[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 5-1 (1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .448 AVG, 1.346 OPS
Tom Halliday : 29 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .379 AVG, .971 OPS
Henry Watson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .360 AVG, .957 OPS

Schedule
4-17: Win vs Imperials (3-5)
4-18: Win vs Imperials (6-7)
4-19: Win at Cannons (9-3)
4-20: Loss at Cannons (6-7)
4-21: Win at Cannons (11-9)
4-22: Win at Wranglers (6-1)

Recap
Don't look now, but the Chicago Cougars are still tied for first place!
As expected, our bats were able to take advantage of the poor pitching, though that didn't stop in Cincinnati. They did give us our only loss, but in all six of our games we scored 5 or more runs. Jerry McMillan in particular handle the Cannons well, homering off both Jack Meeks and Bill Barnard. For the week, McMillan hit an impressive .448/.484/.862 (231 OPS+), adding 3 triples, 2 walks, 2 steals, and 9 runs scored. Recently turned 25, the British Columbia native is the undisputed star of the team, and he's starting to take a larger role as a leader in the clubhouse. As the leadoff hitter, he was able to set up success for Tom Halliday (11-29, 2B, 2 3B, 6 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB, SB), Gene Case (9-25, HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB), and Henry Watson (9-25, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI, BB, SB). Even Jim Barton (7-20, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB) has gotten into the fun, as our young core has gotten off to a tremendous start.

Our reliable ace has benefitted from it twice, though in both starts 1961 All-Star Andy Logue impressed. Sure, he allowed homers in both, but he held the Imperials to 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk, striking out 2 across 6 in their first FABL game. He followed that up with a complete game win in Dallas, allowing just 8 hits, a run, and a walk with 3 more strikeouts. A perfect 2-0, Logue sports a 2.40 ERA (203 ERA+) and 1.13 WHIP, and is expected to open our weekend series in LA with the co-leading Saints. The rest of the rotation didn't have much success, but John Mitchell was crucial in our 9-3 win in Cincinnati. The now 25-year-old allowed just 4 hits, a run, and 3 walks, striking out 2 in 8 impressive innings. A quality innings eater, he helped recover the pen with a long outing, as Roy Ellis (5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) struggled the day before, and Hank Walker (L, 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Luckily we have Pug White (2 SV, 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K) and Arch Wilson (1-0, HLD, 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K) in the pen to win the close games the first iteration of the Cougars struggled with. Seeing Pug pitch in four games was big, as even without a quality third pitch he can overpower once or maybe twice through the lineup.

Chappy Sanders had a mixed debut week, as while he was just 5-for-22, three of his hits were for extra bases. Our young catcher was held hitless in his debut, but he improved as the week went on. He got his first hit in game two, a triple in game there, and then homers in the fourth and fifth. He's starting to quickly make an impact on the team showing the power he displayed in the spring is legit. The young lefty also impressed in his one start in left, a position he's quite capable in. It's nice being able to give him a half day off there, potentially allowing him to play around 135 games a season. Chappy wasn't the only debut either, as 27-year-old reliever Phil Means struck out one in four perfect at bats of our 11 inning sweep capping off win. He got a win in his third appearance, ironically the worst of his starts. He surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs, aided by his second and third homer allowed. Means is lucky none of the pitchers I wanted came to me, so he'll hang out for at least another full week. Other debuts include catchers Bill Plunkett (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) and Milt Payne (1-5, R), both who got starts behind the plate.

We did make a new acquisition, but I'm not going to assign the recently claimed William Buttry. A former 6th Round Pick of the Kings, I was interested in the drafting the infielder in 1949, and on many occasions inquired on him in trades. The 30-year-old version isn't quite what I envisioned, but he's still a solid defender. An option for shortstop, he'll give us some more versatility on the bench, and give us a quality baserunner who works the count and frustrates pitchers. The former Star and King owns a .272/.304/.407 (93 OPS+) FABL line, picking up 61 doubles, 12 triples, 34 homers, 156 runs, and 167 RBIs. Best at third, he can cover second, short, and first, and depending on other claims, he'll replace one of the catchers or first basemen.

Looking Ahead
One more with the Dallas Wranglers, who are actually 3-2 in games that aren't against us. They took two-of-three from the Saints and one from the Cannons, but since we don't face Butch Abrams (1-0, 8 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 BB, 4 K) I'm not too worried. Instead, we'll get former Cougar Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72), who made 39 appearances (10 starts) for the 1953 Cougars. The then 31-year-old was 7-5 with 3 saves, but his 5.48 ERA (76 ERA+) left a lot to be desired. He walked and struck out 49 in 110 innings, sporting a 1.45 WHIP and 4.59 FIP (110 FIP-) that gave some cause for optimism. Granted, the Cougs shipped him away for a minor league infielder, and he spent the next six years with the Miners. Moulton went 58-62 with a 4.12 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP, but was one of many pitchers left unprotected by Pittsburgh. He's not likely to get much run support, but another former Miner Bill Harbin (.259, 5, 19, 3) has gotten off to a great start (.368, 2, 2, 1). Ray Hughes (.182, 1, 10, 1) is the only other guy doing much on offense, and he's just 7-for-19 with a double and three walks. Roy Ellis is in need of a bounce back, and he should have no trouble with this lineup.

We return for a quick homestand, hosting the San Francisco Sailors for three. 2nd place last year, they're just 2-4, but it's not because of their pitching. New acquisitions Hank Lacey (6.2, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and Zane Kelley (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) picked up wins in their first games with their new team, matching the two wins Wolf Zeke Blake picked up for Toronto. They've allowed tied for the second fewest runs as a team, but the offense just hasn't been scoring any runs. Some guys aren't effected, as Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) and Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) are doing as expected, but John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) hasn't done much aside from his two homers. The Sailors were one of many teams to debut a top 10 prospect as well, as the 6th ranked Ernie Carter went 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Just 21, he's a great infielder and good outfielder, and while his bat has some developing, he's already a top third basemen. Paired with Spitler and Jaramillo, this infield should get a ton of outs, as aside from Spitler's range (3), all the defensive ratings are 4 and over. The outfield defense is good too, hence the low run totals, so we will have to make the most of our opportunities.
That or taking advantage of the longball!

Back on the road after that, but at least it will end our 13-game streak to start the season. It's a series that could be for first place, as we'll be in LA for three with the Stars. Another team that can hit a lot of home runs, Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) already has three, and leadoff man and 1960 Kellogg winner Don Hall (.271, 25, 80) is one of three hitters with two homers. The Stars also have former Chicago Panther Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), who has committed to playing baseball full time. It's a tough pitching staff to compliment the lineup too, and we're in line to have our best face their best. I'm nervous about facing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87), and 22-year-old Sy Dunn (16-5, 3.34, 136) was excellent in his first y ear as a starter. #3 Floyd Warner (13-12, 4.74, 122) isn't as scary, but we'll need to score a lot of runs to keep up. It's still way too early to think about the playoffs, but when you're in first place, series like this are huge, and wins against contenders are big regardless of the situation.