in the 90s, and he was one of the more exciting young pitchers in the league. The issue was always the control, which is eventually what prevented him from being a top or even middle rotation starter. He took his time climbing up the system, but he posted above average ERA+ with multiple stints where he struck out more then 20% of the players he faced. He eventually cracked the top 50 and even threw a no-hitter against the Fresno Falcons with 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks.

Despite the no-hitter, DeForest may be best known for his inclusion in the blockbuster that sent Barrell Brothers Tom and Fred to the Kings, as DeForest and Mike Murphy were included to get Tommy Wilcox and Mike Taylor. You could argue this trade cursed the Cougars, as we were coming off a championship and were trying to catch a John Lawson led Stars offense that was just as good as the one we're chasing this year. I pulled the trigger on what should have been the best pitcher of the 1930s, as the 25-year-old knuckler was coming off a 22 win, 320 inning season and sported a 3.19 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 29 walks through 20 starts. I could go on about how he then completely fell apart (6-6, 6.70, 28) in Chicago and we fell two short of the eventual champs. Since then we have yet to win another title while Tom and Fred won a title and three pennants in Brooklyn.

DeForest was eventually part of a title team, but it didn't come with the Fred and Tom in Brooklyn. He did debut for the Kings in 1934, which ended up being the only season he functioned primarily in the rotation. The 25-year-old held his own, going 3-6 with a 4.43 ERA (95 ERA+), but he walked (44) more hitters then he struck out (36), which led to an inflated 1.58 WHIP. The young righty then spend the following season in AAA, and since the Kings had plenty of quality pitching (Barrell, Murphy, Joe Shaffner, Ken Carpenter, and a young Art White) and they sent him to the Pioneers in a minor deal. They wanted to take advantage of his velocity and tried him out in the pen, but the now 27-year-old didn't find too much success. He did strike out (26) one more batter then he walked (25), but he allowed 50 hits and 27 earned runs (4.24 ERA, 1.72 WHIP) in 43.2 innings pitched. That was the most time he got in any of his three seasons out in St. Louis, as he again made appearances out of the pen during the '37 and '39 seasons. He spent '38 and '40 in the minors, and the Pioneers cut bait with him after the '40 season.

The next step of DeForest's career was a return to Chicago, as I inked him to a minor league deal and gave him innings for the Commodores (23) and Blues (3.2). We cut him twice during 1941, and a month into the 1942 season the Dynamos brought him on a minor league deal. He split time between the rotation and pen in AAA Newark, and eventually took advantage of a roster thinned by the war, and made a return to the big leagues in the 1943 season. It did not go well, as in 8 starts and 9 relief outings he had a 4.52 ERA (78 ERA+) and 1.60 WHIP with 33 walks and just 17 strikeouts. Still, with more players enlisting innings needed to be covered, and DeForest was used as a full time reliever. He was impressive in his 14 relief outings (1 start), working to a 1.47 ERA (233 ERA+) and 1.57 WHIP in 30.2 innings pitched. This caught the eye of the defending champs, and the Cannons sent Henry Jones and a 9th Rounder to Detroit to add DeForest to their pen. He pitched 15.2 innings down the stretch, and his 2.30 ERA (155 ERA+) looked much better then his 1.72 WHIP and 8 walks. He was included on the postseason roster, so even though he didn't pitch, DeForest was awarded a championship ring.

He spent the next season in the Cannons pen and might have put together his best season as a reliever. The 36-year-old veteran was 3-1 with a strong 2.50 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, despite still walking (14) more guys then he struck out (11). It was his last season in the majors, as he was eventually DFA'd and assigned to AAA Indianapolis. He spent 1946 in the pen and started 1947 in the rotation, but was cut in late June after 11 starts. That was the last time DeForest threw a baseball in affiliated ball, as he ended up hanging up the spikes that offseason. He ended up pitching in parts of seven big league seasons, finishing with a 4.09 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, and 115 strikeouts in 330.1 innings pitched. He was one of the many players aided by the war, but he took full advantage, and got to do what most players never do: win a championship. Not many of our guys can say that!

7th Round, 99th Overall: LF Stan Mills
School: Swoyersville HS Kings
Career (A): .292/.322/.466, 122 G, 529 PA, 30 2B, 19 3B, 5 HR, 79 RBI, 5 SB, 86 WRC+, 0.7 WAR

If you're asking yourself "who," you aren't alone, as I have absolutely no idea who Stan Mills is. My best guess is he was an auto pick, as a left fielder with a 136 WRC+ in high school doesn't seem like my kind of pick. Perhaps my scout at the time loved him, but since it predates the dynasty I don't really have much of an explanation. Mills' career was short and sweet, starting with one at bat in San Jose in 1928. He was released the May after the draft, and spent the rest of the season as a free agent. He got one year with the independent Pueblo Mountaineers of the Western Baseball League, which at the time was a Single-A affiliate of FABL. He was their everyday left fielder, batting .292/.322/.466 (95 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 19 triples, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 79 RBIs. That was Pueblo's inaugural season, and since they finished just 46-77, they quickly rebuilt the roster to compete. Mills was one of the first casualties, as the Mountaineers went on to win 82 games in 1930 and 88 in 1931 before eventually winning their first WBL championship. Mills on the other hand retired right after being cut, and returned to his hometown San Antonio and enrolling at nearby Travis College to get his degree and start the next chapter of his life.

8th Round, 115th Overall: CF Pete Slater
School: Dickson Maroons
Career (A): .246/.349/.380, 180 G, 414 PA, 21 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 55 RBI, 13 SB, 106 WRC+, 1.5 WAR
Career (B): .290/.374/.430, 178 G, 485 PA, 19 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 52 RBI, 28 SB, 106 WRC+, 2.3 WAR

At one point Pete Slater was a relatively interesting prospect of ours, as he was quick and played an excellent center field. A very intelligent outfielder, Slater attended Dickson, which is this universe's Harvard, for three seasons and got plenty of time as an everyday player in the early days of his career. What prevented him from advancing was injuries, as the youngster couldn't stay on the field. This eventually relegated him to a bench role, pinch running and playing the outfield late in games. He did reach AA as a 26-year-old, and went 1-for-6 with a double and two walks in eight appearances. He survived that offseason, but was cut before Opening Day 1934. Independent teams liked him for organization depth, as he spent time with nine organizations, even appearing in games for three of them. This all happened in a three year period, and Slater eventually hung up the cleats after the 1936 season.