[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 27-25 (t-4th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 26 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .308 AVG, 1.054 OPS
Dode Caudill : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .346 AVG, .933 OPS
Ken Stone : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 4 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-28: Loss at Stars (3-4)
5-30: Loss at Stars (3-5)
5-30: Win at Stars (9-0)
5-31: Loss at Saints (2-7)
6-1: Win at Saints (5-4)
6-2: Loss at Saints (2-3)
6-2: Loss at Saints (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Sometimes I cannot truly express my disdain for this stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid simulated baseball team. Outscore the Stars in a three game series? Two losses! Finish the week with an even run differential? Five losses! And you know why???

One-run losses!!!!!!!!!

Fourteen. Fourteen. FOURTEEN!

FOURTEEN ONE RUN LOSSESS

WE'VE ONLY LOST 25 GAMES

HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY LOSE 56% OF OUR GAMES THIS SEASON BY ONE FREAKING RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I'M GOING TO GO CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

*deep breaths*

Okay. You know. It's not just one-run games. We have only lost five games by more then three runs. That's it. Five. Every. Other. Loss. Has. Been. A. Save. Situation.

Why do the OOTP gods torture me like this!?

On the bright side, we still allow the fewest runs in the association, and Jack Gibson didn't spontaneously combust, even if he was just 4-for-19 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Plus Dode is now the #2 prospect in baseball (Mark Boyd graduated), and he was one of the few guys who hit this week. The rookie went 9-for-26 with a double, homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. The biggest offensive star was Gene Case, 8-for-26 with 3 homers and 7 RBIs, but our best performance came from Ken Stone. The innings eater had no problem with the "#1 ranked offense" in LA, holding them to just 2 hits on 4 walks and 6 strikeouts. Now 6-2, he leads the Cougars with a 2.82 ERA (146 ERA+), and his 70.1 innings are tied for the team lead with Roy Ellis, who has an extra start on him. I always knew he had talent, but even in my wildest dreams I didn't expect this level of performance. Yeah, the peripherals still aren't great, as his 4.36 FIP (105 FIP-) leaves a lot to be desired, but FIP hates literally all are pitchers, so I'm not paying it too much attention.

There was a bunch of other stuff, some good, mostly bad, but I'm behind and our minor leaguers got some awards. Let's not dwell on the bad!

Looking Ahead
Way better at home (16-9) then the road (11-16), we should do better this week, getting a nice off day before welcoming the Sailors (28-23) and Wranglers (18-34) to town. The two teams couldn't be much further apart, as the Sailors are a good team who should be even better, and the Wranglers are a team that will stay near or at the bottom of the standings. So that means we'll beat the Sailors and get swept by the Wranglers, dropping three one run games! San Fran is rocking a four man rotation still, something I hop ewe can exploit, while in Dallas I'm just hoping we can exploit everything. We're a good team, even if this week didn't say it, and if there is any justice in this world, we'll be back to winning five games in no time!

In a week. Got to specify. Not the rest of the season please!

Minor League Report
3B Mooney Vetter (AAA Milwaukee Blues): May was a great month for Mooney Vetter, who after a Player of the Week, ended up picking up the Batter of the Month. It was a strong one for the 28-year-old, who hit .367/.393/.541 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 19 runs, and 25 RBIs. For the season, he has a similar .351/.376/.512 (145 OPS+) line, putting up 10 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, 23 runs, and 36 RBIs. A hard worker, it's been nice seeing him take the demotion in stride, as he's positioned himself for a callup should Jack Gibson get hurt for a long time. With another option after this year, he may be stuck in AAA a bit more, but all it takes is one chance to get back on track, and he can emerge back as a FABL starter.

RF Cliff Coleman (A Rockford Wildcats): To the absolute surprise of no one, Cliff Coleman won Heartland League Player of the Month. Hitting a more the twice above average .320/.460/.720 (213 OPS+), the former 14th Rounder looked like a Whitney winner, knocking 11 homers with 7 doubles, 23 runs, 29 RBIs, and 25 walks, worth almost 2 full wins above replacement in 29 games. Surprisingly he was better in both April and his first two games in June, so his .333/.467/.726 (217 OPS+) season line is somehow even better. He matched his 13 homers from last season in 136 games in more then 100 less, and with 33 walks he's got more then his 27 from last season. I can't promote him now, but now it's only a matter of time before he goes up to Little Rock. He's been climbing the prospect lists too, up to 7th in our system and 118th overall. There's an outside chance he cracks the top-100 by season's end, giving us another talented outfield option with nowhere to put him. He's got an uphill battle supplanting Dode, McMillan, or Watson, but hitting the way he is right now at any level is impressive, and you can never have too many good options.