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ayaghmour2 · 10-10-2023, 02:42 AM

While no one would mistake it for a blockbuster, we made a quick trade to start the offseason, bringing back former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall, sending AAA pitcher Dick Garcia to the Stars to acquire their longtime outfielder. Way back in 1935, we made the New York native our 3rd Round pick, and I was quite shocked he was still available. Chubby was known for his excellent plate discipline, striking out just once in 23 high school games. He should have been one of my second round picks, as Grover Donahue and Doc Smith never amounted to anything, but we were very lucky to secure Hall with the 34th Pick of the draft. When the season opened, he was ranked as the 64th best prospect in the league, and at 19 he was installed in the La Crosse Opening Day lineup. and he flirted with .300, but his .294/.324/.376 (82 OPS+) overall line wasn't all that impressive. He struck out 59 times, but hit 18 doubles, 7 homers, and 61 RBIs.

Chubby again spent his season in La Crosse, but the consistent top 100 prospect had a breakout at the plate. He hit a superb .298/.341/.436 (140 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 14 homers, and 88 RBIs. He walked (33) just two times less then he struck out (35) and was worth a career best 4.1 WAR in 136 games. He did not return to La Crosse in 1938, and the 21-year-old started his season in San Jose. He appeared in 63 games, hitting .314/.384/.535 (146 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 44 RBIs before earning a promotion to Single-A Lincoln. Hall's 138 WRC+ was a personal best and he walked (28) more then he struck out (19) in 263 trips to the plate. The then 25th ranked prospect kept up the pace with the Legislators, slashing an impressive .314/.382/.441 (130 OPS+) with 27 doubles and 54 RBIs. The lone downside was a drop in power, as he hit just 3 out in 336 PAs.

Despite being ranked in the top 25 prospect list, Hall was best known for what came next, as he was moved in the wee hours to Washington with Lee Scott for current rotation member Johnnie Jones while I was trying to pry current Cannon Sam Brown away as well. This trade came at an untimely time, as we were swept by both Brooklyn and Montreal in a season where we finished 82-72 and -- five games out of first place. That sweep...

Hall was hitting .399/.455/.592 (181 OPS+) in Mobile at the time with 16 doubles, 8 homers, and 50 RBIs. The Eagles started him in AAA Kansas City, and he played 46 games to finish the season. The 22-year-old hit .306/.387/.434 (116 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. He return to AAA as the #17 prospect coming into the season. Hall got off to an excellent start, slashing .319/.355/.534 (142 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. In a rather shocking move, Chubby was traded to the New York Stars for Henry Bush and Bill Martino. It turned out to be a pretty good trade for the Stars, and he even got a cup of coffee after hitting .332/.391/.448 (145 OPS+) in 281 trips to the plate. He didn't do so well with the Stars, hitting just .211/.304/.263 (59 OPS+) in a tiny 24 plate appearance sample. He wasn't quite ready, so he returned to LA, and he seemed a bit bummed to be sent back to the minors. He hit just .297/.348/.439 (110 OPS+) with 11 homers and 70 RBIs, and again returned to New York for the final month. While still not great, his .259/.348/.333 (90 OPS+) line was more then respectable, and he drew more walks (8) then strikeouts (6).

Topping out as the 10th Ranked prospect, Chubby didn't really get a shot in the 1942 season, appearing in just 57 games for the big league club. He hit just .231/.321/.319 (91 OPS+), but his 100 WRC+ was league average and he finally hit his first big league homer. Hall drew 12 walks and struck out just 5 times, so it's easy to wonder how he could have done in a pull 500 PA sample. Now 26, Hall was one of the players who benefited from thin rosters in the war, and the right field spot opened up a place for him in 1943. He took advantage of the opportunity, hitting .274/.350/.373 (117 OPS+) with 11 homers and 61 RBIs. The outfielder drew 65 walks and struck out just 41 times, and he was worth 3.1 WAR in 152 games. Hall started all 154 of the Stars games in 1944 and 1945, collecting 25 homers, 165 runs, 184 RBIs, 134 walks, and 37 doubles.

Unfortunately for Hall, Bill Barrett was back in 1946, so the 29-year-old was relegated to a bench role. It was actually his best year as a Star, as he produced a 136 WRC+ with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 36 RBIs, and 30 walks. His .314/.391/.424 (136 OPS+) season line was impressive and he accumulated 2.3 WAR in just 281 trips to the plate. Hall was angry with the demotion and put in multiple trade requests, and he didn't do his best at the dish in 1947 and 1948. He started just 57 games and hit 11 homers with 44 RBIs and WRC+ of 79 and 94. With the offseason approaching, Hall once again demanded a trade, and this time I decided to take the flyer.

I'm really hoping this isn't our only move of the offseason, but we need a backup plan if Leo Mitchell truly is done and Hall is a solid hitter who could use a change of scenery. He's a solid veteran bat who owns a .268/.345/.376 (108 OPS+) batting line in 880 career games. His next walk will be his 300th, and he's still walked (194) fewer then 200 hitters. He's hit 93 doubles and 53 homers while driving in 346 runs. 32 in March, if our roster stays as is, he'll have every shot to earn the starting left field job to start the season. His bat has always been impressive, and he makes steady contact while drawing plenty of walks. Guys that put the ball in play a lot don't always do well in Cougars Park, so it will be interesting to see how Hall adapts to his new/old organization. What could work in his favor is he hits a lot of fly balls, and flyouts in New York can be homers in Chicago. He's always had the talent but he could never put it all together, and if all goes well he could set a career high in homers.

Ideally we'll add another bat to the lineup, but as things are Hall's (.245, 5, 22) main competition will be Mitchell (.288, 4, 45)., Luke Berry (.260, 4, 54), and Ray Ford (.257, 3, 19, 3). All three are corner only guys, and none will play more then Red Bond (.281, 27, 77) at first. There's the chance Ford will call it quits, which would open up a chance for Johnny Peters (.250, 1, 1) or Don Lee (.208, 4) to claim a starting role. Competition should be a good thing, as having good players can only lead to good things. And now that we have plenty of money, we can take on veterans without having to worry too much about how much they cost. It's a low risk deal that if it work could win us a pennant, and if it doesn't, we can cut bait without worrying too much. It's always fun having former draftees return later in their career.

10-10-2023, 02:42 AM	#1227
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,013	Trade News! While no one would mistake it for a blockbuster, we made a quick trade to start the offseason, bringing back former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall, sending AAA pitcher Dick Garcia to the Stars to acquire their longtime outfielder. Way back in 1935, we made the New York native our 3rd Round pick, and I was quite shocked he was still available. Chubby was known for his excellent plate discipline, striking out just once in 23 high school games. He should have been one of my second round picks, as Grover Donahue and Doc Smith never amounted to anything, but we were very lucky to secure Hall with the 34th Pick of the draft. When the season opened, he was ranked as the 64th best prospect in the league, and at 19 he was installed in the La Crosse Opening Day lineup. and he flirted with .300, but his .294/.324/.376 (82 OPS+) overall line wasn't all that impressive. He struck out 59 times, but hit 18 doubles, 7 homers, and 61 RBIs. Chubby again spent his season in La Crosse, but the consistent top 100 prospect had a breakout at the plate. He hit a superb .298/.341/.436 (140 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 14 homers, and 88 RBIs. He walked (33) just two times less then he struck out (35) and was worth a career best 4.1 WAR in 136 games. He did not return to La Crosse in 1938, and the 21-year-old started his season in San Jose. He appeared in 63 games, hitting .314/.384/.535 (146 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 44 RBIs before earning a promotion to Single-A Lincoln. Hall's 138 WRC+ was a personal best and he walked (28) more then he struck out (19) in 263 trips to the plate. The then 25th ranked prospect kept up the pace with the Legislators, slashing an impressive .314/.382/.441 (130 OPS+) with 27 doubles and 54 RBIs. The lone downside was a drop in power, as he hit just 3 out in 336 PAs. Despite being ranked in the top 25 prospect list, Hall was best known for what came next, as he was moved in the wee hours to Washington with Lee Scott for current rotation member Johnnie Jones while I was trying to pry current Cannon Sam Brown away as well. This trade came at an untimely time, as we were swept by both Brooklyn and Montreal in a season where we finished 82-72 and -- five games out of first place. That sweep... Hall was hitting .399/.455/.592 (181 OPS+) in Mobile at the time with 16 doubles, 8 homers, and 50 RBIs. The Eagles started him in AAA Kansas City, and he played 46 games to finish the season. The 22-year-old hit .306/.387/.434 (116 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. He return to AAA as the #17 prospect coming into the season. Hall got off to an excellent start, slashing .319/.355/.534 (142 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. In a rather shocking move, Chubby was traded to the New York Stars for Henry Bush and Bill Martino. It turned out to be a pretty good trade for the Stars, and he even got a cup of coffee after hitting .332/.391/.448 (145 OPS+) in 281 trips to the plate. He didn't do so well with the Stars, hitting just .211/.304/.263 (59 OPS+) in a tiny 24 plate appearance sample. He wasn't quite ready, so he returned to LA, and he seemed a bit bummed to be sent back to the minors. He hit just .297/.348/.439 (110 OPS+) with 11 homers and 70 RBIs, and again returned to New York for the final month. While still not great, his .259/.348/.333 (90 OPS+) line was more then respectable, and he drew more walks (8) then strikeouts (6). Topping out as the 10th Ranked prospect, Chubby didn't really get a shot in the 1942 season, appearing in just 57 games for the big league club. He hit just .231/.321/.319 (91 OPS+), but his 100 WRC+ was league average and he finally hit his first big league homer. Hall drew 12 walks and struck out just 5 times, so it's easy to wonder how he could have done in a pull 500 PA sample. Now 26, Hall was one of the players who benefited from thin rosters in the war, and the right field spot opened up a place for him in 1943. He took advantage of the opportunity, hitting .274/.350/.373 (117 OPS+) with 11 homers and 61 RBIs. The outfielder drew 65 walks and struck out just 41 times, and he was worth 3.1 WAR in 152 games. Hall started all 154 of the Stars games in 1944 and 1945, collecting 25 homers, 165 runs, 184 RBIs, 134 walks, and 37 doubles. Unfortunately for Hall, Bill Barrett was back in 1946, so the 29-year-old was relegated to a bench role. It was actually his best year as a Star, as he produced a 136 WRC+ with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 36 RBIs, and 30 walks. His .314/.391/.424 (136 OPS+) season line was impressive and he accumulated 2.3 WAR in just 281 trips to the plate. Hall was angry with the demotion and put in multiple trade requests, and he didn't do his best at the dish in 1947 and 1948. He started just 57 games and hit 11 homers with 44 RBIs and WRC+ of 79 and 94. With the offseason approaching, Hall once again demanded a trade, and this time I decided to take the flyer. I'm really hoping this isn't our only move of the offseason, but we need a backup plan if Leo Mitchell truly is done and Hall is a solid hitter who could use a change of scenery. He's a solid veteran bat who owns a .268/.345/.376 (108 OPS+) batting line in 880 career games. His next walk will be his 300th, and he's still walked (194) fewer then 200 hitters. He's hit 93 doubles and 53 homers while driving in 346 runs. 32 in March, if our roster stays as is, he'll have every shot to earn the starting left field job to start the season. His bat has always been impressive, and he makes steady contact while drawing plenty of walks. Guys that put the ball in play a lot don't always do well in Cougars Park, so it will be interesting to see how Hall adapts to his new/old organization. What could work in his favor is he hits a lot of fly balls, and flyouts in New York can be homers in Chicago. He's always had the talent but he could never put it all together, and if all goes well he could set a career high in homers. Ideally we'll add another bat to the lineup, but as things are Hall's (.245, 5, 22) main competition will be Mitchell (.288, 4, 45)., Luke Berry (.260, 4, 54), and Ray Ford (.257, 3, 19, 3). All three are corner only guys, and none will play more then Red Bond (.281, 27, 77) at first. There's the chance Ford will call it quits, which would open up a chance for Johnny Peters (.250, 1, 1) or Don Lee (.208, 4) to claim a starting role. Competition should be a good thing, as having good players can only lead to good things. And now that we have plenty of money, we can take on veterans without having to worry too much about how much they cost. It's a low risk deal that if it work could win us a pennant, and if it doesn't, we can cut bait without worrying too much. It's always fun having former draftees return later in their career.