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ayaghmour2 · 01-03-2024, 05:03 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 50-42 (t-2nd, 6.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.128 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .364 AVG, .917 OPS
Harry MacRae : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 3.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 3.00 ERA

Schedule
7-18: Loss vs Cannons (7-0)
7-19: Win vs Sailors (0-2)
7-20: Win vs Sailors (4-8)
7-21: Loss vs Sailors (8-7)
7-22: Loss vs Wolves (6-1)
7-23: Win vs Wolves (4-6)
7-24: Loss vs Wolves (4-2)

Recap
Leo Mitchell! I think he's back!

Previously assumed to be washed up, I think our crafty veteran finally caved, and hit up old friend Dick Lyons for his patented secret sauce, allowing the twice robbed Whitney Winner a second wind. Mitchell hit two more homers, going 10-for-24 with 2 walks, 5 runs, and 4 RBIs. That's now 9 homers in less then 200 plate appearances, and his .299/.371/.483 (126 OPS+) batting line is almost back to the consistent 130ish WRC+ type production he's used to. His .483 slugging would be a career high, and he's now surpassed 1 WAR for the first time since his 4.5 in 1946 where he was an All-Star an Whitney runner up. When he plays this well, it makes it so much easier to ignore all the other stupid things that happened this week, and while obviously I want to win games, a Mitchell resurgence brings plenty of joy!

I was pretty wrong about this week, as Charlie Griffith (9-9, 3.76, 45) shut us out (he has allowed just two runs in his last 26 innings!), we had little issue with Philly, and struggled mightily with the Wolves. With all that, we managed to shave a half game off the Foresters lead, now tied with the Stars for second. We're now at the deadline, one that's likely to be quiet, which may work in our favor. The talent is there to contend, and as guys are starting to heat up, we're starting to win more games. Sure, we still can't win if they're decided by a single run (12-14) or those that need more then nine innings (3-7), but if we can put together a nice road trip, things will really start to improve!

The pitching needs to improve, as this week was less then ideal, but one thing that has improved is George Oddo's luck. He's now won four straight starts, throwing 8 solid innings with 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. He did allow 3 homers, which brings some cause for concern, but the 26-year-old has done almost everything else right. He has a 3.65 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP with 65 strikeouts and 38 walks, continuing to solidify himself as FABL's best fifth starter. It's still mind-boggling to me that even with my best efforts, I could not find a taker for the former top 25 prospect. But now with 60 starts under his belt and a 3.28 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP with 260 strikeouts, he's established himself as a reliable, high strikeout starter who may still have some growth in him. Duke Bybee continues to win while not quite dominating, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 8.1 innings. Like Oddo, he allowed three more longballs, and with 18 in 132 innings this year he already matched his total in 261.2 innings last year. I don't quite understand why he's been so susceptible, and its no surprise his ERA is up a point and a half from last year, but it's hard to be mad at the 10-6 guy while we're 11-7 in his starts. So keep doing what you're doing, I guess?

Peter the Heater was brilliant against the Sailors, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. The Wolves had more success on him, as while he still went all nine, it came with 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Just one homer, not four, but his 2.82 ERA and 145 ERA+ are both the second best of his career, trailing just his absurd 1946 Allen year where he captured his first of hopefully many triple crowns. If we could give him some run support, he'd have a chance this season, as he leads in ERA and is three shy (83 to 86) of Bob Arman for the strikeout lead. I doubt he catches Adrian Czerwinski (15-4, 2.90, 42) for wins, as he has just 9, but he's building a case to capture his third Allen Award despite being snubbed for the All-Star game. Fellow two start starter and All-Star winner Donnie Jones didn't have nearly as much success, dropping both his starts after allowing 16 hits, 12 runs (11 earned), and 5 walks with 10 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. This allowed Donnie to take the team ERA lead, as his rose to 3.37 (121 ERA+) while his record evened at 9-9. Johnnie struggled too, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs, and 6 walks in 7 innings. He did strike out 9, so that's fun, but he's now allowed two or more homers in three of his last five starts. That accounts for 7 of his 11 homers so far, and for some reason "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" is now a "Neutral" pitcher. He's hit a rough patch, allowing 6 or more runs in four of his last five starts, seeing his ERA jump from 3.28 to 4.03.

The pen got plenty of work once again, and while everyone pitched, it wasn't all scoreless. Charlie Kelsey was one of the two charged with a run, but it was just a single run in 4.2 innings. He allowed just 2 hits with 2 strikeouts, and didn't walk a single hitter. Harry MacRae allowed the other, but it didn't stop him from picking up a save and win. He allowed 4 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker had another perfect inning, striking out one in the 9th inning of our 6-1 loss to the Wolves. Jim Kenny finished off Duke Bybee's win, retiring both hitters he faced. The pen has started to improve, and it's nice to see these guys pitch well as the season continues.

Aside from Mitchell, we didn't do much hitting, but Skipper Schneider had another nice week in a season filled with impressive offense. The tenth year vet went 8-for-22 with a double, triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs as he upped his season line back to .300. Red Bond hit his now team high 16th homer, going 6-for-22 with 3 runs, 4 walks, and 4 RBIs. Charlie Woodbury and Eddie Howard both started just one game, but Woodbury was 1-for-4 with a walk and solo homer while Howard was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI. After last weeks offensive explosion, I should have expected a little decline, but again we won more then we lost, and we're approaching ever closer to the top of the standings.

A few transactional moves, as 9th Rounder Luke Wright and 3rd Rounder Fred Crawford both signed. As expected, Wright was unranked, but Crawford was a little lower then I thought. Not that 22nd and 189th is bad for a 3rd Rounder, but I was a bit shocked he was lower then Clark and McKinney. Still, it's hard to complain about our top four picks all ranking in the top 200, but we've been a little spoiled lately with our draft classes. That hasn't stopped our system being ranked second, trialing just the Minutemen and their three top ten prospects. Frank Falcao could adjust the numbers, but right now we're sitting at 11 top 100 prospects, 31 top 250 prospects (which may be a best for us), and 49 in the top 500. Lastly, both Ray Ford and Clark Car cleared waivers, and since neither wanted to go to the minors, I had to cut both. Car may come back on a minor league deal, but Ford's time in the organization is likely over.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, as we'll head to Cincinnati for three with the Cannons. They're off as well, allowing a chance to reconfigure their rotation, making it likely that we're stuck facing their top three. Rufus Barrell (9-8, 3.13, 73), Jim Anderson (9-6, 4.70, 61), and Charlie Griffith (9-9, 3.76, 45) is the best they have to offer, and it could be difficult to score runs off Barrell and Griffith. They could bring back Fred Galloway (.303, 2, 19, 3) from his rehab assignment, while Enos Shank (.227, 8) was called up to backup Paul Wilkerson (.242, 9) behind the plate. No more new moves yet, but the Cannons did manage to salvage the finale in Chicago, and I'm sure they'll be more motivated to win on their home ground.

Revenge may then work out in our favor, as we'll be in Toronto for three with the Wolves to finish the week. Toronto is a game better then the Cannons, now 45-49, and they've decided to move former first rounder John Fast (.272, 4, 18) to short, opting for the offensive upgrade while Frank Frady (.200, 5) came up from AAA Buffalo. Like with the Cannons, no more major moves were made, and I think we're stuck facing George Garrison (7-7, 3.30, 82) and Joe Hancock (8-6, 3.66, 43), with a high likelihood of Jim Morrison (10-4, 3.30, 50) going in the finale. While lucky last week, it seems like we're always stuck facing a teams top three, which has made winning consistently extremely difficult. Despite the advantages on paper, I'm far more nervous then I was yesterday, and we may struggle to support our staff which should be able to stop the 6th and 7th ranked offenses.

Minor League Report
CF Jerry Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): Whether he won Player of the Week or not, I would have covered former 5th Pick Jerry Smith, as since his promotion to Lincoln he's been extraordinary. This week was on another level, as the 14th ranked prospect slashed .583/.615/.958 (324 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs. Through 17 games he's now hitting a robust .429/.500/.661 (214 OPS+) and I'm seriously considering promoting the 20-year-old to AA. If it wasn't for a logjam, I probably would, but Smith has been doing everything right so far. He's got 9 extra base hits, one more walk (8) then strikeout, and 23 runs scored and driven in. If there's one knock, it's the defense, as his -1.5 zone rating and .928 efficiency is a lot lower then the 3.5 and 1.033 in 407 innings in center with San Jose. One of the most gifted offensive prospects we've had, Smith could be a legitimate five tool player, and assuming the defense is just a small sample thing, there really is no weakness in his game. He's fast, hits the ball hard, and gives good at bats, and has superstar written all over him. We already got one of those in the majors now, and if Smith reaches his lofty potential, we could have the best "baton pass" of center fielders when he eventually replaces Pestilli. I'm going to give him plenty of time to reach his potential, but Smith has a chance to be our first legit homegrown star on the position player side since maybe John Dibblee. Big shoes to fill!

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): I'm not sure how much longer the GWL will last, but I think it's fair to say that Ira Hawker will go down as the best pitcher. The 30-year-old converted outfielder is in an insane stretch of starts, allowing just one run in his last three starts. This includes what should have been a shutout, as Hawker went all nine with just 3 hits and 7 strikeouts, but the Centurions could not spot him a single run. Neither Dallas or Houston scored until the 15th -- when Hawker was long gone -- and since both scored, it took until the 18th before the Bulls finally pulled ahead 2-1. No run support is common for Hawker, who got just a single in each of the three strong starts, but since this time the run came in regulation, he was able to throw a 3-hit shutout. Hawker struck out 5 and walked 2, improving to 10-6 in his 19 starts. The back-to-back win leader and reigning ERA leader now owns an impressive 2.71 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.13 WHIP this season, and in 115 GWL starts he's 65-39 with a 2.80 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 413 strikeouts. Unfortunately since the GWL was a minor league before it became major, records are mixed, but Hawker's 2.80 ERA is still best for any GWL player ever. I'd assume he's one of, if not the top, in wins, and his dominance has allowed him to sit atop the young league.

01-03-2024, 05:03 PM	#1289
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 14: July 18th-July 24th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 50-42 (t-2nd, 6.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.128 OPS Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .364 AVG, .917 OPS Harry MacRae : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 3.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 3.00 ERA Schedule 7-18: Loss vs Cannons (7-0) 7-19: Win vs Sailors (0-2) 7-20: Win vs Sailors (4-8) 7-21: Loss vs Sailors (8-7) 7-22: Loss vs Wolves (6-1) 7-23: Win vs Wolves (4-6) 7-24: Loss vs Wolves (4-2) Recap Leo Mitchell! I think he's back! Previously assumed to be washed up, I think our crafty veteran finally caved, and hit up old friend Dick Lyons for his patented secret sauce, allowing the twice robbed Whitney Winner a second wind. Mitchell hit two more homers, going 10-for-24 with 2 walks, 5 runs, and 4 RBIs. That's now 9 homers in less then 200 plate appearances, and his .299/.371/.483 (126 OPS+) batting line is almost back to the consistent 130ish WRC+ type production he's used to. His .483 slugging would be a career high, and he's now surpassed 1 WAR for the first time since his 4.5 in 1946 where he was an All-Star an Whitney runner up. When he plays this well, it makes it so much easier to ignore all the other stupid things that happened this week, and while obviously I want to win games, a Mitchell resurgence brings plenty of joy! I was pretty wrong about this week, as Charlie Griffith (9-9, 3.76, 45) shut us out (he has allowed just two runs in his last 26 innings!), we had little issue with Philly, and struggled mightily with the Wolves. With all that, we managed to shave a half game off the Foresters lead, now tied with the Stars for second. We're now at the deadline, one that's likely to be quiet, which may work in our favor. The talent is there to contend, and as guys are starting to heat up, we're starting to win more games. Sure, we still can't win if they're decided by a single run (12-14) or those that need more then nine innings (3-7), but if we can put together a nice road trip, things will really start to improve! The pitching needs to improve, as this week was less then ideal, but one thing that has improved is George Oddo's luck. He's now won four straight starts, throwing 8 solid innings with 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. He did allow 3 homers, which brings some cause for concern, but the 26-year-old has done almost everything else right. He has a 3.65 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP with 65 strikeouts and 38 walks, continuing to solidify himself as FABL's best fifth starter. It's still mind-boggling to me that even with my best efforts, I could not find a taker for the former top 25 prospect. But now with 60 starts under his belt and a 3.28 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP with 260 strikeouts, he's established himself as a reliable, high strikeout starter who may still have some growth in him. Duke Bybee continues to win while not quite dominating, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 8.1 innings. Like Oddo, he allowed three more longballs, and with 18 in 132 innings this year he already matched his total in 261.2 innings last year. I don't quite understand why he's been so susceptible, and its no surprise his ERA is up a point and a half from last year, but it's hard to be mad at the 10-6 guy while we're 11-7 in his starts. So keep doing what you're doing, I guess? Peter the Heater was brilliant against the Sailors, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. The Wolves had more success on him, as while he still went all nine, it came with 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Just one homer, not four, but his 2.82 ERA and 145 ERA+ are both the second best of his career, trailing just his absurd 1946 Allen year where he captured his first of hopefully many triple crowns. If we could give him some run support, he'd have a chance this season, as he leads in ERA and is three shy (83 to 86) of Bob Arman for the strikeout lead. I doubt he catches Adrian Czerwinski (15-4, 2.90, 42) for wins, as he has just 9, but he's building a case to capture his third Allen Award despite being snubbed for the All-Star game. Fellow two start starter and All-Star winner Donnie Jones didn't have nearly as much success, dropping both his starts after allowing 16 hits, 12 runs (11 earned), and 5 walks with 10 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. This allowed Donnie to take the team ERA lead, as his rose to 3.37 (121 ERA+) while his record evened at 9-9. Johnnie struggled too, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs, and 6 walks in 7 innings. He did strike out 9, so that's fun, but he's now allowed two or more homers in three of his last five starts. That accounts for 7 of his 11 homers so far, and for some reason "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" is now a "Neutral" pitcher. He's hit a rough patch, allowing 6 or more runs in four of his last five starts, seeing his ERA jump from 3.28 to 4.03. The pen got plenty of work once again, and while everyone pitched, it wasn't all scoreless. Charlie Kelsey was one of the two charged with a run, but it was just a single run in 4.2 innings. He allowed just 2 hits with 2 strikeouts, and didn't walk a single hitter. Harry MacRae allowed the other, but it didn't stop him from picking up a save and win. He allowed 4 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker had another perfect inning, striking out one in the 9th inning of our 6-1 loss to the Wolves. Jim Kenny finished off Duke Bybee's win, retiring both hitters he faced. The pen has started to improve, and it's nice to see these guys pitch well as the season continues. Aside from Mitchell, we didn't do much hitting, but Skipper Schneider had another nice week in a season filled with impressive offense. The tenth year vet went 8-for-22 with a double, triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs as he upped his season line back to .300. Red Bond hit his now team high 16th homer, going 6-for-22 with 3 runs, 4 walks, and 4 RBIs. Charlie Woodbury and Eddie Howard both started just one game, but Woodbury was 1-for-4 with a walk and solo homer while Howard was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI. After last weeks offensive explosion, I should have expected a little decline, but again we won more then we lost, and we're approaching ever closer to the top of the standings. A few transactional moves, as 9th Rounder Luke Wright and 3rd Rounder Fred Crawford both signed. As expected, Wright was unranked, but Crawford was a little lower then I thought. Not that 22nd and 189th is bad for a 3rd Rounder, but I was a bit shocked he was lower then Clark and McKinney. Still, it's hard to complain about our top four picks all ranking in the top 200, but we've been a little spoiled lately with our draft classes. That hasn't stopped our system being ranked second, trialing just the Minutemen and their three top ten prospects. Frank Falcao could adjust the numbers, but right now we're sitting at 11 top 100 prospects, 31 top 250 prospects (which may be a best for us), and 49 in the top 500. Lastly, both Ray Ford and Clark Car cleared waivers, and since neither wanted to go to the minors, I had to cut both. Car may come back on a minor league deal, but Ford's time in the organization is likely over. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, as we'll head to Cincinnati for three with the Cannons. They're off as well, allowing a chance to reconfigure their rotation, making it likely that we're stuck facing their top three. Rufus Barrell (9-8, 3.13, 73), Jim Anderson (9-6, 4.70, 61), and Charlie Griffith (9-9, 3.76, 45) is the best they have to offer, and it could be difficult to score runs off Barrell and Griffith. They could bring back Fred Galloway (.303, 2, 19, 3) from his rehab assignment, while Enos Shank (.227, 8) was called up to backup Paul Wilkerson (.242, 9) behind the plate. No more new moves yet, but the Cannons did manage to salvage the finale in Chicago, and I'm sure they'll be more motivated to win on their home ground. Revenge may then work out in our favor, as we'll be in Toronto for three with the Wolves to finish the week. Toronto is a game better then the Cannons, now 45-49, and they've decided to move former first rounder John Fast (.272, 4, 18) to short, opting for the offensive upgrade while Frank Frady (.200, 5) came up from AAA Buffalo. Like with the Cannons, no more major moves were made, and I think we're stuck facing George Garrison (7-7, 3.30, 82) and Joe Hancock (8-6, 3.66, 43), with a high likelihood of Jim Morrison (10-4, 3.30, 50) going in the finale. While lucky last week, it seems like we're always stuck facing a teams top three, which has made winning consistently extremely difficult. Despite the advantages on paper, I'm far more nervous then I was yesterday, and we may struggle to support our staff which should be able to stop the 6th and 7th ranked offenses. Minor League Report CF Jerry Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): Whether he won Player of the Week or not, I would have covered former 5th Pick Jerry Smith, as since his promotion to Lincoln he's been extraordinary. This week was on another level, as the 14th ranked prospect slashed .583/.615/.958 (324 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs. Through 17 games he's now hitting a robust .429/.500/.661 (214 OPS+) and I'm seriously considering promoting the 20-year-old to AA. If it wasn't for a logjam, I probably would, but Smith has been doing everything right so far. He's got 9 extra base hits, one more walk (8) then strikeout, and 23 runs scored and driven in. If there's one knock, it's the defense, as his -1.5 zone rating and .928 efficiency is a lot lower then the 3.5 and 1.033 in 407 innings in center with San Jose. One of the most gifted offensive prospects we've had, Smith could be a legitimate five tool player, and assuming the defense is just a small sample thing, there really is no weakness in his game. He's fast, hits the ball hard, and gives good at bats, and has superstar written all over him. We already got one of those in the majors now, and if Smith reaches his lofty potential, we could have the best "baton pass" of center fielders when he eventually replaces Pestilli. I'm going to give him plenty of time to reach his potential, but Smith has a chance to be our first legit homegrown star on the position player side since maybe John Dibblee. Big shoes to fill! Cougars in the GWL RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): I'm not sure how much longer the GWL will last, but I think it's fair to say that Ira Hawker will go down as the best pitcher. The 30-year-old converted outfielder is in an insane stretch of starts, allowing just one run in his last three starts. This includes what should have been a shutout, as Hawker went all nine with just 3 hits and 7 strikeouts, but the Centurions could not spot him a single run. Neither Dallas or Houston scored until the 15th -- when Hawker was long gone -- and since both scored, it took until the 18th before the Bulls finally pulled ahead 2-1. No run support is common for Hawker, who got just a single in each of the three strong starts, but since this time the run came in regulation, he was able to throw a 3-hit shutout. Hawker struck out 5 and walked 2, improving to 10-6 in his 19 starts. The back-to-back win leader and reigning ERA leader now owns an impressive 2.71 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.13 WHIP this season, and in 115 GWL starts he's 65-39 with a 2.80 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 413 strikeouts. Unfortunately since the GWL was a minor league before it became major, records are mixed, but Hawker's 2.80 ERA is still best for any GWL player ever. I'd assume he's one of, if not the top, in wins, and his dominance has allowed him to sit atop the young league.