[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 72-67 (4th, 11.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 18 AB, 6 H, 4 HR, 5 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.429 OPS
Duke Bybee : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA
Sal Pestilli : 22 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .273 AVG, .837 OPS

Schedule
9-5: Loss vs Kings (4-2)
9-5: Loss vs Kings (3-1)
9-6: Win vs Kings (5-6)
9-8: Win vs Saints (7-15)
9-9: Win vs Saints (0-8)
9-10: Loss vs Saints (3-1)
9-11: Win vs Saints (0-3)

Recap
Yep, I called it! Embarrassed by the Kings before sabotaging the Saints pennant hopes. I have never been so angered by a series win...

After taking three of four from a rested Saints squad, we knocked them to 7.5 games out, and with thirteen games left it's going to be almost impossible for them to stage a heroic comeback. We somehow managed to shut the CA's top offense out twice, outscoring them 27-10 in our first good series in what feels like years. Now 11.5 out of first, we're the lowest team in the association yet to be eliminated, and we're two and a half games behind the Stars for our 10th top three finish in 11 years.

The shutouts came for our two pitchers struggling the most, but with Duke Bybee's 2-hit shutout he dropped his ERA to an exactly adjusted league average 4.01. He walked 2 and struck out 5, moving back above .500 at 13-12. The other was courtesy of Johnnie Jones, who could have been lossless for the week if it wasn't for errors against the Kings. There he went all nine, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts. As good as that was, he was even better against the Saints, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in his second shutout in three starts. Like Duke, he's got 13 wins, but that Kings game gave him his 13th loss, as he remains .500 on the season. His ERA is now down to 3.69 (109 ERA+) in 27 starts. The one thing this week I was wrong about was Zane Kelley, as I forgot that some games we just don't give run support. For his second big league start he again got just one run in his favor, so he's now 0-2 after allowing 4 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks, as John Moss' (.271, 11, 68) two-run homer in the ninth secured the win for Brooklyn. Kelley has walked twice as many hitters as he's struck out, but otherwise his first two big league starts have gone well, and his overdue shot at a rotation spot has finally come.

Red Bond absolutely crushed his former team, hitting three homers in the two wins he played in. He finished the week 6-for-18 with 4 homers, drawing 3 walks and scoring 6 times. He's now hitting .424/.480/.667 (204 OPS+) off his former team this season, and 5 of his 27 home runs have came against Saints pitchers. That 27 also matches his home run total from last year, and his career high of 30 now seems in reach. Once more, he's been one of our more productive hitters, as his 142 WRC+ is best on the team. 37 next year, he hasn't shown signs of slowing down, still the streaky slugger he's always been. Barring a crazy slump, it'll be another excellent season for the veteran, who has a chance to become one of the first twenty five players to reach the 250 home run mark. Bond's one homer behind Bill Barrett (.313, 37, 101, 10), who's sure to beat him to it and likely become 22nd, Bond was setback by the war and his home ballpark. Considering how well he's held up, it wouldn't be too surprising if he missed out on a hundred homers, or potentially a legitimate chance to become the fifth player to 400 homers.

Sal Pestilli finally had himself an okay week, going 6-for-22 with a steal and a pair of homers. He's two steals away from his second 20/20 season as a Cougar, but at one point it looked like another 30/20 was in reach. He cooled off in July and then fell of in August, as Sal's seen his season line drop from .343/.396/.576 at the All-Star break to .289/.345/.461 (114 OPS+). It's no reason we've played so bad lately, as you live and die by your stars, and when ours died so did we.

Billy Hunter got hurt, again, which somehow opened the door for Otto Christian. The former 1st Rounder made five starts, something I don't think he's done all season. Taking full advantage, Otto went 5-for-16 with a double, triple, and homer. He drew three walks, scored four runs, and drove in three more. That was his first triple of the season, giving Otto 19 extra base hits in 204 trips to the plate. 11 of those are homers, and he's drawn 16 walks with 18 strikeouts. Overall, it's been a very productive season, and he'll see his role start to pick up the rest of the way. Same goes for the struggling Charlie Woodbury, who snapped a prolonged cold stretch by going 3-for-8 with a homer. He's hit just .194/.280/.343 (66 OPS+) as a Cougar, worse I'm sure then Bob Schmelz would have done.

Hunter may now see his season end with a sore elbow, making it likely that 1949 will be his seventh season with 50 or more appearances, but less then 80, as injuries have nagged him all season. He still managed to hit .297/.370/.465 (122 OPS+), but his 174 plate appearances would be his lowest since 1942. I'm hoping he gets back after spending the minimum, but we're running out of games and I rather have him ready for next season. George Sutterfield will take most of his vacated at bats, giving him a shot to play like the player OSA thinks he is. Surprisingly, Sutterfield ranks as our third best player, and last week they even had him at the bottom of the top 20 players list. If I list him as a second basemen, he ranks ahead of Hunter as #4, and without Skipper they rank him 5th at shortstop. One way or another, he's playing a lot next season, and I'm hoping we can get his third base defense at the level of his efficiency as the middle infield. It's taken awhile, but he could be in for a huge season next year.

Looking Ahead
Just a few more weeks left in the season of misery, and it continues with an off day we'll use to travel to Cleveland. To make things worse for the Saints, we'll lose both in Ohio, giving them 86 wins on the season. They don't do that very often, surpassing 90 just three times, with all four of their top seasons coming between 1933 and 1936. We're scheduled to face Ducky Davis (14-6, 2.90, 68) and John Jackson (16-7, 3.33, 83), but it doesn't really matter who we'd face as they'd have no trouble keeping us in check. They're the only team that has allowed fewer runs then us, and paired with the second most runs scored in the association, they're going to be a tough task for either the Chiefs (80-58), Gothams (80-60), or maybe even the Dynamos (75-63) in the WCS. I still don't know how they've done it, getting production from guys like Frank Kirchner (.322, 1, 45, 4), Mark Smith (.288, 1, 45), and Charlie Ross (.313, 5, 33). It's been a storybook season for them so far, and I think they have to be the favorite this October when the associations clash once more.

Off again on Thursday, where we'll face the last place Sailors for two in Philly. At 54-83, no team in either association has a lower win percentage. All five of their starters have ERAs above 4, but the struggling Win Lewis (7-13, 4.17, 80) has somehow managed an exactly average 100 ERA+. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising, as he has a 3.25 FIP (77 FIP-) and 1.6 K/BB and was pretty much dominant since his debut in 1944. I'm hoping we miss him, but they have plenty of off days and can do whatever they want to align their rotation. No matter who we face, we'll have to deal with Ed Reyes (.364, 6, 59), the automatic batting title winner who was rumored to want out of Philadelphia to play with a contender. He could be on the move in the offseason if the Sailors decide to rebuild, and even at his age he should brig back a nice return. He's been one of their few productive hitters this season, although 25-year-old Joe Scott (.279, 13, 69) could overtake Reyes as the team's top hitter last season. He has a great combination of power and speed and was named to his first All-Star game. He looks like the face of the next generation, and I'm sure he'll soon be joined by top prospects George Rutter (30th), George Reynolds (33rd), Gordon McDonald (79th), and Jerry Keith (83rd). They already have former 10th ranked prospect Al Farmer (.263, 3, 39, 3) in the everyday lineup, and next year there could be plenty more. I'm not sure how they'll respond to this drop in the standings, but I know there's a few players I'd like to bring to the Windy City.

We finish the week with the first of three in Cincinnati with the Cannons. They're behind us in the standings, but there are six games between us and we've won eight more games then them. They swept us in Chicago, so I'm really hoping we can get some revenge. I don't think it'll happen, but it won't stop me from hoping!

Minor League Report
RF Ducky Cole: He was hurt for a bit, but instead of sending him back to Milwaukee, he'll just finish out his season on our bench. He had a nice season in Milwaukee, batting .299/.375/.489 (124 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 8 triples, 6 homers, and 55 RBIs. Cole drew 34 walks to just 24 strikeouts, making 315 trips to the plate in 91 games. This will be his third cup of coffee, going 0-for-2 in each of the last two seasons. This is the season he can be optioned, so Ducky will spend the rest of his Cougar career fighting for a 40-man spot. As a hard worker, it will be tough to part with the 25-year-old, but we have a lot of talented players with far higher upside in his way. We're now at 29 spots, but I think come next week we'll have at least 34, if not 35 guys on the big league roster.

2B Al Clement (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He'll be up with the big league club next week after the Century League season ends, but he provided some fireworks before the season ends. Clement was a perfect 4-for-4, hitting for the cycle while adding a walk, three runs, and five RBIs. That gives him 31 doubles, 8 triples, and 14 homers on the season, and it goes with an impressive .292/.378/.479 (122 OPS+) batting line. Clement has now past the 4 WAR mark as well, and the 24-year-old former second rounder is looking like the player I once thought he'd develop into. Don't get me wrong, AAA is way different from the majors, but this is a glimpse of what could be a reality for the young infielder. We got the glove down, but even just average defense is enough for a guy who hits the ball hard, walks, and steals bases. He's sort of like a regressed to the mean Joe Austin, and even though he has just one option year left, he is a legitimate option for a roster spot next season if we deal with injuries or a decrease in depth.

RHP Dutch Yoak (A Lincoln Legislators): Things could not be going much better this season for Dutch Yoak, who lowered his season ERA to 2.72 ERA (146 ERA+) after finishing off a 3-hit shutout. This also improved Yoak's Lincoln record to 12-2 in 16 starts, as the former 2nd Rounder owns a 1.08 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. Aside from a drop in his strikeout rate, he's actually been much better here then in his 6 starts in San Jose. Now 22, the hard working lefty is eligible for the Rule-5 draft, and he's making it tough to decide if he should be protected or not. A tall lefty with a high school career full of accolades, Yoak may provide a lot of appeal to teams even if he ranks outside our top 30 and 339th overall. Scouts have soured on Yoak like an egg left out too long, which could cause teams to pass on him. If they do, I expect he'll pitch in AA next season, and if he pitches well then odds our he'll end up on a FABL 40-man roster before the 1951 season.

LF Charlie Harvey (B San Jose Cougars): Riding a 20-game hit streak, Charlie Harvey earned himself a Player of the Week, going 14-for-25 with a homer, 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. The Chicago native has spent the entire season in San Jose, and his .360/.438/.470 (139 OPS+) batting line and 151 WRC+ are both quite remarkable. Add in 15 doubles, 9 homers, 82 runs, 84 RBIs, and 61 walks, and he's put together an impressive 128 game campaign. A disciplined hitter, Harvey's walk rate (12.6) is nearly five percent better then his strikeout rate (7.8), and the quality of contact he's produced this season has been impressive. Despite being an 11th Round Pick, I've always been quite fond of Harvey, and it goes beyond his city of origin. An all bat prospect, Harvey's hit tool is so good he can contend for batting titles, and if he keeps hitting the ball hard I could see a few Leo Mitchell like seasons from him. Yes, lofty expectations for the 21-year-old, especially as the 219th ranked prospect. A better comparison may be Clyde Parker, another Leo Mitchell type who fell to the late rounds and didn't jump up the prospect ladder until recently. I expect him to start next season with the Legislators, likely for the full year, as there's no need to rush with guy who's still honing his skill.