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ayaghmour2 · 01-14-2025, 03:41 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 66-53 (t-3rd, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Mooney Vetter : 17 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .647 AVG, 1.431 OPS
Tom Halliday : 30 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .367 AVG, .887 OPS
Jim Barton : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333 AVG, .887 OPS

Schedule
8-20 Win at Wranglers (6-4): 12 innings
8-21: Win at Wranglers (11-1)
8-23: Loss vs Sailors (9-4)
8-24: Loss vs Sailors (8-5)
8-25: Win vs Sailors (4-5)
8-26: Loss at Stars (4-5)

Recap
A rare middling week puts another dent into our pennant hopes, but the results on the field weren't the biggest problem to happen this week. To be fair, two of the losses came against the first place Sailors, but at home I really had a shred of hope we'd win the series. The main issue, however, was the first real injury of note, as we will be without our star center fielder Jerry McMillan for at least two weeks. Suffering a hamstring strain towards the end of our 11-1 thrashing of the Wranglers, it was one of his best games of the season, 4-for-5 with a double and 3 RBIs. It extended his hit-streak to nine, but he'll have to now wait until September before appearing in his 114th game of the season. Snapping what would have been four years with at least 150 appearances, McMillan's loss will be tough to stomach, as he's been worth over 4 WAR with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 17 homers, 20 steals, 62 RBIs, and 90 runs scored. Add in his 135 WRC+ and .335/.385/.524 (133 OPS+) batting line, and our lineup gets a lot weaker without him at the top.

Coming up from the farm is a FABL debut, as scheduled to start our first game of the week is talented 23-year-old Bobby Martinez. Taken 5th in the 1957 draft, Martinez gives us a high contact lefty bat with speed and athleticism. Granted the latter two aren't to the level of McMillan, but where Martinez has the advantage is putting the ball in play. In 515 PAs, he has a miniature 4.3 K%, leading to an average .274/.332/.387 (100 OPS+) batting line. With an almost equal split between center (502.1, 3.5, 1.020) and right (482.1, 8.0, 1.080), the 54th ranked prospect has shown that he can handle both well, though with his cannon of an arm right may be the best spot for him. He has the range for center, even if a little less then McMillan, and that's where we'll play him. I debated moving Henry Watson (.295, 20, 94) from right to center, but he's been great there (8.5, 1.048) and I don't want to upset his rhythm. Martinez has a chance to develop into a reliable every day player, and now is his first chance to show he belongs in our young and talented outfield.

Looking back on the week that happened, we actually hit well despite the lack of winning. Surprisingly, Mooney Vetter carried the offense, an insane 11-for-17 with a triple, walk, run, and 4 RBI. Henry Watson (7-19, 3 2B, RBI, 4 R, 2 BB), Tom Halliday (11-30, 4 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R, BB), and Jim Barton (7-21, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB) all hit well, while Gene Case put himself in the Cougar record books. Our young first basemen became the fifth Cougar to hit 30 or more home runs in a season, joining Jerry Smith (47, 1953; 35, 155; 30, 1952), Jack Gibson (43, 1960; 38, 1959), Sal Pestilli (33, 1948), and Tom Taylor (31, 1934; 30, 1932). Case hit his 30th, and 31st, homer on August 25th against Hank Lacey, and three of his five hits came in that 5-4 win. He's cooled a bit in August, hitting "just" .259/.394/.506 (131 OPS+) with 5 homers and 19 RBIs, but the 24-year-old is still hitting at a 40 homer pace with a 150 WRC+, 75 walks, 88 RBIs, and 94 runs. Without McMillan, we'll lean even more on Case, who with just four more home runs would be alone for 5th most in team history.

After getting demoted in the rotation, Andy Logue has taken it in stride, as instead of letting it continue his slump, it's allowed him to steady the ship. The additional rest has worked wonders, and his performance against the Wranglers was one of his best. Sure, 11 runs helps, but in 7 innings he held them to a run on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. His third consecutive start with two or fewer earned runs, the now 8-13 Logue regained an above average ERA. Down to 4.35 (103 ERA+) in 151 innings, he's got a solid 1.44 WHIP with 61 walks and 90 strikeouts. Beyond the stat sheet, he's among the team leaders, and the undisputed head of the pitching staff. When he talks, guys listen, and he's a big part of the reason we've allowed the second fewest runs in the Conti.

Roy Ellis has helped as well, and despite pitching well in wins he didn't get one in either of his two starts. Errors cost him a chance at a shutout in Dallas, as he would have had 6.2 scoreless innings with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts as what's normally a routine double play for Tom Halliday turned into two runs. Going from two outs to none, both guys ended up scoring, albeit, with a single and error contributing later. Pug (BS, 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K) blew it in the ninth, so we had to play three extra innings, earning new guy Earle Turner (2 IP, 2 H) a win and demoted starter Bob Allen (IP, H) a save. Turner has been an unsung hero, as the waiver claim added four more scoreless innings to his Cougar tenure. In 15.1 innings with us he's allowed just 14 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks, striking out 11 in 10 games. His 2.93 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP are way better then what he did in Cleveland, and for some reason Dixie Marsh thinks he's our second best starting pitcher behind Arch Wilson.

Maybe it's the team leading 10 wins? That does look like a starter!

Turner is closer to a starter then Arch, but without a third pitch don't expect him to start many games. He can't eat like Arch could, and even if his change up didn't suck I wouldn't expect many starts over six innings. That being said, he'd be an interesting choice for the dev lab, as he's an extreme groundballer with a nasty sinker. Lefties hit the sidearmer well, but if our lineup is any indication he won't have to face too many, although I can see a team like the Kings giving him fits. We have so many more high upside candidates to choose from, but a positive result from Turner could mean a 28-year-old #3 starter. That seems pretty nice, don't you think?

Looking Ahead
One more week of August, which means just one more sim until we get to make our September callups. All five of our minor league teams are over .500, though at 57-56 in San Jose it's almost a technicality, so I don't want to ruin anyone's season for a guy just to sit on the bench. There are plenty of candidates, including a healthy McMillan, but one of the guys who would have gotten recalled is already us. An infielder is a must, likely Moe Holt, and I made a waiver claim that should be ours. I can rule out a few guys, such as the returning to health George McKee (.256, 8, 66) and future ace Ken Stone (11-7, 2.96, 119), though if there is room once the Century League season is over they'd be the first two up. If we didn't pick up Champ, Henry Henderson (9-6, 2.77, 97) would probably join as a 5th or 6th starter, but him and Stone should be able to finish out the season in Milwaukee. If it wasn't for weird usage, they'd be prospects, and both youngsters can be huge long-term pieces if they reach their respective peaks.

Before we get to that, we have a tough path, with two in LA, three hosting the Foresters, and the first two in Montreal. Sure, Cleveland has been awful lately, but we're exactly what they need to right the ship, and without Jerry McMillan leading the lineup, it's going to be tough to score. Buddy Byrd is Buck Cuppett's choice, a bold one for sure, but he was already having the veteran lead against lefties when I didn't get involved with the daily lineup. I was kind of hoping for Martinez, but instead our skipper will go L-R almost entirely through the lineup, with southpaws in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th spot. In modern baseball that's a huge perk, and at least in the 60s it means changing where the pitcher may attack with regularity. Of course, Ham Flanders or a healthy Jack Gibson at second probably ends up with us winning a pennant, but if a few guys step up we can keep a float for the first of two weeks without our best player.

Minor League Report
SS Bill Grimm (B San Jose Cougars); I did all my promotions, including Sam Morrison, last sim, but it turns out there was one more guy that I needed to make room for. Already with an up arrow, 18-year-old Bill Grimm has mastered Class C, slashing .340/.498/.715 (151 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 47 RBIs, 64 runs, and 24 steals. Counting stats are well and good, but most guys his age don't have a 58-to-30 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Or if they do, it's because they're the ones throwing the pitches.

Already ranked 26th among FABL prospects, Grimm is widely regarded as elite, and his current ratings keep on rising. A lock for the dev lab this offseason, he's got an amazing eye, but I'd first love to tap into his power. That's what could separate him from the rest of the top-50 prospects, as he's a plus defender on the left side of the infield who can hit. Don't expect steal numbers like this again, but Grimm is a true athlete who's just beginning to grow into himself. He's able to play in the outfield or infield, potentially best suited for third base, but while he's on the way up our system we will be working on his range. Right now, I don't see him playing good enough defense to displace Tom Halliday, and the arm for third is enticing. In San Jose, he'll start getting reps at the hot corner, as last year's 4th Rounder Sam Pratt has started to catch my eye. At 19, he's got similar current skills to Grimm, but he's a lock defensively for short. Most of the time he'll be an overqualified second basemen, but since both have FABL futures, they both get to be the shortstop.

Just Grimm most of the time. Because he's the infield guy right now. And the only thing stopping me from eternally hating the 1962 draft!

01-14-2025, 03:41 PM	#1572
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 18: August 21st-August 26th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 66-53 (t-3rd, 7 GB) Stars of the Week Mooney Vetter : 17 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .647 AVG, 1.431 OPS Tom Halliday : 30 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .367 AVG, .887 OPS Jim Barton : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333 AVG, .887 OPS Schedule 8-20 Win at Wranglers (6-4): 12 innings 8-21: Win at Wranglers (11-1) 8-23: Loss vs Sailors (9-4) 8-24: Loss vs Sailors (8-5) 8-25: Win vs Sailors (4-5) 8-26: Loss at Stars (4-5) Recap A rare middling week puts another dent into our pennant hopes, but the results on the field weren't the biggest problem to happen this week. To be fair, two of the losses came against the first place Sailors, but at home I really had a shred of hope we'd win the series. The main issue, however, was the first real injury of note, as we will be without our star center fielder Jerry McMillan for at least two weeks. Suffering a hamstring strain towards the end of our 11-1 thrashing of the Wranglers, it was one of his best games of the season, 4-for-5 with a double and 3 RBIs. It extended his hit-streak to nine, but he'll have to now wait until September before appearing in his 114th game of the season. Snapping what would have been four years with at least 150 appearances, McMillan's loss will be tough to stomach, as he's been worth over 4 WAR with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 17 homers, 20 steals, 62 RBIs, and 90 runs scored. Add in his 135 WRC+ and .335/.385/.524 (133 OPS+) batting line, and our lineup gets a lot weaker without him at the top. Coming up from the farm is a FABL debut, as scheduled to start our first game of the week is talented 23-year-old Bobby Martinez. Taken 5th in the 1957 draft, Martinez gives us a high contact lefty bat with speed and athleticism. Granted the latter two aren't to the level of McMillan, but where Martinez has the advantage is putting the ball in play. In 515 PAs, he has a miniature 4.3 K%, leading to an average .274/.332/.387 (100 OPS+) batting line. With an almost equal split between center (502.1, 3.5, 1.020) and right (482.1, 8.0, 1.080), the 54th ranked prospect has shown that he can handle both well, though with his cannon of an arm right may be the best spot for him. He has the range for center, even if a little less then McMillan, and that's where we'll play him. I debated moving Henry Watson (.295, 20, 94) from right to center, but he's been great there (8.5, 1.048) and I don't want to upset his rhythm. Martinez has a chance to develop into a reliable every day player, and now is his first chance to show he belongs in our young and talented outfield. Looking back on the week that happened, we actually hit well despite the lack of winning. Surprisingly, Mooney Vetter carried the offense, an insane 11-for-17 with a triple, walk, run, and 4 RBI. Henry Watson (7-19, 3 2B, RBI, 4 R, 2 BB), Tom Halliday (11-30, 4 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R, BB), and Jim Barton (7-21, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB) all hit well, while Gene Case put himself in the Cougar record books. Our young first basemen became the fifth Cougar to hit 30 or more home runs in a season, joining Jerry Smith (47, 1953; 35, 155; 30, 1952), Jack Gibson (43, 1960; 38, 1959), Sal Pestilli (33, 1948), and Tom Taylor (31, 1934; 30, 1932). Case hit his 30th, and 31st, homer on August 25th against Hank Lacey, and three of his five hits came in that 5-4 win. He's cooled a bit in August, hitting "just" .259/.394/.506 (131 OPS+) with 5 homers and 19 RBIs, but the 24-year-old is still hitting at a 40 homer pace with a 150 WRC+, 75 walks, 88 RBIs, and 94 runs. Without McMillan, we'll lean even more on Case, who with just four more home runs would be alone for 5th most in team history. After getting demoted in the rotation, Andy Logue has taken it in stride, as instead of letting it continue his slump, it's allowed him to steady the ship. The additional rest has worked wonders, and his performance against the Wranglers was one of his best. Sure, 11 runs helps, but in 7 innings he held them to a run on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. His third consecutive start with two or fewer earned runs, the now 8-13 Logue regained an above average ERA. Down to 4.35 (103 ERA+) in 151 innings, he's got a solid 1.44 WHIP with 61 walks and 90 strikeouts. Beyond the stat sheet, he's among the team leaders, and the undisputed head of the pitching staff. When he talks, guys listen, and he's a big part of the reason we've allowed the second fewest runs in the Conti. Roy Ellis has helped as well, and despite pitching well in wins he didn't get one in either of his two starts. Errors cost him a chance at a shutout in Dallas, as he would have had 6.2 scoreless innings with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts as what's normally a routine double play for Tom Halliday turned into two runs. Going from two outs to none, both guys ended up scoring, albeit, with a single and error contributing later. Pug (BS, 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K) blew it in the ninth, so we had to play three extra innings, earning new guy Earle Turner (2 IP, 2 H) a win and demoted starter Bob Allen (IP, H) a save. Turner has been an unsung hero, as the waiver claim added four more scoreless innings to his Cougar tenure. In 15.1 innings with us he's allowed just 14 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks, striking out 11 in 10 games. His 2.93 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP are way better then what he did in Cleveland, and for some reason Dixie Marsh thinks he's our second best starting pitcher behind Arch Wilson. Maybe it's the team leading 10 wins? That does look like a starter! Turner is closer to a starter then Arch, but without a third pitch don't expect him to start many games. He can't eat like Arch could, and even if his change up didn't suck I wouldn't expect many starts over six innings. That being said, he'd be an interesting choice for the dev lab, as he's an extreme groundballer with a nasty sinker. Lefties hit the sidearmer well, but if our lineup is any indication he won't have to face too many, although I can see a team like the Kings giving him fits. We have so many more high upside candidates to choose from, but a positive result from Turner could mean a 28-year-old #3 starter. That seems pretty nice, don't you think? Looking Ahead One more week of August, which means just one more sim until we get to make our September callups. All five of our minor league teams are over .500, though at 57-56 in San Jose it's almost a technicality, so I don't want to ruin anyone's season for a guy just to sit on the bench. There are plenty of candidates, including a healthy McMillan, but one of the guys who would have gotten recalled is already us. An infielder is a must, likely Moe Holt, and I made a waiver claim that should be ours. I can rule out a few guys, such as the returning to health George McKee (.256, 8, 66) and future ace Ken Stone (11-7, 2.96, 119), though if there is room once the Century League season is over they'd be the first two up. If we didn't pick up Champ, Henry Henderson (9-6, 2.77, 97) would probably join as a 5th or 6th starter, but him and Stone should be able to finish out the season in Milwaukee. If it wasn't for weird usage, they'd be prospects, and both youngsters can be huge long-term pieces if they reach their respective peaks. Before we get to that, we have a tough path, with two in LA, three hosting the Foresters, and the first two in Montreal. Sure, Cleveland has been awful lately, but we're exactly what they need to right the ship, and without Jerry McMillan leading the lineup, it's going to be tough to score. Buddy Byrd is Buck Cuppett's choice, a bold one for sure, but he was already having the veteran lead against lefties when I didn't get involved with the daily lineup. I was kind of hoping for Martinez, but instead our skipper will go L-R almost entirely through the lineup, with southpaws in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th spot. In modern baseball that's a huge perk, and at least in the 60s it means changing where the pitcher may attack with regularity. Of course, Ham Flanders or a healthy Jack Gibson at second probably ends up with us winning a pennant, but if a few guys step up we can keep a float for the first of two weeks without our best player. Minor League Report SS Bill Grimm (B San Jose Cougars); I did all my promotions, including Sam Morrison, last sim, but it turns out there was one more guy that I needed to make room for. Already with an up arrow, 18-year-old Bill Grimm has mastered Class C, slashing .340/.498/.715 (151 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 47 RBIs, 64 runs, and 24 steals. Counting stats are well and good, but most guys his age don't have a 58-to-30 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Or if they do, it's because they're the ones throwing the pitches. Already ranked 26th among FABL prospects, Grimm is widely regarded as elite, and his current ratings keep on rising. A lock for the dev lab this offseason, he's got an amazing eye, but I'd first love to tap into his power. That's what could separate him from the rest of the top-50 prospects, as he's a plus defender on the left side of the infield who can hit. Don't expect steal numbers like this again, but Grimm is a true athlete who's just beginning to grow into himself. He's able to play in the outfield or infield, potentially best suited for third base, but while he's on the way up our system we will be working on his range. Right now, I don't see him playing good enough defense to displace Tom Halliday, and the arm for third is enticing. In San Jose, he'll start getting reps at the hot corner, as last year's 4th Rounder Sam Pratt has started to catch my eye. At 19, he's got similar current skills to Grimm, but he's a lock defensively for short. Most of the time he'll be an overqualified second basemen, but since both have FABL futures, they both get to be the shortstop. Just Grimm most of the time. Because he's the infield guy right now. And the only thing stopping me from eternally hating the 1962 draft!