[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 68-64 (4th, 11 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry MacRae : 2 Wins, 6.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.50 ERA
George Sutterfield : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.188 OPS
Red Bond : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .409 AVG, .913 OPS

Schedule
8-29: Loss vs Sailors (10-7)
8-30: Win vs Sailors (0-3)
8-31: Loss vs Foresters (2-1)
9-1: Win vs Foresters (3-6)
9-2: Loss at Saints (11-12): 10 innings
9-3: Loss at Saints (2-7)
9-4: Win at Saints (3-2): 12 innings

Recap
I am so happy August is over!!!

When the month started, we were trailing the Foresters by just six games. They kept pace, winning 15 of their 27 games. Above average, sure, but enough where we could have shaved a few more games off.

Instead, we responded with an 11-19 month, easily the worst showing all season and it helped erase a 21-8 July that made us look like a legitimate title contender. Instead, we decided to play like the worst team in the league to be brought back to a double digit deficit. To make it at least somewhat interesting, the Montreal Saints went an impressive 22-9, and they're now just five and a half games behind the Foresters. The Saints are the better team, and it's been fun to watch Joe Austin blossom into a potential star for his hometown team. The former Cougar draftee is the odds on favorite for the Kellogg Award, as the versatile Austin leads the CA in runs (104) and steals (46). He's been worth 4.2 wins above replacement in 125 games, tallying 32 doubles, 12 triples, 5 homers, 57 RBIs, and 56 walks. He's produced a 138 WRC+ in 525 trips to the plate, and his .373/.449/.585 (166 OPS+) August earned him batter of the month. As great as it would be to have him, he wouldn't have had a shot for regular playing time this season, so it's awesome to see him fit in so well on the Saints. He was always a great base stealer with us, but he really improved his bat in the Saints system. That was the final piece for Austin, who can now assist slugger Maurice Carter (.315, 27, 112) and ace Bert Cupid (13-12, 3.48, 69) in a spirited pennant run.

But enough about former Cougars, let's talk about some of the ones still around! Johnnie Jones halted his five start losing streak, as he ended August 1-6 due to a 3-hit shutout. He walked 2 and struck out 3, evening his record at 12-12. His 3.94 ERA (103 ERA+) is a bit above average, but his 13.3 BB% is on pace to be a career high. He's walked 114 to just 81 strikeouts, and the 31-year-old may end up the five starter out of camp next season. A guy in competition with him will be Zane Kelley, who had an impressive big league debut despite being charged with the loss. Tagged with the division leading Foresters, Kelley allowed just 8 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in the complete game loss. He did strikeout just one, a little surprising considering no one strikes out more often then them, but Kelley has never really been a strikeout kind of guy. What he does do is eat innings, and that's exactly what he did, and will be expected to do either today or tomorrow against the Kings. I expect George Oddo to get one of the other three games, as his luck was back to bad as he got a no decision after eight innings against the Foresters. That's because all three runs he allowed were unearned, and he left with 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

We did win the game, however, as Chubby Hall took Walt Hill (6-7, 17, 3.69, 25) deep to end the game, ending Allen favorite Adrian Czerwinski's (21-6, 2.74, 63) streak of twenty seven straight decisions. It was about all Hall did this week, as he was just 5-for-26 otherwise with a double, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. The real star of the week was George Sutterfield, who went 7-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 4 runs, 3 RBIs, and a steal to up his season line to .291/.398/.423 (120 OPS+) in 62 games. Both bright and competitive, Sutterfield is finally playing like the top prospect he was, and he's earned himself a big role wherever he can find a spot to play. Whether that's second, third, or the occasional day at short, Sutterfield should play a legitimate role on a hopefully competitive Cougars team. Same goes for Eddie Howard, who was 4-for-9 with a pair of RBIs and set for an even competition with Harry Mead out of camp next season. Since the Calendar flipped to July, he's been a much better hitter, and his once miniscule line is up to an average .308/.354/.392 (99 OPS+) in 131 trips to the plate. He'll be playing every third game now, and I'm hoping he can carry this momentum all the way to next season.

Looking Ahead
Our long stretch of games ends with three games in two days, as he host the Kings in a double header before the finale Tuesday night. The Kings have gotten even younger, as they've replaced many vets with up-and-comers for the final month plus of the season. Management wants to pass 72 wins, their mark from last season, so at 62-71 they need to win at least 11 of their last 21 games. It's really 8 -- or at least 9 -- as they are going to claim two of three here, as we just can't beat them. Maybe having a former King draftee in Zane Kelley gets us one win, but beyond that, I'm not expecting much. The Kings have made one change to the lineup, replacing the struggling Chuck Collins (.231, 10, 38) with 24-year-old Rule-5 Pick Joe Davis (.220, 2, 16), who hasn't been much better. Collins is just one season removed from hitting .307/.389/.412 (121 OPS+), and his 128 WRC+ would only trail the 167 Ralph Johnson (..327, 21, 83, 5) is leading the team with. Since Davis is actually nearly a year older then Collins, I don't expect him to replace him, but it will be interesting to see how the Kings handle first base next year.

We'll need to lick our wounds on Wednesday, before having a chance to effect the pennant race for the first time in forever. That's because the Saints will be in town for four must win games. Due to scheduling, they'll have two off days before having to face us, so we'll be stuck with their top four starters regardless of the eventual order. The surprise of that may be 28-year-old Pete Ford, who's had a big breakout seemingly out of nowhere. A 4th Round Pick of the Saints, Ford was generally a back of the top 100 prospect, but a lot of that came when he was in the Navy. Ford made just 13 starts his draft year before enlisting, and didn't pitch again until he was 25 in 1946. His next 66 starts came in AAA, before the Saints moved him between the pen and rotation last year. This year he earned a starting spot, and he's rewarded the pennant contenders with ace-like performance out of the four spot from Pete Ford. He helped Joe Austin sweep the August awards, named Pitcher of the Month after going a perfect 5-0 with 24 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 2.33 ERA (179 ERA+). He is now 15-3 in 26 starts, and he lowered his season ERA to 2.98 (140 ERA+) while dropping his WHIP to 1.34. He's emerged as a dark horse Allen candidate with a truly remarkable fourteen start stretch. He's nowhere near the best starter on the staff, but he's pitching like it, managing to outperform even Cupid, Pat Weakly (11-8, 3.83, 62), and Wally Doyle (11-9, 3.68, 85). He's going to be a tough guy to beat, and I'm really hoping it's just a flash in the pan before he returns to a AAA pitcher at best. Still, I half want the Saints to win all four games here, as I'd love for them to overtake the Pioneers. They're shaping up to be a legit contender, and even if they can't quite stop the Foresters worst-for-first bid, they will go into 1950 as one of the early favorites.

Minor League Report
C Mike Bordes: I debated calling up a third catcher, and after initially going against it, I decided to bring Mike Bordes up to the big league club for the rest of the year. Acquired with Rupert Abbott in the Billy Riley trade, Bordes' second season in Mobile went about as well as the first, as he slashed .274/.410/.401 (115 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 11 homers, 75 RBIs, and a 127 WRC+. A former 11th Round Pick, Bordes now has a chance to make his big league debut, and if all goes according to plan he'll start one of the games of the double header. A disciplined hitter, he maintained an elite 97-to-39 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 511 trips to the plate. That eye is his best tool, but he does have a nice hit tool while showing some pop. Maybe not double digit homers in the majors, although if he wants to play regularly he may need to find a way how. His glove isn't good enough to compensate for a weak bat, but catcher is a sparse position, and guys like Homer Guthrie (.283, 1, 31) have gotten a few minutes of fame.

SS Bob Stout (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a big week for a guy I almost promoted, as Bob Stout captured Dixie League Player of the Week as he kicked off the month in the best way possible. Stout hit a grand slam in a slim 8-7 victory over the Chieftains, giving him his sixth homer on the season. It may have been the highlight of the week, but there were plenty of highlight plays, as the slick fielding shortstop went 11-for-20 with a steal, a double, two triples, six runs, and eight RBIs. He's riding a twelve game hit streak and has upped his season line to .268/.360/.364 (91 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, and 6 home runs. Stout has scored 43 times and driven in 61 runs, while drawing more walks (63) then strikeouts (45). Combined with the excellent shortstop defense, he's had an amazing overall season, and it's making me consider protecting him from the Rule-5 draft. He's not one of our more highly ranked prospects, but a great glove at short is coveted by FABL teams. If they can polish up the bat, they could have a star, and with the 24-year-olds work ethic there's always a chance he'll find a second gear.

CF Henry Norman (A Lincoln Legislators): Currently ranked as the 54th best prospect in the league, 20-year-old Henry Norman was named Heartland League Player of the Week for the second time this season. 21 this month, Norman started his birthday month with a 3-for-5 game, and is already 8-for-19 in the Month. For the full week, he was 17-for-33, and the former 3rd Rounder is now hitting .320/.378/.379 (103 OPS+) in an even 100 games. He hasn't hit many extra base hits, just 9 doubles, 5 triples, and 2 homers, but he's walked (39) one more time then he struck out (38) and he's played good defense in center (1.0, .999) and right (9.2, 1.073). We're still waiting for the hit tool to blossom, but the .320 average is a positive sign. OSA thinks he can hit .330, Dixie just goes with "plus contact," but my guess is if he hits his ceiling he'll be a reliable .300 hitter. He's quick, so I expect the doubles and triples to come as he learns to make better contact, but he hits too many groundballs to be a home run hitter. That could hamper his overall value, so defense will play a big role in his staying power. If he can provide even average defense in center, you can live with not much pop, as Norman's ability to put the ball in play is boosted by his speed and skill on the bases. If everything clicks, he could be a consistent top five center fielder, and he's one of our more valuable trade pieces in an offseason that I hope brings new blood into the organization.

Cougars in the GWL
1B Jim Hatfield (Los Angeles Knights): Almost no one in our organization had a good month, but another former Cougar draftee was quite dominant. 1929 6th Rounder Jim Hatfield was named Batter of the Month just a few days after celebrating his 38 birthday, proving that for him age is merely a number. "The Bandit" swiped six bases and hit .378/.417/.613 (172 OPS+). Funny enough, his average dropped down a few points to .382, but with 3 triples, 7 homers, 25 runs, and 27 RBIs, I'm sure he's more then willing to make the trade off. That dropped him to second in the batting race, as Bob Land (.384, 6, 57) is two points ahead, but the Hawks outfielder doesn't boast the all around game that Hatfield does. The vets done a bit of everything, slugging 16 homers with 20 doubles, 6 triples, and 87 RBIs. He does strike out a bit, already a career high 110 in a career high 568 plate appearances, he more then makes up for it in generating runs, as he's swiped 22 bags, scored 95 times, and drew 41 walks. He's now 0.2 WAR shy of 6, but he's past the 128 game mark multiple times before. He's set for a career high WAR despite his age, and I'm sure the Knights are glad they had enough faith in the first basemen to give him a fourth season.