[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 25-20 (t-3rd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 25 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.124 OPS
Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .360 AVG, 1.127 OPS
Gene Case : 24 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .292 AVG, .995 OPS

Schedule
5-21: Loss vs Wolves (1-0)
5-22: Win vs Wolves (4-6)
5-23: Win vs Wolves (3-5)
5-24: Win vs Foresters (2-3): 10 innings
5-25: Win vs Foresters (2-7)
5-26: Win vs Foresters (3-6)

Recap
Now this is what I'm talking about!

Sure, another one-run loss sucks, especially in a 1-0 game, but when you win the next five, including a one-run game in extras, who cares! It's our first win in a game that took more then 9 innings to complete, as we swept the Foresters out of town. I was actually pretty confident in this week, I mean we are a good team even if our record wasn't showing it, and the best part is we get Jack Gibson back without a setback!

It's a nice boost to the lineup, as having Gibson in the middle makes us far more dangerous, and despite missing almost four weeks he's still leading the team in home runs. Only by a homer, as this week got two guys to 7, as we had an absolute offensive explosion. Four guys had a weekly WRC+ above 170, with two more above 200, including the struggling Dode Caudill. After an outstanding start to his pro career, he got into a little slump, but the almost graduated #3 prospect packed a punch in our great week. Dode knocked 3 homers, making him one of the two Cougars with 7, finishing 9-for-25 with a steal, 2 walks, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs. Now over the 1 WAR mark, he's got a nice .265/.328/.476 (115 OPS+) line, tallying 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, 16 walks, 22 RBIs, and 28 runs. Joining him at 7 homers was Gene Case, who went 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and a steal. Our best May hitter by a wide margin, Case has hit .363/.468/.670 (204 OPS+) with 6 homers, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 steals, and 18 runs scored and driven in, making a serious case for May's top hitter. Turk Ramsey's (.295, 15, 39) 12 homer month may make that difficult, but our first basemen has the edge in both OPS+ and WRC+ despite half the homers.

As good as Dode and Case were, it was actually Jerry McMillan who had the best week, and it was a much needed improvement for our talented center fielder. Off to a slow start, he was an even 10-for-25, adding a double, 2 homers, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs. Easily his best week of the season, McMillan is hitting a slightly below average .290/.328/.409 (98 OPS+) with a bit above average 105 WRC+. Combined with capable defense, he's contributed 7 doubles, 5 homers, 21 RBIs, 31 runs, and 6 steals, and I'm hoping this can spark his overall production. Still a great leadoff hitter, he's on pace for his first sub-120 WRC+, but I have confidence he can get right back up there as the season goes on. I wouldn't expect that from Dutch Miller, but our catcher produced here, 6-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and 5 walks. The highly disciplined Miller's walk rate is down a bit, just 12.2% compared to the 13+ he posted in each of his last three seasons, but his .252/.351/.354 (92 OPS+) season line is much better then we got from the position last year. 34 in June, what he's done best is control the staff, helping us lead the Conti with the fewest runs allowed. As happy as I am that in AAA Chappy Sanders improved his blocking, but the 26-year-old is hitting just .217/.290/.350 (76 OPS+), making the decision to go with Miller look even better.

Our best pitching performance came in the lone loss, though none of our starters allowed more then three runs in a start. It started with Dick Champ, who delivered 6.1 innings with 4 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts, getting the tough draw of going against Phil Colantuono's (6-2, 2.39, 42) 7-hit shutout. It was Champ's 4th loss, but he improved to 2-4 by beating the Foresters to finish off our sweep. The 31-year-old vet spun a complete game victory, scattering 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a walk, striking out 7 to improve his K/BB to an outstanding 2.8 in 56.1 innings. A Henry Watson (.363, 6, 31, 3) error means I have to change my verbiage, as Champ has now allowed two or fewer EARNED runs in 6 of his last 7 starts. Fully out of his early season slump, our Champ lowered his ERA to 3.99 (103 ERA+), and with a 1.22 WHIP he's really done well keeping runners off base. 9 homes have hurt, he's nearly half way to his total in 201.2 innings last year, but this is a guy who hasn't allowed more then a HR/9 in a season since his last season as a reliever in 1956.

Our "worst" start was Don Griffin, who allowed 7 hits and 3 runs with 3 strikeouts in 5 innings against the Wolves. Earning his 3rd victory of the season, his ERA moved to an even 3.00 (137 ERA+) in 45 innings, while his 1.07 WHIP still leads the Conti. Best part is he's back to having a "4" for stuff, as while he can't pitch for very long, he sure is effective when he's out there. That's why it's so crucial that Ken Stone has shown out, as the 23-year-old picked up our first of two complete games this week. Coming right after Doc's start, Stone needed just 124 pitches, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) to improve to 5-2. 1 strikeout sucked, but coming with no walks makes it better, and he's done really well making up for short starts. With strong starts from Roy Ellis (7 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K) and Hank Walker (W, 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), we didn't have to tap into the pen much, but we won't always get this lucky.

Looking Ahead
Our week ahead is a weird one, as we have two off-days and two double headers. The off-days are Monday and Wednesday, and we get one to start next week too, while double headers are scheduled for both Thursday and Sunday. Due to this, we made two roster moves, as I needed to make room for Gibson and bring John Mitchell back up. I sabotaged Mitchell, forgetting to put him back in the Blues rotation, so he made thre relief outings instead of at least two starts. At least the 26-year-old will be rested, but considering Bob Burdick (3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 K) was beat up, I would have been better off stashing Mitchell in the pen. Regardless, he'll pitch the Sunday double header, and with another waiting for us in each of the next two weeks, he'll get a few starts before going down again. The other move is DFA'ing Buddy Byrd, as despite hitting .206/.250/.324 (54 OPS+), he was made about not playing every day. I really hope DFA'ing him will make him mad, or at least accept an outright assignment, but my guess is him and maybe John Morrison will bounce on and off the roster until Gibson inevitably gets hurt again. It's a tough b'day gift, he just turned 32 on the 26th, and if this is his last week in our organization, my former trade acquisition will end his Cougar tenure with 1,189 FABL games. There was plenty good, he's quick, good at defense, and a high contact hitter, batting a respectable .293/.323/.400 (98 OPS+) with 598 runs, 221 doubles, 97 triples, 19 homers, 382 RBIs, and 224 steals. An All-Star in 1956 and the Diamond Defense winner at second last year, he's still got some value, but he seems like a safe bet to clear.

Off to the road, we have a tough week ahead, facing the tied for first place Stars for one on Tuesday and two on Thursday. 28-19, they're percentage points below the Kings, and they're both two above us. Winners of 8 of their last 10, they've been crushing CA pitchers left and right, as both Ralph Barrell (.330, 11, 31, 5) and Lou Allen (.282, 11, 36) have slugged 11 homers each, while Bobby Garrison (.302, 4, 21, 7) has had a big breakout in year two. Just 20, the speedy Chicagoan has been a revelation, and without much defensive ability, he's going to need to keep hitting like this. That trio makes up a dangerous 3-4-5, and they've seen Charlie Barrell (.265, 6, 32) turn things around as 21-year-old backstop Bob Griffin (.289, 3, 22) has really emerged as a legit starting catcher. Our offense might not be able to keep up with them, but out pitching is way better, especially with Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) straining his triceps. The gap between our staff and there's is larger then our two lineups, and aside from exciting 22-year-old Harry Stout (3-4, 3.72, 50), I'm not too worried about their staff. Sure, Sy Dunn (3-2, 3.60, 46) and Floyd Warner (5-2, 4.39, 37) are quality arms, but with Gibson back in the fold, it's going to be really tough to keep us off the board.

Montreal may struggle with that too, and we'll get to face them four times in three days over the weekend. At 19-26, they're closer to last (3.5 GA) then they are to us (6 GB), and we really should be winning three of these games. That's not easy, obviously, and I know it's only a matter of time before former Cougar draftee Ham Flanders (.251, 4, 22, 5) wakes up. The reigning Kellogg winner has just a 108 WRC+ in 201 PAs, a far cry from his 167 last season. Third basemen Andy Gillman (.244, 9, 24) has slumped some too, but Harry Swain (.321, 7, 28) is as consistent as ever. Though as good as he's been, the true gem is Henry Woods, as the 20-year-old and #5 prospect has shown that he's clearly FABL ready. The former 3rd pick has hit an outstanding .368/.429/.632 (180 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 homers, and 25 RBIs, even stealing three bases while playing quality defense. It's helped the staff, as 29th ranked prospect Juan Quintana (4-3, 3.22, 39) has looked amazing, while the pen has seen great production from Hank Myer (1-0, 2, 0.82, 12), Chuck Droste (1-0, 2.49, 12), and Gene Faulkenberry (4-2, 5, 3.21, 36). He's one to watch, as the Saints moved the 22-year-old innings eater from the pen to the rotation, coming off 7-shutout innings against the Cannons in Cincinnati. Between him and 23-year-old Chicagoan Bob Nelson (3-5, 4.33, 49), they have the starts of a good rotation, but right now it's very hittable, and if we can keep Woods, Swain, and Flanders limited, we'll be in good shape.

Minor League Report
1B Jack Drake (AA Little Rock Governors): No C-O-W Player of the Week this week, but we got another for the Dixie League, as Jack Drake extended the Governors Player of the Week streak to three. A non-traditional first basemen, he hasn't shown much power, but for some reason the 24-year-old hit 5 homers in 6 games, including a two-homer game against Nashville. He had six other hits too, all singles, as the former Pioneer prospect was 11-for-26 with 2 walks, 8 runs, and 9 RBIs. On his last option year, he's actually yet to play in AAA, making two late season appearances for the Cougars the past two seasons. Ed Duncan is in AAA, and I don't want either of these guys on the bench, so despite his now much higher .302/.374/.526 (141 OPS+) season line, he might be stuck in AA for a while. Considering he's only 24, there's a tiny chance that he actually improved his power, which would make him a whole lot more valuable. Sure, he won't replace Gene Case, but a useful lefty bat off the bench is crucial, and he's quick, has a good eye, and generally loves to hit doubles. It'll take a lot to hit into our plans, but it's nice seeing an improvement on the .250/.341/.399 (101 OPS+) he sported last season.

RHP Humberto Fonseca (B San Jose Cougars): Few pitchers have had a better start to the season then Humberto Fonseca, as our former 6th Rounder has done great keeping runs off the board. Allowing three or fewer runs in each of his first five starts, his 6th start was the best, twirling a 3-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts. Now 4-0, he has a pristine 1.43 ERA (248 ERA+) and 0.74 WHIP, striking out 39 to just 4 walks. With a 2.21 FIP (62 FIP-) the ERA seems legit, and it's time to give him a tougher challenge. Recently 21, he struggled in San Jose last season, but he has a nice offseason where he really fine tuned his skills. He's got 3s across the board, though the pBABIP is a 2, and he's a hard throwing innings eater who can overpower guys. A five pitch arm, they're all at least average, while his fastball is a plus-plus pitch. Dixie isn't the biggest fan, but he's ranked 16th in our system, 324th in the league, and fifth among our pitchers. I'm a fan of his talent, not his attitude, as he's really advanced for his age. A high floor arm, I'd be surprised if he doesn't end up in AAA and then FABL by time his career is done.