Weekly Record: 2-1
Seasonal Record: 52-41 (4th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Mooney Vetter : 10 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .600 AVG, 1.200 OPS
Dick Champ : 1 Win, 15.0 IP, 1 BB, 9 K, 1.80 ERA
Henry Watson : 13 AB, 4 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .308 AVG, .769 OPS
Schedule
7-23: Loss at Sailors (3-5)
7-28: Win vs Stars (0-1)
7-29: Win vs Stars (3-4)
Recap
Awful, awful news...
Ray Dishman signed before Ollie Norris, so the 19-year-old free agent with no professional experiences was assigned to the open spot in AAA, and then for some reason former Cougar Tommy Russel decided to throw Dishman in one of the five games he was on the roster.
Isn't that awful!? A classic OOTPer released on draft day before bouncing around-team-to-team ends up making his pro debut in AAA.
And it's all my fault!
Dishman and Norris were the two pitchers I was talking about, as both are interesting for very different reasons. Dishman is the well journeyed minor leaguer, a 16th Round selection of the Sailors who has been signed and released four times sense. It's three independent teams and the Washington Eagles, but I don't have any plans in releasing the six pitch southpaw.
The issue with most young pitchers is the change, but Dixie says its a 4, and three of his other pitches are all threes or higher. Despite being a flyball pitcher who sits in the 90-92 range, the stuff is already off the charts, he just can't locate it. His pitches are often in the center plate, so even though they're hard to hit, if you hit em they go far.
At least in his defense, he's got 2 AAA innings and nothing else, so that's kind of expected. Even if there is no room for improvement in his movement and control now, anything can happen, and with his stuff holy cow he could be amazing. He could start or stop, starting is the goal for now, but we have no real exciting pitching prospects and regardless of the lists, he's #1 now. And has no down arrow in AAA! A ball seems to be the best spot for him to start, and I cannot wait for his "real" minor league debut.
AAA is for Ollie Norris, the former player of mine I mentioned. Acquired in 1951 for Ernie Frost that was so minor
it didn't get its own post, Norris became a decently regarded prospect, and before the fast-forward he was considered a future starter. After he became one of the Cougars top pitching prospects, debuting in 1954 and becoming a full-time starter in 1956. That year he was 7-12 with a 3.88 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts, but a league leading 31 home runs kept his ERA below average. 47 the following year was a nightmare, but he had three more seasons in the rotation.
Unfortunately for us, in 1961 he was released, and stayed there through the season. When we took back control, I wanted to sign him, but I didn't have enough money to convince him to sign with us. The Dynamos gave him $36,000, but he made one appearance before cutting him. Then when released, the Minutemen scooped him up first, and after they released him he was hoping to get a major league deal.
He didn't, so when I stumbled on him I offered him a minor league deal he accepted. It's nice to reunite with one of my former players, especially one who threw 1,065.1 innings with the organization. Along with his inning as a Dynamo, Norris has made 180 appearances, going 54-67 with 3 saves, a 4.30 ERA (93 ERA+), and 1.32 WHIP. Homers were always an issue, 172 of the 173 came as a Cougar, though he's walked (336) far fewer hitters then he struck out (641). The control is great, and I figured a return home might do him well. He'll hang out in the farm for now, and if he gets his form back, I might be able to get some use out of him for the big league team.
Just in the pen. Where he can't allow 40 homers a season.
So I actually buried the lead in this one, as the big news of the week should have been the back-to-back starts for Dick Champ. Something that probably hasn't happened since the Tommy Wilcox massacre, I started the same guy twice in a row, and this time it was awesome!
The first start was good enough to win, as in 6 innings he allowed 6 hits and 3 runs. We ended up losing 5-3, as Arch Wilson (L, IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB) has turned into a pumpkin, but most encouraging was no walks. After the break, we got the ace level performance the scouts rave about. We needed every bit of his 5-hit shutout, striking out 5 with just a single walk. In the shutout, only his RBI single produced a win, the perfect way to celebrate his 100th FABL victory.
Obviously it's two starts, but it couldn't have gone much better. We'll get plenty more starts from our new Champ, hopefully every fifth day the rest of the way, as we try to keep up our perfect 2-0 second half. No more Gene Case homers, though he was 4-for-11 during the regular season and a walk in his All-Star appearance. We didn't do much hitting elsewhere, but Mooney Vetter. The third basemen is hoping I can't find a new infielder, and a 6-for-10 with an RBI and two runs scored helped him plead his case. The former first rounder has normally hit around average, as his .277/.312/.371 (76 OPS+) line is way under. I doubt this is the start of a surging second half, but the defense is always good, and we can always count on him putting the ball in play.
Looking Ahead
We have the chance to sweep the Stars, as John Mitchell (7-5, 4.11, 64) looks to get his ERA back under 4 against 22-year-old Sy Dunn (9-6, 4.89, 99). Dunn ended his first half well, 7 strikeouts with just 2 hits and walks in 6 scoreless innings, and will be poised to start is second half in a similar fashion. Our staff did a good job keeping them in check at Cougars Park, and the only home run came from leadoff man Tom Clement (.245, 4, 18, 14). Neither Barrell has homered off us, and Mitchell has plenty of starts where he keeps the mistakes to a minimum. I'm liking our chances here, and these wins are crucial continue what's next.
We're stuck facing the association leading Foresters, who got the devestating news that Rufus Barrell is calling it quits at 45. Just named to his 12th All-Star Game, Barrell was 12-5 with a 3.18 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts in the first half. That doesn't read like someone who is "over the hill," but Deuce holds himself to such high standards that he would rather go out too early then too soon. His 684th start will be against us to start the series, and the inner-circle Hall-of-Famer will go into it with exactly 2,700 strikeouts and the third most wins in FABL history. Just Charlie Sis (395) and Allan Allen (514) himself have won more games then Deuce, and we'll have to be at our best to prevent him from winning #355. Elite doesn't begin to describe him, having won 5 Allens and accumulating 119.9 WAR in a 24-year career. A 3-Time 20-game winner, 4-Time ERA champ, and the Continental K/BB in every 1940 season, the game will be losing a true icon. Part of me wants the Foresters to win the Conti so he can when his 4th title, but the competitor in me truly believes the Cougars can pull off the six game comeback.
Working in our benefit is Jake Pearson (12-4, 2.86, 91) scheduled to pitch in the finale in his old stadium, we'll miss him here, and dodging the All-Star game starter is a win of its own. Les Hanauer (6-8, 5.29, 90) may be a sight for sore eyes after Barrell humbles us, and this year the Mad Professor's (10-5, 4.34, 115) lessons have been easier to solve this year. Our offense is good, and I'm confident in each of our starts. Their lineup is tough, no doubt about that, but we sort of have starters that can handle deep lineups. Cleveland kind of looks mortal again, but not for a second am I doubting Sherry Doyal (..341, 16, 70, 5), Paul Williams (.303, 14, 58), and John Low (.284, 8, 53). And should Hank Williams and Dallas Berry mysteriously disappear, Hal Kennedy (.353, 16, 53) would win a Whitney. We can't let them sweep them, and honestly I could see us stealing the second two games if odd month Hank Walker is the one to show up on August 1st.
Ironically, I'm most worried about how we finish the week, as the Montreal Saints fired their manager and have absolutely dominated us in recent memory. The three games will be in Chicago, but that should only inspire Ham Flanders (.397, 13, 71, 8), who could somehow hit .400 this season. It would be the second time in four seasons, and I guess Kennedy would need Flanders to disappear too as the Andy Logue return piece has a 185 WRC+ and 47 extra base hits. All in just 400 PAs. He's looking like a true difference maker, and even though he's not good on defense having him at second with Case at first would be a dream come true. Logue is scheduled for the finale, setting up an exciting faceoff, and it'll be a moral victory if Logue can best Ham in a win. And it would make me feel better for not getting anyone at the deadline!
Amateur Report
7th Round, 130th Overall: LHP Hank Harris
School: Eastern Florida
1962: 4-8, 108.1 IP, 5.82 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 83 BB, 72 K
Career: 4-8, 108.1 IP, 5.82 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 83 BB, 72 K
One of the few guys drafted that our minor leaguer coaches have given time to, Hank Harris has been handed the third spot on the Lions rotation. He pitched just one season at Eastern Florida, going 4-8 with a 5.82 ERA, but scouts like the movement he gets on his three pitch arsenal. It's been tough for minor league hitters to handle, as in his first start he went 8 with 9 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts, and 3 unearned runs. He picked up the win, doing the same in start two, and after allowing 6 in 4.2 innings last week he pitched the best game of his life. Then run support might have been the trick, but of the twelve runs scored only his was truly needed. That's because our 7th Rounder kept the Moline Pioneers off the board, striking out 10 with 6 hits and 5 walks. An extreme groundballer, it also upped his homerless streak to 29.2 innings, hoping to make a lasting impression on his new club. As nice as it looks now, I'm just afraid he doesn't have much upside, but right now he's put himself in a position where if we need to promote a starter from La Crosse, he would be the guy.