[ayaghmour2]

RHP Bob Allen (#7 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
AA: 7-1, 75 IP, 1.68 ERA (238 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 32 BB, 41 K
A: 6-7, 101.1 IP, 3.38 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 52 BB, 62 K
B: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA (391 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 4 BB, 5 K
CWL: 0-2, 11 IP, 4.91 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 6 BB, 8 K

The highly anticipated CWL debut of baseball's consensus top pitching prospect Bob Allen did not go as planned, as arguably our most exciting pitching prospect to date (though I'd accept Pete Papenfus or Donnie Jones too) allowed 6 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The encore was far better.

Unluckily tagged with the loss, the hopefully lock for a future Allen winner pitched 6.1 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. The unearned run proved to be the difference, as our former affiliate the Santa Clara Stallions escaped with a 2-1 victory. This lowered Allen's winter ERA to an shockingly average 4.91 (99 ERA+) in 11 innings, highlighting the high run scoring environment we made be treated to this season. For Allen, that may be his first real challenge of the season, as after pitching quite effectively in Lincoln, he was flat out dominant in Mobile. Just like his stateside time, he's missing a lot of bats, but he's already matched his home run total (3) in just two starts. Smaller stadiums will do that, and the Crocs' home park is one of the tightest, with the right field line less then 300 feet from home plate. Right now it seems like the only way to score on him, but for someone who's going to be pitching half his games at Cougars Park, he's got to learn how to limit the damage of the home run. It's exciting to see him compete, even getting to 118 pitches in his latest outing, and I'm surely going to be watching each and every one of his starts closely until he returns home to finish his offseason.

RHP Jim Williams (#401 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945)
AA: 16-6, 209 IP, 2.33 ERA (172 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 97 BB, 75 K
CWL: 1-0, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA (323 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, 4 BB, 2 K

Picking up right where he left off in Little Rock, Jim Williams was Cienfuegos' first starter to earn a win, throwing 6 solid innings in an 8-3 win over the Havana Sharks. Williams allowed just a single run, scattering 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 2. Obviously, the high walk count isn't ideal, but this is a guy who had a 2.33 ERA (172 ERA+) despite a 0.8 K/BB ratio in 209 innings, so it's not all too surprising. The key for a guy like Williams, who doesn't miss many bats, is to work around the trouble, something he did quite well this week. The only blemish was a solo homer to Wolves prospect Bob Mills, who already has three on the season. You can always live with solo shots, so if he can tighten up with runners on base, he may carve out a nice career for himself. Williams is scheduled to start the week at home against the Matanzas Buccaneers, who sit a game behind the 4-3 division leading Crocs, and he might be the team's best choice to win a game this year.