Now normally this is where I announce the top prospects, but instead of upgrading before starting the offseason, our commish upgraded after, so the current in-game list was what 24 thought, not 25. Considering we are continuing on 25, and the prospect lists are vastly different after recalculating (2nd/190 to 5th/135), I'm going to wait until our first official sim which could be as early as tomorrow.
Surprisingly, our first day was rather busy, as there were a number of surprising retirements. I have to search for a handful of new coaches, most notably a new Pitching Coach and First Base Coach. Both are huge losses as Jake Chamberlain was a "Legendary" Pitching Coach and Dick Anderson had excellent ratings. The available candidates aren't any where near these two studs, and I'm going to have to overpay for a lesser coach. The other retirement was quite bittersweet, as long-time Cougar Harry Parker called it quits. As much as it hurts to see the pitcher I was intrigued on since the moment we
drafted him, Parker was a modicum of consistency towards the top of our rotation, and before his annoying injuries, a complete game machine.
A former 7th Rounder, Parker debuted in the 1938 season, and he offered average production (99 ERA+, 98 FIP-) in 16 starts and one relief appearance. That was enough to secure him a spot in the rotation for 1939, where he made 30 starts and surpassed 200 innings (234) for the first of six times in his career. Despite a league high 36 homers, he was effective on the mound, 14-11 with a 4.19 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 103 strikeouts and 68 walks as a 24-year-old. He put up another solid start at 25, but then broke out in the 1941 season. Parker was selected to represent the CA at the All-Star game, and came a win away from 20. He had a career best 3.19 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP, while striking out 117 in a then high 262.1 innings pitched.
By some metrics, Parker took a step forward in 1942, going 21-10 in his first (and only) twenty win season. No All-Star nod and his ERA+ dropped from 124 to 113, but he set personal bests in raw ERA (2.92), FIP (3.13), FIP- (95), WHIP (1.13), WAR (4.1), K/BB (2.6), and BB% (3.8), but he was not an All-Star selection. In 1943, he continued to make his seasonal improvements, as through 12 starts he was 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.01 FIP (92 FIP-), 1.14 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts. The only problem was in that twelfth start he tore his flexor tendon, his second injury of more then five days during the season after none in his previous nine seasons of professional ball.
I was quite worried Parker would show signs of decline after the injury, but the only downside of his 1944 season was the fact that he was robbed of the Allen. (Okay Butch Smith was pretty good too). Earning the second of his two All-Stars, Parker finished out 16-10 with a 2.19 ERA (159 ERA+), leading the CA in strikeouts (128), WHIP (0.99), K/BB (2.9), FIP- (74), and WAR (6.7). He wasn't throwing as many innings per start, but he still got to 250 for the fourth time in five years, even if he only had an out to spare. With the war now over, he went from ace to back of the rotation, as his innings dropped to 157.2 and he actually made four of his twenty five outings out of the pen. The results were fine, as the 31-year-old finished 12-9 with a 3.20 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with a 1.9 K/BB.
As crazy as it sounds, he went from four relief outings to four more starts, as a partially torn labrum effective ended his career as a big league starter. He came back a shell of himself, as his 4.41 ERA (85 ERA+) actually makes his 5.37 FIP (143 FIP-) look good, and he allowed 7 homers in 34.2 innings. He followed that up with 7 more in 24.1 innings the next season, with an inflated 6.29 ERA (60 ERA+) and 6.65 FIP (175 FIP-). He threw just 12 innings over the past two seasons, and thankfully, our former highly touted arm saved me the mental anguish and despair of selecting "Waive and Designated Assignment" before the 1951 season. He will always be remembered fondly for his time, finishing his FABL career 128-86 with a 3.27 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 901 strikeouts. Among Cougars pitchers, he ranks fifth in wins, 10th in WAR (27.3), 9th in games (284), 6th in starts (247), 9th in complete games (126), tied for 6th in shutouts (17), 7th in innings (1,989.1), 7th in strikeouts (901), 9th in K/9 (4.1), 2nd in K/BB (2.1), 6th in WHIP (1.17), and 6th in rWAR (43). He should rank much higher on some of those, but we were lucky to get eight quality seasons out of him.