[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 8-12 (t-6th, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 19 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .368 AVG, 1.165 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 24 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .968 OPS
Red Bond : 14 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .357 AVG, 1.214 OPS

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

Recap
Despite spending the week at home, we didn't have much success, splitting the six games we hosted to fall to a tie for 6th with the team that beat us on Sunday, the Toronto Wolves (7-11). Pretty much everything has gone bad to start the year, as we're not scoring (7th, 61) or preventing (6th, 88) runs. Obviously it's still early, and every team will have their rough patches, but if there is a bright spot its that we've won a few games despite being perfectly awful. And that we're going to be sticking with a Monday through Friday schedule!

This week we did a decent job keeping runs off the board, as Duke Bybee was brilliant in our 3-2 win to secure a series win over the Foresters. Bybee went all nine, allowing 8 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) with a walk and 6 strikeouts. His 27 strikeouts are the most in the league, and he has an absurd 6.8 K/BB due to an elite 3.3 BB% and 22.3 K%. In his four start sample he's posted a 3.13 ERA (123 ERA+) and 0.92 WHIP and is scheduled to pitch the finale with the Wolves. That will be after Donnie Jones pitches the opener, and he's coming off a complete game win of his own. He allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts as he evened his record at 2-2. The last win of the week came from his brother, but Johnnie came out with two outs in the ninth in a 4-3 game. He was at 149 pitches, so skipper Max Wilder called on Harry MacRae to face shortstop Clifton Smith (.188, 2). It proved to be the right call, as our stopper got Smith looking to end the game. Johnnie was able to even his record as well, as he left with 9 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 6 walks with 3 strikeouts.

Pap was unlucky in his two starts, as he dropped to 1-3 despite leading the team with his 2.95 ERA (131 ERA+). He wasn't too sharp against the Foresters, and our ace left after six. He allowed 6 hits,5 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. Unfortunately, we couldn't solve Jim Morrison (2-0, 1.75, 12), so Dom Tripp's (.286, 1, 9) RBI single in the second proved to be the difference. Pap allowed just 3 hits, 5 walks, and a run with 4 strikeouts in the loss. George Oddo struggled with the longball against the Cannons, as he allowed three in the 7-0 loss. Only four of the runs were charged to him, as Charlie Kelsey allowed a walk, 3 runs, and 5 hits in the 9th, and Oddo was charged with 7 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts. The 26-year-old has now allowed 6 homers in just 22 innings, and is at a third of the total he allowed all of last season. If he can shake off the home run problems, he'll have a chance to pick up his first win against the struggling reigning pennant winners.

Despite not scoring many runs, Harry Mead continues to be red hot at the plate, going 7-for-19 with 4 doubles, a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. The 34-year-old veteran has now hit .352/.400/.519 (147 OPS+) in his first 15 games. Red Bond added two more home runs, 5-for-14 with a double and 6 RBIs. Sal Pestilli had another great week, 8-for-24 with 3 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Combined with his plus defense (1.3, 1.026), Pestilli has already surpassed the one win mark (1.1), and he's produced a 147 WRC+ with 3 steals, 8 extra base hits, and a .333/.386/.481 (134 OPS+) line. No homers for Walt Pack, but he drew three walks and went 4-for-9 with a hit by pitch. Skipper Schneider hit first homer of the year, going 6-for-20 with a double, three walks, and a pair of runs scored. He's walked (9) more then twice as often as he's struck out (4) and has an impressive 130 WRC+ in year ten. It's on pace to be one of his best, and I'm hoping he can keep up the offensive production all season long. When the bottom three in your order are hitting below .200, you need all the help you can get, and we're about to make some big changes to the lineup.

Part of that is the return of Billy Hunter, who will be replacing Luke Berry on the active roster. Hunter really struggled in Mobile, hitting just .232/.283/.304 (53 OPS+) in 60 trips to the plate, but it's still better then what Clark Car (.130/.155/.188) has managed. They'll still split time at the keystone until one seizes the job from the other, but it's surprising how different they have hit compared to the spring. Looking at the casualty to the roster, Luke Berry may be in a DFA loop if he doesn't get claimed, as I don't want to lose him in case someone gets hurt. He hasn't played much, just 0-for-6 with a walk in seven games off the bench, and was the unlucky 25th man this time around. Other candidates are George Dawson (1-3, R) and Ray Ford (.217, 2B, 5 BB), or perhaps even the struggling Car. There's always the high probability of Billy Hunter being hurt once again, so Berry could be back in Chicago if he clears waivers.

Looking Ahead
Despite dropping the opener, we have a chance to best the Toronto Wolves, as the two sixth place teams look to separate from each other. We'll have a chance to take on the back two pitchers in their rotation, the struggling Jerry York (0-3, 5.68, 10) and veteran righty Jimmy Gibbs (1-2, 3.18, 5). Those matchups bode well for us, as we'll counter with Donnie Jones (2-2, 3.90, 14) and Duke Bybee (3-1, 3.13, 27), and with Donnie generally having success against his former organization we should win at least one of the last two. Our co-aces should have no trouble with the league's worst offense (8th, 60). Led by Fred McCormick (.379, 6), their only hitter batting above .300, no Wolf has more then one homer and Hank Giordano (.243, 1, 11, 2) is the only bat with double digit RBIs. Tom Frederick (.207, 3, 1) and Charlie Artuso (.193, 1, 6) haven't looked themselves and the Randy Hendrix (.156, 3) era may be coming to an end. But when you don't score, you can't win, and we'll need some runs if we want to right the ship.

Our thirteen game homestand then ends with two against the only team worse off then us, the Philadelphia Sailors, who have won just four of their first twenty games. I'm not sure how thing have gone so bad, as Win Lewis (1-2, 7.84, 8), Charlie Gordon (1-3, 5.32, 10), Al Duster (0-3, 7.25, 7), and Art Hull (1-1, 7.11, 5) hall have been awful. Hull's struggles aren't that surprising, but Lewis is one of the best pitchers in the game and both Gordon and Duster are far better then they're showing. The offense hasn't looked much better, but the perennial batting title winner Ed Reyes is slashing .400/.484/.545 (169 OPS+) and his 193 WRC+ is one of the best in the league. He's walked 9 times while striking out just 6 times, and he's added 5 doubles, a homer, and 7 RBIs. He's only gotten support from Les Cunha (.304, 2, 12) as every other qualified hitter is batting below .250. Simply put, this team is so much better then they've shown, and it's only a matter of time before they start ripping off long win streaks.

Let's just hope they wait until they leave town...

We leave town after Thursday's game, and we'll spend the next three days in Brooklyn. The Kings are 11-10 on the season, and they've scored an association high 102 runs. Right now they have arguably the most dangerous 3-4-5 in the league, with Ralph Johnson (.342, 4, 10), Chuck Collins (.319, 3, 8), and Pat Petty (.359, 3, 16) all off to scalding starts. Chuck Lewis (.301, 2, 9), Dan Smith (.293, 2, 9), and John Moss (.298, 4) have all provided as well, leaving very few easy outs in the lineup. On the flip side, they've allowed the most runs (115) too, as even Bob Arman (3-2, 4.14, 22) hasn't been all that sharp. Joe Potts (2-1, 3.41, 13) is the only rotation member with an ERA below 4, while Leo Hayden (2-2, 6.12, 15), Paul Byler (2-2, 7.82, 16), and Rusty Petrick (0-2, 6.45, 14) are all above 6. In fact, the team leader in ERA is Clarence Barton (2-0, 1, 1.17, 7), as the stopper has already thrown 15.1 innings in 15.1 innings across 8 appearances. There has been some consideration of moving him to the rotation, which could possibly end Petrick's time as a starter. No matter who we face, we need to put up run, as the Kings offense will not result in many low scoring games.

Minor League Report
2B Al Clement (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A natural middle infielder, Al Clement returned to Milwaukee after hitting just .248/.322/.292 (61 OPS+) in his first 46 Century League games. This time he was joined by Elmer Grace (.216, 1, 6, 1) and George Sutterfield (.245, 1, 8, 2), so Al Clement moved to the hot corner for the 1949. He's decided to hit like a third basemen as well, slashing an extravagant .380/.484/.720 (202 OPS+) and is coming off a Player of the Week award. The former 2nd Rounder went 9-for-21 with a double, 3 walks, 8 runs, and 9 RBIs. The kicker was the three homers, giving him the team lead with four through the team's 17 games. Clement has appeared in all but three, producing a 213 WRC+ with 8 extra base hits and more walks (11) then strike outs (8). With how poorly the offense has been, there's a legitimate argument for Clement to warrant a look in Chicago if he somehow manages to keep this up. OSA thinks he can force his way into a lineup and Dixie thinks he's got what it takes to play in the big leagues, but the prospect shine has all but warn out. The 24-year-old is our lowest ranked prospect (48th, 482) and even if he wasn't on the 40-man roster he likely would have been passed on this winter in the Rule-5 Draft. Nevertheless, he has a chance to make his big league debut at some point this season. I don't expect us to need any more 40-man roster spots during the season, so he's not at risk of being DFA'd. But perhaps he doesn't know that, and that's why he's off to such a good start.

LHP Dixie Gaines (B San Jose Cougars): Each of our top three prospects are starting their season in San Jose, where the Baby Cougars are absolutely killing it (14-3, 3 GA). The one outside the top 15 is the one showing out. A solo home run snapped Dixie Gaines' scoreless streak at 19.1 innings, but it didn't stop his now three game win streak. The former 4th Rounder allowed just three more hits, leaving after eight. Gaines walked just one and struck out seven. He could have gone out for the ninth, but with San Jose now up by one Doc Buckingham (4, 1.29, 4) was brought on for the save. He allowed a hit and a walk, but recorded a strikeout in a scoreless ninth.

At 21, Dixie Gaines ranks 29th in the FABL prospect ranking, and with a 0.39 ERA (1039 ERA+) and 0.78 WHIP it's easy to see why. Dixie has thrown 23 innings in his three starts, walking just 5 with 21 strikeouts. The command is a noticeable improvement from last year, where he had a 1.2 K/BB in 81 innings. It's still early in the season, but if the southpaw continues to overwhelm with his stuff, it's only a matter of time before he starts facing tougher competition. One thing the big league staff really struggles with is home runs and that's where Gaines truly excels. Not only is he expected to have elite movement, but the soft tosser is an extreme groundballer. Sure, his one blemish this year is a homer, but it was the first in 104 innings in Class B. Dixie (Marsh) thinks Dixie (Gaines) has good enough stuff to fool big leaguers, and his change up may be the best in our system. He's going to be an interesting arm to watch this season, and it's only a matter of time he's pitching in Lincoln. He's the next man up the second one of our pitchers gets hurt, but for now I just want to see how dominant he can be. He'll pitch after #7 prospect Bob Allen (3-0, 1.77, 12) goes on Tuesday, and there's a chance it's the last time Dixie ever throws in the California-Oregon-Washington League.