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ayaghmour2 · 11-09-2024, 12:46 AM

Rotation
RHP Roy Ellis (26, 11-13, 4.45, 139; 13-16, 6, 3.87, 195)
LHP Henry Henderson (21, 9-6, 2, 3.72, 66 - graduated 72nd prospect)
LHP Andy Logue (29, 15-11, 3.40, 139; 42-39, 16, 4.01, 427)
RHP John Mitchell (24, 8-3, 3.74, 45; 40-33, 4.19, 468)
RHP Hank Walker (29, 10-11, 4.63, 123; 43-37, 1, 4.01, 397)
LHP Pug White (31, 14-11, 9, 3.61, 131; 117-100, 13, 3.57, 1,165)

I'm already looking to add depth to the rotation, with my first trade target old friend Bob Allen, but even as is it's pretty solid. The odd man out is technically Pug White, but with four months till opening day there's no guarantee all six of these guys will be the ones who we rely on during the season. The group lacks a true ace, but these are all tough outs and Pug is the only one that's on the wrong side of 30. Even then, he's just 31, and he's got the best stuff of the bunch. He pitched really well in the pen (7-5, 9, 2.04, 71), and since we don't have the inning eaters like Pap and the Jones Brothers, whoever ends up as the stopper may easily pitch 100+ innings. No one had more then four complete games, and I really only want Andy Logue going deep. One of the club leaders and a first time All-Star, Logue was a guy high on my 1951 draft list, so it's interesting coming across him here. He's not a flashy pitcher, but he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. That plays really well at our park, and since he can control the run game double plays get him out of a lot of jams.

Behind him, I'm most excited for Hardie Henderson, but I'm not sure if the 21-year-old is going to crack the Opening Day rotation. Taken 6th in the 1958 draft, he debuted at 20 this season, spending all season on the big league roster. It was an aggressive promotion, but he pitched well in 123.1 innings. Henderson made 28 appearances, 16 of which were starts, going 9-6 with a 3.72 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 48 walks, and 66 strikeouts. The stuff is really good, as he has an excellent fastball, curve, and screwball. A six pitch pitcher, he's got a decent sinker too, but his flyball tendencies may work against him at Cougars Park. He did well as a rookie, just 8 of his pitches left the park. He has a clean delivery and can overpower with the fastball, and he's exactly the type of pitcher I'd target if I was able to make draft picks. He has the most upside of the projected front five, as Walker, Mitchell, and Ellis seem to have peaked as middle of the rotation arms. The loudmouthed Walker looked like an ace once, going 11-9 with a 2.99 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP in 1959, striking out 92 and leading the CA with a 0.3 HR/9.

Ellis and Mitchell are both still on the young side, and Ellis in particular could move up in the rotation. A hard thrower who can locate pitches, his fastball hits in the mid 90s, and while it's not an overpowering pitch it's tough for most guys to catch up with. With three plus-plus off-speed pitches, the former 11th Rounder gets whiffs like you cannot believe. He almost never leaves a pitch over the middle of the plate, keeping the ball on the ground and limiting the walks. In fact, his 2.6 K/BB in 1961 was the best in the association, and it was an even better 4.3 in a 84.2 inning sample the season before. The Pittsburgh native has come a long way since being involved win a five player swap of misfits with Detroit, and with the right defense around him I think we'll be able to get plenty out of him. The same could go for Mitchell, who's the innings eater of the bunch. Another hard thrower, he touches 97, but it's his changeup that makes him so good. It's the clear headliner of his six pitch mix, and he's got three other plus offerings to trick hitters with. He split time between AAA and FABL, and with one option left he could get sent down in a number's game. I'd rather him start in Milwaukee then pitch out of the pen, but aside from a rough spring he looks to be a member of the opening roster.

Bullpen
RHP Bob Burdick (34, 0-0, 4.04, 26; 2-3, 3, 3.92, 75)
LHP Doc Cook (25, 0-1, 1, 2.96, 18)
RHP Ken Stone (22, 2-8, 2, 4.11, 59; 6-14, 4, 4.23, 95)
RHP Arch Wilson (36, 3-10, 13, 5.20, 66; 45-55, 118, 3.57, 443)

On paper, it's one of our weakest units, but it could be bolstered with Pug White, another one of the SPs, or even a waiver acquisition. At the back, Arch Wilson could retake the stopper role, as after David Molina he was a common Continental save leader. Wilson led with 25 in 1957, 1958, and 1959, and in 1960 he was 15-10 with 18 saves in an association and career high 80 appearances. Often a reliable weapon, he really struggled last season, prompting the move to Pug White. If White stays in the rotation, Wilson will regain his stopper role, as the rest of the guys with him aren't lockdown arms. Bob Burdick is a 34-year-old who didn't play in FABL until last year with the Wolves and Doc Cook is a one inning mop-up guy who's best asset is his intelligences, but Ken Stone might be a name to watch. Old friend Dixie Marsh thinks he's the pitcher in the system with the most upside, and his stuff certainly is exciting. A tough sidewinder, his stuff is great, and he's got a rubber arm that can let him pitch deep in games. Just 22, the upside is there, but his stuff seems best in the pen. It's the role for him at this point in his career, but it's hard to not want to try him out in the rotation. Having Bobby Crooks would have been so helpful, as we could more easily send Stone down to the minors. I'd love to add an arm from outside, but regardless he should add to his 142.2 FABL innings.

Next Men Up
RHP Allen Brown (27)
LHP Mario Saucedo (24)
RHP Dick Garcia (37, DNP; 15-15, 20, 4.23, 191)
RHP Ivy Lloyd (26)

The system is thin on pitching, and this is far from an inspiring group. It's hilarious seeing Dick Garcia make his way back to the organization, as that's the same guy we took in the regional round of the 1943 draft and later traded to the New York Stars for Chubby Hall in 1948. He immediately got taken in the Rule-5 draft, and has since pitched in the majors for the Keystones and the Saints. His most time came in 1955 at 30 with the Keystones, where he was 6-6 with 10 saves, a 4.12 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP. In total, he's made 408.1 innings, working to an adjusted league average 4.23 ERA (99 ERA+) with a 1.59 WHIP and 191 strikeouts. Now 37, we'd be desperate to bring him up, but he's been a rock in the Blues rotation the last two and a half seasons. The ratings are solid for mop-up innings, and it would be a nice feel good story for him to make a return.

If we want to fish for upside, there is Mario Saucedo, a young lefty the Cougars took in the 7th Round of the 1956 draft. As crazy as it sounds, he's our #1 pitching prospect despite being ranked 240th in the league, though that's still 14th among our prospects. A true fireballer, he hits 98 with an elite fastball, and if we need a high octane strikeout arm he might be the guy to call. A starter by trade, he struck out 17.4% of the batters he faced in his 24 AA starts. He pitched a little out of the pen in Milwaukee to close out the season, but I expect him to return there as a member of the rotation. The stuff is really good, but his pitches do get hit hard when he's off. His future may be in the pen, but and that's his easiest path to big league action this year. He's probably 7th or 8th in line for starts at most, and I feel no reason to rush the Boston native. Allen Brown and Ivy Lloyd are the last resorts of the last resorts, with Lloyd a wasted 8th Round pick and Brown a former 5th Rounder cast off by the Cannons. In a pinch, either could fill a pen role, and Brown will compete for a spot in the Blues rotation.

Down on the Farm
14th/240th: LHP Mario Saucedo (24, 7th Round Pick, 1956)
16th/277th: RHP Herb Thomason (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958)
17th/279th: RHP Charlie Christian (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958)
19th/318th: RHP John Roberts (20, 4th Round Pick, 1959)
24th/404th: RHP Tony Marino (23, Minor League Free Agent, 1959)
25th/417th: RHP George Chism (25, Trade with St. Louis, 1956)
26th/423rd: RHP Ed Wells (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958)
28th/458th: RHP Bobby McGough (23, 3rd Round Pick, 1957)
30th/467th: RHP Floyd Lane (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1961)

The options here are barren, and I'm not sure how the AI let it get this bad. I can't remember the last time a minor league free agent was ranked high on our prospect lists, let alone accounting for three of the top five arms. I already covered Saucedo, but with how little else there is it's almost worth bringing him back up again. To be fair, I shouldn't really knock the guys for how they got here, but it's more a bad mark on the ability for the replacements to draft and develop pitchers.

I'm rooting for Herb Thomason, a Chicagoan who the Stars took in the 14th Round of the 1957 draft. He bounced around before sticking here, as his lively fastball has captured the intrigue of many teams. The downside is he runs out of gas quickly, and he's been considered a reliever only prospect despite some time in the rotation. The other three are starters, but Tony Marino is likely to end up in the pen. He has a nice mid 90s fastball, but aside from that the stuff is on the poor side. He doesn't command the secondary stuff well enough to excel, but he's got the work ethic to push past his abilities.

Charlie Christian is a guy to keep an eye on, as while he's not descript now he could develop into a back-end arm. He's got the ability to go deep into games, and he has a reliable five pitch mix. His mid 90s fastball is effective, and the curve and change get plenty of misses. He's set to return to AA, where I'd like to see him put up big strikeout numbers. John Roberts, on the other hand, is a groundballer who relies on generating weak contact, and the 20-year-old is much lower down in San Jose. A recent 4th Rounder, he's a rarity on the Cougars top prospect list, though his future may not be much more then a spot start every so often. The only other draftee on the list is 23-year-old Bobby McGough, who with a little more stamina would probably rank as our top pitching prospect. The hard throwing Chicagoan can hit 98 with his fastball, and he's got a devastating slider that really moves from his 6'4'' arm slot. The former 3rd Rounder has a chance to start the season in AAA, and with a good start to the season he could work his way into the pen role if we can't find guys to keep leads.

11-09-2024, 12:46 AM	#1524
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Organizational Breakdown: Pitchers Rotation RHP Roy Ellis (26, 11-13, 4.45, 139; 13-16, 6, 3.87, 195) LHP Henry Henderson (21, 9-6, 2, 3.72, 66 - graduated 72nd prospect) LHP Andy Logue (29, 15-11, 3.40, 139; 42-39, 16, 4.01, 427) RHP John Mitchell (24, 8-3, 3.74, 45; 40-33, 4.19, 468) RHP Hank Walker (29, 10-11, 4.63, 123; 43-37, 1, 4.01, 397) LHP Pug White (31, 14-11, 9, 3.61, 131; 117-100, 13, 3.57, 1,165) I'm already looking to add depth to the rotation, with my first trade target old friend Bob Allen, but even as is it's pretty solid. The odd man out is technically Pug White, but with four months till opening day there's no guarantee all six of these guys will be the ones who we rely on during the season. The group lacks a true ace, but these are all tough outs and Pug is the only one that's on the wrong side of 30. Even then, he's just 31, and he's got the best stuff of the bunch. He pitched really well in the pen (7-5, 9, 2.04, 71), and since we don't have the inning eaters like Pap and the Jones Brothers, whoever ends up as the stopper may easily pitch 100+ innings. No one had more then four complete games, and I really only want Andy Logue going deep. One of the club leaders and a first time All-Star, Logue was a guy high on my 1951 draft list, so it's interesting coming across him here. He's not a flashy pitcher, but he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. That plays really well at our park, and since he can control the run game double plays get him out of a lot of jams. Behind him, I'm most excited for Hardie Henderson, but I'm not sure if the 21-year-old is going to crack the Opening Day rotation. Taken 6th in the 1958 draft, he debuted at 20 this season, spending all season on the big league roster. It was an aggressive promotion, but he pitched well in 123.1 innings. Henderson made 28 appearances, 16 of which were starts, going 9-6 with a 3.72 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 48 walks, and 66 strikeouts. The stuff is really good, as he has an excellent fastball, curve, and screwball. A six pitch pitcher, he's got a decent sinker too, but his flyball tendencies may work against him at Cougars Park. He did well as a rookie, just 8 of his pitches left the park. He has a clean delivery and can overpower with the fastball, and he's exactly the type of pitcher I'd target if I was able to make draft picks. He has the most upside of the projected front five, as Walker, Mitchell, and Ellis seem to have peaked as middle of the rotation arms. The loudmouthed Walker looked like an ace once, going 11-9 with a 2.99 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP in 1959, striking out 92 and leading the CA with a 0.3 HR/9. Ellis and Mitchell are both still on the young side, and Ellis in particular could move up in the rotation. A hard thrower who can locate pitches, his fastball hits in the mid 90s, and while it's not an overpowering pitch it's tough for most guys to catch up with. With three plus-plus off-speed pitches, the former 11th Rounder gets whiffs like you cannot believe. He almost never leaves a pitch over the middle of the plate, keeping the ball on the ground and limiting the walks. In fact, his 2.6 K/BB in 1961 was the best in the association, and it was an even better 4.3 in a 84.2 inning sample the season before. The Pittsburgh native has come a long way since being involved win a five player swap of misfits with Detroit, and with the right defense around him I think we'll be able to get plenty out of him. The same could go for Mitchell, who's the innings eater of the bunch. Another hard thrower, he touches 97, but it's his changeup that makes him so good. It's the clear headliner of his six pitch mix, and he's got three other plus offerings to trick hitters with. He split time between AAA and FABL, and with one option left he could get sent down in a number's game. I'd rather him start in Milwaukee then pitch out of the pen, but aside from a rough spring he looks to be a member of the opening roster. Bullpen RHP Bob Burdick (34, 0-0, 4.04, 26; 2-3, 3, 3.92, 75) LHP Doc Cook (25, 0-1, 1, 2.96, 18) RHP Ken Stone (22, 2-8, 2, 4.11, 59; 6-14, 4, 4.23, 95) RHP Arch Wilson (36, 3-10, 13, 5.20, 66; 45-55, 118, 3.57, 443) On paper, it's one of our weakest units, but it could be bolstered with Pug White, another one of the SPs, or even a waiver acquisition. At the back, Arch Wilson could retake the stopper role, as after David Molina he was a common Continental save leader. Wilson led with 25 in 1957, 1958, and 1959, and in 1960 he was 15-10 with 18 saves in an association and career high 80 appearances. Often a reliable weapon, he really struggled last season, prompting the move to Pug White. If White stays in the rotation, Wilson will regain his stopper role, as the rest of the guys with him aren't lockdown arms. Bob Burdick is a 34-year-old who didn't play in FABL until last year with the Wolves and Doc Cook is a one inning mop-up guy who's best asset is his intelligences, but Ken Stone might be a name to watch. Old friend Dixie Marsh thinks he's the pitcher in the system with the most upside, and his stuff certainly is exciting. A tough sidewinder, his stuff is great, and he's got a rubber arm that can let him pitch deep in games. Just 22, the upside is there, but his stuff seems best in the pen. It's the role for him at this point in his career, but it's hard to not want to try him out in the rotation. Having Bobby Crooks would have been so helpful, as we could more easily send Stone down to the minors. I'd love to add an arm from outside, but regardless he should add to his 142.2 FABL innings. Next Men Up RHP Allen Brown (27) LHP Mario Saucedo (24) RHP Dick Garcia (37, DNP; 15-15, 20, 4.23, 191) RHP Ivy Lloyd (26) The system is thin on pitching, and this is far from an inspiring group. It's hilarious seeing Dick Garcia make his way back to the organization, as that's the same guy we took in the regional round of the 1943 draft and later traded to the New York Stars for Chubby Hall in 1948. He immediately got taken in the Rule-5 draft, and has since pitched in the majors for the Keystones and the Saints. His most time came in 1955 at 30 with the Keystones, where he was 6-6 with 10 saves, a 4.12 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP. In total, he's made 408.1 innings, working to an adjusted league average 4.23 ERA (99 ERA+) with a 1.59 WHIP and 191 strikeouts. Now 37, we'd be desperate to bring him up, but he's been a rock in the Blues rotation the last two and a half seasons. The ratings are solid for mop-up innings, and it would be a nice feel good story for him to make a return. If we want to fish for upside, there is Mario Saucedo, a young lefty the Cougars took in the 7th Round of the 1956 draft. As crazy as it sounds, he's our #1 pitching prospect despite being ranked 240th in the league, though that's still 14th among our prospects. A true fireballer, he hits 98 with an elite fastball, and if we need a high octane strikeout arm he might be the guy to call. A starter by trade, he struck out 17.4% of the batters he faced in his 24 AA starts. He pitched a little out of the pen in Milwaukee to close out the season, but I expect him to return there as a member of the rotation. The stuff is really good, but his pitches do get hit hard when he's off. His future may be in the pen, but and that's his easiest path to big league action this year. He's probably 7th or 8th in line for starts at most, and I feel no reason to rush the Boston native. Allen Brown and Ivy Lloyd are the last resorts of the last resorts, with Lloyd a wasted 8th Round pick and Brown a former 5th Rounder cast off by the Cannons. In a pinch, either could fill a pen role, and Brown will compete for a spot in the Blues rotation. Down on the Farm 14th/240th: LHP Mario Saucedo (24, 7th Round Pick, 1956) 16th/277th: RHP Herb Thomason (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958) 17th/279th: RHP Charlie Christian (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958) 19th/318th: RHP John Roberts (20, 4th Round Pick, 1959) 24th/404th: RHP Tony Marino (23, Minor League Free Agent, 1959) 25th/417th: RHP George Chism (25, Trade with St. Louis, 1956) 26th/423rd: RHP Ed Wells (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1958) 28th/458th: RHP Bobby McGough (23, 3rd Round Pick, 1957) 30th/467th: RHP Floyd Lane (22, Minor League Free Agent, 1961) The options here are barren, and I'm not sure how the AI let it get this bad. I can't remember the last time a minor league free agent was ranked high on our prospect lists, let alone accounting for three of the top five arms. I already covered Saucedo, but with how little else there is it's almost worth bringing him back up again. To be fair, I shouldn't really knock the guys for how they got here, but it's more a bad mark on the ability for the replacements to draft and develop pitchers. I'm rooting for Herb Thomason, a Chicagoan who the Stars took in the 14th Round of the 1957 draft. He bounced around before sticking here, as his lively fastball has captured the intrigue of many teams. The downside is he runs out of gas quickly, and he's been considered a reliever only prospect despite some time in the rotation. The other three are starters, but Tony Marino is likely to end up in the pen. He has a nice mid 90s fastball, but aside from that the stuff is on the poor side. He doesn't command the secondary stuff well enough to excel, but he's got the work ethic to push past his abilities. Charlie Christian is a guy to keep an eye on, as while he's not descript now he could develop into a back-end arm. He's got the ability to go deep into games, and he has a reliable five pitch mix. His mid 90s fastball is effective, and the curve and change get plenty of misses. He's set to return to AA, where I'd like to see him put up big strikeout numbers. John Roberts, on the other hand, is a groundballer who relies on generating weak contact, and the 20-year-old is much lower down in San Jose. A recent 4th Rounder, he's a rarity on the Cougars top prospect list, though his future may not be much more then a spot start every so often. The only other draftee on the list is 23-year-old Bobby McGough, who with a little more stamina would probably rank as our top pitching prospect. The hard throwing Chicagoan can hit 98 with his fastball, and he's got a devastating slider that really moves from his 6'4'' arm slot. The former 3rd Rounder has a chance to start the season in AAA, and with a good start to the season he could work his way into the pen role if we can't find guys to keep leads.