Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 46

ayaghmour2 · 09-15-2022, 08:43 PM

A little new before we get through the next round of prospects. The sim before today we sent former 2nd Rounder Pug Bryan to the Dynamos for an 8th Round pick. I once had very high hopes for Pug, who never quite followed his impressive rookie season. He struggled in 11 starts and relief outings the next season, and hasn't made a start since. He has looked pretty good out of the pen the last two seasons, but I had my nine pitchers more-or-less set in stone for the next season, and he was expendable. Or, at least I thought it would be set in stone, as now Johnnie will join Donnie overseas in the war effort. Our enlisted rotation (Papenfus, Brown, Jones, Jones, Goff) is not only better then our remaining rotation (White, Parker, Lyons, Petrick, Matson), but arguably better then any other full strength rotation. Our depth is going to be tested this coming season, and we may need Frank Crawford to make more starts then I would have anticipated.

LHP Ed Fisler (348th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1943)
Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Rocky Mount Patriots

Acquired with two picks in the most recent draft for Freddie Jones, Ed Fisler spent the rest of his season with Mobile, and finished it with a placement on the 40-man roster. The 22-year-old made 22 strong starts for the Commodores, going 10-10 with a 3.91 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 86 walks, and 88 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. These were pretty solid numbers for the young lefty, and while the walks were a bit high, I love his strikeout totals. Fisler has very good stuff, featuring a mid 90s fastball that he can overpower hitters with. He doesn't always locate his slider and change, but they are reliable offerings that can help keep hitters off balance. I don't expect him to figure into our rotation picture next season, although with all the enlistments and the expected injuries, you never know who we'll need to rely on. He has a bit of developing left to go, but Tom thinks he could end up a decent back of the rotation arm.

RHP Jack Huston (360th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Bay State Bulldogs

He doesn't get much love in the prospect rankings, but Jack Huston put together one of the best minor league seasons I've seen in Figment. The former 5th Rounder won 25 of his 32 starts, working to a stellar 2.83 ERA with 92 walks, 148 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. Huston through an organizational high 273.2 innings, getting two more outs in 1943 then Joe Brown.

So how does Huston get so many outs?

Well, I wish I knew...

His stuff isn't great, and while he projects to end up with a decent fastball and curve along with a borderline elite slider, he's currently more of a borderline starter then someone you'd trust against FABL hitters every fifth day. As a sidearmer, lefties may end up giving him trouble, but his slider is next to impossible to hit, and it's very hard to elevate any of the pitches he throws. His control can elude him at time, which is why his WHIP is rather high, but since it's hard to string hits off of him, he can usually get out of trouble. Plus his stamina is nearly infinite, allowing him to rack up as many pitches as needed. He'll start next season in Milwaukee, but since he's not yet Rule-5 eligible, he doesn't need to occupy a 40 man spot. If he can keep things going, he's likely to be the first man up, as it's really hard to argue with the results he's been able to put up.

LHP Bob Hobbs (379th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers

Now 22, Hobbs spent all of 1943 in the Marines Corp, costing him an important year of development. He struggled in 11 starts in Lincoln, going 3-3 with a 4.06 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP. Hobbs had nice strikeout (6.0) numbers but dealt with a lot of walks (5.6), limiting his overall effectiveness. He's always had some control problems, but never to that extent. His age will work in his interest, as he won't be too old when he returns from the war efforst, but there are a lot more exciting prospects in front of him.

RHP King Price (391st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs

1943 was supposed to be the year of King Price's debut, but like for many others, the war got in the way. In '42 the Bluegrass State alum made it up to Milwaukee after going 10-4 in 16 starts for the Commodores. Price's ERA rose from 3.78 to 3.90, but his WHIP dropped from 1.30 to 1.12. Now 26, Price is about as developed as he will be, and would likely be a better then worst case scenario starting pitcher. His change up is really good and he can pitch deep into games, but I can't see him claiming a rotation spot once he returns.

LHP Barney Gunnels (423rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Poughkeepsie Falcons

Our 10th Round Pick in the most recent draft, Barney Gunnels got a $2,500 signing bonus and managed to crack our top 500 list. He didn't have the best 9 starts in La Crosse, going 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.86 WHIP, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in just under 50 innings pitched. He'll be 19 this February, and I do expect him to pitch much better next season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the low-to-mid 80s, but his fastball, slider, and change are solid offerings. His change is the best pitch, getting a ton of downward drop on the pitch. His command should improve, as I can't see him ever walking more then 6 per 9 again. He's got decent upside and a lot of way to go, but I think the odds of him reaching his peak are rather low.

ayaghmour2 · 09-16-2022, 07:03 PM

RHP Charlie Kelsey (427th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins

Not many relief pitchers get spots in the prospect rankings, but Charlie Kelsey is not your everyday reliever. The former 9th Rounder was a solid pitcher in high school, but his third pitch never developed so he hasn't made a minor league start yet. He has, however, surpassed 100 innings in each of the past two with 10 or more wins and 15 or more saves. This season he split between San Jose and La Crosse, going 12-9 with 20 saves in 65 appearances. As expected, he was much better in San Jose, working to a 2.92 ERA (130 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP with 21 walks and 54 strikeouts. His ERA and WHIP rose after the promotion, but he had a really encouraging 78 FIP- due to strong walk (2.3) and strikeout (7.5) numbers. Kelsey has a really good fastball, sitting in the upper 80s that gets a ton of movement, and while his sinker isn't great, it does help him generate a lot of groundballs. If his change was any good, we'd consider him for a rotation role, but instead he'll have his work cut out for him, as he's going to need to outperform failed starters for pen spots.

RHP Dick Garcia (433rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Geneva Vikings

Our regional pick in the most recent draft, Dick Garcia is from East Chicago, Indiana, which just like Evanston or Naperville, isn't actually Chicago. East Chicago is actually a tiny city in Indiana, so while we didn't get him because of Illinois priority, we got him with Indiana priority. Garcia pitched well in his first 13 starts, going 5-6 in La Crosse with a 3.97 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts. These are strong numbers for the hardworking righty, who may have earned himself a shot at San Jose to start the season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the mid 80s with his sinker, but he's an excellent groundballer who can generate a ton of downward movement. It's the best of his three pitches, but he can use his cutter and change to get outs as well. His command should improve, but there's a chance he'll never have better then average walk rates. OSA thinks he can develop into a back of the rotation starter, but I think if he does it will be due more to his work ethic then his current potential ratings.

RF Sammy Dillon (441st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Mississippi A&M Generals

When Rich Langton and Cliff Moss were both injured this season, Sammy Dillon would have been a candidate to fill in out in right. But with him off in the Army, Dillon missed out on what could have been a big league debut. What he does have working for him is his character, as he's both a leader and hard worker, key qualities of a player you want in an organization. That will help him avoid getting cut, which could bring him a roster opportunity through the Rule-5 draft. Dillon has showed power, hitting 12 homers in 96 games with Mobile back in 1941, and he has hit 32 in 300 minor league games. When he returns to the war, he may have to make amends with being an organizational backup, as his days of being a relatively decently rated prospect are passed.

RHP Charlie Everett (456th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 12th Round, 190th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Shenandoah Valley State Barons

Another guy off to war, Charlie Everett has spent more time enlisted in the Army then as a member of our farm system. He pitched in just one game for the Lions his draft year, allowing a hit, walk, and run in an inning and two thirds. Now 23, Tom Weinstock has started to like him more, although a potential "spot starter" isn't too encouraging regardless. He's not the most interesting young arm, but he has good stuff for his age. He has a strong four pitch mix, featuring a change up with good sink and a slider with hard break. His high 80s fastball is decent too, but his curve likely won't be used much. With so little playing time, it's hard to judge his future potential, but he'll at least get a shot to prove his worth once he comes back.

CF Harry Carr (461st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Buchtel Griffins

We finish off our new top 40 with a former top 200 prospect in Harry Carr. 24 in December, Carr spent all year with Everett in the Army after a 70 game stint in Lincoln the prior year. He missed time with injury, but hit an outstanding .323/.366/.485 (137 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 13 steals, and 36 RBIs. These are really good numbers, and would have given Carr a chance to play everyday in Mobile. He would have been Rule-5 eligible this season, and while we do have plenty of open spots with all the enlistments, he now doesn't have to worry about being selected by another team. The former 10th Rounder won't have much of a shot to work his way into our starting lineup, but he'll still need to be at his best to even secure a futre 40-man spot.

ayaghmour2 · 09-26-2022, 06:47 PM

It's been a pretty slow offseason as our commish was on vacation for a little, and there hasn't been much action so far. A few minor trades, but there really hasn't been too much to write about. We're setting our rosters for the Rule-5 draft for this sim, with the draft itself happening on Wednesday, so I thought I'd cover a few of the new faces on our 40. We have seven openings, but I don't imagine that we'll add many guys as there are a lot of guys I want to see on the active roster. We also got good news on the Harry Parker front, as his recovery has gone well, and he should be full strength in about a week. A healthy Parker is huge, as he's one of the best pitchers left, and we really need strong arms.

RHP Bill Anderson: He hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues since 1939, but that was Anderson's six consecutive season with 30 or more appearances, and in each season he threw 170 or more innings pitched. Anderson appeared in 250 games with the Eagles and Wolves, going 84-101 with a 4.61 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 481 walks, and 548 strikeouts. He spent the 1940 season with the Dynamos' AAA team before joining our organization in July of '41. He threw just 18.1 innings with the Commodores that year, but then 54 the following year with the Blues before nearly 150 in the most recent season. Anderson spent most of his time in the pen, but he did start 6 of his 66 appearances. He was a pretty great stopper for us, 12-6 with 18 saves, a 3.64 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 31 walks, and 76 strikeouts. His BB/9 was a solid 1.9 and his K/9 a pretty solid 4.6 while worth 3.5 wins above replacement. Our pitching depth has been hit hard, as Joe Brown and Johnnie Jones joined former 40-man pitchers Danny Goff Jr., Donnie Jones, Pete Papenfus, Ed Wilkinson, Rusty Watts, and Harl Haines in the service. We were left with just 12 pitchers on the 40, and two of them haven't pitched in the big leagues yet. Anderson gives us a depth option (with an option left!) to fill as either a starter or reliever, and since I'm toying with a six man this season, we could use someone to eat a lot of innings. He's probably no longer a reliable everyday starter, but he can eat innings out of the pen and pick up a spot start if the schedule gets too crazy.

C Gene Lee: With Steve Mountain getting called away from the service, we only had two catchers on the 40, and I wanted to make sure we had at least three backstops protected. I don't think Gene Lee will ever get a big league debut, but if Mead or Taylor get hurt, he's likely the first one up. A 19th Round Pick way back in 1938, Lee has never really been a full time starter, and before this season he never started more then 25 games in a season. Despite that, Tom Weinstock has always been a fan, thinking he could be a decent bench bat with the option to start. He didn't hit too well this season, but he was really good with Mobile last year. In 102 PAs he slashed .353/.429/.447 (133 OPS+) but it dropped to .256/.331/.383 (89 OPS+) in 151 this year. An imposing figure at the plate, Lee stands at 6'3'' while weighing an even 200. He has a quick bat and makes hard contact, but he could work on his barrel control. He's just 23, so there's time for him to take another step forward, but he will have a chance for everyday at bats in Milwaukee this season.

LF Bill Rich: One of the best hitters in our system for the past few years, Bill Rich took a bit of a step back this season in Mobile. The 24-year-old still showed a lot of pop and a strong batting line, but his .301/.355/.449 (112 OPS+) line is surprisingly one of the worst in his young career. He did drive in a career best 115 runs with 27 doubles, 18 homers, and 93 runs scored. The former 3rd Rounder spent most of his time out in left, and while it didn't go too great, I always knew the bat was better then the glove. He's fast, although not much of a base stealer, and he has good command of the strike zone. He can maintain a high average with decent pop, and while 20 homers in the big leagues may be a stretch, in a stadium like ours it is possible. Rich won't be in contention for an active roster spot, and I expect him to start the season in Milwaukee, but I would be surprised if the Illinois native doesn't get a series or two in Chicago this year.

ayaghmour2 · 09-28-2022, 12:51 PM

We got three new additions to the Cougar organization, picking up a pitcher and two outfielders. We are also approaching the rookie draft (likely over the weekend), where we will be picking 12th in the first and second rounds. We'll get a quick rundown of the new picks:

RHP Lyn Trease (Brooklyn Kings): It seems like every season we end up with pitchers form the Kings. This time we pick up a young pitcher I've had my eyes on since he was a 15-year-old freshman: Lyn Trease. A four year starter at St. Ignatius, Trease was born in Peoria, and is the son of Hall of Fame pitcher Woody Trease, who was 325-185 in 543 games with the Dynamos and Minutemen. He had an elite 2.24 (125 ERA+) career ERA with 2,407 strikeouts in 4,606.1 innings pitched. His son doesn't have the arm of his father, but the soon-to-be 24-year-old is an extremely hard thrower. His fastball sits consistently in the high 90s, and while it's an excellent pitch, his other three aren't quite big league quality. He needs to improve his command, evidenced by his 7.4 BB/9 in 173.1 innings in AA, but Angel Lopez, another King farmhand, had a 7.2 in 61.2 AAA innings before dropping it down to 4.2 in 45.1 innings with the big league club. Trease will have a chance to earn a starting spot, as I really want to use a six-man rotation, but his future is likely in the pen. He'll never be a dominant starter like his dad, but he's a hard thrower who could be a great stopper if starting doesn't work, and he's a leader in the clubhouse which will make it easy to hold on to him. If he survives the season, he has three option years left, and we can work on trying to mold him into a productive big league starter.

LF Don Long (Philadelphia Sailors): One of two outfielders we grabbed, Long will be competing for a bench spot after spending more then five seasons in the Sailors organization. A former 4th Rounder, like Trease, Long had an elite season in AA, slashing a Don Lee-esque .326/.389/.426 (149 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 9 steals, and 29 RBIs. He hit just one homer in 389 trips to the plate, a little low for my likings, but his contact tool is outstanding and he has really good speed. He can fill in at all three outfield spots, but he's definitely more suited for a corner then up the middle. Tom Weinstock thinks he can force his way into a big league lineup, but he'll need to put up really strong numbers to make the Opening Day roster.

CF Gus Byrd (New York Gothams): Make it three fourth round picks! The last is Gus Byrd, a former Gotham prospect who split time between A and AA last season. Now 22, Byrd hit .328/.389/.468 (124 OPS+) in Albany before moving up to Reading to hit a bit below average .271/.293/.346 (95 OPS+). Byrd has more upside then the other two, but he's a pretty raw prospect who has a lot of developing still left. A natural center fielder, he's probably best suited for a corner, but he has good speed which helps a bit with range. I think he'll end up in right, and he could be a solid starter there, but I'm not sure he has the power for a corner. He does a good job barreling the ball up and he has a clean and compact swing that allows him to spread the ball to all fields. The only issue is he keeps the ball on the ground a lot, and as a lefty, he can take advantage of this if he goes opposite field. He's likely best suited as a fourth outfielder, but he's another interesting piece to add as we look to fill our bench.

ayaghmour2 · 09-30-2022, 10:33 AM

1st Round, 12th Overall: LHP Bert Rogers
School: Wenona
1943: 11-1, 120.2 IP, 1.04 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 25 BB, 160 K
Career: 21-2, 239.2 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 49 BB, 303 K

When you pick 12th in a draft, you expect to pick up at least one of the players in your top scout's top 10, and considering in 3 of the last 4 drafts I got a top 10 guy in the second round, I thought I'd be guaranteed one here. Of course, you could probably guess from the way I formed that jumbled sentence that I did not, and you would be correct, as 10 of the first 11 picks were in Tom Weinstock's top 10 rankings. This definitely threw off my draft plans, but in the end, we still got a player I am quite happy to add to our system. It's always fun getting Chicago guys, and it's an even bigger plus when they're filled to the brim with talent. A 17-year-old lefty who won't be 18 until August, Bert Rogers has a golden arm, and has absolutely pummeled Illinois hitters in his two seasons at Wenona. As a sophomore, Rogers went 10-1 with a 1.36 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 24 walks, and 143 strikeouts in his 15 starts. He made 15 more as a junior, and took a huge step forward, dropping his ERA and WHIP to 1.04 and 0.85 with 25 walks and 160 strikeouts.

The stats are great, but what really drew me to Rogers (other then being a Chicagoan, of course), was his makeup. A very hard worker, the skinny six foot southpaw is always locked in on the mound and he's laser focused in his pen sessions. He's not the hardest thrower, but he bumped his velo up a bit to 85-87, He projects to have three plus or better pitches, with the fastball the weakest of the trio. With more velocity it can only increase in value, but his breaking pitches are very good. His curve is downright nasty, and his slider is a nightmare for fellow lefties to even foul off, let alone drive to the outfield. Both pitches have a ton of movement in different directions, leading to a multitude of whiffs and just as many groundballs. There is no mention of control issues for the lean and athletic youngster, and he gets a very rave review from Tom: "Rogers projects to be a front of the rotation starter with his health, stuff, and effectiveness." Durability? Sign me up!

ayaghmour2 · 10-03-2022, 12:35 PM

In an effort to shore up our rotation, we linked up with an old familiar face, acquiring a 36-year-old veteran with over a decade of big league service time who once began his FABL career with the Cougars. That would be southpaw and former #2 overall pick Mike Murphy, who was a part of the Tommy Wilcox blockbuster that did not work out so well for the Cougars. Murphy made a 4 game debut season back in 1931 before being moved in that Summer blockbuster the following season. Murphy then finished the season in the Kings rotation, going 7-2 with a 2.53 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 29 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 11 starts. From then on, Murphy solidified himself as a rotation fixture, starting 32 or more games in each of the next seasons before finishing his final full season in Brooklyn with 28. He was then shipped to Detroit the following July for a pair of picks, ending an eight year stint with the Kings. His best season was 1936, where he was 17-8 with a league best 3.07 ERA (148 ERA+) in 252.1 innings pitched. Murphy totaled 1,655.2 innings, was a part of three All Star games, and won a World Championship with Brooklyn in 1937. He finished an impressive 115-69 with a 3.52 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 446 walks, and 609 strikeouts.

The Dynamos were in a pennant run in '39 (eventually finishing a game out of fist), and they thought a change of scenery could do Murphy well. He was just a year removed from a dominant season, but just 3-7 with a 4.86 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 18 walks, and 19 strikeouts in his 11 starts. He didn't quite turn things around, but finished with a nearly league average 4.19 ERA (99 ERA+) in 135.1 innings with Detroit. Murphy went 8-8 with 44 walks and 37 strikeouts, and with just one better start Detroit could have finished the season tied with the Miners. The Dynamos have fallen on rougher times lately, but to Murphy's credit, he was average or better from '40 to '42. The then 35-year-old lefty had a bit of a down season this year, in part due to a two month absence with elbow tendinitis. He made just 18 starts, going 6-7 with a 3.92 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 33 walks, and 20 strikeouts in just 119.1 innings pitched. It was his lowest inning total since his first season in Brooklyn, and one of just two seasons with 200 or less innings since 1933. Combine that with his age and the Dynamos not planning to compete this season, he was readily available and cost us a pair of prospects who rank inside our top 20 in Johnny Weaver (10th, 148th) and Sam Hess (18th, 224th).

Murphy gives us another quality vet to add to the rotation, and brings along 2,560 innings of FABL experience. The former Cougar draftee has now come full circle, and enters the season with a career 167-121 record. He owns an impressive 3.59 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 659 walks and 839 strikeouts while being worth 40.8 wins above replacement. A pretty durable lefty, Murphy has only had three injuries last more then a week, and as a groundball pitcher he should benefit a lot from having Skipper Schneider at short, and while Billy Hunter is no Clark Car in the field, he's another natural shortstop who is really adept at the keystone. Adding Murphy also allows us to go with a six man rotation, likely squeezing between Harry Parker and Dick Lyons for the 3rd spot in the rotation. Art White will lead the troops into battle, while both Rusty Petrick and Ken Matson can give us starts or late inning relief work based on how the schedule lines up. I'm never truly done making trades, but our roster looks more or less set for Opening Day, as we look to return to the postseason after a pair of seasons where we vastly underperformed our expected record. We have a very deep staff and a strong lineup, and the positional rankings have us up three in each spot except catcher (5th with Mead) and center (Montes is 3rd, but Yates just 9th). Technically we are 7th for relievers, but since not everyone has RPs in their pen (and not sure it counts CL like Curtin) the numbers are a bit funky. With all the uncertainty in the league, it's impossible to make accurate predictions, but it seems like the Cougars should be in contention yet again, looking to post a winning record for the sixth consecutive season.

The regional pick also happened (while I was writing this post!), and while I'd normally commit a separate post for the pick, we got one of the new players without any stats, so it wouldn't really be worth a standalone post. That being said, I am very excited for our pick, as we got another high schooler in 17-year-old Harry Austin. A New Athens, Illinois native, Austin won't be 18 until September, and while his makeup is a little concerning, OSA raves about his potential talent. A purely corner bat, Austin projects plus contact potential with well above average power, all mixed with outstanding plate recognition skills. Will he be an elite left fielder like they project? Likely not, as he's not very baseball smart and his work ethic leaves a little to be desired, but his offensive potential is off the charts. We have a ton of versatile, athletic, and hardworking players, so we can afford to use our lottery ticket here on a one dimensional hitter. It'll be interesting to see what Tom Weinstock thinks of the the young lefty, and I'm excited to see how many homers he hits as a senior.

Lastly, I realized that I didn't post a recap of my second rounder, Tom Jovin, so I'll have to find that. Otherwise, I'll likely have to rewrite it; either tonight or sometime tomorrow.

ayaghmour2 · 10-04-2022, 11:45 AM

2nd Round, 28th Overall: RF Tom Jovin
School: Pocahontas
1943: .479/.557/.713, 118 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .475/.554/.740, 226 PA, 28 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 55 RBI, 11 SB

I guess I forgot to post my Tom Jovin writeup, so let's run it again. There was a clever Pocahontas pun but I can't quite remember how it went...

Anyways, our second of three new high schoolers in the system, Tom Jovin isn't one of our usual early round picks, a 17-year-old corner bat from Norfolk, Virginia. He'll be 18 once he joins our system, but despite his young age, his bat is very impressive. He has above average contact skills and a real nice swing. It's nice and smooth and his hands are very quick, allowing him to turn on pitches inside and line them to all fields. Tom Weinstock thinks he could turn into a .330 hitter, which would be very impressive in a deflated offensive environment like we are dealing with, and I can't remember the last time he's rated a hitter's hit tool so favorably. Jovin reminds me a lot of a right handed Leo Mitchell, great hit tool, decent eye, and some pop from a corner only bat. He won't strike out nearly as much as Mitchell, but otherwise its as good as a comp as you can get. The only other difference is Jovin looks to have a bit more range, as while I doubt he's a capable center fielder, he does have a positional rating there. I'm really excited to see what steps forward Jovin takes as a senior, and I am very excited to add a bat like his to our mix. Obviously when I took Jovin, I didn't know we'd potentially get a left handed version of him in Harry Austin, but with a pair of corner bats in Bob Rogers and Jimmy Hairston getting every day at bats in La Crosse to start the season, I'm hoping one of them hits well enough to make the trip west to San Jose.

ayaghmour2 · 10-05-2022, 06:43 PM

Baseball is back! After another long winter, the Cougars are back in camp and hoping to return to the postseason as both BNN and Jiggs McGee are predicting. The roster is mainly set, but with a lot of possibilities in the pen and on the bench, 56 able bodies will report to camp in an effort to keep the starters healthy. A bad injury or two may be tough to overcome, as very few teams are selling, and some contenders may have to rely more on their internal depth which has taken a huge hit. Assuming a healthy Spring, the Cougars six man rotation and starting lineup is set, but there will be a few interesting camp battles to watch. Below is the very large roster to start the season:

RHP Bill Anderson
RHP Hooks Camp
LHP Harry Chamberlain
RHP Ben Curtin*
RHP Rube Finegan
LHP Ed Fisler
RHP Art Gilbert
RHP Jack Huston
RHP Charlie Kelsey
LHP Cal Knight
RHP Billy Lebeau
RHP Angel Lopez
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Harry MacRae
RHP Ken Matson*
LHP Mike Murphy*
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Rusty Petrick*
LHP Johnny Ruby
RHP Merritt Thomas
RHP Lyn Trease
RHP Bill Tuttle
LHP Art White*
C Homer Guthrie
C Gene Lee
C Harry Mead*
C Buck Tabor
C Mike Taylor*
1B Cuno Myer
1B Chris Smith
1B Dick Walker*
2B Bill Dickens
2B Billy Hunter*
2B Jimmie James
2B Walt Layton
3B Hank Barnett*
3B Steve Jones
3B Ollie Page
SS Jim Dickinson
SS Bill Graham
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider
LF Huck Hanes
LF Billy Jordan Jr.
LF Don Lang
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Bill Rich
CF Gus Byrd
CF Dan Fowler*
CF Don Lee
CF Hop Villers
CF Orlin Yates*
RF Chick Browning
RF Rich Langton*
RF Cliff Moss*
RF Bob Worley

*Denotes guaranteed roster spot

Camp Battles
Bullpen: 2 or 3
Inside Edge: Cal Knight
50/50: Angel Lopez, Bill Anderson, Merritt Thomas, Lynn Trease
Outside Looking In: Billy Lebeau, Harry Chamberlain, Rube Finegan, Harry MacRae, Hooks Camp

Generally I only carry nine pitchers, but it might be ten this season as I have a lot of options in Cal Knight, Merritt Thomas, Lynn Trease, and Bill Anderson and I can't keep them all in Chicago. Anderson can be optioned, as can Thomas, but Knight cannot and Trease is a Rule-5 guy. I really want an extended look at the youngster from Peoria ,as he lights up the radar gun and has an excellent makeup. He's a leader in the clubhouse, an extremely hard worker, and very intelligent. I don't want any of these guys starting games (although Anderson could if we were desperate), but they can all give us quality innings out of the pen on the off chance that they are needed.

Looking behind that group, we have a lot of other interesting arms like Rube Finegan (who I've called Finnegan likely every time) and Harry MacRae. I don't take too much stake in the position rankings for relievers, but Finegan is supposedly the third best in all of baseball. He's a bit too self-centered for my likings and he allowed 11 runs in 11 AAA innings, but he was dominant in Mobile last season and really good in Lincoln the year before. He doesn't throw too hard, and is wild at times, but he strikes out a ton of hitters and gets more then his share of groundball outs. MacRae has started his entire minor league career, but his future is likely in the pen where he could be one of the best stoppers in the game. Last season went very well for the 22-year-old, going 17-4 in 28 starts between Mobile and Lincoln. His ERA+ was 139 in 111 innings in A ball and 128 in 75.1 in AA. Curtin is probably the only member of the pen better then him, but MacRae is nowhere near his peak yet. Neither are on the 40, which will work against them, but both are big league ready and could develop into long term late inning guys.

Bench: 3 or 4
Inside Edge: Don Long
50/50: Jimmie James, Ollie Page, Tip Harrison
Outside Looking In: Cuno Myer, Chris Smith, Walt Layton, Steve Jones, Don Lee, Bob Worley, Gus Byrd

I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea who I want to fill up the bench. And that's part of the reason I brought so many guys up. Our depth has been tested with all the enlistments, but we have a few veterans and minor league journeymen who could excel in a weaker environment. We all know Cuno Myer can hit, but former 4th Round pick and now 33-year-old Chris Smith owns a .295/.351/.455 (128 OPS+) AAA career batting line and has been a beloved member of whatever clubhouse he has bene in. Then you have Walt Layton, who played 905 games in a decade with the Kings. He was a capable defender with a matching 1.098 efficiency at both second and short. His versatility gives him an edge over first basemen like Myer and Smith, but at 35 he's not the same defender he once was, and we have younger better defenders in Bill Dickens, Steve Jones, and Bill Graham, who will all be fighting to make their big league debuts.

I did make my decision a bit easier, sending Dan Rogers to the Stars for the Cannons 7th Round Pick, as he was unfortunately out of options and I really like our new Rule-5 Picks in Don Long and Gus Byrd, both of which can play center. We only really have one open outfield spot, as Moss and Langton platoon in right while Dan Fowler will probably take some starts away from Orlin Yates. I think Don Lee is almost guaranteed one of the last spots, as the 24-year-old is already a leader and checks in at 18th in our system. He hit an impressive .326/.389/.426 (149 OPS+) in 109 AA games last year, and his athleticism allows him to cover all three outfield positions. He's better in the corners, but he has a really nice hit tool and could steal a few bases. Byrd is more of a longshot, as he's two years younger and was a bit below average in AA. He was 21 most of the time, so a 95 OPS+ is pretty respectable. He's a better center fielder then Long, although he's not all that great himself.

We have a few other players in the mix if I decide to keep an outfielder who isn't a Rule-5 guy, but seven outfielders might be tough. We have another former King, Bob Worley, although he's known much more for his time in Montreal. He has a lot of pop, but whiffs a ton, and didn't hit too well in AAA last season. A more exciting option would be Rap Lee, but I'd prefer for him to get everyday at bats. Lee had a 162 OPS+ in Lincoln and 148 in Mobile, and if Yates get hurts there's no reason why he can't be our Opening Day center fielder. Otherwise he'll man center in either AA or AAA, playing with other camp mates like Huck Hanes, Bill Rich, and Chick Browning. All could end up on the active roster, but I think they'll be best served playing every day in the minors. We have a lot of depth in the corners, but Leo Mitchell never misses time and we have plenty of guys on the active roster who can man the outfield.

One guy I really want to see make the team is the versatile Jimmie James. The former 4th Rounder went 6-for-12 with a double, 2 walks, and 4 RBIs in his first 3 big league games, and he's coming off a .276/.376/.410 (120 OPS+) season in AAA. With Billy Hunter's lengthy injury history, I'd love to have Jimmie James start every third game at second, and he's probably the best option at short or third if for some reason Skipper or Hank decide to take an off day. James is a switch hitter as well and can play all three outfield positions. He's not as good in the field as Tip Harrison, but he's a far better hitter and could easily cast Harrison off on waivers. Regardless of if he makes the team, he's Billy Hunter's replacement, as he's a capable big league starter. Unlike Ollie Page, who may be at the end of his days as a Cougar. He hit a pitiful .118/.262/.157 (27 OPS+) in 64 PAs and he'll be 34 come Opening Day. Expect a lot of movement after the second week, but I'm hoping a lot of these guys can get some games in.

ayaghmour2 · 10-06-2022, 12:06 PM

It wasn't a great first week of Spring, but it could have been far worse as the Cannons lost the best active pitcher in baseball Rufus Barrell II. He tore his flexor tendon, and may end up missing next Opening Day as well. I really thought the Cannons would be in it until the end, mainly because of Rufus, but this may help us down the line. We lost a player of our own, but it was Bill Anderson and just for a few weeks. His calf strain cost him an Opening Day spot, and he'll start the season in Milwaukee now.

Unlike most teams, I had my regular starting six play, which made me a bit surprised we played so poorly. Rusty Petrick had a stellar spring debut, going 6 innings with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Art White was even better, tossing 5 scoreless with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson went four scoreless, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons didn't look 43, something I will worry about all year, tossing 4 innings with 4 hits, a run, and a strikeout. Mike Murphy didn't do as good in his return to the Cougars, 5 hits, 3 runs, and a walk in 4 innings pitched. Harry Parker struggled as well, 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in his 4 frames. We got some good pen innings from Johnny Ruby, making 2 appearances, tossing 4 innings with 2 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Ed Fisler and Angel Lopez both threw two scoreless frames. Ben Curtin allowed 2 hits, a walk, and a run in his 2 innings. Cal Knight allowed a hit in a scoreless frame. Merritt Thomas threw a perfect frame in his only appearance.

We didn't do much hitting, but Don Lee had a really good week. The 22-year-old went 4-for-11 with a steal, homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. The 37-year-old Dick Walker hasn't lost a step, 5-for-13 with a walk, steal, and RBI. Harry Mead went 4-for-13 with a double and RBI. Tip Harrison made a case to stay, 4-for-8 with a double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 steals, and 2 walks. Rich Langton was 4-for-9 with a double, RBI, and 2 runs scored. There wasn't too much else to write home about, but as long as we stay healthy, I won't complain. Our road to the pennant got a whole lot easier, but things could change in a blink of the yee.

ayaghmour2 · 10-07-2022, 12:30 PM

A much better second week for the Cougars, as we evened our record at six with a 4-2 week. We did get an injury scare, with Ken Matson suffering a hand contusion, but he looks to be healthy by time his next start will come up. We also shrunk our roster by one, sending Hooks Camp to the Dynamos for a 9th and 11th Round Pick. There is still time for another minor deal or two, but I'm starting to understand how our roster is going to shape out for the start of the season.

We hit better this week, starting with two of our more reliable hitters. Skipper went 5-for-12 with a double and run scored while Leo Mitchell was 4-for-10 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Mike Taylor, Hop Villers, and Orlin Yates all went 3-for-11. Yates double and walked four times while Taylor and Villers each tripled. Hank Barnett was 3-for-6 with a double, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs. Cliff Moss was 3-for-9 with a walk, homer, and 3 RBIs. Rich Langton was 3-for-6 with an RBI. Bob Worley went 4-for-12 with an RBI.

The pitching was decent overall, but Dick Lyons looked 43 today. He went 3 with 8 hits, 4 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Petrick went 4 with 4 hits and 5 walks. Harry Parker bounced back, just one hit and a strikeout in 4 shutout innings. Art White went 4 with 3 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Mike Murphy went 4 with 3 hits and an unearned run. Ken Matson left after 3, but allowed 2 hits with a strikeout. Charlie Kelsey threw 3 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Cal Knight and Bill Tuttle each threw two scoreless innings. Lyn Trease was roughed up a bit, 2 hits, 4 runs, and 2 strikeouts in 3 innings. Ed Fisler went 4 with 4 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

ayaghmour2 · 10-10-2022, 10:35 AM

Lots of wins this week, as we went 5-2 to up our record to 11-8. Just one game behind the Cannons and Sailors while tied with the Kings for third. We have five games left, and Billy Hunter already got a head start on his annual injuries. It's a minor one, just back tightness, which should hopefully not cost him an Opening Day start. He should miss just a week, and he was hitting just .172/.226/.241. I really don't want to place him on the IL, but if he has a setback I may be forced to.

We didn't hit too much despite all the winning, but Leo Mitchell had another nice week. He was 5-for-12 with 2 walks and an RBI. Dick Walker was 4-for-13 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Homer Guthrie went 4-for-10 with a homer, walk, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor and Bill Dickens were both 2-for-5. A few guys had advanced struggles, with Walt Layton 0-for-7 (at least with 4 walks), Cuno Myer 0-for-8, Skipper 0-for-7, Don Lee 1-for-11, and Bob Worley 2-for-11. But hey, we won games!

Harry Parker made a pair of starts, finishing his spring with a win and no decision. He allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a walk with 6 strikeouts. Art White didn't strike out any hitters in his 5 innings, but he allowed just one hit and two walks. Mike Murphy went 4 with 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks. Dick Lyons allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 innings. Ken Matson allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings. Rusty Petrick went 4 with 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. The pen was decent, with Ed Fisler getting a win and hold in his 4 innings. He allowed 4 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Johnny Ruby went 4 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Billy LeBeau and Harry MacRae both threw three scoreless frames. Lyn Trease was hit hard, 2.1 innings with 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout. Cal Knight allowed 4 runs, 3 hits, and 2 walks with a strikeout in 2 innings.

ayaghmour2 · 10-11-2022, 12:29 PM

Our final week saw us go 3-2, finishing a respectable 14-10 and tied for second with the Cannons. The Sailors finished a slightly better 15-9, earning the crown for the Spring. Best part for us, however, is that not only did we stay healthy, but Billy Hunter is recovered and ready to go for Opening Day. Him and Bill Anderson were the only two Cougars to deal with an ailment, and we were lucky that neither was long term. We're off tomorrow, and then we have the one day sim to Opening Day on Thursday, before the season starts back up on Friday. I really like our chances this year, but with everyone at far less then full strength, there is so much room for for team chaos to make their mark.

Our pitching staff was really impressive, with five of our six starters finishing with an ERA of 2.50 or lower. Rusty Petrick had the 2.50, going 0-2 with a 1.56 WHIP due to 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. Art White was brilliant, far better then his 1-1 record, working to a 1.42 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 4 walks and strikeouts. Mike Murphy and Harry Parker were both a perfect 2-0. Murphy had a 2.12 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts while Parker had a 2.25 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts. Ken Matson had the most decisions, 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Can we expect these kind of performances from our rotation during the season? Well, maybe not quite ERAs this low, but I do expect our rotation to be a huge strength. Of course, one starter was left out, as Dick Lyons looked like a 43-year-old. Clyde Meyer still wants him in the three spot, but he allowed 20 hits, 8 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in 14 innings. All 20 of our pitchers in camp threw 5 or more innings, and a lot of them did well. Neither will make the roster, but Johnny Ruby and Ed Fisler both threw double digit innings with sub 2 ERAs. Ruby went 11 with 9 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts while Fisler went 10 with 10 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Angel Lopez threw 6 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Merritt Thomas went 6 with 3 hits, a run, and a strikeout. I decided we will carry ten pitchers to start the season, despite Lynn Trease's struggles. The young righty was 1-0 with a save, but he allowed 9 hits, 7 runs, and 8 walks with 4 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.

The offense wasn't great, but two of our top veteran hitters had their way all spring. Leadoff hitter Dick Walker slashed .325/.404/.400 with 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leo Mitchell hit an even better .341/.413/.463 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs, while also striking out just 6 times in 46 trips to the plate. The duo were two of six hitters with 40 or more PAs, but they were the only to put the ball in play consistently. Orlin Yates hit just .256, but he walked 12 times in 56 PAs with 3 doubles, a homer, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. Don Lee really struggled, making him starting in the minors officially, batting just .128/.186/.205 with a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Harry Mead's struggles continued, slashing just .182/.270/.242 with with 2 doubles, a run, and RBI. We did have some surprise impressive springs, including a big showing from 1942 7th Rounder Homer Guthrie. He hit an impressive .433/.485/.700 with 2 homers, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. We have Gene Lee on the 40, but Guthrie is starting to establish himself as a potential replacement if a catcher got hurt. Cuno Myer did what he does best, hitting a strong .385/.429/.462 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored and driven in. It wasn't surprising per say, but Rich Langton hit a strong .375/.407/.458 with 6 RBIs in 27 PAs. Ollie Page might have saved his roster spot, going 4-for-11 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. I have a lot of work to do with shaping the bench up, but luckily we have a lot of good options.

ayaghmour2 · 10-13-2022, 10:18 PM

Finally!!!!!! Baseball is back!!!!!!

Check out the roster!!!

RHP Ben Curtin
LHP Cal Knight
LHP Dick Lyons
RHP Ken Matson
LHP Mike Murphy
RHP Harry Parker
RHP Rusty Petrick
RHP Lyn Trease
RHP Merritt Thomas
LHP Art White
C Harry Mead
C Mike Taylor
1B Dick Walker
2B Billy Hunter
2B Jimmie James
3B Hank Barnett
3B Ollie Page
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Dan Fowler
CF Orlin Yates
RF Rich Langton
RF Cliff Moss

If the prognosticators in the league have their way, it projects to be a very good season for the Cougars, as after the Rufus Barrell injury most people in the league expect us to finish atop the Continental Association this season. OSA gives us a 92-62 record, 6 games above the Cannons, and we get a duo of pitchers and a trio of hitters in the projected top 10s. Leo Mitchell is the MVP favorite with a .339/.384/.453 batting line with 12 homers and 65 RBIs. Hank Barnett (.320, 20, 91) and Cliff Moss (.285, 19, 85), both with arguably superior predicted season lines are the other two hitters while our 1-2 of Harry Parker (20-15, 2.84, 146) and Art White (18-14, 2.56, 57) projected for ace level output. Even with all the enlistments, we still have a deep staff and lineup, with Orlin Yates the only position player outside the top 5. Interesting enough, Carlos Montes is considered the #1 center fielder, and both Papenfus and Donnie Jones would rank #1 at SP, with Joe Brown at 4th. We also have a good share of the top 20 pitchers and hitters, with Clark Car (2nd), Hank Barnett (4th), and Skipper Schneider (5th) all in the top 5, with Papenfus and Jones 1 and 2. Joe Brown (10th) and Harry Parker (18th) check in the double digits, and while Art White is on the outside looking in now, he's ranked inside it pretty frequently in the offseason.

Looking at the farm, our system is actually one of the worst in the Continental Association, with only the Cannons (13th, 45) ranked behind us. Despite that, we actually rank 9th with 106 points, ahead of all Fed teams except the Keystones (1st, 182) and Pioneers (2nd, 174), who may finish the season 1st and 2nd in the league. Our numbers are inflated a bit, as the big league ready ace Duke Bybee ranks below just St. Louis' Tom Buchanan and Toronto's Jerry York. Otto Christian (47th) dropped down a bit while George Oddo (29th) shot up, and we have two more top 100 prospects in Eddie Howard (66th) and Foster Smith (100th). Our system isn't as deep as usual, but we still have 21 top 250 prospects and 38 in the top 500.

We'll start the season on the road in New York, to deal with the team that finished last in the Spring slate. At just 5-19, they were dead last, as every other CA team finished with 11 or more wins. They shouldn't finish last in the regular season, but it will be another tough season for the Stars who haven't been the same since Bill Barrett went off to seas. After losing top arm Vern Hubbard (16-9, 3.39, 110), they will really have to lean on Billy Riley (7-16, 3.83, 85), who leads a weak rotation. Their projected #2 in the rotation is 34-year-old knuckler Johnny Cook, who has made just six big league appearances since the 1938 season, and behind him is 32-year-old journeyman Ed Myers who is finally getting a shot for his big league debut. The lineup lacks an impact bat, but they got a breakout from former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall (.274, 11, 61) and Ray Cochran (.251, 4, 43, 8) has been one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. The guy I'm really excited about, however, is Fort Wayne's finest Elijah Bourdeau (.276, 6, 31, 3), who seems poised for a breakout at 24. If veterans like Cliff Ray (.246, 1, 42), Mel Hancock Jr. (.238, 2, 51), Gary Carmichael (.281, 5, 24), and Steve Summers (.283, 20, 6) can take advantage of the leagues weakened pitching, they try to keep up with all the runs their arms will give up.

We won't have to wait too long before entertaining the home fans, as after the three in New York we return to Cougars Park for three with the Saints. Not only was Montreal hit by the enlistments of Wally Doyle (13-13, 3.71, 156), Charlie Woodbury (.283, 10, 62), and Bert Lass (.274, 3, 57), but they'll be without the Hawaiian Art McMahon (.342, 2, 20, 6) for six more weeks after he tore his PCL last Fall. To replace him, they brought in former Cannon Al Horton in the Rule-5 draft. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 1939, but he has a slightly above average .296/.344/.452 (105 OPS+) career line. He could be a nice add to a lineup that has some good pieces in Vic Crawford (.283, 15, 67), Spud Bent (.250, 2, 10), and Jake Hughes (.266, 2, 65, 17). The pitching is thin, as some of their good young arms won't be stateside, but Bill Ross (13-8, 2.52, 66) will be looking to build off his breakout season and Jake DeYoung (7-21, 4.73, 83) and Pat Weakly (11-9, 3.40, 91) are better then their numbers from last year showed. It's imperative to get off to a hot start, and these are very winnable games right off the bat.

ayaghmour2 · 10-14-2022, 07:21 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 3-3 (t-2nd, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Cliff Moss : 18 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.429 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.042 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .273 AVG, .860 OPS

Schedule
4-18: Win at Stars (3-2)
4-19: Win at Stars (11-2)
4-20: Loss at Stars (1-3)
4-21: Win vs Saints (2-6)
4-22: Loss vs Saints (8-4)
4-23: Loss vs Saints (7-1)

Recap
So it's going to be this type of year again, huh? We looked good against the Stars in New York, allowing three or fewer runs in a series win, but our home stadium did not treat us too well. We failed to keep Montreal off the board, and they took two of three from us in our first home series. We at least won the home opener, but were nowhere to be found in the finale. The big highlight of the week came courtesy of Cliff Moss, who launched three homers in our 11-2 win over the Stars. The first of those was the 250th of his career, and the veteran slugger is getting close to 2,000 big league hits. He add two more two hit games during the week, and took home Player of the Week in the Continental Association. Moss went 7-for-18 with 5 runs both scored and driven in. With the rest of the league seeing similar results, six teams sit tied with us at 3-3, Saints and Stars included, and it may be a bit before separation starts to form in the association.

There was still a lot to like from the week, as the top four in our rotation all looked really good. Dick Lyons was the only one of that group to get a loss, but he went 8 with 9 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts, a very respectable showing. Art White and Mike Murphy had near identical lines, as the former Kings lefties threw complete games with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. The lone difference was Murphy walked just one while White surrendered four free passes. Harry Parker picked up a win in his first game back from injury, but the one concern is it wasn't a complete game. The big righty went just 8 with 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He came out after just 111 pitches, and I'm hoping it was more because the score was 3-2 and less because that's his new max. For a complete game machine who has hit 150 repeatedly, 111 feels like nothing, but we're hoping his elbow can hold up as the season goes on. Ben Curtin picked up the save in that one, and appeared twice, going 2 innings with a hit and strikeout. Lyn Trease made his debut in game five and pitched game six as well, tossing 4.2 scoreless frames with 2 hits, 6 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Cal Knight pitched in both games as well, three scoreless to his credit with a hit, walk, and 3 strikeouts. The starters in those games were Rusty Petrick and Ken Matson, and both really struggled. Rusty went 5.2 with 11 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and 4 strikeouts, while surprisingly walking just one. Matson went just 3.2 with 6 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Both were outstanding in the Spring, so I'm not overly worried, but more outings like this and our six man rotation will quickly shrink to four when allowed. I could have (and probably should have) skipped Matson this time around, but with a variety of question marks around our top three, I want to take things easy. As mentioned, Parker is just coming off a serious injury, Art White had a major shoulder injury at the end of the '42 season, and as we all know, Dick Lyons is 43. It will be beneficial long-term for us to take it slow with them, and I have faith that Petrick and Matson will be able to right the ship sooner then later.

Despite the struggles against the Saints, we hit well overall, getting good performances from plenty of other hitters then just Moss. Reigning batting title winner Leo Mitchell got off to an excellent start, 8-for-18 with a double, 5 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Moss' platoon buddy Rich Langton made just 7 trips to the plate, but had a double and triple with a run scored and driven in. Skipper Schneider looked good, 6-for-22 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, a homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker stole a pair of bases and went 5-for-22 with a double, triple, 6 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Hank Barnett went 6-for-23 with a double, homer, and 3 RBIs. Harry Mead and Billy Hunter both had real tough weeks, with the two 29-year-olds combining to go just 6-for-43. There is a little hope for a quick recovery, as Mead did double twice and Hunter already matched his home run total from last year.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, but we'll use the day to travel to Brooklyn. The Kings will likely be competing for the cellar this season, so they may have a few enticing veterans to move. Jim Crawford (11-19, 3.79, 35) has allowed just 3 runs in 16 innings this season and veteran Jake Shadoan (.270, 2, 6) has returned to the lineup. Of course, there are also exciting young players who are looking to make their mark, including Jim Kenny (12-10, 3.01, 16) and Orie Martinez, who went 5-for-19 with a pair of longballs in his debut week. The Kings have one of the top systems in the league, ranked 4th and within 20 points of the top ranked Pioneers. As the season goes on, we might see one of their 10 top 100 prospects Clarence Barton, but a lot of their top youngsters are off to war. When everyone returns, a lot of those talented youngsters will be ready to compete for a spot on the active roster, so guys like Bill Downs (.277, 10) will hope for a big breakout season to make sure they aren't replaced.

After those three in Brooklyn, we'll get a rematch with the Saints. It will be our first trip north of the border, and we'll get four games with a double header to end the week. Again the Saints will get the back end of our rotation, but both Parker and White are scheduled for the double header. Aside from Bill Ross (13-8, 2.52, 66) the rotation has had its struggles, but they've gotten excellent production from Bill Greene (.230, 8, 53, 24) and Jake Hughes (.266, 2, 65, 17) early on. These games are huge for us, as we can't keep dropping games against the Saints, and it should be our first big test of the year.

ayaghmour2 · 10-17-2022, 10:28 PM

Weekly Record: 7-0
Seasonal Record: 10-3 (1st, 0.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .484 AVG, 1.081 OPS
Hank Barnett : 32 AB, 13 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .406 AVG, 1.051 OPS
Billy Hunter : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.111 OPS

Schedule
4-25: Win at Kings (4-1)
4-26: Win at Kings (4-3)
4-27: Win at Kings (11-3)
4-28: Win at Saints (6-4): 10 innings
4-29: Win at Saints (8-6): 14 innings
4-30: Win at Saints (13-3)
4-30: Win at Saints (2-1)

Recap
Now I can get used to this! After a shaky start to the season at home, the Cougars were firing on all cylinders up North. We swept the Kings in Brooklyn, outscoring them 19-7 before heading to Montreal and getting revenge on the Saints. After taking two of three from us in Chicago, we showed no mercy north of the Border, outscoring our hosts 29-14 in a four game sweep. I'm not sure what was most surprising, the perfect week, the two extra inning wins, or the two one run wins! Two weeks in and we're a perfect 3-0 in those pesky one run affairs, and we've already outscored our opponents 74-45. Those 74 runs are ten more then any other team in baseball, and it's been hard to find a real weakness with the squad early on.

The thing I am most happy about so far is the old reliable Harry Parker, who's still jacked right arm has not been hampered by his awful elbow injury. I will admit I was worried that the lazy behemoth would slack in his rehab, but the former 7th Round Pick has been nothing short of exceptional. He tossed almost two identical starts this week, picking up complete game wins over both the Kings and Saints with 7 hits and a single run. He struck out 3 and walked 2 in Brooklyn before striking out 4 without walking a single Saint. Still don't know how deep he can go into games, as he needed just 105 and 106 pitches to earn complete games, but Parker is already 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (253 ERA+) and 0.88 WHIP with an impressive 13-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has also yet to allow a home run, something he has done 137 times in his previous 153 games. The only Cougar to allow more homers in their career is Dick Lyons (171), although he has nearly 4,000 innings under his belt and Parker is about two or three seasons away from surpassing him. It's early, of course, and he's yet to pitch in the bandbox known as Cougars Park.

Parker was our only two start pitcher, but only Rusty Petrick had issues this week on the mound. He pitched in our 14 inning win, and was an out away from a complete game win before Jake Hughes tripled home both Mark Burns and Bernie Green to tie the game. This ruined Petrick's night, finishing with 8 hits, 6 runs, 5 walks, and 5 strikeouts before a masterful performance by Ben Curtin. Curtin got Bill Greene to flyout, and then the 38-year-old shut the door with five scoreless to escape with an 8-6 win. This came right after pitching the final three innings in our 10 inning win over the Saints, and the captain threw 97 pitches in just two days. Curtin also picked up a save last week, and has allowed just 8 hits and 1 run in 10.1 innings to start the season.

The rest of the staff fell in the middle, but with a lot more good then bad. Ken Matson had arguably the best start of his young career, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), a walk, and 9 strikeouts. Art White matched him in innings, runs, and hits, but with 2 walks and strikeouts. Dick Lyons was more lucky then good, but allowed just a single run in 7.1 innings. As good as that looks, he didn't have any strikeouts (or walks!), and scattered 11 hits as the combination of weak contact and an elite defense really helped the veteran southpaw pick up his first win of the season. Mike Murphy was in the line for a win when he started, but the 36-year-old left after 7. He allowed 8 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with just a single strikeout in the no decision. He's topped out at 115 pitches in both of his starts, which may be the most we can get from the former 2nd Overall Pick. Aside from Curtin, we didn't really need our pen, but Cal Knight pitched and had some struggles. The lefty allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in 1.2 innings.

We got huge contribution from the offense, with just defensive center fielder Orlin Yates failing to record an OPS+ above 100 for the week. The veteran glovemen was just 6-for-30, but it came with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. We got huge performances from our backstops, with Harry Mead going 10-for-25 and Mike Taylor 2-for-5. Both were good for .400 averages, and while Taylor added a solo homer, Mead provided 3 doubles, 4 walks, 5 runs, and an RBI. Billy Hunter has now doubled his home run total from last year, going 8-for-21 with a homer, 3 doubles, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 7 RBIs. Leo Mitchell hit almost .500 on the week, 15-for-31 with a homer, steal, 2 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Hank Barnett continues his hot start to the year, 13-for-32 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, a homer, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Barnett even stole a base, just the 22nd in 935 FABL games. The still fleet-footed Dick Walker went 8-for-26 with 2 steals, a triple, 4 RBIs, 9 runs, and a whopping 13 walks. 6 of them were intentional, as he gets to bat ahead of Orlin Yates (who Clyde Meyer loves in the two spot), but the veteran first basemen is walking at a 225 walk pace if you extrapolate for the full season. Rich Langton had to leave the first game of our double header with a hip flexor strain, but since it only impacts his baserunning, we shouldn't have to worry too much. It came after a strong week, as the righty went 7-for-19 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. The other side of the right field platoon Cliff Moss matched his production, going 6-for-21, but with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Most weeks last season we were lucky if we either hit well or pitched well, but after a week where everything seemed to click, our success in the season is looking very promising. Obviously this is unsustainable, but we have the firepower to pull off a few more weeks like that as the season winds on, and the Cougars definitely look like a team that can make some noise.

Looking Ahead
After the perfect road trip, we'll hope our momentum isn't slowed by an off day to start the week. We'll use it to head home before a mini two game series with the Kings. We swept them in Brooklyn, but they are a respectable 6-7 early on. The Kings have really rode their starting pitching hard, with three players already making four starts. The lefty Jim's Crawford (2-2, 2.03, 5) and Kenny (2-1, 2.93, 6) have looked really good, but the almost 31-year-old Rule-5 Pick Bud Hastings (1-3, 5.01, 3) has been hit very hard. They may want to find someone else to make consistent starts, but aside from Curly Jones (1-1, 6.75, 3), they are lacking a pen pitcher who is a projected starter. There are a few options in AAA with 23-year-old Bill McGraw, 22-year-old Clarence Barton, and 26-year-old Manny Franco, but Barton is better suited for the pen right now and the other two don't have much upside. This will continue to be a weakness for the Kings, who have managed to score the second most runs in the CA. The 1-2-3 of Jake Shadoan (.327, 4, 2), Bill Downs (.295, ), and Orie Martinez (.277, 2, 6) has been surprisingly effective, and rookie catcher George Jones (.345, 2) has been red hot to begin his big league career. We should be able to take the series, but we'll have to deal with their best in Crawford and Kenny, while they'll face tough veteran lefties in Art White and Dick Lyons.

Off again before four games in three days hosting the New York Stars. The Stars have one fewer win then the Kings, but rank 7th in both runs scored and allowed. The lineup has been ice cold, and a few of their predicted top performers have had various issues at the plate. Ray Cochran (.267, 5, 1), Elijah Bourdeau (.200, 4, 1), and Chubby Hall (.208, 2, 7) have all had their issues, and Bourdeau was just diagnosed with a sprained finger and may head to the IL with a three week day-to-day injury. Even with Bourdeau's struggles, its a huge blow to a lineup that sports only one above average hitter in 30-year-old Howie Smith (.302, 1, 5), who's 119 OPS+ would rank 7th on the Cougars for players with more then 25 PAs. If Bourdeau misses extended time, the Stars may have to look outside the system for reinforcements, as they don't have another natural center fielder on the active roster, and just 30-year-old career minor leaguer Ben Martin even has a positional rating for center down in AAA Los Angeles. On the mound they've had their share of struggles too, as Alex Vaughn's (1-0, 1.42, 9) ERA hides 8 unearned runs and Billy Riley (1-1, 3.24, 9) has been more effective then dominant. Hank Mittan (1-1, 2.00, 6) has been a pleasant surprise, but he's not quite the type of arm you want to rely on very often. The Stars do have one of the stronger farms, but with most of their top big league ready youngsters overseas, it won't do the '44 club much good. It may be tough for them to win many games until they are back to full strength, but the 1942 Continental Association Champions have a very deep cupboard of talent.

Minor League Report
RHP Jack Huston (AAA Milwaukee Blues): All he does is win! After a dominating 25-6 last season down in Mobile, 24-year-old Jack Huston picked up right where he left off. In his first AAA start, Huston was almost perfect, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks in a 1-0 shutout over Columbus. Currently ranked the 24th best prospect in our system, Huston continues to dominate minor league hitters, as the sidewinder from Bay State has done an excellent job limiting hard contact. Tom Weinstock continues to temper his expectations for the youngster, but this will be a very big year for him. If he can continue to produce results, there may be room for him on the roster next year, as I'm sure someone else will get injured and/or drafted. He's helped the Blues get off to a fast 4-0 start, as they look to repeat as Century League champions.

1B Cuno Myer (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Huston wasn't the only member of the Blues to get off to a great start, as longtime farmhand Cuno Myer was named the first Player of the Week in the Century League. The switch hitting first basemen appeared in all four of the Blues' games, going an impressive 9-for-15 with a homer, 3 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. That translate to an otherworldly .600/.667/.867 (325 OPS+) that I'm sure the former 22nd Round Pick can maintain throughout the season. If so, expect a massive 19.1 WAR with 35 homers and 245 RBIs from Myer, who finally made his big league debut last season. He got into more games then I expected, appearing 11 times while going a respectable 5-for-17. Dick Walker has shown no signs of slowing down, and has yet to be injured in his now 16 year big league career, so it will be tough for Myer to force his way into the lineup this season. At best, he could receive a callup to be a late game pinch hitter, but for now the soon-to-be 30-year-old will be stuck mashing in the Century League.

ayaghmour2 · 10-18-2022, 07:07 PM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 15-4 (1st, 3.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .520 AVG, 1.138 OPS
Art White : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.50 ERA
Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-2: Win vs Kings (1-6)
5-3: Loss vs Kings (6-0)
5-5: Win vs Stars (1-2)
5-6: Win vs Stars (2-15)
5-7: Win vs Stars (6-9)
5-7: Win vs Stars (2-3)

Recap
Now I can get used to this! The Cougars keep on rolling, and after splitting with the Kings, we swept the Stars right out of town. Two of those wins were of the one run variety, and somehow, someway, we have managed to win all five of our one run games this season. After dropping 27 of them last year, we've almost reached a third of our one run win total (18) from last season, and we've been scoring far more runs then we've allowed overall. Our lead has now grown to 3.5, as the Sailors dropped five and a row and fell behind the Cannons. Our 15-4 record is the best early on, but the biggest news of the week goes to Cliff Moss. Not only is the veteran outfielder having a hot start, but he became the 76th player in FABL history to record his 2,000th career hit. It came early, as the 37-year-old hit a hard grounder to second that Red Moore couldn't quite handle, beating out the throw to reach base in the first. Moss later drove in two with a single, and finished his historic day 2-for-5. It came in his 1,981st career game and 336th as a Cougar. Taken 1st in the 1927 draft by the Saints, Moss own an impressive .291/.366/.462 (125 OPS+) career line with the Saints, Chiefs, and Cougars, tallying 296 doubles, 253 homers, and 1,054 RBIs. He's off to a hot start this season, hitting .333/.386/.708 (211 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBIs.

We got some injury news too, but if it had to be any player, I'm glad it was the guy who got hurt. It's a minor injury, just a finger blister, and it happens to have happened to our Rule-5 Pick Lyn Trease. This is almost a blessing in disguise, as I can IL the 24-year-old, and then send him on rehab once healthy. Trease had to leave our 15-2 blowout with two outs in the ninth, and will miss at least the next two weeks. He's walked 6 in 6.1 scoreless frames with 3 hits and 5 strikeouts, and Trease should get plenty of more innings with Milwaukee once healthy. This will allow us to carry another hitter, as we were carrying ten pitchers so Trease could stay on the roster. Coming up from AAA will be Chick Browning, who is off to a rather slow start with the Blues. Browning has hit just .263/.341/.289 (75 OPS+) in his first 44 PAs, but he's already on the 40 and hit .281/.395/.426 (136 OPS+) in 94 games with he Blues last year. He can cover left, right, and first, and gives us a lefty bat off the bench. I debated bringing Don Lee up, as Orlin Yates has really struggled, but I don't want to burn an option of his and Yates has tremendous range in center. Plus, things have gone well leaving him where he is, and there's no reason to mess with a good thing.

Speaking of good things, how about Leo Mitchell!?!? The defending batting title winner just turned 31 on the 1st, and had himself a week to remember, going 13-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs, increasing his season line to a whopping .486/.524/.568 (214 OPS+). His .486 average is best in the entire FABL, and he's struck out (8) just as frequently as he's walked. He's hit safely in 8 straight games, and just broke a 7 game streak of two or more hits with a 1-for-4 to finish the week. Mitchell has 11 multi-hit games on the season including three four hit games already. For a player who's initial call to fame was being high school teammates with Harry Barrell, Mitchell may be taking the next step this season, going from most consistently above average to the early favorite for the 1944 Whitney. It wouldn't be the first time Mitchell got off to a hot start before eventually settling back down, but he's on a blistering 10.9 WAR pace while providing a huge spark in the middle of the order.

Mitchell wasn't alone in having an excellent week, as backstop Harry Mead has really started to heat up. After a dreadful 1943 season, Mead owns a 131 OPS+ after slashing 7-for-19 with 4 doubles, 6 runs, and 2 RBIs. He has yet to homer, but he's already got 9 doubles while doing a superb job behind the plate. Rich Langton was not affected by his hip flexor strain, going 5-for-16 with a steal, double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker added 6 more walks, going 5-for-21 with a double, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Walker is still on pace for over 200 walks on the season, with 25 in 19 games. His .457 on base percentage is elite, and then consider the fact he's struck out just once in 94 PAs, and it's quite clear the 37-year-old is having a very special start to his season. Even some of our bench players got into the fun, with Mike Taylor 3-for-4 with a double, run, and RBI and Jimmie James 4-for-6 with a double, walk, run, and 2 RBIs. Our middle infielders Skipper and Billy Hunter didn't hit much, just 9-for-39 between them, but we had more then enough support from the rest of the lineup, as we continue to wreck havoc on Continental Association pitchers.

Another week of really solid pitching, as just Rusty Petrick had a rough start. It hasn't been a great start to his Cougar career, this week charged with 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks in a no decision. He went just 7.1 innings, but did strike out 5, but he's really had a tough go in his first three starts. He's allowed a homer and six earned runs in each start so far, but it's not all bad. I expect the homers to come down, as he had allowed just 10 in each of the past two seasons, but his walks (3.7) are down and his strikeouts (5.8) are up. I'm hoping this is just a mix of bad luck and a small sample, but with how good our top four has been, he may see his starts start to decline. Dick Lyons had a very weak start, as a mix of bad defense and bad offense sabotaged him. After getting a pair of groundouts to start the third, Skipper made an error, and the flood gates were opened. They then piled on five runs, including a three run homer from Hal Reynolds, before Lyons finally got out of it. No more runs to finish his six innings, but he finished with 8 hits and 3 walks, with three of the hits and one of the walks coming in that extended 3rd. It didn't matter too much, as they got a six run in the 9th and we couldn't score off Jim Kenny or Bobby Horner. Lyons is susceptible to bad luck at times, as when you don't really miss bats, one bad play can ruin an outing.

Looking at the good, Art White was brilliant, tossing two more complete game victories to improve to 4-0 on the season. He kept his former team in check, allowing just 7 hits and 1 run in our 6-1 win over the Kings. He then helped us survive the Stars in the second game of the double header, allowing 11 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker also improved to 4-0, but no complete game as he left the 15-2 blowout with just 112 pitches. Parker was extremely sharp, striking out 9 with 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in 8 excellent innings. Parker's 22 strikeouts are the best in the CA, and his 1.59 ERA is tied for second. The last start of the week went to Mike Murphy, who was crucial in our 2-1 win over the Stars. He needed Ben Curtin to get the last two outs, but Murphy left with 7 hits, a run, 4 walks, and a strikeout. The top four in our rotation has been brilliant, combining to go 11-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. The WHIP's are high and Parker is the only one with a FIP below 3.50 (1.95), so some regression is expected, but our defense is really good, and should help keep the pitcher's stat lines looking pretty.

Looking Ahead
We get two off days to start the week, and we'll use one of those days to travel to Toronto. The Wolves got off to a slow start, but they're back even to 9-9, and it will definitely be a tough four game series. Even though the Wolves are without George Garrison and Joe Hancock, but Bernie Johnson has stepped into the position of staff ace. He's an unlucky 2-2 despite an elite 1.61 ERA (224 ERA+) with 9 walks, 6 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP. They've gotten decent starts from Jimmy Gibbs (2-2, 3.33, 12) and Bob Walls (2-0, 2.40, 1.23), as the Wolves once again have a lot of reliable pitchers starting games. They'll want to get better outings from rookie Jim Laurita (1-1, 4.74, 11), who's first four starts haven't gone great, but he's got the skills to start in the big leagues and as he gets his feet wet his results should improve. The offense has had its issues, as they've scored the fewest runs in the league, while Walt Pack (.194, 2, 5) has had a slow start after a season where he hit .282/.360/.461 (145 OPS+) with a league high 22 homers and 95 RBIs. Despite that, the rest of their infield has hit really well, with Charlie Artuso (.300, 2, 8, 1), Ockie Holliday (.304, 4), and Hal Wood (.323, 1, 5) all hitting over .300. These games are important, as this week will be our toughest test yet.

And it gets tougher, as we finish the week with a double header in Cincinnati. The Cannons are now 11-7 and our closest competitor, but they fell a little different without Rufus Barrell. Barrell isn't the only notable missing from the squad, as both Adam Mullins and Fred Galloway entered the service this offseason. But even without all those top quality players, the Cannons are still 2nd in runs scored and 3rd in runs allowed to start the year. The lineup has gotten a lot of production from the outfield, as corner infielder turned left fielder Denny Andrews' (.297, 1, 8) 151 WRC+ is the lowest in the starting outfield. Bob Griffith (.365, 1, 11, 1) is at 197 and Sam Brown (.405, 1, 8) is one point higher. Once Billy Dalton (.222, 2, 11) gets on track things will get real tough for opposing pitchers, as Chuck Adams (.325, 1, 17) and Jack Cleaves (.286, 5) have been well above average. Even Buster Farrar (.318, 7) has done great, almost replicating the bottom rung of a potential Adam Mullins season. And it's not all you have to worry about, as Butch Smith (2-2, 1.75, 12) is one of the top starters in the league and Roger Perry (1-1, 1.89, 7) and Jake Smith (2-0, 1.00, 3) are doing their best Barrell impressions. With four games, including a double header, we'll have to deal with most of the rotation, but I trust our offense against anyone. This will be one of the toughest series of the season, and winning the double header would secure at least a split.

Minor League Report
1B Bob Griffen (B San Jose Cougars): This was the first week of Class B and C baseball, and we got Player of the Weeks in both. The first came from Bob Griffen, who was a key part in getting the Cougars off to a 5-0 start. Their #3 hitter went 9-for-20 with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, and 9 RBIs. Griffen had many weeks like this down in La Crosse, but after his promotion to San Jose last year he hit just .233/.284/.340 (80 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. The former 16th Rounder is one of many young players who were given an opportunity because of the war, and he's done his best to take advantage. An all-bat no-glove prospect, Griffen has decent power and could hit for a high average. He still has some holes in his swing, but he has a decent foundation to build off of and the more he hits, the more likely he is to stick around when everyone comes back.

1B Billy Biggar (C La Crosse Lions): Could this be the spark he needs? After hitting .521 as a senior, Canadian Billy Biggar hit .266 in 67 games with La Crosse following his high school season and then just .243 in his first full season last year. He actually improved his WRC+ from 55 to 87, but the still 19-year-old may finally be on the right track at the plate. The former All American took home the first Player of the Week in the UMVA, 9-for-22 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBIs. It's not the first time he's won Player of the Week, and he's shown promise in small samples at times last year, but this is a huge step forward for Biggar. He hasn't flashed the elite contact potential yet, but he's shown improved discipline, walking 56 times in 471 PAs with the Lions last year. I'd like to see Biggar up in San Jose once the draft finishes, but with a few more weeks like this he may book his ticket a bit early.

ayaghmour2 · 10-19-2022, 04:52 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 19-6 (1st, 5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.023 OPS
Harry Mead : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.085 OPS
Dick Walker : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .976 OPS

Schedule
5-10: Loss at Wolves (0-2)
5-11: Win at Wolves (4-2)
5-12: Win at Wolves (5-4): 10 innings
5-13: Win at Wolves (4-3)
5-14: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 11 innings
5-14: Win at Cannons (8-4)

Recap
Another good week for the Cougars, as we've now managed to lose 3, 0, 1, and 2 games in a week. I'd prefer these are the only numbers we see in the loss column the rest of the year, but I know far too well that a 4 or even a 5 is right around the corner. I'm not too sure when we decided winning one run games was cool, but we won our first seven before dropping the first game of the double header in Cincinnati 2-1 in 11. We took game two, and three of four in Toronto, to give us a nice 5 game lead over the rest of the pack. It's still early, and a lot can change, but it's hard to ask for a better start. It's also hard to ask for a better start then the one Leo Mitchell is having, as the star left fielder went 10-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, walk, steal, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs with only one additional strike out. This actually dropped his batting average to a still league high .465, and he had a multi hit game in five of our six games this week.

The rest of the offense didn't provide much, as expected against two top staffs on the road, but Harry Mead stayed hot, going 8-for-18 with a walk and 3 more doubles. Mead is now hitting .337/.387/.477 (147 OPS+) in his first 93 trips to the plate this season, far closer to his impressive 1942 (identical 145 WRC+) then his disappointing 1943. Dick Walker walked 7 more times, going 7-for-21 with a double, triple, 2 steals, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. He's no longer on track for 200+ walks, just 197, but he did strike out three times against the Cannons (who ironically only struck out him and Orlin Yates) in the second game of the double header. Cliff Moss was the only other hitter with an above average week, as the vet went 3-for-13, but with 4 walks, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and his tied for league best fifth home run. Moss is on pace for 31, which would easily surpass his career best 26 he managed in the cavernous Parc Cartier back in 1930. Looking at his platoon counterpart Rich Langton, who was excellent last week, wasn't as lucky this week. The 32-year-old failed to get a hit in 10 PAs, walking and scoring once while stealing his second base of the year. Billy Hunter has stayed healthy, but endured another bad week, going 3-for-15 with a walk and three strikeouts. Jimmie James, who gives him the occasional off day, didn't fair much better, just 2-for-8 but with no walks, runs, RBIs, or extra base hits. The good news is Hunter is healthy, and while his .225/.269/.366 (81 OPS+) line leaves plenty to be desired, he's played above average defense at second and has a pair of longballs. With the overall firepower in the lineup, we can survive if a few guys have down weeks, and it's even more excusable when they're contributing to the #1 defense in the Continental Association.

Our rotation was impressive this week, with only one pitcher giving up more then two earned runs. That was Rusty Petrick, of course, but the performance looked far better then the numbers imply. In the first eight innings Petrick allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Then it unraveled a bit in the ninth, when his former team finally got to him for 3 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs before he finally got the 27th out. It was Petrick's first win as a Cougar, and definitely an encouraging sign from the 28-year-old who has shown no issue wracking up his pitch count. He tossed one of our two complete games, the other going to Art White, who improved to a perfect 5-0 with a win over the Wolves. White allowed 7 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) with a walk and strikeout. The craft veteran Dick Lyons picked up another win, going 7 with 5 hits and 2 runs without a walk or strikeout. His home run troubles continued, as Lyons surrendered the only homer of the week and his third in four starts. He allowed 3 all of last season, and has somehow managed to create just 8 balls that didn't end up in play. 5 of his 11 runs this season have come from the longball, and he's already matched his homer total from 203.2 innings last year.

Harry Parker through a season high 121 pitches, but he had to leave a 4-2 game with two outs in the 8th. It really should have been 2-2, but a Billy Hunter error cost him two runs, It was his worst start of the season, allowing 9 hits and 4 walks with just one strikeout. Ben Curtin finished the game, and it took 10, as we scored 2 in the 9th and 1 in the 10th. He threw 2.1 innings, allowing just a hit and walk to improve to an impressive 4-0 on the season. Curtin made two more appearances, picking up a save in Toronto while blowing one in Cincy. He finished the week with 6 innings, 5 hits, a run, 3 walks, and a strikeout. The 38-year-old stopper has been outstanding, with a miniscule 0.96 ERA (358 ERA+) and 0.91 WHIP in 18.2 dominant innings. Our pen had trouble this week, most of which can be blamed on Mike Murphy leaving the first game of the double header in the 3rd with back stiffness. He won't have to miss a start, which is good, and Cal Knight did a great job mopping up. He went 5 innings with 3 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Curtin then allowed the game tieing run in the 9th, and then the Cannons walked off Merritt Thomas in the 11th. He allowed a hit, walk, and run with a strikeout in 1.2 innings pitched. We did a good job keeping runs of the board, but we have another week of tough road games ahead of us.

Looking Ahead
After splitting the double header with the Cannons, we get two more in Cincy. After getting swept by the Stars, they've fallen to third, now 13-11 and 5.5 games out of first. There is a lot of options for pitchers to start the series, but I think we'll miss Butch Smith (3-2, 2.03, 20), and we already dealt with Chris Clarke (2-1, 1, 2.88, 18) and Vic Carroll (2-3, 5.88, 21). If Roger Perry (1-2, 3.75, 8) wasn't dealing with a virus, he'd pitch Monday's game for sure, but this could instead mean starts for their bottom two arms Dan Adams (1-0, 3.45, 6) and Jake Smith (2-0, 1.88, 3). Both should be easy to get runs off of, but the tougher part is going to be keeping the Cannons hitters off base. Chuck Adams (.358, 2, 21), Sam Brown (.353, 1, 8), and Bob Griffith (.386, 1, 14, 1) are absolutely mashing and Billy Dalton (.241, 2, 13) is already starting to heat back up. Denny Andrews (.291, 1, 13) hasn't acclimated to left well, but his bat is far too good to keep out of the lineup and Dalton and Adams aren't going anywhere. Expect two more tough games between these two teams, who should be fighting it out the rest of the season.

After dealing with the third place Cannons, will head to the city of brotherly love for the second place Sailors. Philly is a game ahead at 14-11, but still five games shy of us. They have overperformed their expected (11-14), tied for 6th in runs scored and 4th in runs allowed. Early on it feels like the stars and scrubs approach, as both the lineup and staff have a large discrepancy in performance. Former Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills is off to a scorching start, slashing .338/.398/.600 (172 OPS+) with 6 doubles and 16 RBIs. His 5 homers are tied with Cliff Moss (.311, 5, 15) for the CA lead, already matching his totals as a rookie in '41 and last season. His previous career high is 7 in 338 PAs in year two, but he seems poised to shatter that while already surpassing his 1.1 WAR from that year with 1.4. Marion Boismenu (.407, 1, 13, 2) will continue to challenge Leo Mitchell (.465, 2, 20, 2) for a batting title, and offseason pickups Frank Covarrubias (.307, 1) and Gene Miles (.316, 1, 10) have enjoyed their changes of scenery. It's a bit murky beyond that, as four of their remaining five hitters have OPS+ of 70 and below, so if you can navigate the middle of the order, you can keep the Sailors in check. On the mound, Doc Newell (1-3, 2.48, 14) has picked up right where he left off, but after Karl Wallace (3-1, 3.16, 9) the rotation has really struggled. Ray McCarthy (2-1, 6.75, 10) has been awful despite a ton of run support, so they may give someone like Rule-5 Pick Elmer Helfinger (1-0, 3.24, 4) a shot if he can't turn things around. They have a few intriguing youngsters getting settled in AAA, so next time we see them, the rotation may look a lot different. This will be another tough series, but a really good shot for us to separate from the pack.

Our week and roadtrip ends in Cleveland, with three games in two days against the Foresters. Cleveland has exceeded expectations early on, going 11-14 and just half a game behind the Wolves for the final spot in the first division. Of course, they are far closer to the cellar (1.5 GA) then first place (8 GB), but there are some signs of life on a roster that lost last year's top contributor Cal Howe. It is still early, but Johnny Slaney (3-1, 3.28, 17) has finally pitched like the dependable pitcher many thought he could be, and last year's 1s Overall Pick Jim Adams Jr. (.313, 1, 8, 2) has walked (12) more then he's struck out (8) while producing a well above average 145 WRC+. His defense at short hasn't been great, but he's just 22 and will always hit his way into a lineup. The Foresters have also tapped into their minor league depth a bit, calling up #79 pick Ducky Davis, who threw 9 innings in his first big league start with 10 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts. Former 13th Rounder Hal Burres (.267, 4, 2) was given the starting center field job and leadoff spot, and fellow outfielders Lou Balk (.313, 7, 2) and Bob Mullins (.330, 1, 12) have been productive at the plate as well. There are still a lot of holes, especially on the mound, but Cleveland will continue to get more competitive as their youngsters start to hit their stride. This is a big week for us in terms of both games played and opponents, so it will be very interesting to see how the Cougar roster reacts.

Minor League Report
C Gene Lee (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A full time role has done Gene Lee well, as the 24-year-old backstop is off to a hot start. The former 19th Rounder was named Player of the Week, going an elite 11-for-17 with a double, homer, 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. That upped the young catchers season line to a remarkable .386/.507/.596 (210 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 17 RBIs. He's walked (13) almost three times as frequent (5) as he's struck out, and he already matched his season high home run total from last season. An imposing righty who's a leader in the clubhouse, that may be his biggest value, as his glove and bat potential aren't all that high. He's shown improving pitch selection skills and power so far, and he's the next line of defense if Mead or Taylor get hurt. I doubt he's good enough to start full time, but he's proving to be more then capable as a potential backup.

C Lee Tiede (A Lincoln Legislators): After struggling in a full time role with the Commodores last season, Lee Tiede was sent to Lincoln to get everyday starts behind the plate. He hit just .259/.325/.374 (89 OPS+) in 168 PAs last season with 6 doubles, 3 homers, and 21 RBIs. In the 17 games this season, he's already been arguably more valuable, slashing .369/.400/.615 (151 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. Tiede is also fresh off a Player of the Week where he went 11-for-24 with with 2 homers and 9 runs scored and driven in. Our 6th Rounder in 1941, Tiede hasn't had much time to establish his footing as an every day player, but we are running low on catching depth and I'm not sure if we'll add an everyday catcher in the draft. Tiede isn't the greatest prospect, but he provides serviceable defense behind the plate while occasionally boasting high level contact skills. The 24-year-old is already Rule-5 eligible, so his time in our system could be running out, but other then AA catcher Homer Guthrie and the enlisted Eddie Howard, we don't have many prospects behind the plate. This could work well for him, as he could work his way into playing time if he keeps hitting like this.

3B Israel Holmes (B San Jose Cougars): We are really thin on infield depth in the lower levels, so guys like Israel Holmes are getting far more playing time then I expected. He's already seized the opportunity, taking home C-O-W Player of the League by slashing .391/.517/.522 with a homer and 5 RBIs. This upped his season line to an impressive .366/.509/.439 (179 OPS+) as the 21-year-old has shown a knack for reaching base with high frequency. A former 14th Rounder back in 1941, Holmes got very little playing time his first two seasons, but the righty started about half of his 97 games with the Lions last year. It was good enough for him to get more playing time this season, as he hit an above average .266/.454/.414 (121 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 36 RBIs. Holmes has always done well at drawing walks, with 69 in 274 plate appearances last season. Unfortunately for him, he's really a one tool player, as elite plate discipline is really his only average or better tool. he doesn't play great defense and doesn't have much power, and he focuses too much on tinkering his swing then mastering it. He's more of a bench guy now, but his eye will keep him in an organization, and improvement on another part of his game could make him a Dick Walker type player.

RHP Dick Garcia (B San Jose Cougars): After allowing 3 runs in his first start, Dick Garcia settled in against Everett, tossing a 3-hit, 3-walk shutout with 6 strikeouts as the Cougars beat the Eagles 7-0. It was a big game for the 19-year-old, who was excellent in La Crosse last season after being named our regional pick. The East Chicago native went 5-6 with a 3.97 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched. The prospect people rank Garcia inside our top 30, set at 22nd in our system and 303rd overall. OSA is a bigger fan of him then Tom, thinking he could fill a back of the rotation once he's fully developed. That might take a while, but Garcia projects to have strong command and decent stuff. His sinker is the best of three pitches, sitting in the mid-to-high 80s while generating a ton of groundballs. He is a very hard worker, and already added a mile to his sinker and cutter this winter. He has a ton of developing left to go, but he's off to the right track already, and he's are only teen pitcher above C ball. He'll likely spend most, if not all, the season in San Jose, but a few more starts like this and he could make it to Lincoln before he turns 20.

CF Alex Snyder (C La Crosse Lions): Last season didn't go well for Alex Snyder, who started the season in San Jose and finished in La Crosse. The 7th Rounder started year hit just .200/.333/.200 (55 OPS+), and his .213/.422/.328 (92 OPS+) line with the Lions doesn't inspire much more confidence. He didn't double and drove in just 5 runs in 42 games, but he did walk 31 times and stole 21 bases. The 38 strikeouts add to the concern, but perhaps he'll figure things out this season. He got off to a great start, and took home Player of the Week after going 10-for-21 with 4 steals, 3 triples, 5 walks, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Snyder has walked (9) far more then often then he's struck out (2), and he owns a .333/.444/.644 (206 OPS+) with a double, homer, 5 triples, and 6 steals. A speedy center fielder, Snyder is a good defender who will steal a ton of bases, and he's really good at working the count. If he keeps the strikeouts down with the walks up, he'll be deadly on the bases, and can change the game with his legs. Snyder profiles a 4th outfielder, and with the mix of his speed, lefty bat, and defensive aptitude, he has the chance to be one of our more useful bench pieces.

ayaghmour2 · 10-20-2022, 06:53 PM

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 24-9 (1st, 4.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Hank Barnett : 32 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.456 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .312 AVG, .863 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 31 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .323 AVG, .808 OPS

Schedule
5-15: Win at Cannons (7-6)
5-16: Win at Cannons (7-2)
5-17: Win at Sailors (8-2)
5-18: Win at Sailors (6-5): 10 innings
5-19: Loss at Sailors (5-6)
5-20: Win at Foresters (10-3)
5-21: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
5-21: Loss at Foresters (4-5)

Recap
This was a strange week, one I'm sure was effected by our long run of games. It started out well, winning both in Cincinnati before two more in Philly. After that tight 1 run victory in 10th, things sort of fell off, as we lost the finale before heading to Cleveland. We took the opener, but the Foresters managed to sweep us in the double header, finishing our week 5-3. I think we ran out of energy at the end, as we had to play 14 road games in 12 days. The road trip went well, as we finished 10-4, including a 9-2 stretch against the second, third, and fourth place teams in our league. Our lead was cut to 4.5 as the Wolves had a great week, now 19-13 and 4.5 games behind us. As good as things have gone, we've been playing far too many one run games, including five games this week and all three of our losses. We're 9-4 in one run games (.692), slightly worse then our .727 overall win percentage. The big highlight of the week came from Hank Barnett, who launched 4 longballs en route to the first Cougar Player of the Week. Barnett hit an absurd .438/.550/.906 (310 OPS+), scoring 13 times while driving in 10. He drew 8 walks while striking out just twice, adding a double and triple to his impressive week. The 34-year-old slugger is off to an impressive start, slashing .341/.409/.538 (168 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 6 homers, 27 runs, and 25 RBIs. He's now tied with teammate Cliff Moss and the Kings' Hal Reynolds for the CA home run lead, while on track for an impressive 9.7 WAR season.

Most of the offense put up great numbers, with just Dick Walker having a below average week. He was just 5-for-29, but he walked 12 more times, scored 6 runs, doubled, and stole 3 bases. Billy Hunter managed to turn things around, 8-for-24 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He added a third homer, matching his overall total since the 1940 season. Leo Mitchell had a "down" week, but a still impressive 10-for-32 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 walks, 5 runs, 2 doubles, and 9 RBIs. Same goes for Cliff Moss, who was 9-for-32 with a double, triple, homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Mitchell now has a 191 OPS+ and Moss 171, elite numbers from our corner bats. Skipper went 10-for-31 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Even Orlin Yates got in on the fun, 11-for-32 with a double, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 7 runs scored.

Despite the close losses, it's hard to fault the offense, as we scored 5 or more runs in 6 of our games, but just 7 in our losses against the Foresters. We still rank 1st in nearly every category, just failing to lead in average (2nd, .287), strikeouts (2nd, 93), and if you consider it offense, baserunning (4th, +6.0). What's more impressive is this has almost come exclusively on the road, with 24 of our 33 games coming outside of the great city we call home. In fact, a Cougar hitter leads the CA in average (Mitchell, .426), homers (3-way tie; Moss, Barnett, 6), RBIs (Mitchell, 29), OBP (Mitchell, .473), SLG (Moss, .591), OPS (Mitchell, 1.023), WAR (Mitchell, 2.3), hits (Mitchell, 56), runs (Barnett, 27), total bases (Mitchel, 72), steals (Walker, 9), walks (Walker, 44), ISO (Moss, .290), OPS+ (Mitchell, 191), WPA (Mitchell, 1.57), wOBA (Mitchell, .447) and even sacrifice hits (Yates, 9) and sac-flies (Barnett, 4)! Will this keep up? Of course not! But the Cougar offense is not something you want to mess with.

The pitching wasn't great, as Dick Lyons imploded this week as his luck has started to turn. He got a pair of no decisions, charged with 14 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and a strikeout in 10.2 innings. Add a 4th homer as well, with one coming in four of his starts. Art White struggled, blowing a 5-4 lead in the 9th. He left with one out in the 9th after 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a single strikeout. Ben Curtin came in and finished the game, improving to 5-0 with a single hit in an inning and a third. Rusty Petrick wasn't great against the Foresters, allowing 12 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in an 8 inning loss. The rest of the starts were better, as Ken Matson tossed a complete game win in Cincinnati, allowing 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. He made a pen appearance as well, and it didn't quite go as well. He replaced Lyons with two outs in the 6th, with the intent to get the game to Curtin in the 9th with the lead in tact. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2.1 innings. He left with the game tied, and Curtin's magic ran out, walking Joseph Mills to start the inning before pinch hitter Red Blackburn walked it off with a two out single.

Mike Murphy picked up a win in a near-complete game win, getting all but one out against the Foresters before Cal Knight got a ground out to end the 10-3 game. Murphy allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a strikeout to improve to 3-0. Harry Parker made a pair of starts, including another complete game win. He allowed just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 5-0. His record didn't stay perfect for long, as he allowed 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in the second game of the double header. A Skipper Schneider error proved to be the difference, but it was nice to see Parker match his 121 pitch total which potentially means he could have gone further. We also got a strong outing from Merritt Thomas, who bailed Lyons out in our 7-6 win over the Cannons. He did allow the tie to be broken, but he finished with 4 solid innings, allowing just 4 hits and a run with a strikeout. This was one of our roughest weeks pitching, but we still have great numbers overall. Like with hitting, we rank 1st in most pitching categories, but are still top 4 in ERA (2nd, 2.92), starter's ERA (2nd, 3.11), WAR (2nd, 5.3), homers allowed (3rd, 10), and strikeouts (5th, 103). A lot of this has to do with Harry Parker, who currently ranks as the top active pitcher in the Continental Association. He has a chance for a triple crown, ranked 3rd in ERA (2.15), tied for second in wins (5) with teammates Art White and Ben Curtin, as well as Johnny Slaney who gave Parker his first loss, while tied with Butch Smith and Pat Weaky in strikeouts (31). His 1.8 WAR is good enough for the early lead there as well, and he leads in WHIP (1.06) and opponents average (.216) while top five in BABIP (2nd, .245), quality starts (t-2nd, 6). rWAR (2nd, 2.0), FIP (2nd, 2.46), ERA+ (2nd, 172), K/9 (4th, 4.8), and innings (5th, 58.2). If Parker's 7 starts came after his 12 last season, I wouldn't have been surprised, but for a guy who missed six month with a torn flexor tendon, Parker's dominance has been a very pleasant surprise.

Looking Ahead
We head home for a quick one game series with the Saints, who have dropped to 13-20 and 11 games behind us. Montreal scores a lot of runs, but they can't do much when it comes to preventing them. Montreal's 166 runs are second to just us, with the top six in their lineup putting together really impressive seasons. Vic Crawford has had a resurgence, as while he was an above average hitter in each season 100+ game season of his career, last year's 135 OPS+ was his highest since his 141 in 1935. This year has been even better, as the slugger from Hawaii is thumping to the tune of .349/.430/.512 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBIs. He's had a lot of support in the lineup, with fast starts from Bernie Green (.352, 10, 3), Jake Hughes (.349, 20, 6), Bill Greene (.279, 2, 19, 3), and Spud Bent (.287, 2, 17). What's hurt them as mentioned is the pitching, with just Pat Weakly (3-3, 3.47, 31) putting up an above average ERA+, and his is only 105. He pitched yesterday, so we won't have to deal with him, likely leaving us with either Ed Baker (2-2, 5.30, 9) or former Cougar draftee Bill Ross (4-1, 4.41, 8). Ross is far better then the numbers suggest, so I'd much rather take our chances with the veteran Baker. The home cooking should serve us well, and I'd like to chalk this one up as a win.

Our next guest is the team closest to us in the standings, and a team we tend to have trouble with regardless of record. We'll welcome the Wolves for three after they get a pair of days off. That will work out really well for them, as they'll get to set up their rotation exactly how they want. Toronto is 7th in the league in runs scored, which should help us keep runs off the board, but they've allowed fewer runs then everyone except us. Bernie Johnson has been unhittable, going 4-2 with a 1.60 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 17 walks, and 10 strikeouts. He gets a lot of support from Bob Walls (4-1, 2.63, 17), who is having his best season since 1939, and sophomore Jimmy Gibbs (3-2, 3.38, 18) who has been effective even if it's not at the same level as last season. Runs will be hard to come by, so we'll have to keep Chink Stickels (.317, 3, 13, 3), Charlie Artuso (.327, 2, 14, 1), and Hal Wood (.340, 2, 9) in check. Their offense should improve as the weather heats up, with Juan Pomales (.248, 16, 2) and Walt Pack (.261, 3, 16) likely to turn things around shortly. This will be another tough test, but we took three of four from them in Toronto, and we are playing some of the best baseball we have in a while.

Our week ends with three games in two days against the Foresters, who did a good job against us in Cleveland. We'll have one more on Monday, but these games are really important. They're just a game under .500 at 16-17, and they're middle of the pack in both runs scored and allowed. Johnny Slaney (5-1, 3.34, 23) had led the rotation well, rookie Ducky Davis (0-1, 3.38, 8) has allowed just three earned runs in each of his three starts, and George Rotondi (3-2, 3.42, 27) has rode a productive end of the season. I trust Slaney to keep this up, but Davis and Rotondi bring a lot more question marks, and former Cougars Ben Turner (3-3, 4.04, 14) and Dave Rankin (1-4, 8.17, 7) have not gotten off to good starts. The offense has had some success, with excellent production from their middle infield. 35-year-old team leader Brooks Meeks (.326, 4, 25, 2) has gotten off to the best start of his career, and rookie sensation Jim Adams Jr. (.303, 1, 11, 2) is a strong hitter atop the lineup. And while they are in contention for a first division spot, it will be interesting to see if they decide to add or subtract if they hang around the .500 mark. Along with Meeks, they have veteran bats in Lou Balk (.307, 1, 12, 2) and Bob Mullins (.283, 1, 13, 1) who could be looking for new homes. After dropping two games to them already, I'd hate to lose more, but we cannot treat these Foresters like the ones of recent past.

Minor League Report
LF Huck Hanes (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After spending all of last season in Milwaukee, Huck Hanes saw himself right back there to start the season, and he's trying to hit his way up to Chicago. Now 25, the former 4th Rounder is now hitting .343/.432/.402 (136 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 11 RBIs with an excellent 15-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This was improved by his recent Player of the Week, where Hanes went 13-for-30 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Never ranked too high on the prospect list, Hanes is a bit of a one tool prospect, with all of his value linked to his hit tool. He'll occasionally hit a homer and sometimes he'll take the extra base, but he's more of a singles hitter then someone who can change the game with one swing. The improvement in discipline is strong, as after more strikeouts (59) then walks (49) last season, he's back to being able to walk far more then he strikes out. If the discipline is legit, this adds another facet to his game, but with a lack of defensive ability, everything he brings with the bat will be crucial. I want him to get an extended look in Chicago this season, so if Moss or Langton gets hurt, he'll head up to get at least semi-regular playing time. I still think he can be a decent big league starter, but worst case he's a really helpful piece off the bench in the late innings.

RHP Bill Tuttle (AAA Milwaukee Blues): On the same day that the Keystone's pitcher Pepper Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout, Blues pitcher Bill Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout of his own. The 25-year-old righty walked and struck out 3 in a 4-0 win over the Lumberjacks. This comes up after a rough start in Fort Wayne, but the hard thrower is now 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 16 walks, and 10 strikeouts. A hot start is crucial for Tuttle, who is a member of our 40-man roster and will be looking to pitch his way onto the big league roster. It won't be easy for him, as he has one option after this season left, but other then a slightly below average showing in 9 starts with the Blues last season, Tuttle has been consistently above average since transitioning into a starter. A three pitch pitcher, Tuttle features a mid-90s cutter that he attacks hitters inside, while his change and splitter vanish off the plate. I'm not sure yet if he's going to be a spot starter, back of the rotation arm, or maybe just a mop up pen guy, but he's pretty well developed and could make an impact at the big league level soon.

RF Jim Madsen (AA Mobile Commodores): He's fallen his way down the prospect ladder a bit, but the now 27-year-old is trying to hit is way back up to Milwaukee or even Chicago. Madsen took home Player of the Week in the Dixie League, hitting an even 12-for-24 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. The outfielder is off to a quick start, slashing .396/.477/.495 (161 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 steals, and 19 RBIs with a strong 14-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's also looked really good in right, as expected for a natural center fielder, and he can cover all three spots well. His speed and defense is helpful, but he's struggled in limited time in AAA and this is far and away the best performance of his career. If we need a stopgap bench outfielder, Madsen can fill that role, but it might be the only way he gets onto a big league roster.

ayaghmour2 · 10-21-2022, 06:42 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 28-12 (1st, 4 GA)
Stars of the Week
Hank Barnett : 28 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .464 AVG, 1.090 OPS
Art White : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .414 AVG, .931 OPS

Schedule
5-23: Win vs Saints (0-2)
5-24: Loss vs Wolves (3-1)
5-25: Win vs Wolves (8-9): 10 innings
5-26: Loss vs Wolves (6-2)
5-27: Loss vs Foresters (4-1)
5-28: Win vs Foresters (3-4)
5-28: Win vs Foresters (0-2)

Recap
We are starting to cool off a bit, but it's a fifth straight week above .500 and we have still yet to lose more then 3 games in a week. I think part of our cooling down has more to do with how hot the Wolves have been, as we snapped their 10 win streak but they took two of three in Chicago while outscoring us 17-12. We won the single game against the Saints and flipped the script on the Foresters, losing the lone game before winning the double header. We do have another game left in that series, so a series win has not been secured, but as usual, I like our chances. As good as guys like Hank Barnett and Leo Mitchell were, this week was all about Art White, who has had as good of start as anyone this season. White started the week against the Saints and ended the week against the Foresters, winning both games to improve to a perfect 7-0 on the season. He was almost perfect against Montreal, tossing a 3-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts, and then White picked up a second complete game win with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. We have won all eight of White's starts, as he's worked to an impeccable 2.13 ERA (162 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP despite just 13 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched. Only Toronto's Bernie Johnson (1.45) has a lower ERA out of CA pitchers, but our veteran lefty leads the circuit in wins. He's probably been a bit lucky, as evidenced by his 102 FIP-, but White does an excellent job keeping runners off base, and he's an expert double play roller. With a lot of time left in the season and potential issues with Harry Parker's endurance, Art is going to be crucial in our pennant push, and we may have to ride him a bit harder at the end.

White may have had the better week, but Hank Barnett was named Player of the Week for the second the straight week. Our talented slugger went 13-for-28 with 4 doubles, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs, so it looks like a 4 homer week isn't the only way to secure accolades. Barnett is now riding an 18-game hit streak, the highest active streak in the league, which has propelled his season line to .362/.421/.550 (178 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs. I'm not sure who deserves the Whitney more, him or Leo Mitchell, as both continue to put up elite week after week. Mitchell continued to perform, going 12-for-29 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. His .425 average is the highest in the CA, and the next closest player in either circuit is Ron Rattigan's .401. We also got a good week from Skipper, who was 7-for-20 with with a double, RBI, 2 walks, and 3 runs scored. Barnett, Mitchell, and Skipper currently rank 1-2-3 in the CA for positional WAR, giving us far and away the most valuable lineup in the Continental Association.

Despite the production from the trio above, the rest of the lineup had some issue, and the closest thing to average production we got was from Harry Mead. He was just 6-for-22, but Mead hit his first homer of the season. Cliff Moss finally came back down to earth, hitting just 2-for-19 with 3 walks. Billy Hunter had similar struggles, 2-for-17 with a walk and a run. His second base counterpart Jimmie James was just 1-for-8 with a run and walk. Dick Walker walked just 5 times, and was 4-for-27 with a double, homer, steal, and 5 runs scored. Orlin Yates had more of the same, 6-for-27 with a double, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. It was impressive we still won four games with so many players underperforming, but the Wolves pitching staff is really good, and we had to deal with Bernie Johnson.

Harry Parker will want to avoid Johnny Slaney and the Foresters, as his second loss of the season once again came at Slaney's arm. Parker again allowed 4 runs in 8 innings, this time with 10 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He has yet to allow more then two runs against any team other then the Foresters, and they have inflated his ERA and WHIP to 2.43 (142 ERA+) and 1.11. Mike Murphy also had a rough start, 12 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and a strikeout in his first loss of the season. Ken Matson was a bit unlucky, although we still won the game, allowing 8 hits and 7 runs with 3 walks and a strikeout in 4.1 innings pitched. Only one of those runs were earned, as the Wolves got six in the first inning after a Skipper Schneider error. Dick Lyons turned the clock back a bit, with a pair of solid starts. He did lose to the Wolves, going 6 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, but he was far better against the Foresters. He tossed 7.1 scoreless innings with 4 hits and a strikeout. Lyons is now an even 3-3 with a 2.41 ERA (143 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP in 52.1 innings. Ben Curtin had another strong week out of the pen, tossing 5.2 scoreless with a win and a save. He allowed 4 hits and a walk with a strikeout, as his ERA dropped to a sparkly 1.03 (337 ERA+) in his 16th big league season. Rusty Petrick didn't make a start, but the hard thrower looked good out of the pen, throwing 2 scoreless with a hit, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Merritt Thomas and Cal Knight both allowed a run, Thomas in 2.1 and Knight in 2.2 innings, although Knight's all came in one outing and Thomas split his innings into three pieces. We've been lucky in close games, a lot of that due to the late inning pitching, but we have a really tough week coming up with a pair of double headers.

Looking Ahead
One more in Chicago with the Foresters, as we look to secure a series win in the four game set. Right now it's shaping up to be Ken Matson (2-2, 3.96, 19) and former Cougar Dave Rankin (1-5, 6.70, 10) in a pitching matchup that surely favors the home nine. The Foresters have adjusted their lineup a bit, with Chicagoan Frank Hill (.235, 2, 2) returning from the IL and Hank Stratton (.287, 23), the lone lefty in the lineup, dropping from 3rd to 6th. Bob Mullins (.263, 2, 15, 2) replaced him, but him and Brooks Meeks (.294, 4, 25, 2) have already started to cool down. This should be a quick and easy finale for us, as the now 17-22 Foresters have started to cool off and make their way back down towards the basement.

Our next guest is the Sailors, who we host for a double header to begin the four games series. The Sailors have vastly overperformed their expected record, as they've allowed three more runs then they've scored, but have still managed a very good 23-16 record. They sit half a game behind the Wolves for second, but things may turn south quickly if they keep up their trend. Their individuals have started to level out a bit as well, as Doc Newell (3-4, 3.03, 25) has had a few rough starts and they're down to just three above average hitters. Two of those have been Marion Boismenu (.382, 2, 21, 2) and Joseph Mills (.308, 5, 21) who have been nothing short of outstanding, while the third Frank Covarrubias (.306, 5) has started to cool down. Ray Struble (.272, 1, 16, 2) was projected to be one of the top center fielders in the game, but the 29-year-old has not been very effective at the plate, and they'll need a stronger showing from him atop the order if they want to contend all season. The pitching may hold them back, as despite elite performance from Illinois' own Hannibal Davis (1-1, 6, 1.59, 15), the back-end rotation trio of Rube Fields (3-3, 4.67, 14), Dick Tillman (4-4, 5.47, 15), and Ray McCarthy (4-2, 4.60, 13) leave a lot to be desired. We'll get at least two of them, which may be all we need to secure at least a split in the series.

It doesn't get any easier after that, as we're dealing with the Cannons for four games in three days before a much needed day off. The Cannons have been unlucky early on, in terms of both injuries and game results, as the defending champs are just 19-19 and closer to last (5 GA) then us (8 GB). Don't let that fool you, as while I do think we are the best team in the league, the Cannons are far closer to us then the Kings or Stars. They've dealt with more then their share of injuries, with Denny Andrews (.307, 1, 17) set to miss a good portion of the season. Replacement Henry Jones (.310, 4, 13) has managed to slug his way to regular playing time, and the now 40-year-old may not let go once Andrews returns. Sam Brown (.370, 2, 9) was dealing with a shoulder strain and is healthy now, but replacement Rufus Daniels (.312, 7, 1) filled in admirably. Bob Griffith (.353, 3, 23, 1) is still raking and Billy Dalton (.254, 4, 21) and Chuck Adams (.287, 4, 25) provide a ton of pop. And as tough as it is to deal with their offense, they have a really good top two with Butch Smith (5-3, 2.35, 34) and Chris Clarke (3-1, 1, 2.61, 22), and with four games, we're stuck with at least one of them. Both Vic Carroll (3-3, 3.88, 33) and Roger Perry (2-3, 3.89, 13) have had an up and down season, but Carroll is really starting to heat up with 2 or fewer runs allowed in each of his last three starts. Their pen has had struggles, so we may be able to take advantage of them late, but they are going to give us a tough series as always.

Minor League Report
RHP Harry MacRae (AA Mobile Commodores): The game may keep telling me that Harry MacRae is a bullpen guy, but all the former 7th Rounder does is win games. He wasn't the sharpest on the 22nd, as he allowed 6 hits and 5 walks with 2 strikeouts, but MacRae tossed his first shutout of the year in our 3-0 win. He's now allowed 2 runs in 4 of his last 6 starts, and is an impressive 5-1 on the year. MacRae has a sparkly 2.21 ERA (177 ERA+) to go with a 1.17 WHIP, 19 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. His only non-complete game was his only loss, and he's surpassed 145 pitches twice already. The thing holding him back is his two pitch arsenal, but his fastball and curve are great pitches and he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. A few more starts like this and he'll make his way up to Milwaukee, as he's built off of his 9 strong starts from last season. MacRae went 6-1 with a 3.58 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 23 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Our pen is filled with a trio of arms above 30, so the young MacRae will have an easier chance of cracking a pen spot next season or the year after. If he was Rule-5 eligible this offseason he'd be on the big league roster by September, but for now he'll continue to start games in the farm.

ayaghmour2 · 10-24-2022, 10:44 PM

Weekly Record: 7-2
Seasonal Record: 35-14 (1st, 6 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 33 AB, 14 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .424 AVG, .987 OPS
Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 15.2 IP, 3 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA
Harry Mead : 26 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .385 AVG, .948 OPS

Schedule
5-29: Loss vs Foresters (9-7)
5-30: Win vs Sailors (1-2): 13 innings
5-30: Win vs Sailors (0-6)
5-31: Win vs Sailors (0-4)
6-1: Win vs Sailors (1-3)
6-2: Win vs Cannons (1-2)
6-3: Loss vs Cannons (7-6): 10 innings
6-4: Win vs Cannons (1-6)
6-4: Win vs Cannons (6-8): 11 innings

Recap
I was really worried about this week, especially because I had all weekend to dread it, as we had to deal with 9 games in 7 days and we were already in the midst of a very long stretch of games. But since we only played the Foresters once, I shouldn't have had any concerns! Once again, those pesky players from Cleveland got the best of us, taking the finale 9-7, before we ran off wins in seven of eight games. The coolest part is the pitching, which allowed 0 or 1 runs in 6 of our 7 wins, and when they failed to get on point, the offense tried to reward the staff that has treated them so well. They put up 7, 6, and, 8 runs in those other three games, and the final scores were all within two runs. The Foresters have been the only team to give us trouble so far, as we are 3-4 (.429) against them and 32-10 (.762) against everyone else. We have a winning record against the other six teams, with only the Wolves (4-3) being able to beat us more then twice. And it's not a small sample either, as we've already played each team at least five times, with the Kings (4-1) the only team less then 7. Now 6 up again, we have a nice comfortable lead as we start June, and some around the league think the Cougars may have the pennant locked up by the deadline. I will say I don't like how many close games we play, 13-5 (.722) in one run games and 7-2 (.777) in extras, but we're still playing over .700 ball and we have the most runs scored and least runs allowed in the entire FABL. With the mix of the impressive week and the end of a month, get ready for a very long (and hopefully good!) weekly report. I hope it's worth it, because I sure had fun writing it!

Let's start with Harry Parker. Now, he's not quite the Harry Parker I fell infatuated with during the 1934 draft, but I've found it so impressive how he's been able to remake himself after his torn flexor tendon. The days of the 140+ pitch inning eater are long gone, but he's been efficient as ever. This was a great week for him, as he took home Player of the Week with 15.2 innings without an earned run. He dominated the Sailors, tossing a 3-hit shutout with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts, before going on short rest and beating the Cannons to improve to 7-2. He has only passed the 120 pitch mark twice, both at 121, but he has 4 9-innning complete games with 105, 106, 100, and 116 pitches, each less then 13 pitches an inning. His 2.2 BB/9 and 4.4 K/9 are both higher then his 2.0 and 4.0 career marks, but guess what our talented ace has stopped doing? Allowing homers! Somewhat remarkably, the 1939 and 1940 CA home run leader as allowed just 1 homer in 82.1 innings! Yes, you read that right; just one! This comes after 6 in 102.2 innings last year and 138 in his 163 career appearances. Sure, power is down a ton, but Parker has been completely reborn this season and he's well on his way to a potential Allen Award winning season. The 29-year-old is now 7-2 with a 1.97 ERA (174 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts, while worth 2.4 WAR in just 82.1 innings pitched. Parker now ranks as the #6 pitcher in the FABL, and four of the guys ahead of him have yet to throw a pitch this season. There is still a lot of season left, and Parker could conceivably see his luck change, but he's alleviated nearly any concerns about his talent being sapped by his injury.

Of course, while Parker was the Player of the Week, with monthly awards he wasn't the only Cougar to receive accolades. Perhaps to no one's surprise, Leo Mitchell was named Hitter of the Month, as it is June 5th and the veteran outfielder would have to go 0-for-his-next-13 to see his average drop below .400 on the season. Mitchell was actually a bit worse in May then April, but he still slashed an elite .415/.446/.562 (189 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 homers, and 25 RBIs. On the season, he owns an astronomical .425/.460/.544 (189 OPS+) mark after finishing the week 14-for-33 with a double, homer, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. The 31-year-old has tallied 11 doubles, 4 homers, and 36 RBIs on the season while striking out just 18 times in 211 trips to the plate. For comparison, his career K% is a whopping 15.4, while this year he's almost cut it in half to 8.5%. Like Parker, Mitchell has seemingly solves his most glaring weakness, and he also now checks in at #6 in the top hitter list. It's always nice seeing Cougars do well, but when it's two of your absolute favorite players who are both home grown? Well, it's hard to get any better then that!

Turning our attention back to the week, we really only had one weakness on the mound. That would be Ken Matson, who had a nightmare of a week, losing both of our nine games this week. It started with his start against the Foresters, where he left with just two outs in the third. Matson was charged with 6 hits, 7 runs, and 3 walks without getting an out. He then made three relief outings, including one the following day. It was the only time he didn't allow runs, allowing just a single hit with a strikeout in two shutout innings. He then got the loss on the 3rd, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks while recording just two outs. The day after he was slightly better, charged with 4 hits and 2 runs with a punch-out in 2 innings pitched. This ballooned his season ERA from 3.96 to 5.56, and he allowed half of the 26 runs we allowed this week. Yes, 13 runs in just 7.1 innings pitched, good for a 16.5 R/9 compared to the rest of the team's 1.5. Cal Knight was the next closest to Matson, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. These two were the only pitchers with a weekly ERA above 2.15, as the rest of the staff was as good as it gets.

Yes, even Rusty Petrick, who was brilliant against the Sailors. Petrick tossed a 3-hit shutout with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts, finally flashing some of the first round talent we know he has. His second start wasn't as great, a no decision against the Cannons, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with just 1 strikeout in 8 innings pitched. With Matson blowing up, his 4.68 ERA (73 ERA+) is no longer highest on the team, but it is still well above average and much worse then Jim Lonardo's 3.06 (114 ERA+) in 88.1 innings with the Gothams. Art White continues to succeed with weak contact, improving to 8-0 win a complete game win over the Sailors. White allowed 6 hits and 1 run without a single walk or strikeout. Dick Lyons continued to heat up, picking up a win with 6.1 dominant innings with 2 hits, 1 run, and 2 walk. Mike Murphy was the third Cougar starter to not record a strikeout, but he did it in both of his two starts. We couldn't get him a win in either game, and he threw 17 innings with 13 hits, 4 runs, and a single walk. Ben Curtin had an outstanding week in the pen, making 4 appearances with a win and two saves. He was an out away from a "complete game", charged with 4 hits and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts. Merritt Thomas made 3 appearances and picked up a win, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with 2 hits and a strikeout. Our staff continues to keep opposing hitters in check, and when you combine that with a star studded offense, it may lead to a formula with zero losing weeks all year. We have still yet to lose more then 3 games, and we've had multiple weeks with 7 or more games.

Nearly all the hitters had an above average week, with just Orlin Yates (of course) and *checks notes* Hank Barnett failing to produce. The 34-year-old slugger is still slashing .328/.407/.487 (157 OPS+) on the season, but he went just 4-for-29 with 7 strikeouts. He did walk 9 times, which helped a ton, but it was shocking to see such a tough week for Hammerin' Hank. He had more then enough support around him, as even Tip Harrison got in on the fun, going 4-for-8 with 3 runs, a walk, and RBI. Rich Langton supplied plenty of pop, going 7-for-21 with a triple, 2 homers, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. His counterpart Cliff Moss didn't match that, but was still a strong 8-for-26 with 6 runs, 6 walks, and 3 RBIs.

Dick Walker had another absurd walk week, tallying 13 while going 8-for-32 with a triple, 2 steals, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. That's now 62 from Walker, on a 195 walk pace, surpassing his season total in each of his first two big league years, while in striking distance of four more. He's walked 80 or more times in nine seasons, including his league high 92 last year, and he has a legit chance to reach 100 before the All Star break. Lastly, I want to showcase Harry Mead, who put up another outstanding week. This time it was 10-for-26 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, a run, and 4 RBIs. The 29-year-old backstop is hitting an impressive .331/.386/.446 (139 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 17 RBIs, and more walks (13) then strikeouts (8) in his first 42 games. This is far better then his .238/.308/.339 (94 OPS+) line last season, and he's matched his OPS+ from his breakout 6.1 WAR 1942 season. Mead has also thrown out half the runners that have tried to swipe a base on him, and runners have only attempted 16 steals. Runners are so afraid to run on him, that Dick Walker has attempted more steals (19) in 84 times on base then opposing base runners have in the 365.2 innings that Mead has been behind the plate for. With Tom Bird hurt and now 36, Mead has claimed the #1 catcher role, although I'm sure he won't keep that once George Cleaves returns. Everything has been clicking so far, and with how effective Mead is both at the plate and behind it, it's hard to find a player that is more valuable to us then Mead has been.

Looking Ahead
We get a much needed off day to start the week, ending a stretch of 16 games in 13 days. We won't have to travel anywhere, as our homestand won't end until the 12th. We start with two games against the Stars, but they are split up by another off day on the 7th. New York and Montreal are tied for 6th in terms of games back (14), but at 20-27 they have one fewer win and loss then the Saints. While a lot has gone wrong for the Stars, they can take solace in the breakout season from Hank Mittan. The 29-year-old wasn't bad last year (11-11, 3.20, 56), but I was definitely skeptical of him keeping that up. Turns out I was right, he couldn't keep that up, but it's not because of his struggles. It's because he's taken it to the next level. Mittan is an unlucky 4-5, as he owns an impressive 2.57 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.12 WHIP with 24 walks and 32 strikeouts, and it's the first time in his three years starting he's walked fewer batters then he's struck out. Add in the fact that the Stars are dead last in both zone rating and errors, it's hard to overstate just how impressive he's been. Is it sustainable? Well, I'm honestly not sure, but with Billy Riley's (3-6, 4.33, 35) struggles Mittan is the only above average member of the rotation. The offense doesn't help much, but Gary Carmichael (.305, 2, 23), Ray Cochran (.280, 2, 23, 4), and Howie Smith (.314, 3, 19) have all hit well, and any of that trio could be on the move at the deadline. It's another rough year for the Stars, but there fans just have to look to the future, as there are few teams that will welcome back as many high quality players then them.

We finish the week with four games in three games against the Kings, who are the only team with a worse record (18-30) then the Stars. The Kings just cannot score, but at least there outfield can hit! Hal Reynolds may have a .210/.244/.389 (74 OPS+) season line, but he's hit a CA high 7 homers and corner outfielders Orie Martinez (.285, 4, 18) and Vernon Ruch (.297, 2, 17) are there only two hitters having productive seasons. Sure, Otto Deal (.286, 1, 13) is technically above average (101 OPS+) and Frank LeMieux (.325, 6) would be if he didn't have just 89 PAs, but the lineup is really thin. They have brought up former first rounder Tom Landowski (.226, 5), but he has a lower slugging (.269) then his OBP (.280). The pitching has been a little better, but that's mostly because Jim Kenny (6-6, 2.90, 22) has developed into one of the best young arms in the league, and he has plenty more room to grow. Jim Crawford (3-7, 3.47, 15) has ate innings effectively and rookie Bill McGraw (1-1, 2.87, 19) has given the Kings five effective starts, but beyond that it's been really hard for them to get good innings from anyone. On paper, this should be an easy 6-0 week for us, but knowing OOTP, this will be our first losing week of the year.

Minor League Report
RHP Angel Lopez (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I'm not ready to give up on Ken Matson after one bad week, but if I was, Angel Lopez would get the call. Last year's Rule-5 Pick has dominated the Century League, finishing his May 6-0 with a 0.76 ERA (490 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with 18 walks and 20 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. He won his April and June start as well, so the young righty is a perfect 8-0 on the season with a sparkly 1.14 ERA (326 ERA+) and 1.05 WHIP with 20 walks and 24 strikeouts. Now 25, Lopez is finally finding success in the minors, as he was hit really hard in AAA with the Kings back in the '42 season. The soft tosser has walked more batters then I'd like to see, but he's allowed just 46 hits in 63 innings and his 2.97 FIP entails there might not be much regression as the season goes on. He's allowed just one longball all season, the same as his 45.1 innings with us last season. Lopez is likely ready to start, but with Lyn Trease on rehab, we don't really have a spot on the big league roster unless I move Matson down. Injuries are likely the only way he starts games this year, but he's done a tremendous job early on and is definitely pitching his way into our future plans.

LHP Ed Fisler (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a huge May for 22-year-old Ed Fisler, who was named Dixie League Pitcher of the Month. The southpaw went 6-1 with a 3.19 ERA (125 ERA+) and 1.47 WHIP with 25 walks and strikeouts. His single June and April starts haven't gone well, so Fisler actually has a below average 4.33 ERA (92 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP despite his sterling 7-2 record. Fisler has walked (35) more batters then he's struck out (27), and while his BB/9 in 9 starts this year is similar to his 4.4 in 22 last year, his K/9 has dropped a full point. Fisler has had a weird season, as 6 of his 9 starts have seen him allow 3 or fewer earned runs, while the other 3 have seen 6 or more. His focus will be on being more consistent on the mound, and until he does that he'll remain in Mobile. I like his endurance, as he's topped 130 multiple times, and his three pitch mix is very effective. If he can either get his strikeouts back up or his walks down, he should be a capable back of the rotation arm, but Tom Weinstock is a little worried about his health, and as he doesn't overpower hitters, control will be important. Fisler may get a cameo this Fall, but he'll need to be at his best to survive the eventual roster casualties that will come once our soldiers return home.

RHP Joe Swank (AA Mobile Commodores): He may not have been the best pitcher in May, but after his first start, he was the best pitcher in June. Swank was dominant in Knoxville, tossing a 7-hit shutout with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. In 7 starts this season for the Commodores, the 21-year-old righty is an impressive 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 17 walks, and 28 strikeouts. His 3.16 FIP (79 FIP-) supports his performances, as he's doing a great job against tough competition at a young age. Swank is starting to get some prospect love as well, entering our top 20 and checking in at 272nd in the league. OSA also thinks he'll be big league ready next season, and Tom thinks all three pitches are big league quality. The change is the best and the curve has nice break, but his fastball sits in the mid 80s. This leads to him not missing many bats, but he does locate it well and works off his off-speed. I don't think we'll need many starters in Milwaukee, but Swank is probably ready for AAA, and I can see him pitching in Chicago next fall.

RHP George Oddo (A Lincoln Legislators: One of the highest risers in our system, George Oddo went from 8th Rounder to top 100 prospect to #34 in the league in just under 3 years in our minor league system. He struggled a bit last season up in A ball, going 5-3 with a 5.35 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 41 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched. He's just 8 outs away from matching that total with the Legislators this year, an impressive 6-1 to go with a 3.08 ERA (146 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 25 walks, and 54 strikeouts. Oddo is a huge strikeout arm, and it's been great seeing him consistently top 100 pitches at 21. A skinny 6'4'' righty, Oddo has a very advanced arsenal, featuring an elite change, knee-buckling curve, and and plus high 80s fastball. He's got some of the best stuff in the league, and he's matched Peter the Heater's A ball K/9 of 6.7. He's made great strides with his command, seeing his BB/9 drop a point and a half from 4.9 to 3.1, and he's allowed just 3 homers with the Legislators this year after 12 last season and 25 in 166.2 split between three minor league levels. OSA has upped their projection to a future #2, but Tom Weinstock took hit one step further and said he'd should end up near the top of any big league rotation. We have tremendous pitching depth in the majors, but with Bybee and Oddo, we have two golden arms waiting in the winds.

CF Ducky Cole (B San Jose Cougars): Now 20, Ducky Cole celebrated his birthday all month, slashing .353/.402/.471 (150 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, and 16 RBIs in 25 games. The early start has been a nice surprise for Ducky, who went just 8-for-42 last season with the Cougars. The former 7th Rounder is having a big year near his hometown Long Beach, slashing .336/.384/.451 (139 OPS+) in 125 trips to the plate. He's also getting all the starts out in his natural position after splitting his time pretty evenly between center and right. Tom Weinstock isn't a fan of his glove, expecting right or even left to be his final position, but his .967 efficiency is respectable for a young kid. His bat is the more exciting part, as featured by his pair of .500 seasons in high school, and while he won't hit like Leo Mitchell, he could compete for a batting title or two. He's young and has a lot of developing left, but unless he becomes more then a one tool player, his future may be on the bench. Being able to handle center will prove him extra valuable, allowing him to get his foot in as a 5th outfielder. As a lefty he'll get a lot of late inning pinch hit opportunities, and with a few clutch hits he could find himself in a more permanent role.

RHP Bill Ballantine (B San Jose Cougars): Born in raised in beautiful Chicago, Bill Ballantine earned the moniker "The Windy City Whip" while pitching his first of four seasons at Fenger. The 21-year-old continues to live up to that name, and he started the season with a near perfect month. Ballantine went 5-0 with a 0.55 ERA (641 ERA+) and 0.76 WHIP with 12 walks and 23 strikeouts. These are stellar results, even if it is just a 33 inning sample. A very exciting youngster, the whip now fires up to 95, as he overpowers batters with his fastball. Last season was impressive with the strikeouts as well, earning a 8.7 K/9 in La Crosse and 7.3 in San Jose. The walks were an issue this year, as he couldn't locate any of his three secondary pitches, and he's gotten so many whifs that only 13 batters have hit safely. There are no real hopes for the change to ever factor in, but if he can turn his slider or forkball into a plus pitch, he could develop into the stopper I envisioned when he was selected. If both work then he'll start games, but either way, I am very excited for the potential hometown hero.

CF Alex Snyder (C La Crosse Lions): He probably deserves to be up in San Jose, but with a full outfield, he'll have to wait until everyone moves up with the new draft. An injury could help too, but for now Snyder's will have to celebrate his Batter of the Month down in La Crosse. May was his month, as last year's 7th Round selection hit .295/.362/.467 (131 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 9 steals, and 15 RBIs. He's also looked impressive out in center, accumulating a 4.7 zone rating which amounts to a 1.043 efficiency. On the season he's hit well, batting a strong .274/.366/.427 (121 OPS+) while just shy of 2 wins above replacement. Known more for his speed and glove, if Snyder can handle the bat too he could propel himself up the prospect ladder. For now his future is as a 4th outfielder, but that's how Orlin Yates started and now he's somehow batting second on a team with a .714 win percentage.

Whew! That was a long one! Would you believe that was almost 4,000 words? That's longer then some of my written midterms! And a whole lot more fun of course!

09-15-2022, 08:43 PM	#901
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 31-35 A little new before we get through the next round of prospects. The sim before today we sent former 2nd Rounder Pug Bryan to the Dynamos for an 8th Round pick. I once had very high hopes for Pug, who never quite followed his impressive rookie season. He struggled in 11 starts and relief outings the next season, and hasn't made a start since. He has looked pretty good out of the pen the last two seasons, but I had my nine pitchers more-or-less set in stone for the next season, and he was expendable. Or, at least I thought it would be set in stone, as now Johnnie will join Donnie overseas in the war effort. Our enlisted rotation (Papenfus, Brown, Jones, Jones, Goff) is not only better then our remaining rotation (White, Parker, Lyons, Petrick, Matson), but arguably better then any other full strength rotation. Our depth is going to be tested this coming season, and we may need Frank Crawford to make more starts then I would have anticipated. LHP Ed Fisler (348th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1943) Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Rocky Mount Patriots Acquired with two picks in the most recent draft for Freddie Jones, Ed Fisler spent the rest of his season with Mobile, and finished it with a placement on the 40-man roster. The 22-year-old made 22 strong starts for the Commodores, going 10-10 with a 3.91 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 86 walks, and 88 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. These were pretty solid numbers for the young lefty, and while the walks were a bit high, I love his strikeout totals. Fisler has very good stuff, featuring a mid 90s fastball that he can overpower hitters with. He doesn't always locate his slider and change, but they are reliable offerings that can help keep hitters off balance. I don't expect him to figure into our rotation picture next season, although with all the enlistments and the expected injuries, you never know who we'll need to rely on. He has a bit of developing left to go, but Tom thinks he could end up a decent back of the rotation arm. RHP Jack Huston (360th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Bay State Bulldogs He doesn't get much love in the prospect rankings, but Jack Huston put together one of the best minor league seasons I've seen in Figment. The former 5th Rounder won 25 of his 32 starts, working to a stellar 2.83 ERA with 92 walks, 148 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. Huston through an organizational high 273.2 innings, getting two more outs in 1943 then Joe Brown. So how does Huston get so many outs? Well, I wish I knew... His stuff isn't great, and while he projects to end up with a decent fastball and curve along with a borderline elite slider, he's currently more of a borderline starter then someone you'd trust against FABL hitters every fifth day. As a sidearmer, lefties may end up giving him trouble, but his slider is next to impossible to hit, and it's very hard to elevate any of the pitches he throws. His control can elude him at time, which is why his WHIP is rather high, but since it's hard to string hits off of him, he can usually get out of trouble. Plus his stamina is nearly infinite, allowing him to rack up as many pitches as needed. He'll start next season in Milwaukee, but since he's not yet Rule-5 eligible, he doesn't need to occupy a 40 man spot. If he can keep things going, he's likely to be the first man up, as it's really hard to argue with the results he's been able to put up. LHP Bob Hobbs (379th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers Now 22, Hobbs spent all of 1943 in the Marines Corp, costing him an important year of development. He struggled in 11 starts in Lincoln, going 3-3 with a 4.06 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP. Hobbs had nice strikeout (6.0) numbers but dealt with a lot of walks (5.6), limiting his overall effectiveness. He's always had some control problems, but never to that extent. His age will work in his interest, as he won't be too old when he returns from the war efforst, but there are a lot more exciting prospects in front of him. RHP King Price (391st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs 1943 was supposed to be the year of King Price's debut, but like for many others, the war got in the way. In '42 the Bluegrass State alum made it up to Milwaukee after going 10-4 in 16 starts for the Commodores. Price's ERA rose from 3.78 to 3.90, but his WHIP dropped from 1.30 to 1.12. Now 26, Price is about as developed as he will be, and would likely be a better then worst case scenario starting pitcher. His change up is really good and he can pitch deep into games, but I can't see him claiming a rotation spot once he returns. LHP Barney Gunnels (423rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Poughkeepsie Falcons Our 10th Round Pick in the most recent draft, Barney Gunnels got a $2,500 signing bonus and managed to crack our top 500 list. He didn't have the best 9 starts in La Crosse, going 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.86 WHIP, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in just under 50 innings pitched. He'll be 19 this February, and I do expect him to pitch much better next season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the low-to-mid 80s, but his fastball, slider, and change are solid offerings. His change is the best pitch, getting a ton of downward drop on the pitch. His command should improve, as I can't see him ever walking more then 6 per 9 again. He's got decent upside and a lot of way to go, but I think the odds of him reaching his peak are rather low. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

09-16-2022, 07:03 PM	#902
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 36-40 RHP Charlie Kelsey (427th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins Not many relief pitchers get spots in the prospect rankings, but Charlie Kelsey is not your everyday reliever. The former 9th Rounder was a solid pitcher in high school, but his third pitch never developed so he hasn't made a minor league start yet. He has, however, surpassed 100 innings in each of the past two with 10 or more wins and 15 or more saves. This season he split between San Jose and La Crosse, going 12-9 with 20 saves in 65 appearances. As expected, he was much better in San Jose, working to a 2.92 ERA (130 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP with 21 walks and 54 strikeouts. His ERA and WHIP rose after the promotion, but he had a really encouraging 78 FIP- due to strong walk (2.3) and strikeout (7.5) numbers. Kelsey has a really good fastball, sitting in the upper 80s that gets a ton of movement, and while his sinker isn't great, it does help him generate a lot of groundballs. If his change was any good, we'd consider him for a rotation role, but instead he'll have his work cut out for him, as he's going to need to outperform failed starters for pen spots. RHP Dick Garcia (433rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Geneva Vikings Our regional pick in the most recent draft, Dick Garcia is from East Chicago, Indiana, which just like Evanston or Naperville, isn't actually Chicago. East Chicago is actually a tiny city in Indiana, so while we didn't get him because of Illinois priority, we got him with Indiana priority. Garcia pitched well in his first 13 starts, going 5-6 in La Crosse with a 3.97 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts. These are strong numbers for the hardworking righty, who may have earned himself a shot at San Jose to start the season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the mid 80s with his sinker, but he's an excellent groundballer who can generate a ton of downward movement. It's the best of his three pitches, but he can use his cutter and change to get outs as well. His command should improve, but there's a chance he'll never have better then average walk rates. OSA thinks he can develop into a back of the rotation starter, but I think if he does it will be due more to his work ethic then his current potential ratings. RF Sammy Dillon (441st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Mississippi A&M Generals When Rich Langton and Cliff Moss were both injured this season, Sammy Dillon would have been a candidate to fill in out in right. But with him off in the Army, Dillon missed out on what could have been a big league debut. What he does have working for him is his character, as he's both a leader and hard worker, key qualities of a player you want in an organization. That will help him avoid getting cut, which could bring him a roster opportunity through the Rule-5 draft. Dillon has showed power, hitting 12 homers in 96 games with Mobile back in 1941, and he has hit 32 in 300 minor league games. When he returns to the war, he may have to make amends with being an organizational backup, as his days of being a relatively decently rated prospect are passed. RHP Charlie Everett (456th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 12th Round, 190th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Shenandoah Valley State Barons Another guy off to war, Charlie Everett has spent more time enlisted in the Army then as a member of our farm system. He pitched in just one game for the Lions his draft year, allowing a hit, walk, and run in an inning and two thirds. Now 23, Tom Weinstock has started to like him more, although a potential "spot starter" isn't too encouraging regardless. He's not the most interesting young arm, but he has good stuff for his age. He has a strong four pitch mix, featuring a change up with good sink and a slider with hard break. His high 80s fastball is decent too, but his curve likely won't be used much. With so little playing time, it's hard to judge his future potential, but he'll at least get a shot to prove his worth once he comes back. CF Harry Carr (461st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Buchtel Griffins We finish off our new top 40 with a former top 200 prospect in Harry Carr. 24 in December, Carr spent all year with Everett in the Army after a 70 game stint in Lincoln the prior year. He missed time with injury, but hit an outstanding .323/.366/.485 (137 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 13 steals, and 36 RBIs. These are really good numbers, and would have given Carr a chance to play everyday in Mobile. He would have been Rule-5 eligible this season, and while we do have plenty of open spots with all the enlistments, he now doesn't have to worry about being selected by another team. The former 10th Rounder won't have much of a shot to work his way into our starting lineup, but he'll still need to be at his best to even secure a futre 40-man spot. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

09-26-2022, 06:47 PM	#903
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Pre-Rule 5 Draft It's been a pretty slow offseason as our commish was on vacation for a little, and there hasn't been much action so far. A few minor trades, but there really hasn't been too much to write about. We're setting our rosters for the Rule-5 draft for this sim, with the draft itself happening on Wednesday, so I thought I'd cover a few of the new faces on our 40. We have seven openings, but I don't imagine that we'll add many guys as there are a lot of guys I want to see on the active roster. We also got good news on the Harry Parker front, as his recovery has gone well, and he should be full strength in about a week. A healthy Parker is huge, as he's one of the best pitchers left, and we really need strong arms. RHP Bill Anderson: He hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues since 1939, but that was Anderson's six consecutive season with 30 or more appearances, and in each season he threw 170 or more innings pitched. Anderson appeared in 250 games with the Eagles and Wolves, going 84-101 with a 4.61 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 481 walks, and 548 strikeouts. He spent the 1940 season with the Dynamos' AAA team before joining our organization in July of '41. He threw just 18.1 innings with the Commodores that year, but then 54 the following year with the Blues before nearly 150 in the most recent season. Anderson spent most of his time in the pen, but he did start 6 of his 66 appearances. He was a pretty great stopper for us, 12-6 with 18 saves, a 3.64 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 31 walks, and 76 strikeouts. His BB/9 was a solid 1.9 and his K/9 a pretty solid 4.6 while worth 3.5 wins above replacement. Our pitching depth has been hit hard, as Joe Brown and Johnnie Jones joined former 40-man pitchers Danny Goff Jr., Donnie Jones, Pete Papenfus, Ed Wilkinson, Rusty Watts, and Harl Haines in the service. We were left with just 12 pitchers on the 40, and two of them haven't pitched in the big leagues yet. Anderson gives us a depth option (with an option left!) to fill as either a starter or reliever, and since I'm toying with a six man this season, we could use someone to eat a lot of innings. He's probably no longer a reliable everyday starter, but he can eat innings out of the pen and pick up a spot start if the schedule gets too crazy. C Gene Lee: With Steve Mountain getting called away from the service, we only had two catchers on the 40, and I wanted to make sure we had at least three backstops protected. I don't think Gene Lee will ever get a big league debut, but if Mead or Taylor get hurt, he's likely the first one up. A 19th Round Pick way back in 1938, Lee has never really been a full time starter, and before this season he never started more then 25 games in a season. Despite that, Tom Weinstock has always been a fan, thinking he could be a decent bench bat with the option to start. He didn't hit too well this season, but he was really good with Mobile last year. In 102 PAs he slashed .353/.429/.447 (133 OPS+) but it dropped to .256/.331/.383 (89 OPS+) in 151 this year. An imposing figure at the plate, Lee stands at 6'3'' while weighing an even 200. He has a quick bat and makes hard contact, but he could work on his barrel control. He's just 23, so there's time for him to take another step forward, but he will have a chance for everyday at bats in Milwaukee this season. LF Bill Rich: One of the best hitters in our system for the past few years, Bill Rich took a bit of a step back this season in Mobile. The 24-year-old still showed a lot of pop and a strong batting line, but his .301/.355/.449 (112 OPS+) line is surprisingly one of the worst in his young career. He did drive in a career best 115 runs with 27 doubles, 18 homers, and 93 runs scored. The former 3rd Rounder spent most of his time out in left, and while it didn't go too great, I always knew the bat was better then the glove. He's fast, although not much of a base stealer, and he has good command of the strike zone. He can maintain a high average with decent pop, and while 20 homers in the big leagues may be a stretch, in a stadium like ours it is possible. Rich won't be in contention for an active roster spot, and I expect him to start the season in Milwaukee, but I would be surprised if the Illinois native doesn't get a series or two in Chicago this year. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

09-28-2022, 12:51 PM	#904
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Rule-5 Draft We got three new additions to the Cougar organization, picking up a pitcher and two outfielders. We are also approaching the rookie draft (likely over the weekend), where we will be picking 12th in the first and second rounds. We'll get a quick rundown of the new picks: RHP Lyn Trease (Brooklyn Kings): It seems like every season we end up with pitchers form the Kings. This time we pick up a young pitcher I've had my eyes on since he was a 15-year-old freshman: Lyn Trease. A four year starter at St. Ignatius, Trease was born in Peoria, and is the son of Hall of Fame pitcher Woody Trease, who was 325-185 in 543 games with the Dynamos and Minutemen. He had an elite 2.24 (125 ERA+) career ERA with 2,407 strikeouts in 4,606.1 innings pitched. His son doesn't have the arm of his father, but the soon-to-be 24-year-old is an extremely hard thrower. His fastball sits consistently in the high 90s, and while it's an excellent pitch, his other three aren't quite big league quality. He needs to improve his command, evidenced by his 7.4 BB/9 in 173.1 innings in AA, but Angel Lopez, another King farmhand, had a 7.2 in 61.2 AAA innings before dropping it down to 4.2 in 45.1 innings with the big league club. Trease will have a chance to earn a starting spot, as I really want to use a six-man rotation, but his future is likely in the pen. He'll never be a dominant starter like his dad, but he's a hard thrower who could be a great stopper if starting doesn't work, and he's a leader in the clubhouse which will make it easy to hold on to him. If he survives the season, he has three option years left, and we can work on trying to mold him into a productive big league starter. LF Don Long (Philadelphia Sailors): One of two outfielders we grabbed, Long will be competing for a bench spot after spending more then five seasons in the Sailors organization. A former 4th Rounder, like Trease, Long had an elite season in AA, slashing a Don Lee-esque .326/.389/.426 (149 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 9 steals, and 29 RBIs. He hit just one homer in 389 trips to the plate, a little low for my likings, but his contact tool is outstanding and he has really good speed. He can fill in at all three outfield spots, but he's definitely more suited for a corner then up the middle. Tom Weinstock thinks he can force his way into a big league lineup, but he'll need to put up really strong numbers to make the Opening Day roster. CF Gus Byrd (New York Gothams): Make it three fourth round picks! The last is Gus Byrd, a former Gotham prospect who split time between A and AA last season. Now 22, Byrd hit .328/.389/.468 (124 OPS+) in Albany before moving up to Reading to hit a bit below average .271/.293/.346 (95 OPS+). Byrd has more upside then the other two, but he's a pretty raw prospect who has a lot of developing still left. A natural center fielder, he's probably best suited for a corner, but he has good speed which helps a bit with range. I think he'll end up in right, and he could be a solid starter there, but I'm not sure he has the power for a corner. He does a good job barreling the ball up and he has a clean and compact swing that allows him to spread the ball to all fields. The only issue is he keeps the ball on the ground a lot, and as a lefty, he can take advantage of this if he goes opposite field. He's likely best suited as a fourth outfielder, but he's another interesting piece to add as we look to fill our bench. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

09-30-2022, 10:33 AM	#905
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1944 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 12th Overall: LHP Bert Rogers School: Wenona 1943: 11-1, 120.2 IP, 1.04 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 25 BB, 160 K Career: 21-2, 239.2 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 49 BB, 303 K When you pick 12th in a draft, you expect to pick up at least one of the players in your top scout's top 10, and considering in 3 of the last 4 drafts I got a top 10 guy in the second round, I thought I'd be guaranteed one here. Of course, you could probably guess from the way I formed that jumbled sentence that I did not, and you would be correct, as 10 of the first 11 picks were in Tom Weinstock's top 10 rankings. This definitely threw off my draft plans, but in the end, we still got a player I am quite happy to add to our system. It's always fun getting Chicago guys, and it's an even bigger plus when they're filled to the brim with talent. A 17-year-old lefty who won't be 18 until August, Bert Rogers has a golden arm, and has absolutely pummeled Illinois hitters in his two seasons at Wenona. As a sophomore, Rogers went 10-1 with a 1.36 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 24 walks, and 143 strikeouts in his 15 starts. He made 15 more as a junior, and took a huge step forward, dropping his ERA and WHIP to 1.04 and 0.85 with 25 walks and 160 strikeouts. The stats are great, but what really drew me to Rogers (other then being a Chicagoan, of course), was his makeup. A very hard worker, the skinny six foot southpaw is always locked in on the mound and he's laser focused in his pen sessions. He's not the hardest thrower, but he bumped his velo up a bit to 85-87, He projects to have three plus or better pitches, with the fastball the weakest of the trio. With more velocity it can only increase in value, but his breaking pitches are very good. His curve is downright nasty, and his slider is a nightmare for fellow lefties to even foul off, let alone drive to the outfield. Both pitches have a ton of movement in different directions, leading to a multitude of whiffs and just as many groundballs. There is no mention of control issues for the lean and athletic youngster, and he gets a very rave review from Tom: "Rogers projects to be a front of the rotation starter with his health, stuff, and effectiveness." Durability? Sign me up! __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-03-2022, 12:35 PM	#906
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Trade News! In an effort to shore up our rotation, we linked up with an old familiar face, acquiring a 36-year-old veteran with over a decade of big league service time who once began his FABL career with the Cougars. That would be southpaw and former #2 overall pick Mike Murphy, who was a part of the Tommy Wilcox blockbuster that did not work out so well for the Cougars. Murphy made a 4 game debut season back in 1931 before being moved in that Summer blockbuster the following season. Murphy then finished the season in the Kings rotation, going 7-2 with a 2.53 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 29 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 11 starts. From then on, Murphy solidified himself as a rotation fixture, starting 32 or more games in each of the next seasons before finishing his final full season in Brooklyn with 28. He was then shipped to Detroit the following July for a pair of picks, ending an eight year stint with the Kings. His best season was 1936, where he was 17-8 with a league best 3.07 ERA (148 ERA+) in 252.1 innings pitched. Murphy totaled 1,655.2 innings, was a part of three All Star games, and won a World Championship with Brooklyn in 1937. He finished an impressive 115-69 with a 3.52 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 446 walks, and 609 strikeouts. The Dynamos were in a pennant run in '39 (eventually finishing a game out of fist), and they thought a change of scenery could do Murphy well. He was just a year removed from a dominant season, but just 3-7 with a 4.86 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 18 walks, and 19 strikeouts in his 11 starts. He didn't quite turn things around, but finished with a nearly league average 4.19 ERA (99 ERA+) in 135.1 innings with Detroit. Murphy went 8-8 with 44 walks and 37 strikeouts, and with just one better start Detroit could have finished the season tied with the Miners. The Dynamos have fallen on rougher times lately, but to Murphy's credit, he was average or better from '40 to '42. The then 35-year-old lefty had a bit of a down season this year, in part due to a two month absence with elbow tendinitis. He made just 18 starts, going 6-7 with a 3.92 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 33 walks, and 20 strikeouts in just 119.1 innings pitched. It was his lowest inning total since his first season in Brooklyn, and one of just two seasons with 200 or less innings since 1933. Combine that with his age and the Dynamos not planning to compete this season, he was readily available and cost us a pair of prospects who rank inside our top 20 in Johnny Weaver (10th, 148th) and Sam Hess (18th, 224th). Murphy gives us another quality vet to add to the rotation, and brings along 2,560 innings of FABL experience. The former Cougar draftee has now come full circle, and enters the season with a career 167-121 record. He owns an impressive 3.59 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 659 walks and 839 strikeouts while being worth 40.8 wins above replacement. A pretty durable lefty, Murphy has only had three injuries last more then a week, and as a groundball pitcher he should benefit a lot from having Skipper Schneider at short, and while Billy Hunter is no Clark Car in the field, he's another natural shortstop who is really adept at the keystone. Adding Murphy also allows us to go with a six man rotation, likely squeezing between Harry Parker and Dick Lyons for the 3rd spot in the rotation. Art White will lead the troops into battle, while both Rusty Petrick and Ken Matson can give us starts or late inning relief work based on how the schedule lines up. I'm never truly done making trades, but our roster looks more or less set for Opening Day, as we look to return to the postseason after a pair of seasons where we vastly underperformed our expected record. We have a very deep staff and a strong lineup, and the positional rankings have us up three in each spot except catcher (5th with Mead) and center (Montes is 3rd, but Yates just 9th). Technically we are 7th for relievers, but since not everyone has RPs in their pen (and not sure it counts CL like Curtin) the numbers are a bit funky. With all the uncertainty in the league, it's impossible to make accurate predictions, but it seems like the Cougars should be in contention yet again, looking to post a winning record for the sixth consecutive season. The regional pick also happened (while I was writing this post!), and while I'd normally commit a separate post for the pick, we got one of the new players without any stats, so it wouldn't really be worth a standalone post. That being said, I am very excited for our pick, as we got another high schooler in 17-year-old Harry Austin. A New Athens, Illinois native, Austin won't be 18 until September, and while his makeup is a little concerning, OSA raves about his potential talent. A purely corner bat, Austin projects plus contact potential with well above average power, all mixed with outstanding plate recognition skills. Will he be an elite left fielder like they project? Likely not, as he's not very baseball smart and his work ethic leaves a little to be desired, but his offensive potential is off the charts. We have a ton of versatile, athletic, and hardworking players, so we can afford to use our lottery ticket here on a one dimensional hitter. It'll be interesting to see what Tom Weinstock thinks of the the young lefty, and I'm excited to see how many homers he hits as a senior. Lastly, I realized that I didn't post a recap of my second rounder, Tom Jovin, so I'll have to find that. Otherwise, I'll likely have to rewrite it; either tonight or sometime tomorrow. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-04-2022, 11:45 AM	#907
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1944 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 28th Overall: RF Tom Jovin School: Pocahontas 1943: .479/.557/.713, 118 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB Career: .475/.554/.740, 226 PA, 28 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 55 RBI, 11 SB I guess I forgot to post my Tom Jovin writeup, so let's run it again. There was a clever Pocahontas pun but I can't quite remember how it went... Anyways, our second of three new high schoolers in the system, Tom Jovin isn't one of our usual early round picks, a 17-year-old corner bat from Norfolk, Virginia. He'll be 18 once he joins our system, but despite his young age, his bat is very impressive. He has above average contact skills and a real nice swing. It's nice and smooth and his hands are very quick, allowing him to turn on pitches inside and line them to all fields. Tom Weinstock thinks he could turn into a .330 hitter, which would be very impressive in a deflated offensive environment like we are dealing with, and I can't remember the last time he's rated a hitter's hit tool so favorably. Jovin reminds me a lot of a right handed Leo Mitchell, great hit tool, decent eye, and some pop from a corner only bat. He won't strike out nearly as much as Mitchell, but otherwise its as good as a comp as you can get. The only other difference is Jovin looks to have a bit more range, as while I doubt he's a capable center fielder, he does have a positional rating there. I'm really excited to see what steps forward Jovin takes as a senior, and I am very excited to add a bat like his to our mix. Obviously when I took Jovin, I didn't know we'd potentially get a left handed version of him in Harry Austin, but with a pair of corner bats in Bob Rogers and Jimmy Hairston getting every day at bats in La Crosse to start the season, I'm hoping one of them hits well enough to make the trip west to San Jose. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 10-25-2022 at 04:01 PM.

10-05-2022, 06:43 PM	#908
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training! Baseball is back! After another long winter, the Cougars are back in camp and hoping to return to the postseason as both BNN and Jiggs McGee are predicting. The roster is mainly set, but with a lot of possibilities in the pen and on the bench, 56 able bodies will report to camp in an effort to keep the starters healthy. A bad injury or two may be tough to overcome, as very few teams are selling, and some contenders may have to rely more on their internal depth which has taken a huge hit. Assuming a healthy Spring, the Cougars six man rotation and starting lineup is set, but there will be a few interesting camp battles to watch. Below is the very large roster to start the season: RHP Bill Anderson RHP Hooks Camp LHP Harry Chamberlain RHP Ben Curtin* RHP Rube Finegan LHP Ed Fisler RHP Art Gilbert RHP Jack Huston RHP Charlie Kelsey LHP Cal Knight RHP Billy Lebeau RHP Angel Lopez LHP Dick Lyons* RHP Harry MacRae RHP Ken Matson* LHP Mike Murphy* RHP Harry Parker* RHP Rusty Petrick* LHP Johnny Ruby RHP Merritt Thomas RHP Lyn Trease RHP Bill Tuttle LHP Art White* C Homer Guthrie C Gene Lee C Harry Mead* C Buck Tabor C Mike Taylor* 1B Cuno Myer 1B Chris Smith 1B Dick Walker* 2B Bill Dickens 2B Billy Hunter* 2B Jimmie James 2B Walt Layton 3B Hank Barnett* 3B Steve Jones 3B Ollie Page SS Jim Dickinson SS Bill Graham SS Tip Harrison SS Skipper Schneider LF Huck Hanes LF Billy Jordan Jr. LF Don Lang LF Leo Mitchell* LF Bill Rich CF Gus Byrd CF Dan Fowler* CF Don Lee CF Hop Villers CF Orlin Yates* RF Chick Browning RF Rich Langton* RF Cliff Moss* RF Bob Worley Denotes guaranteed roster spot Camp Battles* Bullpen: 2 or 3 Inside Edge: Cal Knight 50/50: Angel Lopez, Bill Anderson, Merritt Thomas, Lynn Trease Outside Looking In: Billy Lebeau, Harry Chamberlain, Rube Finegan, Harry MacRae, Hooks Camp Generally I only carry nine pitchers, but it might be ten this season as I have a lot of options in Cal Knight, Merritt Thomas, Lynn Trease, and Bill Anderson and I can't keep them all in Chicago. Anderson can be optioned, as can Thomas, but Knight cannot and Trease is a Rule-5 guy. I really want an extended look at the youngster from Peoria ,as he lights up the radar gun and has an excellent makeup. He's a leader in the clubhouse, an extremely hard worker, and very intelligent. I don't want any of these guys starting games (although Anderson could if we were desperate), but they can all give us quality innings out of the pen on the off chance that they are needed. Looking behind that group, we have a lot of other interesting arms like Rube Finegan (who I've called Finnegan likely every time) and Harry MacRae. I don't take too much stake in the position rankings for relievers, but Finegan is supposedly the third best in all of baseball. He's a bit too self-centered for my likings and he allowed 11 runs in 11 AAA innings, but he was dominant in Mobile last season and really good in Lincoln the year before. He doesn't throw too hard, and is wild at times, but he strikes out a ton of hitters and gets more then his share of groundball outs. MacRae has started his entire minor league career, but his future is likely in the pen where he could be one of the best stoppers in the game. Last season went very well for the 22-year-old, going 17-4 in 28 starts between Mobile and Lincoln. His ERA+ was 139 in 111 innings in A ball and 128 in 75.1 in AA. Curtin is probably the only member of the pen better then him, but MacRae is nowhere near his peak yet. Neither are on the 40, which will work against them, but both are big league ready and could develop into long term late inning guys. Bench: 3 or 4 Inside Edge: Don Long 50/50: Jimmie James, Ollie Page, Tip Harrison Outside Looking In: Cuno Myer, Chris Smith, Walt Layton, Steve Jones, Don Lee, Bob Worley, Gus Byrd I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea who I want to fill up the bench. And that's part of the reason I brought so many guys up. Our depth has been tested with all the enlistments, but we have a few veterans and minor league journeymen who could excel in a weaker environment. We all know Cuno Myer can hit, but former 4th Round pick and now 33-year-old Chris Smith owns a .295/.351/.455 (128 OPS+) AAA career batting line and has been a beloved member of whatever clubhouse he has bene in. Then you have Walt Layton, who played 905 games in a decade with the Kings. He was a capable defender with a matching 1.098 efficiency at both second and short. His versatility gives him an edge over first basemen like Myer and Smith, but at 35 he's not the same defender he once was, and we have younger better defenders in Bill Dickens, Steve Jones, and Bill Graham, who will all be fighting to make their big league debuts. I did make my decision a bit easier, sending Dan Rogers to the Stars for the Cannons 7th Round Pick, as he was unfortunately out of options and I really like our new Rule-5 Picks in Don Long and Gus Byrd, both of which can play center. We only really have one open outfield spot, as Moss and Langton platoon in right while Dan Fowler will probably take some starts away from Orlin Yates. I think Don Lee is almost guaranteed one of the last spots, as the 24-year-old is already a leader and checks in at 18th in our system. He hit an impressive .326/.389/.426 (149 OPS+) in 109 AA games last year, and his athleticism allows him to cover all three outfield positions. He's better in the corners, but he has a really nice hit tool and could steal a few bases. Byrd is more of a longshot, as he's two years younger and was a bit below average in AA. He was 21 most of the time, so a 95 OPS+ is pretty respectable. He's a better center fielder then Long, although he's not all that great himself. We have a few other players in the mix if I decide to keep an outfielder who isn't a Rule-5 guy, but seven outfielders might be tough. We have another former King, Bob Worley, although he's known much more for his time in Montreal. He has a lot of pop, but whiffs a ton, and didn't hit too well in AAA last season. A more exciting option would be Rap Lee, but I'd prefer for him to get everyday at bats. Lee had a 162 OPS+ in Lincoln and 148 in Mobile, and if Yates get hurts there's no reason why he can't be our Opening Day center fielder. Otherwise he'll man center in either AA or AAA, playing with other camp mates like Huck Hanes, Bill Rich, and Chick Browning. All could end up on the active roster, but I think they'll be best served playing every day in the minors. We have a lot of depth in the corners, but Leo Mitchell never misses time and we have plenty of guys on the active roster who can man the outfield. One guy I really want to see make the team is the versatile Jimmie James. The former 4th Rounder went 6-for-12 with a double, 2 walks, and 4 RBIs in his first 3 big league games, and he's coming off a .276/.376/.410 (120 OPS+) season in AAA. With Billy Hunter's lengthy injury history, I'd love to have Jimmie James start every third game at second, and he's probably the best option at short or third if for some reason Skipper or Hank decide to take an off day. James is a switch hitter as well and can play all three outfield positions. He's not as good in the field as Tip Harrison, but he's a far better hitter and could easily cast Harrison off on waivers. Regardless of if he makes the team, he's Billy Hunter's replacement, as he's a capable big league starter. Unlike Ollie Page, who may be at the end of his days as a Cougar. He hit a pitiful .118/.262/.157 (27 OPS+) in 64 PAs and he'll be 34 come Opening Day. Expect a lot of movement after the second week, but I'm hoping a lot of these guys can get some games in. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-06-2022, 12:06 PM	#909
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 1 It wasn't a great first week of Spring, but it could have been far worse as the Cannons lost the best active pitcher in baseball Rufus Barrell II. He tore his flexor tendon, and may end up missing next Opening Day as well. I really thought the Cannons would be in it until the end, mainly because of Rufus, but this may help us down the line. We lost a player of our own, but it was Bill Anderson and just for a few weeks. His calf strain cost him an Opening Day spot, and he'll start the season in Milwaukee now. Unlike most teams, I had my regular starting six play, which made me a bit surprised we played so poorly. Rusty Petrick had a stellar spring debut, going 6 innings with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Art White was even better, tossing 5 scoreless with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson went four scoreless, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons didn't look 43, something I will worry about all year, tossing 4 innings with 4 hits, a run, and a strikeout. Mike Murphy didn't do as good in his return to the Cougars, 5 hits, 3 runs, and a walk in 4 innings pitched. Harry Parker struggled as well, 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in his 4 frames. We got some good pen innings from Johnny Ruby, making 2 appearances, tossing 4 innings with 2 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Ed Fisler and Angel Lopez both threw two scoreless frames. Ben Curtin allowed 2 hits, a walk, and a run in his 2 innings. Cal Knight allowed a hit in a scoreless frame. Merritt Thomas threw a perfect frame in his only appearance. We didn't do much hitting, but Don Lee had a really good week. The 22-year-old went 4-for-11 with a steal, homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. The 37-year-old Dick Walker hasn't lost a step, 5-for-13 with a walk, steal, and RBI. Harry Mead went 4-for-13 with a double and RBI. Tip Harrison made a case to stay, 4-for-8 with a double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 steals, and 2 walks. Rich Langton was 4-for-9 with a double, RBI, and 2 runs scored. There wasn't too much else to write home about, but as long as we stay healthy, I won't complain. Our road to the pennant got a whole lot easier, but things could change in a blink of the yee. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-07-2022, 12:30 PM	#910
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 2 A much better second week for the Cougars, as we evened our record at six with a 4-2 week. We did get an injury scare, with Ken Matson suffering a hand contusion, but he looks to be healthy by time his next start will come up. We also shrunk our roster by one, sending Hooks Camp to the Dynamos for a 9th and 11th Round Pick. There is still time for another minor deal or two, but I'm starting to understand how our roster is going to shape out for the start of the season. We hit better this week, starting with two of our more reliable hitters. Skipper went 5-for-12 with a double and run scored while Leo Mitchell was 4-for-10 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Mike Taylor, Hop Villers, and Orlin Yates all went 3-for-11. Yates double and walked four times while Taylor and Villers each tripled. Hank Barnett was 3-for-6 with a double, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs. Cliff Moss was 3-for-9 with a walk, homer, and 3 RBIs. Rich Langton was 3-for-6 with an RBI. Bob Worley went 4-for-12 with an RBI. The pitching was decent overall, but Dick Lyons looked 43 today. He went 3 with 8 hits, 4 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Petrick went 4 with 4 hits and 5 walks. Harry Parker bounced back, just one hit and a strikeout in 4 shutout innings. Art White went 4 with 3 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Mike Murphy went 4 with 3 hits and an unearned run. Ken Matson left after 3, but allowed 2 hits with a strikeout. Charlie Kelsey threw 3 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Cal Knight and Bill Tuttle each threw two scoreless innings. Lyn Trease was roughed up a bit, 2 hits, 4 runs, and 2 strikeouts in 3 innings. Ed Fisler went 4 with 4 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-10-2022, 10:35 AM	#911
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 3 Lots of wins this week, as we went 5-2 to up our record to 11-8. Just one game behind the Cannons and Sailors while tied with the Kings for third. We have five games left, and Billy Hunter already got a head start on his annual injuries. It's a minor one, just back tightness, which should hopefully not cost him an Opening Day start. He should miss just a week, and he was hitting just .172/.226/.241. I really don't want to place him on the IL, but if he has a setback I may be forced to. We didn't hit too much despite all the winning, but Leo Mitchell had another nice week. He was 5-for-12 with 2 walks and an RBI. Dick Walker was 4-for-13 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Homer Guthrie went 4-for-10 with a homer, walk, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor and Bill Dickens were both 2-for-5. A few guys had advanced struggles, with Walt Layton 0-for-7 (at least with 4 walks), Cuno Myer 0-for-8, Skipper 0-for-7, Don Lee 1-for-11, and Bob Worley 2-for-11. But hey, we won games! Harry Parker made a pair of starts, finishing his spring with a win and no decision. He allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a walk with 6 strikeouts. Art White didn't strike out any hitters in his 5 innings, but he allowed just one hit and two walks. Mike Murphy went 4 with 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks. Dick Lyons allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 innings. Ken Matson allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings. Rusty Petrick went 4 with 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. The pen was decent, with Ed Fisler getting a win and hold in his 4 innings. He allowed 4 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Johnny Ruby went 4 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Billy LeBeau and Harry MacRae both threw three scoreless frames. Lyn Trease was hit hard, 2.1 innings with 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout. Cal Knight allowed 4 runs, 3 hits, and 2 walks with a strikeout in 2 innings. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-11-2022, 12:29 PM	#912
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 4 Our final week saw us go 3-2, finishing a respectable 14-10 and tied for second with the Cannons. The Sailors finished a slightly better 15-9, earning the crown for the Spring. Best part for us, however, is that not only did we stay healthy, but Billy Hunter is recovered and ready to go for Opening Day. Him and Bill Anderson were the only two Cougars to deal with an ailment, and we were lucky that neither was long term. We're off tomorrow, and then we have the one day sim to Opening Day on Thursday, before the season starts back up on Friday. I really like our chances this year, but with everyone at far less then full strength, there is so much room for for team chaos to make their mark. Our pitching staff was really impressive, with five of our six starters finishing with an ERA of 2.50 or lower. Rusty Petrick had the 2.50, going 0-2 with a 1.56 WHIP due to 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. Art White was brilliant, far better then his 1-1 record, working to a 1.42 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 4 walks and strikeouts. Mike Murphy and Harry Parker were both a perfect 2-0. Murphy had a 2.12 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts while Parker had a 2.25 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts. Ken Matson had the most decisions, 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Can we expect these kind of performances from our rotation during the season? Well, maybe not quite ERAs this low, but I do expect our rotation to be a huge strength. Of course, one starter was left out, as Dick Lyons looked like a 43-year-old. Clyde Meyer still wants him in the three spot, but he allowed 20 hits, 8 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in 14 innings. All 20 of our pitchers in camp threw 5 or more innings, and a lot of them did well. Neither will make the roster, but Johnny Ruby and Ed Fisler both threw double digit innings with sub 2 ERAs. Ruby went 11 with 9 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts while Fisler went 10 with 10 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Angel Lopez threw 6 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Merritt Thomas went 6 with 3 hits, a run, and a strikeout. I decided we will carry ten pitchers to start the season, despite Lynn Trease's struggles. The young righty was 1-0 with a save, but he allowed 9 hits, 7 runs, and 8 walks with 4 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. The offense wasn't great, but two of our top veteran hitters had their way all spring. Leadoff hitter Dick Walker slashed .325/.404/.400 with 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leo Mitchell hit an even better .341/.413/.463 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs, while also striking out just 6 times in 46 trips to the plate. The duo were two of six hitters with 40 or more PAs, but they were the only to put the ball in play consistently. Orlin Yates hit just .256, but he walked 12 times in 56 PAs with 3 doubles, a homer, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. Don Lee really struggled, making him starting in the minors officially, batting just .128/.186/.205 with a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Harry Mead's struggles continued, slashing just .182/.270/.242 with with 2 doubles, a run, and RBI. We did have some surprise impressive springs, including a big showing from 1942 7th Rounder Homer Guthrie. He hit an impressive .433/.485/.700 with 2 homers, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. We have Gene Lee on the 40, but Guthrie is starting to establish himself as a potential replacement if a catcher got hurt. Cuno Myer did what he does best, hitting a strong .385/.429/.462 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored and driven in. It wasn't surprising per say, but Rich Langton hit a strong .375/.407/.458 with 6 RBIs in 27 PAs. Ollie Page might have saved his roster spot, going 4-for-11 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. I have a lot of work to do with shaping the bench up, but luckily we have a lot of good options. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 10-11-2022 at 01:25 PM.

10-13-2022, 10:18 PM	#913
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Opening Day! Finally!!!!!! Baseball is back!!!!!! Check out the roster!!! RHP Ben Curtin LHP Cal Knight LHP Dick Lyons RHP Ken Matson LHP Mike Murphy RHP Harry Parker RHP Rusty Petrick RHP Lyn Trease RHP Merritt Thomas LHP Art White C Harry Mead C Mike Taylor 1B Dick Walker 2B Billy Hunter 2B Jimmie James 3B Hank Barnett 3B Ollie Page SS Tip Harrison SS Skipper Schneider LF Leo Mitchell CF Dan Fowler CF Orlin Yates RF Rich Langton RF Cliff Moss If the prognosticators in the league have their way, it projects to be a very good season for the Cougars, as after the Rufus Barrell injury most people in the league expect us to finish atop the Continental Association this season. OSA gives us a 92-62 record, 6 games above the Cannons, and we get a duo of pitchers and a trio of hitters in the projected top 10s. Leo Mitchell is the MVP favorite with a .339/.384/.453 batting line with 12 homers and 65 RBIs. Hank Barnett (.320, 20, 91) and Cliff Moss (.285, 19, 85), both with arguably superior predicted season lines are the other two hitters while our 1-2 of Harry Parker (20-15, 2.84, 146) and Art White (18-14, 2.56, 57) projected for ace level output. Even with all the enlistments, we still have a deep staff and lineup, with Orlin Yates the only position player outside the top 5. Interesting enough, Carlos Montes is considered the #1 center fielder, and both Papenfus and Donnie Jones would rank #1 at SP, with Joe Brown at 4th. We also have a good share of the top 20 pitchers and hitters, with Clark Car (2nd), Hank Barnett (4th), and Skipper Schneider (5th) all in the top 5, with Papenfus and Jones 1 and 2. Joe Brown (10th) and Harry Parker (18th) check in the double digits, and while Art White is on the outside looking in now, he's ranked inside it pretty frequently in the offseason. Looking at the farm, our system is actually one of the worst in the Continental Association, with only the Cannons (13th, 45) ranked behind us. Despite that, we actually rank 9th with 106 points, ahead of all Fed teams except the Keystones (1st, 182) and Pioneers (2nd, 174), who may finish the season 1st and 2nd in the league. Our numbers are inflated a bit, as the big league ready ace Duke Bybee ranks below just St. Louis' Tom Buchanan and Toronto's Jerry York. Otto Christian (47th) dropped down a bit while George Oddo (29th) shot up, and we have two more top 100 prospects in Eddie Howard (66th) and Foster Smith (100th). Our system isn't as deep as usual, but we still have 21 top 250 prospects and 38 in the top 500. We'll start the season on the road in New York, to deal with the team that finished last in the Spring slate. At just 5-19, they were dead last, as every other CA team finished with 11 or more wins. They shouldn't finish last in the regular season, but it will be another tough season for the Stars who haven't been the same since Bill Barrett went off to seas. After losing top arm Vern Hubbard (16-9, 3.39, 110), they will really have to lean on Billy Riley (7-16, 3.83, 85), who leads a weak rotation. Their projected #2 in the rotation is 34-year-old knuckler Johnny Cook, who has made just six big league appearances since the 1938 season, and behind him is 32-year-old journeyman Ed Myers who is finally getting a shot for his big league debut. The lineup lacks an impact bat, but they got a breakout from former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall (.274, 11, 61) and Ray Cochran (.251, 4, 43, 8) has been one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. The guy I'm really excited about, however, is Fort Wayne's finest Elijah Bourdeau (.276, 6, 31, 3), who seems poised for a breakout at 24. If veterans like Cliff Ray (.246, 1, 42), Mel Hancock Jr. (.238, 2, 51), Gary Carmichael (.281, 5, 24), and Steve Summers (.283, 20, 6) can take advantage of the leagues weakened pitching, they try to keep up with all the runs their arms will give up. We won't have to wait too long before entertaining the home fans, as after the three in New York we return to Cougars Park for three with the Saints. Not only was Montreal hit by the enlistments of Wally Doyle (13-13, 3.71, 156), Charlie Woodbury (.283, 10, 62), and Bert Lass (.274, 3, 57), but they'll be without the Hawaiian Art McMahon (.342, 2, 20, 6) for six more weeks after he tore his PCL last Fall. To replace him, they brought in former Cannon Al Horton in the Rule-5 draft. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 1939, but he has a slightly above average .296/.344/.452 (105 OPS+) career line. He could be a nice add to a lineup that has some good pieces in Vic Crawford (.283, 15, 67), Spud Bent (.250, 2, 10), and Jake Hughes (.266, 2, 65, 17). The pitching is thin, as some of their good young arms won't be stateside, but Bill Ross (13-8, 2.52, 66) will be looking to build off his breakout season and Jake DeYoung (7-21, 4.73, 83) and Pat Weakly (11-9, 3.40, 91) are better then their numbers from last year showed. It's imperative to get off to a hot start, and these are very winnable games right off the bat. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-14-2022, 07:21 PM	#914
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 1: April 18th-April 23rd Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 3-3 (t-2nd, 0.5 GB) Stars of the Week Cliff Moss : 18 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.429 OPS Leo Mitchell : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.042 OPS Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .273 AVG, .860 OPS Schedule 4-18: Win at Stars (3-2) 4-19: Win at Stars (11-2) 4-20: Loss at Stars (1-3) 4-21: Win vs Saints (2-6) 4-22: Loss vs Saints (8-4) 4-23: Loss vs Saints (7-1) Recap So it's going to be this type of year again, huh? We looked good against the Stars in New York, allowing three or fewer runs in a series win, but our home stadium did not treat us too well. We failed to keep Montreal off the board, and they took two of three from us in our first home series. We at least won the home opener, but were nowhere to be found in the finale. The big highlight of the week came courtesy of Cliff Moss, who launched three homers in our 11-2 win over the Stars. The first of those was the 250th of his career, and the veteran slugger is getting close to 2,000 big league hits. He add two more two hit games during the week, and took home Player of the Week in the Continental Association. Moss went 7-for-18 with 5 runs both scored and driven in. With the rest of the league seeing similar results, six teams sit tied with us at 3-3, Saints and Stars included, and it may be a bit before separation starts to form in the association. There was still a lot to like from the week, as the top four in our rotation all looked really good. Dick Lyons was the only one of that group to get a loss, but he went 8 with 9 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts, a very respectable showing. Art White and Mike Murphy had near identical lines, as the former Kings lefties threw complete games with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. The lone difference was Murphy walked just one while White surrendered four free passes. Harry Parker picked up a win in his first game back from injury, but the one concern is it wasn't a complete game. The big righty went just 8 with 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He came out after just 111 pitches, and I'm hoping it was more because the score was 3-2 and less because that's his new max. For a complete game machine who has hit 150 repeatedly, 111 feels like nothing, but we're hoping his elbow can hold up as the season goes on. Ben Curtin picked up the save in that one, and appeared twice, going 2 innings with a hit and strikeout. Lyn Trease made his debut in game five and pitched game six as well, tossing 4.2 scoreless frames with 2 hits, 6 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Cal Knight pitched in both games as well, three scoreless to his credit with a hit, walk, and 3 strikeouts. The starters in those games were Rusty Petrick and Ken Matson, and both really struggled. Rusty went 5.2 with 11 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and 4 strikeouts, while surprisingly walking just one. Matson went just 3.2 with 6 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Both were outstanding in the Spring, so I'm not overly worried, but more outings like this and our six man rotation will quickly shrink to four when allowed. I could have (and probably should have) skipped Matson this time around, but with a variety of question marks around our top three, I want to take things easy. As mentioned, Parker is just coming off a serious injury, Art White had a major shoulder injury at the end of the '42 season, and as we all know, Dick Lyons is 43. It will be beneficial long-term for us to take it slow with them, and I have faith that Petrick and Matson will be able to right the ship sooner then later. Despite the struggles against the Saints, we hit well overall, getting good performances from plenty of other hitters then just Moss. Reigning batting title winner Leo Mitchell got off to an excellent start, 8-for-18 with a double, 5 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Moss' platoon buddy Rich Langton made just 7 trips to the plate, but had a double and triple with a run scored and driven in. Skipper Schneider looked good, 6-for-22 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, a homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker stole a pair of bases and went 5-for-22 with a double, triple, 6 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Hank Barnett went 6-for-23 with a double, homer, and 3 RBIs. Harry Mead and Billy Hunter both had real tough weeks, with the two 29-year-olds combining to go just 6-for-43. There is a little hope for a quick recovery, as Mead did double twice and Hunter already matched his home run total from last year. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, but we'll use the day to travel to Brooklyn. The Kings will likely be competing for the cellar this season, so they may have a few enticing veterans to move. Jim Crawford (11-19, 3.79, 35) has allowed just 3 runs in 16 innings this season and veteran Jake Shadoan (.270, 2, 6) has returned to the lineup. Of course, there are also exciting young players who are looking to make their mark, including Jim Kenny (12-10, 3.01, 16) and Orie Martinez, who went 5-for-19 with a pair of longballs in his debut week. The Kings have one of the top systems in the league, ranked 4th and within 20 points of the top ranked Pioneers. As the season goes on, we might see one of their 10 top 100 prospects Clarence Barton, but a lot of their top youngsters are off to war. When everyone returns, a lot of those talented youngsters will be ready to compete for a spot on the active roster, so guys like Bill Downs (.277, 10) will hope for a big breakout season to make sure they aren't replaced. After those three in Brooklyn, we'll get a rematch with the Saints. It will be our first trip north of the border, and we'll get four games with a double header to end the week. Again the Saints will get the back end of our rotation, but both Parker and White are scheduled for the double header. Aside from Bill Ross (13-8, 2.52, 66) the rotation has had its struggles, but they've gotten excellent production from Bill Greene (.230, 8, 53, 24) and Jake Hughes (.266, 2, 65, 17) early on. These games are huge for us, as we can't keep dropping games against the Saints, and it should be our first big test of the year. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-17-2022, 10:28 PM	#915
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 2: April 24th-April 30th Weekly Record: 7-0 Seasonal Record: 10-3 (1st, 0.5 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .484 AVG, 1.081 OPS Hank Barnett : 32 AB, 13 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .406 AVG, 1.051 OPS Billy Hunter : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.111 OPS Schedule 4-25: Win at Kings (4-1) 4-26: Win at Kings (4-3) 4-27: Win at Kings (11-3) 4-28: Win at Saints (6-4): 10 innings 4-29: Win at Saints (8-6): 14 innings 4-30: Win at Saints (13-3) 4-30: Win at Saints (2-1) Recap Now I can get used to this! After a shaky start to the season at home, the Cougars were firing on all cylinders up North. We swept the Kings in Brooklyn, outscoring them 19-7 before heading to Montreal and getting revenge on the Saints. After taking two of three from us in Chicago, we showed no mercy north of the Border, outscoring our hosts 29-14 in a four game sweep. I'm not sure what was most surprising, the perfect week, the two extra inning wins, or the two one run wins! Two weeks in and we're a perfect 3-0 in those pesky one run affairs, and we've already outscored our opponents 74-45. Those 74 runs are ten more then any other team in baseball, and it's been hard to find a real weakness with the squad early on. The thing I am most happy about so far is the old reliable Harry Parker, who's still jacked right arm has not been hampered by his awful elbow injury. I will admit I was worried that the lazy behemoth would slack in his rehab, but the former 7th Round Pick has been nothing short of exceptional. He tossed almost two identical starts this week, picking up complete game wins over both the Kings and Saints with 7 hits and a single run. He struck out 3 and walked 2 in Brooklyn before striking out 4 without walking a single Saint. Still don't know how deep he can go into games, as he needed just 105 and 106 pitches to earn complete games, but Parker is already 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (253 ERA+) and 0.88 WHIP with an impressive 13-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has also yet to allow a home run, something he has done 137 times in his previous 153 games. The only Cougar to allow more homers in their career is Dick Lyons (171), although he has nearly 4,000 innings under his belt and Parker is about two or three seasons away from surpassing him. It's early, of course, and he's yet to pitch in the bandbox known as Cougars Park. Parker was our only two start pitcher, but only Rusty Petrick had issues this week on the mound. He pitched in our 14 inning win, and was an out away from a complete game win before Jake Hughes tripled home both Mark Burns and Bernie Green to tie the game. This ruined Petrick's night, finishing with 8 hits, 6 runs, 5 walks, and 5 strikeouts before a masterful performance by Ben Curtin. Curtin got Bill Greene to flyout, and then the 38-year-old shut the door with five scoreless to escape with an 8-6 win. This came right after pitching the final three innings in our 10 inning win over the Saints, and the captain threw 97 pitches in just two days. Curtin also picked up a save last week, and has allowed just 8 hits and 1 run in 10.1 innings to start the season. The rest of the staff fell in the middle, but with a lot more good then bad. Ken Matson had arguably the best start of his young career, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), a walk, and 9 strikeouts. Art White matched him in innings, runs, and hits, but with 2 walks and strikeouts. Dick Lyons was more lucky then good, but allowed just a single run in 7.1 innings. As good as that looks, he didn't have any strikeouts (or walks!), and scattered 11 hits as the combination of weak contact and an elite defense really helped the veteran southpaw pick up his first win of the season. Mike Murphy was in the line for a win when he started, but the 36-year-old left after 7. He allowed 8 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with just a single strikeout in the no decision. He's topped out at 115 pitches in both of his starts, which may be the most we can get from the former 2nd Overall Pick. Aside from Curtin, we didn't really need our pen, but Cal Knight pitched and had some struggles. The lefty allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in 1.2 innings. We got huge contribution from the offense, with just defensive center fielder Orlin Yates failing to record an OPS+ above 100 for the week. The veteran glovemen was just 6-for-30, but it came with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. We got huge performances from our backstops, with Harry Mead going 10-for-25 and Mike Taylor 2-for-5. Both were good for .400 averages, and while Taylor added a solo homer, Mead provided 3 doubles, 4 walks, 5 runs, and an RBI. Billy Hunter has now doubled his home run total from last year, going 8-for-21 with a homer, 3 doubles, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 7 RBIs. Leo Mitchell hit almost .500 on the week, 15-for-31 with a homer, steal, 2 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Hank Barnett continues his hot start to the year, 13-for-32 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, a homer, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Barnett even stole a base, just the 22nd in 935 FABL games. The still fleet-footed Dick Walker went 8-for-26 with 2 steals, a triple, 4 RBIs, 9 runs, and a whopping 13 walks. 6 of them were intentional, as he gets to bat ahead of Orlin Yates (who Clyde Meyer loves in the two spot), but the veteran first basemen is walking at a 225 walk pace if you extrapolate for the full season. Rich Langton had to leave the first game of our double header with a hip flexor strain, but since it only impacts his baserunning, we shouldn't have to worry too much. It came after a strong week, as the righty went 7-for-19 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. The other side of the right field platoon Cliff Moss matched his production, going 6-for-21, but with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Most weeks last season we were lucky if we either hit well or pitched well, but after a week where everything seemed to click, our success in the season is looking very promising. Obviously this is unsustainable, but we have the firepower to pull off a few more weeks like that as the season winds on, and the Cougars definitely look like a team that can make some noise. Looking Ahead After the perfect road trip, we'll hope our momentum isn't slowed by an off day to start the week. We'll use it to head home before a mini two game series with the Kings. We swept them in Brooklyn, but they are a respectable 6-7 early on. The Kings have really rode their starting pitching hard, with three players already making four starts. The lefty Jim's Crawford (2-2, 2.03, 5) and Kenny (2-1, 2.93, 6) have looked really good, but the almost 31-year-old Rule-5 Pick Bud Hastings (1-3, 5.01, 3) has been hit very hard. They may want to find someone else to make consistent starts, but aside from Curly Jones (1-1, 6.75, 3), they are lacking a pen pitcher who is a projected starter. There are a few options in AAA with 23-year-old Bill McGraw, 22-year-old Clarence Barton, and 26-year-old Manny Franco, but Barton is better suited for the pen right now and the other two don't have much upside. This will continue to be a weakness for the Kings, who have managed to score the second most runs in the CA. The 1-2-3 of Jake Shadoan (.327, 4, 2), Bill Downs (.295, ), and Orie Martinez (.277, 2, 6) has been surprisingly effective, and rookie catcher George Jones (.345, 2) has been red hot to begin his big league career. We should be able to take the series, but we'll have to deal with their best in Crawford and Kenny, while they'll face tough veteran lefties in Art White and Dick Lyons. Off again before four games in three days hosting the New York Stars. The Stars have one fewer win then the Kings, but rank 7th in both runs scored and allowed. The lineup has been ice cold, and a few of their predicted top performers have had various issues at the plate. Ray Cochran (.267, 5, 1), Elijah Bourdeau (.200, 4, 1), and Chubby Hall (.208, 2, 7) have all had their issues, and Bourdeau was just diagnosed with a sprained finger and may head to the IL with a three week day-to-day injury. Even with Bourdeau's struggles, its a huge blow to a lineup that sports only one above average hitter in 30-year-old Howie Smith (.302, 1, 5), who's 119 OPS+ would rank 7th on the Cougars for players with more then 25 PAs. If Bourdeau misses extended time, the Stars may have to look outside the system for reinforcements, as they don't have another natural center fielder on the active roster, and just 30-year-old career minor leaguer Ben Martin even has a positional rating for center down in AAA Los Angeles. On the mound they've had their share of struggles too, as Alex Vaughn's (1-0, 1.42, 9) ERA hides 8 unearned runs and Billy Riley (1-1, 3.24, 9) has been more effective then dominant. Hank Mittan (1-1, 2.00, 6) has been a pleasant surprise, but he's not quite the type of arm you want to rely on very often. The Stars do have one of the stronger farms, but with most of their top big league ready youngsters overseas, it won't do the '44 club much good. It may be tough for them to win many games until they are back to full strength, but the 1942 Continental Association Champions have a very deep cupboard of talent. Minor League Report RHP Jack Huston (AAA Milwaukee Blues): All he does is win! After a dominating 25-6 last season down in Mobile, 24-year-old Jack Huston picked up right where he left off. In his first AAA start, Huston was almost perfect, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks in a 1-0 shutout over Columbus. Currently ranked the 24th best prospect in our system, Huston continues to dominate minor league hitters, as the sidewinder from Bay State has done an excellent job limiting hard contact. Tom Weinstock continues to temper his expectations for the youngster, but this will be a very big year for him. If he can continue to produce results, there may be room for him on the roster next year, as I'm sure someone else will get injured and/or drafted. He's helped the Blues get off to a fast 4-0 start, as they look to repeat as Century League champions. 1B Cuno Myer (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Huston wasn't the only member of the Blues to get off to a great start, as longtime farmhand Cuno Myer was named the first Player of the Week in the Century League. The switch hitting first basemen appeared in all four of the Blues' games, going an impressive 9-for-15 with a homer, 3 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. That translate to an otherworldly .600/.667/.867 (325 OPS+) that I'm sure the former 22nd Round Pick can maintain throughout the season. If so, expect a massive 19.1 WAR with 35 homers and 245 RBIs from Myer, who finally made his big league debut last season. He got into more games then I expected, appearing 11 times while going a respectable 5-for-17. Dick Walker has shown no signs of slowing down, and has yet to be injured in his now 16 year big league career, so it will be tough for Myer to force his way into the lineup this season. At best, he could receive a callup to be a late game pinch hitter, but for now the soon-to-be 30-year-old will be stuck mashing in the Century League. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-18-2022, 07:07 PM	#916
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 3: May 1st-May 7th Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 15-4 (1st, 3.5 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .520 AVG, 1.138 OPS Art White : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.50 ERA Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 5-2: Win vs Kings (1-6) 5-3: Loss vs Kings (6-0) 5-5: Win vs Stars (1-2) 5-6: Win vs Stars (2-15) 5-7: Win vs Stars (6-9) 5-7: Win vs Stars (2-3) Recap Now I can get used to this! The Cougars keep on rolling, and after splitting with the Kings, we swept the Stars right out of town. Two of those wins were of the one run variety, and somehow, someway, we have managed to win all five of our one run games this season. After dropping 27 of them last year, we've almost reached a third of our one run win total (18) from last season, and we've been scoring far more runs then we've allowed overall. Our lead has now grown to 3.5, as the Sailors dropped five and a row and fell behind the Cannons. Our 15-4 record is the best early on, but the biggest news of the week goes to Cliff Moss. Not only is the veteran outfielder having a hot start, but he became the 76th player in FABL history to record his 2,000th career hit. It came early, as the 37-year-old hit a hard grounder to second that Red Moore couldn't quite handle, beating out the throw to reach base in the first. Moss later drove in two with a single, and finished his historic day 2-for-5. It came in his 1,981st career game and 336th as a Cougar. Taken 1st in the 1927 draft by the Saints, Moss own an impressive .291/.366/.462 (125 OPS+) career line with the Saints, Chiefs, and Cougars, tallying 296 doubles, 253 homers, and 1,054 RBIs. He's off to a hot start this season, hitting .333/.386/.708 (211 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBIs. We got some injury news too, but if it had to be any player, I'm glad it was the guy who got hurt. It's a minor injury, just a finger blister, and it happens to have happened to our Rule-5 Pick Lyn Trease. This is almost a blessing in disguise, as I can IL the 24-year-old, and then send him on rehab once healthy. Trease had to leave our 15-2 blowout with two outs in the ninth, and will miss at least the next two weeks. He's walked 6 in 6.1 scoreless frames with 3 hits and 5 strikeouts, and Trease should get plenty of more innings with Milwaukee once healthy. This will allow us to carry another hitter, as we were carrying ten pitchers so Trease could stay on the roster. Coming up from AAA will be Chick Browning, who is off to a rather slow start with the Blues. Browning has hit just .263/.341/.289 (75 OPS+) in his first 44 PAs, but he's already on the 40 and hit .281/.395/.426 (136 OPS+) in 94 games with he Blues last year. He can cover left, right, and first, and gives us a lefty bat off the bench. I debated bringing Don Lee up, as Orlin Yates has really struggled, but I don't want to burn an option of his and Yates has tremendous range in center. Plus, things have gone well leaving him where he is, and there's no reason to mess with a good thing. Speaking of good things, how about Leo Mitchell!?!? The defending batting title winner just turned 31 on the 1st, and had himself a week to remember, going 13-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs, increasing his season line to a whopping .486/.524/.568 (214 OPS+). His .486 average is best in the entire FABL, and he's struck out (8) just as frequently as he's walked. He's hit safely in 8 straight games, and just broke a 7 game streak of two or more hits with a 1-for-4 to finish the week. Mitchell has 11 multi-hit games on the season including three four hit games already. For a player who's initial call to fame was being high school teammates with Harry Barrell, Mitchell may be taking the next step this season, going from most consistently above average to the early favorite for the 1944 Whitney. It wouldn't be the first time Mitchell got off to a hot start before eventually settling back down, but he's on a blistering 10.9 WAR pace while providing a huge spark in the middle of the order. Mitchell wasn't alone in having an excellent week, as backstop Harry Mead has really started to heat up. After a dreadful 1943 season, Mead owns a 131 OPS+ after slashing 7-for-19 with 4 doubles, 6 runs, and 2 RBIs. He has yet to homer, but he's already got 9 doubles while doing a superb job behind the plate. Rich Langton was not affected by his hip flexor strain, going 5-for-16 with a steal, double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker added 6 more walks, going 5-for-21 with a double, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Walker is still on pace for over 200 walks on the season, with 25 in 19 games. His .457 on base percentage is elite, and then consider the fact he's struck out just once in 94 PAs, and it's quite clear the 37-year-old is having a very special start to his season. Even some of our bench players got into the fun, with Mike Taylor 3-for-4 with a double, run, and RBI and Jimmie James 4-for-6 with a double, walk, run, and 2 RBIs. Our middle infielders Skipper and Billy Hunter didn't hit much, just 9-for-39 between them, but we had more then enough support from the rest of the lineup, as we continue to wreck havoc on Continental Association pitchers. Another week of really solid pitching, as just Rusty Petrick had a rough start. It hasn't been a great start to his Cougar career, this week charged with 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks in a no decision. He went just 7.1 innings, but did strike out 5, but he's really had a tough go in his first three starts. He's allowed a homer and six earned runs in each start so far, but it's not all bad. I expect the homers to come down, as he had allowed just 10 in each of the past two seasons, but his walks (3.7) are down and his strikeouts (5.8) are up. I'm hoping this is just a mix of bad luck and a small sample, but with how good our top four has been, he may see his starts start to decline. Dick Lyons had a very weak start, as a mix of bad defense and bad offense sabotaged him. After getting a pair of groundouts to start the third, Skipper made an error, and the flood gates were opened. They then piled on five runs, including a three run homer from Hal Reynolds, before Lyons finally got out of it. No more runs to finish his six innings, but he finished with 8 hits and 3 walks, with three of the hits and one of the walks coming in that extended 3rd. It didn't matter too much, as they got a six run in the 9th and we couldn't score off Jim Kenny or Bobby Horner. Lyons is susceptible to bad luck at times, as when you don't really miss bats, one bad play can ruin an outing. Looking at the good, Art White was brilliant, tossing two more complete game victories to improve to 4-0 on the season. He kept his former team in check, allowing just 7 hits and 1 run in our 6-1 win over the Kings. He then helped us survive the Stars in the second game of the double header, allowing 11 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker also improved to 4-0, but no complete game as he left the 15-2 blowout with just 112 pitches. Parker was extremely sharp, striking out 9 with 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in 8 excellent innings. Parker's 22 strikeouts are the best in the CA, and his 1.59 ERA is tied for second. The last start of the week went to Mike Murphy, who was crucial in our 2-1 win over the Stars. He needed Ben Curtin to get the last two outs, but Murphy left with 7 hits, a run, 4 walks, and a strikeout. The top four in our rotation has been brilliant, combining to go 11-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. The WHIP's are high and Parker is the only one with a FIP below 3.50 (1.95), so some regression is expected, but our defense is really good, and should help keep the pitcher's stat lines looking pretty. Looking Ahead We get two off days to start the week, and we'll use one of those days to travel to Toronto. The Wolves got off to a slow start, but they're back even to 9-9, and it will definitely be a tough four game series. Even though the Wolves are without George Garrison and Joe Hancock, but Bernie Johnson has stepped into the position of staff ace. He's an unlucky 2-2 despite an elite 1.61 ERA (224 ERA+) with 9 walks, 6 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP. They've gotten decent starts from Jimmy Gibbs (2-2, 3.33, 12) and Bob Walls (2-0, 2.40, 1.23), as the Wolves once again have a lot of reliable pitchers starting games. They'll want to get better outings from rookie Jim Laurita (1-1, 4.74, 11), who's first four starts haven't gone great, but he's got the skills to start in the big leagues and as he gets his feet wet his results should improve. The offense has had its issues, as they've scored the fewest runs in the league, while Walt Pack (.194, 2, 5) has had a slow start after a season where he hit .282/.360/.461 (145 OPS+) with a league high 22 homers and 95 RBIs. Despite that, the rest of their infield has hit really well, with Charlie Artuso (.300, 2, 8, 1), Ockie Holliday (.304, 4), and Hal Wood (.323, 1, 5) all hitting over .300. These games are important, as this week will be our toughest test yet. And it gets tougher, as we finish the week with a double header in Cincinnati. The Cannons are now 11-7 and our closest competitor, but they fell a little different without Rufus Barrell. Barrell isn't the only notable missing from the squad, as both Adam Mullins and Fred Galloway entered the service this offseason. But even without all those top quality players, the Cannons are still 2nd in runs scored and 3rd in runs allowed to start the year. The lineup has gotten a lot of production from the outfield, as corner infielder turned left fielder Denny Andrews' (.297, 1, 8) 151 WRC+ is the lowest in the starting outfield. Bob Griffith (.365, 1, 11, 1) is at 197 and Sam Brown (.405, 1, 8) is one point higher. Once Billy Dalton (.222, 2, 11) gets on track things will get real tough for opposing pitchers, as Chuck Adams (.325, 1, 17) and Jack Cleaves (.286, 5) have been well above average. Even Buster Farrar (.318, 7) has done great, almost replicating the bottom rung of a potential Adam Mullins season. And it's not all you have to worry about, as Butch Smith (2-2, 1.75, 12) is one of the top starters in the league and Roger Perry (1-1, 1.89, 7) and Jake Smith (2-0, 1.00, 3) are doing their best Barrell impressions. With four games, including a double header, we'll have to deal with most of the rotation, but I trust our offense against anyone. This will be one of the toughest series of the season, and winning the double header would secure at least a split. Minor League Report 1B Bob Griffen (B San Jose Cougars): This was the first week of Class B and C baseball, and we got Player of the Weeks in both. The first came from Bob Griffen, who was a key part in getting the Cougars off to a 5-0 start. Their #3 hitter went 9-for-20 with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, and 9 RBIs. Griffen had many weeks like this down in La Crosse, but after his promotion to San Jose last year he hit just .233/.284/.340 (80 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. The former 16th Rounder is one of many young players who were given an opportunity because of the war, and he's done his best to take advantage. An all-bat no-glove prospect, Griffen has decent power and could hit for a high average. He still has some holes in his swing, but he has a decent foundation to build off of and the more he hits, the more likely he is to stick around when everyone comes back. 1B Billy Biggar (C La Crosse Lions): Could this be the spark he needs? After hitting .521 as a senior, Canadian Billy Biggar hit .266 in 67 games with La Crosse following his high school season and then just .243 in his first full season last year. He actually improved his WRC+ from 55 to 87, but the still 19-year-old may finally be on the right track at the plate. The former All American took home the first Player of the Week in the UMVA, 9-for-22 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBIs. It's not the first time he's won Player of the Week, and he's shown promise in small samples at times last year, but this is a huge step forward for Biggar. He hasn't flashed the elite contact potential yet, but he's shown improved discipline, walking 56 times in 471 PAs with the Lions last year. I'd like to see Biggar up in San Jose once the draft finishes, but with a few more weeks like this he may book his ticket a bit early. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-19-2022, 04:52 PM	#917
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 4: May 8th-May 14th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 19-6 (1st, 5 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.023 OPS Harry Mead : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.085 OPS Dick Walker : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .976 OPS Schedule 5-10: Loss at Wolves (0-2) 5-11: Win at Wolves (4-2) 5-12: Win at Wolves (5-4): 10 innings 5-13: Win at Wolves (4-3) 5-14: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 11 innings 5-14: Win at Cannons (8-4) Recap Another good week for the Cougars, as we've now managed to lose 3, 0, 1, and 2 games in a week. I'd prefer these are the only numbers we see in the loss column the rest of the year, but I know far too well that a 4 or even a 5 is right around the corner. I'm not too sure when we decided winning one run games was cool, but we won our first seven before dropping the first game of the double header in Cincinnati 2-1 in 11. We took game two, and three of four in Toronto, to give us a nice 5 game lead over the rest of the pack. It's still early, and a lot can change, but it's hard to ask for a better start. It's also hard to ask for a better start then the one Leo Mitchell is having, as the star left fielder went 10-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, walk, steal, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs with only one additional strike out. This actually dropped his batting average to a still league high .465, and he had a multi hit game in five of our six games this week. The rest of the offense didn't provide much, as expected against two top staffs on the road, but Harry Mead stayed hot, going 8-for-18 with a walk and 3 more doubles. Mead is now hitting .337/.387/.477 (147 OPS+) in his first 93 trips to the plate this season, far closer to his impressive 1942 (identical 145 WRC+) then his disappointing 1943. Dick Walker walked 7 more times, going 7-for-21 with a double, triple, 2 steals, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. He's no longer on track for 200+ walks, just 197, but he did strike out three times against the Cannons (who ironically only struck out him and Orlin Yates) in the second game of the double header. Cliff Moss was the only other hitter with an above average week, as the vet went 3-for-13, but with 4 walks, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and his tied for league best fifth home run. Moss is on pace for 31, which would easily surpass his career best 26 he managed in the cavernous Parc Cartier back in 1930. Looking at his platoon counterpart Rich Langton, who was excellent last week, wasn't as lucky this week. The 32-year-old failed to get a hit in 10 PAs, walking and scoring once while stealing his second base of the year. Billy Hunter has stayed healthy, but endured another bad week, going 3-for-15 with a walk and three strikeouts. Jimmie James, who gives him the occasional off day, didn't fair much better, just 2-for-8 but with no walks, runs, RBIs, or extra base hits. The good news is Hunter is healthy, and while his .225/.269/.366 (81 OPS+) line leaves plenty to be desired, he's played above average defense at second and has a pair of longballs. With the overall firepower in the lineup, we can survive if a few guys have down weeks, and it's even more excusable when they're contributing to the #1 defense in the Continental Association. Our rotation was impressive this week, with only one pitcher giving up more then two earned runs. That was Rusty Petrick, of course, but the performance looked far better then the numbers imply. In the first eight innings Petrick allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Then it unraveled a bit in the ninth, when his former team finally got to him for 3 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs before he finally got the 27th out. It was Petrick's first win as a Cougar, and definitely an encouraging sign from the 28-year-old who has shown no issue wracking up his pitch count. He tossed one of our two complete games, the other going to Art White, who improved to a perfect 5-0 with a win over the Wolves. White allowed 7 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) with a walk and strikeout. The craft veteran Dick Lyons picked up another win, going 7 with 5 hits and 2 runs without a walk or strikeout. His home run troubles continued, as Lyons surrendered the only homer of the week and his third in four starts. He allowed 3 all of last season, and has somehow managed to create just 8 balls that didn't end up in play. 5 of his 11 runs this season have come from the longball, and he's already matched his homer total from 203.2 innings last year. Harry Parker through a season high 121 pitches, but he had to leave a 4-2 game with two outs in the 8th. It really should have been 2-2, but a Billy Hunter error cost him two runs, It was his worst start of the season, allowing 9 hits and 4 walks with just one strikeout. Ben Curtin finished the game, and it took 10, as we scored 2 in the 9th and 1 in the 10th. He threw 2.1 innings, allowing just a hit and walk to improve to an impressive 4-0 on the season. Curtin made two more appearances, picking up a save in Toronto while blowing one in Cincy. He finished the week with 6 innings, 5 hits, a run, 3 walks, and a strikeout. The 38-year-old stopper has been outstanding, with a miniscule 0.96 ERA (358 ERA+) and 0.91 WHIP in 18.2 dominant innings. Our pen had trouble this week, most of which can be blamed on Mike Murphy leaving the first game of the double header in the 3rd with back stiffness. He won't have to miss a start, which is good, and Cal Knight did a great job mopping up. He went 5 innings with 3 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Curtin then allowed the game tieing run in the 9th, and then the Cannons walked off Merritt Thomas in the 11th. He allowed a hit, walk, and run with a strikeout in 1.2 innings pitched. We did a good job keeping runs of the board, but we have another week of tough road games ahead of us. Looking Ahead After splitting the double header with the Cannons, we get two more in Cincy. After getting swept by the Stars, they've fallen to third, now 13-11 and 5.5 games out of first. There is a lot of options for pitchers to start the series, but I think we'll miss Butch Smith (3-2, 2.03, 20), and we already dealt with Chris Clarke (2-1, 1, 2.88, 18) and Vic Carroll (2-3, 5.88, 21). If Roger Perry (1-2, 3.75, 8) wasn't dealing with a virus, he'd pitch Monday's game for sure, but this could instead mean starts for their bottom two arms Dan Adams (1-0, 3.45, 6) and Jake Smith (2-0, 1.88, 3). Both should be easy to get runs off of, but the tougher part is going to be keeping the Cannons hitters off base. Chuck Adams (.358, 2, 21), Sam Brown (.353, 1, 8), and Bob Griffith (.386, 1, 14, 1) are absolutely mashing and Billy Dalton (.241, 2, 13) is already starting to heat back up. Denny Andrews (.291, 1, 13) hasn't acclimated to left well, but his bat is far too good to keep out of the lineup and Dalton and Adams aren't going anywhere. Expect two more tough games between these two teams, who should be fighting it out the rest of the season. After dealing with the third place Cannons, will head to the city of brotherly love for the second place Sailors. Philly is a game ahead at 14-11, but still five games shy of us. They have overperformed their expected (11-14), tied for 6th in runs scored and 4th in runs allowed. Early on it feels like the stars and scrubs approach, as both the lineup and staff have a large discrepancy in performance. Former Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills is off to a scorching start, slashing .338/.398/.600 (172 OPS+) with 6 doubles and 16 RBIs. His 5 homers are tied with Cliff Moss (.311, 5, 15) for the CA lead, already matching his totals as a rookie in '41 and last season. His previous career high is 7 in 338 PAs in year two, but he seems poised to shatter that while already surpassing his 1.1 WAR from that year with 1.4. Marion Boismenu (.407, 1, 13, 2) will continue to challenge Leo Mitchell (.465, 2, 20, 2) for a batting title, and offseason pickups Frank Covarrubias (.307, 1) and Gene Miles (.316, 1, 10) have enjoyed their changes of scenery. It's a bit murky beyond that, as four of their remaining five hitters have OPS+ of 70 and below, so if you can navigate the middle of the order, you can keep the Sailors in check. On the mound, Doc Newell (1-3, 2.48, 14) has picked up right where he left off, but after Karl Wallace (3-1, 3.16, 9) the rotation has really struggled. Ray McCarthy (2-1, 6.75, 10) has been awful despite a ton of run support, so they may give someone like Rule-5 Pick Elmer Helfinger (1-0, 3.24, 4) a shot if he can't turn things around. They have a few intriguing youngsters getting settled in AAA, so next time we see them, the rotation may look a lot different. This will be another tough series, but a really good shot for us to separate from the pack. Our week and roadtrip ends in Cleveland, with three games in two days against the Foresters. Cleveland has exceeded expectations early on, going 11-14 and just half a game behind the Wolves for the final spot in the first division. Of course, they are far closer to the cellar (1.5 GA) then first place (8 GB), but there are some signs of life on a roster that lost last year's top contributor Cal Howe. It is still early, but Johnny Slaney (3-1, 3.28, 17) has finally pitched like the dependable pitcher many thought he could be, and last year's 1s Overall Pick Jim Adams Jr. (.313, 1, 8, 2) has walked (12) more then he's struck out (8) while producing a well above average 145 WRC+. His defense at short hasn't been great, but he's just 22 and will always hit his way into a lineup. The Foresters have also tapped into their minor league depth a bit, calling up #79 pick Ducky Davis, who threw 9 innings in his first big league start with 10 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts. Former 13th Rounder Hal Burres (.267, 4, 2) was given the starting center field job and leadoff spot, and fellow outfielders Lou Balk (.313, 7, 2) and Bob Mullins (.330, 1, 12) have been productive at the plate as well. There are still a lot of holes, especially on the mound, but Cleveland will continue to get more competitive as their youngsters start to hit their stride. This is a big week for us in terms of both games played and opponents, so it will be very interesting to see how the Cougar roster reacts. Minor League Report C Gene Lee (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A full time role has done Gene Lee well, as the 24-year-old backstop is off to a hot start. The former 19th Rounder was named Player of the Week, going an elite 11-for-17 with a double, homer, 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. That upped the young catchers season line to a remarkable .386/.507/.596 (210 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 17 RBIs. He's walked (13) almost three times as frequent (5) as he's struck out, and he already matched his season high home run total from last season. An imposing righty who's a leader in the clubhouse, that may be his biggest value, as his glove and bat potential aren't all that high. He's shown improving pitch selection skills and power so far, and he's the next line of defense if Mead or Taylor get hurt. I doubt he's good enough to start full time, but he's proving to be more then capable as a potential backup. C Lee Tiede (A Lincoln Legislators): After struggling in a full time role with the Commodores last season, Lee Tiede was sent to Lincoln to get everyday starts behind the plate. He hit just .259/.325/.374 (89 OPS+) in 168 PAs last season with 6 doubles, 3 homers, and 21 RBIs. In the 17 games this season, he's already been arguably more valuable, slashing .369/.400/.615 (151 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. Tiede is also fresh off a Player of the Week where he went 11-for-24 with with 2 homers and 9 runs scored and driven in. Our 6th Rounder in 1941, Tiede hasn't had much time to establish his footing as an every day player, but we are running low on catching depth and I'm not sure if we'll add an everyday catcher in the draft. Tiede isn't the greatest prospect, but he provides serviceable defense behind the plate while occasionally boasting high level contact skills. The 24-year-old is already Rule-5 eligible, so his time in our system could be running out, but other then AA catcher Homer Guthrie and the enlisted Eddie Howard, we don't have many prospects behind the plate. This could work well for him, as he could work his way into playing time if he keeps hitting like this. 3B Israel Holmes (B San Jose Cougars): We are really thin on infield depth in the lower levels, so guys like Israel Holmes are getting far more playing time then I expected. He's already seized the opportunity, taking home C-O-W Player of the League by slashing .391/.517/.522 with a homer and 5 RBIs. This upped his season line to an impressive .366/.509/.439 (179 OPS+) as the 21-year-old has shown a knack for reaching base with high frequency. A former 14th Rounder back in 1941, Holmes got very little playing time his first two seasons, but the righty started about half of his 97 games with the Lions last year. It was good enough for him to get more playing time this season, as he hit an above average .266/.454/.414 (121 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 36 RBIs. Holmes has always done well at drawing walks, with 69 in 274 plate appearances last season. Unfortunately for him, he's really a one tool player, as elite plate discipline is really his only average or better tool. he doesn't play great defense and doesn't have much power, and he focuses too much on tinkering his swing then mastering it. He's more of a bench guy now, but his eye will keep him in an organization, and improvement on another part of his game could make him a Dick Walker type player. RHP Dick Garcia (B San Jose Cougars): After allowing 3 runs in his first start, Dick Garcia settled in against Everett, tossing a 3-hit, 3-walk shutout with 6 strikeouts as the Cougars beat the Eagles 7-0. It was a big game for the 19-year-old, who was excellent in La Crosse last season after being named our regional pick. The East Chicago native went 5-6 with a 3.97 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched. The prospect people rank Garcia inside our top 30, set at 22nd in our system and 303rd overall. OSA is a bigger fan of him then Tom, thinking he could fill a back of the rotation once he's fully developed. That might take a while, but Garcia projects to have strong command and decent stuff. His sinker is the best of three pitches, sitting in the mid-to-high 80s while generating a ton of groundballs. He is a very hard worker, and already added a mile to his sinker and cutter this winter. He has a ton of developing left to go, but he's off to the right track already, and he's are only teen pitcher above C ball. He'll likely spend most, if not all, the season in San Jose, but a few more starts like this and he could make it to Lincoln before he turns 20. CF Alex Snyder (C La Crosse Lions): Last season didn't go well for Alex Snyder, who started the season in San Jose and finished in La Crosse. The 7th Rounder started year hit just .200/.333/.200 (55 OPS+), and his .213/.422/.328 (92 OPS+) line with the Lions doesn't inspire much more confidence. He didn't double and drove in just 5 runs in 42 games, but he did walk 31 times and stole 21 bases. The 38 strikeouts add to the concern, but perhaps he'll figure things out this season. He got off to a great start, and took home Player of the Week after going 10-for-21 with 4 steals, 3 triples, 5 walks, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Snyder has walked (9) far more then often then he's struck out (2), and he owns a .333/.444/.644 (206 OPS+) with a double, homer, 5 triples, and 6 steals. A speedy center fielder, Snyder is a good defender who will steal a ton of bases, and he's really good at working the count. If he keeps the strikeouts down with the walks up, he'll be deadly on the bases, and can change the game with his legs. Snyder profiles a 4th outfielder, and with the mix of his speed, lefty bat, and defensive aptitude, he has the chance to be one of our more useful bench pieces. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 10-20-2022 at 10:26 AM.

10-20-2022, 06:53 PM	#918
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 5: May 15th-May 21st Weekly Record: 5-3 Seasonal Record: 24-9 (1st, 4.5 GA) Stars of the Week Hank Barnett : 32 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.456 OPS Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .312 AVG, .863 OPS Skipper Schneider : 31 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .323 AVG, .808 OPS Schedule 5-15: Win at Cannons (7-6) 5-16: Win at Cannons (7-2) 5-17: Win at Sailors (8-2) 5-18: Win at Sailors (6-5): 10 innings 5-19: Loss at Sailors (5-6) 5-20: Win at Foresters (10-3) 5-21: Loss at Foresters (3-4) 5-21: Loss at Foresters (4-5) Recap This was a strange week, one I'm sure was effected by our long run of games. It started out well, winning both in Cincinnati before two more in Philly. After that tight 1 run victory in 10th, things sort of fell off, as we lost the finale before heading to Cleveland. We took the opener, but the Foresters managed to sweep us in the double header, finishing our week 5-3. I think we ran out of energy at the end, as we had to play 14 road games in 12 days. The road trip went well, as we finished 10-4, including a 9-2 stretch against the second, third, and fourth place teams in our league. Our lead was cut to 4.5 as the Wolves had a great week, now 19-13 and 4.5 games behind us. As good as things have gone, we've been playing far too many one run games, including five games this week and all three of our losses. We're 9-4 in one run games (.692), slightly worse then our .727 overall win percentage. The big highlight of the week came from Hank Barnett, who launched 4 longballs en route to the first Cougar Player of the Week. Barnett hit an absurd .438/.550/.906 (310 OPS+), scoring 13 times while driving in 10. He drew 8 walks while striking out just twice, adding a double and triple to his impressive week. The 34-year-old slugger is off to an impressive start, slashing .341/.409/.538 (168 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 6 homers, 27 runs, and 25 RBIs. He's now tied with teammate Cliff Moss and the Kings' Hal Reynolds for the CA home run lead, while on track for an impressive 9.7 WAR season. Most of the offense put up great numbers, with just Dick Walker having a below average week. He was just 5-for-29, but he walked 12 more times, scored 6 runs, doubled, and stole 3 bases. Billy Hunter managed to turn things around, 8-for-24 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He added a third homer, matching his overall total since the 1940 season. Leo Mitchell had a "down" week, but a still impressive 10-for-32 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 walks, 5 runs, 2 doubles, and 9 RBIs. Same goes for Cliff Moss, who was 9-for-32 with a double, triple, homer, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Mitchell now has a 191 OPS+ and Moss 171, elite numbers from our corner bats. Skipper went 10-for-31 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Even Orlin Yates got in on the fun, 11-for-32 with a double, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Despite the close losses, it's hard to fault the offense, as we scored 5 or more runs in 6 of our games, but just 7 in our losses against the Foresters. We still rank 1st in nearly every category, just failing to lead in average (2nd, .287), strikeouts (2nd, 93), and if you consider it offense, baserunning (4th, +6.0). What's more impressive is this has almost come exclusively on the road, with 24 of our 33 games coming outside of the great city we call home. In fact, a Cougar hitter leads the CA in average (Mitchell, .426), homers (3-way tie; Moss, Barnett, 6), RBIs (Mitchell, 29), OBP (Mitchell, .473), SLG (Moss, .591), OPS (Mitchell, 1.023), WAR (Mitchell, 2.3), hits (Mitchell, 56), runs (Barnett, 27), total bases (Mitchel, 72), steals (Walker, 9), walks (Walker, 44), ISO (Moss, .290), OPS+ (Mitchell, 191), WPA (Mitchell, 1.57), wOBA (Mitchell, .447) and even sacrifice hits (Yates, 9) and sac-flies (Barnett, 4)! Will this keep up? Of course not! But the Cougar offense is not something you want to mess with. The pitching wasn't great, as Dick Lyons imploded this week as his luck has started to turn. He got a pair of no decisions, charged with 14 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and a strikeout in 10.2 innings. Add a 4th homer as well, with one coming in four of his starts. Art White struggled, blowing a 5-4 lead in the 9th. He left with one out in the 9th after 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a single strikeout. Ben Curtin came in and finished the game, improving to 5-0 with a single hit in an inning and a third. Rusty Petrick wasn't great against the Foresters, allowing 12 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in an 8 inning loss. The rest of the starts were better, as Ken Matson tossed a complete game win in Cincinnati, allowing 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. He made a pen appearance as well, and it didn't quite go as well. He replaced Lyons with two outs in the 6th, with the intent to get the game to Curtin in the 9th with the lead in tact. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2.1 innings. He left with the game tied, and Curtin's magic ran out, walking Joseph Mills to start the inning before pinch hitter Red Blackburn walked it off with a two out single. Mike Murphy picked up a win in a near-complete game win, getting all but one out against the Foresters before Cal Knight got a ground out to end the 10-3 game. Murphy allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and a strikeout to improve to 3-0. Harry Parker made a pair of starts, including another complete game win. He allowed just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 5-0. His record didn't stay perfect for long, as he allowed 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in the second game of the double header. A Skipper Schneider error proved to be the difference, but it was nice to see Parker match his 121 pitch total which potentially means he could have gone further. We also got a strong outing from Merritt Thomas, who bailed Lyons out in our 7-6 win over the Cannons. He did allow the tie to be broken, but he finished with 4 solid innings, allowing just 4 hits and a run with a strikeout. This was one of our roughest weeks pitching, but we still have great numbers overall. Like with hitting, we rank 1st in most pitching categories, but are still top 4 in ERA (2nd, 2.92), starter's ERA (2nd, 3.11), WAR (2nd, 5.3), homers allowed (3rd, 10), and strikeouts (5th, 103). A lot of this has to do with Harry Parker, who currently ranks as the top active pitcher in the Continental Association. He has a chance for a triple crown, ranked 3rd in ERA (2.15), tied for second in wins (5) with teammates Art White and Ben Curtin, as well as Johnny Slaney who gave Parker his first loss, while tied with Butch Smith and Pat Weaky in strikeouts (31). His 1.8 WAR is good enough for the early lead there as well, and he leads in WHIP (1.06) and opponents average (.216) while top five in BABIP (2nd, .245), quality starts (t-2nd, 6). rWAR (2nd, 2.0), FIP (2nd, 2.46), ERA+ (2nd, 172), K/9 (4th, 4.8), and innings (5th, 58.2). If Parker's 7 starts came after his 12 last season, I wouldn't have been surprised, but for a guy who missed six month with a torn flexor tendon, Parker's dominance has been a very pleasant surprise. Looking Ahead We head home for a quick one game series with the Saints, who have dropped to 13-20 and 11 games behind us. Montreal scores a lot of runs, but they can't do much when it comes to preventing them. Montreal's 166 runs are second to just us, with the top six in their lineup putting together really impressive seasons. Vic Crawford has had a resurgence, as while he was an above average hitter in each season 100+ game season of his career, last year's 135 OPS+ was his highest since his 141 in 1935. This year has been even better, as the slugger from Hawaii is thumping to the tune of .349/.430/.512 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBIs. He's had a lot of support in the lineup, with fast starts from Bernie Green (.352, 10, 3), Jake Hughes (.349, 20, 6), Bill Greene (.279, 2, 19, 3), and Spud Bent (.287, 2, 17). What's hurt them as mentioned is the pitching, with just Pat Weakly (3-3, 3.47, 31) putting up an above average ERA+, and his is only 105. He pitched yesterday, so we won't have to deal with him, likely leaving us with either Ed Baker (2-2, 5.30, 9) or former Cougar draftee Bill Ross (4-1, 4.41, 8). Ross is far better then the numbers suggest, so I'd much rather take our chances with the veteran Baker. The home cooking should serve us well, and I'd like to chalk this one up as a win. Our next guest is the team closest to us in the standings, and a team we tend to have trouble with regardless of record. We'll welcome the Wolves for three after they get a pair of days off. That will work out really well for them, as they'll get to set up their rotation exactly how they want. Toronto is 7th in the league in runs scored, which should help us keep runs off the board, but they've allowed fewer runs then everyone except us. Bernie Johnson has been unhittable, going 4-2 with a 1.60 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 17 walks, and 10 strikeouts. He gets a lot of support from Bob Walls (4-1, 2.63, 17), who is having his best season since 1939, and sophomore Jimmy Gibbs (3-2, 3.38, 18) who has been effective even if it's not at the same level as last season. Runs will be hard to come by, so we'll have to keep Chink Stickels (.317, 3, 13, 3), Charlie Artuso (.327, 2, 14, 1), and Hal Wood (.340, 2, 9) in check. Their offense should improve as the weather heats up, with Juan Pomales (.248, 16, 2) and Walt Pack (.261, 3, 16) likely to turn things around shortly. This will be another tough test, but we took three of four from them in Toronto, and we are playing some of the best baseball we have in a while. Our week ends with three games in two days against the Foresters, who did a good job against us in Cleveland. We'll have one more on Monday, but these games are really important. They're just a game under .500 at 16-17, and they're middle of the pack in both runs scored and allowed. Johnny Slaney (5-1, 3.34, 23) had led the rotation well, rookie Ducky Davis (0-1, 3.38, 8) has allowed just three earned runs in each of his three starts, and George Rotondi (3-2, 3.42, 27) has rode a productive end of the season. I trust Slaney to keep this up, but Davis and Rotondi bring a lot more question marks, and former Cougars Ben Turner (3-3, 4.04, 14) and Dave Rankin (1-4, 8.17, 7) have not gotten off to good starts. The offense has had some success, with excellent production from their middle infield. 35-year-old team leader Brooks Meeks (.326, 4, 25, 2) has gotten off to the best start of his career, and rookie sensation Jim Adams Jr. (.303, 1, 11, 2) is a strong hitter atop the lineup. And while they are in contention for a first division spot, it will be interesting to see if they decide to add or subtract if they hang around the .500 mark. Along with Meeks, they have veteran bats in Lou Balk (.307, 1, 12, 2) and Bob Mullins (.283, 1, 13, 1) who could be looking for new homes. After dropping two games to them already, I'd hate to lose more, but we cannot treat these Foresters like the ones of recent past. Minor League Report LF Huck Hanes (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After spending all of last season in Milwaukee, Huck Hanes saw himself right back there to start the season, and he's trying to hit his way up to Chicago. Now 25, the former 4th Rounder is now hitting .343/.432/.402 (136 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 11 RBIs with an excellent 15-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This was improved by his recent Player of the Week, where Hanes went 13-for-30 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Never ranked too high on the prospect list, Hanes is a bit of a one tool prospect, with all of his value linked to his hit tool. He'll occasionally hit a homer and sometimes he'll take the extra base, but he's more of a singles hitter then someone who can change the game with one swing. The improvement in discipline is strong, as after more strikeouts (59) then walks (49) last season, he's back to being able to walk far more then he strikes out. If the discipline is legit, this adds another facet to his game, but with a lack of defensive ability, everything he brings with the bat will be crucial. I want him to get an extended look in Chicago this season, so if Moss or Langton gets hurt, he'll head up to get at least semi-regular playing time. I still think he can be a decent big league starter, but worst case he's a really helpful piece off the bench in the late innings. RHP Bill Tuttle (AAA Milwaukee Blues): On the same day that the Keystone's pitcher Pepper Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout, Blues pitcher Bill Tuttle tossed a 7-hit shutout of his own. The 25-year-old righty walked and struck out 3 in a 4-0 win over the Lumberjacks. This comes up after a rough start in Fort Wayne, but the hard thrower is now 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 16 walks, and 10 strikeouts. A hot start is crucial for Tuttle, who is a member of our 40-man roster and will be looking to pitch his way onto the big league roster. It won't be easy for him, as he has one option after this season left, but other then a slightly below average showing in 9 starts with the Blues last season, Tuttle has been consistently above average since transitioning into a starter. A three pitch pitcher, Tuttle features a mid-90s cutter that he attacks hitters inside, while his change and splitter vanish off the plate. I'm not sure yet if he's going to be a spot starter, back of the rotation arm, or maybe just a mop up pen guy, but he's pretty well developed and could make an impact at the big league level soon. RF Jim Madsen (AA Mobile Commodores): He's fallen his way down the prospect ladder a bit, but the now 27-year-old is trying to hit is way back up to Milwaukee or even Chicago. Madsen took home Player of the Week in the Dixie League, hitting an even 12-for-24 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. The outfielder is off to a quick start, slashing .396/.477/.495 (161 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 steals, and 19 RBIs with a strong 14-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's also looked really good in right, as expected for a natural center fielder, and he can cover all three spots well. His speed and defense is helpful, but he's struggled in limited time in AAA and this is far and away the best performance of his career. If we need a stopgap bench outfielder, Madsen can fill that role, but it might be the only way he gets onto a big league roster. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

10-21-2022, 06:42 PM	#919
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 6: May 22nd-May 28th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 28-12 (1st, 4 GA) Stars of the Week Hank Barnett : 28 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .464 AVG, 1.090 OPS Art White : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.00 ERA Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .414 AVG, .931 OPS Schedule 5-23: Win vs Saints (0-2) 5-24: Loss vs Wolves (3-1) 5-25: Win vs Wolves (8-9): 10 innings 5-26: Loss vs Wolves (6-2) 5-27: Loss vs Foresters (4-1) 5-28: Win vs Foresters (3-4) 5-28: Win vs Foresters (0-2) Recap We are starting to cool off a bit, but it's a fifth straight week above .500 and we have still yet to lose more then 3 games in a week. I think part of our cooling down has more to do with how hot the Wolves have been, as we snapped their 10 win streak but they took two of three in Chicago while outscoring us 17-12. We won the single game against the Saints and flipped the script on the Foresters, losing the lone game before winning the double header. We do have another game left in that series, so a series win has not been secured, but as usual, I like our chances. As good as guys like Hank Barnett and Leo Mitchell were, this week was all about Art White, who has had as good of start as anyone this season. White started the week against the Saints and ended the week against the Foresters, winning both games to improve to a perfect 7-0 on the season. He was almost perfect against Montreal, tossing a 3-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts, and then White picked up a second complete game win with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. We have won all eight of White's starts, as he's worked to an impeccable 2.13 ERA (162 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP despite just 13 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched. Only Toronto's Bernie Johnson (1.45) has a lower ERA out of CA pitchers, but our veteran lefty leads the circuit in wins. He's probably been a bit lucky, as evidenced by his 102 FIP-, but White does an excellent job keeping runners off base, and he's an expert double play roller. With a lot of time left in the season and potential issues with Harry Parker's endurance, Art is going to be crucial in our pennant push, and we may have to ride him a bit harder at the end. White may have had the better week, but Hank Barnett was named Player of the Week for the second the straight week. Our talented slugger went 13-for-28 with 4 doubles, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs, so it looks like a 4 homer week isn't the only way to secure accolades. Barnett is now riding an 18-game hit streak, the highest active streak in the league, which has propelled his season line to .362/.421/.550 (178 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs. I'm not sure who deserves the Whitney more, him or Leo Mitchell, as both continue to put up elite week after week. Mitchell continued to perform, going 12-for-29 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. His .425 average is the highest in the CA, and the next closest player in either circuit is Ron Rattigan's .401. We also got a good week from Skipper, who was 7-for-20 with with a double, RBI, 2 walks, and 3 runs scored. Barnett, Mitchell, and Skipper currently rank 1-2-3 in the CA for positional WAR, giving us far and away the most valuable lineup in the Continental Association. Despite the production from the trio above, the rest of the lineup had some issue, and the closest thing to average production we got was from Harry Mead. He was just 6-for-22, but Mead hit his first homer of the season. Cliff Moss finally came back down to earth, hitting just 2-for-19 with 3 walks. Billy Hunter had similar struggles, 2-for-17 with a walk and a run. His second base counterpart Jimmie James was just 1-for-8 with a run and walk. Dick Walker walked just 5 times, and was 4-for-27 with a double, homer, steal, and 5 runs scored. Orlin Yates had more of the same, 6-for-27 with a double, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. It was impressive we still won four games with so many players underperforming, but the Wolves pitching staff is really good, and we had to deal with Bernie Johnson. Harry Parker will want to avoid Johnny Slaney and the Foresters, as his second loss of the season once again came at Slaney's arm. Parker again allowed 4 runs in 8 innings, this time with 10 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He has yet to allow more then two runs against any team other then the Foresters, and they have inflated his ERA and WHIP to 2.43 (142 ERA+) and 1.11. Mike Murphy also had a rough start, 12 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and a strikeout in his first loss of the season. Ken Matson was a bit unlucky, although we still won the game, allowing 8 hits and 7 runs with 3 walks and a strikeout in 4.1 innings pitched. Only one of those runs were earned, as the Wolves got six in the first inning after a Skipper Schneider error. Dick Lyons turned the clock back a bit, with a pair of solid starts. He did lose to the Wolves, going 6 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, but he was far better against the Foresters. He tossed 7.1 scoreless innings with 4 hits and a strikeout. Lyons is now an even 3-3 with a 2.41 ERA (143 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP in 52.1 innings. Ben Curtin had another strong week out of the pen, tossing 5.2 scoreless with a win and a save. He allowed 4 hits and a walk with a strikeout, as his ERA dropped to a sparkly 1.03 (337 ERA+) in his 16th big league season. Rusty Petrick didn't make a start, but the hard thrower looked good out of the pen, throwing 2 scoreless with a hit, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Merritt Thomas and Cal Knight both allowed a run, Thomas in 2.1 and Knight in 2.2 innings, although Knight's all came in one outing and Thomas split his innings into three pieces. We've been lucky in close games, a lot of that due to the late inning pitching, but we have a really tough week coming up with a pair of double headers. Looking Ahead One more in Chicago with the Foresters, as we look to secure a series win in the four game set. Right now it's shaping up to be Ken Matson (2-2, 3.96, 19) and former Cougar Dave Rankin (1-5, 6.70, 10) in a pitching matchup that surely favors the home nine. The Foresters have adjusted their lineup a bit, with Chicagoan Frank Hill (.235, 2, 2) returning from the IL and Hank Stratton (.287, 23), the lone lefty in the lineup, dropping from 3rd to 6th. Bob Mullins (.263, 2, 15, 2) replaced him, but him and Brooks Meeks (.294, 4, 25, 2) have already started to cool down. This should be a quick and easy finale for us, as the now 17-22 Foresters have started to cool off and make their way back down towards the basement. Our next guest is the Sailors, who we host for a double header to begin the four games series. The Sailors have vastly overperformed their expected record, as they've allowed three more runs then they've scored, but have still managed a very good 23-16 record. They sit half a game behind the Wolves for second, but things may turn south quickly if they keep up their trend. Their individuals have started to level out a bit as well, as Doc Newell (3-4, 3.03, 25) has had a few rough starts and they're down to just three above average hitters. Two of those have been Marion Boismenu (.382, 2, 21, 2) and Joseph Mills (.308, 5, 21) who have been nothing short of outstanding, while the third Frank Covarrubias (.306, 5) has started to cool down. Ray Struble (.272, 1, 16, 2) was projected to be one of the top center fielders in the game, but the 29-year-old has not been very effective at the plate, and they'll need a stronger showing from him atop the order if they want to contend all season. The pitching may hold them back, as despite elite performance from Illinois' own Hannibal Davis (1-1, 6, 1.59, 15), the back-end rotation trio of Rube Fields (3-3, 4.67, 14), Dick Tillman (4-4, 5.47, 15), and Ray McCarthy (4-2, 4.60, 13) leave a lot to be desired. We'll get at least two of them, which may be all we need to secure at least a split in the series. It doesn't get any easier after that, as we're dealing with the Cannons for four games in three days before a much needed day off. The Cannons have been unlucky early on, in terms of both injuries and game results, as the defending champs are just 19-19 and closer to last (5 GA) then us (8 GB). Don't let that fool you, as while I do think we are the best team in the league, the Cannons are far closer to us then the Kings or Stars. They've dealt with more then their share of injuries, with Denny Andrews (.307, 1, 17) set to miss a good portion of the season. Replacement Henry Jones (.310, 4, 13) has managed to slug his way to regular playing time, and the now 40-year-old may not let go once Andrews returns. Sam Brown (.370, 2, 9) was dealing with a shoulder strain and is healthy now, but replacement Rufus Daniels (.312, 7, 1) filled in admirably. Bob Griffith (.353, 3, 23, 1) is still raking and Billy Dalton (.254, 4, 21) and Chuck Adams (.287, 4, 25) provide a ton of pop. And as tough as it is to deal with their offense, they have a really good top two with Butch Smith (5-3, 2.35, 34) and Chris Clarke (3-1, 1, 2.61, 22), and with four games, we're stuck with at least one of them. Both Vic Carroll (3-3, 3.88, 33) and Roger Perry (2-3, 3.89, 13) have had an up and down season, but Carroll is really starting to heat up with 2 or fewer runs allowed in each of his last three starts. Their pen has had struggles, so we may be able to take advantage of them late, but they are going to give us a tough series as always. Minor League Report RHP Harry MacRae (AA Mobile Commodores): The game may keep telling me that Harry MacRae is a bullpen guy, but all the former 7th Rounder does is win games. He wasn't the sharpest on the 22nd, as he allowed 6 hits and 5 walks with 2 strikeouts, but MacRae tossed his first shutout of the year in our 3-0 win. He's now allowed 2 runs in 4 of his last 6 starts, and is an impressive 5-1 on the year. MacRae has a sparkly 2.21 ERA (177 ERA+) to go with a 1.17 WHIP, 19 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. His only non-complete game was his only loss, and he's surpassed 145 pitches twice already. The thing holding him back is his two pitch arsenal, but his fastball and curve are great pitches and he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. A few more starts like this and he'll make his way up to Milwaukee, as he's built off of his 9 strong starts from last season. MacRae went 6-1 with a 3.58 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 23 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Our pen is filled with a trio of arms above 30, so the young MacRae will have an easier chance of cracking a pen spot next season or the year after. If he was Rule-5 eligible this offseason he'd be on the big league roster by September, but for now he'll continue to start games in the farm. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe