Chicago Cougars (FABL)

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-3
Seasonal Record: 94-68 (3rd, 18 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dode Caudill : 21 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .286 AVG, 1.062 OPS
Ken Stone : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 8 K, 0.00 ERA
Jerry McMillan : 20 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .300 AVG, .841 OPS

Schedule
9-24: Win vs Wolves (0-8)
9-25: Loss vs Wolves (5-3)
9-27: Loss at Kings (2-6)
9-28: Loss at Kings (5-4)
9-29: Win at Kings (3-1)

Recap
I know this took forever but between life and no urgency I kept putting off the final week. Not because it wasn't very good, but because a season that could have been so good ended so, well, just ended in about as boring a fashion as it gets. That applies to the team, of course, not the players, as Dode Caudill took home his second Rookie of the Month, and while he already has my vote, the accolade could at least convince undecided voters to side with him. Hitting .382/.440/.725 (205 OPS+) in 27 September games, the 24-year-old hit 4 doubles, 5 triples, and 7 homers with 22 runs, 18 RBIs, and 12 walks. Ironically, his two steals were the fewest in a month this season, but he was on first so infrequently there wasn't much of a chance to steal. He still finished with 23, as our budding star ended up leading the CA with 130 runs and 17 triples.

A stat sheet stuffer, the Kellogg hopeful is a counting stat darling, totaling 206 hits, 29 doubles, 26 homers, 83 RBIs, and 67 walks. If you like the fancy stats, he finished with 6.7 WAR and a 149 WRC+ in 705 trips to the plate. Among Continental rookies he led in hits, total bases, steals, ISO (.222), and WPA (4.36), and then obviously runs and triples. Even when he isn't the leader, he ranks second in eight other categories, as the graduated 2nd ranked prospect displayed superstar capabilities. With him, Gene Case (.284, 34, 108, 19), Henry Watson (.313, 33, 119, 10), and a once again healthy Jack Gibson (.289, 39, 104), our offense will be a force to be reckoned with next season. Add in a Jerry McMillan (.272, 21, 77, 25) bounce back and perhaps one bat from the outside, and we can make noise in a hopefully far more competitive pennant race.

Despite Ken Stone's best effort, Hank Walker finished as the rotation's leader in ERA, winning the 162nd game of the season. Against the Continental champs he allowed just 1 run in 6 innings, scattering 4 walks and 2 hits while striking out 5. Effectively wild, he put together the second best season of his career, 14-5 with a 3.55 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. 85 walks in 195 innings isn't too bad, and since he allowed less then a homer per nine he was able to survive at our cozy home park. He made up for struggles from three guys I thought would pitch well this season, but with our dominant pen we still finished second in runs allowed. Credit the defense if you want, but we're better then 18 out, and after getting swept by the Pioneers there's really only two way things go in Kansas City: they cup back batter then ever. Or remained stunned as the competition catches back up.

Stone finished the season with a shutout, his second of the season. His 29th start ended with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts, and by going all nine he ended up leading the team with 201.1 innings. Far more then I expected this year, he rose to the occasion, going 13-7 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Add in 69 walks and 126 strikeouts and he completed what almost feels like a successful rookie season. Instead, the recently turned 24-year-old will enter the offseason before his fourth big league year on a high note. The same can be said for John Mitchell, who continues to make his case for a rotation spot next year. I do want to upgrade the rotation, but maybe I should look at the former 4th Rounder instead. Making 14 starts and 5 relief appearances, he was 7-3 with a 3.46 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 28 walks, and 63 strikeouts. The 11 homers in 109.1 innings won't play too well, but at least in his case his tended to come in bunches. As long as it's not a homer a game, you can sort of survive, and his groundball tendencies and ability to slow down the game makes him a good fit for our infield defense.

As expected, Gene Case set the Cougars single season team record for games played, appearing in all 162 of our contests. It did not effect his production one bIt, as the 25-year-old hit .284/.388/.535 (144 OPS+) with 108 runs, 26 doubles, 9 triples, 34 homers, 108 RBIs, 98 walks, and 19 steals. Sure, he was slightly better last year, but he still played nearly all the season and had a matching 149 WRC+ in just 27 fewer PAs. It's just this year Jack Gibson was back and Dode Caudill was remarkable, as there were plenty of guys who could get the job done. I think it says a lot about the dominance of past Cougar players that no other record was broken in the longest season to date, even if some may be in jeopardy. Expect a new home run record if Jack Gibson ever stays healthy, more then likely 140 games then anywhere near 162, and he was third with 39 in 117 this year. RBIs and saves are in reach, but in all honesty it will take a truly special player to break some of these franchise records.

I hope we have some of those on the way!

I also think this is the first season where the entire batting stats page fit on the browser without needing full screen. We didn't really use too many guys that year. I think that's a good sign. We're almost there I can just feel it.

Yes I know that's been said before... So has this: Go Cougars!

[ayaghmour2]

I still eventually have to get to the minor league report, but it's almost good that I'll now have the new offseason rankings for them. Graduating our top prospect dropped us to 7th of 20, though we feature six top 100 prospects. Only one is in the top-20, but we have three in the 30s and are in much better shape then we were. Now it's 27 prospects ranked among the top 500, including 14 of the top 251.

Yes we obviously have 251. Here's how it all shakes out:

1. SS Bill Grimm (19th Overall): 2nd/22nd
2. RHP Hub Russell (30th Overall): 11th Overall Pick
3. CF Orlando Benitez (34th Overall): 3rd/39th
4. RHP Johnny Kern (35th Overall): 31st Overall Pick
5. LHP Jim Place (74th Overall): 6th/85th
6. C Raul Zamora (97th Overall): 5th/71st
7. RF Cliff Coleman (158th Overall): 8th/141st
8. C Clem Barney (159th Overall): 71st Overall Pick
9. CF Bill Reinhard (161st Overall): 9th/144th
10. 2B Ralph Tuomi (174th Overall): 91st Overall Pick
11. CF Phil Weeks (176th Overall): 211th Overall Pick
12. SS Art Strait (203rd Overall): 51st Overall Pick
13. RHP Tom McDaniel (214th Overall): 231st Overall Pick
14. RHP George Jones (251st Overall): 111st Overall Pick
15. CF George Clarke (254th Overall): 10th/181st
16. SS Bill Tannen (267th Overall): 7th/132nd
17. 3B Tony Nino (293rd Overall): 291st Overall Pick
18. CF Bob Adams (297th Overall): 131st Overall Pick
19. SS Horace Stewart (319th Overall): 171st Overall Pick
20. RHP Johnny Maples (355th Overall): 191st Overall Pick
21. RHP George Spencer (397th Overall): 22nd/436th
22. 2B Marv Sandau (415th Overall): 15th/356th
23. 2B Rafael Zambrano (432nd Overall): 17th/384th
24. RHP Herb Thomasson (471st Overall): Not Ranked
25. LF Doug Lang (479th Overall): 12th/324th
26. RHP Ed Wells (482nd Overall): 14th/345th
27. SS Sam Pratt (495th Overall): 20th/425th

12 of our 25 draft picks are apart of the offseason top 500, including 11 of our first 12 picks. The only one absent is Alex Perry, which doesn't really surprise me as he doesn't have great scout ratings and was a pure project pick of mine. With help from a deep class and the ability to actually make the picks, I have completely reinvigorated our system, and in the two short seasons back I have acquired more then half our ranked prospects.

[ayaghmour2]

AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 76-64 (.543), 2nd, 6 GB: A system in transition, we don't have many at bats going to veterans or talented prospects, so the Blues' 2nd place finish was actually the best among our affiliates. Below them there were plenty of holes, but at least in Milwaukee when there wasn't a useful prospect there was a FABLish player waiting to take the spot. But what really sets the Blues apart from the rest of the system is their star. Far from flashy, Ed Duncan is one of the best the Century League hast to offer, and he announced he'll be back for his aged 38 season. #1 or #2 in plenty of career categories, he hit an impressive .289/.384/.528 (155 OPS+) with 22 homers, 76 RBIs, 17 doubles, 82 runs, 76 RBIs, and 60 walks. Now in a Century League most and counting 1,648 games, he has collected 1,628 hits, 957 runs, 322 homers, and 1,019 RBIs. He'll catch Monroe Johnson in some of these categories, as this guy is almost a good player in disguise. If he was on an affiliated team in his prime, he'd have been a decent FABL player, but without the multiple 4+ WAR seasons he posted with regularity.

As big a part of the 2nd ranked offense as Duncan was, he contributed little to the 2nd ranked staff, as defense is not a part of his game. When he was here, John Mitchell (5-1, 1.41, 25) was awesome, but for the most part it was the veterans in Milwaukee that carried the staff. Former 5th Overall pick Jake Roberts (14-4, 2.52, 86) Was elite at 39, and we got great innings from Foster Sherman (8-7, 2.50, 102), Allen Brown (6-9, 3.12, 104), and Jack Thomas (6-2, 2.79, 52), and before his September callup Doc Cook (4-2, 12, 2.09, 42) was an anchor of the pen. 40-man roster members Bob Burdick (4-1, 7, 3.46, 49) and Phil Means (2-8, 13, 3.65, 46) were effective, as was Rule-5 eligible hurler Herb Thomason (3-1, 1, 3.70, 55), but it wasn't at the level of the big league pen. The lineup saw a lot of players get extended looks, with the best performances aside from Duncan coming from interrupted stints. Mooney Vetter (.302, 16, 63) and Chappy Sanders (.289, 11, 42) combined for just over one excellent season's worth of plate appearances. Unfortunately the only real young talent, Wayne Wilson (.249, 5, 27), saw his season end after a serious concussion in May. I'm hoping next year the Blues get a big year from Orlando Benitez and Bill Reinhard, with the chance for Bill Grimm to hit his way up. This team could be a real force, and there's some potential 40-man guys who weren't there this year to upgrade both sides.

AA Little Rock Governors (AA Dixie League): 74-56 (.529), 3rd, 9 GB): Home to the now 34th ranked prospect Orlando Benitez, the Little Rock Governors may not have been as good as the record indicated, though they were in the right tier in the Dixie League. While not a bad team, they weren't a real contender, as a lot of the heavy lifting was done by one guy. Almost 21, the former 1st Rounder hit .310/.420/.573 (162 OPS+) in an MVP quality campaign. Logging 20 doubles, 5 triples, 29 homers, 93 RBIs, 85 walks, 77 runs, and 14 steals, he was one of the league's most valuable players, providing his club with offense and defense. The supporting cast lacked thump, but Bill Reinhard's (.300, 17, 36) 60 fames were Benitez level, and in 89 games Cliff Coleman (.252, 17, 46, 13) impressed. When the three were together, the Governors were great, but Benitez was the only one who spent all season here. In the rotation Whitey Gates (5-5, 3.93, 53) and Humberto Fonseca (2-2, 3.30, 25) gave good starts, but I expected more from Sam Davis (12-9, 4.55, 167). I think all three will be back in 1964, and with a few adjustments the rotation can be a strength of the roster.

A Rockford Wildcats (Heartland League) 77-63 (.550), 3rd, 4 GB: Milwaukee may have finish closer to first ordinally, but it was the Rockford Wildcats who had the fewest games between them and first. Just four out, the 'Cats had a rough end to the season, dropping 23 of their last 50 games to fall out of first. In a sense, it's a simple cause, as both Bill Reinhard (.332, 12, 51, 4) and Cliff Coleman (.344, 14, 43, 3) finished their season in Little Rock and combined for fewer then 120 games. Another midseason callup, though in the Wildcats favor, 22nd ranked prospect Bill Grimm (.301, 11, 46, 8) was excellent after coming from San Jose, and WAR leader Sam Pratt (.327, 14, 72, 14) came up a few weeks earlier. Stuck in a sort of transition phase, the offense couldn't quite get rolling, and I imagine next season it will be Grimm at Pratt going up and someone else having to come up to cover. The staff was really good, led by the pen courtesy of Pep Allen (8-7, 14, 1.85, 82) and Floyd Lane (4-1, 3, 2.23, 51). Like with the lineup, plenty of guys came and went, with Humberto Fonseca (6-5, 2.90, 102), John Roberts (7-3, 3.50, 49), and Whitey Gates (5-5, 3.93, 53) all impressed in the 13 to 16 starts. There's a lot of question marks in the rotation this year, and in a year or two we'll start to see our new influx of prospects impact the middle of our system.

B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 83-57 (.593), 3rd, 6 GB: In terms of winning percentage, the Cougars were the best of our full season affiliates, though it was this level not the major league club. A bit of a surprise, San Jose was dealt with arguably the most roster churning, as early in the season I had to shuttle guys from La Crosse and back and then after the draft some underdeveloped guys were pushed up. Still, they competed all season long, scoring plenty of runs. Some of the full-season guys did well, as Rafael Zambrano (.328, 11, 58, 11) and Sam Morrison (.299, 11, 55, 12) has similarly solid seasons. Zambrano hit for a higher average and Morrison played better defense, as they were the rocks of the lineup. Pieces of Joe Gallerani (.380, 9, 24, 6), Sam Pratt (.350, 1, 6, 3), Bill Grimm (.301, 11, 46, 8), Josh Davis (.332, 6, 26, 5), and Raul Zamora (.279, 19, 58) filled in the gaps, as a collection of arms allowed just few enough runs to win some games.

C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 38-24 (.613), t-3rd, 4 GB: Despite no champs, we get all the way to the bottom of the system, and not a single below .500 record can be found! Our only .600+ affiliate, the Lions got hot at the end of the year, starting with a 21-7 August that almost brought them up to first. Thank Harry Cummins for that, as the Hank Williams of the UMVA hit .453/.562/.858 (216 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 5 triples, 20 homers, 63 runs, 79 RBIs, and 50 walks. Worth a tenth of a win away from 5 in just 61 games, I'm sure he set every record out there with his monster season, and finishes his 567 PA UMVA career with a .403/.527/.761 (200 OPS+) batting line. Farm from the only notable performer, 10th Rounder Johnny Maples (8-1, 1.72, 42) was flatout dominant, sporting an otherworldy 331 ERA+. In the league, even a ERA above 5 like Hub Russell's (4-3, 5.05, 45) was still 13% above average. Him and Johnny Kern (3-4, 4.08, 43) both survived their first tests, as did 7th Rounder Bob Adams (.336, 9, 50, 17). With a high school heavy draft, a lot of these guys will be back for another go, and if I draft well again we'll have a good group of prospects here ready to compete.