[ayaghmour2]

The Rule-5 draft came and went, and to my surprise, three of our players were selected. I was actually really happy with one of them, as the Chiefs selected Bill Martin with the first pick of the draft. I didn't even consider that "Mr. Semi-Automatic" would be selected, as he spent all season in Class B San Jose. 23 in December, he could have been in Lincoln or even Mobile, but we had Mike Bordes (who was added to the 40) and Garland Phelps ahead of him. The former 7th Rounder was worth nearly 6 WAR (5.8) with a 146 WRC+ in 132 games. He hit an impressive .323/.439/.476 (137 OPS+) and supplied 25 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, and 71 RBIs. The most impressive thing might have been his 91-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, owning a robust 16.6 BB% to just a 4.6 K%. Despite all this, Martin was absent from the top 500 prospect list, but the new version does seem to be be harsh to catchers (just seven top 100 prospects and only six prospects from 75th to 500th). I still thought he had value as a backup catcher, but the reason I'm happy with losing him is he'll get to play with his dad on the Chiefs. 42 on Opening Day, Bob Martin is still kicking it, as he plans to return to the field despite a torn PCL ending his season in July. Bob may still get starts, but Bill will be All-Star Pete Casstevens (.279, 26, 76), backup who doesn't take many days off. Coming off a 61-93 season, there's no risk for the Chiefs adding a young backup catcher. I expect Martin to last all season, and I'm expecting him and his father to become the second father-son duo in FABL history.

While I didn't expect any losses, one guy I thought was most likely to be lost was Billy Biggar, who will rather surprisingly join the New York Stars. Biggar didn't have a spot with us, and after hitting .396/.449/.546 (154 OPS+) with 52 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, and 109 RBIs in 138 games with the Commodores. I guess he could stick on the bench, but they have both Bill Barnett (.307, 16, 40) and Freddie Jones (.281, 3, 25, 3) at first base. It's a tough ask for Biggar to beat out two guys with plenty of big league experience, and I'd love for him to return. The last loss is an AI favorite, Reginald Westfall (.220, 1, 4), who was drafted and later returned by the Foresters last season. He'll join the Cannons, who plan on using him over Sam Brown (.303, 9, 57). I don't expect Westfall to last the season in Cincinnati, but I'd be happy for the soon-to-be 35-year-old getting one last hoorah in the big leagues.

RHP Harry Beardsley (#123 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946)
AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K
CWL: 1-1, 13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA (230 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 10 BB, 7 K

Harry Beardsley's first start didn't go so well. He allowed 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 runs, chased out by the Palms with two outs in the fifth. But as the calm and collected righty normally does, he bounced right back when given the chance. He had his stuff going to open the week, as a four one 1st helped Beardsley cruise to a complete game victory. If it wasn't for Jimmy Hairston's (.333, 1, 6) fourth inning error, it would have been a shutout, as the only two runs for Cienfuegos came after the error. Beardsley struck out 4 with 5 hits and 6 walks, evening his record at 1-1 for the first place Stallions. Beardsley dropped his ERA way down to 1.98 (230 ERA+), and he's struck out 7 in 13.2 inning pitched. One thing that is shocking is the 10 walks, as his BB% has jumped from a respectable 9.7% in Mobile to an elevated 16.7. He's never posted a BB% that high, and the former 10th Rounder tends to strikeout more hitters then he walks. Ranked just outside the top 100 prospect list, Beardsley doesn't project to have walk issues, but Dixie Marsh views his command as just average. It's good enough to get by, as when he locates his fastball, his change up does all the work. It's his best pitch and a tough one to hit, so if he keeps the ball in the zone he's going to have success in the majors. He'll never be a top of the rotation arm, even in a rotation that's not as skilled as ours, but he looks like a durable back-end starter who gives you a chance to win each day. He's got the perfect mindset for a pitcher, working to improve his game and unphased by past failures. He may be our most advanced prospect, and if he keeps pitching like this, I don't think I can start him anywhere other then the Blues rotation.t

2B Bob Schmelz (#175 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945)
FABL: .000/.000/000 (-100 OPS+), 4 PA
AAA: .324/.429/.498 (134 OPS+), 494 PA, 20 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 75 RBI
CWL: .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+), 39 PA, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI

Another Cuban League veteran, Bob Schmelz had a decent go of it last year for the Stallions, hitting .262/.376/.467 (104 OPS+) in 197 trips to the plate. The former 1st Rounder added 9 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 24 RBIs with almost twice as many walks (30) as strikeouts (17). This season has been a noticeable improvement, as while it's still just ten games, his 158 WRC+ trails only Milwaukee teammate Jimmy Hairston (171) in the Stallions lineup. Schmelz has hit an impressive .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+) and has yet to strike out in 39 trips to the plate. He's walked five time and has added three doubles, six runs, six RBIs, and a home run. Part of the reason Billy Biggar was unprotected is Schmelz's presence with the club, as the "second basemen" has spent all his innings at first. He's never been much of a defender, but his gifted bat has carried him to Chicago. A big showing here would help him make a case to break camp this Spring, as both first and second could theoretically be open. As a righty, he can platoon with Red Bond, and the Clark Car/Billy Hunter platoon that's been so good in the past seems uninspiring going into 1949. It's a longshot for the Charleroi native, but if he can stay healthy he's going to be a very useful hitter for a big league team.