Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 35

ayaghmour2 · 12-17-2021, 08:19 PM

We have to wait until Monday for games, but it is now time for baseball again in the FABL universe! The new OSA predictions don't give us any more love, somehow just 77-77 and good for just third place. Combine that with OSA's prediction of 2nd and TFSJ's prediction of 1st, and we have all the medals covered! My totally non-biased opinion thinks we'll finish first, which is just as likely as us finishing third, but I truly think we have the roster of a pennant winner and we'll at least challenge throughout the season. The new prospect rankings were also announced, and we rank 4th in the league with 148 points, just 7 ahead of the Gothams while 8 below the Pioneers. We have a pair of top 25 prospects, with the Jones brothers lining up at 9th and 10th with 5 others in the top 100. A new add is last year's 5th Round selection Lou Eaker bouncing all the way up to 59. We have 20 in the top 250 and 44 in the top 500, with our system still as deep as ever.

Enough about that, check out our 24-man roster!

RHP Joe Brown
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Milt Fritz
RHP Jim Lonardo
LHP Dick Lyons
RHP Pete Papenfus
RHP Harry Parker
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Eddie Quinn
C Harry Mead
C Mike Taylor
1B Ray Ford
2B Freddie Jones
2B Ollie Page
3B John Lawson
3B Johnny McDowell
SS Freddie Bennett
SS Billy Hunter
LF Rich Langton
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Carlos Montes
CF Orlin Yates
RF Leon Drake

I did have to cut a few players, sending Rule-5 Picks Mickey Fulton back to Montreal and Luke Conway back to Boston. I had a lot of non-optionable players, so I couldn't hang on to them, as I was also forced to waive Dutch Leverett, Lou Kelly, and Oscar King. I couldn't waive Freddie Bennett, his defense and versatility is too valuable, and at just 25 he has far more upside then Kelly, Fulton, or King, and as much as I like Conway, I couldn't cut Brown or Bryan. Regardless, I don't think losing any of those five will hurt us too much, but it would have been nice to be able to find a buyer for a few of my fringe roster players.

Our season starts in Brooklyn, with a two game series against the Kings. Last year was an unexpected drop off for the Kings, finishing just 70-84 after trading top players like Al Pestilli, Mike Murphy, Joe Shaffner, and Frank Vance, and after a GM change, they're likely to deal with their second losing season since 1933. Still, Brooklyn has a lot of good youngsters, and the might get full seasons of Jim Lightbody, Rats McGonigle, and Tim Hopkins with the potential debut of top prospect Chuck Adams. Brooklyn hasn't set their roster yet, but Rats is currently hitting cleanup less then a year after being selected 4th overall last year. He hit a strong .295/.336/.475 (110 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 12 triples, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 36 RBIs in his first 268 FABL PAs. Brooklyn will also look for a bounce back from Al Wheeler, who shockingly hit just .243/.334/.395 (90 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 19 homers, and 76 RBIs in the first below average offensive season of his career. Another guy in need of a bounce back is Tom Barrell, who's now the #2 to Art White after the 32-year-old finished the year on the DL. When healthy he was 7-6 with a 4.94 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 27 walks, and 49 strikeouts in just 109.1 innings pitched. Brooklyn has a lot of question marks, and just Harry Barrell (1st) ranks in the top 8 of their positional rankings, and I hope we can get off to a hot start by taking both in Brooklyn.

After that we get our first off day of the season, we get our home opener against the Montreal Saints. Montreal finished below .500 in each season since 1930, and we'll look to keep them under at least for the beginning. Montreal made a few moves in the offseason, including adding a new ace in veteran Ed Baker. He'll turn 35 in July, but is coming off a 14-12 season with the Keystones. He had a nice 3.46 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 69 walks, and 68 strikeouts in his eighth consecutive season with 200 or more innings pitched. This is the first time he won't suit up for the Keystones, making 313 starts with them since 1928. He finished his Philly career 149-120 with a 4.21 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 678 walks, and 895 strikeouts in 2,399 reliable innings pitched. He'll anchor a rotation that needed a boost, as former ace Jake DeYoung was really roughed up last season, going just 13-15 with a 5.45 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 40 walks, and 112 strikeouts in 242.2 innings pitched. The lineup has a new face, as former 15th Rounder from Alberta Frank Belair, who hit .299/.361/.382 (94 OPS+) in his first 159 PAs last season. Montreal has a strong lineup, led by Mark Burns with a tough 3-4-5 of Bert Lass, Red Bond, and Adam Mullins, and they are expected to score a ton of runs this season. Our pitchers will have to be effective if we want to win this series, but I like our chances of starting the season on the right foot.

ayaghmour2 · 12-20-2021, 10:14 AM

Weekly Record: 2-3
Seasonal Record: 2-3 (t-5th, 2.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Freddie Jones : 15 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .400 AVG, .904 OPS
Carlos Montes : 16 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .312 AVG, 1.012 OPS
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 0 BB, 3 K, 1.12 ERA

Schedule
4-16: Loss at Kings (1-3)
4-17: Loss at Kings (1-3)
4-19: Win vs Saints (2-3)
4-20: Win vs Saints (1-3)
4-21: Loss vs Saints (7-2)

Recap
Sure, there are worse ways to start a season, but it's hard to think of one less encouraging as ours, other then a pair of sweeps. We scored just two runs in the two game series in Brooklyn, as the Kings pitching had little trouble with our offense, and then we managed just 8 runs in the three games hosting the Saints. Luckily, despite being outscored in the series, we managed to take two of three from Montreal, but the bats were ice cold, and we definitely need better showings from the team the rest of the way. I really expected a 4-1 or even a 5-0 week, but we tied Brooklyn for the least amount of runs scored in the Opening Week.

For the most part we pitched well, and new Cougar Eddie Quinn got off to a great start. He picked up the win, tossing a complete game with 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Harry Parker rather surprisingly didn't throw a complete game, but finished 8 innings with 8 hits, a run, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo had a pair of starts, one that was good, and the other that was ruined by errors. Against the Kings he went 7 with 9 hits, 3 runs, and a walk, but against the Saints, he allowed 6 unearned runs because of 6 errors. Yes, 6 errors! Lonardo went 8.1 with 10 hits, just one earned run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, and is responsible for two of our three losses. Dick Lyons had the other, going just 6 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Peter the Heater looked good out of the pen, 4 strikeouts in 2 innings with a save, hit, and no walks.

We didn't hit well as a team, and somehow, did not hit a single home. At least Carlos Montes started his season off on the right foot, 5-for-16 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. Same goes for Freddie Jones, who was 6-for-15 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Ray Ford was 5-for-16 with a run, walk, and pair of doubles. Harry Mead looked good in his two starts, 2-for-7 with a triple and RBI. Leon Drake had a week to forget in his Cougar debut, just 3-for-19 with a walk. Leo Mitchell and John Lawson both struggled, as the generally reliable pair combined to go just 6-for-34 with a double and 4 RBIs.

Looking Ahead
I'm hoping we do better at home against the Kings, who got swept by the Stars and are tied for 5th with us. Art White and Tom Barrell both had outstanding starts, allowing just a single run in complete game wins. We're stuck facing them both in this series, and I expect to also see Chicagoan Bob Cummings, who allowed 3 hits and 3 runs in 8 rather unlucky innings. The Kings have a new third basemen this season, Jimmie Field, who is off to a strong 6-for-14 start with his first career double, walk, RBI, and steal. In left is natural first basemen Chuck "Bow Wow" Adams who went 6-for-17 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 3 RBIs. Both made their debuts against us on Opening Day, and both are off to great starts to their young careers. Adams is one of the top prospects in the entire league, ranked 4th in the league and listed as the number one hitter, while Field ranks 6th in the Kings organization and 120th overall. The rest of the lineup hasn't had much success, including Harry Barrell who is just 3-for-20 with a double in the very early goings. We'll need to turn things around, and hopefully hit a homer or six in this series if we want to be taken seriously this season.

The homestand ends there, as we head to New York for a quick two game series with the reigning champs. The Stars lead the CA at 5-1, a game ahead of the Wolves, and have pitched almost perfectly so far. George Phillips won both his complete games, just 2 runs, 7 walks, and 12 strikeouts with 15 hits. Chuck Cole allowed two unearned runs in what could have been a complete game shutout of the Kings, with 9 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Billy Riley earned a complete game victory over the Saints, allowing 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Vern Hubbard failed to go the distance, two outs short, but he allowed 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts as he bested Brooklyn. Dixie Lee was the only starter to struggled this week, but we'll miss him. The lineup has looked solid too, with Joe Angevine off to a nice start, 10-for-22 with a double, triple, and 6 RBIs. Dave Trowbridge continues to defy aging logic, 7-for-24 with a homer and 4 RBIs in the first week of his aged 41 season. The Stars will be one of our toughest competition all season, and we'll be lucky to salvage a single game if we play anywhere close to how we played last week.

We then finish the week with two against the Saints up in Montreal, who are tied for 7th with the Cannons. Ed Baker looked good against us, poor against the Stars, and is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA (68 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts in his first 15 innings with the Saints. Red Bond is on a power surge, homering in all three games in Chicago and hitting 10-for-24 with a double and 7 RBIs. The rest of the offense has had its issues, with the .336 career hitter Bert Lass going just 2-for-17 to start the year while Vic Crawford is hitting an even .100 and Adam Mullins just .208. The pitching has been decent, with former Cougar Bill Ross allowing 8 hits and 3 runs with a walk and a strikeout in 8.1 innings pitched. Bill Stewart deserved the win against us, but since the Saints scored only a single run, his 7.1 innings with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts weren't enough. If we can score more then 3 runs in any of these games, I like our chances, but for some reason I feel like the team left their bats in Florida, and won't get them back for a while...

ayaghmour2 · 12-21-2021, 03:12 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 6-6 (3rd, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 29 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .379 AVG, 1.010 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.125 OPS
Carlos Montes : 30 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .908 OPS

Schedule
4-22: Loss vs Kings (3-2)
4-23: Win vs Kings (2-7)
4-24: Loss vs Kings (4-3)
4-25: Win at Stars (4-2)
4-26: Loss at Stars (5-6): 10 innings
4-27: Win at Saints (14-5)
4-28: Win at Saints (7-2)

Recap
Since we haven't had a six game week yet, we couldn't go 3-3, but if you average the past two weeks, you guessed it, we're 3-3! Even better, we're continuing to lose one run games! All three of our losses were of the ever so painful one run variety! We did win one last sim, so we started out undefeated in one run games, but we quickly corrected that obvious mistake. We also cannot beat the Kings, four losses to them already, which is beyond frustrating considering they only have five wins. Splitting with the Stars and sweeping the Saints was perfect, but it's hard to feel overly happy when you let so many games slip through your fingertips. We also got a little injury scare with Billy Hunter spraining his ankle in our 7-2 win over the Saints. Thankfully, he's just day-to-day for four days, and it be extra safe, I'll let Ollie Page start two games and Freddie Bennett the other, since one of his injury days will be on an off day. Bennett earned at least one start, as he replaced Hunter and was 2-for-3 with an RBI, steal, and a pair of doubles. Hunter has been awful in the field, six errors in his 11 games, but the 25-year-old is hitting a robust .333/.341/.538 (148 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 triples, and 5 RBIs.

Last week Mitchell and Lawson were terrible, while this week they were arguably our two most effective position players. Mitchell was 10-for-24 with 2 doubles, 4 walks, a homer, 5 RBIs and 6 steals while Lawson was 11-for-29 with 3 doubles, a homer, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Ray Ford had a solid week, 8-for-24 with a double, RBI, and three runs scored. Rich Langton did well in his utility role, 10-for-22 with a double, steal, RBI, and three runs scored. He also had a 5-for-5 game in our loss to the Stars, although all five hits were singles and he only scored once while on base and didn't drive anyone in. Harry Mead managed to match his career home run total this week, launching two out and driving in four while hitting 5-for-12. Carlos Montes ran a little too much, 1-for-5 in steals, but he was 10-for-30 with 2 homers, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leon Drake has yet to get it together, just 4-for-23 this week to drop his season line to .167/.186/.167 (1 OPS+). It is still far too early to start worrying, but he really needs to start turning things around shortly.

Since he didn't pitch last week, Milt Fritz made two starts this week, and despite the unearned runs, he looked solid. He won and lost a complete game, allowing 19 hits, 8 runs (4 earned), and 7 walks with 8 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was the other two start starter, and he won both. He went 14.1 with 16 hits, 4 runs, 7 walks, and just one strikeout. His 4.0 BB/9 and 0.9 K/9 in 20.1 innings leaves a lot to be desired, as I can't imagine you can sustain success like that. Lonardo, Parker, and Quinn all went nine, but only Parker picked up a win. He allowed 10 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks, but rather surprisingly didn't strike out a batter. Quinn can blame his defense for his loss, as without errors we would have won 3-2. Half of his four runs were unearned, and he allowed 9 hits and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Lonardo pitched in the extra inning game, and was the only one without a complete game to show for it, and errors cost him as well. He allowed 11 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Peter the Heater ended with the loss, allowing two hits and a run while recording two outs. Yeah, the loss is bad, but he still has no walks! The guy with 92 in 126 innings last season and 117 in 123.1 during his rookie year. He's the only one in the pen who has allowed a run, as the trio of Brown, Bryan, and Purvis have combined for 6.1 scoreless innings.

A little transactional news, as we unfortunately lost Oscar King on waivers to the Keystones. I love his glove, but I think Bennett's is better and I have to side with the Cougar draftee. Dutch Leverett and Lou Kelly wouldn't accept outright assignments, so both were released. This might be the end for the 38-year-old Kelly, who's likely to end his career with 2,009 hits, 274 homers, and 1,188 RBIs in 1,684 FABL career games.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before three in Cleveland with the struggling Foresters. At 5-8, they are tied with the Sailors for last place in the early goings. We'll look to take advantage of their slow start, although they aren't all that far from third. Dave Rankin is off to a good start, but bad luck has found him 1-2 despite a 3.24 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Last year's ERA champ Lou Martino has been roughed up in his two starts, 17 hits and 10 earned run in just 13.2 innings pitched. The reigning hit leader, however, is off to his usual start, as Mel Carroll is hitting .382/.386/.436 (125 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Brooks Meeks is looking to shake off his two year slump, hitting an impressive .333/.375/.489 (135 OPS+) with 4 doubles and a solo homer. Cleveland's offense has been effective, but it hasn't translated to scoring many runs, as they rank 7th in that category while top 4 in average, OBP, WAR, and hits. I do think we are the better team, but I wouldn't expect the Foresters to finish the season in the cellar, and since they are at home, it could make for a tough series.

We then get the other last place team, the Sailors, but just two games in Philly instead of three. The Sailors haven't pitched very well, with top two starters Dutch Sheldon and Doc Newell off to rough starts. Sheldon is already 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA (71 ERA+), 1.87 WHIP, 15 walks, and 16 strikeouts. Doc is 0-2, but with a worse 7.45 ERA (52 ERA+), 1.97 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts in his three starts. Herb Flynn, however, has been very effective, winning both his starts while working to a 1.50 ERA (258 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. I don't think we'll face him, or but we'll likely see Walt Wells, who is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 6 walks, and 8 strikeouts. The offense is scoring a lot of runs, but aside from their middle infield, the individual results haven't been that great. 8-hitter Rip Lee is off to an outstanding start, slashing .320/.382/.460 (130 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. Double play partner Bob Smith is hitting a strong .318/.348/.477 (124 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, and 4 RBIs, while yet to strike out in almost 50 PAs. In fact, he's only struck out 15 times in 1,410 career FABL plate appearances, just 6 more then Leo Mitchell this season. Unfortunately for the Sailors, Joe Watson is ice cold, hitting just .265/.315/.347 (81 OPS+), a far cry from his .352/.418/.536 (146 OPS+) line last season and his .321/.402/.495 (143 OPS+) the year before. They'll need him and Dick Walker to start heating up if they want to compete this season, as Walker is hitting just .350/.377/.318 (92 OPS+), albeit with 3 doubles, a homer, 7 RBIs, and a pair of steals. I like our chances in this series, as the Sailors pitching hasn't been great, while we've allowed the second fewest amount of runs in our league. Anything less then a sweep would be disappointing, but I'll be okay if we split.

We then finish the week with the first of three in Toronto against the Wolves. Toronto is looking to show last season was a fluke and not the 1938 season when they finished second, as OSA's favorite for the CA pennant is 10-3 and leading the league in runs. You would think it's because of Fred McCormick and Walt Pack, but both are off to rough starts. McCormick has been about a league average hitter, but that is not up to par for the leagues best hitter. His .265/.379/.347 (101 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be desired, and he has just 1 RBI with 4 doubles and not a single homer. Pack has been dreadful, hitting a pitiful .150/.190/.250 (20 OPS+) with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. With those two struggling, corner outfielders Larry Vestal and Reginald Westfall have carried the load. No FABL hitter has a higher average then Vestal, who is slashing an astronomical .451/.472/.745 (229 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Westfall isn't matching that by any means, but the former Cougar draftee is hitting a respectable .342/.444/.342 (119 OPS+) with 7 walks and 5 RBIs. The pitching has been good, 2.22 ERAs for #1 and #2 Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson, but the former top 3 pitcher (now 6th) George Garrison has functioned poorly in his three starts. The former 3rd Overall selection is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 6 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We may also get to see former Cougar Hal Wood, who has made 3 starts at second and third and 2 at short in his debut season. He's hit well, .310/.400/.448 (132 OPS+) with 4 doubles and 5 RBIs in his first 35 big league plate appearances. I know this is going to be a very tough series in Toronto, and I fully expect us to lose the opener just so we finish the week 3-3!

Minor League Report
LHP Walker Pearce (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He didn't have a great Spring, so he was optioned to Milwaukee, but I'm not sure he would have beat out Pug or Purvis even with a good Spring. I view him as a left handed pen option who can eat innings, sort of like how Cal Knight was used last year, but for now, he'll continue to start games. And if he throws more like his most recent, I may just have to work him into the rotation. Pearce was untouchable in a 6-0 shutout win over Columbus, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with a pair of punch-outs to even his record at 1-1. Pearce was a full-time starter in Milwaukee last season as well, and he was pretty great, finishing 14-8 with a 4.01 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 51 walks, and 74 strikeouts. I expect a similar season this year for the 25-year-old, who had a round about way returning to our system. Originally a 2nd Rounder in the extremely deep 1932 draft class that has already produced 18 FABL players. Pearce will likely be 19th or 20th, depending on if Dick Earl reclaims a 40-man spot for the Stars, as I plan on giving him innings this September. A top 100 prospect after draft day, bone chips in his elbow tried to derail his career, and we used him in the giant Dave Rankin and Joe Masters trade back in 1934 that really didn't work out for either team. Unfortunately for him, the Chiefs had a regime change, and the new and now current GM cut Pearce in January, before bouncing around the independent league carousel, signing seven times in five months before he returned to our organization at the end of May. He was then selected in the Rule-5 draft before the 1937 season, but shoulder inflammation in the Spring set him back, eventually being returned to us before the season started. Despite all the setbacks, Pearce has finally found a long term home, and while he's no longer the middle rotation arm I once thought he'd be, he can still throw hard and generate groundouts. His 93-95 sinker is a very reliable pitch, but his slider and change aren't that great. Weinstock thinks he can still fill the back of a rotation, but unless we have a terrible injury crisis, I can't see him being a long term option in our rotation, with the top-4 of the future looking like Papenfus-Jones-Jones-Parker.

RHP Bill Seabolt (AA Mobile Commodores): Our first shutout of the season! In his first and so far only start of the season, 25-year-old New Yorker Bill Seabolt did what most teams have done to the 1-10 New Orleans Showboats, and kept them off the board. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks with a strikeout, and despite struggling in Lincoln last season, looked to show he belongs in AA. Seabolt made 18 starts last season, and was 7-4 with a 5.39 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 52 walks, and 76 strikeouts through 120.1 innings pitched. It was the first season he failed to start 20 games in our system, but Seabolt has just recently cracked our top 30 prospect list. He currently holds the 30 spot and 376th overall, but his age will make it harder for him to break through to Chicago. Still, he is an interesting arm, with a still raw five pitch arsenal. He has a really good changeup, but the rest of the pitches are average at best, and his control occasionally deserts him. He profiles as a AAAA type pitcher, but I can see someone taking a gamble on the former 6th Rounder if I he has a good season with the Commodores and is left unprotected for the Rule-5 Draft.

ayaghmour2 · 12-22-2021, 06:58 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 9-9 (4th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 21 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.101 OPS
Rich Langton : 18 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .817 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .300 AVG, .733 OPS

Schedule
4-30: Loss at Foresters (2-3)
5-1: Loss at Foresters (2-11)
5-2: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
5-3: Win at Sailors (5-1)
5-4: Win at Sailors (6-4)
5-5: Win at Wolves (7-5)

Recap
Here is a first! After accidentally refreshing when I was almost done with the "Looking Ahead" section, I initially lost my will to write, as I usually do, but today is a little different. Partially it was because I wanted to use my clairvoyance line about predicting a 3-3 week, but more importantly, because of a slack debate on the Hall of Fame case of Charlie Stedman. I was initially opposed to him being inducted, and even had a partial message about why he shouldn't be inducted, but after a more thorough deep dive, I did a complete 180, and wrote a campaign for his induction. This erased any sort of writer's block, as I absolutely hate re-writing, and inspired me to give it another go.

As mentioned, it was the seemingly inevitable 3-3 week the Cougars are so used to putting up, and as usual, we decided to squander one run games. The Foresters series was beyond aggravating, the opener and finale ended in one run losses (1-5, yay!) and we were shockingly blown out of the water with Jim Lonardo on the mound in the middle game. To make things worse, all three of Eddie Quinn's runs in the opener were unearned, so he should have had a nice complete game shutout instead of a second loss. We faired much better against the Sailors, sweeping them in the quick two game set, and to ensure the 3-3 week, we topped the first place Wolves. Even that win had it's issues, as the former Wolf Quinn left after just two batters with back tightness. Just to be safe, he's headed to the DL, as he will miss at least a week. This opens a rotation spot back up for Peter the Heater, and his spot in the pen is replaced with another fireballer, Rusty Watts. Watts hasn't pitched in Milwaukee yet, but he gives us a left handed option out of the pen. The former 13th Rounder made 3 appearances for us last season, charged with 15 hits, 6 runs, and 5 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.

The pitching was pretty bad, with only Milt Fritz pitching well. He went just 7 innings, but picked up the win with 7 hits, a run, and a strikeout. The 30-year-old is off to a nice start, now 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA (208 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 7 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Lonardo, however, hasn't been any good, and was absolutely shelled in his 6 innings. The 35-year-old went just 6, allowing 13 hits, 9 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons wasn't great, but picked up the win, going 8 with 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker had 8 similar innings, but got the loss, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. Allen Purvis relieved Quinn with 4.2 shaky innings, but was given the win, allowing 6 hits and 4 runs with 4 walks and a strikeout. Papenfus finally walked a hitter, actually two, but picked up a save with a scoreless, two strikeout ninth. Joe Brown, who will move in to the stopper role temporarily, and had two quality relief outings. He picked up a save, a strikeout, and allowed 4 hits in 6 scoreless innings.

Leon Drake had his best week of the season, but that's because of the low bar he's set for himself. Drake went 3-for-16 with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. We did have some hitters who actually had good weeks, but they were few and far between. Ray Ford had an impressive week, 8-for-21 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Mike Taylor only played two of the games, but was 3-for-7 with 2 RBIs. Rich Langton grossly outperformed Drake, 3-for-16 with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. Carlos Montes and Freddie Jones were both ice cold, matching Drake's three hits, but in 42 combined plate appearances. Jones did drive in a run and walked three times, but it definitely wasn't what we are expecting from him.

Looking Ahead
We at least can't get swept by the Wolves, who's 14-6 record is the best overall in the early goings. They have a one and a half game lead over the Stars, who we finish the week with. We're stuck facing the powerful 1-2 of Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson. The reigning Allen Winner hasn't faired well in his last two starts, 5 runs a piece, but that just means he's due to toss a complete game shutout against us. Hancock is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Bernie, however, has been elite, and it makes me really regret not landing him in one of the 100 attempts I made before his breakout. The now 30-year-old has won all four of his starts, sporting a miniscule 1.89 ERA (206 ERA+) with a 1.05 WHIP, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is doing "Reticent Reaper" things, and an 11-for-25 week inflated his line to .324/.438/.419 (134 OPS+). He still hasn't hit one out of the park, but he has 7 doubles and 15 walks with just 3 RBIs. Clarence Howerton is off to an excellent start, as the often forgotten piece of the blockbuster with St. Louis is hitting .291/.391/.527 (147 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 13 RBIs. Their 108 runs scored are most in the CA, and this will be be a tough series us to win even with the head start.

After that we'll make our first ever trip to Cincinnati for two with the new look Cannons. It's still early, but the former Kings GM's reimagined squad is 12-8, a record much closer to what I thought we had. Technically, if we sweep the Wolves, they could be in first place for this series. The reigning pennant winners are likely to contend the whole way through, and are off to a 12-7 start. The roster has a lot of new faces, including the brand new veteran 2-3-4. Doug Lightbody had his first week as a Cannon, and hit a Player of the Week worthy .476/.560/.571 (213 OPS+) with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Former Cougar Doc Love has been their since Opening Day, and he's off to a red hot start. The 33-year-old is hitting .432/.458/.500 (165 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 6 RBIs. Then hitting cleanup is the oft-traded Moxie Pidgeon, who is already on track for a 20 homer season with his 5th team. He's also the only player to have a 20 homer season for 4 teams, and the fellow 33-year-old is slashing .344/.388/.607 (171 OPS+) at a 39 homer and 139 RBI pace. Of course, the entire lineup isn't new, and Fred Galloway is hitting like a star as well. "The Mouse" is just 24, and slashing .357/.447/.557 (176 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 15 RBIs. Their rotation is led by a veteran newcomer, William Jones, who has shown no signs of decline from his most recent ailment. Like Stedman, Jones has an outside chance at the hall, but both can work their way in if they keep pitching well. The now World Champion is 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA (206 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 8 walks, and 18 strikeouts in his first four starts in Cincy. Another former Star, Glenn Payne, is looking to regain his 1938 form, 2-2 with a 3.25 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 15 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We definitely have to respect the Cannons, as I don't think we'll have the usual easy wins this time around.

We're off on Friday, and we'll be able to head home for a new homestand that starts on Saturday. Technically, even if we don't sweep the Wolves or Cannons, the reigning champions could be in first while they are in town for this series. At 12-7, they're just a game and a half behind the Wolves, but look likely to contend the rest of the way again. Dixie Lee had an awful first start, but the 26-year-old has bounced back in a gigantic way. I also tried to acquire Lee from St. Louis, and he is really helping New York, 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA (130 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 8 walks, and 11 strikeouts, and Lee recently tossed a 4-hit shutout against the Saints. George Phillips is also pitching well, 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 16 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The offense has looked good, and former Cougar Chink Stickels was awarded the most recent Player of the Week. He went 14-for-30 with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 11 RBIs. For the season, he has an impressive .341/.382/.659 (182 OPS+) batting line to go with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 19 RBIs. The ageless wonder known as Dave Trowbridge keeping up with him, slashing .361/.386/.506 (145 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 10 RBIs. Batting behind him in the lineup is the future of Stars, Bill Barrett, who is continuing to prove the future is now. Barrett is off to an outstanding start, hitting .342/.398/.526 (153 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Even without Moxie Pidgeon, the lineup is still more then effective, and you can't forget about the keen eye of Ray Cochran. The 34-year-old is hitting .296/.375/.423 (120 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, homer, 9 walks, and 8 RBIs. Just like the rest of the week, this will be a youth series, but at least we will be back home where we tend to play much better.

Minor League Report
SS Skipper Schneider (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A 19-year-old in AAA? Not a problem I guess! Last year's 7th Overall selection is off to a great start for the Blues, and he took home the most recent Century League Player of the Week. Skipper went 12-for-26 with 7 RBIs, 8 runs, and his first AAA home run. This raised his season line to .424/.457/.530 (165 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 walks, and 9 RBIs. He's been superb at short, already a 7.3 zone rating and matching 1.208 efficiency. The small sample, in this case 16 games, always makes for fun projections, but he's on an impossible 15.3 WAR place, worth almost 2 WAR already. It's hard keeping him down on the farm, but until Lawson, Jones, or Hunter inevitably get injured for more then a few days (likely one of the middle infielders), he's still on the outside looking in. Skipper needs regular at bats, it's not worth wasting him on the bench, but I wouldn't be too surprised if the 22nd rated prospect makes a cameo this season in Chicago. This kid is filled to the brim with talent, boasting an elite hit tool and glove. He's not very fast for someone with top notch range, but he's got great gap power, already doubling every three games. He's going to be a longtime regular soon, but for now fans of the Blues will have an exciting young shortstop to support.

2B Harry Avery (A Lincoln Legislators): Harry Avery was outstanding in San Jose last year, as the then 23-year-old hit .315/.463/.486 (157 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 65 RBIs in 380 trips to the plate. That earned him a promotion to Lincoln, and while he struggled last season, he's hit the ground running this year. The versatile Avery was excellent this past week, going 10-for-25 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. The former 6th Rounder is hitting a respectable .288/.377/.470 (133 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 8 walks, and 9 RBIs. Unlike Skipper, Avery doesn't have a spot waiting for him in Chicago, and his future likely tops out as a utility infielder. He does have experience at all four infield positions, and believe it or not, he's actually best at short. It's the only position he has a positive zone rating (2.5) and efficiency (1.007), but he's improved a lot at second and third as well. He has a great eye and I expect him to be a sure handed infielder, but if he and Avery ever turn double plays together, it may be one of the smallest pairings, as the 5'7'' Avery is just an inch taller then Skipper.

ayaghmour2 · 12-23-2021, 11:36 AM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 12-12 (4th, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.219 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .368 AVG, .955 OPS
Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 AVG, .845 OPS

Schedule
5-6: Loss at Wolves (1-3)
5-7: Win at Wolves (4-2)
5-8: Loss at Cannons (3-5)
5-9: Loss at Cannons (3-7)
5-11: Win vs Stars (2-3)
5-12: Win vs Stars (2-5)

Recap
Guess what!?!?!? Another 3-3 week! We truly are the posterchild for mediocrity! Somehow, we managed to win our one-run game this week, but even after winning series against popular pennant winning predictors Toronto and New York, we managed to let the once lowly Baltimore Cannon turned unbeatable Cincinnati Cannons beat us. Our offense has just beyond terrible, 5 runs are most this week while thrice scoring three, and despite allowing the fewest runs in the CA, we can't win games because of our 7th ranked offense. This season has been very frustrating, but at least we are back home!

The offense sucks as a whole, but don't tell John Lawson! The vet went 10-for-23 with a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. His right hand, or dare I say, left hand man Leo Mitchell was 7-for-19 with a steal, homer, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a nice week as well, 7-for-21 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, as well as a stolen base. Leon Drake once again had his best week of this season, but at least this time it was a good week! The former Dynamo and Foresters was 5-for-16, and while still homerless, doubled twice, scored a run, and drove in two. Harry Mead got in just two games, but he was 4-for-7 with a triple and run scored. It seems this year the catcher who plays less, plays better, although Mead is off to a tremendous .359/.432/.641 (197 OPS+) start as he approached his 50th plate appearance.

The pitching sans Papenfus was tremendous, while Peter the Heater allowed 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 5 walks in a loss. He did strike out 7 in 6, but he still struggles starting FABL games. Jim Lonardo looked like himself again, and got a win and loss in his 17 innings. He allowed 15 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Milt Fritz got a loss in a start that deserved a win, going 8 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got a win, 8 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Watts was effective out of the pen, releveling Harry Parker after four hitters as a finger blister got in his way. The fireballer went 6.2 with 5 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, and 3 walks and strikeouts in his first game of the year. Joe Brown picked up two saves, but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with a punch-out in 2.2 innings pitched.

Looking Ahead
We can sweep the Stars with a win and the finale, and would jump ahead of the 13-12 third place team. We get Billy Riley, who is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 10 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Chink Stickels, a new fan favorite in New York, is hitting .343/.391/.600 (168 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Hub Parks has not looked good, as the 26-year-old and top prospect is hitting just .257/.264/.321 (60 OPS+) so far. I do like our chances in the finale, and since we can't go 3-3 this week, maybe we can continue our win streak.

Our next guest is three with Cleveland, who are in last place by just half a game at 10-17. The Foresters have really started cold, in large part due to Rube McCormick. The 35-year-old is 0-4 with a poor 6.62 ERA (59 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 11 walks, and 6 strikeouts, and he's doing his best to pitch his way out of the rotation. The opposite is true for former Cougar Dave Rankin, who despite being 3-3, has a nice 2.65 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts. The offense has struggled, and we'll miss superstar fielder George Dawson, who should be back next week. In his place, Jake Creel, a former 12th Overall Pick, has really struggled at the plate. The 25-year-old rookie made his debut this week, and hit just .115/.111/.115 (-39 OPS+), with three hits and strikeouts. Dan Fowler isn't doing great either, hitting just .263/.357/.368 (98 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Of course, the always hustling Mel Carroll isn't having any trouble, slashing .375/.398/.464 (131 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. We really need these wins, as our week ends much tougher then it starts.

We get two games with Toronto, who still hold a one game lead over the Cannons. At 19-8, we did manage to give Bernie Johnson his first loss, and the lefty is now 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Joe Hancock dispensed of us easily, and his 2.15 ERA (182 ERA+) is now better then his rotation mate. Hancock is 4-1 with a 1.11 WHIP, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. I hope we instead get George Garrison, who despite his immense talent, is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 9 walks, and 18 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is still ripping the ball all around the field. Still no homers, although I'm sure Chicago will make it easy for him, but it's hard to top his .378/.474/.480 (157 OPS+) season line. The leagues most skilled hitter has tallied 8 doubles, a triple, 8 RBIs, and 18 walks as he looks to win yet another Whitney Award. Mr. Versatility Tom Fredrick has shook off a slow start, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting .310/.376/.405 (110 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs. Larry Vestal is still hitting .400, slashing .408/.441/.660 (192 OPS+) while outperforming McCormick with 8 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. Toronto is as good as it gets, but if we can beat them in Toronto, we should be able to beat them in Chicago!

We finish the week with the first of three with our new nemesis, the Cincinnati Cannons. We have yet to beat Cincy, who is 18-9 and may end up in first sooner rather then later, especially if we dispose of the Wolves. Rufus Barrell has started to heat up, 2 or fewer runs in his last three starts to improve to 4-1. He has a nice 3.21 ERA (120 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts as he approaches his 23rd birthday. The pitching has been great, allowing fewer runs then everyone but us, and the staffs worst ERA is Rusty Petrick's 3.71 (103 ERA+). William Jones keeps building his hall case, 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts on his third team in two seasons. Doug Lightbody quickly came back to earth, but Love and Galloway are still hitting over .380, with Moxie hitting .370. Easily the best performing outfield in the game, although I know the former Cougar won't be able to keep pace. Galloway, however, is a bonafide star, and his .387/.483/.602 (196 OPS+) batting line is almost better then when he was hitting .500 in high school. He's added 7 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 20 RBIs, while also being a slightly above average defender (2.1 ZR, 1.019 EFF) out in center. We at least can't get swept this week by them, as we'll have to wait until next week to finish the series.

No time for a minor league report yet, I may end up adding one later tonight if I have time.

ayaghmour2 · 12-23-2021, 11:37 AM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 12-12 (4th, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.219 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .368 AVG, .955 OPS
Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 AVG, .845 OPS

Schedule
5-6: Loss at Wolves (1-3)
5-7: Win at Wolves (4-2)
5-8: Loss at Cannons (3-5)
5-9: Loss at Cannons (3-7)
5-11: Win vs Stars (2-3)
5-12: Win vs Stars (2-5)

Recap
Guess what!?!?!? Another 3-3 week! We truly are the posterchild for mediocrity! Somehow, we managed to win our one-run game this week, but even after winning series against popular pennant winning predictors Toronto and New York, we managed to let the once lowly Baltimore Cannon turned unbeatable Cincinnati Cannons beat us. Our offense has just beyond terrible, 5 runs are most this week while thrice scoring three, and despite allowing the fewest runs in the CA, we can't win games because of our 7th ranked offense. This season has been very frustrating, but at least we are back home!

The offense sucks as a whole, but don't tell John Lawson! The vet went 10-for-23 with a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. His right hand, or dare I say, left hand man Leo Mitchell was 7-for-19 with a steal, homer, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a nice week as well, 7-for-21 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, as well as a stolen base. Leon Drake once again had his best week of this season, but at least this time it was a good week! The former Dynamo and Foresters was 5-for-16, and while still homerless, doubled twice, scored a run, and drove in two. Harry Mead got in just two games, but he was 4-for-7 with a triple and run scored. It seems this year the catcher who plays less, plays better, although Mead is off to a tremendous .359/.432/.641 (197 OPS+) start as he approached his 50th plate appearance.

The pitching sans Papenfus was tremendous, while Peter the Heater allowed 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 5 walks in a loss. He did strike out 7 in 6, but he still struggles starting FABL games. Jim Lonardo looked like himself again, and got a win and loss in his 17 innings. He allowed 15 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Milt Fritz got a loss in a start that deserved a win, going 8 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got a win, 8 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Watts was effective out of the pen, releveling Harry Parker after four hitters as a finger blister got in his way. The fireballer went 6.2 with 5 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, and 3 walks and strikeouts in his first game of the year. Joe Brown picked up two saves, but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with a punch-out in 2.2 innings pitched.

Looking Ahead
We can sweep the Stars with a win and the finale, and would jump ahead of the 13-12 third place team. We get Billy Riley, who is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 10 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Chink Stickels, a new fan favorite in New York, is hitting .343/.391/.600 (168 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Hub Parks has not looked good, as the 26-year-old and top prospect is hitting just .257/.264/.321 (60 OPS+) so far. I do like our chances in the finale, and since we can't go 3-3 this week, maybe we can continue our win streak.

Our next guest is three with Cleveland, who are in last place by just half a game at 10-17. The Foresters have really started cold, in large part due to Rube McCormick. The 35-year-old is 0-4 with a poor 6.62 ERA (59 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 11 walks, and 6 strikeouts, and he's doing his best to pitch his way out of the rotation. The opposite is true for former Cougar Dave Rankin, who despite being 3-3, has a nice 2.65 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts. The offense has struggled, and we'll miss superstar fielder George Dawson, who should be back next week. In his place, Jake Creel, a former 12th Overall Pick, has really struggled at the plate. The 25-year-old rookie made his debut this week, and hit just .115/.111/.115 (-39 OPS+), with three hits and strikeouts. Dan Fowler isn't doing great either, hitting just .263/.357/.368 (98 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Of course, the always hustling Mel Carroll isn't having any trouble, slashing .375/.398/.464 (131 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. We really need these wins, as our week ends much tougher then it starts.

We get two games with Toronto, who still hold a one game lead over the Cannons. At 19-8, we did manage to give Bernie Johnson his first loss, and the lefty is now 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Joe Hancock dispensed of us easily, and his 2.15 ERA (182 ERA+) is now better then his rotation mate. Hancock is 4-1 with a 1.11 WHIP, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. I hope we instead get George Garrison, who despite his immense talent, is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 9 walks, and 18 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is still ripping the ball all around the field. Still no homers, although I'm sure Chicago will make it easy for him, but it's hard to top his .378/.474/.480 (157 OPS+) season line. The leagues most skilled hitter has tallied 8 doubles, a triple, 8 RBIs, and 18 walks as he looks to win yet another Whitney Award. Mr. Versatility Tom Fredrick has shook off a slow start, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting .310/.376/.405 (110 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs. Larry Vestal is still hitting .400, slashing .408/.441/.660 (192 OPS+) while outperforming McCormick with 8 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. Toronto is as good as it gets, but if we can beat them in Toronto, we should be able to beat them in Chicago!

We finish the week with the first of three with our new nemesis, the Cincinnati Cannons. We have yet to beat Cincy, who is 18-9 and may end up in first sooner rather then later, especially if we dispose of the Wolves. Rufus Barrell has started to heat up, 2 or fewer runs in his last three starts to improve to 4-1. He has a nice 3.21 ERA (120 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts as he approaches his 23rd birthday. The pitching has been great, allowing fewer runs then everyone but us, and the staffs worst ERA is Rusty Petrick's 3.71 (103 ERA+). William Jones keeps building his hall case, 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts on his third team in two seasons. Doug Lightbody quickly came back to earth, but Love and Galloway are still hitting over .380, with Moxie hitting .370. Easily the best performing outfield in the game, although I know the former Cougar won't be able to keep pace. Galloway, however, is a bonafide star, and his .387/.483/.602 (196 OPS+) batting line is almost better then when he was hitting .500 in high school. He's added 7 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 20 RBIs, while also being a slightly above average defender (2.1 ZR, 1.019 EFF) out in center. We at least can't get swept this week by them, as we'll have to wait until next week to finish the series.

No time for a minor league report now, I might add one later if I have time

ayaghmour2 · 12-24-2021, 11:43 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 16-15 (4th, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 28 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.105 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .360 AVG, .960 OPS
Freddie Jones : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .370 AVG, .784 OPS

Schedule
5-13: Loss vs Stars (3-2): 10 innings
5-14: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 10 innings
5-15: Loss vs Foresters (6-0)
5-16: Win vs Foresters (6-7)
5-17: Win vs Wolves (1-5)
5-18: Loss vs Wolves (5-2)
5-19: Win vs Cannons (2-3)

Recap
If you told me that we'd play in four one run games this week, I'd ask you if we went 0-7 or 1-6. But, against all odds, we won three of them! Yes, the Chicago Cougars won three one run games! Not in the entire season, not in the entire month, but in one, single week! Is this a sign of better things to come? Well, let's hope so! We weren't able to sweep the Stars, they got the finale, but we took two of three from Cleveland, and let me tell you, the shutout was beyond unexpected. I was talking about Rube McCormick's struggles, and he took it personally, completing 8.1 shutout innings. He couldn't finish the game, but Ray Powell got the final two outs. Yes, that Ray Powell. Our Rule-5 Pick before the 1927 season who pitched in parts of three seasons for us, before being waived Opening Day 1931. He pitched 7 games for the Foresters that season, but spent most of the past seven seasons in AA, before miraculously resurfacing in the big leagues this year. I cannot believe he is still pitching, let alone in the majors, but it always amazes me how many former Cougars play professionally. After Cleveland we split with the Wolves, reversing last week by beating Hancock and losing to Johnson, before capturing the opener in Cincinnati by a single run.

Despite now being .500, this week really hurt for us, as we lost 2/3rds of our outfield. Leon Drake will miss at least a week with a knee contusion while Carlos Montes will miss three with strained triceps. This will move Art MacDonald and Orlin Yates into center field duties, and if he wasn't struggling so badly, Rich Langton would get time in right. Instead, after a 2-for-20 week, he'll remain on the bench, making room for Skipper to play the outfield. I imagine the first rounder can hit better then Langton's poor .241/.302/.278 (64 OPS+), and the wise new OSA head and former King Dan Barrell believes that Skipper belongs in the big leagues. He did have a bit of a down week, but the 19-year-old hit .330/.358/.443 (111 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, steal, and 15 RBIs in what may be his only 29 AAA games. Skipper will mainly man right, but I'll give him a few starts at short, as he's clearly a better fielder then Billy Hunter, who likely ends up at third. I also recalled Bobby Mills from Milwaukee to fill out the bench. "Nutball" will be an excellent bat off the bench, as the 26-year-old is hitting .350/.441/.480 (143 OPS+) for the Blues with 7 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. Mills will be the first one down, but I'm not yet sure if Skipper's stay will be long term.

The offense still refuses to score runs, but John Lawson and Leo Mitchell continue to pull their weight. Lawson hit a cool .500 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs, while Mitchell went 9-for-25 with 2 homers, 8 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Of course, Leo still loves to strikeout, seven this week as he already has 29 in 28 games. That's a 144 strikeout pace, but the now 27-year-old is hitting .333/.387/.490 (145 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. He is also somehow maintaining a higher BABIP then last year, up more then 20 points to .435. I'll never quite understand him, but I'm definitely glad to have him in the lineup. The only other hitters to really do anything were Mike Taylor and Freddie Jones, and Taylor was hampered with back spasms. I'll bench him in the middle game against the Cannons, but the lefty was 5-for-15 with a double and 3 walks. Jones, who has had his struggles, was 10-for-27, but his season .275/.345/.284 (79 OPS+) batting line has been really disappointing. I'm not sure when the offense will wake up, but the longer it takes, the harder it will be for us to make a serious run at the pennant.

The rotation was remarkable, not so much because of performance, but because of the innings totals. Each start this week went nine or more innings, and the only time the pen was used was when Joe Brown got the final three outs in our 4-3 10 innings win over the Foresters. Peter the Heater had a second poor start, and it may be his last of the season with Eddie Quinn rejoining the roster. The 22-year-old allowed 8 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 7 walks with just 4 strikeouts in another loss. Jim Lonardo had another rough outing of his own, 12 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 strikeouts in a rather undeserved win. Dick Lyons was impressive, 3 hits, 4 walks, and a strikeout to improve to 5-1. Milt Fritz pitched a complete game and got a no decision in the Foresters extra inning game, allowing 16 hits, 5 runs, and 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. Harry Parker tossed a 9 and 10 inning complete game, but was charged with the loss in each one. He was charged with 17 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), and 2 walks, but he struck out 10. The rotation has been good, but it will be even better with Quinn atop it, as we really haven't been blown out in many games.

Looking Ahead
We start the week with two more against the Cannons, who are 21-12 and a game behind the Wolves. We'll get Glenn Payne, who is 3-3 with a 2.85 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 19 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched. I expect we'll also see Rusty Petrick, who is 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 21 walks, and 3 strikeouts in an inning fewer then Payne. All the Cannons pitchers have been good, but these two are technically the 4 and 5, and we really need to take advantage of that. The Cannons lineup hasn't been nearly as good, but all their outfielders are hitting above .340. Of course, the rest of the bats are hitting below .300, but with Moxie Pidgeon mashing the way he has, it really hasn't mattered. The 33-year-old is slashing .373/.412/.618 (180 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 8 homers, and 33 RBIs. Fred Galloway has arguably been better, hitting to the tune of .372/.466/.562 (182 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 25 RBIs. Lastly is Doc Love, who's still hitting .348/.404/.461 (137 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 RBIs. They'll want to get much more from the talented Charley McCullough, as the 24-year-old has hit just .218/.295/.257 (53 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 steals, and 8 RBIs. Same for Ken Mayhugh, who's .211/.273/.352 (71 OPS+) line is nothing like he did with Boston. I really think we are a better team then Cincy, but at least from the early results, we have performed much worse.

Our homestand finishes with a pair of games against the Sailors. At 16-17, they're a game behind us and currently 5th. Doc Newell has seemingly fallen apart, and after a second consecutive below average ERA+, he's 2-4 with a poor 6.00 ERA (64 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP with 17 walks and 14 strikeouts. Walt Wells, however, has regained his All-Star form, 3-2 with a nice 2.75 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 12 walks, and 17 strikeouts. He's been a great two behind Herb Flynn, who is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 10 walks, and 10 strikeouts. The offense hasn't been great, but unlike ours, they score their share of runs, despite just Bob Smith having an OPS+ greater then 105. He just celebrated his 29th birthday, and is off to a .330/.366/.481 (127 OPS+) start with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 9 RBIs. Joe Watson has started to heat back up, and he's now hitting an approximately average .271/.336/.424 (104 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. I expect a hard fought series, as usual, and I'd be surprised if we didn't split.

We hit the road for a quick three game set with New York, before we return home to host those same Stars. They've played and won one more game then us, but I'd imagine they expected to be playing a bit better then they have. Dixie Lee has continued his hot stretch, most recently outdueling Chick Wirtz in a tight 1-0 game, with the Stars lone run of the unearned variety. Lee improved to 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation hasn't pitched nearly as well, especially Vern Hubbard, who is 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA (63 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts. George Phillips suffered a pair of bad outings, now 4-4 with a 3.93 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 25 walks, and 29 strikeouts. At the plate, catcher Johnny Hopper has been ice cold, hitting a well below average 184/.214/.235 (23 OPS+) with 5 doubles and 11 RBIs. Of course, they still have the ageless Dave Trowbridge, who has a nice .338/.369/.496 (136 OPS+) line with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 15 RBIs. Chink Stickels has been even better, slashing .333/.378/.583 (161 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 2 steals, and 23 RBIs. I expect a tough series here too, but I like our chances at home, if our offense decides to make an appearance.

We are also officially on the clock, as the draft pool is now official, with 1940 season stats generated for all amateur players. I'll have a special amateur report at the three guys I already selected, and I may try to get one tomorrow or Sunday as I don't think we are starting the draft until next week. If the Mock Draft is to be believed, the best available player is our 5th Rounder from 1937, Eddie Kincaid (5th), but my scout and OSA aren't that big of fans. Despite that, he's actually the highest available guy on Weinstock's list (19), but he thinks Kincaid is on the bubble for holding down a big league role. I doubt I'll take him, but I truly have no idea who I'm going to select. We also pick 5th in the 4th, 12th in each round following, as well as 5th in the 5th and 1st in the 8th. As always, I wouldn't be too shocked if I picked up a few more late round picks, but this isn't really the deepest class.

Minor League Report
LHP Harl Haines (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He would have been in yesterday's Minor League Report as he tossed a shutout, but a flight, tailgate, and bowl game took up most of my time yesterday. Still, I couldn't not talk about the enigma known as Harl Haines, as the 6'3'', fire-balling, submarining, southpaw decided he's going to throw even faster. Now he's up to 95-97, which is harder then everyone in our system but Papenfus, Watts, Brown, and Max Plourde, while equal to Dick Reid. Of course, none of them are submariners, but I rather surprised to see all four active submariners throw 90 or higher. He just passed temporary Cougar Mike Knight in velocity, and Haines currently ranks 10th in our system. He continues to pitch well in the minors, and is 4-3 with a 3.22 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 12 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his first 7 starts with the Blues. After a terrible first start, 12 hits and 8 runs in 6.2 innings, he's allowed four or fewer runs in each start, including a 9-hit shutout over Kansas City. Haines seems big league ready, but with a ton of quality pitchers in our system, it may be hard for him to get innings. Regardless of debuting, he will be protected in the Rule-5 Draft, so he could get a quick September cameo. He should end up a reliable back end starter, with decent stuff, great control, and a natural ability to strike out batters. I'm exciting to see what he will develop into, even if he starts for one of the other 15 FABL teams instead of us.

RHP Ira Hawker (C La Crosse Lions): It has been a rough start to the year for Ira Hawker, but I'm hoping his most recent start is a sign of things to come. Hawker was brilliant against Burlington, allowing just 2 hits with 7 strikeouts as the Lions topped the Bears 5-0. That improved Hawker to 2-3, but his 6.00 ERA (78 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP aren't the greatest. He does have 14 walks and 17 strikeouts in 36 innings, and before this season, he only threw 54.2 innings. The 21-year-old has flown up the prospect ladder, now ranked 160th in the league. The righty does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground, making up for throwing just 85-87. Hawker has four pitches, all average offerings, but he has good control and gets good movement as well. He's very raw, a lot of development to go, but the former 16th Round selection by Cleveland has a lot of room to grow. OSA thinks he'll end up a 4 or 5, Tom thinks he can become a spot starter, but the strides he's made in the past two seasons are incredible. From roster fodder to potential big league arm, Hawker has already surpassed his expectations, and while it's unlikely he becomes a top arm, he has the chance to be a decent enough FABL pitcher.

LHP Bob Hobbs (C La Crosse Lions): A teammate of Ira Hawker, southpaw Bob Hobbs tossed a shutout just two days after Ira's. This was also a 5-0 win for La Crosse, but against Rock Island instead of Burlington. Last year's 8th Rounder allowed 8 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts to improve to 4-1. The 18-year-old has tossed 36.1 innings with a 4.21 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Walks tend to be an issue for Hobbs, who walked 62 (7.2) in 77.2 innings last season. This looks to hold him back, but the athletic teen has a really nice changeup. He's going to have to improve his curve and fastball, both after thoughts at this point, but Hobbs is an extremely raw prospect who I will have to be very patient with. He's a fair bit lower on the prospect list, 35th on the team and 439th in the league, and will have to make great strides before entering our future plans. He's profiling as a journeyman and decent minor league inning eater, but he if he can harness his tools better, he has a future with a big league organization. Whether that becomes a pen role or rotation spot, however, is yet to be determined.

Amateur Report
RHP Mel Haynes
School: Princeton
Commit School: Thibodeaux State
1940: 8-2, 97.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 24 BB, 134 K
Career: 34-5, 392.1 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 88 BB, 488 K

It's been an impressive four seasons for Mel Haynes at Princeton, as he anchored the Panthers rotation for four years. His worst single season ERA was 1.49, worst WHIP 0.97, which for most would be their best. He was very reliable, but his junior and senior season were dominant. His 1.29 ERA and 0.93 WHIP were outstanding this season, and he tallied 90 or more innings and 90 or more strikeouts in each year, with three seasons above the century mark. I'm a huge Haynes fan, and even as a pitcher, he checked in at 2.6 on the initial Mock Draft. Just Bill Sohl and George Wynn are ranked higher then him, and both were top 10 picks. Haynes is also a pretty good hitter and played first on his non-pitching days as a freshman, sophomore, and senior. He hit better then most prep players, slashing .476/.564/.772 with 55 doubles, 12 homers, 31 steals, and 96 RBIs. I plan on giving him some time at first, and may end up experimenting with him in a corner as well. Still, he's much more valuable on the mound, and while Tom doesn't like him that much, I think OSA is spot on with projecting Mel to be a #2. He has a great four pitch arsenal, a tough change the hallmark pitch. The other three are average or better, but of course, he may run into control issues. Even if that happens, he has excellent movement and keeps the ball on the ground, which should allow him to wiggle out of tough situations. I'm excited to see where he ranks in our system, and I think he may end up being the #5 behind Papenfus, the Jones, and Harry Parker.

CF Don Lee
School: Lincoln High University
Commit School: St. Matthew's University
1940: .440/.538/.821, 109 PA, 12 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .436/.527/.723, 358 PA, 37 2B, 11 3B, 8 HR, 77 RBI, 101 SB

For one reason or another, Tom Weinstock loves Don Lee. I'm not sure if he's illegitimate son, or a friend of the family, but despite rather pedestrian batting stats (worse then Haynes, for that matter), he thinks Lee is the 8th best player available and that "Rap" has a ton of raw potential. OSA isn't as big of a fan, but the Mock Draft does list him as the projected 1st Pick in the 3rd Round, much better then I expected. The thing I like the most is how his slugging percentage has increased each year, from .621 to .725 to .821 this year. He also matched his previous two season home run total in his fewest single season marks for plate appearance and games played. Lee's not a power hitter by any means, but he's projected to excel at drawing walks and his speed makes him a threat on the bases. He won't hit for that high of an average, probably around .270, but he's skilled at taking extra bases and he can wreck havoc on a poor defense. I expect Lee to eventually replace Carlos Montes out in center, unless Danny Goff becomes a full time outfielder, and although he may have some competition with our regional pick.

CF Bill Rich
School: Grange College
1940: .315/.403/.473, 194 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB
Career (HS): 448/.510/.646, 490 PA, 42 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 110 RBI, 69 SB
Career (COL): .296/.388/.448, 755 PA, 31 2B, 5 3B, 19 HR, 123 RBI, 101 SB

Much to my surprise, regional round selection Bill Rich is our highest ranked player in the mock, projected at 12th Overall, which would have been our first rounder. The Quincy native and our 20th Rounder from 1937, Rich saved his best season for last for Grange College. In one of the toughest conferences, he only played 38 games (54 and 57 the previous years), but if he managed to play a full season, he would have set career bests for homers, RBIs, steals, doubles, and WAR. Rich seems to have made strides, with a very recent report praising his plate discipline and barrel control, both which should lead to a high average. No note of his defense, but he does have experience in all three outfield spots. He does have some faults, mainly with personality, as he can be stubborn and a little cocky. A good clubhouse can help keep him under control, which would be necessary if he wants to reach his potential. My guess is he got a nice talent boost since January, but this was such a deep center field class that he may have slipped through regardless.

ayaghmour2 · 12-26-2021, 12:54 PM

It is partially selfish, as I still don't have much of an idea of who I'm going to start the June Draft with, but I will be covering the top players left according to the Mock Draft. I also updated my Draft Database, adding the stats for the entire 1940 season and updating career stats for each player. Names may change for the 1943 class, so I am leaving them out for now.

CF Eddie Kincaid
School: Marquis College
1940: .308/.382/.411, 243 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 38 RBI, 23 SB
Career (HS): .458/.524/.656, 463 PA, 59 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 109 RBI 27 SB
Career (COL): .311/.384/.440, 766 PA, 36 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 122 RBI, 72 SB

Three years ago, when I took Eddie Kincaid in the 5th Round, I had no idea he was impossible to sign, and I wasn't able to convince the Cleveland native to become a Cougar. He'll get selected around the same time this year, but if the Mock Draft had their way, he would've been the 5th player selected. Unfortunately for Kincaid, he saved his worst season for last, with new lows in average, slugging, homers, and WAR while matching former lows for doubles and OBP. That's not to say he did bad, he still managed to hit over .300/.375/.400, but Kincaid hasn't really shown much that would warrant him being a top five pick. He projects to be a decent hitter, although not spectacular, maybe in the .270-.290 range consistently with a handful of .300 years, but don't expect many extra base hits. He does have a really good eye, and could potentially have a higher OBP then slugging, and he has good speed he takes advantage of when he's on the basepaths. OSA and Weinstock thinks he's more of a bubble player then a star, but I think the skinny center fielder will end up defying both of those expectations, especially if his defense continues to improve.

CF Warren Bryant
School: Provo Tech
1940: .268/.358/.402, 299 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 38 SB
Career: .274/.373/.393, 608 PA, 18 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 91 RBI, 78 SB

With such a deep class of center fielders (8 already selected), it is no surprise that the top two available Mock Draft picks are center fielders. Another top ten projection, Bryant checks in at 9, but is a completely different player then Kincaid. Bryant doesn't have the contact skills of Kincaid, but he has much more power and will look to draw even more walks. He sacrifices that for a shorter hit tool, as he will never hit for a good clip. Like Kincaid, he's also a strong runner, but Bryant is a bit shorter (5'6'') yet five pounds heavier. Bryant is very versatile, playing all three outfield spots as well as second and short, which could work to his advantage for teams who don't want to add another outfielder. I think him and Kincaid are both ranked a bit higher then they should, with Weinstock and OSA again predicting bubble players, but there is a chance both exceed those lower expectations.

SS Jimmie James
School: Lane State
1940: .288/.382/.395/, 286 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 32 SB
Career: .277/.374/.398, 852 PA, 28 2B, 6 3B, 16 HR, 118 RBI, 103 SB

The first non-natural centerfielder, the versatile switch hitter from Lane State Jimmie James has experience at second, third, short, left, center, and right. Of the first rounders, he's the one I'd select, as he reminds me a lot of Skipper, just without the sky high upside. It does make sense, James is a collegiate prospect and Skipper was a prep one, but James is a very good defender with good speed and plate discipline. His teammates love him, and he's a good member of the clubhouse, but James is a bit on the older side. He'll turn 22 before the official draft date, but this could allow him to move up the organizational ladder rather quickly. I think he's just a bench bat, but one who can fill in all across the diamond is almost as valuable as a regular every day starter.

CF Dick Collins
School: Alabama A&T
1940: .265/.307/.378, 233 PA, 12 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 36 SB
Career (HS): .439/.479/.679, 264 PA, 23 2B, 11 3B, 4 HR, 62 RBI, 45 SB
Career (COL): .268/.309/.382, 767 PA, 31 2B, 15 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 105 SB

Another center fielder! Ranked #15, OSA also believes Collins is a bubble outfielder, but Tom Weinstock thinks he can force his way into a lineup with a few key injuries. He's the best defender of the three out in center, and is a plus runner with an above average contact tool. His speed helps his range, allowing him to cover gap to gap and run down most line drives and flyballs out in center. He also has consistent, above average bat speed, which translates to strong gap power and a lot of extra base hits. His 7 triples this year with the Wildcats was rather impressive, but I did find it interesting how he had negative WAR in each of his college seasons. Collins was also a Cougar draftee, our 19th Rounder in 1937, and unlike Kincaid, Rich, and Ness, I don't remember selecting Collins. Despite that, I was spot on, predicting he would rise up draft boards next time he was eligible, as I was a fan of his natural talent. Collins is a quiet kid from California, but he's a hard worker who continues to hone his craft, and I'd be stunned if he has to wait until the AI portion of the draft before hearing his named called again.

C Hal McGuckin
School: Bangor
Commit School: Daniel Boone College
1940: .462/.518/.624, 135 PA, 15 2B, 28 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .460/.531/.621, 489 PA, 55 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 113 RBI, 21 SB

The only non-centerfielder who was predicted to be a first round pick and was not selected, the Mock Draft listed 17-year-old catcher Hal McGuckin as the last pick of the opening round. A rather consistent hitter, McGuckin has had back-to-back seasons with a .462 average and not a single homer or triple. Not sure the second two parts are good, but the career .460 hitter does have a nice contact tool for a catcher. The Brooklyn native has an okay swing, but he could eventually develop into a decent contact hitter. That's really all Tom or OSA says about him, but they do give him the go-to "lean and athletic" descriptor that nearly every young player receives. He's not the greatest defender, but has a lot of time to learn, and he's one of the rawest young catching prospects available. High school players always come with extra risk, especially if they are part of the battery, and Hal is no exception. Tom thinks he can start, OSA views him more as a bench bat, but for a team desperate for catching, I think he's more then worth the risk.

RHP Sam Goodwin
School: Shenandoah Valley State
1940: 5-9, 133.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 93 BB, 95 K
Career: 9-14, 228.2 IP, 4.33 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 135 BB, 150 K

Since all we had his hitters, I decided to skip around the mock and finish with the undrafted pitchers. A rather shocking inclusion, Shenandoah Valley State ace Sam Goodwin ranks 5th for pitchers and 27th overall. He was below .500 each of his two seasons, and his 4.06 ERA and 1.47 WHIP as a sophomore were his bests. He walks about as many hitters as he strikes out, and his 6.3 BB/9 was really poor. The 5'8'' righty, however, is described by his coaches and teammates as a baseball rat, as he's the first one to arrive and last one to leave for both practices and games. This work ethic bodes well for his future, and I think that's what they are betting on with his projection slot. His stuff is easily his best asset, featuring a devastating change and wipeout curve, with a decent enough mid 80s fastball. His issue is he loves to nibble instead of attacking the zone, and a good pitching coach may be able to unlock Goodwin's abilities. Walks are a thorn in his side, and since he's not a big double play generator, the bases can become clogged rather frequently. His stuff is top notch, but as Peter the Heater has shown in the early years of his career, it's not always enough.

RHP Jim Laurita
School: Redwood University
1940: 7-6, 118.2 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 61 BB, 109 K
Career (HS): 11-5, 179 IP, 1.76 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 42 BB, 208 K
Career (COL): 21-17, 362.2 IP, 3.92 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 202 BB, 332 K

Listed two spots below Goodwin, Redwood University's Jim Laurita was a three year starter in one of the toughest college divisions. Initially an 11th Round selection by the Keystones, I think Laurita will be one of the first pitchers selected this portion of the draft. He's a big strikeout pitcher, hitting the century mark in all three seasons for the Mammoths, and he managed to drop his BB/9 each season as well. Sure, a 4.6 mark isn't great, but it's better to go down instead of up. The sidewinding righty has a nice low 90s cutter that gets a lot of horizontal movement, and it's easily the best of his three pitches. His slider and change should be at least average offerings as well, but he's still working on commanding them. It seems to be the common issue, walks holding young pitchers back, but if he can get that under control, he'll move from spot starter to back-to-middle of the rotation arm. I don't think he'll spend much time in the minors, but to last in the majors, he'll either have to keep the walks down or learn to wiggle out of trouble when runners are on base.

LHP Bill Peterson
School: La Center
Commit School: Cumberland University
1940: 3-1, 48.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 14 BB, 72 K
Career: 14-6, 243.2 IP, 1.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 76 BB, 284 K

An imposing, 6'4'' force on the mound, the young southpaw never made more then 9 starts with La Center, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He had his fewest starts as a senior, just six, but it was easily the best of his four years. He had a career low 1.29 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, but also innings pitched. Still, that was enough for him to be predicted to be a 5th Round selection. He has increased his K/9 each season, but seeing the innings drop is a bit of a concern for his ability to go deep into games. He's a bit of a nibbler, but he does attack the bottom of the zone with his 86-88 sinker, that he can use to either strike batters out or roll up groundballs. He also throws a cutter and change, but both pitches have a lot of work to do before becoming viable options. The change may hold him back a little, although his cutter is projected to be average or better. He has all the tools needed to become a top quality pitcher, one of those "projectable" types real life MLB scouts love to talk about, but he comes with way more risk then most young arms due to the low inning totals which could mean low stamina or a fragile injury type.

LHP Duke Bybee
School: Brooklyn Friends
Commit School: Grange College
1940: 8-2, 97.1 IP, 1.66 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 22 BB, 126 K
Career: 30-10, 409 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 120 BB, 506 K

The last available mock draft pitcher is Duke Bybee, a Brooklyn native who pitched four seasons with Brooklyn Friends. His junior and senior seasons were far better then his freshman and sophomore years, with ERAs below 1.70 as opposed to above 2.00. Bybee was best as a junior, 8-2 with a 1.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 25 walks, and 153 strikeouts. Duke has a deep six pitch repertoire, featuring a fastball, cutter, curve, slider, change, and forkball, with the change likely developing into the best offering. Like Peterson, he's a tall and imposing southpaw, but Bybee is one of the hardest workers you'll find. He boosted his velocity to 87-89, and I'd imagine he'll continue to increase his velocity as he ages and potentially grows. He also has average control, and shouldn't ever deal with detrimental walk issues. I think he has a ton of upside, potentially the most of the guys left, and even though they don't share any physical similarities, I'm thinking a Dave Rankin type pitcher; one who throws a lot of pitches, and while none are that great, he's great at mixing them and can pitch deep into games.

ayaghmour2 · 12-27-2021, 01:17 PM

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 18-20 (5th, 7.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 25 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.079 OPS
Bobby Mills : 6 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .667 AVG, 2.048 OPS
Mike Taylor : 17 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .353 AVG, .979 OPS

Schedule
5-20: Loss vs Cannons (3-1)
5-21: Loss vs Cannons (5-2)
5-22: Loss vs Sailors (3-1)
5-23: Win vs Sailors (3-4)
5-24: Loss at Stars (9-11)
5-25: Loss at Stars (10-16)
5-26: Win at Stars (8-1)

Recap
Well, I guess we suck... An awful 2-5 week, and to make matters worse, we actually won our only one run game. So there really are no excuses for playing as awful as we did. Add injury to insult, and two more Cougars hit the DL, and not day-to-day, but actual injuries. Luckily neither are that long, but that's four hitters who we won't have use of for this week. The first injury is an elbow strain for Billy Hunter, who will miss 4-5 weeks before likely a one week rehab stint. It hasn't been the greatest season for the 25-year-old, who has really struggled at short and is hitting just .286/.330/.378 (97 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, and 10 RBIs. This means Skipper will take over full time at short, and the 19-year-old did have a good first week in the big leagues. He was 8-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. The other casualty was replacement center fielder Art MacDonald, who's herniated disc will cost him two weeks. He also hasn't hit very well, just .211/.375/.263 (81 OPS+) in 24 trips to the plate.

The pitching was bad, but you can blame the defense for part of it. In the 16-10 loss to the Stars, only six of the runs were earned.... You can't totally blame the defense for Milt Fritz, however, who allowed 10 hits and 9 runs (7 earned) in just 2.2 innings pitched. Eddie Quinn definitely showed signs of his injury, and in his two starts allowed 19 hits, 14 runs (9 earned), and 5 walks with just a single strikeout across 12 innings pitched. Our other two start starter was Jim Lonardo, but he looked like his old self. The 35-year-old went 16 innings with 16 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts, picking up a win and loss. Harry Parker tossed a complete game victory, 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout to his credit. Dick Lyons got a loss, but went 7 with 7 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Allen Purvis had two very weird outings, as all seven runs he allowed were unearned. He pitched 6.2 innings with 12 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Joe Brown and Pug Bryan both looked good, combining for 7.2 scoreless with 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout.

The offense was bad, but John Lawson continues to hit like a superstar. The 37-year-old was 12-for-25 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Our catching duo was effective, 9-for-25, while Taylor had a double, triple, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. Orlin Yates had to take full duty in center, 4-for-16 with a homer, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and 4 walks. Bobby Mills was a top performer off the bench, 4-for-6 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. Rich Langton continued his awful start to the season, 5-for-26, but with 6 runs scored and 2 more driven in. Ray Ford and Freddie Jones were ice cold, combining to go 10-for-56 with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Ford has hit well on the season, but Freddie is sporting a pitiful .252/.321/.283 (70 OPS+), which I can only hope is just a bad stretch of games and not the start of something more.

Looking Ahead
We can only hope for a better week, and even the regular 3-3 week would be welcomed at this point. Still more with the Stars, but both games will be played in Chicago instead. New York is also disappointed with their start, an even 19-19 and 6.5 games behind the Cannons. They may be without Dave Trowbridge, who sprained his knee and will be day-to-day for 2-3 weeks. The 41-year-old is hitting a strong .325/.367/.428 (126 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. The knee seemed to hamper his progress, finishing last week just 5-for-21, although he did score six times. Switch hitting shortstop Joe Angevine is still hitting well, maintaining a .309/.333/.421 (105 OPS+) line with 10 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 8 steals, and 24 RBIs. On the other side, the pitching has had a lot of struggles, with Dixie Lee continuing to carry the staff. Chuck Cole has allowed 6 or more runs in three of his last four starts, now 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 15 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Vern Hubbard continues to get shelled, 2-3 with a 6.59 ERA (58 ERA+), 1.87 WHIP, 18 walks, and 19 strikeouts. We really need to get back on track with a pair of wins, but I'm keeping my expectations low, as the already struggling lineup is down a lot of bats.

We get a much needed off day on Wednesday, and we get to stay home before welcoming the Saints. They've had a tough season, 16-23 and ten out of first, but the hardest parts have been the injuries to their young pitchers. Bill Stewart and top prospect Pat Weakley are both out for the season, while former top 3 prospect Wally Doyle will miss the next three weeks with a sore elbow. He's made 5 starts in Montreal, 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA (92 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 22 walks, and 17 strikeouts, but the 21-year-old from Waco has tremendous upside and should eventually turn into an ace quality pitcher. His fellow rotation mates all have ERA+'s below 100, with just former Cougar Bill Ross owning an ERA below 4. The 27-year-old is 3-5 with a 3.91 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 9 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. Veteran Ed Baker has struggled in his first season north of the border, 3-4 with a 4.87 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 18 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The offense is also having it's issues, but don't tell that to Red Bond. The 27-year-old star right fielder is slashing .340/.401/.587 (162 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a triple, 9 homers, and 24 RBIs. He's had some help from rookie Spud Bent, who is hitting a nice .299/.337/.494 (120 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 11 RBIs while not striking out in any of his 83 trips to the plate. Clubhouse leader Adam Mullins is making his case for yet another All-Star selection, hitting .313/.408/.463 (133 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 19 RBIs, and he has a beautiful. 22-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio in his 157 PAs. Our offense has sucked, so I'm expecting two really close games, but with a little bit of hitting, we should be able to win the series.

We then hit the road for three with the Cannons, who have absolutely owned us this season. Sure, they've owned everyone, 26-13 and now a game ahead of the Wolves, but they are 4-1 against us already, despite the Baltimore version last season barely beating us four times all season. They've scored more runs then all CA teams while simultaneously allowing the fewest, an almost surefire way to ensure you win a pennant. The new inflated coaching staff has done wonders, as all four former Baltimore Cannons have seen their ERA's plummet. Rufus Barrell, who's about to celebrate his 23rd Birthday, has blossomed into the star we all knew he would, 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA (133 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 12 walks, and 30 strikeouts in his first 8 starts. Glenn Payne has somehow been a little better, 5-3 with a 2.39 ERA (160 ERA+), although his 1.42 WHIP, 27 walks, and 27 strikeouts paint a slightly different picture. William Jones has looked wonderful in his first 8 starts in Cincy, 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 18 walks, and 25 strikeouts. I've spent a lot of time covering the outfield, but the rest of the Cannons lineup hasn't been that great. The next best hitter has been Frank Covarrubias, but his .303/.330/.394 (97 OPS+) batting line is not all that exciting. Lucky for us, we can't get swept this week, but we might as well already mark up the first two games as losses, as I'm fully ready to be disappointed.

The draft started today, and I already made my first of two fourth round selections. After the second, I'll have a post, but I think I have a shot to get two guys I was comfortable taking first. We also had to make some callups, with John Johnson and John Barnard coming up from Milwaukee. I debated bringing up Johnson last sim, but decided to go with the youngster Skipper instead. Our former 3rd Rounder will be set to make his debut after hitting .267/.386/.397 (104 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 5 steals, and 11 RBIs. Barnard hasn't got much time in Milwaukee, but he's one of the few infielders on our 40 that isn't in Chicago already. I actually took him 15th Overall in 1933, but traded him to the Cannons before he ever appeared in a game for us. He's a good defender, but probably won't get much time, and I expect to option him next we assuming no setback for Drake.

Minor League Report
RHP Ray McNeill (AA Mobile Commodores): It wasn't a great to start to the season for the 24-year-old, but he followed up a one run complete game win with a 2-hit shutout. McNeill walked one and stuck out 7 as the Commodores beat the Atlanta Peaches 5-0. The 1937 7th Rounder is now 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 14 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 51 innings. McNeill doesn't have the upside of some of our other pitchers, but he's more or less big league ready, with a develop six pitched repertoire. He's not a hard thrower, just 85-87 with his fastball, but he has a really nice change up and all six pitches are at least average offerings. Weinstock is a fan, expecting him to be a back end starter, and the prospect rankers slot him just inside our top 30 at 28, while 356th overall. He is Rule-5 eligible at the end of the season, which could help McNeill earn a late season callup, but he'll compete with Harl Haines, Johnny Ruby, Bill Seabolt, and Billy Seawood, who all also need a spot if I want to protect them.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Lots of shutouts this week in the Cougars organization, with former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson taking it this time. He's had a nice run of starts, 3 or fewer runs allowed in each of the last four, capped off with the 6-hit, 2 walk, 4 strikeout shutout. That improved Wilkinson's record to 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts. He wasn't as effective last season with Lincoln, as he was 5-7 in 12 starts with a 5.46 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Ed has yet to find an out pitch out of his five pitches, but I do like his low 90s fastball, and unlike nearly every pitcher I write about, he has pinpoint command. He can pitch deep into games, and while not projected to top a rotation, he looks to be a reliable back end option. He's approaching our top 20, currently 23rd, and Wilkinson ranks 286th in the league. He does not need to be protected and I think he'll end this season at least in Mobile, if not all the way up in Milwaukee. You can never have too much pitching, and a guy like Wilkinson could end up being very valuable.

LF Ernie Martini (B San Jose Cougars): Strictly a bench bat last season, Tom Weinstock always liked our 14th Rounder Ernie Martini, and this year the prospect prognosticators started to give him some credit. Cracking the overall top 500, I decided Martini would be the next man up, and with a ton of injuries, it took about a week for him to start securing every day at bats. The 22-year-old from Chicago has really taken advantage of the extra playing time, slashing .357/.415/.429 (120 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs. A versatile youngster, he can man second, short, left, center, and, right, but he's spent most of his time so far out in left. He's looked really good too, a 1.092 efficiency and 2.6 zone rating in 183 innings out there. Sure, it's a small sample size, but it's always encouraging to see good performance as opposed to poor. He's not the greatest hitter, lots of grounders when he's at the plate, but he has blazing speed and is great at turning outs into hits. He does barrel the ball up rather frequently, but he doesn't get much lift yet. Of course, we have a lot of far more exciting outfield prospects in our system, from Bunny Hufford to Jasper Wright, but none of them are from Chitown, and that is one of the best ways to stick in the system. Just ask Oscar Panduro, who's made it all the way up to Milwaukee despite never being ranked in the top 500. Martini is likely best suited as a 4th outfielder and pinch runner, but with the right coaching staff, he can really get his talent maximized.

RHP Ira Hawker (C La Crosse Lions): He did it again! Directly after a 2-hit shutout of the Burlington Bears, 21-year-old Ira Hawker twirled a 4-hit shutout, as La Crosse slaughtered the Moline Pioneers 11-0. Funny enough, Hawker lost his next start to them in a 5-4 game, but he allowed just a walk and 5 strikeouts in the shutout. He's shaken off his rough start to the year, and is now 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 17 walks, and 22 strikeouts in his 7 starts. The first four all saw 6 or more runs allowed, but the former Minor League Free Agent has just two earned runs in his last three. I want him to start throwing harder, although going from 83-85 to 85-87 in the offseason was a start, as his stuff is just average at best. He does have a decent curve, but his fastball isn't the best, and his change will only improve as his velocity gets better. His slider is a filler pitch at the moment, but adding speed can only help his pitch mix. He's probably getting ready for a promotion to San Jose, but we have a bit of a logjam in the lower minors, as a lot of our youngsters aren't ready for AA or AAA.

ayaghmour2 · 12-27-2021, 10:08 PM

4th Round, 49th Overall: LHP Duke Bybee
School: Brooklyn Friends
Commit School: Grange College
1940: 8-2, 97.1 IP, 1.66 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 22 BB, 126 K
Career: 30-10, 409 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 120 BB, 506 K

Interesting enough, both of the guys I selected I covered over the weekend, and both I debated over the weekend over who I would take first. With how much we as a league love pitchers, and with how much variation there is in how we rank pitchers, I thought I was best suited grabbing a pitcher first as there was a higher chance of them being selected. I chased upside here, going with the tall and slender southpaw Duke Bybee. He turns 18 at the beginning of July, and in this week's mock draft, which had a lot of changes, he actually ranked higher then Mel Haynes. Haynes dropped from the 2nd to the 3rd, while Bybee shot up to 30th Overall. I'd take that with a grain of salt, and honestly I decided on Bybee yesterday anyways. Still, it is better then him completely dropping out, as the Mock does give you a rough estimate of the players talent in comparison to the rest of the class. Bybee's stats don't really jump out at you as a whole, but last season he ranked top 15 in strikeouts (153), ERA (1.28), and K/9 (13.1). Of course, the best part about him might be his work ethic, as he's one of the hardest workers out there as he's always looking to improve. I'd wager that he'll end up throwing in the low-to-mid 90s, but perhaps he'll take the Joe Brown route and go from 85-87 to 96-98. His stuff is average now, and both his cutter and fastball will be more effective as he continues to add speed. Weinstock and OSA think his control may hold him back, but I'm confident that he'll work through his control issues, and Bybee could develop into one of the better strikeout pitchers.

4th Round, 53rd Overall: SS Jimmie James
School: Lane State
1940: .288/.382/.395/, 286 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 32 SB
Career: .277/.374/.398, 852 PA, 28 2B, 6 3B, 16 HR, 118 RBI, 103 SB

He dropped out of the mock first round, but only fell to 19th Overall. It is rumored that he would not have made it to our pick in the 5th, as the Cannons were looking to reunite James with Lane State teammate and talented #2 Overall Pick Bill Sohl. James never matched his 8 homers as a Freshman, but where he sacrificed power, he boosted both his average and on base percentage while lowering his strikeouts. He turns 22 in July, and as I mentioned, I think James will be a quick riser in the system, and I'm leaning towards giving him Tip Harrison treatment; starts at all seven positions while he rises up the ladder. Plus, being a switch hitter, he can play the opposite side of platoons for literally any player (or two), and even if he never improves, he's going to be a very handy utility player. He's not an elite shortstop, but well above average, and he's a very disciplined hitter. He hits too many ground balls, which will definitely hinder his power, and he quite have enough of a hit tool to make up for it. Still, his speed will really help, as he can beat out a few of the slow rollers and a decent amount of the balls he sends to the left side of the infield. James is the total opposite of a pick compared to Duke, a much safer pick, but both are pretty on par picks for myself.

ayaghmour2 · 12-28-2021, 12:58 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 22-22 (4th, 8 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 21 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .571 AVG, 1.357 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .455 AVG, 1.091 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .407 AVG, .967 OPS

Schedule
5-27: Loss vs Stars (6-4)
5-28: Win vs Stars (4-6)
5-30: Win vs Saints (3-11)
5-31: Loss vs Saints (6-3)
6-1: Win at Cannons (8-3)
6-2: Win at Cannons (9-5)

Recap
Hey, a good week! We split the home portion with the Stars, then with the Saints, before taking the first two in the three game set with the Cannons. The Cannons were fresh off a sweep of the Wolves, and I think we definitely got a little lucky. No complaints from me, I was expecting a nice 0-6 week if not the always reliable 3-3, but we're back up to that 3-3 average at 22-22. Unfortunately, the Cannons won every other game this week, so we are almost double digit games out of first to start June. I think/hope they will start to cool down, but even then are we ever going to heat up? We get Leon Drake back, that should help, but it's not like we were missing his .196/.228/.309 (48 OPS+) batting line. John Barnard will go back down to AAA without a PA, but he did make a defensive replacement at short.

Leo Mitchell had himself a week, highlighted by a 5-for-5 with a double and 4 RBIs in our 6-4 win over the Stars. In total he was 11-for-27 with 3 doubles and 5 runs scored. John Lawson had a week worthy of Player of the Week, 12-for-21 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, 5 walks, and 6 RBIs. He's red hot, and is hitting a world beating .406/.463/.538 (178 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs. No one in either league has a batting average anywhere near Lawson, the next best is Red Bond's .366, and his 2.9 WAR is 0.1 better then both Fred Galloway and Pablo Reyes. Skipper Schneider was outstanding, 10-for-22 with a double, triple, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford had a nice rebound week, 9-for-24 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Our catching duo was effective as well, 8-for-22 with a triple, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. That homer was Mead's, already three this season after just 2 in his first 140 games. Freddie Jones had potentially his lone good week of the year, 7-for-27 with 3 runs, 4 RBIs, and 7 walks. Bobby Mills got a start and four pinch hit opportunities, 2-for-6 with a pair of walks. John Johnson had a decent debut week, 2-for-6 with a walk and two runs. This was the offense I've been expecting all season, and maybe we turned the corner! I think not...

The pitching wasn't great, but for the most part, good enough to win. Jim Lonardo continued his inconsistent season, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs, and a walk with 4 strikeouts in 6.2 shaky innings. Harry Parker picked up a pair of complete game wins, 4 earned a piece with 20 hits, 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Dick Lyons split his two starts, 15 innings with 15 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. Eddie Quinn tossed a complete game win, 9 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout to his credit. Peter the Heater was back to being effective in the pen, two hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Joe Brown allowed his first run of the year, giving up 4 hits with a strikeout in a two inning relief outing.

Looking Ahead
We can sweep the first place Cannons in Cincinnati, but I don't like our chances against the first place team who is 31-15. We get Rufus Barrell II, who is 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA (133 ERA+), 0.99 WHIP, 13 walks, and 37 strikeouts. He'll likely be throwing to Jack Flint, who is hitting .316/.362/.388 (104 OPS+) in his first season with the Cannons. I mentioned Galloway earlier, who is worth just a tad less then Lawson this year, and is hitting .354/.429/.514 (155 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 30 RBIs. Moxie Pidgeon added another homer, now 9 with 43 RBIs to go with a .342/.384/.570 (156 OPS+). We already won this series, but if we win this game, we'll be the first team to sweep Cincinnati.

It doesn't get easier, as we head to Toronto for three with the second place Wolves. They're off to a good start, 28-18, and 3 games out of first place. We likely miss Bernie Johnson, who is now 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 16 walks, and 19 strikeouts. I think we'll miss Joe Hancock too, who is 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 21 walks, and 53 strikeouts. We will see George Garrison, who has done a complete 180 from his terrible start. He's allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, now 4-5 with a 3.57 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 21 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Walt Pack won Player of the Week last week, but he's still hitting just .216/.270/.385 (73 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, and 27 RBIs. Fred McCormick isn't quite hitting like a Whitney Winner, but you can't scoff at his .337/.428/.459 (137 OPS+) batting line. He's finally homered, in fact twice, and with 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 18 RBIs. Charlie Artuso is having a little breakout at 24, as the elite defender is also hitting .285/.348/.424 (105 OPS+). Artuso owns a 5.7 zone rating and 1.126 efficiency at short, and has 10 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 20 RBIs, almost identical to McCormick. Larry Vestal has came back to earth, but his .320/.367/.494 (128 OPS+) line is still very effective. This will be a very hard fought series, and we'll be lucky to get a win. The best part is we avoid their top three, so perhaps we can steal another, but the Wolves are a very good team.

We then finish the week with four games in three days against the last place Foresters. Cleveland has really struggled this season, 16-31, and this is a huge opportunity to say good bye to the .500 mark forever. Dave Rankin is stuck to being a good pitcher on a bad team, 4-6 with a 2.88 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 15 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Dean Astle is having a bit of a down season, but he's still a decent 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The back two in the rotation has really struggled, and after leading the league in ERA last season, Lou Martino is 1-5 with a 4.92 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.77 WHIP, 37 walks, and 22 strikeouts. The lineup has struggled, tied with Brooklyn for fewest runs scored in the Continental Association. Lou Balk, however, has had a decent season leading the lineup, hitting .312/.345/.476 (117 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, and 18 RBIs. Mel Carrol is doing Mel Carrol things, slashing .361/.396/.471 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 24 RBIs. The only other hitter with an average or better OPS+ is the always reliable Bill Moore, but even he is hitting just .287/.372/.401 (106 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 homers, and 20 RBIs with an impressive 22-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It's been a rough season for Forester fans, and they may be one of the few deadline sellers this season. I can't see Mel Carrol being moved, but they might want to take advantage of Dave Rankin's start, with potentially Balk, Moore, Roy Bradley, Dan Fowler, and Ben Turner finding different homes. I can't see Dean Astle being moved, but I'm sure a competitor will at least try to pry him away from Cleveland's clutches.

Minor League Report
RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a week to remember for the 22-year-old, as Chick Browning came home with the Dixie League Player of the Week. He hit .565, 13-for-23, with a homer, 6 runs, and 8 RBIs. Browning hasn't spent all season with Mobile, his first 17 games came in Lincoln, but with an early season injury to Sammy Dillon, Browning was the first man up. Browning hit .300/.397/.533 (156 OPS+) before the promotion, and in 10 more games with the Commodores has hit .345/.452/.506 (144 OPS+). He's combined for 11 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs in yet another excellent season at the plate. Discounting an awful first season to start his pro career in La Crosse, Browning has put up OPS+ of 207, 144, 231, and 133 the past two seasons. The Chicago kid has really flown up the ladder recently, as he was still in La Crosse just two seasons ago. Recently 22, Browning has shown excellent plate discipline and impressive power, homering 26 times in 1938 and 24 in 1939. He also has a strong hit tool, frequently hitting above .300. His teammate love him, joking he could pursue a career in standup. He's a great presence in the clubhouse, and it doesn't hurt that he can hit the ball hard and far. The prospect picker's haven't usually been a fan, but he's right outside our top 30 and I wouldn't be surprised if he finally breaks through by season's end. Chick is likely nothing more then a capable bench bat, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if the lefty gets at least a quick cameo in Chicago before he decides to hang up the clears.

RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (B San Jose Cougars): It was an excellent month for the 21-year-old, who finished a perfect 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 8 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. That was more then good enough for C-O-W Pitcher of the Month, as the former Gotham farmhand picked up right where he left off last season. Now 5-1 in 8 starts, Gonzalez has a sparkly 2.81 ERA (162 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 11 walks and 22 strikeouts. This is very similar to his 13 starts in San Jose last season, where he finished 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA (184 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 27 walks, and 43 strikeouts. Gonzalez tore his rotator cuff back in 1938, but since then, he's upped his velocity from 90-92 to 95-97, with the most recent bump coming this month. This has helped both his fastball and cutter, but his curve is actually the best of his four pitches. All four pitches (he also throws a change) are average to decent, so he doesn't quite overwhelm with pure stuff. The change will be what determines if Willie will start big league games regularly, as it doesn't look like a passable pitch yet. He has had walk issues in the past, and has taken great strides this season, dropping his BB/9 with the Cougars from 3.4 last year to 2.1 this year. He has a long way to go, but he has a ton of upside and I think he has the tools to top his dad's 15 FABL games.

RHP King Price (B San Jose Cougars): No Player of the Month like his teammate, but King Price did do something Gonzalez didn't, toss a complete game shutout! Our 9th Rounder from last season, the 22-year-old allowed 8 hits, a walk, and struck out two in a 7-0 win in Vancouver. That improved him to 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 14 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Price has recently infiltrated the back end of the top prospect lists, currently 40th in the system and 473rd overall, but OSA and Weinstock aren't too sold on the intelligent and well-spoken righty. A three pitch sidearmer, Price only throws a mid 80s cutter, but that, his change, and knuckle curve are all big league quality pitches. His command is shaky at times, and he may end up walking too many batters, but he's dropped his BB/9 from 4.5 in 6 starts in San Jose last year to 2.7 in his 7 this year. I say this all the time, and even though he doesn't look like world beater now, you can never have too much pitching, and especially pitchers who already have quality big league pitches.

ayaghmour2 · 12-29-2021, 05:47 PM

Weekly Record: 2-6
Seasonal Record: 24-28 (4th, 11.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 30 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .367 AVG, 1.054 OPS
Orlin Yates : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .370 AVG, .858 OPS
Ollie Page : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .869 OPS

Schedule
6-3: Win at Cannons (4-0)
6-4: Loss at Wolves (2-11)
6-5: Loss at Wolves (5-8)
6-6: Loss at Wolves (4-5): 10 innings
6-7: Loss at Foresters (1-7)
6-8: Loss at Foresters (1-4)
6-9: Win at Foresters (7-1)
6-9: Loss at Foresters (3-8)

Recap
I'm just at a loss for words right now... What is wrong with this season!?!?!? We completed the sweep of the Cannons, but that didn't build any momentum for us. We then let the Wolves walk right over us, as they swept us out of Toronto, before we managed to completely embarrass ourselves in Cleveland. They somehow took three out of four form us, but that's not even the worst part! Despite being very injury free for the past couple of seasons, everything has come crashing down this season. We had two more casualties this week, starting with Eddie Quinn, as it may be the end of his Cougar career already. The trade seems to have completely backfired, as Quinn first strained his oblique on the 4th before partially tearing his UCL on the 9th. He's now out for the season, which will open the rotation for Pete Papenfus. Quinn's last four starts were pretty terrible, and he finishes his season 2-5 with a 3.98 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 18 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Just a few weeks ago he was sporting a nice 2.08 ERA, but now everything fell apart. Even worse, Freddie Jones will spend the next two months out of service with a dislocated shoulder. Jones was in the midst of a terrible season, hitting just .258/.343/.284 (76 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, and 10 RBIs. Sure, we get Carlos Montes and Aart MacDonald back this week, but that doesn't nearly make up for it. I will need a pitcher to replace Quinn, so John Johnson will return to Milwaukee, and Rusty Watts will return to Chicago.

We didn't hit or pitch much at all, but hey! John Lawson continues to be good! The vet went 11-for-30 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. His backup Johnny McDowell looked good too, 5-for-11 with a run and 2 RBIs. Orlin Yates had a nice week, although he'll return to the bench with Montes returning, going 10-for-27 with a triple, steal, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks. Yates has hit well in limited time, batting .289/.386/.421 (124 OPS+) with 2 triples, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs with a nice 11-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Leon Drake had an okay return, 6-for-23 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Ollie Page looked great filling in for Freddie, 7-for-21 with a triple, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. He'll slide into Jones spot until Billy Hunter is healthy, but his .228/.333/.263 (68 OPS+) batting line leaves a lot to be desired. He's been great defensively at second, which will be an upgrade over Jones' play there, but I doubt he's going to hit much.

Milt Fritz continues to pitch well, but he got himself a win and a loss. Fritz allowed just 4-hits in our 4-0 shutout of the Cannons, walking 5 and striking out 4 in the complete game victory. His second start went just 7 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 runs with 4 strikeouts. The 30-year-old is now 4-4 with a 2.84 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 27 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched. Before the Quinn injury, I was considering moving him if we continued to fall, but now I'm not sure I want to weaken our rotation. We do have both Pug Bryan and Joe Brown who could step in, but both are doing excellent in the pen and I'm sure a move to the rotation will cause them to start pitching poorly. More bad outings for Jim Lonardo, who went 16.2 innings with 21 hits, 9 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker was roughed up for the first time in a bit, 12 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts in 5.1. Papenfus and Brown both struggled out of the pen, 6 hits and 3 runs a piece in a pair of outings. Brown got a loss in 2.1 innings with 2 walks and a strikeout, while our newest rotation member walked and struck out 3. Allen Purvis also struggled, 10 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. Dick Lyons at least pitched well, 8 innings with 7 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks in our extra inning loss. He turns 40 this week, and I think I'm going to maneuver things so he gets an outing on his birthday. The ageless wonder is 6-3 with a 3.11 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 20 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 10 impressive starts.

Looking Ahead
Not much to look forward to anymore, but now we get three in Philly before a much, much needed off day. The Sailors are in third at 30-24, and 6.5 games behind the Cannons. They are the only other team besides the Cannons and Wolves above .500, and 5 games ahead of us for fourth. Walt Wells is having a season to remember, 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 22 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 11 outstanding starts. He's made up for Doc Newell's awful season, as the 32-year-old is 3-5 with a 5.01 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 25 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Chuck Murphy has had a good season filling out there rotation, 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 16 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Dick Walker is having a very surprising down year, hitting just .231/.346/.341 (83 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 10 steals, and 20 RBIs. Lucky for them, Bob Smith has continued to cruise, hitting a strong .341/.370/.474 (123 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 16 RBIs. Rip Lee is having a nice bounce back year, hitting .304/.363/.408 (105 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, and 40 RBIs. Most of the lineup is struggling, including Joe Watson, but his .288/.335/.449 (107 OPS+) line is at least above average, and he's added 10 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 33 RBIs. I'm way too pessimistic right now, but I'd be surprised if they don't sweep us out of town.

After the off day, we get another three games in four days with the Foresters, but at least we'll be at home. I'm ready for more disappointment, as we helped the Foresters hop out of the cellar. They are now 21-33, but still 15.5 games out of first. Rube McCormick has started to turn things around for them, now 4-6 with a 4.11 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 25 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Dean Astle is on a nice little run, now 6-4 with a 3.30 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 25 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Mel Carrol has started to really heat up, boosting his line to .382/.424/.512 (148 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs. George Dawson is in the midst of a really tough season, hitting just .271/.304/.336 (70 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 3 steals, and 6 RBIs. He's also struggling defensively, with a -0.1 zone rating. His lowest in a season was 7.8 last year, but this is the same shortstop who's surpassed 20 five separate times. After we squandered the most recent series with them, I have no faith for this one, but we really should win at least two of the four. We can get right back into things with a 5-2 week, but we'll really have to turns things around quick if we want to pay October baseball in 1940.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnny Ruby (AA Mobile Commodores): It's been a nice season already for the 24-year-old, who was excellent in his most recent start. The 1937 8th Rounder allowed just 3 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game shutout over Memphis. Ruby has been a bit unlucky, just 2-3, but he has a great 2.80 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 28 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his 54.2 innings pitched. This is his second shutout in five starts, and unfortunately for Ruby, it seems to be the only way he can pick up a win. The sidewinding lefty has shown the ability to pitch deep into games as well, 8 or more innings in each of his last five starts. Ruby has a nice 6 pitch mix, led with an 88-90 fastball, biting curve, and above average slider. His command isn't the best, consistently sporting a BB/9 above 4, but he's done an excellent job striking hitters out. Since starting in La Crosse back in 1937, he's had a K/9 of 5.0 or higher, even sporting a 7.7 in 76.1 innings with La Crosse last year. If he can just iron out his command issues, he could be a real force on the mound, but at 24, there might not be that much time for him to fix his issues. Still, I think he could be a decent enough spot starter, as his strikeout numbers are truly impressive.

RHP Roy Carey (A Lincoln Legislators): An inning eating machine, Roy Carey has completed all 8 of his starts this season, with the most recent a 3-hit, 3-walk, 5 strikeout shutout of the Springfield Hustlers. 5 of his 8 starts have been with Lincoln, and he's 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 18 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched. I moved one of my AA pitchers (that post will come later tonight along with another draft update), so it looks like Roy Carey will return to Mobile next week. The 25-year-old doesn't have the greatest stuff, but the righty is a soft tosser with six pitches. He features a fastball, sinker, curve, slider, change, and circle change, and while none of those pitches are all that great, they're good enough, and paired with his stamina, allow him to start games. I'm a little shocked he never got a velocity boost, but perhaps that has helped him stay healthy and pitch deep into games. I think he's more just roster filler as opposed to a future big leaguer, but there is a chance that Carey either earns a desperate callup due to a thousand injuries, or another team takes a risk on him in the Rule-5 Draft.

RHP Lou Eaker (A Lincoln Legislators): A day after Carey's shutout, 22-year-old Lou Eaker tossed a shutout of his own. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in Lincoln's 2-0 win over Springfield. Our 5th Rounder last season, Eaker's first three starts came in San Jose, but his last 6 have been with Lincoln. He's looked good despite his 2-3 record, owning a 2.92 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 27 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched. The towering 6'5'' Eaker blossomed into one of our top prospects and one of the better young pitchers in the league, ranked 6th in our system and 62nd overall. He has a polished four pitch repertoire, featuring a nice 86-88 fastball and cutter, an excellent splitter, and a solid change. He has great stuff, but stop me if you've heard this one before, shaky command. His command is starting to come around, but his real strength is his movement. It allows him to roll up a ton of grounders, so even if ends up walking too many, he should be able to turn more then his share of double plays. OSA thinks he'll end up a #4 or #5, Tom thinks he'll be a solid back end starter, and I think he has the chance to be a strong #3. I'm expecting him to rise through the system rather quickly, and really other then the Jones brothers, there aren't too many young arms in his way. He could finish is season in Mobile, but at least for now, he'll continue pitching in the Legislators rotation.

LF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): It was a very strong week for the Lions outfielder Harry Harris, who went 15-for-26 with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored. The switch hitter is naturally a third basemen, but he's spent most of his time in our organization out in left. The 19-year-old is having a nice season, hitting .338/.388/.457 (108 OPS+) with 16 doubles, a triple, steal, and 28 RBIs. A 7th Rounder last season, Harris is a strong and lean athlete who projects to hit for an average around .310. He's not very fast, but a very good base runner, and he could steal more then his share of bases. He has the potential for an average eye at the plate, but he doesn't have much power and has yet to homer in 72 minor league PAs. He does have nice versatility, also comfortable in right and second as well as third and left, and with the likely influx of outfielders in our new draft class, I wouldn't be too surprised if he moves back to the infield, or at least spending time at a few spots and not just left. Harris is also inside our top 20 prospect list, checking in at 19th and 261st overall. He has a lot of young raw talent, and he's far from a finish product, so even if he profiles more of a bench bat now, he has the tools to develop into a much better player. It will be a slow rise up the ladder for Harris, but he is one of our higher upside corner prospects.

ayaghmour2 · 12-29-2021, 08:08 PM

Before covering my two 5th Rounders, I did make a pair of trades to pick up three more draft picks. The first sent Billy Seawood and Ralph O'Neil to the Gothams for the 13th Pick in the 6th Round and the 1st Pick in the 7th Round. The second picked us up the 13th Pick in the 8th Round for Rube Wood. There are a bunch of guys left that I want to take fliers on, and with these moves I'm able to make room for some of our lower minors guys to move up and make room for the new draftees.

5th Round, 69th Overall: RHP Harry Stewart
School: Bell Academy
Commit School: Baton Rouge State
1940: 11-0, 115 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 27 BB, 178 K
Career: 34-5, 407.1 IP, 1.26 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 103 BB, 581 K

The nickname may be gone, but that's not the reason I was interested in the 18-year-old from Nashville. Checking in at 8th on Tom Weinstock's list of pitchers, Harry Stewart was a four year starter at Bell Academy, and he's got outstanding stats, capping off his 4-year career with an impressive 11-0 season. And as outstanding has his ERA and WHIP were, they weren't even career bests, as Stewart was elite as a freshman. He was an also perfect 9-0 with a 0.99 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 18 walks, and 122 strikeouts, with the 18 walks his fewest and his 1.8 BB/9 the best in his four seasons. This year Stewart did set career bests for strikeouts, K/9 (13.9), and WAR (7.0), and I am really excited to be able to add the skinny right to our system. A relaxed and confident presence on the mound, Stewart features a plus change, quality splitter, and average fastball which he throws consistently in the low 90s. He also has a curve, although it's likely not going to be a very effective offering, but his stuff is more then good enough to start without it. Walks could turn into an issue, but it's hard to ignore just how good he was on the mound. Of draft eligible pitchers, Stewart ranked 6th in strikeouts and tied for 5th in wins this season, as well as 6th in ERA and 6th in strikeouts overall. Tom thinks he'll end up a spot starter, OSA more mop up or trade bait, but I think he's got a ton of upside, and will end up filling a big league rotation. High school pitchers are always a huge risk, but I think Stewart is going to turn into a very smart pick.

5th Round, 76th Overall: 2B Bill Hunt
School: Marquis College
1940: .290/.342/.411, 235 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB
Career: .290/.342/.411, 235 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB

He just got one season at Marquis College, but there is enough I like about Bill Hunt to take a risk on the soon-to-be 22-year-old second basemen. The most recent Mock is also a fan of Hunt, projecting him to be the 6th Pick in the 2nd Round, while OSA thinks he has the skills to make a career in the upper minors. He's athletic and quick, but he's not the most disciplined hitter at the plate. That can be improved with experience, and until he works that out, he may not be much more then an average contact hitter. What is most interesting about Hunt comes from Tom Weinstock, who believes he has the catch and throw skills needed to make it as a catcher. Along with second, he also plays a little left field, but being able to catch as well would be a huge plus for Hunt. I'm not sure where he'll start, La Crosse or San Jose, but that may depend on if I draft a catcher with one of my next few picks (there is one I have my eye on). I want to move Solly Skidmore to San Jose, so if he plays with the Cougars, he's probably not going to get too much time behind the plate. Still, I'd like to see him make at least one start a week there, as having a catcher who can play other positions is a huge luxury. Hunt is one of those "nose to the grindstone" type players, and I love employing hard workers like him in our system. His grit and determination should help him reach his peak, if not push past it, and his all out mentality on the field should rub off on his teammates. Even if he never starts games in the big leagues, I have to imagine his presence in the locker room should really help his teammates, but I think he has the right profile to force his way on to a big league roster.

We have two picks in the 6th, two in the 7th, and three in the 8th, so there will be a lot more future Cougars joining the ranks. I have my eye on two position players for my back-to-back 6th, but I imagine I'll go with at least one pitcher in both of the 7th and 8th rounds. There is still a chance to add more picks, but I think all the trading is done. I've been very happy with the draft so far, and other then adding one of Eddie Kincaid or Dick Collins, I've pretty much gotten each guy I wanted. Kincaid, ironically, was taken with the pick I sent to the Dynamos in the Leon Drake trade, while Collins went right after Stewart, and I would have taken Collins had Stewart been selected. Of course, there are others who I would have liked to take that have already been selected, but at least the guys I was directly targeting have been available when I wanted them.

ayaghmour2 · 12-30-2021, 03:55 PM

There will be a weekly write up, most likely tonight, but I don't really have time for it right now. It's not because I don't want to write one, we actually had a good week. Plus, I'm a bit behind on the draft write ups, so it worked out rather well. I just made my 9th Round pick when starting this, and we could potentially finish the draft before I finish this writeup.

6th Round, 96th Overall: CF Cy Howard
School: Daniel Boone College
1940: .264/.320/.351, 262 PA, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 37 SB
Career: .288/.350/.362, 534 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 76 RBI, 37 SB

You'll notice a lot of center fielders in this class, as are system was a little weaker in the outfield, so I wanted to add a lot of new fresh faces. At the top, guys like Red Looney, Tommy Sandstorm, Izzy Sevilla, and Oscar Panduro were getting time, and I wouldn't mind one bit giving their at bats to younger, more exciting prospects. The next to join the system is a two year starter at Daniel Boone College, Cy Howard, who had a much better sophomore then junior season. Howard hit .311/.378/.373 last year, and the only real improvement this season was he hit three homers instead of just one. Despite all that, the Mock Draft listed the 22-year-old as the projected 16th Overall Pick. Do I believe he is a first round talent? Not at all! But, that's not to say Howard doesn't have a lot going for him. First, Howard is very versatile, experienced playing all three outfield spots as well as both middle infield spots, and I imagine he wouldn't have too much trouble with first or third either. Second, he's a baseball rat, first one in, last one out, and I love hard workers like that. But most importantly, Cy Howard is from the beautiful city of Chicago, and a huge Cougar fan! Mix all that together, and I think it's about as exciting as you can get for a 6th Round draft pick! Weinstock isn't as excited as me, labeling him a borderline bench player, but he likes his athleticism and thinks he can become a decent hitter. OSA is a bit fonder, expecting him to hit over .300 and they think he could force his way into a lineup if a team is dealing with injuries like we are this season. Howard can probably start in San Jose, but with all the new outfielders joining the system, I'm not quite sure where he'll end up. Of course, he may even start in the infield, or take on a Connie/Jasper Wright role and fill in wherever he is needed. Regardless, I was happy to take Howard, and even if he never makes it to the show, he should be excellent minor league depth and can make our lives a little bit easier.

6th Round, 97th Overall: C Del Branch
School: Minnesota Tech
1940: .271/.317/.399, 224 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB
Career (HS): .415/.496/.639, 382 PA, 39 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 85 RBI, 16 SB
Career (COL): .286/.328/.410, 754 PA, 33 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 127 RBI, 8 SB

Directly after the Howard pick, I grabbed my first catcher of the year, Del Branch, who the Mock actually predicted would be our 2nd Round selection. Just like with Howard, I think the Mock over rates him, but there is a lot to like about the three year starter. Originally selected in the 16th Round by the Kings in 1937, Branch made the right decision and instead signed with Minnesota Tech, as he made great strides in college. He always showed power, 5 homers in high school as a sophomore, but he managed to send 16 out of the park for the Lakers, including 7 in a strong freshman year. It was arguably the best of his three seasons, as the Wymore native hit .290/.330/.435 with 13 doubles and 49 RBIs. A little small for a catcher, Branch is just 5'7'', but he's already shown great defensive skills behind the plate, while Tom Weinstock credits his "great heart and effort." OSA likes his glove too, but neither are fans of his hit tool. Branch will get to start his Cougar career in La Crosse, pushing Solly Skidmore up to San Jose, but I expect Branch to split time with one of our three 8th Rounders. He profiles strictly as a backup catcher now, but a catcher with a good glove is extremely valuable.

7th Round, 97th Overall: RHP Fred Thaxton
School: Tallmadge State
1940: 8-4, 119.2 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 53 BB, 113 K
Career: 16-8, 232.1 IP, 3.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 85 BB, 194 K

Leading off the 7th Round is righty Fred Thaxton, who I actually don't think was listed on the mock when I selected him yesterday. Now he is listed as our projected 5th Round selection, and 11th of the twelve pitchers listed on the mock. A two year starter at Tallmadge State, Thaxton put up huge strikeout numbers as a Junior, working to a 8.5 K/9 after a still solid 6.5 as a sophomore. I'm a big fan of his stuff, as his fastball, cutter, and change are all average or better pitches, and even with his command issues, he should be able to strike out a lot of hitters. He doesn't throw too hard for a guy with two fastballs, but he upped his velocity to 86-88 this May, and the more speed he adds, the better his pitches are going to be. Unlike most of the new Cougars, Thaxton doesn't have the greatest makeup, as coaches have had issues with both is mental and physical limitations. I'm hoping with a good clubhouse, we can help correct some of his personality issues, and hopefully have him push past these limitations. This may cap his ceiling, but as a college arm, especially a well developed one, he has a higher floor then most. He's really just a spot or emergency starter, but I could see him being big league ready in just a few seasons.

7th Round, 108th Overall: SS Steve Rosko
School: College of Waco
1940: .261/.323/.359, 234 PA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 37 SB
Career (HS): .431/.496/.622, 350 PA, 26 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 83 RBI, 63 SB
Career (COL): 264/.325/.359, 701 PA, 20 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 102 RBI, 103 SB

We continued this run of college draftees with New Orleans' Steve Rosko. Another former King draftee, Rosko was their 14th Round selection in 1937, two rounds before Branch, and he spent his three seasons at the College of Waco. He didn't have the greatest numbers in one of the tougher college conferences, but he's an athletic shortstop who is a quality defender and good baserunner. His hit tools aren't the best, as he'll need to work on improving his pitch selection and situational hitting, but he still looks like an average contact hitter despite it. Fix up a few things with his discipline, and he could become a much better hitter. Rosko profiles as a bench bat now, but he is boosted by his versatility. Along with short, he has gotten time at second, third, and left, and he's a capable defender at all three positions. Still, his bat will hold him back, as he hits too many groundballs and I don't expect him to ever hit many extra base hits. He is listed on the Mock at 4.16, but there is a reason Rosko fell to the 7th Round. He's not the most exciting prospect out there, but he's another high floor, low ceiling utility man who could end up being a very useful depth piece for us.

ayaghmour2 · 12-30-2021, 11:38 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 29-30 (t-4th, 9 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dick Lyons : 2 Wins, 17.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 2.12 ERA
Ray Ford : 20 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .350 AVG, 1.050 OPS
Milt Fritz : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-10: Loss at Sailors (2-3)
6-11: Win at Sailors (5-4)
6-12: Win at Sailors (7-1)
6-14: Loss vs Foresters (8-5)
6-15: Win vs Foresters (0-5)
6-16: Win vs Foresters (2-4)
6-16: Win vs Foresters (1-6)

Recap
Well would you look at that? A good week! The pitching was pretty tremendous, as for possibly the first time in the history of this dynasty, we had two pitchers in the top performers list! We won both our series' this week, taking two out of three against the Sailors, before working our revenge in Cleveland. We took three of four against the Foresters in Cleveland, the reverse of what they did to us last week in Chicago. We're now almost back to .500, and back within single digits of first place. A few more sims and we're right back in it, but by the reverse, another bad sim or two and it may be time to sell a few pieces.

One of those pieces that may be moved is Milt Fritz, who tossed yet another shutout. The 30-year-old vet allowed just 8 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in his second shutout in three starts. He's allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, and discounting his complete meltdown against the Stars, he's allowed 3 or fewer earned runs in his other 9 starts. Dick Lyons got two starts, including a complete game win on his 40th birthday. He allowed 5 hits and 2 runs with a strikeout, picking up his second win of the week. His first was an 8 inning win over the Sailors, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Lyons has been outstanding this year, now 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus made a pair of starts this week, and he looked like the young ace we once thought we had. He struck out 9 in each start, going 16.2 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 6 walks. His BB/9 is down a bit, 5.3 compared to 8.5 as a rookie and 6.6 last year, while his K/9 is a career best 9.2. I'm hoping Papenfus can turn the corner, as he's way too talented to keep struggling. Same goes for Jim Lonardo, who picked up another loss, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings. Harry Parker tossed a gem, 9 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Joe Brown struggled out of the pen, charged with 5 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks, but he did strikeout 3 in 3 innings.

John Lawson had just an average week, 8-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs, but he had a lot of help. Ray Ford had another huge week, 7-for-20 with a double, homer, 5 runs, 6 walks, and 2 RBIs. Skipper Schneider continued his great start to his career, 7-for-19 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and 3 walks. Skipper hasn't fielded as well as I expected, but he's hitting an impressive .345/.406/.471 (143 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 14 RBIs, while walking 9 times compared to just a single strikeout. Carlos Montes had a nice return to the lineup, going 7-for-22 with a double, triple, steal, 2 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Leo Mitchell had a decent week, 6-for-21 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Ollie Page had a decent return to the lineup, 7-for-25 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor was just 4-for-18, but with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Leon Drake continued his rough season, just 4-for-23, but with a homer and 4 RBIs. It's been a season to forget for the 31-year-old who is hitting a pitiful .203/.250/.336 (61 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 16 RBIs, while striking out almost four times (27) as much as he walks (8). The offense continues to be inconsistent, but at least this week, we managed to score enough when we needed to.

Looking Ahead
We start the week with three in Chicago against the second place Wolves. They sit at 38-22 and half a game out of first, and depending on how poorly we play, they may retake first from the Cannons. Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson have very similar stats, both 8-3 with ERAs of 3.19 (121 ERA+) and 3.10 (124 ERA+). Hancock has 31 walks, 45 strikeouts, and a 1.25 WHIP while Johnson has 20 walks, 23 strikeouts, and a 1.16 WHIP. The Wolves brought up former Cougar Juan Pomales, who has struggled in his first taste of the big leagues. On the mound he's 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts, while at the plate he's hit just .077/.077/.154 (-40 OPS+) with a double and RBI. George Garrison managed to even his record at 6-6 to go with a 3.54 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 27 walks, and 42 strikeouts. At the plate, Charlie Artuso is hitting an impressive .308/.369/.462 (120 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 2 steals, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs. Tom Frederick is hitting a similar .312/.383/.460 (123 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 7 triples, and 18 RBIs. Reginald Westfall is on the DL with a hamstring strain, so Evanston kid Joe Smith is hitting .294/.336/.440 (105 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs in his place. Fred McCormick is continuing his "down" season, hitting a still solid .322/.411/.436 (126 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs. Somehow, the Wolves best hitter has been 8-hitter Clarence Howerton, who's slashing .312/.392/.474 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, and 32 RBIs. Toronto will be a very challenging test, as they are arguably the best team in out league, and unless we wake up soon, are my favorite for the pennant this season.

Off again on Thursday, before four in three games with the Sailors. They're still in third, 34-27 and 5 games out of first. Chuck Murphy continued his run of complete games, improving to 6-2 and dropping his ERA to 2.92 (131 ERA+) with a 1.29 WHIP, 21 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Only Walt Wells has been better, 9-3 with a 2.77 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 28 walks, and 39 strikeouts. Dick Walker is still yet to hit a homer, and his .238/.351/.345 (86 OPS+) line is very off brand for him. He does have 12 steals, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 21 RBIs, and 35 walks, but if they want to challenge for a pennant, they'll need him to turn things around. Joe Watson is on pace for a 25-15-15 season, slashing .295/.340/.491 (118 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, and 39 RBIs. Don Homer has done a good job leading their lineup, hitting .310/.367/.417 (108 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 19 RBIs. Philly will be tough, and I think they'll want a little revenge for last week, and I can already see the 0-7 email in my inbox tomorrow morning.

Minor League Report
RHP Dick Strunk (AAA Milwaukee Blues): No runs. No hits. No errors. Nobody left on. That's what Dick Strunk did in a 3-0 victory over the Toledo Tornados. The 26-year-old was perfect, but let's be honest, it's more that the defense was perfect. He struck out just one, but got 8 ground outs and 18 flyouts, combining for 27 outs in a perfect game. That's now back-to-back shutouts for Strunk, who allowed 4-hits and a walk in another 3-0 win over Columbus. Strunk was struggling a bit before this red hot stretch, but he's 8-4 with a 3.64 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 25 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched. I grabbed him off waivers from the Sailors this offseason, but he was dreadful in his 10 starts with their AAA ballclub last year. With San Francisco he was 4-2, but with a 7.85 ERA (61 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Strunk was added for depth, as I like his three pitch mix. He has a nice low 90s cutter, paired with a decent curve and slider. He has very good control, and even though he has just a 2.8 K/9 this season, he's add really good strikeout numbers in previous seasons. I used his last option this year, so he'll have to impress to earn a pen role next season, but a perfect game should really help his case.

RHP Grover Donahue (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Despite being passed on as a replacement for Eddie Quinn, Grover Donahue has gone on a tear. He's tossed three consecutive complete game wins, including a 4-hit, 3-walk shutout over Toledo as the Blues edged the Tornados 2-0. That's after Donahue won a 2-1 and 3-1 game against St. Paul and Toledo again, now 4-5 on the season. The former 2nd Round selection now owns a 3.33 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 38 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 83.2 decent innings across 10 starts. He never got a velocity boost, throwing just 84-86 with his fastball and cutter, as the 25-year-old also mixes in a curve, slider, change, and splitter. He never quite reached his peak, as I expected him to be a decent enough middle of the rotation starter, but now Donahue's future likely lies as a multi inning reliever. He does a great job keeping the ball on the ground, but his stuff isn't all that great. He can eat innings, but I'm not sure those innings will be all that impressive. He turns 26 in September, and I could see him getting a promotion to Chicago as a birthday gift this year. We do have a lot of other options in case of another injury to the pitching staff, but he is arguably pitching the best out of himself, Walker Pearce, Dick Strunk, and Cal Knight.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Make that two shutouts in four starts for former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson, who allowed 5 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts as Lincoln silenced Terre Haute 9-0. That evened Wilkinson's record at 5-5, but he's been a much better pitcher then his record shows. He has a nice 2.99 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP with 20 walks and 35 strikeouts in 10 quality starts. The 23-year-old is ready for AA, but the only guy I'd demote would be Johnnie Jones, and the last thing I want to do is move him down to Lincoln and make him more angry. Wilkinson currently checks in inside our top 30, ranked 24th in our system and 292nd in the league. The southpaw throws a nice low 90s fastball, the best of his five pitches. He also features a curve, slider, change, and forkball, but none of those four offerings are that impressive. He works best by finesse as opposed to overpowering hitters, but unless he develops an out pitch, Weinstock thinks he may be limited to emergency starts and long relief. His strong command and movement should allow him to limit the longball, but he will need to develop an outpitch or he'll have trouble with big league hitters.

1B Bill Dambreville (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a great week for the 22-year-old first basemen, who went 10-for-19 with 2 homers, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. This was good enough for the Heartland League Player Week, and boosted the former 5th Rounders batting line to an outstanding .344/.413/.503 (152 OPS+) with 17 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 38 RBIs. One of our top prospects, he ranks 11th in the system and 171st overall, and is actually our 4th highest ranked position prospect. A lefty swinger, Dambreville features an above average contact tool, and should end up as a consistent .300 hitter. He has a great eye, walking (26) more then he strikes out (13), and he really bounced back from a rough first season. He hit just .280/.359/.370 (84 OPS+) with 14 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 36 RBIs. The two seasons merged into a respectable .308/.383/.429 (115 OPS+), something I could see him hitting in a full big league season. We don't have much depth at first base, so Dambreville really has no one in his way other then current starter Ray Ford. Ford just turned 29, but I don't think the hard worker is going anywhere soon. He actually has a similar line this season, .307/.353/.454 (122 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, and 26 RBIs. Since Ford is a righty, as he gets older him and Dambreville could turn into an effective platoon pairing, but I'm not sure Dambreville will match the upside of Ford. Still, I'm a big fan of his tools, and I think he could be a modest producer at the big league level.

ayaghmour2 · 12-31-2021, 02:18 PM

We finished the draft last night, so before the weekly report, we'll get reports on the five newest Cougars!

8th Round, 113th Overall: RHP Roscoe Brown
School: Covington
Commit School: Edgemoor
1940: 5-1, 90 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 24 BB, 126 K
Career: 18-4, 2 SV, 280.1 IP, 1.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 74 BB, 355 K

We broke the long line of college draftees with a prep arm from Kentucky Roscoe Brown. He was Tom Weinstock's top available projected starter left in the pool, and a four year player at Covington. He did mix his time between the rotation and pen, 33 starts and 28 relief outings, and a little like Duke Bybee, wasn't great his first two years before really buckling down as a junior and senior. He had matching 1.24 ERAs and 0.89 WHIPs before setting career bests in innings, strikeouts, WAR (3.9), and K/9 (14.2) as a senior. It is a little concerning he didn't start all his games, but there is still a lot to like about the skinny right that OSA thinks could end up as a spot starter. He has three good pitches, with his fastball and sinker sitting comfortably in the 91-93 range, and his curveball has good bite on it. He should be able to strike out his share of batters, but after a nice 1.7 BB/9 as a freshman, he's been over 2.0 each year since. Walks may develop into an issue, but if he's striking out way more batters then he's giving free passes to, we will be able to live with it. This kid has a lot of upside, but if he's not able to pitch deep into games, we may have to turn him into a short inning reliever.

8th Round, 124th Overall: C Lew Lord
School: North Carolina Atlantic
1940: .273/.366/.424, 235 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI, SB
Career (HS): .419/.503/.671, 361 PA, 49 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 76 RBI, 20 SB
Career (COL): .275/.366/.444, 692 PA, 35 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 118 RBI, 10 SB

I alluded to a second drafted catcher in the Del Branch post, and that catcher was Lew Lord. A 19th Round selection by the Dynamos three seasons ago, Lord left Elmer to attend North Carolina Atlantic, where his power really blossomed. Lord hit 8 homers as a freshman and then 6 in the following two seasons, finishing his college career with 20 longballs. The most recent mock listed Lord as a 3rd Rounder, but also seems to really like my draft class. We now have three first rounders, with Hunt 8th, Rich 10th, and James 13th. Then in the 2nd it shows Rosko, Branch, Collins, and Haynes (as well as our next pick) with Don Lee and Cy Howard joining Lord in the 3rd. We have no one in the 4th, but Harry Stewart made his mock debut in the 5th! Sure, the mock means next to nothing, especially with how frequently it changes, but in a stats only environment, any little tidbit of information can help you make decisions. Back to Lord, scouts are a little unsure if he can handle a full workload, but they like his eye and think he can work the count well. Contact may be a bit of an issue, but I do think the 6'2'', 200 pound unit will be able to hit for power. He's got a catcher and first base rating, so a little built in versatility, but that may be a sign that first is his final resting point. Him and Del Branch will split time in La Crosse to start the season, but I may give Lord some time at first as I expect Branch to get a slight majority behind the plate. I think he's more of a bench bat, but OSA thinks "with enough injuries, he can force his way into a lineup." You don't have to tell me about enough injuries...

8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Leo Davis
School: Indiana A&M
1940: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB
Career: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB

I don't believe what the mock believes, but if you believe those mock draft guys, you'd think Leo Davis is a 2nd Round talent. The last of what seems like our 800th center fielder in this draft class, Leo Davis just started one season at the prestigious Indiana A&M. Not sure why he didn't start the last two seasons, no Indiana A&M player was selected last season, but the Glasgow kid was alright in his lone season with the Reapers. He showed great speed, 4 triples and 39 steals, but hit just one homer and had an OPS of just .640. A bit of a groundball hitter, his real talent comes in the field, where he's an above average center fielder as his speed translates to great range on the grass. He may end up an average contact hitter, but he doesn't get enough lift on his quality hits. His elite speed will allow him to beat out a ton of groundballs, but it's hard to make a career on that. I'm thinking he's got everything you want in a 4th outfielder, but if you're stuck starting him with any sort of regularity, you may be better suited scouring the waiver wire for a vet.

9th Round, 140th Overall: RHP Charlie Kelsey
School: Lancaster
Commit School: Bardney
1940: 8-2, 98 IP, 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 24 BB, 130 K
Career: 26-5, 307.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 71 BB, 348 K

The reason I qualified "projected starter" in Roscoe Brown's report is because Charlie Kelsey was technically Weinstock's highest rated pitcher still available. Unlike Brown, Kelsey started all 41 games he appeared in at his three seasons with Lancaster, but the skinny right from PA is expected by both scouts to end up just as a reliever. Sure, that's also what they said about Harry Sharp, a regional draftee last season who is 3-8 with a 3.30 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 15 starts with the Pioneers this season, but they might be right about Kelsey. I think it's worth the risk with a 9th Rounder, especially because he was really good last season as a junior. Kelsey went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 23 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 112 effective innings. His stuff isn't that great, with just his mid 80s sinker expected to be a reliable offering. He does roll up a ton of grounders with it, but unless he works more on his fastball and change, I don't think he'll be able to fool hitters for more then just a couple innings. What Kelsey does have that most relievers don't, however, is the ability to put the ball in play. Kelsey hit .465/.507/.813 with 23 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 56 RBIs, and 93 steals as he played both corner outfield spots when he wasn't starting games for the Buckskins. He was a doubles machine this season, hitting 13 in 23 games, the same amount as #1 overall pick Dick Blazek. Interesting enough, the only Cougar draftee with more doubles was fellow pitcher Mel Haynes, who's 17 was less then only Don Burton, Ray Pearce, and first rounder Joe Rutherford. Kelsey does a great job hitting to all fields, and his speed will put pressure on the defense. He's a very useful piece in late game situations, as he can pinch hit for the pitcher and then hop on the mound to finish off a game. We've had some luck in the 9th in the past, including top pitchers Ben Turner and Dean Astle, as well as more recently with decent arms Jim Miller, Art Saunders, John Johnson, and King Price. What do all these guys have in common? They're all pitchers! Interesting enough, including Kelsey, 9 of the last 11 9th Rounders have been pitchers, and I promise that was not on purpose. The other two were catchers, Steve Mountain (who is pretty good himself) and Diego Bernal, who both play with the Commodores.

10th Round, 156th Overall: SS Nick Bryan
School: Fenger
Commit School: Northern Mississippi
1940: .400/.465/.600, 104 PA, 12 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, SB
Career: .427/.495/.645, 438 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 96 RBI, 16 SB

Finishing off our large, 16-man human draft class, is a guy who might as well be considered a Chicagoan. Born in Milwaukee and turning 18 tomorrow, "Wacky" moved to Chicago when he was young and attended Fenger where he started all four seasons. He was pretty terrible, I won't lie, but he was a doubles machine, 53 in his four seasons, but he never cracked .440 while hitting just .400 this season. He does have a good eye, with an OBP of .495 or higher in each of his first three seasons, and he managed double digit walks all four years. Still, there is nothing too exciting about his bat, and the glovework is what brought me to Bryan. He's a strong shortstop who can also fill in at second, third, left, and center, so I imagine first and right wouldn't be much of a problem. Bryan is just a filler player now, but he's an athletic 6'2'' teen who has a lot of growing left to go. He's not the most focused, but a good clubhouse should keep him on the right track, and he could exceed the very minimal expectations given to him.

ayaghmour2 · 12-31-2021, 07:58 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 33-33 (6, 8 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 27 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .481 AVG, 1.422 OPS
Harry Mead : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .438 AVG, .938 OPS
Dick Lyons : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.00 ERA

Schedule
6-17: Loss vs Wolves (9-5): 12 innings
6-18: Loss vs Wolves (10-1)
6-19: Win vs Wolves (3-5)
6-21: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
6-22: Win vs Sailors (2-5): 10 innings
6-23: Win vs Sailors (2-3): 10 innings
6-23: Loss vs Sailors (4-2)

Recap
Well, well, well! Welcome back to .500! We managed to even our record up and cut a game on the division lead, but despite that, we fell all the way down to 6th, as both the New York teams have caught fire and leapfrogged us and the Sailors. We did the damage to the Sailors, taking three of four, but two of the games were one run win and two were in extra innings. That doesn't help our case for competing, and neither does getting crushed in two of three against the Wolves. Good thing we have John Lawson, who carried our offense in the week. Lawson pushed his average up close to .400, 13-for-27 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. That was good enough for our first Player of the Week, but Lawson has really been Player of the season. "Jack the Ripper" is ripping an outstanding .398/.450/.571 (182 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 6 homers, and 47 RBIs. He's already worth 4.1 wins above replacement, and he's on pace for a career best season. Lawson has been the model of consistency, positing OPS+ of 133-143 in each of the past six seasons, but he's really exploded this year. It's even better then both of his MVP seasons, where Lawson hit .392/.442/.613 (165 OPS+) and .359/.406/.502 (147 OPS+).

I wasn't kidding Lawson was carrying the lineup, as no other Cougar with 5 or more games had an above average season. The closest was Ollie Page, who went 6-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple, steal, RBI, and 3 runs scored. We did have a good week from Harry Mead, who went 7-for-16 with a double and run scored. Rich Langton was 4-for-11 with 3 runs scored while Bobby Mills was 2-for-8 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Ray Ford had a rough go at it, just 2-for-25 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. He's been outstanding the past few weeks, so it's not the biggest concern as long as he gets right back on track next week. Carlos Montes also came back to earth, just 2-for-17 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored. We can't be the John Lawson team if we want to do well next week, so we need someone else to pick up the slack.

Jim Lonardo continued his terrible season, losing both his starts and falling to 4-10. He went 13.1 innings with 22 hits, 13 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Most of our rotation have done really well, but he has a poor 4.73 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 19 walks, and 41 strikeouts. Lucky for us, Dick Lyons ages like a fine wine, tossing a complete game with just 4 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus had another good start, tossing a 10 inning complete game with 6 hits, 2 runs, 6 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Yes, the 6 walks are a little concerning, but I can live with a 5.3 BB/9 if it's paired with a 8.9 K/9. Milt Fritz had a decent start, 7 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks in another complete game win of his own. Harry Parker ate a ton of innings, tossing a 11 inning complete game and 10 inning complete game. He won the 11 and lost the 10, allowing 19 hits, 7 runs, and 8 walks with 8 strikeouts. Rusty Watts looked good out of the pen, 4.2 innings with 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. Pug Bryan, however, struggled in his first opportunity as stopper, allowing 4 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in just two third of an inning. His ERA ballooned to 4.30 from 1.93, and his WHIP rose up to 1.64.

Looking Ahead
We reached the in game draft, and Rounds 11-25 will be simmed in our next sim Monday.

On the field, we start with the still first place Cannons, who are now 41-25 and tied for first with the Wolves. It's a weird series, two games, an off day, then another game. We'll likely get to see the first career start of former #1 Overall Pick Vic Carroll, who is rumored to be called up from AAA Indianapolis. If he pitches in game two, it will be on his 22nd birthday after going 7-2 with a 3.48 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 37 walks, and 65 strikeouts in what could be his only 13 AAA starts. Carroll could end up as one of the game's elite arms, and is currently ranked as the #2 prospect in all of baseball. He has outstanding stuff, featuring a devastating splitter and a high 80s cutter and fastball. He has great command as well, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't have a nice and long big league career. He'll join an impressive rotation, with the hero somehow being the 28-year-old Butch Smith. He's 8-4 with a 2.37 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 37 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 102.1 excellent innings. William Jones has cooled off a bit, but still an effective 7-5 with a 3.25 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 32 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Fred Galloway has cooled off a lot, and the 24-year-old is now hitting just .293/.381/.426 (119 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 8 triples, a homer, and 34 RBIs. Of course, Moxie Pidgeon hasn't slowed down at all, slashing .340/.384/.566 (155 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 54 RBIs. 8 more homers and Cincinnati will now be the 5th team Moxie Pidgeon has hit 20 homers for. Doc Love is having a nice little resurgence at 31, hitting .301/.357/.477 (125 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, and 24 RBIs. If we can shut those three down, we'll have a chance to win the series, but Frank Covarrubias (111 OPS+) and Jack Flint (105 OPS+) are also having decent seasons of their own. This will be another tough series, but I like our chances in this one as the Cannons have started to cool off a bit.

After the Cannons series, we welcome their GM's former team the Brooklyn Kings. Brooklyn has caught fire, now up to 3rd at 35-31. They are still 6 out of first, but have won nine of their last ten. I'm hoping we can cool them down, but it will be tough. Brooklyn seems to have a knack for developing outfielders, with Joe Herman the next in line. A former lottery selection, Herman is hitting .366/.407/.604 (168 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 26 RBIs. He's done a lot better then Al Wheeler, who has an adjusted league average .250/.327/.421 with 12 doubles, 9 homers, and 31 RBIs. The rest of the lineup has struggled, but Tiny Tim Hopkins has looked good in his 25 big league games. The not-so-tiny 6'5'' lefty is slashing .307/.364/.511 (133 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 homers, and 15 RBIs. They've pitched pretty well despite Tom Barrell's continued struggles. He's just 4-9 with a 5.00 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 38 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Art White has been outstanding in his place, 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 22 walks, and 29 strikeouts. So has former Cougar farmhand Stumpy Beaman, 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 18 walks, and 26 strikeouts. I do think we're the better team, but we seemed to have caught them at the worst time.

Minor League Report
LHP Harl Haines (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It's been an up and down season for the 22-year-old, and after a 9 run start, he went ahead and shutout the Warriors. Fort Wayne got just 5 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts and improved to 6-8 on the season. He now has a 3.95 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 32 walks, and 59 strikeouts in his first 15 starts with the Blues. The fire-balling submariner hasn't pitched well enough to take a roster spot yet, but I know the former 10th Rounder will be protected before the Rule-5 Draft. I love his stuff and he does an outstanding job locating all four of his pitches. Weinstock thinks he should "fill a regular rotation spot, although probably closer to the bottom," and I tend to agree with him. He currently ranks 9th in our system and 136th overall, one spot below the now injured Joe Crosby. I expect him to jump ahead before the end of the season, and he does have a chance to crack the top 100. Haines is probably one of the most interesting prospects we have, but since he's actually older then Peter the Heater, it may be tough for him to find a long-term home in our rotation.

RHP Lou Eaker (A Lincoln Legislators): In a game that needed ten innings to decide, Lou Eaker was flawless. He needed to be, as it took that many innings for us to score, but Eaker ended up with a 10-inning, complete game shutout. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-4 with the Legislators. He owns a nice 3.27 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 31 walks, and 27 strikeouts across 63.1 innings pitched. The 22-year-old ranks 6th in our organization and currently 61st overall. Last year's 5th Rounder has a polished four pitch mix, featuring an excellent splitter, decent mid 80s cutter and fastball, and a developing change. That pitch may never be all that reliable, but the other three are very consistent and he gets plenty of movement on them. When he's on he's unhittable, but his command can occasionally desert him for stretches. I expect he'll end up throwing harder, as he's a strong 6'5'' righty who has already proved he can pitch deep into games. I think he has the tools to fill in as a mid-rotation starter, although OSA thinks more of a 5th starter. I think that's his floor, but he still has ways to go before he finds himself in a big league rotation.

ayaghmour2 · 01-03-2022, 02:20 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 36-36 (6th, 10 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 23 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .304 AVG, .819 OPS
Carlos Montes : 19 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .263 AVG, .970 OPS
John Lawson : 24 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .292 AVG, .721 OPS

Schedule
6-24: Loss vs Cannons (9-6)
6-25: Loss vs Cannons (12-6)
6-27: Win vs Cannons (5-7)
6-28: Loss vs Kings (8-3)
6-29: Win vs Kings (3-4)
6-30: Win vs Kings (1-3)

Recap
Well, hello old friend! Back to a 3-3 week! The Cannons took two out of three from us as they returned to the top of the league, and then we took two of three from the red hot Kings to finish June. Off for the first day of July, and even though we had a pretty lame month (16-14), it was a month to remember for John Lawson. Lawson hit .364/.414/.576 with 13 doubles, 4 homers, and 25 RBIs. Interesting enough, this actually dropped his season line to an outstanding .388/.442/.554 (174 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 6 homers, and 50 RBIs. He's on a nearly 9 WAR pace in what could be the best season of "Jack the Ripper's" Hall of Fame career.

Lawson's week was just average, 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, a run, and 3 RBIs. The bench players did well, with Orlin Yates, Johnny McDowell, Rich Langton, and Bobby Mills combining to go 7-for-17 with 3 doubles, 7 walks, and 8 RBIs. Harry Mead had a nice week, 3-for-9 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a power surge, 5-for-19 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 4 walks, 6 runs, and a steal. I was shocked Skipper Schneider didn't take home Rookie of the Week, as he finished a nice June 6-for-17 with a pair of walks and runs scored. He hit .315/.378/.427 with 5 doubles, a triple, homer, 9 walks, and 12 RBIs in 98 trips to the plate. The 19-year-old is now hitting an impressive .317/.372/.429 (121 OPS+) in his first 37 FABL games. As usual, we need to hit better if we want to win games, and now three months in, we are running out of opportunities.

On the mound we didn't do so well, but no one faired worse then Pug Bryan. He was basically lights out all season, but the last three outings have been beyond awful. He appeared in just one game this week, recording only two outs with 6 hits, a walk, and 7 runs. He's gotten a loss in each of his last three outings, 5.1 with 15 hits, 15 runs (13 earned), and 6 walks. Harry Parker also had a rough outing, an out a way form a complete game loss with 12 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), and 6 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus picked up a complete game win, but was a bit shaky, allowing 8 hits, 5 runs, and 6 walks with 4 strikeouts. Milt Fritz made two starts, winning one and losing one. He threw 15.1 innings with 11 hits, 11 runs (5 earned), 9 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Three errors cost him his start against the Cannons, and we should have won that game 6-4. Dick Lyons also made two starts, picking up a win and a no decision. He got one out more then Fritz, and allowed 12 hits, 6 runs, and 7 walks with 4 strikeouts.

A little bad news on the injury front, as Billy Hunter's recovery is now unknown. He strained his elbow a bit over a month ago, and was supposed to be healthy for this coming sim. Instead, he'll start his rehab no sooner then the All-Star break. Hunter was off to a slow start in the field, sporting a poor .891 fielding percentage, -4.2 zone rating, and .882 efficiency. He wasn't much better with the bat, hitting just .286/.330/.378 (96 OPS+) as Skipper Schneider has outperformed him both at the plate and in the field. That doesn't mean Hunter is out of a job, he's definitely more talented then the teen, but Hunter's rehab will happen at second and he'll man the keystone once he returns. Lastly, there is the draft, and while most of our top picks need to be signed, a few already crack the top 500. 6th Rounder and at one point 1st Round mock draftee Cy Howard ranks 21st in our system and 263rd overall while 7th Rounder Fred Thaxton ranks 42nd and 440th. I do have to sign each player picked in the first five rounds, as well as 8th Rounder Roscoe Brown and 9th Rounder Charlie Kelsey. I then have impossible guys in the 14th, 15th, 17th, and 19 Round and don't plan on signing any of them. I will release a full AI draft post later covering the guys selected in the 11th to 25th Rounds.

Looking Ahead
The week ahead is crazy, as we have a pair of double headers in the last week before the All Star Break. The only team we don't have a double header against this week is the first, as we get just two games in New York with the Stars. They are in third at 37-34, but way closer to us (1.5 GA) then the first place Cannons (8.5 GB). The Stars have recently debuted #47 prospect Lou Robertson, and the 25-year-old could not have asked for a better start to his young career. He took (rightfully so) Rookie of the Month from Skipper, going a perfect 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA (218 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 6 walks, and 9 strikeouts. I don't think we'll see him, but instead the team's qualified ERA leader in Chuck Cole. He is 5-7 with a 3.31 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 32 walks, and 45 strikeouts. We'll also get Dixie Lee, who has now completely came apart after really heating up. The inconsistent 27-year-old is now 4-9 with a 4.87 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 35 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Dave Trowbridge is now healthy once again, and the game's oldest player is hitting .319/.368/.454 (122 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 homers, and 22 RBIs. Right behind him is former #4 Overall Pick Bill Barrett, who is slashing an impressive .325/.369/.500 (134 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, and 50 RBIs with a nice 19-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He doesn't lead the team in homers and shares the RBI lead with Chink Stickels, who is hitting .284/.339/.466 (116 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 5 steals and 8 home runs. That 3-4-5 is as dangerous as it gets, plus they have Ray Cochran leading off, batting a comfortably above average .307/.370/.468 (128 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 9 triples, 3 steals, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs. This will be a tough series, but a sweep here could move us back up to 3rd in the division.

The third series is four games in three days with the Kings, who we just took two of three from in Chicago. That dropped them to 37-35 and 9 games behind the Cannons. The Kings have the worst team batting average in the CA, with only 24-year-old Joe Herman hitting above .280. His .360/.401/.640 (174 OPS+) line is truly remarkable, and he's supplemented it with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 32 RBIs. He's getting some help from the batter behind him, Tim Hopkins, who is hitting .279/.333/.481 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. Harry Barrell is having a bit of a struggle at the plate and in the field, with a "drop" in defense to a 10.8 zone rating and 1.083 efficiency. The drop at the plate has been larger, hitting just .274/.312/.351 (77 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, and 22 RBIs. Stumpy Beaman continues his breakout season, leading the CA with a 2.32 ERA (167 ERA+). He's made 11 starts and gone 7-4 with a 1.06 WHIP, 24 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Eddie Hite is on a nice two start run, a single earned run in each of his last two starts. The 36-year-old is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA (194 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts in a surprisingly impressive return to the mound. At the top of the rotation is 28-year-old Art White, who's been outstanding, 8-4 with a 2.92 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 28 walks, and 32 strikeouts. We can really end the first half on a high note with a commanding series win, but it may be a tough ask for our group of misfits.

Minor League Report
LHP Ralph Kendall (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite being used strictly as a reliever since 1938, Ralph Kendall will start to get some starts. Tom Weinstock now thinks he projects as a starter, not borderline starter or reliever as he has in the past, as Kendall has seemed to have received a lot of talent boosts. Since the start of last season, Kendall's velocity has gone from 88-90 to 94-96 with four boosts, including one last month. Discounting a 19 inning stint with Lincoln last season, Kendall has been nothing short of elite out of the pen, but perhaps there is once again hope for the 5th Rounder to become a decent rotation arm. All 14 of his appearances with Mobile have came out of the pen, but he's 2-0 with 5 saves, a 2.75 ERA (170 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts. The prospect pickers have also started giving him some props, moving him way up to 25th in our system and 328th overall, despite being almost completely absent from them in his first four seasons. The 5'7'' sinkerballer has turned into a rather overpowering arm, with excellent velocity and a knack for generating grounders. His splitter is a very nice pitch, and his two change ups are average pitches. When he's on he's nearly unhittable, but every so often he'll lose control and allow a longball. Tom thinks he has "very few flaws in his delivery" which "should have him as average or above in all categories." I think this may be a bit generous, but it's hard to argue that when he's pitched so well. Starting games will be a huge test, as OSA still thinks he's best out of the pen, but with room in the Milwaukee rotation, I moved Johnny Ruby up to give Kendall a start every six days.

LHP John Johnson (B San Jose Cougars): After not allowing a run in a 7.2 inning start against Bakersfield, John Johnson took it to the next level, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the only team with a better record then San Jose, the Salem Warriors. He walked one and struck out one, and has only allowed a single run in his last three starts. The 21-year-old Chicagoan is now 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 22 walks, and 25 strikeouts across 84.1 innings pitched. A polished three pitch starter, Johnson has snuck in to the top 500, ranking 489th overall and 45th in our system. He has good stuff, featuring a solid change, decent curve, and reliable high 80s fastball. His control in San Jose last year was shaky, as Johnson had a 4.8 BB/9 in 94.1 innings, but he's dropped that all the way down to 2.3 this season. This is huge for him, as command is his big weakness right now. His stuff is solid and he has the pitches needed to start big league games, so command of those pitches will really help him work his way into a potential rotation spot. Johnson is far from a sure thing, and his future will rely on more hope then faith in his abilities, but the Chicagoan will continue to work on his dream of pitching for his hometown team.

ayaghmour2 · 01-04-2022, 02:44 AM

11th Round, 168th Overall: RHP Chet Williams
School: Clifton Heights
1940: 6-3, 90.2 IP, 1.89 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 14 BB, 82 K
Career: 31-9, 397 IP, 2.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 110 BB, 373 K

I love Tom Weinstock, but he did not get me enough pitchers. Chet Williams is one of just three pitchers he selected, and one of two that isn't impossible to sign. Plus, Williams just isn't really good, and definitely not what you want from the always helpful 11th Round pick. Sure, Williams was a four year starter at Clifton Heights, but the stats aren't too exciting and he's only projected to be a bullpen arm. He has an 89-91 cutter, which should be a decent pitch, but the curve and change don't inspire too much confidence. He doesn't overpower people with his stuff, doesn't rely on his command, and has the occasional homer issue. I'm actually really excited to see all the pitchers teams release, as we are desperate for arms in La Crosse to fill out in case of injury. Williams is only staying because we don't have any better options, but I can't imagine he'll ever tally many innings.

12th Round, 187th Overall: RF Bobby Charles
School: Sayerville
1940: .434/.504/.657, 116 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .469/.532/.697, 508 PA, 54 2B, 10 3B, 9 HR, 122 RBI, 49 SB

A giant, 6'4'' lefty, Tom actually thinks he could end up as a decent fourth outfielder. He's a bit of a free swinger who needs better control of the strike zone, and doesn't have the power needed from a corner player. He's just 17, 18 tomorrow, so he could end up developing into a better player, but for now he'll have to rely on getting the occasional pinch hit opportunity. It's already working out well, he's 1-for-1, and he's got a nice spunky, can-do attitude that may endear himself to his teammates, and make him a clubhouse favorite.

13th Round, 204th Overall: LHP Tom Irwin
School: Ferguson
1940: 5-5, 95.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 51 BB, 79 K
Career: 5-5, 95.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 51 BB, 79 K

The only other pitcher to sign, Tom Irwin is one of the rare college pitchers who's a current bullpen arm but future starter. Add in the fact that he's a one year starter with lackluster numbers, and you can tell why no human decided he was worth a pick. Granted, he's seen as fearless and durable and an organizational favorite, so perhaps he'll be a nice part of our clubhouses until he eventually ages out. The left sits in the mid 80s and actually has decent enough stuff. He has a decent slider and plus change, but his fastball isn't that great yet. Command issues may hurt him, but he could be just what we need as organizational pen fodder.

14th Round, 219th Overall: CF Chief White
School: Elverson
Commit School: Portland Tech
1940: .420/.473/.536, 131 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 30 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .420/.482/.612, 472 PA, 47 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 107 RBI, 24 SB

A guy named Chief who hit .420 as a senior and .420 for his career!?!? Sign me up! Oh wait, he's committed to Portland Tech? Well, I think this Chief will enjoy cheifing is college! A native of Indiana, he could end up being a regional selection of ours, but tools wise he really has no real future to speak of. He does have a decent command of the strike zone, but right now he doesn't really have much of a shot. A lot of impossible guys have gone on to get selected in the first ten rounds, perhaps like Eddie Kincaid or Dick Collins, and I'm hoping for him that's what happens.

15th Round, 235th Overall: RF Frank Proctor
School: Granite City
Commit School: Cowpens State
1940: .406/.475/.604, 119 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 SB
Career: .414/.493/.602, 506 PA, 46 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 112 RBI, 14 SB

He actually went to school in Illinois, but don't expect him to become a Cougar. He's a bit outspoken, and will hopefully turn things around at Cowpens State. The four year starter is a towering 6'6'', 205 pound righty, but it hasn't created much power for him. He does have an average eye and takes his fair share of pitches, but he doesn't protect enough when down in the count. He thinks he's a star, those around him don't, but three years in college could serve him well.

16th Round, 251st Overall: 2B Bob Griffen
School: South Park
1940: .431/.472/.612, 128 PA, 12 2B, 3 3B, HR, 27 RBI, 11 SB
Career: .461/.504/.654, 489 PA, 53 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 113 RBI, 60 SB

A four year starter in an animated TV show, Griffen was great as a freshman, but never matched his .486/.540/.716 line. A strict second basemen, he'll turn 18 in a week or so, but will need to up his game to earn a roster spot. I don't think I'll cut him now, but it may be tough for him to spend more then a season in our system. He does have a decent contact tool, and hopefully we can work that out for him, but I wouldn't be surprised if you never see Griffen on this forum again.

17th Round, 267th Overall: RHP Milt Burch
School: Franklin
Commit School: Shenandoah Valley State
1940: 3-2, 61.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 21 BB, 42 K
Career: 3-2, 61.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 21 BB, 42 K

Yes, this is a high schooler with an ERA above 3... You can see why I'm letting him go to college! Burch didn't even start all his games, just 8 of 13, and he's a soft tosser who likely will never end up starting games. But hey, college could work wonders!

18th Round, 283rd Overall: LF Hippo Carney
School: North Brookfield
1940: .402/.422/.516, 129 PA, 11 2B, HR, 31 RBI, SB
Career: .405/.451/.569, 493 PA, 48 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 109 RBI, 17 SB

A four year starter at North Brookfield, Carney's career high average was .421 and he only topped a .600 slugging once. After a three homer Freshman year, he hit just three more and corner players need to hit for power. He's lucky I have exactly 50 players at this moment in La Crosse, so I had no need to cut him. Of course, I have nine players to sign to bonuses, and that likely means nine cuts. I'm not sure that Hippo, as he does have a cool name, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if he doesn't survive the season.

19th Round, 299th Overall: CF Curt Brooks
School: Chatham
Commit School: Marquis College
1940: .412/.454/.588, 111 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 27 SB
Career: .425/.474/.600, 43 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 97 RBI, 75 SB

A four year starter at Chatham, Curt Brooks will spent the next three seasons at Marquis College instead of La Crosse. He was a decent as a freshman, and hit .461/.520/.742 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 14 steals, and 25 RBIs with 10 walks and just one strike out. In fact, he struck out only 10 times, so perhaps Brooks could be a star for the Minutemen. He doesn't really put the ball in play either, hitting a lot of groundballs, and while he's got some speed, it's not enough for too many extra base hits.

20th Round, 315th Overall: 2B Bobo Shafer
School: Hillsboro
1940: .418/.484/.691, 124 PA, 12 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .404/.485/.697, 475 PA, 41 2B, 19 3B, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 71 SB

Another cool name! The 18-year-old doesn't have a positional rating, so that's a bad sign already, but I'm hoping that's why he fell. Of course, it's also the 20th Round, and 20th Rounders' don't really do things, and this four year starter wasn't very great. Like a lot of these late picks, he managed to hit sub .400 in a season, so that's a huge red flag right off the bat. He's fast, so he may get some time as a pinch runner, but he doesn't make nearly enough contact to get much time pinch hitting. Filler for now, and the only thing helping him is the name.

21st Round, 331st Overall: CF Johnny Kirtz
School: Altavista
1940: .413/.456/.595, 139 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 13 SB
Career: .423/.491/.654, 493 PA, 52 2B, 10 3B, 8 HR, 109 RBI, 60 SB

18 in December, Kirtz is very young for his age. Despite his young age, his best season was as a 15-year-old sophomore where he hit .452/.538/.702 with 10 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 24 RBIs. Interesting enough, he homered 5 times as a 14-year-old, but never matched that impressive power, just a single homer in each of the next three seasons. His walks fell off a cliff as a junior, and that's when his productions started to dip. He can play all three outfield spots, and actually has a decent enough combination of bat speed and barrel control.

22nd Round, 347th Overall: RF Ira Harleston
School: Lincoln
1940: .388/.469/.653, 114 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, SB
Career: .393/.481/.607, 488 PA, 47 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 109 RBI, 17 SB

This guy never hit .400 in a season. Yikes! I expect his stay in the organization will last a day. He did hit 11 homers in four seasons, so that's not terrible, but he's a corner bat who needs to hit for more power.

23rd Round, 363rd Overall: C Don Brown
School: Malden
1940: .387/.448/.514, 128 PA, 11 2B, HR, 23 RBI, SB
Career: .410/.492/.609, 483 PA, 48 2B, 10 3B, 4 HR, 95 RBI, 37 SB

First of two catchers in the last three picks, Don Brown seems like a captain type player who challenges his teammates to be better. That is likely his best characteristic, as he doesn't have much of a bat. Spare catchers are nice, and none of my unsigned picks are catchers, so the only reason Brown will be cut is if I need room for pitchers, not hitters. He could be good to have around, and will turn 18 in 10 days.

24th Round, 379th Overall: CF Hugh Oubre
School: Tacoma
1940: .390/.434/.675, 139 PA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .393/.463/.675, 479 PA, 39 2B, 22 3B, 10 HR, 101 RBI, 95 SB

A tiny center fielder, Hugh Oubre didn't do much impressing in high school. He is a bit versatile, experience in all three outfield spots, first, and second, but the bat isn't all that great. He might last the cuts, but I got a lot of good new outfielders added to the system.

25th Round, 395th Overall: C Pete Breen
School: Chesapeake State
1940: .247/.284/.286, 287 PA, 8 2B, HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .247/.284/.286, 287 PA, 8 2B, HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB

Born in Canada, Pete Breen was our last addition to the 1940 class. He's in the same situation as Don Brown, as he has no additional competition. With the expanded roster, he can survive the initial cuts. He started just one season for the Clippers, but Chesapeake State plays in one of the toughest college conferences. Tom loves his defense, always a good thing for a catcher, and he's already appeared in a game. He went 0-1 off the bench in a loss, but Breen is officially a pro player. 25th Rounders tend to not pan out, and our 1937 guy Leon Stone never even appeared in a minor league game. He's wasting away on the Wichita Rustlers reserve roster. None of ours in the human era have gotten a big league appearance, but no Cougar 25th Rounders have ever debuted in the FABL.

ayaghmour2 · 01-04-2022, 04:20 PM

Weekly Record: 7-2
Seasonal Record: 43-38 (3rd, 6.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 32 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .375 AVG, .819 OPS
Milt Fritz : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 4 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA
Jim Lonardo : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA

Schedule
7-1: Win at Stars (4-1)
7-2: Loss at Stars (0-1)
7-3: Win at Saints (13-5)
7-4: Win at Saints (8-1)
7-4: Win at Saints (11-8)
7-5: Win at Kings (7-1)
7-6: Loss at Kings (4-5)
7-7: Win at Kings (8-6)
7-7: Win at Kings (2-1)

Recap
Well now... Would you look at that! A pretty impressive 7-2 week and all of a sudden the Cougars are five games over .500! We got a one run win, had a few high scoring ones as well, and are back up to third. All Star Game rosters were announced, with a pair of Cougars being selected to the game. Those would be two of the elder statesman of the game, John Lawson and Dick Lyons. Lawson will start the game at third after hitting .373/.428/.531 (164 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 7 homers, and 56 RBIs. This was his 7th selection to the game, and another well deserved nod. I was stunned that Fritz didn't get in while Lyons did, but the 40-year-old was a nice 10-3 with a 3.20 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 32 walks, and 19 strikeouts. It was his fourth selection to the game, as time refuses to slowdown the lefty. Fritz was much better, 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 45 walks, and 33 strikeouts. Unfortunately the game doesn't select many pitchers for the game, but I still think Fritz should have found a way in.

He was outstanding on the mound this week too, a pair of one-run complete game victories. He allowed 13 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts, and had to pitch on three days rest for his second start. Jim Lonardo had a similar week, a pair of one-run complete game victories of his own while allowing 16 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Our third two start starter was Harry Parker, and while he didn't have any 1-run victories, he did win both his starts. They weren't great, 17 innings with 22 hits, 11 runs, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts as his ERA is rising towards 4. Pete Papenfus left his second start with a sore ankle after just a single pitch, but his first start was impressive. He went 8 with 5 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, and an unearned run. Joe Brown relieved him in the injury start, it was one of his two outings, and combined to go 7.2 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons had a tough final start of the first half, 6.2 innings with 11 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. More struggles for Pug Bryan, losing his fourth straight game and allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 innings. All three runs came off homers, and I have no idea why Pug decided to fall off.

There was a lot of rotation in the lineup this week, but the best of the bunch was likely Rich Langton. He was 5-for-14 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Carlos Montes was 8-for-25 with 2 doubles, 2 steals, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, and 6 runs scored. Ray Ford went 12-for-32 with 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leo Mitchell was 8-for-29 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 5 walks, runs, and RBIs. Orlin Yates was just 4-for-16, but with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. Our catchers did really struggle, and combined to go 7-for-37 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, and 3 RBIs. It wasn't the best week with the bats, but definitely a notable improvement as we had one of our best weeks in a while.

We will also get Billy Hunter back next week, barring another injury, as he'll head to Milwaukee to play second for the Blues. When he returns to Chicago, I'll ease him back in, so Ollie Page will continue to get some starts. He's looked good at second, working to a 3.1 zone rating and 1.068 efficiency, but the 30-year-old is hitting just .232/.335/.329 (85 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 19 RBIs in 185 trips to the plate. That's actually more then last year, where he got into 59 games, but he's started all but four of the 48 he's played in this season. Another Cougar returning is Art Black, who was released by the Cannons to make room for Vic Carroll. Burger Black wasn't all that great in his 12.1 innings, 1-0 with a 6.57 ERA (58 ERA+), 1.95 WHIP, 10 walks, and a strikeout. Walks have always been an issue for the former 5th Rounder I once thought was Art Blake, and in 77.2 big league innings he has 69 walks (8.0). Even when he was dominant in the pen with the Blues the last two seasons, he walked 118 in 241.2 innings (4.4). Since Black is out of options and on a major league deal, I can either release him, place him on the active roster, or waive him. I decided on the latter, although I don't think he will get claimed.

A few of our draft picks have signed, and while we are still waiting on Mel Haynes, we do have a new member of the top 100 list. That would be June's first pick, lefty Duke Bybee, who checks in at 7th in our system and 72nd Overall. That gives us 8 top 100 prospects, but we've now dropped from 3rd to 5th. Part is due to Joe Quade of the Keystones, now 10th and right behind Donnie Jones, and former Cougar draftee Tucker Ness, who ranks 49th for the Pioneers. I'm hoping Mel Haynes ranks above Bybee once he signs, but we do have a few more guys in the top 500. Fellow 4th Rounder Jimmie James ranks 9th and 126th, 2nd Rounder Don Lee 12th and 161st, and 8th Rounder Roscoe Brown 23rd and 265th. Cy Howard and Fred Thaxton are still ranked, but now 25th and 290th and 46th and 464th respectively. Thaxton may end up falling out, as there are still a decent amount of unsigned draftees around the league that should warrant a top 500 spot. We are still waiting on Haynes, 3rd Rounder Bill Rich, 5th Rounder Harry Stewart, and 9th Rounder Charlie Kelsey, but I expect all four to sign tomorrow.

Looking Ahead
Our next game is on Thursday against Cleveland, with an off day on both sides of it. The second of two is on Saturday, as we start the second half of the season with the last place 28-52 Foresters. It's been a tough season in Cleveland, who is now without a GM, which may mean that guys like Dave Rankin will stay in Ohio. Rankin is 7-8 with a 2.98 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 41 walks, and 37 strikeouts. He didn't get an All Star selection, which would have been his second, but that hasn't stopped him from pitching well. Dean Astle, however, has started to struggle, now 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 43 walks, and 43 strikeouts. They did have an All Star, third basemen Mel Carrol, who has hit an impressive .362/.409/.472 (134 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 8 homers, and 42 RBIs. He'll be joined by Lou Balk, who hit .293/.321/.498 (115 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, and 32 RBIs. He may be one of the few to strike out more then Leo Mitchell, with 70 to just 13 walks. This is exactly what we need to get started off the right foot, but anything less then a sweep would be a bit disappointing.

We then finish the week with the first of three in Philly. The Sailors are now 43-40 and tied for fourth. They're led by Walt Wells, who is having a great season atop their rotation. The now 2-Time All Star is 11-5 with a 2.81 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 45 walks, and 50 strikeouts in his 18 starts. Chuck Murphy has 4 less starts, but is an impressive 8-3 with a 2.76 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 26 walks, and 21 strikeouts. The defense has been the best in the league, really helping the top two, but vets Doc Newell and Herb Flynn have had their struggles. At the plate, Dick Walker is coming back a bit, slashing .253/.363/.420 (108 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 13 steals, and 33 RBIs. He's one of three average or better hitters, but both Joe Watson (100) and Rip Lee (102) haven't been much above average. Bob Smith has really cooled down, seeing his season line fall to .301/.336/.416 (99 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 23 RBIs. We've done well against the Sailors this year, but the best part of this week is that even if we go 0-3, we're still over .500!

Minor League Report
LF Oscar Panduro (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's fighting for his playing time right now, but a Player of the Week award definitely helps his cause. The 26-year-old from Chicago finished the week 11-for-23 with a homer and 9 RBIs to improve his season line to .363/.404/.596 (159 OPS+). Panduro has 20 extra base hits, 10 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homers with 23 RBIs, 9 walks, and not a single strikeout in 36 games with the Blues. He started the year in Mobile, and walked 5 times without striking out in 25 games there, despite 19 strikeouts in 90 games last season with the Commodores. The lack of strikeouts is nice, but the former 10th Rounder will need to do more then that to keep getting regular playing time or get his contract purchased. His defense has slipped a bit too, as he used to be able to handle center and a few infield spots, but now only has positional ratings and left, right, and first. This hurts his versatility and usefulness off the bench, but Panduro puts in long hours and is brilliant both on and off the field. His teammates love him too, and he's the perfect influence even if he's not much of a leader. Still, Panduro has always been good with the bat, never posting a below average OPS+ at any stint in the minors. He'll need a lock to break his way if he wants to be an FABL regular, but with a little luck, he could pick up a September callup. It will be tough for him to maintain a 40-man spot, but for a 10th Round Pick, even just one FABL game would be a dream come true.

LF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): It was a crazy, 17-inning affair between La Crosse and Burlington, where the Lions overtook the Bears 6-5. Harry Harris was instrumental in the win, going 5-for-8 with a double, RBI, and a pair of runs scored. The switch hitting corner player hasn't had the best season, hitting just .305/.361/.407 (91 OPS+), but I hope this big game can help him start turn things around. He added 20 doubles, a triple, steal, homer, and 41 RBIs, and the former 7th Rounder has been a bit below average out in left. With all the new draftees joining the system, he's probably going to move around the field a bit. Harris won't have to worry about losing at bats, however, and he still ranks 22nd in our system and 257th overall. He has a real nice contact tool that should allow him to hit for a high average, and he will likely end up with an above average eye to go with it. He makes the most of his tools, even if they are a bit limited, as he doesn't have much power or speed. He's not the hardest worker out there, getting his work done, but not quite going above and beyond, and I'm hoping we can change that part about him. Harris has a lot of upside, more then most in our system, but he's a very raw prospect who we will have to be patient with. I can't see him getting a promotion to San Jose this season, and may have to wait until 1941 or 1942 to begin his ascent up the ladder.

12-17-2021, 08:19 PM	#681
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Opening Day! We have to wait until Monday for games, but it is now time for baseball again in the FABL universe! The new OSA predictions don't give us any more love, somehow just 77-77 and good for just third place. Combine that with OSA's prediction of 2nd and TFSJ's prediction of 1st, and we have all the medals covered! My totally non-biased opinion thinks we'll finish first, which is just as likely as us finishing third, but I truly think we have the roster of a pennant winner and we'll at least challenge throughout the season. The new prospect rankings were also announced, and we rank 4th in the league with 148 points, just 7 ahead of the Gothams while 8 below the Pioneers. We have a pair of top 25 prospects, with the Jones brothers lining up at 9th and 10th with 5 others in the top 100. A new add is last year's 5th Round selection Lou Eaker bouncing all the way up to 59. We have 20 in the top 250 and 44 in the top 500, with our system still as deep as ever. Enough about that, check out our 24-man roster! RHP Joe Brown RHP Pug Bryan RHP Milt Fritz RHP Jim Lonardo LHP Dick Lyons RHP Pete Papenfus RHP Harry Parker RHP Allen Purvis RHP Eddie Quinn C Harry Mead C Mike Taylor 1B Ray Ford 2B Freddie Jones 2B Ollie Page 3B John Lawson 3B Johnny McDowell SS Freddie Bennett SS Billy Hunter LF Rich Langton LF Leo Mitchell CF Aart MacDonald CF Carlos Montes CF Orlin Yates RF Leon Drake I did have to cut a few players, sending Rule-5 Picks Mickey Fulton back to Montreal and Luke Conway back to Boston. I had a lot of non-optionable players, so I couldn't hang on to them, as I was also forced to waive Dutch Leverett, Lou Kelly, and Oscar King. I couldn't waive Freddie Bennett, his defense and versatility is too valuable, and at just 25 he has far more upside then Kelly, Fulton, or King, and as much as I like Conway, I couldn't cut Brown or Bryan. Regardless, I don't think losing any of those five will hurt us too much, but it would have been nice to be able to find a buyer for a few of my fringe roster players. Our season starts in Brooklyn, with a two game series against the Kings. Last year was an unexpected drop off for the Kings, finishing just 70-84 after trading top players like Al Pestilli, Mike Murphy, Joe Shaffner, and Frank Vance, and after a GM change, they're likely to deal with their second losing season since 1933. Still, Brooklyn has a lot of good youngsters, and the might get full seasons of Jim Lightbody, Rats McGonigle, and Tim Hopkins with the potential debut of top prospect Chuck Adams. Brooklyn hasn't set their roster yet, but Rats is currently hitting cleanup less then a year after being selected 4th overall last year. He hit a strong .295/.336/.475 (110 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 12 triples, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 36 RBIs in his first 268 FABL PAs. Brooklyn will also look for a bounce back from Al Wheeler, who shockingly hit just .243/.334/.395 (90 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 19 homers, and 76 RBIs in the first below average offensive season of his career. Another guy in need of a bounce back is Tom Barrell, who's now the #2 to Art White after the 32-year-old finished the year on the DL. When healthy he was 7-6 with a 4.94 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 27 walks, and 49 strikeouts in just 109.1 innings pitched. Brooklyn has a lot of question marks, and just Harry Barrell (1st) ranks in the top 8 of their positional rankings, and I hope we can get off to a hot start by taking both in Brooklyn. After that we get our first off day of the season, we get our home opener against the Montreal Saints. Montreal finished below .500 in each season since 1930, and we'll look to keep them under at least for the beginning. Montreal made a few moves in the offseason, including adding a new ace in veteran Ed Baker. He'll turn 35 in July, but is coming off a 14-12 season with the Keystones. He had a nice 3.46 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 69 walks, and 68 strikeouts in his eighth consecutive season with 200 or more innings pitched. This is the first time he won't suit up for the Keystones, making 313 starts with them since 1928. He finished his Philly career 149-120 with a 4.21 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 678 walks, and 895 strikeouts in 2,399 reliable innings pitched. He'll anchor a rotation that needed a boost, as former ace Jake DeYoung was really roughed up last season, going just 13-15 with a 5.45 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 40 walks, and 112 strikeouts in 242.2 innings pitched. The lineup has a new face, as former 15th Rounder from Alberta Frank Belair, who hit .299/.361/.382 (94 OPS+) in his first 159 PAs last season. Montreal has a strong lineup, led by Mark Burns with a tough 3-4-5 of Bert Lass, Red Bond, and Adam Mullins, and they are expected to score a ton of runs this season. Our pitchers will have to be effective if we want to win this series, but I like our chances of starting the season on the right foot. Attached Images

12-20-2021, 10:14 AM	#682
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 1: April 16th-April 21st Weekly Record: 2-3 Seasonal Record: 2-3 (t-5th, 2.5 GB) Stars of the Week Freddie Jones : 15 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .400 AVG, .904 OPS Carlos Montes : 16 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .312 AVG, 1.012 OPS Harry Parker : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 0 BB, 3 K, 1.12 ERA Schedule 4-16: Loss at Kings (1-3) 4-17: Loss at Kings (1-3) 4-19: Win vs Saints (2-3) 4-20: Win vs Saints (1-3) 4-21: Loss vs Saints (7-2) Recap Sure, there are worse ways to start a season, but it's hard to think of one less encouraging as ours, other then a pair of sweeps. We scored just two runs in the two game series in Brooklyn, as the Kings pitching had little trouble with our offense, and then we managed just 8 runs in the three games hosting the Saints. Luckily, despite being outscored in the series, we managed to take two of three from Montreal, but the bats were ice cold, and we definitely need better showings from the team the rest of the way. I really expected a 4-1 or even a 5-0 week, but we tied Brooklyn for the least amount of runs scored in the Opening Week. For the most part we pitched well, and new Cougar Eddie Quinn got off to a great start. He picked up the win, tossing a complete game with 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Harry Parker rather surprisingly didn't throw a complete game, but finished 8 innings with 8 hits, a run, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo had a pair of starts, one that was good, and the other that was ruined by errors. Against the Kings he went 7 with 9 hits, 3 runs, and a walk, but against the Saints, he allowed 6 unearned runs because of 6 errors. Yes, 6 errors! Lonardo went 8.1 with 10 hits, just one earned run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, and is responsible for two of our three losses. Dick Lyons had the other, going just 6 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Peter the Heater looked good out of the pen, 4 strikeouts in 2 innings with a save, hit, and no walks. We didn't hit well as a team, and somehow, did not hit a single home. At least Carlos Montes started his season off on the right foot, 5-for-16 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. Same goes for Freddie Jones, who was 6-for-15 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Ray Ford was 5-for-16 with a run, walk, and pair of doubles. Harry Mead looked good in his two starts, 2-for-7 with a triple and RBI. Leon Drake had a week to forget in his Cougar debut, just 3-for-19 with a walk. Leo Mitchell and John Lawson both struggled, as the generally reliable pair combined to go just 6-for-34 with a double and 4 RBIs. Looking Ahead I'm hoping we do better at home against the Kings, who got swept by the Stars and are tied for 5th with us. Art White and Tom Barrell both had outstanding starts, allowing just a single run in complete game wins. We're stuck facing them both in this series, and I expect to also see Chicagoan Bob Cummings, who allowed 3 hits and 3 runs in 8 rather unlucky innings. The Kings have a new third basemen this season, Jimmie Field, who is off to a strong 6-for-14 start with his first career double, walk, RBI, and steal. In left is natural first basemen Chuck "Bow Wow" Adams who went 6-for-17 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 3 RBIs. Both made their debuts against us on Opening Day, and both are off to great starts to their young careers. Adams is one of the top prospects in the entire league, ranked 4th in the league and listed as the number one hitter, while Field ranks 6th in the Kings organization and 120th overall. The rest of the lineup hasn't had much success, including Harry Barrell who is just 3-for-20 with a double in the very early goings. We'll need to turn things around, and hopefully hit a homer or six in this series if we want to be taken seriously this season. The homestand ends there, as we head to New York for a quick two game series with the reigning champs. The Stars lead the CA at 5-1, a game ahead of the Wolves, and have pitched almost perfectly so far. George Phillips won both his complete games, just 2 runs, 7 walks, and 12 strikeouts with 15 hits. Chuck Cole allowed two unearned runs in what could have been a complete game shutout of the Kings, with 9 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Billy Riley earned a complete game victory over the Saints, allowing 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Vern Hubbard failed to go the distance, two outs short, but he allowed 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts as he bested Brooklyn. Dixie Lee was the only starter to struggled this week, but we'll miss him. The lineup has looked solid too, with Joe Angevine off to a nice start, 10-for-22 with a double, triple, and 6 RBIs. Dave Trowbridge continues to defy aging logic, 7-for-24 with a homer and 4 RBIs in the first week of his aged 41 season. The Stars will be one of our toughest competition all season, and we'll be lucky to salvage a single game if we play anywhere close to how we played last week. We then finish the week with two against the Saints up in Montreal, who are tied for 7th with the Cannons. Ed Baker looked good against us, poor against the Stars, and is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA (68 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts in his first 15 innings with the Saints. Red Bond is on a power surge, homering in all three games in Chicago and hitting 10-for-24 with a double and 7 RBIs. The rest of the offense has had its issues, with the .336 career hitter Bert Lass going just 2-for-17 to start the year while Vic Crawford is hitting an even .100 and Adam Mullins just .208. The pitching has been decent, with former Cougar Bill Ross allowing 8 hits and 3 runs with a walk and a strikeout in 8.1 innings pitched. Bill Stewart deserved the win against us, but since the Saints scored only a single run, his 7.1 innings with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts weren't enough. If we can score more then 3 runs in any of these games, I like our chances, but for some reason I feel like the team left their bats in Florida, and won't get them back for a while... Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-21-2021 at 10:14 AM.

12-21-2021, 03:12 PM	#683
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 2: April 22nd-April 28th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 6-6 (3rd, 3.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 29 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .379 AVG, 1.010 OPS Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.125 OPS Carlos Montes : 30 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .908 OPS Schedule 4-22: Loss vs Kings (3-2) 4-23: Win vs Kings (2-7) 4-24: Loss vs Kings (4-3) 4-25: Win at Stars (4-2) 4-26: Loss at Stars (5-6): 10 innings 4-27: Win at Saints (14-5) 4-28: Win at Saints (7-2) Recap Since we haven't had a six game week yet, we couldn't go 3-3, but if you average the past two weeks, you guessed it, we're 3-3! Even better, we're continuing to lose one run games! All three of our losses were of the ever so painful one run variety! We did win one last sim, so we started out undefeated in one run games, but we quickly corrected that obvious mistake. We also cannot beat the Kings, four losses to them already, which is beyond frustrating considering they only have five wins. Splitting with the Stars and sweeping the Saints was perfect, but it's hard to feel overly happy when you let so many games slip through your fingertips. We also got a little injury scare with Billy Hunter spraining his ankle in our 7-2 win over the Saints. Thankfully, he's just day-to-day for four days, and it be extra safe, I'll let Ollie Page start two games and Freddie Bennett the other, since one of his injury days will be on an off day. Bennett earned at least one start, as he replaced Hunter and was 2-for-3 with an RBI, steal, and a pair of doubles. Hunter has been awful in the field, six errors in his 11 games, but the 25-year-old is hitting a robust .333/.341/.538 (148 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 triples, and 5 RBIs. Last week Mitchell and Lawson were terrible, while this week they were arguably our two most effective position players. Mitchell was 10-for-24 with 2 doubles, 4 walks, a homer, 5 RBIs and 6 steals while Lawson was 11-for-29 with 3 doubles, a homer, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Ray Ford had a solid week, 8-for-24 with a double, RBI, and three runs scored. Rich Langton did well in his utility role, 10-for-22 with a double, steal, RBI, and three runs scored. He also had a 5-for-5 game in our loss to the Stars, although all five hits were singles and he only scored once while on base and didn't drive anyone in. Harry Mead managed to match his career home run total this week, launching two out and driving in four while hitting 5-for-12. Carlos Montes ran a little too much, 1-for-5 in steals, but he was 10-for-30 with 2 homers, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leon Drake has yet to get it together, just 4-for-23 this week to drop his season line to .167/.186/.167 (1 OPS+). It is still far too early to start worrying, but he really needs to start turning things around shortly. Since he didn't pitch last week, Milt Fritz made two starts this week, and despite the unearned runs, he looked solid. He won and lost a complete game, allowing 19 hits, 8 runs (4 earned), and 7 walks with 8 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was the other two start starter, and he won both. He went 14.1 with 16 hits, 4 runs, 7 walks, and just one strikeout. His 4.0 BB/9 and 0.9 K/9 in 20.1 innings leaves a lot to be desired, as I can't imagine you can sustain success like that. Lonardo, Parker, and Quinn all went nine, but only Parker picked up a win. He allowed 10 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks, but rather surprisingly didn't strike out a batter. Quinn can blame his defense for his loss, as without errors we would have won 3-2. Half of his four runs were unearned, and he allowed 9 hits and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Lonardo pitched in the extra inning game, and was the only one without a complete game to show for it, and errors cost him as well. He allowed 11 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Peter the Heater ended with the loss, allowing two hits and a run while recording two outs. Yeah, the loss is bad, but he still has no walks! The guy with 92 in 126 innings last season and 117 in 123.1 during his rookie year. He's the only one in the pen who has allowed a run, as the trio of Brown, Bryan, and Purvis have combined for 6.1 scoreless innings. A little transactional news, as we unfortunately lost Oscar King on waivers to the Keystones. I love his glove, but I think Bennett's is better and I have to side with the Cougar draftee. Dutch Leverett and Lou Kelly wouldn't accept outright assignments, so both were released. This might be the end for the 38-year-old Kelly, who's likely to end his career with 2,009 hits, 274 homers, and 1,188 RBIs in 1,684 FABL career games. Looking Ahead Off to start the week before three in Cleveland with the struggling Foresters. At 5-8, they are tied with the Sailors for last place in the early goings. We'll look to take advantage of their slow start, although they aren't all that far from third. Dave Rankin is off to a good start, but bad luck has found him 1-2 despite a 3.24 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Last year's ERA champ Lou Martino has been roughed up in his two starts, 17 hits and 10 earned run in just 13.2 innings pitched. The reigning hit leader, however, is off to his usual start, as Mel Carroll is hitting .382/.386/.436 (125 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Brooks Meeks is looking to shake off his two year slump, hitting an impressive .333/.375/.489 (135 OPS+) with 4 doubles and a solo homer. Cleveland's offense has been effective, but it hasn't translated to scoring many runs, as they rank 7th in that category while top 4 in average, OBP, WAR, and hits. I do think we are the better team, but I wouldn't expect the Foresters to finish the season in the cellar, and since they are at home, it could make for a tough series. We then get the other last place team, the Sailors, but just two games in Philly instead of three. The Sailors haven't pitched very well, with top two starters Dutch Sheldon and Doc Newell off to rough starts. Sheldon is already 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA (71 ERA+), 1.87 WHIP, 15 walks, and 16 strikeouts. Doc is 0-2, but with a worse 7.45 ERA (52 ERA+), 1.97 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts in his three starts. Herb Flynn, however, has been very effective, winning both his starts while working to a 1.50 ERA (258 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. I don't think we'll face him, or but we'll likely see Walt Wells, who is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 6 walks, and 8 strikeouts. The offense is scoring a lot of runs, but aside from their middle infield, the individual results haven't been that great. 8-hitter Rip Lee is off to an outstanding start, slashing .320/.382/.460 (130 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. Double play partner Bob Smith is hitting a strong .318/.348/.477 (124 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, and 4 RBIs, while yet to strike out in almost 50 PAs. In fact, he's only struck out 15 times in 1,410 career FABL plate appearances, just 6 more then Leo Mitchell this season. Unfortunately for the Sailors, Joe Watson is ice cold, hitting just .265/.315/.347 (81 OPS+), a far cry from his .352/.418/.536 (146 OPS+) line last season and his .321/.402/.495 (143 OPS+) the year before. They'll need him and Dick Walker to start heating up if they want to compete this season, as Walker is hitting just .350/.377/.318 (92 OPS+), albeit with 3 doubles, a homer, 7 RBIs, and a pair of steals. I like our chances in this series, as the Sailors pitching hasn't been great, while we've allowed the second fewest amount of runs in our league. Anything less then a sweep would be disappointing, but I'll be okay if we split. We then finish the week with the first of three in Toronto against the Wolves. Toronto is looking to show last season was a fluke and not the 1938 season when they finished second, as OSA's favorite for the CA pennant is 10-3 and leading the league in runs. You would think it's because of Fred McCormick and Walt Pack, but both are off to rough starts. McCormick has been about a league average hitter, but that is not up to par for the leagues best hitter. His .265/.379/.347 (101 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be desired, and he has just 1 RBI with 4 doubles and not a single homer. Pack has been dreadful, hitting a pitiful .150/.190/.250 (20 OPS+) with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. With those two struggling, corner outfielders Larry Vestal and Reginald Westfall have carried the load. No FABL hitter has a higher average then Vestal, who is slashing an astronomical .451/.472/.745 (229 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Westfall isn't matching that by any means, but the former Cougar draftee is hitting a respectable .342/.444/.342 (119 OPS+) with 7 walks and 5 RBIs. The pitching has been good, 2.22 ERAs for #1 and #2 Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson, but the former top 3 pitcher (now 6th) George Garrison has functioned poorly in his three starts. The former 3rd Overall selection is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 6 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We may also get to see former Cougar Hal Wood, who has made 3 starts at second and third and 2 at short in his debut season. He's hit well, .310/.400/.448 (132 OPS+) with 4 doubles and 5 RBIs in his first 35 big league plate appearances. I know this is going to be a very tough series in Toronto, and I fully expect us to lose the opener just so we finish the week 3-3! Minor League Report LHP Walker Pearce (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He didn't have a great Spring, so he was optioned to Milwaukee, but I'm not sure he would have beat out Pug or Purvis even with a good Spring. I view him as a left handed pen option who can eat innings, sort of like how Cal Knight was used last year, but for now, he'll continue to start games. And if he throws more like his most recent, I may just have to work him into the rotation. Pearce was untouchable in a 6-0 shutout win over Columbus, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with a pair of punch-outs to even his record at 1-1. Pearce was a full-time starter in Milwaukee last season as well, and he was pretty great, finishing 14-8 with a 4.01 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 51 walks, and 74 strikeouts. I expect a similar season this year for the 25-year-old, who had a round about way returning to our system. Originally a 2nd Rounder in the extremely deep 1932 draft class that has already produced 18 FABL players. Pearce will likely be 19th or 20th, depending on if Dick Earl reclaims a 40-man spot for the Stars, as I plan on giving him innings this September. A top 100 prospect after draft day, bone chips in his elbow tried to derail his career, and we used him in the giant Dave Rankin and Joe Masters trade back in 1934 that really didn't work out for either team. Unfortunately for him, the Chiefs had a regime change, and the new and now current GM cut Pearce in January, before bouncing around the independent league carousel, signing seven times in five months before he returned to our organization at the end of May. He was then selected in the Rule-5 draft before the 1937 season, but shoulder inflammation in the Spring set him back, eventually being returned to us before the season started. Despite all the setbacks, Pearce has finally found a long term home, and while he's no longer the middle rotation arm I once thought he'd be, he can still throw hard and generate groundouts. His 93-95 sinker is a very reliable pitch, but his slider and change aren't that great. Weinstock thinks he can still fill the back of a rotation, but unless we have a terrible injury crisis, I can't see him being a long term option in our rotation, with the top-4 of the future looking like Papenfus-Jones-Jones-Parker. RHP Bill Seabolt (AA Mobile Commodores): Our first shutout of the season! In his first and so far only start of the season, 25-year-old New Yorker Bill Seabolt did what most teams have done to the 1-10 New Orleans Showboats, and kept them off the board. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks with a strikeout, and despite struggling in Lincoln last season, looked to show he belongs in AA. Seabolt made 18 starts last season, and was 7-4 with a 5.39 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 52 walks, and 76 strikeouts through 120.1 innings pitched. It was the first season he failed to start 20 games in our system, but Seabolt has just recently cracked our top 30 prospect list. He currently holds the 30 spot and 376th overall, but his age will make it harder for him to break through to Chicago. Still, he is an interesting arm, with a still raw five pitch arsenal. He has a really good changeup, but the rest of the pitches are average at best, and his control occasionally deserts him. He profiles as a AAAA type pitcher, but I can see someone taking a gamble on the former 6th Rounder if I he has a good season with the Commodores and is left unprotected for the Rule-5 Draft.

12-22-2021, 06:58 PM	#684
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 3: April 29th-May 5th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 9-9 (4th, 4 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 21 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.101 OPS Rich Langton : 18 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .817 OPS Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .300 AVG, .733 OPS Schedule 4-30: Loss at Foresters (2-3) 5-1: Loss at Foresters (2-11) 5-2: Loss at Foresters (3-4) 5-3: Win at Sailors (5-1) 5-4: Win at Sailors (6-4) 5-5: Win at Wolves (7-5) Recap Here is a first! After accidentally refreshing when I was almost done with the "Looking Ahead" section, I initially lost my will to write, as I usually do, but today is a little different. Partially it was because I wanted to use my clairvoyance line about predicting a 3-3 week, but more importantly, because of a slack debate on the Hall of Fame case of Charlie Stedman. I was initially opposed to him being inducted, and even had a partial message about why he shouldn't be inducted, but after a more thorough deep dive, I did a complete 180, and wrote a campaign for his induction. This erased any sort of writer's block, as I absolutely hate re-writing, and inspired me to give it another go. As mentioned, it was the seemingly inevitable 3-3 week the Cougars are so used to putting up, and as usual, we decided to squander one run games. The Foresters series was beyond aggravating, the opener and finale ended in one run losses (1-5, yay!) and we were shockingly blown out of the water with Jim Lonardo on the mound in the middle game. To make things worse, all three of Eddie Quinn's runs in the opener were unearned, so he should have had a nice complete game shutout instead of a second loss. We faired much better against the Sailors, sweeping them in the quick two game set, and to ensure the 3-3 week, we topped the first place Wolves. Even that win had it's issues, as the former Wolf Quinn left after just two batters with back tightness. Just to be safe, he's headed to the DL, as he will miss at least a week. This opens a rotation spot back up for Peter the Heater, and his spot in the pen is replaced with another fireballer, Rusty Watts. Watts hasn't pitched in Milwaukee yet, but he gives us a left handed option out of the pen. The former 13th Rounder made 3 appearances for us last season, charged with 15 hits, 6 runs, and 5 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. The pitching was pretty bad, with only Milt Fritz pitching well. He went just 7 innings, but picked up the win with 7 hits, a run, and a strikeout. The 30-year-old is off to a nice start, now 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA (208 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 7 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Lonardo, however, hasn't been any good, and was absolutely shelled in his 6 innings. The 35-year-old went just 6, allowing 13 hits, 9 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons wasn't great, but picked up the win, going 8 with 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker had 8 similar innings, but got the loss, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. Allen Purvis relieved Quinn with 4.2 shaky innings, but was given the win, allowing 6 hits and 4 runs with 4 walks and a strikeout. Papenfus finally walked a hitter, actually two, but picked up a save with a scoreless, two strikeout ninth. Joe Brown, who will move in to the stopper role temporarily, and had two quality relief outings. He picked up a save, a strikeout, and allowed 4 hits in 6 scoreless innings. Leon Drake had his best week of the season, but that's because of the low bar he's set for himself. Drake went 3-for-16 with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. We did have some hitters who actually had good weeks, but they were few and far between. Ray Ford had an impressive week, 8-for-21 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Mike Taylor only played two of the games, but was 3-for-7 with 2 RBIs. Rich Langton grossly outperformed Drake, 3-for-16 with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. Carlos Montes and Freddie Jones were both ice cold, matching Drake's three hits, but in 42 combined plate appearances. Jones did drive in a run and walked three times, but it definitely wasn't what we are expecting from him. Looking Ahead We at least can't get swept by the Wolves, who's 14-6 record is the best overall in the early goings. They have a one and a half game lead over the Stars, who we finish the week with. We're stuck facing the powerful 1-2 of Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson. The reigning Allen Winner hasn't faired well in his last two starts, 5 runs a piece, but that just means he's due to toss a complete game shutout against us. Hancock is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Bernie, however, has been elite, and it makes me really regret not landing him in one of the 100 attempts I made before his breakout. The now 30-year-old has won all four of his starts, sporting a miniscule 1.89 ERA (206 ERA+) with a 1.05 WHIP, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is doing "Reticent Reaper" things, and an 11-for-25 week inflated his line to .324/.438/.419 (134 OPS+). He still hasn't hit one out of the park, but he has 7 doubles and 15 walks with just 3 RBIs. Clarence Howerton is off to an excellent start, as the often forgotten piece of the blockbuster with St. Louis is hitting .291/.391/.527 (147 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 13 RBIs. Their 108 runs scored are most in the CA, and this will be be a tough series us to win even with the head start. After that we'll make our first ever trip to Cincinnati for two with the new look Cannons. It's still early, but the former Kings GM's reimagined squad is 12-8, a record much closer to what I thought we had. Technically, if we sweep the Wolves, they could be in first place for this series. The reigning pennant winners are likely to contend the whole way through, and are off to a 12-7 start. The roster has a lot of new faces, including the brand new veteran 2-3-4. Doug Lightbody had his first week as a Cannon, and hit a Player of the Week worthy .476/.560/.571 (213 OPS+) with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Former Cougar Doc Love has been their since Opening Day, and he's off to a red hot start. The 33-year-old is hitting .432/.458/.500 (165 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 6 RBIs. Then hitting cleanup is the oft-traded Moxie Pidgeon, who is already on track for a 20 homer season with his 5th team. He's also the only player to have a 20 homer season for 4 teams, and the fellow 33-year-old is slashing .344/.388/.607 (171 OPS+) at a 39 homer and 139 RBI pace. Of course, the entire lineup isn't new, and Fred Galloway is hitting like a star as well. "The Mouse" is just 24, and slashing .357/.447/.557 (176 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 15 RBIs. Their rotation is led by a veteran newcomer, William Jones, who has shown no signs of decline from his most recent ailment. Like Stedman, Jones has an outside chance at the hall, but both can work their way in if they keep pitching well. The now World Champion is 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA (206 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 8 walks, and 18 strikeouts in his first four starts in Cincy. Another former Star, Glenn Payne, is looking to regain his 1938 form, 2-2 with a 3.25 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 15 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We definitely have to respect the Cannons, as I don't think we'll have the usual easy wins this time around. We're off on Friday, and we'll be able to head home for a new homestand that starts on Saturday. Technically, even if we don't sweep the Wolves or Cannons, the reigning champions could be in first while they are in town for this series. At 12-7, they're just a game and a half behind the Wolves, but look likely to contend the rest of the way again. Dixie Lee had an awful first start, but the 26-year-old has bounced back in a gigantic way. I also tried to acquire Lee from St. Louis, and he is really helping New York, 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA (130 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 8 walks, and 11 strikeouts, and Lee recently tossed a 4-hit shutout against the Saints. George Phillips is also pitching well, 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 16 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The offense has looked good, and former Cougar Chink Stickels was awarded the most recent Player of the Week. He went 14-for-30 with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 11 RBIs. For the season, he has an impressive .341/.382/.659 (182 OPS+) batting line to go with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 19 RBIs. The ageless wonder known as Dave Trowbridge keeping up with him, slashing .361/.386/.506 (145 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 10 RBIs. Batting behind him in the lineup is the future of Stars, Bill Barrett, who is continuing to prove the future is now. Barrett is off to an outstanding start, hitting .342/.398/.526 (153 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Even without Moxie Pidgeon, the lineup is still more then effective, and you can't forget about the keen eye of Ray Cochran. The 34-year-old is hitting .296/.375/.423 (120 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, homer, 9 walks, and 8 RBIs. Just like the rest of the week, this will be a youth series, but at least we will be back home where we tend to play much better. Minor League Report SS Skipper Schneider (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A 19-year-old in AAA? Not a problem I guess! Last year's 7th Overall selection is off to a great start for the Blues, and he took home the most recent Century League Player of the Week. Skipper went 12-for-26 with 7 RBIs, 8 runs, and his first AAA home run. This raised his season line to .424/.457/.530 (165 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 walks, and 9 RBIs. He's been superb at short, already a 7.3 zone rating and matching 1.208 efficiency. The small sample, in this case 16 games, always makes for fun projections, but he's on an impossible 15.3 WAR place, worth almost 2 WAR already. It's hard keeping him down on the farm, but until Lawson, Jones, or Hunter inevitably get injured for more then a few days (likely one of the middle infielders), he's still on the outside looking in. Skipper needs regular at bats, it's not worth wasting him on the bench, but I wouldn't be too surprised if the 22nd rated prospect makes a cameo this season in Chicago. This kid is filled to the brim with talent, boasting an elite hit tool and glove. He's not very fast for someone with top notch range, but he's got great gap power, already doubling every three games. He's going to be a longtime regular soon, but for now fans of the Blues will have an exciting young shortstop to support. 2B Harry Avery (A Lincoln Legislators): Harry Avery was outstanding in San Jose last year, as the then 23-year-old hit .315/.463/.486 (157 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 65 RBIs in 380 trips to the plate. That earned him a promotion to Lincoln, and while he struggled last season, he's hit the ground running this year. The versatile Avery was excellent this past week, going 10-for-25 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. The former 6th Rounder is hitting a respectable .288/.377/.470 (133 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 8 walks, and 9 RBIs. Unlike Skipper, Avery doesn't have a spot waiting for him in Chicago, and his future likely tops out as a utility infielder. He does have experience at all four infield positions, and believe it or not, he's actually best at short. It's the only position he has a positive zone rating (2.5) and efficiency (1.007), but he's improved a lot at second and third as well. He has a great eye and I expect him to be a sure handed infielder, but if he and Avery ever turn double plays together, it may be one of the smallest pairings, as the 5'7'' Avery is just an inch taller then Skipper. Attached Images

12-23-2021, 11:36 AM	#685
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 4: May 6th-May 12th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 12-12 (4th, 5.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.219 OPS Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .368 AVG, .955 OPS Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 AVG, .845 OPS Schedule 5-6: Loss at Wolves (1-3) 5-7: Win at Wolves (4-2) 5-8: Loss at Cannons (3-5) 5-9: Loss at Cannons (3-7) 5-11: Win vs Stars (2-3) 5-12: Win vs Stars (2-5) Recap Guess what!?!?!? Another 3-3 week! We truly are the posterchild for mediocrity! Somehow, we managed to win our one-run game this week, but even after winning series against popular pennant winning predictors Toronto and New York, we managed to let the once lowly Baltimore Cannon turned unbeatable Cincinnati Cannons beat us. Our offense has just beyond terrible, 5 runs are most this week while thrice scoring three, and despite allowing the fewest runs in the CA, we can't win games because of our 7th ranked offense. This season has been very frustrating, but at least we are back home! The offense sucks as a whole, but don't tell John Lawson! The vet went 10-for-23 with a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. His right hand, or dare I say, left hand man Leo Mitchell was 7-for-19 with a steal, homer, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a nice week as well, 7-for-21 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, as well as a stolen base. Leon Drake once again had his best week of this season, but at least this time it was a good week! The former Dynamo and Foresters was 5-for-16, and while still homerless, doubled twice, scored a run, and drove in two. Harry Mead got in just two games, but he was 4-for-7 with a triple and run scored. It seems this year the catcher who plays less, plays better, although Mead is off to a tremendous .359/.432/.641 (197 OPS+) start as he approached his 50th plate appearance. The pitching sans Papenfus was tremendous, while Peter the Heater allowed 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 5 walks in a loss. He did strike out 7 in 6, but he still struggles starting FABL games. Jim Lonardo looked like himself again, and got a win and loss in his 17 innings. He allowed 15 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Milt Fritz got a loss in a start that deserved a win, going 8 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got a win, 8 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Watts was effective out of the pen, releveling Harry Parker after four hitters as a finger blister got in his way. The fireballer went 6.2 with 5 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, and 3 walks and strikeouts in his first game of the year. Joe Brown picked up two saves, but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with a punch-out in 2.2 innings pitched. Looking Ahead We can sweep the Stars with a win and the finale, and would jump ahead of the 13-12 third place team. We get Billy Riley, who is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 10 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Chink Stickels, a new fan favorite in New York, is hitting .343/.391/.600 (168 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Hub Parks has not looked good, as the 26-year-old and top prospect is hitting just .257/.264/.321 (60 OPS+) so far. I do like our chances in the finale, and since we can't go 3-3 this week, maybe we can continue our win streak. Our next guest is three with Cleveland, who are in last place by just half a game at 10-17. The Foresters have really started cold, in large part due to Rube McCormick. The 35-year-old is 0-4 with a poor 6.62 ERA (59 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 11 walks, and 6 strikeouts, and he's doing his best to pitch his way out of the rotation. The opposite is true for former Cougar Dave Rankin, who despite being 3-3, has a nice 2.65 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts. The offense has struggled, and we'll miss superstar fielder George Dawson, who should be back next week. In his place, Jake Creel, a former 12th Overall Pick, has really struggled at the plate. The 25-year-old rookie made his debut this week, and hit just .115/.111/.115 (-39 OPS+), with three hits and strikeouts. Dan Fowler isn't doing great either, hitting just .263/.357/.368 (98 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Of course, the always hustling Mel Carroll isn't having any trouble, slashing .375/.398/.464 (131 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. We really need these wins, as our week ends much tougher then it starts. We get two games with Toronto, who still hold a one game lead over the Cannons. At 19-8, we did manage to give Bernie Johnson his first loss, and the lefty is now 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Joe Hancock dispensed of us easily, and his 2.15 ERA (182 ERA+) is now better then his rotation mate. Hancock is 4-1 with a 1.11 WHIP, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. I hope we instead get George Garrison, who despite his immense talent, is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 9 walks, and 18 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is still ripping the ball all around the field. Still no homers, although I'm sure Chicago will make it easy for him, but it's hard to top his .378/.474/.480 (157 OPS+) season line. The leagues most skilled hitter has tallied 8 doubles, a triple, 8 RBIs, and 18 walks as he looks to win yet another Whitney Award. Mr. Versatility Tom Fredrick has shook off a slow start, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting .310/.376/.405 (110 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs. Larry Vestal is still hitting .400, slashing .408/.441/.660 (192 OPS+) while outperforming McCormick with 8 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. Toronto is as good as it gets, but if we can beat them in Toronto, we should be able to beat them in Chicago! We finish the week with the first of three with our new nemesis, the Cincinnati Cannons. We have yet to beat Cincy, who is 18-9 and may end up in first sooner rather then later, especially if we dispose of the Wolves. Rufus Barrell has started to heat up, 2 or fewer runs in his last three starts to improve to 4-1. He has a nice 3.21 ERA (120 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts as he approaches his 23rd birthday. The pitching has been great, allowing fewer runs then everyone but us, and the staffs worst ERA is Rusty Petrick's 3.71 (103 ERA+). William Jones keeps building his hall case, 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts on his third team in two seasons. Doug Lightbody quickly came back to earth, but Love and Galloway are still hitting over .380, with Moxie hitting .370. Easily the best performing outfield in the game, although I know the former Cougar won't be able to keep pace. Galloway, however, is a bonafide star, and his .387/.483/.602 (196 OPS+) batting line is almost better then when he was hitting .500 in high school. He's added 7 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 20 RBIs, while also being a slightly above average defender (2.1 ZR, 1.019 EFF) out in center. We at least can't get swept this week by them, as we'll have to wait until next week to finish the series. No time for a minor league report yet, I may end up adding one later tonight if I have time.

12-23-2021, 11:37 AM	#686
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 5: May 6th-May 12th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 12-12 (4th, 5.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.219 OPS Leo Mitchell : 19 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .368 AVG, .955 OPS Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 AVG, .845 OPS Schedule 5-6: Loss at Wolves (1-3) 5-7: Win at Wolves (4-2) 5-8: Loss at Cannons (3-5) 5-9: Loss at Cannons (3-7) 5-11: Win vs Stars (2-3) 5-12: Win vs Stars (2-5) Recap Guess what!?!?!? Another 3-3 week! We truly are the posterchild for mediocrity! Somehow, we managed to win our one-run game this week, but even after winning series against popular pennant winning predictors Toronto and New York, we managed to let the once lowly Baltimore Cannon turned unbeatable Cincinnati Cannons beat us. Our offense has just beyond terrible, 5 runs are most this week while thrice scoring three, and despite allowing the fewest runs in the CA, we can't win games because of our 7th ranked offense. This season has been very frustrating, but at least we are back home! The offense sucks as a whole, but don't tell John Lawson! The vet went 10-for-23 with a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. His right hand, or dare I say, left hand man Leo Mitchell was 7-for-19 with a steal, homer, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a nice week as well, 7-for-21 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, as well as a stolen base. Leon Drake once again had his best week of this season, but at least this time it was a good week! The former Dynamo and Foresters was 5-for-16, and while still homerless, doubled twice, scored a run, and drove in two. Harry Mead got in just two games, but he was 4-for-7 with a triple and run scored. It seems this year the catcher who plays less, plays better, although Mead is off to a tremendous .359/.432/.641 (197 OPS+) start as he approached his 50th plate appearance. The pitching sans Papenfus was tremendous, while Peter the Heater allowed 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 5 walks in a loss. He did strike out 7 in 6, but he still struggles starting FABL games. Jim Lonardo looked like himself again, and got a win and loss in his 17 innings. He allowed 15 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Milt Fritz got a loss in a start that deserved a win, going 8 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got a win, 8 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Rusty Watts was effective out of the pen, releveling Harry Parker after four hitters as a finger blister got in his way. The fireballer went 6.2 with 5 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, and 3 walks and strikeouts in his first game of the year. Joe Brown picked up two saves, but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with a punch-out in 2.2 innings pitched. Looking Ahead We can sweep the Stars with a win and the finale, and would jump ahead of the 13-12 third place team. We get Billy Riley, who is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 10 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Chink Stickels, a new fan favorite in New York, is hitting .343/.391/.600 (168 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Hub Parks has not looked good, as the 26-year-old and top prospect is hitting just .257/.264/.321 (60 OPS+) so far. I do like our chances in the finale, and since we can't go 3-3 this week, maybe we can continue our win streak. Our next guest is three with Cleveland, who are in last place by just half a game at 10-17. The Foresters have really started cold, in large part due to Rube McCormick. The 35-year-old is 0-4 with a poor 6.62 ERA (59 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 11 walks, and 6 strikeouts, and he's doing his best to pitch his way out of the rotation. The opposite is true for former Cougar Dave Rankin, who despite being 3-3, has a nice 2.65 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts. The offense has struggled, and we'll miss superstar fielder George Dawson, who should be back next week. In his place, Jake Creel, a former 12th Overall Pick, has really struggled at the plate. The 25-year-old rookie made his debut this week, and hit just .115/.111/.115 (-39 OPS+), with three hits and strikeouts. Dan Fowler isn't doing great either, hitting just .263/.357/.368 (98 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 15 RBIs. Of course, the always hustling Mel Carroll isn't having any trouble, slashing .375/.398/.464 (131 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. We really need these wins, as our week ends much tougher then it starts. We get two games with Toronto, who still hold a one game lead over the Cannons. At 19-8, we did manage to give Bernie Johnson his first loss, and the lefty is now 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Joe Hancock dispensed of us easily, and his 2.15 ERA (182 ERA+) is now better then his rotation mate. Hancock is 4-1 with a 1.11 WHIP, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. I hope we instead get George Garrison, who despite his immense talent, is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 9 walks, and 18 strikeouts. And of course, Fred McCormick is still ripping the ball all around the field. Still no homers, although I'm sure Chicago will make it easy for him, but it's hard to top his .378/.474/.480 (157 OPS+) season line. The leagues most skilled hitter has tallied 8 doubles, a triple, 8 RBIs, and 18 walks as he looks to win yet another Whitney Award. Mr. Versatility Tom Fredrick has shook off a slow start, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting .310/.376/.405 (110 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs. Larry Vestal is still hitting .400, slashing .408/.441/.660 (192 OPS+) while outperforming McCormick with 8 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. Toronto is as good as it gets, but if we can beat them in Toronto, we should be able to beat them in Chicago! We finish the week with the first of three with our new nemesis, the Cincinnati Cannons. We have yet to beat Cincy, who is 18-9 and may end up in first sooner rather then later, especially if we dispose of the Wolves. Rufus Barrell has started to heat up, 2 or fewer runs in his last three starts to improve to 4-1. He has a nice 3.21 ERA (120 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts as he approaches his 23rd birthday. The pitching has been great, allowing fewer runs then everyone but us, and the staffs worst ERA is Rusty Petrick's 3.71 (103 ERA+). William Jones keeps building his hall case, 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts on his third team in two seasons. Doug Lightbody quickly came back to earth, but Love and Galloway are still hitting over .380, with Moxie hitting .370. Easily the best performing outfield in the game, although I know the former Cougar won't be able to keep pace. Galloway, however, is a bonafide star, and his .387/.483/.602 (196 OPS+) batting line is almost better then when he was hitting .500 in high school. He's added 7 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 20 RBIs, while also being a slightly above average defender (2.1 ZR, 1.019 EFF) out in center. We at least can't get swept this week by them, as we'll have to wait until next week to finish the series. No time for a minor league report now, I might add one later if I have time

12-24-2021, 11:43 PM	#687
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 6: May 13th-May 19th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 16-15 (4th, 5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 28 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.105 OPS Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .360 AVG, .960 OPS Freddie Jones : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .370 AVG, .784 OPS Schedule 5-13: Loss vs Stars (3-2): 10 innings 5-14: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 10 innings 5-15: Loss vs Foresters (6-0) 5-16: Win vs Foresters (6-7) 5-17: Win vs Wolves (1-5) 5-18: Loss vs Wolves (5-2) 5-19: Win vs Cannons (2-3) Recap If you told me that we'd play in four one run games this week, I'd ask you if we went 0-7 or 1-6. But, against all odds, we won three of them! Yes, the Chicago Cougars won three one run games! Not in the entire season, not in the entire month, but in one, single week! Is this a sign of better things to come? Well, let's hope so! We weren't able to sweep the Stars, they got the finale, but we took two of three from Cleveland, and let me tell you, the shutout was beyond unexpected. I was talking about Rube McCormick's struggles, and he took it personally, completing 8.1 shutout innings. He couldn't finish the game, but Ray Powell got the final two outs. Yes, that Ray Powell. Our Rule-5 Pick before the 1927 season who pitched in parts of three seasons for us, before being waived Opening Day 1931. He pitched 7 games for the Foresters that season, but spent most of the past seven seasons in AA, before miraculously resurfacing in the big leagues this year. I cannot believe he is still pitching, let alone in the majors, but it always amazes me how many former Cougars play professionally. After Cleveland we split with the Wolves, reversing last week by beating Hancock and losing to Johnson, before capturing the opener in Cincinnati by a single run. Despite now being .500, this week really hurt for us, as we lost 2/3rds of our outfield. Leon Drake will miss at least a week with a knee contusion while Carlos Montes will miss three with strained triceps. This will move Art MacDonald and Orlin Yates into center field duties, and if he wasn't struggling so badly, Rich Langton would get time in right. Instead, after a 2-for-20 week, he'll remain on the bench, making room for Skipper to play the outfield. I imagine the first rounder can hit better then Langton's poor .241/.302/.278 (64 OPS+), and the wise new OSA head and former King Dan Barrell believes that Skipper belongs in the big leagues. He did have a bit of a down week, but the 19-year-old hit .330/.358/.443 (111 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, steal, and 15 RBIs in what may be his only 29 AAA games. Skipper will mainly man right, but I'll give him a few starts at short, as he's clearly a better fielder then Billy Hunter, who likely ends up at third. I also recalled Bobby Mills from Milwaukee to fill out the bench. "Nutball" will be an excellent bat off the bench, as the 26-year-old is hitting .350/.441/.480 (143 OPS+) for the Blues with 7 doubles, 2 homers, and 14 RBIs. Mills will be the first one down, but I'm not yet sure if Skipper's stay will be long term. The offense still refuses to score runs, but John Lawson and Leo Mitchell continue to pull their weight. Lawson hit a cool .500 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs, while Mitchell went 9-for-25 with 2 homers, 8 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Of course, Leo still loves to strikeout, seven this week as he already has 29 in 28 games. That's a 144 strikeout pace, but the now 27-year-old is hitting .333/.387/.490 (145 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. He is also somehow maintaining a higher BABIP then last year, up more then 20 points to .435. I'll never quite understand him, but I'm definitely glad to have him in the lineup. The only other hitters to really do anything were Mike Taylor and Freddie Jones, and Taylor was hampered with back spasms. I'll bench him in the middle game against the Cannons, but the lefty was 5-for-15 with a double and 3 walks. Jones, who has had his struggles, was 10-for-27, but his season .275/.345/.284 (79 OPS+) batting line has been really disappointing. I'm not sure when the offense will wake up, but the longer it takes, the harder it will be for us to make a serious run at the pennant. The rotation was remarkable, not so much because of performance, but because of the innings totals. Each start this week went nine or more innings, and the only time the pen was used was when Joe Brown got the final three outs in our 4-3 10 innings win over the Foresters. Peter the Heater had a second poor start, and it may be his last of the season with Eddie Quinn rejoining the roster. The 22-year-old allowed 8 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 7 walks with just 4 strikeouts in another loss. Jim Lonardo had another rough outing of his own, 12 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 strikeouts in a rather undeserved win. Dick Lyons was impressive, 3 hits, 4 walks, and a strikeout to improve to 5-1. Milt Fritz pitched a complete game and got a no decision in the Foresters extra inning game, allowing 16 hits, 5 runs, and 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. Harry Parker tossed a 9 and 10 inning complete game, but was charged with the loss in each one. He was charged with 17 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), and 2 walks, but he struck out 10. The rotation has been good, but it will be even better with Quinn atop it, as we really haven't been blown out in many games. Looking Ahead We start the week with two more against the Cannons, who are 21-12 and a game behind the Wolves. We'll get Glenn Payne, who is 3-3 with a 2.85 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 19 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched. I expect we'll also see Rusty Petrick, who is 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 21 walks, and 3 strikeouts in an inning fewer then Payne. All the Cannons pitchers have been good, but these two are technically the 4 and 5, and we really need to take advantage of that. The Cannons lineup hasn't been nearly as good, but all their outfielders are hitting above .340. Of course, the rest of the bats are hitting below .300, but with Moxie Pidgeon mashing the way he has, it really hasn't mattered. The 33-year-old is slashing .373/.412/.618 (180 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 8 homers, and 33 RBIs. Fred Galloway has arguably been better, hitting to the tune of .372/.466/.562 (182 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 25 RBIs. Lastly is Doc Love, who's still hitting .348/.404/.461 (137 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 RBIs. They'll want to get much more from the talented Charley McCullough, as the 24-year-old has hit just .218/.295/.257 (53 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 steals, and 8 RBIs. Same for Ken Mayhugh, who's .211/.273/.352 (71 OPS+) line is nothing like he did with Boston. I really think we are a better team then Cincy, but at least from the early results, we have performed much worse. Our homestand finishes with a pair of games against the Sailors. At 16-17, they're a game behind us and currently 5th. Doc Newell has seemingly fallen apart, and after a second consecutive below average ERA+, he's 2-4 with a poor 6.00 ERA (64 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP with 17 walks and 14 strikeouts. Walt Wells, however, has regained his All-Star form, 3-2 with a nice 2.75 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 12 walks, and 17 strikeouts. He's been a great two behind Herb Flynn, who is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 10 walks, and 10 strikeouts. The offense hasn't been great, but unlike ours, they score their share of runs, despite just Bob Smith having an OPS+ greater then 105. He just celebrated his 29th birthday, and is off to a .330/.366/.481 (127 OPS+) start with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 9 RBIs. Joe Watson has started to heat back up, and he's now hitting an approximately average .271/.336/.424 (104 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 18 RBIs. I expect a hard fought series, as usual, and I'd be surprised if we didn't split. We hit the road for a quick three game set with New York, before we return home to host those same Stars. They've played and won one more game then us, but I'd imagine they expected to be playing a bit better then they have. Dixie Lee has continued his hot stretch, most recently outdueling Chick Wirtz in a tight 1-0 game, with the Stars lone run of the unearned variety. Lee improved to 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation hasn't pitched nearly as well, especially Vern Hubbard, who is 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA (63 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts. George Phillips suffered a pair of bad outings, now 4-4 with a 3.93 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 25 walks, and 29 strikeouts. At the plate, catcher Johnny Hopper has been ice cold, hitting a well below average 184/.214/.235 (23 OPS+) with 5 doubles and 11 RBIs. Of course, they still have the ageless Dave Trowbridge, who has a nice .338/.369/.496 (136 OPS+) line with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 15 RBIs. Chink Stickels has been even better, slashing .333/.378/.583 (161 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 2 steals, and 23 RBIs. I expect a tough series here too, but I like our chances at home, if our offense decides to make an appearance. We are also officially on the clock, as the draft pool is now official, with 1940 season stats generated for all amateur players. I'll have a special amateur report at the three guys I already selected, and I may try to get one tomorrow or Sunday as I don't think we are starting the draft until next week. If the Mock Draft is to be believed, the best available player is our 5th Rounder from 1937, Eddie Kincaid (5th), but my scout and OSA aren't that big of fans. Despite that, he's actually the highest available guy on Weinstock's list (19), but he thinks Kincaid is on the bubble for holding down a big league role. I doubt I'll take him, but I truly have no idea who I'm going to select. We also pick 5th in the 4th, 12th in each round following, as well as 5th in the 5th and 1st in the 8th. As always, I wouldn't be too shocked if I picked up a few more late round picks, but this isn't really the deepest class. Minor League Report LHP Harl Haines (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He would have been in yesterday's Minor League Report as he tossed a shutout, but a flight, tailgate, and bowl game took up most of my time yesterday. Still, I couldn't not talk about the enigma known as Harl Haines, as the 6'3'', fire-balling, submarining, southpaw decided he's going to throw even faster. Now he's up to 95-97, which is harder then everyone in our system but Papenfus, Watts, Brown, and Max Plourde, while equal to Dick Reid. Of course, none of them are submariners, but I rather surprised to see all four active submariners throw 90 or higher. He just passed temporary Cougar Mike Knight in velocity, and Haines currently ranks 10th in our system. He continues to pitch well in the minors, and is 4-3 with a 3.22 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 12 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his first 7 starts with the Blues. After a terrible first start, 12 hits and 8 runs in 6.2 innings, he's allowed four or fewer runs in each start, including a 9-hit shutout over Kansas City. Haines seems big league ready, but with a ton of quality pitchers in our system, it may be hard for him to get innings. Regardless of debuting, he will be protected in the Rule-5 Draft, so he could get a quick September cameo. He should end up a reliable back end starter, with decent stuff, great control, and a natural ability to strike out batters. I'm exciting to see what he will develop into, even if he starts for one of the other 15 FABL teams instead of us. RHP Ira Hawker (C La Crosse Lions): It has been a rough start to the year for Ira Hawker, but I'm hoping his most recent start is a sign of things to come. Hawker was brilliant against Burlington, allowing just 2 hits with 7 strikeouts as the Lions topped the Bears 5-0. That improved Hawker to 2-3, but his 6.00 ERA (78 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP aren't the greatest. He does have 14 walks and 17 strikeouts in 36 innings, and before this season, he only threw 54.2 innings. The 21-year-old has flown up the prospect ladder, now ranked 160th in the league. The righty does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground, making up for throwing just 85-87. Hawker has four pitches, all average offerings, but he has good control and gets good movement as well. He's very raw, a lot of development to go, but the former 16th Round selection by Cleveland has a lot of room to grow. OSA thinks he'll end up a 4 or 5, Tom thinks he can become a spot starter, but the strides he's made in the past two seasons are incredible. From roster fodder to potential big league arm, Hawker has already surpassed his expectations, and while it's unlikely he becomes a top arm, he has the chance to be a decent enough FABL pitcher. LHP Bob Hobbs (C La Crosse Lions): A teammate of Ira Hawker, southpaw Bob Hobbs tossed a shutout just two days after Ira's. This was also a 5-0 win for La Crosse, but against Rock Island instead of Burlington. Last year's 8th Rounder allowed 8 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts to improve to 4-1. The 18-year-old has tossed 36.1 innings with a 4.21 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Walks tend to be an issue for Hobbs, who walked 62 (7.2) in 77.2 innings last season. This looks to hold him back, but the athletic teen has a really nice changeup. He's going to have to improve his curve and fastball, both after thoughts at this point, but Hobbs is an extremely raw prospect who I will have to be very patient with. He's a fair bit lower on the prospect list, 35th on the team and 439th in the league, and will have to make great strides before entering our future plans. He's profiling as a journeyman and decent minor league inning eater, but he if he can harness his tools better, he has a future with a big league organization. Whether that becomes a pen role or rotation spot, however, is yet to be determined. Amateur Report RHP Mel Haynes School: Princeton Commit School: Thibodeaux State 1940: 8-2, 97.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 24 BB, 134 K Career: 34-5, 392.1 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 88 BB, 488 K It's been an impressive four seasons for Mel Haynes at Princeton, as he anchored the Panthers rotation for four years. His worst single season ERA was 1.49, worst WHIP 0.97, which for most would be their best. He was very reliable, but his junior and senior season were dominant. His 1.29 ERA and 0.93 WHIP were outstanding this season, and he tallied 90 or more innings and 90 or more strikeouts in each year, with three seasons above the century mark. I'm a huge Haynes fan, and even as a pitcher, he checked in at 2.6 on the initial Mock Draft. Just Bill Sohl and George Wynn are ranked higher then him, and both were top 10 picks. Haynes is also a pretty good hitter and played first on his non-pitching days as a freshman, sophomore, and senior. He hit better then most prep players, slashing .476/.564/.772 with 55 doubles, 12 homers, 31 steals, and 96 RBIs. I plan on giving him some time at first, and may end up experimenting with him in a corner as well. Still, he's much more valuable on the mound, and while Tom doesn't like him that much, I think OSA is spot on with projecting Mel to be a #2. He has a great four pitch arsenal, a tough change the hallmark pitch. The other three are average or better, but of course, he may run into control issues. Even if that happens, he has excellent movement and keeps the ball on the ground, which should allow him to wiggle out of tough situations. I'm excited to see where he ranks in our system, and I think he may end up being the #5 behind Papenfus, the Jones, and Harry Parker. CF Don Lee School: Lincoln High University Commit School: St. Matthew's University 1940: .440/.538/.821, 109 PA, 12 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 35 SB Career: .436/.527/.723, 358 PA, 37 2B, 11 3B, 8 HR, 77 RBI, 101 SB For one reason or another, Tom Weinstock loves Don Lee. I'm not sure if he's illegitimate son, or a friend of the family, but despite rather pedestrian batting stats (worse then Haynes, for that matter), he thinks Lee is the 8th best player available and that "Rap" has a ton of raw potential. OSA isn't as big of a fan, but the Mock Draft does list him as the projected 1st Pick in the 3rd Round, much better then I expected. The thing I like the most is how his slugging percentage has increased each year, from .621 to .725 to .821 this year. He also matched his previous two season home run total in his fewest single season marks for plate appearance and games played. Lee's not a power hitter by any means, but he's projected to excel at drawing walks and his speed makes him a threat on the bases. He won't hit for that high of an average, probably around .270, but he's skilled at taking extra bases and he can wreck havoc on a poor defense. I expect Lee to eventually replace Carlos Montes out in center, unless Danny Goff becomes a full time outfielder, and although he may have some competition with our regional pick. CF Bill Rich School: Grange College 1940: .315/.403/.473, 194 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB Career (HS): 448/.510/.646, 490 PA, 42 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 110 RBI, 69 SB Career (COL): .296/.388/.448, 755 PA, 31 2B, 5 3B, 19 HR, 123 RBI, 101 SB Much to my surprise, regional round selection Bill Rich is our highest ranked player in the mock, projected at 12th Overall, which would have been our first rounder. The Quincy native and our 20th Rounder from 1937, Rich saved his best season for last for Grange College. In one of the toughest conferences, he only played 38 games (54 and 57 the previous years), but if he managed to play a full season, he would have set career bests for homers, RBIs, steals, doubles, and WAR. Rich seems to have made strides, with a very recent report praising his plate discipline and barrel control, both which should lead to a high average. No note of his defense, but he does have experience in all three outfield spots. He does have some faults, mainly with personality, as he can be stubborn and a little cocky. A good clubhouse can help keep him under control, which would be necessary if he wants to reach his potential. My guess is he got a nice talent boost since January, but this was such a deep center field class that he may have slipped through regardless. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-27-2021 at 11:18 AM.

12-26-2021, 12:54 PM	#688
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Amateur Report It is partially selfish, as I still don't have much of an idea of who I'm going to start the June Draft with, but I will be covering the top players left according to the Mock Draft. I also updated my Draft Database, adding the stats for the entire 1940 season and updating career stats for each player. Names may change for the 1943 class, so I am leaving them out for now. CF Eddie Kincaid School: Marquis College 1940: .308/.382/.411, 243 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 38 RBI, 23 SB Career (HS): .458/.524/.656, 463 PA, 59 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 109 RBI 27 SB Career (COL): .311/.384/.440, 766 PA, 36 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 122 RBI, 72 SB Three years ago, when I took Eddie Kincaid in the 5th Round, I had no idea he was impossible to sign, and I wasn't able to convince the Cleveland native to become a Cougar. He'll get selected around the same time this year, but if the Mock Draft had their way, he would've been the 5th player selected. Unfortunately for Kincaid, he saved his worst season for last, with new lows in average, slugging, homers, and WAR while matching former lows for doubles and OBP. That's not to say he did bad, he still managed to hit over .300/.375/.400, but Kincaid hasn't really shown much that would warrant him being a top five pick. He projects to be a decent hitter, although not spectacular, maybe in the .270-.290 range consistently with a handful of .300 years, but don't expect many extra base hits. He does have a really good eye, and could potentially have a higher OBP then slugging, and he has good speed he takes advantage of when he's on the basepaths. OSA and Weinstock thinks he's more of a bubble player then a star, but I think the skinny center fielder will end up defying both of those expectations, especially if his defense continues to improve. CF Warren Bryant School: Provo Tech 1940: .268/.358/.402, 299 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 38 SB Career: .274/.373/.393, 608 PA, 18 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 91 RBI, 78 SB With such a deep class of center fielders (8 already selected), it is no surprise that the top two available Mock Draft picks are center fielders. Another top ten projection, Bryant checks in at 9, but is a completely different player then Kincaid. Bryant doesn't have the contact skills of Kincaid, but he has much more power and will look to draw even more walks. He sacrifices that for a shorter hit tool, as he will never hit for a good clip. Like Kincaid, he's also a strong runner, but Bryant is a bit shorter (5'6'') yet five pounds heavier. Bryant is very versatile, playing all three outfield spots as well as second and short, which could work to his advantage for teams who don't want to add another outfielder. I think him and Kincaid are both ranked a bit higher then they should, with Weinstock and OSA again predicting bubble players, but there is a chance both exceed those lower expectations. SS Jimmie James School: Lane State 1940: .288/.382/.395/, 286 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 32 SB Career: .277/.374/.398, 852 PA, 28 2B, 6 3B, 16 HR, 118 RBI, 103 SB The first non-natural centerfielder, the versatile switch hitter from Lane State Jimmie James has experience at second, third, short, left, center, and right. Of the first rounders, he's the one I'd select, as he reminds me a lot of Skipper, just without the sky high upside. It does make sense, James is a collegiate prospect and Skipper was a prep one, but James is a very good defender with good speed and plate discipline. His teammates love him, and he's a good member of the clubhouse, but James is a bit on the older side. He'll turn 22 before the official draft date, but this could allow him to move up the organizational ladder rather quickly. I think he's just a bench bat, but one who can fill in all across the diamond is almost as valuable as a regular every day starter. CF Dick Collins School: Alabama A&T 1940: .265/.307/.378, 233 PA, 12 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 36 SB Career (HS): .439/.479/.679, 264 PA, 23 2B, 11 3B, 4 HR, 62 RBI, 45 SB Career (COL): .268/.309/.382, 767 PA, 31 2B, 15 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 105 SB Another center fielder! Ranked #15, OSA also believes Collins is a bubble outfielder, but Tom Weinstock thinks he can force his way into a lineup with a few key injuries. He's the best defender of the three out in center, and is a plus runner with an above average contact tool. His speed helps his range, allowing him to cover gap to gap and run down most line drives and flyballs out in center. He also has consistent, above average bat speed, which translates to strong gap power and a lot of extra base hits. His 7 triples this year with the Wildcats was rather impressive, but I did find it interesting how he had negative WAR in each of his college seasons. Collins was also a Cougar draftee, our 19th Rounder in 1937, and unlike Kincaid, Rich, and Ness, I don't remember selecting Collins. Despite that, I was spot on, predicting he would rise up draft boards next time he was eligible, as I was a fan of his natural talent. Collins is a quiet kid from California, but he's a hard worker who continues to hone his craft, and I'd be stunned if he has to wait until the AI portion of the draft before hearing his named called again. C Hal McGuckin School: Bangor Commit School: Daniel Boone College 1940: .462/.518/.624, 135 PA, 15 2B, 28 RBI, 6 SB Career: .460/.531/.621, 489 PA, 55 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 113 RBI, 21 SB The only non-centerfielder who was predicted to be a first round pick and was not selected, the Mock Draft listed 17-year-old catcher Hal McGuckin as the last pick of the opening round. A rather consistent hitter, McGuckin has had back-to-back seasons with a .462 average and not a single homer or triple. Not sure the second two parts are good, but the career .460 hitter does have a nice contact tool for a catcher. The Brooklyn native has an okay swing, but he could eventually develop into a decent contact hitter. That's really all Tom or OSA says about him, but they do give him the go-to "lean and athletic" descriptor that nearly every young player receives. He's not the greatest defender, but has a lot of time to learn, and he's one of the rawest young catching prospects available. High school players always come with extra risk, especially if they are part of the battery, and Hal is no exception. Tom thinks he can start, OSA views him more as a bench bat, but for a team desperate for catching, I think he's more then worth the risk. RHP Sam Goodwin School: Shenandoah Valley State 1940: 5-9, 133.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 93 BB, 95 K Career: 9-14, 228.2 IP, 4.33 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 135 BB, 150 K Since all we had his hitters, I decided to skip around the mock and finish with the undrafted pitchers. A rather shocking inclusion, Shenandoah Valley State ace Sam Goodwin ranks 5th for pitchers and 27th overall. He was below .500 each of his two seasons, and his 4.06 ERA and 1.47 WHIP as a sophomore were his bests. He walks about as many hitters as he strikes out, and his 6.3 BB/9 was really poor. The 5'8'' righty, however, is described by his coaches and teammates as a baseball rat, as he's the first one to arrive and last one to leave for both practices and games. This work ethic bodes well for his future, and I think that's what they are betting on with his projection slot. His stuff is easily his best asset, featuring a devastating change and wipeout curve, with a decent enough mid 80s fastball. His issue is he loves to nibble instead of attacking the zone, and a good pitching coach may be able to unlock Goodwin's abilities. Walks are a thorn in his side, and since he's not a big double play generator, the bases can become clogged rather frequently. His stuff is top notch, but as Peter the Heater has shown in the early years of his career, it's not always enough. RHP Jim Laurita School: Redwood University 1940: 7-6, 118.2 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 61 BB, 109 K Career (HS): 11-5, 179 IP, 1.76 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 42 BB, 208 K Career (COL): 21-17, 362.2 IP, 3.92 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 202 BB, 332 K Listed two spots below Goodwin, Redwood University's Jim Laurita was a three year starter in one of the toughest college divisions. Initially an 11th Round selection by the Keystones, I think Laurita will be one of the first pitchers selected this portion of the draft. He's a big strikeout pitcher, hitting the century mark in all three seasons for the Mammoths, and he managed to drop his BB/9 each season as well. Sure, a 4.6 mark isn't great, but it's better to go down instead of up. The sidewinding righty has a nice low 90s cutter that gets a lot of horizontal movement, and it's easily the best of his three pitches. His slider and change should be at least average offerings as well, but he's still working on commanding them. It seems to be the common issue, walks holding young pitchers back, but if he can get that under control, he'll move from spot starter to back-to-middle of the rotation arm. I don't think he'll spend much time in the minors, but to last in the majors, he'll either have to keep the walks down or learn to wiggle out of trouble when runners are on base. LHP Bill Peterson School: La Center Commit School: Cumberland University 1940: 3-1, 48.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 14 BB, 72 K Career: 14-6, 243.2 IP, 1.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 76 BB, 284 K An imposing, 6'4'' force on the mound, the young southpaw never made more then 9 starts with La Center, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He had his fewest starts as a senior, just six, but it was easily the best of his four years. He had a career low 1.29 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, but also innings pitched. Still, that was enough for him to be predicted to be a 5th Round selection. He has increased his K/9 each season, but seeing the innings drop is a bit of a concern for his ability to go deep into games. He's a bit of a nibbler, but he does attack the bottom of the zone with his 86-88 sinker, that he can use to either strike batters out or roll up groundballs. He also throws a cutter and change, but both pitches have a lot of work to do before becoming viable options. The change may hold him back a little, although his cutter is projected to be average or better. He has all the tools needed to become a top quality pitcher, one of those "projectable" types real life MLB scouts love to talk about, but he comes with way more risk then most young arms due to the low inning totals which could mean low stamina or a fragile injury type. LHP Duke Bybee School: Brooklyn Friends Commit School: Grange College 1940: 8-2, 97.1 IP, 1.66 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 22 BB, 126 K Career: 30-10, 409 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 120 BB, 506 K The last available mock draft pitcher is Duke Bybee, a Brooklyn native who pitched four seasons with Brooklyn Friends. His junior and senior seasons were far better then his freshman and sophomore years, with ERAs below 1.70 as opposed to above 2.00. Bybee was best as a junior, 8-2 with a 1.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 25 walks, and 153 strikeouts. Duke has a deep six pitch repertoire, featuring a fastball, cutter, curve, slider, change, and forkball, with the change likely developing into the best offering. Like Peterson, he's a tall and imposing southpaw, but Bybee is one of the hardest workers you'll find. He boosted his velocity to 87-89, and I'd imagine he'll continue to increase his velocity as he ages and potentially grows. He also has average control, and shouldn't ever deal with detrimental walk issues. I think he has a ton of upside, potentially the most of the guys left, and even though they don't share any physical similarities, I'm thinking a Dave Rankin type pitcher; one who throws a lot of pitches, and while none are that great, he's great at mixing them and can pitch deep into games.

12-27-2021, 01:17 PM	#689
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 7: May 20th-May 26th Weekly Record: 2-5 Seasonal Record: 18-20 (5th, 7.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 25 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.079 OPS Bobby Mills : 6 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .667 AVG, 2.048 OPS Mike Taylor : 17 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .353 AVG, .979 OPS Schedule 5-20: Loss vs Cannons (3-1) 5-21: Loss vs Cannons (5-2) 5-22: Loss vs Sailors (3-1) 5-23: Win vs Sailors (3-4) 5-24: Loss at Stars (9-11) 5-25: Loss at Stars (10-16) 5-26: Win at Stars (8-1) Recap Well, I guess we suck... An awful 2-5 week, and to make matters worse, we actually won our only one run game. So there really are no excuses for playing as awful as we did. Add injury to insult, and two more Cougars hit the DL, and not day-to-day, but actual injuries. Luckily neither are that long, but that's four hitters who we won't have use of for this week. The first injury is an elbow strain for Billy Hunter, who will miss 4-5 weeks before likely a one week rehab stint. It hasn't been the greatest season for the 25-year-old, who has really struggled at short and is hitting just .286/.330/.378 (97 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, and 10 RBIs. This means Skipper will take over full time at short, and the 19-year-old did have a good first week in the big leagues. He was 8-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. The other casualty was replacement center fielder Art MacDonald, who's herniated disc will cost him two weeks. He also hasn't hit very well, just .211/.375/.263 (81 OPS+) in 24 trips to the plate. The pitching was bad, but you can blame the defense for part of it. In the 16-10 loss to the Stars, only six of the runs were earned.... You can't totally blame the defense for Milt Fritz, however, who allowed 10 hits and 9 runs (7 earned) in just 2.2 innings pitched. Eddie Quinn definitely showed signs of his injury, and in his two starts allowed 19 hits, 14 runs (9 earned), and 5 walks with just a single strikeout across 12 innings pitched. Our other two start starter was Jim Lonardo, but he looked like his old self. The 35-year-old went 16 innings with 16 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts, picking up a win and loss. Harry Parker tossed a complete game victory, 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout to his credit. Dick Lyons got a loss, but went 7 with 7 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Allen Purvis had two very weird outings, as all seven runs he allowed were unearned. He pitched 6.2 innings with 12 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Joe Brown and Pug Bryan both looked good, combining for 7.2 scoreless with 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. The offense was bad, but John Lawson continues to hit like a superstar. The 37-year-old was 12-for-25 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, and 2 RBIs. Our catching duo was effective, 9-for-25, while Taylor had a double, triple, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. Orlin Yates had to take full duty in center, 4-for-16 with a homer, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and 4 walks. Bobby Mills was a top performer off the bench, 4-for-6 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. Rich Langton continued his awful start to the season, 5-for-26, but with 6 runs scored and 2 more driven in. Ray Ford and Freddie Jones were ice cold, combining to go 10-for-56 with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Ford has hit well on the season, but Freddie is sporting a pitiful .252/.321/.283 (70 OPS+), which I can only hope is just a bad stretch of games and not the start of something more. Looking Ahead We can only hope for a better week, and even the regular 3-3 week would be welcomed at this point. Still more with the Stars, but both games will be played in Chicago instead. New York is also disappointed with their start, an even 19-19 and 6.5 games behind the Cannons. They may be without Dave Trowbridge, who sprained his knee and will be day-to-day for 2-3 weeks. The 41-year-old is hitting a strong .325/.367/.428 (126 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. The knee seemed to hamper his progress, finishing last week just 5-for-21, although he did score six times. Switch hitting shortstop Joe Angevine is still hitting well, maintaining a .309/.333/.421 (105 OPS+) line with 10 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 8 steals, and 24 RBIs. On the other side, the pitching has had a lot of struggles, with Dixie Lee continuing to carry the staff. Chuck Cole has allowed 6 or more runs in three of his last four starts, now 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 15 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Vern Hubbard continues to get shelled, 2-3 with a 6.59 ERA (58 ERA+), 1.87 WHIP, 18 walks, and 19 strikeouts. We really need to get back on track with a pair of wins, but I'm keeping my expectations low, as the already struggling lineup is down a lot of bats. We get a much needed off day on Wednesday, and we get to stay home before welcoming the Saints. They've had a tough season, 16-23 and ten out of first, but the hardest parts have been the injuries to their young pitchers. Bill Stewart and top prospect Pat Weakley are both out for the season, while former top 3 prospect Wally Doyle will miss the next three weeks with a sore elbow. He's made 5 starts in Montreal, 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA (92 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 22 walks, and 17 strikeouts, but the 21-year-old from Waco has tremendous upside and should eventually turn into an ace quality pitcher. His fellow rotation mates all have ERA+'s below 100, with just former Cougar Bill Ross owning an ERA below 4. The 27-year-old is 3-5 with a 3.91 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 9 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. Veteran Ed Baker has struggled in his first season north of the border, 3-4 with a 4.87 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 18 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The offense is also having it's issues, but don't tell that to Red Bond. The 27-year-old star right fielder is slashing .340/.401/.587 (162 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a triple, 9 homers, and 24 RBIs. He's had some help from rookie Spud Bent, who is hitting a nice .299/.337/.494 (120 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 11 RBIs while not striking out in any of his 83 trips to the plate. Clubhouse leader Adam Mullins is making his case for yet another All-Star selection, hitting .313/.408/.463 (133 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 19 RBIs, and he has a beautiful. 22-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio in his 157 PAs. Our offense has sucked, so I'm expecting two really close games, but with a little bit of hitting, we should be able to win the series. We then hit the road for three with the Cannons, who have absolutely owned us this season. Sure, they've owned everyone, 26-13 and now a game ahead of the Wolves, but they are 4-1 against us already, despite the Baltimore version last season barely beating us four times all season. They've scored more runs then all CA teams while simultaneously allowing the fewest, an almost surefire way to ensure you win a pennant. The new inflated coaching staff has done wonders, as all four former Baltimore Cannons have seen their ERA's plummet. Rufus Barrell, who's about to celebrate his 23rd Birthday, has blossomed into the star we all knew he would, 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA (133 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 12 walks, and 30 strikeouts in his first 8 starts. Glenn Payne has somehow been a little better, 5-3 with a 2.39 ERA (160 ERA+), although his 1.42 WHIP, 27 walks, and 27 strikeouts paint a slightly different picture. William Jones has looked wonderful in his first 8 starts in Cincy, 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 18 walks, and 25 strikeouts. I've spent a lot of time covering the outfield, but the rest of the Cannons lineup hasn't been that great. The next best hitter has been Frank Covarrubias, but his .303/.330/.394 (97 OPS+) batting line is not all that exciting. Lucky for us, we can't get swept this week, but we might as well already mark up the first two games as losses, as I'm fully ready to be disappointed. The draft started today, and I already made my first of two fourth round selections. After the second, I'll have a post, but I think I have a shot to get two guys I was comfortable taking first. We also had to make some callups, with John Johnson and John Barnard coming up from Milwaukee. I debated bringing up Johnson last sim, but decided to go with the youngster Skipper instead. Our former 3rd Rounder will be set to make his debut after hitting .267/.386/.397 (104 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 5 steals, and 11 RBIs. Barnard hasn't got much time in Milwaukee, but he's one of the few infielders on our 40 that isn't in Chicago already. I actually took him 15th Overall in 1933, but traded him to the Cannons before he ever appeared in a game for us. He's a good defender, but probably won't get much time, and I expect to option him next we assuming no setback for Drake. Minor League Report RHP Ray McNeill (AA Mobile Commodores): It wasn't a great to start to the season for the 24-year-old, but he followed up a one run complete game win with a 2-hit shutout. McNeill walked one and stuck out 7 as the Commodores beat the Atlanta Peaches 5-0. The 1937 7th Rounder is now 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 14 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 51 innings. McNeill doesn't have the upside of some of our other pitchers, but he's more or less big league ready, with a develop six pitched repertoire. He's not a hard thrower, just 85-87 with his fastball, but he has a really nice change up and all six pitches are at least average offerings. Weinstock is a fan, expecting him to be a back end starter, and the prospect rankers slot him just inside our top 30 at 28, while 356th overall. He is Rule-5 eligible at the end of the season, which could help McNeill earn a late season callup, but he'll compete with Harl Haines, Johnny Ruby, Bill Seabolt, and Billy Seawood, who all also need a spot if I want to protect them. LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Lots of shutouts this week in the Cougars organization, with former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson taking it this time. He's had a nice run of starts, 3 or fewer runs allowed in each of the last four, capped off with the 6-hit, 2 walk, 4 strikeout shutout. That improved Wilkinson's record to 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts. He wasn't as effective last season with Lincoln, as he was 5-7 in 12 starts with a 5.46 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Ed has yet to find an out pitch out of his five pitches, but I do like his low 90s fastball, and unlike nearly every pitcher I write about, he has pinpoint command. He can pitch deep into games, and while not projected to top a rotation, he looks to be a reliable back end option. He's approaching our top 20, currently 23rd, and Wilkinson ranks 286th in the league. He does not need to be protected and I think he'll end this season at least in Mobile, if not all the way up in Milwaukee. You can never have too much pitching, and a guy like Wilkinson could end up being very valuable. LF Ernie Martini (B San Jose Cougars): Strictly a bench bat last season, Tom Weinstock always liked our 14th Rounder Ernie Martini, and this year the prospect prognosticators started to give him some credit. Cracking the overall top 500, I decided Martini would be the next man up, and with a ton of injuries, it took about a week for him to start securing every day at bats. The 22-year-old from Chicago has really taken advantage of the extra playing time, slashing .357/.415/.429 (120 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs. A versatile youngster, he can man second, short, left, center, and, right, but he's spent most of his time so far out in left. He's looked really good too, a 1.092 efficiency and 2.6 zone rating in 183 innings out there. Sure, it's a small sample size, but it's always encouraging to see good performance as opposed to poor. He's not the greatest hitter, lots of grounders when he's at the plate, but he has blazing speed and is great at turning outs into hits. He does barrel the ball up rather frequently, but he doesn't get much lift yet. Of course, we have a lot of far more exciting outfield prospects in our system, from Bunny Hufford to Jasper Wright, but none of them are from Chitown, and that is one of the best ways to stick in the system. Just ask Oscar Panduro, who's made it all the way up to Milwaukee despite never being ranked in the top 500. Martini is likely best suited as a 4th outfielder and pinch runner, but with the right coaching staff, he can really get his talent maximized. RHP Ira Hawker (C La Crosse Lions): He did it again! Directly after a 2-hit shutout of the Burlington Bears, 21-year-old Ira Hawker twirled a 4-hit shutout, as La Crosse slaughtered the Moline Pioneers 11-0. Funny enough, Hawker lost his next start to them in a 5-4 game, but he allowed just a walk and 5 strikeouts in the shutout. He's shaken off his rough start to the year, and is now 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 17 walks, and 22 strikeouts in his 7 starts. The first four all saw 6 or more runs allowed, but the former Minor League Free Agent has just two earned runs in his last three. I want him to start throwing harder, although going from 83-85 to 85-87 in the offseason was a start, as his stuff is just average at best. He does have a decent curve, but his fastball isn't the best, and his change will only improve as his velocity gets better. His slider is a filler pitch at the moment, but adding speed can only help his pitch mix. He's probably getting ready for a promotion to San Jose, but we have a bit of a logjam in the lower minors, as a lot of our youngsters aren't ready for AA or AAA.

12-27-2021, 10:08 PM	#690
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 4 4th Round, 49th Overall: LHP Duke Bybee School: Brooklyn Friends Commit School: Grange College 1940: 8-2, 97.1 IP, 1.66 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 22 BB, 126 K Career: 30-10, 409 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 120 BB, 506 K Interesting enough, both of the guys I selected I covered over the weekend, and both I debated over the weekend over who I would take first. With how much we as a league love pitchers, and with how much variation there is in how we rank pitchers, I thought I was best suited grabbing a pitcher first as there was a higher chance of them being selected. I chased upside here, going with the tall and slender southpaw Duke Bybee. He turns 18 at the beginning of July, and in this week's mock draft, which had a lot of changes, he actually ranked higher then Mel Haynes. Haynes dropped from the 2nd to the 3rd, while Bybee shot up to 30th Overall. I'd take that with a grain of salt, and honestly I decided on Bybee yesterday anyways. Still, it is better then him completely dropping out, as the Mock does give you a rough estimate of the players talent in comparison to the rest of the class. Bybee's stats don't really jump out at you as a whole, but last season he ranked top 15 in strikeouts (153), ERA (1.28), and K/9 (13.1). Of course, the best part about him might be his work ethic, as he's one of the hardest workers out there as he's always looking to improve. I'd wager that he'll end up throwing in the low-to-mid 90s, but perhaps he'll take the Joe Brown route and go from 85-87 to 96-98. His stuff is average now, and both his cutter and fastball will be more effective as he continues to add speed. Weinstock and OSA think his control may hold him back, but I'm confident that he'll work through his control issues, and Bybee could develop into one of the better strikeout pitchers. 4th Round, 53rd Overall: SS Jimmie James School: Lane State 1940: .288/.382/.395/, 286 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 32 SB Career: .277/.374/.398, 852 PA, 28 2B, 6 3B, 16 HR, 118 RBI, 103 SB He dropped out of the mock first round, but only fell to 19th Overall. It is rumored that he would not have made it to our pick in the 5th, as the Cannons were looking to reunite James with Lane State teammate and talented #2 Overall Pick Bill Sohl. James never matched his 8 homers as a Freshman, but where he sacrificed power, he boosted both his average and on base percentage while lowering his strikeouts. He turns 22 in July, and as I mentioned, I think James will be a quick riser in the system, and I'm leaning towards giving him Tip Harrison treatment; starts at all seven positions while he rises up the ladder. Plus, being a switch hitter, he can play the opposite side of platoons for literally any player (or two), and even if he never improves, he's going to be a very handy utility player. He's not an elite shortstop, but well above average, and he's a very disciplined hitter. He hits too many ground balls, which will definitely hinder his power, and he quite have enough of a hit tool to make up for it. Still, his speed will really help, as he can beat out a few of the slow rollers and a decent amount of the balls he sends to the left side of the infield. James is the total opposite of a pick compared to Duke, a much safer pick, but both are pretty on par picks for myself.

12-28-2021, 12:58 PM	#691
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 8: May 27th-June 2nd Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 22-22 (4th, 8 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 21 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .571 AVG, 1.357 OPS Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .455 AVG, 1.091 OPS Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .407 AVG, .967 OPS Schedule 5-27: Loss vs Stars (6-4) 5-28: Win vs Stars (4-6) 5-30: Win vs Saints (3-11) 5-31: Loss vs Saints (6-3) 6-1: Win at Cannons (8-3) 6-2: Win at Cannons (9-5) Recap Hey, a good week! We split the home portion with the Stars, then with the Saints, before taking the first two in the three game set with the Cannons. The Cannons were fresh off a sweep of the Wolves, and I think we definitely got a little lucky. No complaints from me, I was expecting a nice 0-6 week if not the always reliable 3-3, but we're back up to that 3-3 average at 22-22. Unfortunately, the Cannons won every other game this week, so we are almost double digit games out of first to start June. I think/hope they will start to cool down, but even then are we ever going to heat up? We get Leon Drake back, that should help, but it's not like we were missing his .196/.228/.309 (48 OPS+) batting line. John Barnard will go back down to AAA without a PA, but he did make a defensive replacement at short. Leo Mitchell had himself a week, highlighted by a 5-for-5 with a double and 4 RBIs in our 6-4 win over the Stars. In total he was 11-for-27 with 3 doubles and 5 runs scored. John Lawson had a week worthy of Player of the Week, 12-for-21 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, 5 walks, and 6 RBIs. He's red hot, and is hitting a world beating .406/.463/.538 (178 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs. No one in either league has a batting average anywhere near Lawson, the next best is Red Bond's .366, and his 2.9 WAR is 0.1 better then both Fred Galloway and Pablo Reyes. Skipper Schneider was outstanding, 10-for-22 with a double, triple, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford had a nice rebound week, 9-for-24 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Our catching duo was effective as well, 8-for-22 with a triple, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. That homer was Mead's, already three this season after just 2 in his first 140 games. Freddie Jones had potentially his lone good week of the year, 7-for-27 with 3 runs, 4 RBIs, and 7 walks. Bobby Mills got a start and four pinch hit opportunities, 2-for-6 with a pair of walks. John Johnson had a decent debut week, 2-for-6 with a walk and two runs. This was the offense I've been expecting all season, and maybe we turned the corner! I think not... The pitching wasn't great, but for the most part, good enough to win. Jim Lonardo continued his inconsistent season, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs, and a walk with 4 strikeouts in 6.2 shaky innings. Harry Parker picked up a pair of complete game wins, 4 earned a piece with 20 hits, 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Dick Lyons split his two starts, 15 innings with 15 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. Eddie Quinn tossed a complete game win, 9 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout to his credit. Peter the Heater was back to being effective in the pen, two hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Joe Brown allowed his first run of the year, giving up 4 hits with a strikeout in a two inning relief outing. Looking Ahead We can sweep the first place Cannons in Cincinnati, but I don't like our chances against the first place team who is 31-15. We get Rufus Barrell II, who is 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA (133 ERA+), 0.99 WHIP, 13 walks, and 37 strikeouts. He'll likely be throwing to Jack Flint, who is hitting .316/.362/.388 (104 OPS+) in his first season with the Cannons. I mentioned Galloway earlier, who is worth just a tad less then Lawson this year, and is hitting .354/.429/.514 (155 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 30 RBIs. Moxie Pidgeon added another homer, now 9 with 43 RBIs to go with a .342/.384/.570 (156 OPS+). We already won this series, but if we win this game, we'll be the first team to sweep Cincinnati. It doesn't get easier, as we head to Toronto for three with the second place Wolves. They're off to a good start, 28-18, and 3 games out of first place. We likely miss Bernie Johnson, who is now 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 16 walks, and 19 strikeouts. I think we'll miss Joe Hancock too, who is 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 21 walks, and 53 strikeouts. We will see George Garrison, who has done a complete 180 from his terrible start. He's allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, now 4-5 with a 3.57 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 21 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Walt Pack won Player of the Week last week, but he's still hitting just .216/.270/.385 (73 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, and 27 RBIs. Fred McCormick isn't quite hitting like a Whitney Winner, but you can't scoff at his .337/.428/.459 (137 OPS+) batting line. He's finally homered, in fact twice, and with 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 18 RBIs. Charlie Artuso is having a little breakout at 24, as the elite defender is also hitting .285/.348/.424 (105 OPS+). Artuso owns a 5.7 zone rating and 1.126 efficiency at short, and has 10 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 20 RBIs, almost identical to McCormick. Larry Vestal has came back to earth, but his .320/.367/.494 (128 OPS+) line is still very effective. This will be a very hard fought series, and we'll be lucky to get a win. The best part is we avoid their top three, so perhaps we can steal another, but the Wolves are a very good team. We then finish the week with four games in three days against the last place Foresters. Cleveland has really struggled this season, 16-31, and this is a huge opportunity to say good bye to the .500 mark forever. Dave Rankin is stuck to being a good pitcher on a bad team, 4-6 with a 2.88 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 15 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Dean Astle is having a bit of a down season, but he's still a decent 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The back two in the rotation has really struggled, and after leading the league in ERA last season, Lou Martino is 1-5 with a 4.92 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.77 WHIP, 37 walks, and 22 strikeouts. The lineup has struggled, tied with Brooklyn for fewest runs scored in the Continental Association. Lou Balk, however, has had a decent season leading the lineup, hitting .312/.345/.476 (117 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, and 18 RBIs. Mel Carrol is doing Mel Carrol things, slashing .361/.396/.471 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 24 RBIs. The only other hitter with an average or better OPS+ is the always reliable Bill Moore, but even he is hitting just .287/.372/.401 (106 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 homers, and 20 RBIs with an impressive 22-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It's been a rough season for Forester fans, and they may be one of the few deadline sellers this season. I can't see Mel Carrol being moved, but they might want to take advantage of Dave Rankin's start, with potentially Balk, Moore, Roy Bradley, Dan Fowler, and Ben Turner finding different homes. I can't see Dean Astle being moved, but I'm sure a competitor will at least try to pry him away from Cleveland's clutches. Minor League Report RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a week to remember for the 22-year-old, as Chick Browning came home with the Dixie League Player of the Week. He hit .565, 13-for-23, with a homer, 6 runs, and 8 RBIs. Browning hasn't spent all season with Mobile, his first 17 games came in Lincoln, but with an early season injury to Sammy Dillon, Browning was the first man up. Browning hit .300/.397/.533 (156 OPS+) before the promotion, and in 10 more games with the Commodores has hit .345/.452/.506 (144 OPS+). He's combined for 11 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs in yet another excellent season at the plate. Discounting an awful first season to start his pro career in La Crosse, Browning has put up OPS+ of 207, 144, 231, and 133 the past two seasons. The Chicago kid has really flown up the ladder recently, as he was still in La Crosse just two seasons ago. Recently 22, Browning has shown excellent plate discipline and impressive power, homering 26 times in 1938 and 24 in 1939. He also has a strong hit tool, frequently hitting above .300. His teammate love him, joking he could pursue a career in standup. He's a great presence in the clubhouse, and it doesn't hurt that he can hit the ball hard and far. The prospect picker's haven't usually been a fan, but he's right outside our top 30 and I wouldn't be surprised if he finally breaks through by season's end. Chick is likely nothing more then a capable bench bat, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if the lefty gets at least a quick cameo in Chicago before he decides to hang up the clears. RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (B San Jose Cougars): It was an excellent month for the 21-year-old, who finished a perfect 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 8 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. That was more then good enough for C-O-W Pitcher of the Month, as the former Gotham farmhand picked up right where he left off last season. Now 5-1 in 8 starts, Gonzalez has a sparkly 2.81 ERA (162 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 11 walks and 22 strikeouts. This is very similar to his 13 starts in San Jose last season, where he finished 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA (184 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 27 walks, and 43 strikeouts. Gonzalez tore his rotator cuff back in 1938, but since then, he's upped his velocity from 90-92 to 95-97, with the most recent bump coming this month. This has helped both his fastball and cutter, but his curve is actually the best of his four pitches. All four pitches (he also throws a change) are average to decent, so he doesn't quite overwhelm with pure stuff. The change will be what determines if Willie will start big league games regularly, as it doesn't look like a passable pitch yet. He has had walk issues in the past, and has taken great strides this season, dropping his BB/9 with the Cougars from 3.4 last year to 2.1 this year. He has a long way to go, but he has a ton of upside and I think he has the tools to top his dad's 15 FABL games. RHP King Price (B San Jose Cougars): No Player of the Month like his teammate, but King Price did do something Gonzalez didn't, toss a complete game shutout! Our 9th Rounder from last season, the 22-year-old allowed 8 hits, a walk, and struck out two in a 7-0 win in Vancouver. That improved him to 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 14 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Price has recently infiltrated the back end of the top prospect lists, currently 40th in the system and 473rd overall, but OSA and Weinstock aren't too sold on the intelligent and well-spoken righty. A three pitch sidearmer, Price only throws a mid 80s cutter, but that, his change, and knuckle curve are all big league quality pitches. His command is shaky at times, and he may end up walking too many batters, but he's dropped his BB/9 from 4.5 in 6 starts in San Jose last year to 2.7 in his 7 this year. I say this all the time, and even though he doesn't look like world beater now, you can never have too much pitching, and especially pitchers who already have quality big league pitches. Attached Images

12-29-2021, 05:47 PM	#692
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 9: June 3rd-June 9th Weekly Record: 2-6 Seasonal Record: 24-28 (4th, 11.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 30 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .367 AVG, 1.054 OPS Orlin Yates : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .370 AVG, .858 OPS Ollie Page : 21 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .869 OPS Schedule 6-3: Win at Cannons (4-0) 6-4: Loss at Wolves (2-11) 6-5: Loss at Wolves (5-8) 6-6: Loss at Wolves (4-5): 10 innings 6-7: Loss at Foresters (1-7) 6-8: Loss at Foresters (1-4) 6-9: Win at Foresters (7-1) 6-9: Loss at Foresters (3-8) Recap I'm just at a loss for words right now... What is wrong with this season!?!?!? We completed the sweep of the Cannons, but that didn't build any momentum for us. We then let the Wolves walk right over us, as they swept us out of Toronto, before we managed to completely embarrass ourselves in Cleveland. They somehow took three out of four form us, but that's not even the worst part! Despite being very injury free for the past couple of seasons, everything has come crashing down this season. We had two more casualties this week, starting with Eddie Quinn, as it may be the end of his Cougar career already. The trade seems to have completely backfired, as Quinn first strained his oblique on the 4th before partially tearing his UCL on the 9th. He's now out for the season, which will open the rotation for Pete Papenfus. Quinn's last four starts were pretty terrible, and he finishes his season 2-5 with a 3.98 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 18 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Just a few weeks ago he was sporting a nice 2.08 ERA, but now everything fell apart. Even worse, Freddie Jones will spend the next two months out of service with a dislocated shoulder. Jones was in the midst of a terrible season, hitting just .258/.343/.284 (76 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, and 10 RBIs. Sure, we get Carlos Montes and Aart MacDonald back this week, but that doesn't nearly make up for it. I will need a pitcher to replace Quinn, so John Johnson will return to Milwaukee, and Rusty Watts will return to Chicago. We didn't hit or pitch much at all, but hey! John Lawson continues to be good! The vet went 11-for-30 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. His backup Johnny McDowell looked good too, 5-for-11 with a run and 2 RBIs. Orlin Yates had a nice week, although he'll return to the bench with Montes returning, going 10-for-27 with a triple, steal, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks. Yates has hit well in limited time, batting .289/.386/.421 (124 OPS+) with 2 triples, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs with a nice 11-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Leon Drake had an okay return, 6-for-23 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Ollie Page looked great filling in for Freddie, 7-for-21 with a triple, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. He'll slide into Jones spot until Billy Hunter is healthy, but his .228/.333/.263 (68 OPS+) batting line leaves a lot to be desired. He's been great defensively at second, which will be an upgrade over Jones' play there, but I doubt he's going to hit much. Milt Fritz continues to pitch well, but he got himself a win and a loss. Fritz allowed just 4-hits in our 4-0 shutout of the Cannons, walking 5 and striking out 4 in the complete game victory. His second start went just 7 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 runs with 4 strikeouts. The 30-year-old is now 4-4 with a 2.84 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 27 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched. Before the Quinn injury, I was considering moving him if we continued to fall, but now I'm not sure I want to weaken our rotation. We do have both Pug Bryan and Joe Brown who could step in, but both are doing excellent in the pen and I'm sure a move to the rotation will cause them to start pitching poorly. More bad outings for Jim Lonardo, who went 16.2 innings with 21 hits, 9 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker was roughed up for the first time in a bit, 12 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts in 5.1. Papenfus and Brown both struggled out of the pen, 6 hits and 3 runs a piece in a pair of outings. Brown got a loss in 2.1 innings with 2 walks and a strikeout, while our newest rotation member walked and struck out 3. Allen Purvis also struggled, 10 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. Dick Lyons at least pitched well, 8 innings with 7 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks in our extra inning loss. He turns 40 this week, and I think I'm going to maneuver things so he gets an outing on his birthday. The ageless wonder is 6-3 with a 3.11 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 20 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 10 impressive starts. Looking Ahead Not much to look forward to anymore, but now we get three in Philly before a much, much needed off day. The Sailors are in third at 30-24, and 6.5 games behind the Cannons. They are the only other team besides the Cannons and Wolves above .500, and 5 games ahead of us for fourth. Walt Wells is having a season to remember, 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 22 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 11 outstanding starts. He's made up for Doc Newell's awful season, as the 32-year-old is 3-5 with a 5.01 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 25 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Chuck Murphy has had a good season filling out there rotation, 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 16 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Dick Walker is having a very surprising down year, hitting just .231/.346/.341 (83 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 10 steals, and 20 RBIs. Lucky for them, Bob Smith has continued to cruise, hitting a strong .341/.370/.474 (123 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 16 RBIs. Rip Lee is having a nice bounce back year, hitting .304/.363/.408 (105 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, and 40 RBIs. Most of the lineup is struggling, including Joe Watson, but his .288/.335/.449 (107 OPS+) line is at least above average, and he's added 10 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 33 RBIs. I'm way too pessimistic right now, but I'd be surprised if they don't sweep us out of town. After the off day, we get another three games in four days with the Foresters, but at least we'll be at home. I'm ready for more disappointment, as we helped the Foresters hop out of the cellar. They are now 21-33, but still 15.5 games out of first. Rube McCormick has started to turn things around for them, now 4-6 with a 4.11 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 25 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Dean Astle is on a nice little run, now 6-4 with a 3.30 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 25 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Mel Carrol has started to really heat up, boosting his line to .382/.424/.512 (148 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs. George Dawson is in the midst of a really tough season, hitting just .271/.304/.336 (70 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 3 steals, and 6 RBIs. He's also struggling defensively, with a -0.1 zone rating. His lowest in a season was 7.8 last year, but this is the same shortstop who's surpassed 20 five separate times. After we squandered the most recent series with them, I have no faith for this one, but we really should win at least two of the four. We can get right back into things with a 5-2 week, but we'll really have to turns things around quick if we want to pay October baseball in 1940. Minor League Report LHP Johnny Ruby (AA Mobile Commodores): It's been a nice season already for the 24-year-old, who was excellent in his most recent start. The 1937 8th Rounder allowed just 3 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game shutout over Memphis. Ruby has been a bit unlucky, just 2-3, but he has a great 2.80 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 28 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his 54.2 innings pitched. This is his second shutout in five starts, and unfortunately for Ruby, it seems to be the only way he can pick up a win. The sidewinding lefty has shown the ability to pitch deep into games as well, 8 or more innings in each of his last five starts. Ruby has a nice 6 pitch mix, led with an 88-90 fastball, biting curve, and above average slider. His command isn't the best, consistently sporting a BB/9 above 4, but he's done an excellent job striking hitters out. Since starting in La Crosse back in 1937, he's had a K/9 of 5.0 or higher, even sporting a 7.7 in 76.1 innings with La Crosse last year. If he can just iron out his command issues, he could be a real force on the mound, but at 24, there might not be that much time for him to fix his issues. Still, I think he could be a decent enough spot starter, as his strikeout numbers are truly impressive. RHP Roy Carey (A Lincoln Legislators): An inning eating machine, Roy Carey has completed all 8 of his starts this season, with the most recent a 3-hit, 3-walk, 5 strikeout shutout of the Springfield Hustlers. 5 of his 8 starts have been with Lincoln, and he's 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 18 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched. I moved one of my AA pitchers (that post will come later tonight along with another draft update), so it looks like Roy Carey will return to Mobile next week. The 25-year-old doesn't have the greatest stuff, but the righty is a soft tosser with six pitches. He features a fastball, sinker, curve, slider, change, and circle change, and while none of those pitches are all that great, they're good enough, and paired with his stamina, allow him to start games. I'm a little shocked he never got a velocity boost, but perhaps that has helped him stay healthy and pitch deep into games. I think he's more just roster filler as opposed to a future big leaguer, but there is a chance that Carey either earns a desperate callup due to a thousand injuries, or another team takes a risk on him in the Rule-5 Draft. RHP Lou Eaker (A Lincoln Legislators): A day after Carey's shutout, 22-year-old Lou Eaker tossed a shutout of his own. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in Lincoln's 2-0 win over Springfield. Our 5th Rounder last season, Eaker's first three starts came in San Jose, but his last 6 have been with Lincoln. He's looked good despite his 2-3 record, owning a 2.92 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 27 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched. The towering 6'5'' Eaker blossomed into one of our top prospects and one of the better young pitchers in the league, ranked 6th in our system and 62nd overall. He has a polished four pitch repertoire, featuring a nice 86-88 fastball and cutter, an excellent splitter, and a solid change. He has great stuff, but stop me if you've heard this one before, shaky command. His command is starting to come around, but his real strength is his movement. It allows him to roll up a ton of grounders, so even if ends up walking too many, he should be able to turn more then his share of double plays. OSA thinks he'll end up a #4 or #5, Tom thinks he'll be a solid back end starter, and I think he has the chance to be a strong #3. I'm expecting him to rise through the system rather quickly, and really other then the Jones brothers, there aren't too many young arms in his way. He could finish is season in Mobile, but at least for now, he'll continue pitching in the Legislators rotation. LF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): It was a very strong week for the Lions outfielder Harry Harris, who went 15-for-26 with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored. The switch hitter is naturally a third basemen, but he's spent most of his time in our organization out in left. The 19-year-old is having a nice season, hitting .338/.388/.457 (108 OPS+) with 16 doubles, a triple, steal, and 28 RBIs. A 7th Rounder last season, Harris is a strong and lean athlete who projects to hit for an average around .310. He's not very fast, but a very good base runner, and he could steal more then his share of bases. He has the potential for an average eye at the plate, but he doesn't have much power and has yet to homer in 72 minor league PAs. He does have nice versatility, also comfortable in right and second as well as third and left, and with the likely influx of outfielders in our new draft class, I wouldn't be too surprised if he moves back to the infield, or at least spending time at a few spots and not just left. Harris is also inside our top 20 prospect list, checking in at 19th and 261st overall. He has a lot of young raw talent, and he's far from a finish product, so even if he profiles more of a bench bat now, he has the tools to develop into a much better player. It will be a slow rise up the ladder for Harris, but he is one of our higher upside corner prospects. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-30-2021 at 10:14 PM.

12-29-2021, 08:08 PM	#693
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 5 Before covering my two 5th Rounders, I did make a pair of trades to pick up three more draft picks. The first sent Billy Seawood and Ralph O'Neil to the Gothams for the 13th Pick in the 6th Round and the 1st Pick in the 7th Round. The second picked us up the 13th Pick in the 8th Round for Rube Wood. There are a bunch of guys left that I want to take fliers on, and with these moves I'm able to make room for some of our lower minors guys to move up and make room for the new draftees. 5th Round, 69th Overall: RHP Harry Stewart School: Bell Academy Commit School: Baton Rouge State 1940: 11-0, 115 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 27 BB, 178 K Career: 34-5, 407.1 IP, 1.26 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 103 BB, 581 K The nickname may be gone, but that's not the reason I was interested in the 18-year-old from Nashville. Checking in at 8th on Tom Weinstock's list of pitchers, Harry Stewart was a four year starter at Bell Academy, and he's got outstanding stats, capping off his 4-year career with an impressive 11-0 season. And as outstanding has his ERA and WHIP were, they weren't even career bests, as Stewart was elite as a freshman. He was an also perfect 9-0 with a 0.99 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 18 walks, and 122 strikeouts, with the 18 walks his fewest and his 1.8 BB/9 the best in his four seasons. This year Stewart did set career bests for strikeouts, K/9 (13.9), and WAR (7.0), and I am really excited to be able to add the skinny right to our system. A relaxed and confident presence on the mound, Stewart features a plus change, quality splitter, and average fastball which he throws consistently in the low 90s. He also has a curve, although it's likely not going to be a very effective offering, but his stuff is more then good enough to start without it. Walks could turn into an issue, but it's hard to ignore just how good he was on the mound. Of draft eligible pitchers, Stewart ranked 6th in strikeouts and tied for 5th in wins this season, as well as 6th in ERA and 6th in strikeouts overall. Tom thinks he'll end up a spot starter, OSA more mop up or trade bait, but I think he's got a ton of upside, and will end up filling a big league rotation. High school pitchers are always a huge risk, but I think Stewart is going to turn into a very smart pick. 5th Round, 76th Overall: 2B Bill Hunt School: Marquis College 1940: .290/.342/.411, 235 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB Career: .290/.342/.411, 235 PA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB He just got one season at Marquis College, but there is enough I like about Bill Hunt to take a risk on the soon-to-be 22-year-old second basemen. The most recent Mock is also a fan of Hunt, projecting him to be the 6th Pick in the 2nd Round, while OSA thinks he has the skills to make a career in the upper minors. He's athletic and quick, but he's not the most disciplined hitter at the plate. That can be improved with experience, and until he works that out, he may not be much more then an average contact hitter. What is most interesting about Hunt comes from Tom Weinstock, who believes he has the catch and throw skills needed to make it as a catcher. Along with second, he also plays a little left field, but being able to catch as well would be a huge plus for Hunt. I'm not sure where he'll start, La Crosse or San Jose, but that may depend on if I draft a catcher with one of my next few picks (there is one I have my eye on). I want to move Solly Skidmore to San Jose, so if he plays with the Cougars, he's probably not going to get too much time behind the plate. Still, I'd like to see him make at least one start a week there, as having a catcher who can play other positions is a huge luxury. Hunt is one of those "nose to the grindstone" type players, and I love employing hard workers like him in our system. His grit and determination should help him reach his peak, if not push past it, and his all out mentality on the field should rub off on his teammates. Even if he never starts games in the big leagues, I have to imagine his presence in the locker room should really help his teammates, but I think he has the right profile to force his way on to a big league roster. We have two picks in the 6th, two in the 7th, and three in the 8th, so there will be a lot more future Cougars joining the ranks. I have my eye on two position players for my back-to-back 6th, but I imagine I'll go with at least one pitcher in both of the 7th and 8th rounds. There is still a chance to add more picks, but I think all the trading is done. I've been very happy with the draft so far, and other then adding one of Eddie Kincaid or Dick Collins, I've pretty much gotten each guy I wanted. Kincaid, ironically, was taken with the pick I sent to the Dynamos in the Leon Drake trade, while Collins went right after Stewart, and I would have taken Collins had Stewart been selected. Of course, there are others who I would have liked to take that have already been selected, but at least the guys I was directly targeting have been available when I wanted them.

12-30-2021, 03:55 PM	#694
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 6-7 There will be a weekly write up, most likely tonight, but I don't really have time for it right now. It's not because I don't want to write one, we actually had a good week. Plus, I'm a bit behind on the draft write ups, so it worked out rather well. I just made my 9th Round pick when starting this, and we could potentially finish the draft before I finish this writeup. 6th Round, 96th Overall: CF Cy Howard School: Daniel Boone College 1940: .264/.320/.351, 262 PA, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 37 SB Career: .288/.350/.362, 534 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 76 RBI, 37 SB You'll notice a lot of center fielders in this class, as are system was a little weaker in the outfield, so I wanted to add a lot of new fresh faces. At the top, guys like Red Looney, Tommy Sandstorm, Izzy Sevilla, and Oscar Panduro were getting time, and I wouldn't mind one bit giving their at bats to younger, more exciting prospects. The next to join the system is a two year starter at Daniel Boone College, Cy Howard, who had a much better sophomore then junior season. Howard hit .311/.378/.373 last year, and the only real improvement this season was he hit three homers instead of just one. Despite all that, the Mock Draft listed the 22-year-old as the projected 16th Overall Pick. Do I believe he is a first round talent? Not at all! But, that's not to say Howard doesn't have a lot going for him. First, Howard is very versatile, experienced playing all three outfield spots as well as both middle infield spots, and I imagine he wouldn't have too much trouble with first or third either. Second, he's a baseball rat, first one in, last one out, and I love hard workers like that. But most importantly, Cy Howard is from the beautiful city of Chicago, and a huge Cougar fan! Mix all that together, and I think it's about as exciting as you can get for a 6th Round draft pick! Weinstock isn't as excited as me, labeling him a borderline bench player, but he likes his athleticism and thinks he can become a decent hitter. OSA is a bit fonder, expecting him to hit over .300 and they think he could force his way into a lineup if a team is dealing with injuries like we are this season. Howard can probably start in San Jose, but with all the new outfielders joining the system, I'm not quite sure where he'll end up. Of course, he may even start in the infield, or take on a Connie/Jasper Wright role and fill in wherever he is needed. Regardless, I was happy to take Howard, and even if he never makes it to the show, he should be excellent minor league depth and can make our lives a little bit easier. 6th Round, 97th Overall: C Del Branch School: Minnesota Tech 1940: .271/.317/.399, 224 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB Career (HS): .415/.496/.639, 382 PA, 39 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 85 RBI, 16 SB Career (COL): .286/.328/.410, 754 PA, 33 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 127 RBI, 8 SB Directly after the Howard pick, I grabbed my first catcher of the year, Del Branch, who the Mock actually predicted would be our 2nd Round selection. Just like with Howard, I think the Mock over rates him, but there is a lot to like about the three year starter. Originally selected in the 16th Round by the Kings in 1937, Branch made the right decision and instead signed with Minnesota Tech, as he made great strides in college. He always showed power, 5 homers in high school as a sophomore, but he managed to send 16 out of the park for the Lakers, including 7 in a strong freshman year. It was arguably the best of his three seasons, as the Wymore native hit .290/.330/.435 with 13 doubles and 49 RBIs. A little small for a catcher, Branch is just 5'7'', but he's already shown great defensive skills behind the plate, while Tom Weinstock credits his "great heart and effort." OSA likes his glove too, but neither are fans of his hit tool. Branch will get to start his Cougar career in La Crosse, pushing Solly Skidmore up to San Jose, but I expect Branch to split time with one of our three 8th Rounders. He profiles strictly as a backup catcher now, but a catcher with a good glove is extremely valuable. 7th Round, 97th Overall: RHP Fred Thaxton School: Tallmadge State 1940: 8-4, 119.2 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 53 BB, 113 K Career: 16-8, 232.1 IP, 3.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 85 BB, 194 K Leading off the 7th Round is righty Fred Thaxton, who I actually don't think was listed on the mock when I selected him yesterday. Now he is listed as our projected 5th Round selection, and 11th of the twelve pitchers listed on the mock. A two year starter at Tallmadge State, Thaxton put up huge strikeout numbers as a Junior, working to a 8.5 K/9 after a still solid 6.5 as a sophomore. I'm a big fan of his stuff, as his fastball, cutter, and change are all average or better pitches, and even with his command issues, he should be able to strike out a lot of hitters. He doesn't throw too hard for a guy with two fastballs, but he upped his velocity to 86-88 this May, and the more speed he adds, the better his pitches are going to be. Unlike most of the new Cougars, Thaxton doesn't have the greatest makeup, as coaches have had issues with both is mental and physical limitations. I'm hoping with a good clubhouse, we can help correct some of his personality issues, and hopefully have him push past these limitations. This may cap his ceiling, but as a college arm, especially a well developed one, he has a higher floor then most. He's really just a spot or emergency starter, but I could see him being big league ready in just a few seasons. 7th Round, 108th Overall: SS Steve Rosko School: College of Waco 1940: .261/.323/.359, 234 PA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 37 SB Career (HS): .431/.496/.622, 350 PA, 26 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 83 RBI, 63 SB Career (COL): 264/.325/.359, 701 PA, 20 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 102 RBI, 103 SB We continued this run of college draftees with New Orleans' Steve Rosko. Another former King draftee, Rosko was their 14th Round selection in 1937, two rounds before Branch, and he spent his three seasons at the College of Waco. He didn't have the greatest numbers in one of the tougher college conferences, but he's an athletic shortstop who is a quality defender and good baserunner. His hit tools aren't the best, as he'll need to work on improving his pitch selection and situational hitting, but he still looks like an average contact hitter despite it. Fix up a few things with his discipline, and he could become a much better hitter. Rosko profiles as a bench bat now, but he is boosted by his versatility. Along with short, he has gotten time at second, third, and left, and he's a capable defender at all three positions. Still, his bat will hold him back, as he hits too many groundballs and I don't expect him to ever hit many extra base hits. He is listed on the Mock at 4.16, but there is a reason Rosko fell to the 7th Round. He's not the most exciting prospect out there, but he's another high floor, low ceiling utility man who could end up being a very useful depth piece for us. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-31-2021 at 02:06 PM.

12-30-2021, 11:38 PM	#695
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 10: June 10th-June 16th Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 29-30 (t-4th, 9 GB) Stars of the Week Dick Lyons : 2 Wins, 17.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 2.12 ERA Ray Ford : 20 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .350 AVG, 1.050 OPS Milt Fritz : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 6-10: Loss at Sailors (2-3) 6-11: Win at Sailors (5-4) 6-12: Win at Sailors (7-1) 6-14: Loss vs Foresters (8-5) 6-15: Win vs Foresters (0-5) 6-16: Win vs Foresters (2-4) 6-16: Win vs Foresters (1-6) Recap Well would you look at that? A good week! The pitching was pretty tremendous, as for possibly the first time in the history of this dynasty, we had two pitchers in the top performers list! We won both our series' this week, taking two out of three against the Sailors, before working our revenge in Cleveland. We took three of four against the Foresters in Cleveland, the reverse of what they did to us last week in Chicago. We're now almost back to .500, and back within single digits of first place. A few more sims and we're right back in it, but by the reverse, another bad sim or two and it may be time to sell a few pieces. One of those pieces that may be moved is Milt Fritz, who tossed yet another shutout. The 30-year-old vet allowed just 8 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in his second shutout in three starts. He's allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, and discounting his complete meltdown against the Stars, he's allowed 3 or fewer earned runs in his other 9 starts. Dick Lyons got two starts, including a complete game win on his 40th birthday. He allowed 5 hits and 2 runs with a strikeout, picking up his second win of the week. His first was an 8 inning win over the Sailors, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Lyons has been outstanding this year, now 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus made a pair of starts this week, and he looked like the young ace we once thought we had. He struck out 9 in each start, going 16.2 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 6 walks. His BB/9 is down a bit, 5.3 compared to 8.5 as a rookie and 6.6 last year, while his K/9 is a career best 9.2. I'm hoping Papenfus can turn the corner, as he's way too talented to keep struggling. Same goes for Jim Lonardo, who picked up another loss, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings. Harry Parker tossed a gem, 9 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Joe Brown struggled out of the pen, charged with 5 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks, but he did strikeout 3 in 3 innings. John Lawson had just an average week, 8-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs, but he had a lot of help. Ray Ford had another huge week, 7-for-20 with a double, homer, 5 runs, 6 walks, and 2 RBIs. Skipper Schneider continued his great start to his career, 7-for-19 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and 3 walks. Skipper hasn't fielded as well as I expected, but he's hitting an impressive .345/.406/.471 (143 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 14 RBIs, while walking 9 times compared to just a single strikeout. Carlos Montes had a nice return to the lineup, going 7-for-22 with a double, triple, steal, 2 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Leo Mitchell had a decent week, 6-for-21 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Ollie Page had a decent return to the lineup, 7-for-25 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor was just 4-for-18, but with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Leon Drake continued his rough season, just 4-for-23, but with a homer and 4 RBIs. It's been a season to forget for the 31-year-old who is hitting a pitiful .203/.250/.336 (61 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 16 RBIs, while striking out almost four times (27) as much as he walks (8). The offense continues to be inconsistent, but at least this week, we managed to score enough when we needed to. Looking Ahead We start the week with three in Chicago against the second place Wolves. They sit at 38-22 and half a game out of first, and depending on how poorly we play, they may retake first from the Cannons. Joe Hancock and Bernie Johnson have very similar stats, both 8-3 with ERAs of 3.19 (121 ERA+) and 3.10 (124 ERA+). Hancock has 31 walks, 45 strikeouts, and a 1.25 WHIP while Johnson has 20 walks, 23 strikeouts, and a 1.16 WHIP. The Wolves brought up former Cougar Juan Pomales, who has struggled in his first taste of the big leagues. On the mound he's 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts, while at the plate he's hit just .077/.077/.154 (-40 OPS+) with a double and RBI. George Garrison managed to even his record at 6-6 to go with a 3.54 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 27 walks, and 42 strikeouts. At the plate, Charlie Artuso is hitting an impressive .308/.369/.462 (120 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 2 steals, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs. Tom Frederick is hitting a similar .312/.383/.460 (123 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 7 triples, and 18 RBIs. Reginald Westfall is on the DL with a hamstring strain, so Evanston kid Joe Smith is hitting .294/.336/.440 (105 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs in his place. Fred McCormick is continuing his "down" season, hitting a still solid .322/.411/.436 (126 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs. Somehow, the Wolves best hitter has been 8-hitter Clarence Howerton, who's slashing .312/.392/.474 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, and 32 RBIs. Toronto will be a very challenging test, as they are arguably the best team in out league, and unless we wake up soon, are my favorite for the pennant this season. Off again on Thursday, before four in three games with the Sailors. They're still in third, 34-27 and 5 games out of first. Chuck Murphy continued his run of complete games, improving to 6-2 and dropping his ERA to 2.92 (131 ERA+) with a 1.29 WHIP, 21 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Only Walt Wells has been better, 9-3 with a 2.77 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 28 walks, and 39 strikeouts. Dick Walker is still yet to hit a homer, and his .238/.351/.345 (86 OPS+) line is very off brand for him. He does have 12 steals, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 21 RBIs, and 35 walks, but if they want to challenge for a pennant, they'll need him to turn things around. Joe Watson is on pace for a 25-15-15 season, slashing .295/.340/.491 (118 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, and 39 RBIs. Don Homer has done a good job leading their lineup, hitting .310/.367/.417 (108 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 19 RBIs. Philly will be tough, and I think they'll want a little revenge for last week, and I can already see the 0-7 email in my inbox tomorrow morning. Minor League Report RHP Dick Strunk (AAA Milwaukee Blues): No runs. No hits. No errors. Nobody left on. That's what Dick Strunk did in a 3-0 victory over the Toledo Tornados. The 26-year-old was perfect, but let's be honest, it's more that the defense was perfect. He struck out just one, but got 8 ground outs and 18 flyouts, combining for 27 outs in a perfect game. That's now back-to-back shutouts for Strunk, who allowed 4-hits and a walk in another 3-0 win over Columbus. Strunk was struggling a bit before this red hot stretch, but he's 8-4 with a 3.64 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 25 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched. I grabbed him off waivers from the Sailors this offseason, but he was dreadful in his 10 starts with their AAA ballclub last year. With San Francisco he was 4-2, but with a 7.85 ERA (61 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Strunk was added for depth, as I like his three pitch mix. He has a nice low 90s cutter, paired with a decent curve and slider. He has very good control, and even though he has just a 2.8 K/9 this season, he's add really good strikeout numbers in previous seasons. I used his last option this year, so he'll have to impress to earn a pen role next season, but a perfect game should really help his case. RHP Grover Donahue (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Despite being passed on as a replacement for Eddie Quinn, Grover Donahue has gone on a tear. He's tossed three consecutive complete game wins, including a 4-hit, 3-walk shutout over Toledo as the Blues edged the Tornados 2-0. That's after Donahue won a 2-1 and 3-1 game against St. Paul and Toledo again, now 4-5 on the season. The former 2nd Round selection now owns a 3.33 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 38 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 83.2 decent innings across 10 starts. He never got a velocity boost, throwing just 84-86 with his fastball and cutter, as the 25-year-old also mixes in a curve, slider, change, and splitter. He never quite reached his peak, as I expected him to be a decent enough middle of the rotation starter, but now Donahue's future likely lies as a multi inning reliever. He does a great job keeping the ball on the ground, but his stuff isn't all that great. He can eat innings, but I'm not sure those innings will be all that impressive. He turns 26 in September, and I could see him getting a promotion to Chicago as a birthday gift this year. We do have a lot of other options in case of another injury to the pitching staff, but he is arguably pitching the best out of himself, Walker Pearce, Dick Strunk, and Cal Knight. LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Make that two shutouts in four starts for former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson, who allowed 5 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts as Lincoln silenced Terre Haute 9-0. That evened Wilkinson's record at 5-5, but he's been a much better pitcher then his record shows. He has a nice 2.99 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP with 20 walks and 35 strikeouts in 10 quality starts. The 23-year-old is ready for AA, but the only guy I'd demote would be Johnnie Jones, and the last thing I want to do is move him down to Lincoln and make him more angry. Wilkinson currently checks in inside our top 30, ranked 24th in our system and 292nd in the league. The southpaw throws a nice low 90s fastball, the best of his five pitches. He also features a curve, slider, change, and forkball, but none of those four offerings are that impressive. He works best by finesse as opposed to overpowering hitters, but unless he develops an out pitch, Weinstock thinks he may be limited to emergency starts and long relief. His strong command and movement should allow him to limit the longball, but he will need to develop an outpitch or he'll have trouble with big league hitters. 1B Bill Dambreville (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a great week for the 22-year-old first basemen, who went 10-for-19 with 2 homers, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. This was good enough for the Heartland League Player Week, and boosted the former 5th Rounders batting line to an outstanding .344/.413/.503 (152 OPS+) with 17 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 38 RBIs. One of our top prospects, he ranks 11th in the system and 171st overall, and is actually our 4th highest ranked position prospect. A lefty swinger, Dambreville features an above average contact tool, and should end up as a consistent .300 hitter. He has a great eye, walking (26) more then he strikes out (13), and he really bounced back from a rough first season. He hit just .280/.359/.370 (84 OPS+) with 14 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 36 RBIs. The two seasons merged into a respectable .308/.383/.429 (115 OPS+), something I could see him hitting in a full big league season. We don't have much depth at first base, so Dambreville really has no one in his way other then current starter Ray Ford. Ford just turned 29, but I don't think the hard worker is going anywhere soon. He actually has a similar line this season, .307/.353/.454 (122 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, and 26 RBIs. Since Ford is a righty, as he gets older him and Dambreville could turn into an effective platoon pairing, but I'm not sure Dambreville will match the upside of Ford. Still, I'm a big fan of his tools, and I think he could be a modest producer at the big league level.

12-31-2021, 02:18 PM	#696
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 8-10 We finished the draft last night, so before the weekly report, we'll get reports on the five newest Cougars! 8th Round, 113th Overall: RHP Roscoe Brown School: Covington Commit School: Edgemoor 1940: 5-1, 90 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 24 BB, 126 K Career: 18-4, 2 SV, 280.1 IP, 1.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 74 BB, 355 K We broke the long line of college draftees with a prep arm from Kentucky Roscoe Brown. He was Tom Weinstock's top available projected starter left in the pool, and a four year player at Covington. He did mix his time between the rotation and pen, 33 starts and 28 relief outings, and a little like Duke Bybee, wasn't great his first two years before really buckling down as a junior and senior. He had matching 1.24 ERAs and 0.89 WHIPs before setting career bests in innings, strikeouts, WAR (3.9), and K/9 (14.2) as a senior. It is a little concerning he didn't start all his games, but there is still a lot to like about the skinny right that OSA thinks could end up as a spot starter. He has three good pitches, with his fastball and sinker sitting comfortably in the 91-93 range, and his curveball has good bite on it. He should be able to strike out his share of batters, but after a nice 1.7 BB/9 as a freshman, he's been over 2.0 each year since. Walks may develop into an issue, but if he's striking out way more batters then he's giving free passes to, we will be able to live with it. This kid has a lot of upside, but if he's not able to pitch deep into games, we may have to turn him into a short inning reliever. 8th Round, 124th Overall: C Lew Lord School: North Carolina Atlantic 1940: .273/.366/.424, 235 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI, SB Career (HS): .419/.503/.671, 361 PA, 49 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 76 RBI, 20 SB Career (COL): .275/.366/.444, 692 PA, 35 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 118 RBI, 10 SB I alluded to a second drafted catcher in the Del Branch post, and that catcher was Lew Lord. A 19th Round selection by the Dynamos three seasons ago, Lord left Elmer to attend North Carolina Atlantic, where his power really blossomed. Lord hit 8 homers as a freshman and then 6 in the following two seasons, finishing his college career with 20 longballs. The most recent mock listed Lord as a 3rd Rounder, but also seems to really like my draft class. We now have three first rounders, with Hunt 8th, Rich 10th, and James 13th. Then in the 2nd it shows Rosko, Branch, Collins, and Haynes (as well as our next pick) with Don Lee and Cy Howard joining Lord in the 3rd. We have no one in the 4th, but Harry Stewart made his mock debut in the 5th! Sure, the mock means next to nothing, especially with how frequently it changes, but in a stats only environment, any little tidbit of information can help you make decisions. Back to Lord, scouts are a little unsure if he can handle a full workload, but they like his eye and think he can work the count well. Contact may be a bit of an issue, but I do think the 6'2'', 200 pound unit will be able to hit for power. He's got a catcher and first base rating, so a little built in versatility, but that may be a sign that first is his final resting point. Him and Del Branch will split time in La Crosse to start the season, but I may give Lord some time at first as I expect Branch to get a slight majority behind the plate. I think he's more of a bench bat, but OSA thinks "with enough injuries, he can force his way into a lineup." You don't have to tell me about enough injuries... 8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Leo Davis School: Indiana A&M 1940: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB Career: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB I don't believe what the mock believes, but if you believe those mock draft guys, you'd think Leo Davis is a 2nd Round talent. The last of what seems like our 800th center fielder in this draft class, Leo Davis just started one season at the prestigious Indiana A&M. Not sure why he didn't start the last two seasons, no Indiana A&M player was selected last season, but the Glasgow kid was alright in his lone season with the Reapers. He showed great speed, 4 triples and 39 steals, but hit just one homer and had an OPS of just .640. A bit of a groundball hitter, his real talent comes in the field, where he's an above average center fielder as his speed translates to great range on the grass. He may end up an average contact hitter, but he doesn't get enough lift on his quality hits. His elite speed will allow him to beat out a ton of groundballs, but it's hard to make a career on that. I'm thinking he's got everything you want in a 4th outfielder, but if you're stuck starting him with any sort of regularity, you may be better suited scouring the waiver wire for a vet. 9th Round, 140th Overall: RHP Charlie Kelsey School: Lancaster Commit School: Bardney 1940: 8-2, 98 IP, 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 24 BB, 130 K Career: 26-5, 307.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 71 BB, 348 K The reason I qualified "projected starter" in Roscoe Brown's report is because Charlie Kelsey was technically Weinstock's highest rated pitcher still available. Unlike Brown, Kelsey started all 41 games he appeared in at his three seasons with Lancaster, but the skinny right from PA is expected by both scouts to end up just as a reliever. Sure, that's also what they said about Harry Sharp, a regional draftee last season who is 3-8 with a 3.30 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 15 starts with the Pioneers this season, but they might be right about Kelsey. I think it's worth the risk with a 9th Rounder, especially because he was really good last season as a junior. Kelsey went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 23 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 112 effective innings. His stuff isn't that great, with just his mid 80s sinker expected to be a reliable offering. He does roll up a ton of grounders with it, but unless he works more on his fastball and change, I don't think he'll be able to fool hitters for more then just a couple innings. What Kelsey does have that most relievers don't, however, is the ability to put the ball in play. Kelsey hit .465/.507/.813 with 23 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 56 RBIs, and 93 steals as he played both corner outfield spots when he wasn't starting games for the Buckskins. He was a doubles machine this season, hitting 13 in 23 games, the same amount as #1 overall pick Dick Blazek. Interesting enough, the only Cougar draftee with more doubles was fellow pitcher Mel Haynes, who's 17 was less then only Don Burton, Ray Pearce, and first rounder Joe Rutherford. Kelsey does a great job hitting to all fields, and his speed will put pressure on the defense. He's a very useful piece in late game situations, as he can pinch hit for the pitcher and then hop on the mound to finish off a game. We've had some luck in the 9th in the past, including top pitchers Ben Turner and Dean Astle, as well as more recently with decent arms Jim Miller, Art Saunders, John Johnson, and King Price. What do all these guys have in common? They're all pitchers! Interesting enough, including Kelsey, 9 of the last 11 9th Rounders have been pitchers, and I promise that was not on purpose. The other two were catchers, Steve Mountain (who is pretty good himself) and Diego Bernal, who both play with the Commodores. 10th Round, 156th Overall: SS Nick Bryan School: Fenger Commit School: Northern Mississippi 1940: .400/.465/.600, 104 PA, 12 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, SB Career: .427/.495/.645, 438 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 96 RBI, 16 SB Finishing off our large, 16-man human draft class, is a guy who might as well be considered a Chicagoan. Born in Milwaukee and turning 18 tomorrow, "Wacky" moved to Chicago when he was young and attended Fenger where he started all four seasons. He was pretty terrible, I won't lie, but he was a doubles machine, 53 in his four seasons, but he never cracked .440 while hitting just .400 this season. He does have a good eye, with an OBP of .495 or higher in each of his first three seasons, and he managed double digit walks all four years. Still, there is nothing too exciting about his bat, and the glovework is what brought me to Bryan. He's a strong shortstop who can also fill in at second, third, left, and center, so I imagine first and right wouldn't be much of a problem. Bryan is just a filler player now, but he's an athletic 6'2'' teen who has a lot of growing left to go. He's not the most focused, but a good clubhouse should keep him on the right track, and he could exceed the very minimal expectations given to him.

12-31-2021, 07:58 PM	#697
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 11: June 17th-June 23rd Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 33-33 (6, 8 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 27 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .481 AVG, 1.422 OPS Harry Mead : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .438 AVG, .938 OPS Dick Lyons : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.00 ERA Schedule 6-17: Loss vs Wolves (9-5): 12 innings 6-18: Loss vs Wolves (10-1) 6-19: Win vs Wolves (3-5) 6-21: Win vs Sailors (1-2) 6-22: Win vs Sailors (2-5): 10 innings 6-23: Win vs Sailors (2-3): 10 innings 6-23: Loss vs Sailors (4-2) Recap Well, well, well! Welcome back to .500! We managed to even our record up and cut a game on the division lead, but despite that, we fell all the way down to 6th, as both the New York teams have caught fire and leapfrogged us and the Sailors. We did the damage to the Sailors, taking three of four, but two of the games were one run win and two were in extra innings. That doesn't help our case for competing, and neither does getting crushed in two of three against the Wolves. Good thing we have John Lawson, who carried our offense in the week. Lawson pushed his average up close to .400, 13-for-27 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. That was good enough for our first Player of the Week, but Lawson has really been Player of the season. "Jack the Ripper" is ripping an outstanding .398/.450/.571 (182 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 6 homers, and 47 RBIs. He's already worth 4.1 wins above replacement, and he's on pace for a career best season. Lawson has been the model of consistency, positing OPS+ of 133-143 in each of the past six seasons, but he's really exploded this year. It's even better then both of his MVP seasons, where Lawson hit .392/.442/.613 (165 OPS+) and .359/.406/.502 (147 OPS+). I wasn't kidding Lawson was carrying the lineup, as no other Cougar with 5 or more games had an above average season. The closest was Ollie Page, who went 6-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple, steal, RBI, and 3 runs scored. We did have a good week from Harry Mead, who went 7-for-16 with a double and run scored. Rich Langton was 4-for-11 with 3 runs scored while Bobby Mills was 2-for-8 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Ray Ford had a rough go at it, just 2-for-25 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. He's been outstanding the past few weeks, so it's not the biggest concern as long as he gets right back on track next week. Carlos Montes also came back to earth, just 2-for-17 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored. We can't be the John Lawson team if we want to do well next week, so we need someone else to pick up the slack. Jim Lonardo continued his terrible season, losing both his starts and falling to 4-10. He went 13.1 innings with 22 hits, 13 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Most of our rotation have done really well, but he has a poor 4.73 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 19 walks, and 41 strikeouts. Lucky for us, Dick Lyons ages like a fine wine, tossing a complete game with just 4 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus had another good start, tossing a 10 inning complete game with 6 hits, 2 runs, 6 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Yes, the 6 walks are a little concerning, but I can live with a 5.3 BB/9 if it's paired with a 8.9 K/9. Milt Fritz had a decent start, 7 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks in another complete game win of his own. Harry Parker ate a ton of innings, tossing a 11 inning complete game and 10 inning complete game. He won the 11 and lost the 10, allowing 19 hits, 7 runs, and 8 walks with 8 strikeouts. Rusty Watts looked good out of the pen, 4.2 innings with 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. Pug Bryan, however, struggled in his first opportunity as stopper, allowing 4 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in just two third of an inning. His ERA ballooned to 4.30 from 1.93, and his WHIP rose up to 1.64. Looking Ahead We reached the in game draft, and Rounds 11-25 will be simmed in our next sim Monday. On the field, we start with the still first place Cannons, who are now 41-25 and tied for first with the Wolves. It's a weird series, two games, an off day, then another game. We'll likely get to see the first career start of former #1 Overall Pick Vic Carroll, who is rumored to be called up from AAA Indianapolis. If he pitches in game two, it will be on his 22nd birthday after going 7-2 with a 3.48 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 37 walks, and 65 strikeouts in what could be his only 13 AAA starts. Carroll could end up as one of the game's elite arms, and is currently ranked as the #2 prospect in all of baseball. He has outstanding stuff, featuring a devastating splitter and a high 80s cutter and fastball. He has great command as well, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't have a nice and long big league career. He'll join an impressive rotation, with the hero somehow being the 28-year-old Butch Smith. He's 8-4 with a 2.37 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 37 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 102.1 excellent innings. William Jones has cooled off a bit, but still an effective 7-5 with a 3.25 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 32 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Fred Galloway has cooled off a lot, and the 24-year-old is now hitting just .293/.381/.426 (119 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 8 triples, a homer, and 34 RBIs. Of course, Moxie Pidgeon hasn't slowed down at all, slashing .340/.384/.566 (155 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 54 RBIs. 8 more homers and Cincinnati will now be the 5th team Moxie Pidgeon has hit 20 homers for. Doc Love is having a nice little resurgence at 31, hitting .301/.357/.477 (125 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, and 24 RBIs. If we can shut those three down, we'll have a chance to win the series, but Frank Covarrubias (111 OPS+) and Jack Flint (105 OPS+) are also having decent seasons of their own. This will be another tough series, but I like our chances in this one as the Cannons have started to cool off a bit. After the Cannons series, we welcome their GM's former team the Brooklyn Kings. Brooklyn has caught fire, now up to 3rd at 35-31. They are still 6 out of first, but have won nine of their last ten. I'm hoping we can cool them down, but it will be tough. Brooklyn seems to have a knack for developing outfielders, with Joe Herman the next in line. A former lottery selection, Herman is hitting .366/.407/.604 (168 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 26 RBIs. He's done a lot better then Al Wheeler, who has an adjusted league average .250/.327/.421 with 12 doubles, 9 homers, and 31 RBIs. The rest of the lineup has struggled, but Tiny Tim Hopkins has looked good in his 25 big league games. The not-so-tiny 6'5'' lefty is slashing .307/.364/.511 (133 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 homers, and 15 RBIs. They've pitched pretty well despite Tom Barrell's continued struggles. He's just 4-9 with a 5.00 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 38 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Art White has been outstanding in his place, 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 22 walks, and 29 strikeouts. So has former Cougar farmhand Stumpy Beaman, 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 18 walks, and 26 strikeouts. I do think we're the better team, but we seemed to have caught them at the worst time. Minor League Report LHP Harl Haines (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It's been an up and down season for the 22-year-old, and after a 9 run start, he went ahead and shutout the Warriors. Fort Wayne got just 5 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts and improved to 6-8 on the season. He now has a 3.95 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 32 walks, and 59 strikeouts in his first 15 starts with the Blues. The fire-balling submariner hasn't pitched well enough to take a roster spot yet, but I know the former 10th Rounder will be protected before the Rule-5 Draft. I love his stuff and he does an outstanding job locating all four of his pitches. Weinstock thinks he should "fill a regular rotation spot, although probably closer to the bottom," and I tend to agree with him. He currently ranks 9th in our system and 136th overall, one spot below the now injured Joe Crosby. I expect him to jump ahead before the end of the season, and he does have a chance to crack the top 100. Haines is probably one of the most interesting prospects we have, but since he's actually older then Peter the Heater, it may be tough for him to find a long-term home in our rotation. RHP Lou Eaker (A Lincoln Legislators): In a game that needed ten innings to decide, Lou Eaker was flawless. He needed to be, as it took that many innings for us to score, but Eaker ended up with a 10-inning, complete game shutout. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-4 with the Legislators. He owns a nice 3.27 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 31 walks, and 27 strikeouts across 63.1 innings pitched. The 22-year-old ranks 6th in our organization and currently 61st overall. Last year's 5th Rounder has a polished four pitch mix, featuring an excellent splitter, decent mid 80s cutter and fastball, and a developing change. That pitch may never be all that reliable, but the other three are very consistent and he gets plenty of movement on them. When he's on he's unhittable, but his command can occasionally desert him for stretches. I expect he'll end up throwing harder, as he's a strong 6'5'' righty who has already proved he can pitch deep into games. I think he has the tools to fill in as a mid-rotation starter, although OSA thinks more of a 5th starter. I think that's his floor, but he still has ways to go before he finds himself in a big league rotation.

01-03-2022, 02:20 PM	#698
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 12: June 24th-June 30th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 36-36 (6th, 10 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 23 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .304 AVG, .819 OPS Carlos Montes : 19 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .263 AVG, .970 OPS John Lawson : 24 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .292 AVG, .721 OPS Schedule 6-24: Loss vs Cannons (9-6) 6-25: Loss vs Cannons (12-6) 6-27: Win vs Cannons (5-7) 6-28: Loss vs Kings (8-3) 6-29: Win vs Kings (3-4) 6-30: Win vs Kings (1-3) Recap Well, hello old friend! Back to a 3-3 week! The Cannons took two out of three from us as they returned to the top of the league, and then we took two of three from the red hot Kings to finish June. Off for the first day of July, and even though we had a pretty lame month (16-14), it was a month to remember for John Lawson. Lawson hit .364/.414/.576 with 13 doubles, 4 homers, and 25 RBIs. Interesting enough, this actually dropped his season line to an outstanding .388/.442/.554 (174 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 6 homers, and 50 RBIs. He's on a nearly 9 WAR pace in what could be the best season of "Jack the Ripper's" Hall of Fame career. Lawson's week was just average, 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, a run, and 3 RBIs. The bench players did well, with Orlin Yates, Johnny McDowell, Rich Langton, and Bobby Mills combining to go 7-for-17 with 3 doubles, 7 walks, and 8 RBIs. Harry Mead had a nice week, 3-for-9 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a power surge, 5-for-19 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 4 walks, 6 runs, and a steal. I was shocked Skipper Schneider didn't take home Rookie of the Week, as he finished a nice June 6-for-17 with a pair of walks and runs scored. He hit .315/.378/.427 with 5 doubles, a triple, homer, 9 walks, and 12 RBIs in 98 trips to the plate. The 19-year-old is now hitting an impressive .317/.372/.429 (121 OPS+) in his first 37 FABL games. As usual, we need to hit better if we want to win games, and now three months in, we are running out of opportunities. On the mound we didn't do so well, but no one faired worse then Pug Bryan. He was basically lights out all season, but the last three outings have been beyond awful. He appeared in just one game this week, recording only two outs with 6 hits, a walk, and 7 runs. He's gotten a loss in each of his last three outings, 5.1 with 15 hits, 15 runs (13 earned), and 6 walks. Harry Parker also had a rough outing, an out a way form a complete game loss with 12 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), and 6 strikeouts. Pete Papenfus picked up a complete game win, but was a bit shaky, allowing 8 hits, 5 runs, and 6 walks with 4 strikeouts. Milt Fritz made two starts, winning one and losing one. He threw 15.1 innings with 11 hits, 11 runs (5 earned), 9 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Three errors cost him his start against the Cannons, and we should have won that game 6-4. Dick Lyons also made two starts, picking up a win and a no decision. He got one out more then Fritz, and allowed 12 hits, 6 runs, and 7 walks with 4 strikeouts. A little bad news on the injury front, as Billy Hunter's recovery is now unknown. He strained his elbow a bit over a month ago, and was supposed to be healthy for this coming sim. Instead, he'll start his rehab no sooner then the All-Star break. Hunter was off to a slow start in the field, sporting a poor .891 fielding percentage, -4.2 zone rating, and .882 efficiency. He wasn't much better with the bat, hitting just .286/.330/.378 (96 OPS+) as Skipper Schneider has outperformed him both at the plate and in the field. That doesn't mean Hunter is out of a job, he's definitely more talented then the teen, but Hunter's rehab will happen at second and he'll man the keystone once he returns. Lastly, there is the draft, and while most of our top picks need to be signed, a few already crack the top 500. 6th Rounder and at one point 1st Round mock draftee Cy Howard ranks 21st in our system and 263rd overall while 7th Rounder Fred Thaxton ranks 42nd and 440th. I do have to sign each player picked in the first five rounds, as well as 8th Rounder Roscoe Brown and 9th Rounder Charlie Kelsey. I then have impossible guys in the 14th, 15th, 17th, and 19 Round and don't plan on signing any of them. I will release a full AI draft post later covering the guys selected in the 11th to 25th Rounds. Looking Ahead The week ahead is crazy, as we have a pair of double headers in the last week before the All Star Break. The only team we don't have a double header against this week is the first, as we get just two games in New York with the Stars. They are in third at 37-34, but way closer to us (1.5 GA) then the first place Cannons (8.5 GB). The Stars have recently debuted #47 prospect Lou Robertson, and the 25-year-old could not have asked for a better start to his young career. He took (rightfully so) Rookie of the Month from Skipper, going a perfect 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA (218 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 6 walks, and 9 strikeouts. I don't think we'll see him, but instead the team's qualified ERA leader in Chuck Cole. He is 5-7 with a 3.31 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 32 walks, and 45 strikeouts. We'll also get Dixie Lee, who has now completely came apart after really heating up. The inconsistent 27-year-old is now 4-9 with a 4.87 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 35 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Dave Trowbridge is now healthy once again, and the game's oldest player is hitting .319/.368/.454 (122 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 homers, and 22 RBIs. Right behind him is former #4 Overall Pick Bill Barrett, who is slashing an impressive .325/.369/.500 (134 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, and 50 RBIs with a nice 19-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He doesn't lead the team in homers and shares the RBI lead with Chink Stickels, who is hitting .284/.339/.466 (116 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 5 steals and 8 home runs. That 3-4-5 is as dangerous as it gets, plus they have Ray Cochran leading off, batting a comfortably above average .307/.370/.468 (128 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 9 triples, 3 steals, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs. This will be a tough series, but a sweep here could move us back up to 3rd in the division. The third series is four games in three days with the Kings, who we just took two of three from in Chicago. That dropped them to 37-35 and 9 games behind the Cannons. The Kings have the worst team batting average in the CA, with only 24-year-old Joe Herman hitting above .280. His .360/.401/.640 (174 OPS+) line is truly remarkable, and he's supplemented it with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 32 RBIs. He's getting some help from the batter behind him, Tim Hopkins, who is hitting .279/.333/.481 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. Harry Barrell is having a bit of a struggle at the plate and in the field, with a "drop" in defense to a 10.8 zone rating and 1.083 efficiency. The drop at the plate has been larger, hitting just .274/.312/.351 (77 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, and 22 RBIs. Stumpy Beaman continues his breakout season, leading the CA with a 2.32 ERA (167 ERA+). He's made 11 starts and gone 7-4 with a 1.06 WHIP, 24 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Eddie Hite is on a nice two start run, a single earned run in each of his last two starts. The 36-year-old is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA (194 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts in a surprisingly impressive return to the mound. At the top of the rotation is 28-year-old Art White, who's been outstanding, 8-4 with a 2.92 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 28 walks, and 32 strikeouts. We can really end the first half on a high note with a commanding series win, but it may be a tough ask for our group of misfits. Minor League Report LHP Ralph Kendall (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite being used strictly as a reliever since 1938, Ralph Kendall will start to get some starts. Tom Weinstock now thinks he projects as a starter, not borderline starter or reliever as he has in the past, as Kendall has seemed to have received a lot of talent boosts. Since the start of last season, Kendall's velocity has gone from 88-90 to 94-96 with four boosts, including one last month. Discounting a 19 inning stint with Lincoln last season, Kendall has been nothing short of elite out of the pen, but perhaps there is once again hope for the 5th Rounder to become a decent rotation arm. All 14 of his appearances with Mobile have came out of the pen, but he's 2-0 with 5 saves, a 2.75 ERA (170 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts. The prospect pickers have also started giving him some props, moving him way up to 25th in our system and 328th overall, despite being almost completely absent from them in his first four seasons. The 5'7'' sinkerballer has turned into a rather overpowering arm, with excellent velocity and a knack for generating grounders. His splitter is a very nice pitch, and his two change ups are average pitches. When he's on he's nearly unhittable, but every so often he'll lose control and allow a longball. Tom thinks he has "very few flaws in his delivery" which "should have him as average or above in all categories." I think this may be a bit generous, but it's hard to argue that when he's pitched so well. Starting games will be a huge test, as OSA still thinks he's best out of the pen, but with room in the Milwaukee rotation, I moved Johnny Ruby up to give Kendall a start every six days. LHP John Johnson (B San Jose Cougars): After not allowing a run in a 7.2 inning start against Bakersfield, John Johnson took it to the next level, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the only team with a better record then San Jose, the Salem Warriors. He walked one and struck out one, and has only allowed a single run in his last three starts. The 21-year-old Chicagoan is now 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 22 walks, and 25 strikeouts across 84.1 innings pitched. A polished three pitch starter, Johnson has snuck in to the top 500, ranking 489th overall and 45th in our system. He has good stuff, featuring a solid change, decent curve, and reliable high 80s fastball. His control in San Jose last year was shaky, as Johnson had a 4.8 BB/9 in 94.1 innings, but he's dropped that all the way down to 2.3 this season. This is huge for him, as command is his big weakness right now. His stuff is solid and he has the pitches needed to start big league games, so command of those pitches will really help him work his way into a potential rotation spot. Johnson is far from a sure thing, and his future will rely on more hope then faith in his abilities, but the Chicagoan will continue to work on his dream of pitching for his hometown team. Attached Images

01-04-2022, 02:44 AM	#699
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 11-25 11th Round, 168th Overall: RHP Chet Williams School: Clifton Heights 1940: 6-3, 90.2 IP, 1.89 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 14 BB, 82 K Career: 31-9, 397 IP, 2.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 110 BB, 373 K I love Tom Weinstock, but he did not get me enough pitchers. Chet Williams is one of just three pitchers he selected, and one of two that isn't impossible to sign. Plus, Williams just isn't really good, and definitely not what you want from the always helpful 11th Round pick. Sure, Williams was a four year starter at Clifton Heights, but the stats aren't too exciting and he's only projected to be a bullpen arm. He has an 89-91 cutter, which should be a decent pitch, but the curve and change don't inspire too much confidence. He doesn't overpower people with his stuff, doesn't rely on his command, and has the occasional homer issue. I'm actually really excited to see all the pitchers teams release, as we are desperate for arms in La Crosse to fill out in case of injury. Williams is only staying because we don't have any better options, but I can't imagine he'll ever tally many innings. 12th Round, 187th Overall: RF Bobby Charles School: Sayerville 1940: .434/.504/.657, 116 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB Career: .469/.532/.697, 508 PA, 54 2B, 10 3B, 9 HR, 122 RBI, 49 SB A giant, 6'4'' lefty, Tom actually thinks he could end up as a decent fourth outfielder. He's a bit of a free swinger who needs better control of the strike zone, and doesn't have the power needed from a corner player. He's just 17, 18 tomorrow, so he could end up developing into a better player, but for now he'll have to rely on getting the occasional pinch hit opportunity. It's already working out well, he's 1-for-1, and he's got a nice spunky, can-do attitude that may endear himself to his teammates, and make him a clubhouse favorite. 13th Round, 204th Overall: LHP Tom Irwin School: Ferguson 1940: 5-5, 95.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 51 BB, 79 K Career: 5-5, 95.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 51 BB, 79 K The only other pitcher to sign, Tom Irwin is one of the rare college pitchers who's a current bullpen arm but future starter. Add in the fact that he's a one year starter with lackluster numbers, and you can tell why no human decided he was worth a pick. Granted, he's seen as fearless and durable and an organizational favorite, so perhaps he'll be a nice part of our clubhouses until he eventually ages out. The left sits in the mid 80s and actually has decent enough stuff. He has a decent slider and plus change, but his fastball isn't that great yet. Command issues may hurt him, but he could be just what we need as organizational pen fodder. 14th Round, 219th Overall: CF Chief White School: Elverson Commit School: Portland Tech 1940: .420/.473/.536, 131 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 30 RBI, 10 SB Career: .420/.482/.612, 472 PA, 47 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 107 RBI, 24 SB A guy named Chief who hit .420 as a senior and .420 for his career!?!? Sign me up! Oh wait, he's committed to Portland Tech? Well, I think this Chief will enjoy cheifing is college! A native of Indiana, he could end up being a regional selection of ours, but tools wise he really has no real future to speak of. He does have a decent command of the strike zone, but right now he doesn't really have much of a shot. A lot of impossible guys have gone on to get selected in the first ten rounds, perhaps like Eddie Kincaid or Dick Collins, and I'm hoping for him that's what happens. 15th Round, 235th Overall: RF Frank Proctor School: Granite City Commit School: Cowpens State 1940: .406/.475/.604, 119 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 SB Career: .414/.493/.602, 506 PA, 46 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 112 RBI, 14 SB He actually went to school in Illinois, but don't expect him to become a Cougar. He's a bit outspoken, and will hopefully turn things around at Cowpens State. The four year starter is a towering 6'6'', 205 pound righty, but it hasn't created much power for him. He does have an average eye and takes his fair share of pitches, but he doesn't protect enough when down in the count. He thinks he's a star, those around him don't, but three years in college could serve him well. 16th Round, 251st Overall: 2B Bob Griffen School: South Park 1940: .431/.472/.612, 128 PA, 12 2B, 3 3B, HR, 27 RBI, 11 SB Career: .461/.504/.654, 489 PA, 53 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 113 RBI, 60 SB A four year starter in an animated TV show, Griffen was great as a freshman, but never matched his .486/.540/.716 line. A strict second basemen, he'll turn 18 in a week or so, but will need to up his game to earn a roster spot. I don't think I'll cut him now, but it may be tough for him to spend more then a season in our system. He does have a decent contact tool, and hopefully we can work that out for him, but I wouldn't be surprised if you never see Griffen on this forum again. 17th Round, 267th Overall: RHP Milt Burch School: Franklin Commit School: Shenandoah Valley State 1940: 3-2, 61.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 21 BB, 42 K Career: 3-2, 61.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 21 BB, 42 K Yes, this is a high schooler with an ERA above 3... You can see why I'm letting him go to college! Burch didn't even start all his games, just 8 of 13, and he's a soft tosser who likely will never end up starting games. But hey, college could work wonders! 18th Round, 283rd Overall: LF Hippo Carney School: North Brookfield 1940: .402/.422/.516, 129 PA, 11 2B, HR, 31 RBI, SB Career: .405/.451/.569, 493 PA, 48 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 109 RBI, 17 SB A four year starter at North Brookfield, Carney's career high average was .421 and he only topped a .600 slugging once. After a three homer Freshman year, he hit just three more and corner players need to hit for power. He's lucky I have exactly 50 players at this moment in La Crosse, so I had no need to cut him. Of course, I have nine players to sign to bonuses, and that likely means nine cuts. I'm not sure that Hippo, as he does have a cool name, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if he doesn't survive the season. 19th Round, 299th Overall: CF Curt Brooks School: Chatham Commit School: Marquis College 1940: .412/.454/.588, 111 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 27 SB Career: .425/.474/.600, 43 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 97 RBI, 75 SB A four year starter at Chatham, Curt Brooks will spent the next three seasons at Marquis College instead of La Crosse. He was a decent as a freshman, and hit .461/.520/.742 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 14 steals, and 25 RBIs with 10 walks and just one strike out. In fact, he struck out only 10 times, so perhaps Brooks could be a star for the Minutemen. He doesn't really put the ball in play either, hitting a lot of groundballs, and while he's got some speed, it's not enough for too many extra base hits. 20th Round, 315th Overall: 2B Bobo Shafer School: Hillsboro 1940: .418/.484/.691, 124 PA, 12 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB Career: .404/.485/.697, 475 PA, 41 2B, 19 3B, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 71 SB Another cool name! The 18-year-old doesn't have a positional rating, so that's a bad sign already, but I'm hoping that's why he fell. Of course, it's also the 20th Round, and 20th Rounders' don't really do things, and this four year starter wasn't very great. Like a lot of these late picks, he managed to hit sub .400 in a season, so that's a huge red flag right off the bat. He's fast, so he may get some time as a pinch runner, but he doesn't make nearly enough contact to get much time pinch hitting. Filler for now, and the only thing helping him is the name. 21st Round, 331st Overall: CF Johnny Kirtz School: Altavista 1940: .413/.456/.595, 139 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 13 SB Career: .423/.491/.654, 493 PA, 52 2B, 10 3B, 8 HR, 109 RBI, 60 SB 18 in December, Kirtz is very young for his age. Despite his young age, his best season was as a 15-year-old sophomore where he hit .452/.538/.702 with 10 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 24 RBIs. Interesting enough, he homered 5 times as a 14-year-old, but never matched that impressive power, just a single homer in each of the next three seasons. His walks fell off a cliff as a junior, and that's when his productions started to dip. He can play all three outfield spots, and actually has a decent enough combination of bat speed and barrel control. 22nd Round, 347th Overall: RF Ira Harleston School: Lincoln 1940: .388/.469/.653, 114 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, SB Career: .393/.481/.607, 488 PA, 47 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 109 RBI, 17 SB This guy never hit .400 in a season. Yikes! I expect his stay in the organization will last a day. He did hit 11 homers in four seasons, so that's not terrible, but he's a corner bat who needs to hit for more power. 23rd Round, 363rd Overall: C Don Brown School: Malden 1940: .387/.448/.514, 128 PA, 11 2B, HR, 23 RBI, SB Career: .410/.492/.609, 483 PA, 48 2B, 10 3B, 4 HR, 95 RBI, 37 SB First of two catchers in the last three picks, Don Brown seems like a captain type player who challenges his teammates to be better. That is likely his best characteristic, as he doesn't have much of a bat. Spare catchers are nice, and none of my unsigned picks are catchers, so the only reason Brown will be cut is if I need room for pitchers, not hitters. He could be good to have around, and will turn 18 in 10 days. 24th Round, 379th Overall: CF Hugh Oubre School: Tacoma 1940: .390/.434/.675, 139 PA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 18 SB Career: .393/.463/.675, 479 PA, 39 2B, 22 3B, 10 HR, 101 RBI, 95 SB A tiny center fielder, Hugh Oubre didn't do much impressing in high school. He is a bit versatile, experience in all three outfield spots, first, and second, but the bat isn't all that great. He might last the cuts, but I got a lot of good new outfielders added to the system. 25th Round, 395th Overall: C Pete Breen School: Chesapeake State 1940: .247/.284/.286, 287 PA, 8 2B, HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB Career: .247/.284/.286, 287 PA, 8 2B, HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB Born in Canada, Pete Breen was our last addition to the 1940 class. He's in the same situation as Don Brown, as he has no additional competition. With the expanded roster, he can survive the initial cuts. He started just one season for the Clippers, but Chesapeake State plays in one of the toughest college conferences. Tom loves his defense, always a good thing for a catcher, and he's already appeared in a game. He went 0-1 off the bench in a loss, but Breen is officially a pro player. 25th Rounders tend to not pan out, and our 1937 guy Leon Stone never even appeared in a minor league game. He's wasting away on the Wichita Rustlers reserve roster. None of ours in the human era have gotten a big league appearance, but no Cougar 25th Rounders have ever debuted in the FABL.

01-04-2022, 04:20 PM	#700
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 13: July 1st-July 7th Weekly Record: 7-2 Seasonal Record: 43-38 (3rd, 6.5 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 32 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .375 AVG, .819 OPS Milt Fritz : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 4 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA Jim Lonardo : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA Schedule 7-1: Win at Stars (4-1) 7-2: Loss at Stars (0-1) 7-3: Win at Saints (13-5) 7-4: Win at Saints (8-1) 7-4: Win at Saints (11-8) 7-5: Win at Kings (7-1) 7-6: Loss at Kings (4-5) 7-7: Win at Kings (8-6) 7-7: Win at Kings (2-1) Recap Well now... Would you look at that! A pretty impressive 7-2 week and all of a sudden the Cougars are five games over .500! We got a one run win, had a few high scoring ones as well, and are back up to third. All Star Game rosters were announced, with a pair of Cougars being selected to the game. Those would be two of the elder statesman of the game, John Lawson and Dick Lyons. Lawson will start the game at third after hitting .373/.428/.531 (164 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 7 homers, and 56 RBIs. This was his 7th selection to the game, and another well deserved nod. I was stunned that Fritz didn't get in while Lyons did, but the 40-year-old was a nice 10-3 with a 3.20 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 32 walks, and 19 strikeouts. It was his fourth selection to the game, as time refuses to slowdown the lefty. Fritz was much better, 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA (158 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 45 walks, and 33 strikeouts. Unfortunately the game doesn't select many pitchers for the game, but I still think Fritz should have found a way in. He was outstanding on the mound this week too, a pair of one-run complete game victories. He allowed 13 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts, and had to pitch on three days rest for his second start. Jim Lonardo had a similar week, a pair of one-run complete game victories of his own while allowing 16 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Our third two start starter was Harry Parker, and while he didn't have any 1-run victories, he did win both his starts. They weren't great, 17 innings with 22 hits, 11 runs, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts as his ERA is rising towards 4. Pete Papenfus left his second start with a sore ankle after just a single pitch, but his first start was impressive. He went 8 with 5 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, and an unearned run. Joe Brown relieved him in the injury start, it was one of his two outings, and combined to go 7.2 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons had a tough final start of the first half, 6.2 innings with 11 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. More struggles for Pug Bryan, losing his fourth straight game and allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 innings. All three runs came off homers, and I have no idea why Pug decided to fall off. There was a lot of rotation in the lineup this week, but the best of the bunch was likely Rich Langton. He was 5-for-14 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Carlos Montes was 8-for-25 with 2 doubles, 2 steals, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, and 6 runs scored. Ray Ford went 12-for-32 with 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Leo Mitchell was 8-for-29 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 5 walks, runs, and RBIs. Orlin Yates was just 4-for-16, but with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. Our catchers did really struggle, and combined to go 7-for-37 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, and 3 RBIs. It wasn't the best week with the bats, but definitely a notable improvement as we had one of our best weeks in a while. We will also get Billy Hunter back next week, barring another injury, as he'll head to Milwaukee to play second for the Blues. When he returns to Chicago, I'll ease him back in, so Ollie Page will continue to get some starts. He's looked good at second, working to a 3.1 zone rating and 1.068 efficiency, but the 30-year-old is hitting just .232/.335/.329 (85 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 19 RBIs in 185 trips to the plate. That's actually more then last year, where he got into 59 games, but he's started all but four of the 48 he's played in this season. Another Cougar returning is Art Black, who was released by the Cannons to make room for Vic Carroll. Burger Black wasn't all that great in his 12.1 innings, 1-0 with a 6.57 ERA (58 ERA+), 1.95 WHIP, 10 walks, and a strikeout. Walks have always been an issue for the former 5th Rounder I once thought was Art Blake, and in 77.2 big league innings he has 69 walks (8.0). Even when he was dominant in the pen with the Blues the last two seasons, he walked 118 in 241.2 innings (4.4). Since Black is out of options and on a major league deal, I can either release him, place him on the active roster, or waive him. I decided on the latter, although I don't think he will get claimed. A few of our draft picks have signed, and while we are still waiting on Mel Haynes, we do have a new member of the top 100 list. That would be June's first pick, lefty Duke Bybee, who checks in at 7th in our system and 72nd Overall. That gives us 8 top 100 prospects, but we've now dropped from 3rd to 5th. Part is due to Joe Quade of the Keystones, now 10th and right behind Donnie Jones, and former Cougar draftee Tucker Ness, who ranks 49th for the Pioneers. I'm hoping Mel Haynes ranks above Bybee once he signs, but we do have a few more guys in the top 500. Fellow 4th Rounder Jimmie James ranks 9th and 126th, 2nd Rounder Don Lee 12th and 161st, and 8th Rounder Roscoe Brown 23rd and 265th. Cy Howard and Fred Thaxton are still ranked, but now 25th and 290th and 46th and 464th respectively. Thaxton may end up falling out, as there are still a decent amount of unsigned draftees around the league that should warrant a top 500 spot. We are still waiting on Haynes, 3rd Rounder Bill Rich, 5th Rounder Harry Stewart, and 9th Rounder Charlie Kelsey, but I expect all four to sign tomorrow. Looking Ahead Our next game is on Thursday against Cleveland, with an off day on both sides of it. The second of two is on Saturday, as we start the second half of the season with the last place 28-52 Foresters. It's been a tough season in Cleveland, who is now without a GM, which may mean that guys like Dave Rankin will stay in Ohio. Rankin is 7-8 with a 2.98 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 41 walks, and 37 strikeouts. He didn't get an All Star selection, which would have been his second, but that hasn't stopped him from pitching well. Dean Astle, however, has started to struggle, now 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 43 walks, and 43 strikeouts. They did have an All Star, third basemen Mel Carrol, who has hit an impressive .362/.409/.472 (134 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 8 homers, and 42 RBIs. He'll be joined by Lou Balk, who hit .293/.321/.498 (115 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, and 32 RBIs. He may be one of the few to strike out more then Leo Mitchell, with 70 to just 13 walks. This is exactly what we need to get started off the right foot, but anything less then a sweep would be a bit disappointing. We then finish the week with the first of three in Philly. The Sailors are now 43-40 and tied for fourth. They're led by Walt Wells, who is having a great season atop their rotation. The now 2-Time All Star is 11-5 with a 2.81 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 45 walks, and 50 strikeouts in his 18 starts. Chuck Murphy has 4 less starts, but is an impressive 8-3 with a 2.76 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 26 walks, and 21 strikeouts. The defense has been the best in the league, really helping the top two, but vets Doc Newell and Herb Flynn have had their struggles. At the plate, Dick Walker is coming back a bit, slashing .253/.363/.420 (108 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 13 steals, and 33 RBIs. He's one of three average or better hitters, but both Joe Watson (100) and Rip Lee (102) haven't been much above average. Bob Smith has really cooled down, seeing his season line fall to .301/.336/.416 (99 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 23 RBIs. We've done well against the Sailors this year, but the best part of this week is that even if we go 0-3, we're still over .500! Minor League Report LF Oscar Panduro (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's fighting for his playing time right now, but a Player of the Week award definitely helps his cause. The 26-year-old from Chicago finished the week 11-for-23 with a homer and 9 RBIs to improve his season line to .363/.404/.596 (159 OPS+). Panduro has 20 extra base hits, 10 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homers with 23 RBIs, 9 walks, and not a single strikeout in 36 games with the Blues. He started the year in Mobile, and walked 5 times without striking out in 25 games there, despite 19 strikeouts in 90 games last season with the Commodores. The lack of strikeouts is nice, but the former 10th Rounder will need to do more then that to keep getting regular playing time or get his contract purchased. His defense has slipped a bit too, as he used to be able to handle center and a few infield spots, but now only has positional ratings and left, right, and first. This hurts his versatility and usefulness off the bench, but Panduro puts in long hours and is brilliant both on and off the field. His teammates love him too, and he's the perfect influence even if he's not much of a leader. Still, Panduro has always been good with the bat, never posting a below average OPS+ at any stint in the minors. He'll need a lock to break his way if he wants to be an FABL regular, but with a little luck, he could pick up a September callup. It will be tough for him to maintain a 40-man spot, but for a 10th Round Pick, even just one FABL game would be a dream come true. LF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): It was a crazy, 17-inning affair between La Crosse and Burlington, where the Lions overtook the Bears 6-5. Harry Harris was instrumental in the win, going 5-for-8 with a double, RBI, and a pair of runs scored. The switch hitting corner player hasn't had the best season, hitting just .305/.361/.407 (91 OPS+), but I hope this big game can help him start turn things around. He added 20 doubles, a triple, steal, homer, and 41 RBIs, and the former 7th Rounder has been a bit below average out in left. With all the new draftees joining the system, he's probably going to move around the field a bit. Harris won't have to worry about losing at bats, however, and he still ranks 22nd in our system and 257th overall. He has a real nice contact tool that should allow him to hit for a high average, and he will likely end up with an above average eye to go with it. He makes the most of his tools, even if they are a bit limited, as he doesn't have much power or speed. He's not the hardest worker out there, getting his work done, but not quite going above and beyond, and I'm hoping we can change that part about him. Harris has a lot of upside, more then most in our system, but he's a very raw prospect who we will have to be patient with. I can't see him getting a promotion to San Jose this season, and may have to wait until 1941 or 1942 to begin his ascent up the ladder. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 01-05-2022 at 11:16 AM.