[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 32-27 (4th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jack Gibson : 23 AB, 8 H, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .348 AVG, 1.298 OPS
Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.224 OPS
Gene Case : 22 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .318 AVG, 1.192 OPS

Schedule
6-4: Loss vs Sailors (4-2)
6-5: Win vs Sailors (1-3)
6-5: Loss vs Sailors (14-6)
6-6: Win vs Sailors (2-4)
6-7: Win vs Wranglers (1-6)
6-8: Win vs Wranglers (0-12)
6-9: Win vs Wranglers (1-2)

Recap
Ayeeeeeee! We're back!

After that embarrassing 2-5 week, we flipped the script, winning 5 of 7 while winning a one-run game and getting blown out in another! Blowouts are usually bad, but with how many close losses we have had, getting crushed 14 to 6 almost felt like a good thing. The pitching just didn't show up, though errors made the score look worse then it was, but it helped spark a four game win streak, including a 12-0 thrashing of the Wranglers followed by a tight 2-1 win. We clobbered them in the sweep, outscoring them 20-2, for once asserting our dominance against a poor team. Sure, we didn't make up any ground, but we've won five games in three of the last four weeks, and the offense has really started to heat up.

John Mitchell is starting to make my life even more difficult, as he was the guy on the mound for the 12-0 win. A dominant showing all around, Mitchell held the Wranglers to just 3 hits and a walk, striking out 5 in a dominant complete game shutout. The 26-year-old has made three starts for us, and will get a fourth this coming week, 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA (355 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. It would feel awful sending him back down to Milwaukee, and with a bunch of double headers coming up I may keep him around. There's one this coming week, and every week in July, so aside from the week of the 17th, we have starts that need to be covered. With how good he's been, he's more then earned his place, and since this is his last option year he might have pitched his last game in Milwaukee without realizing it.

Mitchell wasn't the only starter to pitch well, as four other guys had starts with two or fewer runs allowed. That includes the red-hot Ken Stone, who for some reason was taken out after 73 pitches in 6 innings. Allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts, there was no reason to pinch hit for him in the 6th, but since we ended up winning the game 3-1, I can't really complain. Pug White came in to finish the game, throwing three shutout innings with two hits and a strikeout. Improving to 6-3, he then picked up a two-inning save on the 9th, giving him 8 on the year. Just turned 33, he brought his ERA back down to 3.30 (124 ERA+) in 57.1 innings, just as I expected him to. The save was after Roy Ellis' good start, as our #2 went 7 with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. Doc Griffin picked up his fourth win, 5 innings with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 4 strikeouts, while Hank Walker went all nine in our 4-2 post-double header win over the Sailors. It was big for the pen, as Walker allowed 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 4 to improve to 4-2 with a 4.30 ERA (95 ERA+). It's been an up-and-down season for him, but he gives us innings, and will continue to hold a rotation spot even with Mitchell's impressive pitching.

Jack Gibson was back to being Jack Gibson, as our prolific slugger knocked four out of the park in a 8-for-23 week. He added a double, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs, upping his season line to .302/.328/.643 (155 OPS+) with 13 homers and 27 RBIs. Gibson was one of three Cougars with a 200+ WRC+, as both Dode (211) and Gene Case (222) had huge weeks at the plate. Dode had the highest average, 11-for-25, and the speedster added a double, two triples, a homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. The former 12th pick now sports a .294/.357/.511 (132 OPS+) season line with 24 extra base hits, 22 walks, 29 RBIs, and 35 runs scored. Case hit three homers, giving him 13 on the season, 7-for-22 with 5 runs, 6 RBIs, and 5 walks.

Henry Watson added a three-homer week of his own, 8-for-29 with a double and 4 RBIs. No longer in the batting title race, he's still hitting a robust .329/.369/.529 (140 OPS+), and is tied with Dode for third on the team with 9 homers. An excellent right fielder, there's a small part of me that wants to move him to third to allow us to bring in a big bat, but as constructed our defense is one of the bests, as there's really no weakness. Tom Halliday is a part of that, but the slick fielding shortstop brought the boom, hitting his second homer in as many weeks. Halliday had just two in 151 games last year, and on the week finished 6-for-21 with a double, triple, 4 runs, and 5 walks. Jerry McMillan knocked a pair of home runs, 10-for-32 with a double, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 steals. The only regular not to homer was Cal Randall, and the struggling infielder was just 6-for-23, as even in a 3-for-17 week Dutch Miller had a homer and double. In 49 games, Randall has hit just .232/.255/.331 (58 OPS+), and his 60 WRC+ is almost half of the 101 and 102 from his previous two seasons. At least the captain's been great in the field, but he's a way better hitter then he's shown. There's a small part of me that wants to bring Mooney Vetter back up, but for now there's no real room.

Last note is a roster move, as after Buddy Byrd cleared waivers and refused an outright assignment, he went back on the FABL roster. He replaced first basemen John Morrison, who's hit just .167/.286/.250 (47 OPS+) in a small 14 PA sample. As a first basemen only, he hasn't gotten much time, but last year he was so good for us. Looking like a fluke, Morrison hit .342/.419/.658 (180 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 7 homers, and 24 RBIs. This came in just 86 PAs, and there's a chance the 33-year-old gets claimed by a team needing a righty bat. My guess is the $90k salary will scare most away, and I have yet to decide what I'll do if he clears. A release seems likely, but he's really the only natural first basemen in Chicago other then Case. Right now Buck has the 5'10'' Byrd as the top backup, though luckily Case is a machine, appearing in all 59 of our games and starting all but one.

Looking Ahead
We'll spend the entirety of this week on the road, starting with two in Cleveland against the Foresters. We just broke the tie with the, as at 32-28 they've got the same amount of wins with one more loss. After we finish, I hope they end up with three more losses, but the struggling club seems to have righted the ship after Paul Williams' (.335, 5, 39) BBQ cookout. Statistically, they're a middle of the pack team, sitting with 261 runs scored and allowed. The best thing for us is we avoid Adrian Czerwinski (7-2, 2.63, 59), though Sibby Smith (5-2, 2.24, 43) has impressed in the rotation and out of the pen, while Sonny Stoyer (4-2, 4.05, 34) shut us out in Chicago. On paper though, these are good matchups for us, so if we can make it so Johnny Ogden (1-4, 8, 3.34, 46) can't finish us off, I like our chances. The offense is underperforming a bit, as Stan Kleminski (.267, 1, 23, 8) has cooled off, Sherry Doyal (.287, 3, 12, 2) still has some injury rust, and both Tom Carr (.291, 2, 23, 10) and John Low (.264, 1, 20) have been more average then there usual good-to-great. Hal Kennedy (.306, 6, 28) has had to shoulder more of the load then usual, and while he's been good, his 121 OPS+ is double digits lower then his career average. His 137 WRC+ is more in line with what he does, but right now he's the main threat, and I think we can handle them even away from home.

San Francisco will be tougher, but at least like the Forester series it's just two games. At 32-26, they're half a game above us, as they match our win total with one less loss. No longer the association leader in run differential, they are +56 to our +54, while the Kings at +61 are now the best. Cincy is between us at +55, which really shows how evenly matched these teams should be. Ranked 3rd in runs against and scored, the Sailors are a team without many weaknesses, though catcher Bill Jenkins (.195, 1, 15) is hitting worse then Hank Walker (99 OPS+), who's actually homered twice against the Sailors this season. I wasn't planning on it initially, but now that I know his love of Sailors pitchers, he'll be on the mound for the finale. I'm curious to see which of their pitchers we face. It won't be Charlie Lawson (6-4, 3.11, 53), he'll get the nod in Dallas, and with double headers they've used swingman Eddie Whitney (6-3, 1, 3.17, 41) to keep their front four more rested. I'm hoping all the games will tire out the staff, as I know we'll struggle mightily with the 3-4-5 of John Kingsbury (.335, 8, 44, 4), Heinie Spitler (.381, 4, 33, 7), and Otis Haldeman (.319, 10, 44, 4). This team is really tough, but we might have hit our stride, and with Gibson I'm confident in us being able to consistently score more then we allow.

After that we'll look to pile on the misery in Dallas, as we get four games with the Wranglers in three days. Including a sweep at our hands, they've lost eight in a row, and at 18-40 are the only sub-20 win Continental team. 19.5 out of first, they won't be making a pennant push anytime soon, and they don't really have anyone to move for prospects. There are a few interesting players on the squad, of course Butch Abrams (5-5, 4.24, 37) being one of them, but they've got 28-year-old Rex Conner (3-3, 3.82, 33) going this season. After walking a Conti-high 95 batters with just 76 strikeouts last season, he's dropped his BB% from 11.8 to 8.7 and rose his K% from 9.4 to 11.9. Him, Abrams, and Steve Miller (3-7, 3.86, 37) are all decent starters, but they rank last or near last in nearly every offensive category. Disciplined slugger Ken Hudson (.222, 6, 20) has really struggled, and it's not like they had much talent around him to begin with. At least Ed Thomas (.272, 3, 22) has a WRC+ above 100, as does Ray Hughes (.268, 6, 19, 3), but it's nowhere near enough. Another sweep here seems likely, but as long as we can at least take 3 of 4, it will be a nice end of a hopefully successful roadtrip.

Minor League Report
RF Cliff Coleman (A Rockford Wildcats): Okay Cliff. I get it. You're ready for Little Rock. Who cares if it makes thing difficult on the rest of the guys in the system.

Fresh off Batter of the Month, Cliff Coleman took home Player of the Week, going 8-for-19 with 3 doubles, a triple, a homer, 6 walks, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. In 44 games, he's now hit an outlandish .344/.482/.740 (227 OPS+) with a 230 WRC+, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 14 homers, 43 RBIs, 38 runs, and 39 walks. Sitting at 118th on the league's prospect list, all Coleman has done this year is rake, and I don't think that will change up in Little Rock. I do expect more strike outs and a lower average, he's not a great contact hitter, but the power is legit and he's athletic, quick, and strong. Still ways from a FABL debut, the pipeline says 1965, there's a chance he spends a few season in AA, but I can see him getting a cup of coffee next season since he'll be on our 40.