Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 36

ayaghmour2 · 01-05-2022, 12:39 PM

Weekly Record: 2-1
Seasonal Record: 45-39 (3rd, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 16 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.000 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 12 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.083 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 10 AB, 4 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.055 OPS

Schedule
7-11: Win at Foresters (4-2)
7-13: Win at Foresters (4-1)
7-14: Loss at Sailors (1-4)

Recap
Well would you look at that! Back-to-back winning weeks! Has that happened yet this season!? I'm afraid to look... There was also the All Star game this week, but Dick Lyons was charged with the loss. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in two thirds of an inning. John Lawson faired better, 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the Fed beat us 7-4. Anyways, we swept the Foresters in the fractured series before dropping the first in Philly to the Sailors. We pitched well, didn't hit, but we get Billy Hunter back! He didn't hit much in Milwaukee, 5-for-22, but he homered and triples. His second base play was shaky, but he hasn't spent much time on the other side of the second base bag. I'm leaning on four, maybe five starts a week, with Ollie Page keeping a few starts. Page has done well at second, a 4.0 zone rating and 1.069 efficiency, and his .235/.342/.337 (89 OPS+) line is at least improving.

Page had a nice week, 3-for-11 with a triple, 3 walks, and a run scored. Lawson was 4-for-12 with a double, homer, and 2 RBIs as a Cougar. Leo Mitchell had a needed nice week, 5-for-12 with a homer, run, and 2 RBIs. Skipper Schneider was 4-for-10 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. The rest of the roster really struggled, with Ford, Drake, Montes, and Taylor combining to go just 6-for-39, while Montes at least had 4 walks, an RBI, steal, and 2 runs scored. Lyons pitched much better with us then at the All-Star game, a complete game win that would have been a shutout if Skipper didn't make an error in the 8th. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Milt Fritz had another complete game win, 9 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks. Fritz is now 10-5 with a CA best 2.35 ERA. Jim Lonardo wasn't great, but he pitched 8 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He got the loss, now 6-11, but we didn't need to use a single reliever this week.

All our picks I wanted to sign have now signed, and while Charlie Kelsey (as expected), didn't crack the top 500, we now have a 9th top 100 prospect. First rounder Mel Haynes is ranked 57th, a few spots above Danny Goff Jr., while Duke Bybee settled in at 80. 5th Rounder Harry Stewart checks in at 13th and 176th while regional rounder Bill Rich ranks 23rd and 265th. We now have 49 top 500 prospects and 22 in the top 250, while our system is tied for third (155) with the Keystones. We're now behind just Cincinnati (277) and Montreal (224), as the Cannons top two picks Bill Sohl (5th) and Dick Blaszak (6th) propelling their system above the Saints.

Looking Ahead
I'd love to not get swept by the Sailors, who are 46-41 and a half game behind us. We're lucky enough to miss Walt Wells, and will instead see Doc Newell and Dutch Sheldon. Newell seems to have hit his ceiling, just 4-9 with a 4.71 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 40 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Sheldon is having a nice year two with the Sailors, 9-9 with a 3.41 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 63 walks, and 65 strikeouts. Dick Walker is on a nice run, winning last weeks Player of the Week and hitting .251/.358/.429 (108 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 9 triples, 6 homers, 13 steals, and 36 RBIs. He's also walked 51 times and struck out 27 times, but 1940 will likely be his worst season since a below average 1934. Shortstop Rip Lee was named to his first career All-Star game, playing well in the field and hitting alright too. He has a nice 4.1 zone rating and 1.032 efficiency with a .288/.347/.388 (95 OPS+) line, 20 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 54 RBIs. This will be a tough series to start the week, but it gets worse.

The Cannons have been struggling a bit, but I expect the three games in Cincinnati to be very challenging. Errors cost Rufus Barrell in his first All Star game, but the 23-year-old is 10-5 with a 2.82 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 20 walks, and 79 strikeouts. Butch Smith has been just as good, 11-5 with a 2.44 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 44 walks, and 67 strikeouts. Vic Carroll left his last start with wrist soreness, so he may miss a start, but the former #1 Overall Pick is 1-0 with a 3.96 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.84 WHIP, 17 walks, and 12 strikeouts in his first 4 big league starts. Moxie Pidgeon continues to rake, as the 6-time All Star is hitting an outstanding .338/.384/.563 (153 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 15 homers, and 65 RBIs. Fellow All-Star Fred Galloway has a nice .301/.390/.442 (125 OPS+) line with 17 doubles, 11 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, 48 RBIs, and 50 walks. Those two are the heart of the offense, with 1936 1st Rounder Mike T. Taylor sandwiched between them. The rookie has a decent .304/.323/.470 (112 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 9 triples, a homer, 9 steals, and 28 RBIs with 6 walks and not a single strikeout. They've also brought up Boston's former 1st Rounder, Denny Andrews, who came over with Ken Mayhugh in the John Edwards trade. The switch hitter ranks 23rd in the league, and is off to a .254/.391/.451 (127 OPS+) start with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and 16 walks in his first 18 big league games. I expect a tough series, and this week will be a real turning point in the season.

We then finish our long road trip with three games in two days north of the border with the Wolves. At 51-33, they have a 2 game lead over the Cannons, and are in the driver seat for the pennant race. Their top three has been outstanding, with Hancock, Johnson, and Garrison all having tremendous seasons. Hancock is 9-6 with a 3.19 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 39 walks, and 64 strikeouts. Johnson is 10-4 with a 2.96 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 24 walks, and 34 strikeouts. Garrison is 9-8 with a 3.25 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 34 walks, and 61 strikeouts. This is what I can only dream our rotation will look like in a few years, with Papenfus and the Jones brothers, and I'd argue Harry Parker and Milt Fritz are much better then Bob Walls and Chick Wirtz, especially two or three seasons from now. Of course, we don't have a Fred McCormick, who is slashing .327/.414/.474 (134 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. Walt Pack is getting closer to an above average season, hitting .248/.319/.424 (96 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, and 48 RBIs. They do have a new face in the lineup as well, 25-year-old Gus Hall, who was an independent selection back in the 1938 offseason. He's been outstanding in 80 trips to the plate, slashing .309/.412/.471 (134 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, homer, and 13 RBIs. Charlie Artuso was rightfully selected to his first All Star game, and the 24-year-old is hitting a nice .301/.363/.439 (113 OPS+) to go with a 9.9 zone rating and 1.100 efficiency at short. Former Cougar prospect and personal favorite Juan Pomales hasn't pitched well, but he's been lethal at the plate. Pomales is hitting .340/.367/.681 (172 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, and 7 RBIs. I'd imagine this is our toughest week of the season, a real make or break one, and if we drop too many games, it may be impossible to recover.

ayaghmour2 · 01-06-2022, 12:58 PM

Weekly Record: 4-4
Seasonal Record: 49-43 (4th, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.331 OPS
John Lawson : 36 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .768 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 24 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, .900 OPS

Schedule
7-15: Loss at Sailors (6-7): 10 innings
7-16: Loss at Sailors (3-8)
7-17: Loss at Cannons (4-8)
7-18: Loss at Cannons (3-8)
7-19: Win at Cannons (8-7): 11 innings
7-20: Win at Wolves (7-5)
7-21: Win at Wolves (5-0)
7-21: Win at Wolves (8-1)

Recap
Well, this was a week... We let the Sailors sweep us, and then the Cannons took two of three. In fact, three of those four losses we allowed 8 runs, and in the other, it was 7 and a very fun one run loss. When it seemed like the week was lost, we managed to win four in a row, including all three against the first place Wolves. Even with the less then stellar week, we managed to cut the deficit by one, despite dropping a spot in the standings. I'm glad we finally have an off day, and we're finally able to return home. We haven't been terrible on the road, 27-25 so far, but we're 22-18 at home and teams tend to play better at their home stadium.

No one had a better week then Leo Mitchell, who took home this week's Player of the Week in the Continental Association. He went 12-for-27 with a double, 3 homer, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. He had another 5-hit game, a 5-for-6 in our 8-7 win over the Cannons, his second 5-hit game in a month and a half. Yes, he struck out 6 times, but he also walked 4 and boosted his season line to .313/.365/.456 (126 OPS+). Still on pace for well over 100 strikeouts, already 79 in 82 games, but he has 15 doubles, 10 homers, and 45 RBIs in 342 trips to the plate. Billy Hunter had a nice return to the lineup, 7-for-21 with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. He did make an error at second, but did well on the other 22 chances and I imagine he'll only improve as he gets more comfortable there. Orlin Yates, who has started to steal some of Leon Drake's time, went 10-for-23 with 5 runs and an RBI. The 28-year-old, who was one of two players with Milt Fritz to come from the Gothams in the Tom Taylor deal, is hitting an impressive .301/.395/.412 (123 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs in 159 PAs. Another guy with some of Drake's at bats was Rich Langton, who was a nice 4-for-9 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had a nice week, 9-for-24 with a double, triple, run, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford was 8-for-31 with a double, triple, homer, 6 walks, 6 RBIs, and 8 runs scored. John Lawson wasn't great, by his standards at least, 12-for-36 with 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Ollie Page looked good in a return to a limited role, 3-for-9 with 3 RBIs. Even Aart MacDonald got into the fun, 4-for-13 with 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. The only guys who really struggled were our catching duo, with Mead and Taylor going 4-for-32, but at least Taylor homered twice and drove in six. There was also Leon Drake, who was a pitiful 2-for-17, dropping his season line to .196/.257/.333 (62 OPS+). Drake's downfall has made next to little sense, and considering we gave up a top 100 prospect, a former top 50 prospect, and a 4th Rounder that could have been Eddie Kincaid, it's already looking like a major misstep.

The pitching was terrible, but Milt Fritz did what he does best, at least for one of his starts. In our 5-0 win, he tossed yet another shutout, just 3 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Of course, against the Sailors he really struggled, allowing 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout in 6.1 innings pitched. Dick Lyons had a rare rough start, 5.2 innings with 9 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout. Jim Lonardo continued his age appropriate season, 7 innings with 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. Harry Parker looked bad in both his starts, but he got a win and no decision. He went 17 innings with 15 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), 5 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Peter the Heater had a good start and bad start, going 6.2 innings against the Cannons with 11 hits, 7 runs, 8 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He bounced back in Toronto, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Papenfus is sort of looking like a good big league pitcher in his 10 starts and 7 relief outings. He's 4-6 with 2 saves, a 3.61 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 48 walks, and 67 strikeouts. His BB/9 is a career low at 5.2, but so is his 7.3 K/9. Still, things are starting to look up for the 22-year-old, and every start makes me more and more excited for his future. Allen Purvis struggled out of the pen, but he did pick up a win in his three starts. He had a loss too, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. We generally pitch well, but this week was really tough, rising our ERA to 3.64 as a team, and we're now 4th in runs allowed.

Looking Ahead
We have a nice little reprieve, a two game series at home with the Foresters with off days on either side. 30-year-old Dean Astle has had a really rough season, 7-10 with a 4.80 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 50 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He's a big reason why they are just 31-59 and 22 games out of first, a spot Foresters fans haven't been used to for a while. That means it is back to dominating on a struggling team for Dave Rankin, just 7-10, but with a 3.02 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 46 walks, and 37 strikeouts. The offense has been worse, scoring the fewest amount of runs, despite having one of the CA's most valuable players in Mel Carrol. He would've been the starting third basemen in the All Star game if it wasn't for the wonderful John Lawson, as Carrol is hitting .354/.400/.469 (130 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 9 homers, and 48 RBIs. He hasn't had much help, just the guy above and below him in Bill Moore and Lou Balk. Moore is hitting .295/.374/.452 (118 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 42 RBIs with a nice 40-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Balk has matched Carrol's 9 homers and drove in 35, while hitting .300/.330/.508 (119 OPS+) with 20 doubles and 11 triples. He's one of the few that can compete with Leo Mitchell for strikeouts, 73 in 351 trips to the plate. These are must win games, as I know we are by far the better team, but we have to take them seriously.

We then welcome in the Wolves, and hope for more of of the same in our four games in three days. They still lead the CA, 54-38 and a game above the Cannons, and if we can keep beating them, this would be a huge week for us. Their top three continues to impress, but we beat Johnson and Garrison, as well as southpaw Chick Wirtz. He's a consistent starter, as his ERA+ in all six of his seasons in Toronto has been 94, 95, 96, or 98. This year it's 95, as Wirtz is 4-7 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 38 walks, and 30 strikeouts. No matter what we'll see him or Bob Walls, but I'd love to see both. Walls is 9-5, but with a 4.35 ERA (90 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 39 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Right now it is projected we'll see them, and no Joe Hancock, which would be perfect. Their offense is solid too, with rookie and first time All-Star Tom Frederick putting together a very impressive season with the bat. The 24-year-old is hitting .309/.367/.467 (120 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 12 triples, and 33 RBIs. He's been excellent at second (5.9, 1.077), but a bit of a liability in center (-1.9, .985). Still, having him capable of filling both positions, as well as pretty much anywhere but short and catcher, makes him one of the most valuable youngsters in the game. He's the only guy in their lineup without a homer, but in their vast stadium, just Fred McCormick (5) and Walt Pack (10) have more then three. That hasn't limited their potential to score, first in the league in runs scored, as they also lead in wOBA, OPS, and OBP. This will be another tough series, but I like our chances at home, and we may have caught the Wolves at the right time.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnny Ruby (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He wasn't great in Mobile, but I needed to move someone up, and he was one of the few Mobile arms who was ready to make the jump. His first start was awful, 8 runs (6 earned) in 6 innings, but start three was one to remember. The sidewinding lefty allowed just 2 hits with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts in a nice 2-0 win over St. Paul. He's now 1-2 with a 3.68 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 18 walks, and 8 strikeouts after going just 2-7 with Mobile. His 4.57 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 54 walks, and 44 strikeouts paint a bit better of a picture, but his walks have been concerning. That's a 5.9 BB/9 in 82.2 innings, and last year he had a 4.4 in 24 starts split between Lincoln and Mobile. His stuff should be more then good enough to make up for it, as he features a sweeping curve and great slider in his six pitch mix. The only thing keeping him from being a reliable starter is his control, although I'm not sure he'll ever be able to develop it enough.

1B Bobby Mills (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He didn't deserve a demotion, but I needed to make room for Hunter and he was really the only choice. He didn't take it personally, and capped off a Player of the Week with a 5-for-5 in a 9-7 win over St. Paul. He finished the week 11-for-20 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Mills hit an impressive .294/.333/.510 (130 OPS+) in 51 at bats with us, but his .382/.472/.558 (171 OPS+) line in Milwaukee is outstanding. Add in 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 23 RBIs with a 20-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio, it's really hard to perform any better then he has. Mills has turned into an outstanding hitter, and if he had any sort of defensive skills, he'd be starting for an FABL team. He's on his last option year, and I can't see myself waiving him like I did with Johnny Waters, so expect the former 6th Rounder to steal someone's roster spot next year.

1B Bill Dambreville (AA Mobile Commodores): Good week for our first basemen this week! Former first basemen Leo Mitchell won a Player of the Week, current first basemen Bobby Mills won a Player of the Week, and our top first base prospect Bill Dambreville joined the fun with one of his own! This is just week two for Dambreville in Mobile, after hitting .329/.410/.502 (151 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, and 45 RBIs in 283 trips to the plate. His Mobile line is even better, .467/.547/.667 (207 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs after the 14-for-26 week. I was hesitant when I first selected him in the 5th Round, as I'm not a fan of taking corner players in the early rounds, but I have nothing but good things to say about him now. He has a very smooth swing which should lead to him hitting for a very high average, while his eye is well above average. He doesn't quite have the power I like for corner bats, but he's got 8 homers already and will likely reach double digits by the end of the season. His only obstacle right now is Ray Ford, but at just 22, Ford has 7 years over him. He doesn't have the upside of Ford, yet, but he's climbing up our prospect ladder, now 12th in the system and 174th overall. Tom think's we can pencil him in for the lion's share of first base starts, but until Ford slows down, he may have to wait in the minors.

RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (A Lincoln Legislators): I needed to promote someone from San Jose, and while I wasn't sure if Willie was ready, Willie took things into his own hands. It took just four starts, but Gonzalez Jr. tossed a wonderful 5-hit, 2-walk, and 7-strikeout shutout as the Legislators disposed of the Cedar Rapids Chiefs 6-0. That improved him to 2-1 on the season with a 2.73 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 8 walks, and 20 strikeouts. This was after an outstanding 10 start run in San Jose where Junior was 7-1 with a 2.75 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 15 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The former Gotham farmhand hasn't gotten much prospect love, ranked 43rd in the system and 453rd overall, but it's hard to ignore the impressive stats. Plus, he has a nice 96-98 fastball and cutter, both above average pitches, as well as a biting curve. The change isn't great, but if the other three pitches continue to develop as they have, he won't really need it. His command isn't always great, and he's occasionally susceptible to the longball, but he has dropped his BB/9 to 2.3, and his K/9 is above 5 in Lincoln. He's got a lot of upside, but unless he gets a few talent bumps, it may be hard for him to secure regular innings in an FABL rotation.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Lincoln has been filled with shutouts this season, with two this week. The second came from former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson, who allowed 7 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in his complete game shutout. A complete game machine, Wilkinson is 7-8 in 15 starts with a 3.04 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 28 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He's looking to earn a promotion to Mobile, and currently ranks 28th in the system and 332nd overall. He sports a nice five pitch repertoire, led with a lower 90s fastball. His other four pitches are just average, but his stuff is pretty polished and he has the pitches to start in the big leagues. He should have an average amount of walks and strikeouts, but he may end up giving up his share of homers, but he's done an excellent job pitching deep into games. He has eight nine inning starts and just three of less then eight innings, and he could end up developing into a very reliable inning eater. Tom thinks he'll be a back of the rotation arm, OSA a spot starter, but those are both more then I'm expecting.

ayaghmour2 · 01-07-2022, 12:44 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 53-45 (4th, 3 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 22 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.162 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.026 OPS
Dick Lyons : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.50 ERA

Schedule
7-23: Win vs Foresters (2-5)
7-24: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 12 innings
7-26: Win vs Wolves (1-5)
7-27: Loss vs Wolves (1-0)
7-28: Win vs Wolves (1-4)
7-28: Loss vs Wolves (11-10)

Recap
The week started great, a sweep of the Foresters, but then we sort of floundered in the Wolves series. Sure, they only scored three total runs in the first three games, but then we managed to give up 11 in the finale as they edged us by a single run. It feels like we should have won all four of those games, but just like that, we're in pouncing distance of first. Still in fourth, but we're just three behind the Wolves in the congested Continental Association. The top six teams are separated by just five and a half games, and with no obvious sellers, it may be a wait and see in the final months to see which roster can push their way above. The Fed is similar, their top five is all within five and a half, and this has been one of the quietest FABL deadlines since the start of the human era. We will, however, be without Billy Hunter again, as a sore elbow will cost him at least two more weeks. He has started to hit a little better, batting .289/.333/.415 (105 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, an 18 RBIs. Ollie Page will return to the lineup while Bobby Mills will make the trip back up to Chicago. Mills is hitting a strong .390/.479/.551 (171 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 29 RBIs in Milwaukee, and will be a valuable option on the bench.

The pitching was almost entirely good, but Pete Papenfus blew up against the Wolves. I wish Clyde Meyer pulled him earlier, as half of his ten runs in the Wolves loss came in the 9th. He went 8.1 with 8 hits, 6 walks, and just 2 strikeouts as his ERA ballooned to 4.27 (89 ERA+). Right after I just talked about him turning the corner! Good thing Lonardo made a step in the right direction, 8 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), and 4 strikeouts in a no decision. Dick Lyons had a tremendous week, picking up win 194 and 195, tossing a pair of complete games. He allowed 14 hits, 3 runs, a walk and 4 strikeouts to improve to 13-4 on the season with a 2.88 ERA (133 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP. Harry Parker was very unlucky, as he finally had a good start, but got a loss. He allowed 8 hits, a run, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in a complete game. Milt Fritz had a similar start, just 1 run and 4 hits, walks, and strikeouts in a complete game victory. Joe Brown got the loss in the Papenfus start, but also had a scoreless outing. He allowed 2 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched.

We didn't really hit the best, but Carlos Montes had an outstanding week. He went 9-for-22 with 2 triples, a homer, steal, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell stayed hot 9-for-20 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, 3 RBIs, and a steal. John Lawson went just 5-for-22, but he homered, walked 5 times, scored 4 times, and drove in 2. Ray Ford was 7-for-24 with a double, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Part-timers Rich Langton and Ollie Page did good, combining to go 4-for-18 with a steal, 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs. The catching duo continued to disappoint, 2-for-23 with 2 runs and 2 walks, although all the twos were from Mead. I'd like to see more offense, and not have in concentrated in one game where we lose, but hey! Almost in first!

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, but then we have a weird two game set with the Sailors. It's one game, off, and then the final game, and with a sweep we could hop right over them. At 54-45, they are two and a half out of first, and had no issues with us last time we played. Walt Wells continues to push for an Allen Award, tossing a 4-hit shutout of the Kings in a 1-0 win on the 27th. He's now 14-6 with a 2.49 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 60 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Chuck Murphy is in the midst of his best season at 31, 10-4 with a 2.88 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 35 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Doc Newell has been removed from the rotation in favor of Merritt Thomas, who's made 17 relief outings and now 2 starts. He's 1-2 with 8 saves, a 2.82 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 14 walks, and 19 strikeouts. Herb Flynn has had a tough run, allowing 5 or more starts in three of his last four starts, and dropped to 10-9 with a 4.75 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 51 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Dick Walker is back to his old self, now hitting .266/.375/.458 (119 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, 51 RBIs, 14 steals, and 61 walks. The rest of the offense hasn't been that great, but Illinois native Woody Stone is having a decent year with the bat. He's hitting .301/.341/.425 (101 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 41 RBIs, but broke his streak of back-to--back All Star selections. We need to at least split, but a sweep here would do wonders for our playoff chances.

We'll stay home to welcome the Cannons for three games. They've been rumored to be shopping vets William Jones and Moxie Pidgeon despite being just a game back of the Wolves. I really hope they keep Moxie, even though moving him to a Fed team would make our lives much easier, as he is just 3 homers away from a 20 homer season with his 5th team. He deserves to be in the Whitney consideration, slashing .344/.389/.571 (156 OPS+) with 17 doubles, a triple, 17 homers, and 74 RBIs. Jones has been solid, though not nearly as impressive, 8-9 with a 3.69 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 47 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Rufus Barrell no longer has an ERA below 3, it's now exactly 3.00 (130 ERA+), as he's 12-5 with a 1.02 WHIP, 22 walks, and 90 strikeouts. Butch Smith continues his breakout, 13-6 with a 2.87 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 51 walks, and 76 strikeouts. The offense has started to cool a bit, but they still are tied for the most runs scored in the CA. Fred Galloway is now down to .300/.387/.445 (124 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 55 RBIs. We didn't do so well last time against the Cannons, but they've hit a little rough patch that we have to take advantage of.

Minor League Report
1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): What a week for the Chicagoan! Hod hit an even 10-for-20 with a homer and 6 RBIs as he took home the Heartland League Player of the Week. A natural second basemen, with shortstops Eddie Curtis and Steve Jones taking up the middle infield spots, Seagroves has spent all his time at first while most his time with San Jose was spent at the keystone. He was an excellent defender there, putting up a 5.6 zone rating and 1.075 efficiency, and I think the lanky 22-year-old is more then capable of ending up at second. He may end up better at the plate, so he could end up at first, and Tom thinks he's "an advanced hitter for his age." He has a ton of bat speed as well, and I'm hoping he'll end up hitting for more power. That could really help, as he should do a decent job of judging balls and strikes. I think he could end up an above average starter at second, but at least for now, he doesn't really have the pop for first. He's moved up our top prospect list, right behind Bill Dambreville for 13th in our system. He's in the top 200, checking in at 182, and if he keeps hitting like he did this week, his stay in Lincoln may not be that long.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Back-to-back! I won't spend too much time rehashing what I wrote yesterday, but another shutout for Ed Wilkinson! This time it was against the Peoria Chiefs, as the Legislators won 5-0. He allowed 8 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to an even 8-8 in 16 starts across 133.1 innings pitched. It dropped his ERA to 2.83 ERA (136 ERA+) with 33 walks, 53 strikeouts, and a 1.27 WHIP. Wilkinson checks right outside our top 30 at 31, and 341st in the league. Up to Mobile for him now, and I hope he can keep up his impressive run of starts.

RHP Roscoe Brown (C La Crosse Lions): Sure, it's just three starts, but it's hard to ask for a better to your career then Roscoe's Brown. Our 8th Rounder this year, he instantly joined the top prospect lists and checks in at 22nd and 270th respectively. I was a little bit shocked, but the early returns seem to back that up. He's tossed three consecutive complete games and won all three. He has a nice 1.67 ERA (277 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 4 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He's also throwing a little harder, up to 91-93 with his fastball and sinker, and his third offering is a nice curve. All three pitches should be average or better, and he does a good job mixing the three together. His command isn't the greatest, but he has excellent raw stuff and I'm hoping he can keep the walks down like he has so far. It's very early, but the 18-year-old has a lot of upside and I'm hoping we can nurture him as he rises up our system.

ayaghmour2 · 01-07-2022, 03:51 PM

I cannot stress enough how minor this trade is, and it's purpose was solely to inflate my draft success rate for the 1932 class. I send Izzy Sevilla and $5,000 cash to the cash starved Stars to pick up our 17th Rounder Dick Earl. I actually gave him an $850 bonus, and then used him in the four pick package to pick up John Lawson in the weeks before the 1936 season. Since then he raked in the Stars system, even earning a 40-man spot, but he never got that big league debut he probably earned. He hasn't hit the best this year, just .246/.309/.372 (91 OPS+) in 223 PAs up in AAA, but after a demotion to AA, he's hit a more on brand .333/.447/.452 (161 OPS+). The bat has never been an issue, he's always been able to hit, but he's pretty poor in the outfield. He has two options left (one hasn't been used this year), so if I needed to I could stash him in Milwaukee this year and next year.

Now, with him and Walker Pearce set to debut in September, 20 of our 30 draftees from that class will appear in an FABL game. Sure, there are some scrubs like the multiply waived Johnny Waters and the 2 innings of Neal Wilkinson, but there's also Billy Hunter, Rich Langton, Harry Mead, Cy Sullivan, Bobby Mills, Ducky Jordan, Hank Stratton, Red Moore, Reginald Westfall, and Dave Haight, all who have had a lot of playing time even if it hasn't all been successful. There are a few others who could end up debuting, including our AAA first basemen Cuno Myer, but other then the three who already retired, the rest are playing Independent ball, so at least they aren't languishing away in the FA pool.

Or, at least that was the plan! It started when I reached out to the Gothams to see if they wanted Rich Langton or Aart MacDonald, but they instead were interested in Leon Drake. Drake is in the midst of his worst season yet, and it is already looking like I gave up far too much to add him. The 31-year-old is hitting just .197/.262/.332 (62 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 26 RBIs, and since he was losing more and more time to Orlin Yates, I was hoping to swap him for a struggling, yet like Drake, still quality, veteran big league bat. Now, the Gothams don't have anyone that fits the bill, there only real vet is 36-year-old Bud Jameson, and he's not even struggling, but there is an interesting outfielder in AAA who hit .149/.344/.419 (38 OPS+) in 62 plate appearances with the Gothams. Lucky for us, those are his first 62, and he's an exciting enough 22-year-old. The deal evolved a bit after that, and now Walker Pearce will not be making his debut this September for the Cougars, he'll likely make it a bit sooner for the pitching starved Gothams. Him and Drake will report to the Big Apple, while a 2nd Rounder and Fred Vargas will head to the Windy City.

Vargas currently ranks in the fringes of the top 100, checking in at 95, but Tom Weinstock is a huge fan of the former 1st Rounder. He's got a good swing and excels at drawing walks, exemplified in his AAA .298/.469/.450 (143 OPS+) batting line, and Weinstock thinks he can hit above .300 in the big leagues. He just turned 22 last week, and he seems to have really grown out of his strike out problems. He's always walked far more then he's struck out, but did strike out 80 times in 140 games last year. Including his 11 in 26 games with the Gothams, he has just half that as he's approaching his 90th game, and I think he should be able to keep them down once he's fully developed. He doesn't have much power, just 2 homers this season, and is cause for a little concern. Working for him, however, is our stadium is easy to hit homers at and he hits a ton of flyballs. Tom really likes Vargas, and goes as far to say that he "has immense talent, and someday may be considered in conversations about the best players in the game." I don't by that one bit, even if the report was Very High instead of Average, but I do love his bat and I think he could challenge for an OBP title with his nice contact tool and borderline elite eye. The issue is his defense, as he only has a positional rating in left, and he's at best passable out there. I debated bringing him straight up to Chicago, but instead it will be Earl who replaces Drake, and Vargas will play right in Milwaukee. If his glove and arm are strong, he can be out right fielder of the future, but worst case he can play left and Mitchell can move over to right.

This opens up a lot of playing time for Orlin Yates, who was starting to chip away at Drake's at bats. Yates, like Vargas, is a high OBP guy, and Weinstock thinks he's better then both Drake and Langton, while the positional rankings list him. He dropped to 10th, but was as high as 6th recently, and Yates is a superior defender to Drake. It's just 83.1 innings, but he has a 2.5 zone rating and 1.187 efficiency to go with a strong .296/.394/.401 (120 OPS+) batting line. Add in 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs with a 22-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and the former Gotham 9th Rounder is having a very impressive season. Yes, it's just 167 PAs and he could fall back to earth again, but my scouts have always thought Yates deserved more playing time, and both Clyde Myer and Pete Morris have Yates as their starting right fielder, not Drake or Langton, even against lefties. Langton will fill the weakside of the platoon, and while he's had a huge fall from his career norms, his .266/.327/.357 (88 OPS+) line is nowhere near as bad as Drake. It's not near his .299/.352/.460 (122 OPS+) line, but the now 29-year-old does have 12 doubles, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 24 RBIs in his 220 plate appearances. This would be his first below average season in terms of OPS+, but he's got time to make up the 12 points below average.

The 2nd Round pick can also soften the blow of giving up Sullivan and Mullis in the offseason, as while there are no guarantees, 2nd Round Picks can be very valuable. Our last two, Danny Goff Jr. and Don Lee are both top 200 prospects, and while there were a handful of misses, past 2nd Rounders like Tommy Wilson and Marty Roberts have done alright for themselves. Plus there is Leo Mitchell, and plus further back to a time before me, Dick Lyons, and we all know how talented they are. Plus, the Gothams are one of five teams under .500 at 40-57, so barring any crazy changes, that second rounder will end up in the top 5. It did hurt moving on from Drake when I paid what I knew would be a high price to get him, but it's better then watching him wallow away on the bench, both Cy and Mullis aren't really the guys you want in your clubhouse, even if they are very talented. Vargas is a bit younger then Mullis as well, and he could end up being just as good if not better, so it's really just hoping my 2nd Rounder ends up better then Sullivan and Eddie Kincaid.

ayaghmour2 · 01-10-2022, 02:38 PM

Weekly Record: 4-1
Seasonal Record: 57-46 (2nd, 2.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 18 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.199 OPS
Milt Fritz : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 11 BB, 5 K, 3.00 ERA
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA

Schedule
7-30: Win vs Sailors (5-6)
8-1: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
8-2: Loss vs Cannons (2-0)
8-3: Win vs Cannons (1-5)
8-4: Win vs Cannons (1-2)

Recap
These are the Cougars I've been waiting for! Yes, too many one run wins for my liking, but the pitching was outstanding. Discounting the opener with the Sailors, the staff allowed two or fewer runs in each outing, including a trio of wins where we allowed just a single run. Sure, the Sailors are 5th in runs scored, but pre-sim, the Cannons were tied for the most runs scored with Toronto. Toronto is the only team with a better record then us, after we swept the Sailors and took two out of three against the Cannons, as they are 60-44 and 2.5 games ahead of us. July was a great month for us, as we went 18-9 for the Month and jumped well over .500 to 54-45. No Cougar had a better month then Milt Fritz, who took home the Pitcher of the Month Award in the Continental Association. He made 7 starts, going 6-1 with a 2.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 25 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched. He was actually better in June, 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 19 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Yes, it is a little annoying he keeps walking more hitters then he strikes out, but the Big Cat now has 70 wins as a Cougar, more then his time with the Gothams, Saints, and Chiefs combined (64). To win more then all other teams combined (84), he'll need 15 more wins as a Cougar, and I can see that happening by the end of the 1941 season.

He was our two start starter this week, and he tossed a pair of complete game victories. That's now four consecutive for Fritz, who is now 14-6, and this week he allowed 14 hits, 6 runs, 11 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He was much better against the Cannons then Sailors, where he allowed 6 hits, 4 walks, and the lone run. He no longer has the CA ERA lead, but his 2.45 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP are his best marks as a Cougar. The best start of the week came from Jim Lonardo, who allowed just 2 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a much needed complete game victory. Harry Parker had a similar start, a complete game win with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got the lone loss, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout in 7.2 innings pitched. Joe Brown finished that game, 1.1 innings with 2 strikeouts.

We didn't hit too much, but John Lawson put the team on his back in what could have been Player of the Week worthy. Our Whitney candidate went 8-for-18 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs. His average has dropped a bit, as .400 seems next to impossible to reach now, but his .363/.415/.526 (158 OPS+) batting line is one of the best in all of baseball. Orlin Yates did better then Leon Drake could have ever done, 5-for-13 with a double, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Leo Mitchell did alright, 6-for-19 with a triple and 3 runs scored. Ray Ford and Carlos Montes had awful weeks, combining to go just 1-for-34, the hit (and a steal) coming from Montes. We need to start hitting better, but if we're allowing a run a game, this may be enough to keep winning.

A little transactional news, as I added another Jones to my collection. This time it is Freddie's brother Al, a former 5th Rounder by the Kings from 1935. I claimed him off waivers, and while he's been pretty bad as a 26-year-old in B ball, where he'll pitch out of the pen and get a few reps out in left and right field. He may end up a better position player then pitcher, but worst case, he's just roster filler as the brother of what should be our star second basemen. I also decided that instead of calling someone up to replace Drake, I will add the recently acquired Earl to the roster. Hunter and Jones should be back soon, so he'll likely be optioned down once ready, but I expect him to get an at bat or two off the bench. If he doesn't this week, he'll get a start next week, but he'll be the latest 1932 draftee of ours to debut.

Looking Ahead
We have a single home game with the Saints, before an off day followed by two in Montreal. The Saints are 40-61 on the season, and hold a record better then just the Foresters. They moved Frank Davis to the Chiefs, making room for 24-year-old Hank Grant. A former 14th Rounder, the current #50 prospect in the FABL debuted last week and went 7-for-16 with 3 runs scored. Their offense needs all the help they can get, as Red Bond is not enough by himself. Sure, he's hitting .334/.386/.552 (146 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 21 homers, and 59 RBIs, but it hasn't translated into wins for them. Adam Mullins helps a bit, but his .302/.388/.427 (116 OPS+) line is almost identical to last year's mark, which was the lowest of his career. The team leader turns 28 towards the end of the month, and has 10 times the walks (50) then strikeouts with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 43 RBIs. No other Saint has a 110 OPS+ or higher, but Bert Lass, Vic Crawford, and Spud Bent all rank in the 100-109 range. On the mound, Karl Wallace now has equal starts (11) and relief outings, now 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 22 walks, and 28 strike outs. The rest of the rotation has really struggled, with the 1-2 of Ed Baker and Jake DeYoung both 9-11 with ERAs of 4.82 and 4.87. We should be able to get a lot of runs off the Saints, and if we pitch like we did this week, should have no trouble in this series.

We stay on the road with three games in Brooklyn with the Kings before another off day. The Kings are in 6th, but closer to first (5.5 GB) then seventh (13 GA). At 54-49, they are back above .500, after their first sub .500 season last year since 1933. Art White has continued to dominate, 12-6 with a 2.93 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 52 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 23 outstanding starts. Tom Barrell's 23 have been far less outstanding, just 7-12 with a 5.28 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 57 walks, and 71 strikeouts. The Kings have recently added brother of Cougar farmhand Danny Goff Jr. Jack Goff to the rotation, and "Black Jack" is 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 17 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 7 starts and 7 pen outings. Al Wheeler is leading the team with 12 homers, but his .263/.337/.416 (99 OPS+) line is just average, while being completely overshadowed by potential star Joe Herman. Herman will finish the year 25, and is hitting .347/.379/.573 (150 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 47 RBIs. They have three other hitters with 9 homers, Walt Layton, Rats McGonigle, and Tim Hopkins, but Layton is hitting a poor .216/.251/.325 (52 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 8 steals, and 29 RBIs. The Kings do rank 6th in runs scored and runs allowed, so on paper, we should have the advantage in this one.

Minor League Report
LF Oscar Panduro (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was a month to remember for the 26-year-old, as Chicagoan Oscar Panduro took home Century League Player of the Month. He hit a cool .452 with 2 homers, 13 runs, and 28 RBIs. This boosted his season line to .379/.415/.580 (160 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 42 RBIs. Panduro is doing everything he can to show that he belongs on a big league roster, and it's going to be tough for me to not call him up in September for a nice little cup of coffee. The hardworking corner bat is a very popular clubhouse figure who has never had an issue hitting, but his glove leaves a lot to be desired. The Bluegrass State alum projects to hit well above .300 and he has an impressive baseball IQ. Tom thinks he could be a decent defender in left, I'm not as optimistic, but he could end up a decent bench bat regardless. He's far from a star, but I always have a soft spot for Chicagoans and it's going to be hard for me to keep him in Milwaukee.

ayaghmour2 · 01-11-2022, 09:45 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 59-50 (4th, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.221 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .357 AVG, .786 OPS
Carlos Montes : 27 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .693 OPS

Schedule
8-5: Loss vs Saints (4-1): 10 innings
8-7: Loss at Saints (3-12)
8-8: Loss at Saints (2-3)
8-9: Win at Kings (7-5)
8-10: Win at Kings (7-1)
8-11: Loss at Kings (1-2): 18 innings

Recap
Well this was a wasted opportunity... We had every chance to come within striking distance of the Wolves, but instead, we decided to let the Saints sweep us as we fell back to 4th. For one reason or another, we couldn't score on arguably the worst pitching staff in our league, just an average of two runs in each game. Thankfully, we managed 7 in the first two with the Kings before dropping our second one run game of the week. I was really hoping that we could have made continued to make up ground. Luckily we'll get a pair of players back soon, with Freddie Jones and Billy Hunter starting rehab assignments. Since I want Hunter getting more time at second, that will mean Freddie Jones will try out a first base glove. Hunter's stay should be only a week, but I expect Jones to get a least two weeks if not more, as he hasn't played in over two months. Next week Hunter will replace Dick Earl, and then Jones will eventually replace Bobby Mills. Earl did make his debut, 0-for-2 with a walk in 3 separate pinch hit appearances. Walker Pearce also made his debut, a start for the Gothams, but he was hit hard. The soon-to-be 26-year-old allowed 8 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with a single strikeout in five and a third. That makes it 20 members of the 1932 draft class to debut, and sure, I inflated it with Earl, but I'd like to think this is the first team class to debut 20 players!

Ray Ford had a much needed good week, hitting an even 13-for-26 to pick up a Player of the Week. He drove in 8 with 2 doubles and a triple. His season line was getting close to dipping under an average mark, but his season line is now back up to .290/.350/.413 (110 OPS+), but his homers (8) and RBIs (56) are a bit down. If we fall just short, a down season from Ford could end up the nail in the coffin, but there is still time for the 29-year-old to return to his normal production. Unlucky for us, the only player to have an average or better week and more then 5 PAs was Leo Mitchell. He was 10-for-28 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, an RBI and of course, five more strikeouts. His 88 are most in the CA (although three Fed hitters have more then 100), but he's at an 124 pace which would be a new career high for him. I'll never understand how he can maintain a BABIP over .380 for basically five seasons, but that's what Mitchell has done! John Lawson now no longer holds the CA batting lead, as his 5-for-23 week dropped him to .355, a point below Dave Trowbridge. Lawson did double twice, walked seven times, and scored four times, and was arguably better then all our bats other then Ford and Mitchell last week, so even in his bad weeks he still finds a way to be useful. We need much more help from our offense this coming week, because if we don't, we're going to keep falling in the standings.

Pete Papenfus managed to pitch in both of our extra inning losses, but only one was charged to him. The first he went all ten with 10 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Of course, even with 170 pitches in that one and his ability to consistently pass 150, he did not pitch all 18 against the Kings. He deserved a win, 11 innings with 5 hits, a run, 8 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Dick Lyons had a rare misstep, 13 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 7 shaky innings. Milt Fritz did the same, and while not as poor, he allowed 10 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a complete game loss. Harry Parker, however, tossed a gem, 8 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Jim Lonardo dropped his ERA below 4, going 8 with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout. Pug Bryan allowed a run, well, four, in his six consecutives outing, charged with 4 hits and 2 walks in a single inning. Rusty Watts and Joe Brown both allowed a run in 3 innings, and picked up a loss, but Brown's run was unearned. Rusty added a walk and strikeout in the 18 inning extravaganza.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, and we'll head home to prep for a three game set with the Stars. New York is on a nice little hot streak, and is now 59-48. They sit three games out of first in third place, and have won 13 of their last 16. It's time for us to change that, but their rotation has been outstanding so it will be a very tough challenge. Lou Robertson may have allowed 4 runs in each of his last three starts, but the red hot rookie is 7-2 with a 2.34 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 30 walks, and 32 strikeouts on the season. Ahead of him our three 9-loss pitchers, with their ERA's inverse of their wins. Chuck Cole has the best ERA, 3.06 (127 ERA+), but the fewest wins with 9. He has a 1.22 WHIP, 48 walks, and 65 strikeouts in a nice comeback year for the Stars. George Phillips leads the staff, 12-9 with a 3.17 ERA (122 ERA), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 80 strikeouts. Billy Riley has had a somewhat similar season, 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 74 walks, and 89 strikeouts. It will be tough to score off them, and tough to keep them off the scoreboard as well. Dave Trowbridge leads the CA batting title, slashing .356/.415/.501 (146 OPS+) and just celebrated his 42nd birthday on the 8th. He hasn't drove in many runs, just 39, but he has 32 doubles and 7 homers in yet another outstanding year at the plate. Ahead of him hits Chink Stickels, as the former Cougar farmhand is hitting .296/.360/.483 (126 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 17 triples, 8 homers, 7 steals, and 78 RBIs. Behind Trowbridge is Bill Barrett, who's slashing a superb .319/.378/.484 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 8 homers, and 66 RBIs. And if that wasn't enough to scare most staffs, the top 7 in their lineup have OPS+ above 90, with just leadoff man Joe Angevine (94) below 100. It's going to be a tough series, but considering we played bad in the supposedly easy series, maybe we'll play well in the tough series!

We finish the week with an annoying series, a single game against the Kings, followed by a double header after and before an off day. We did take two of three from the now 56-52 Kings in Brooklyn, so I'm hoping it will be more of the same in Chicago. The Kings have done a lot of shuffling with their lineup, and now have Frank LeMieux back at the hot corner. In his 216 trips to the plate he's hit an impressive .337/.375/.495 (130 OPS+) with 18 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 29 RBIs. Harry Barrell is having a bit of a rough season with the bat, hitting just .273/.314/.354 (78 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 3 triples, and 36 RBIs. Same for brother Fred, who's .238/.308/.298 (62 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be desired. On the mound, Bob Cummings has hit a really rough patch, 8 runs against the Foresters and 7 against us in his last two starts. This dropped him to 9-11 with a 4.01 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 81 walks, and 66 strikeouts. Interesting enough, former Cougar World Champion Jim Crawford has filled up the 5 spot, and has done a good job as well. He's 3-0 with a 3.59 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 14 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 5 starts and a relief outing. I do feel like Brooklyn has been pretty lucky, as their Pythagorean is a reverse of their record at 52-56, and I like our chances in this series. This could be a big week for us, but it's been a tough season and nothing will come easy.

Minor League Report
RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): He's taken his lumps in AA, but this may have been the week needed to push lefty Chick Browning to the next level. The former 8th Rounder from the Windy City was 10-for-19 with a homer and 6 RBIs as he came home with the Dixie League Player of the Week. For most it's a solid line, but his .289/.395/.419 (107 OPS+) line looks almost disappointing for the guy who twice slugged over .700 in over 100 PAs at La Crosse and San Jose. The power is a bit down, just 5 homers and 38 RBIs, and he's three homers away from double digits overall. He does have 19 doubles and 49 walks with just 20 strikeouts, but the Commodores' comedian has been a bit challenged by the older pitchers. Browning does have a great feel for the strike zone, as demonstrated by his high OBP and low K-rate, but I want to see more power from the corner outfielder. He'll never play much defense, and some pop can really work wonders for his big league future. He has never and will never rank very highly as a prospect, but that's true for a lot of corner bats like himself. He'll need to do something to separate himself from the pack, and it's impossible for a guy with 20+ home run power to get ignored. I'm not saying Browning is that guy, although he did have 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons, but a lot of batters see their power dry up as they advance up the ladder. Just ask Freddie Bennett, who homered 25 times as a 19-year-old with the Lions and has just 27 since. Browning has managed to rise past a few more interesting prospects, but his luck may run out soon, and he could be a AAAA type player the rest of the way.

SS Eddie Curtis (A Lincoln Legislators): I was a little worried I moved Eddie Cutis up from San Jose a bit early, but he's managed to perform well in 76 games with the Legislators. Sure, a 17-for-26 week definitely helped juice his season line, but the Heartland Player of the Week still has a more then respectable .309/.358/.382 (103 OPS+) batting line. The versatile infielder known best as "Slick Eddie" doesn't have much power, just a single homer this season after two last season, but he does have 8 doubles, 6 triples, 13 steals, and 25 RBIs in his 347 trips to the plate. These aren't the most encouraging numbers, but Curtis is a light hitter valued for his defensive ability, speed, and ability to put the ball in play. He rarely strikes out, just 14 times here and 7 in San Jose compared to 31 walks split between, and he does an outstanding job doing anything he can with tough pitches. He'll go opposite field if he needs to, finds away to hit it where they ain't, and when on the basepaths, he can wreck some havoc. All ideal skillsets for a bench player, but he actually checks in at the fringes of the prospect rankings. He's 45th of 48 and 448th of 500, and the 7th Rounder has done well to stick in the system four years after being drafted. OSA thinks he can force his way into a lineup, I think he'll need more then enough injuries, but I could see his versatility earning him an extended look with a struggling franchise looking to unearth a hidden gem with stellar work ethic.

RHP Newt Jackson (A Lincoln Legislators): Just when it looked like injuries derailed the career of our former 2nd Round Pick, Newt Jackson got a nice little rating boost, turning back to a projected starter and returning to the to 250. After spending most of the season in San Jose as a reliever, his last five appearances there were starts and he now has 8 with the Legislators. His most recent was easily the best, a 5-hit, 2 strikeout shutout as we beat the Cedar Rapids Chiefs 7-0. This snapped a four game losing streak and evened his record at 4-4. Jackson has an impressive 2.56 ERA (152 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP with 9 walks and 19 strikeouts. A very influential member in the clubhouse, Newt has turned into a captain despite being just 22, and he does a great job working with and commanding his teammates. A plus for any player, that's exactly what you want from a potential stopper, and while I obviously want him to be more then that, I think that's where Jackson's future lies. Still, he's recently upped his velocity to 91-93, and his four pitch mix is very well developed. His best pitch is his cutter, but his slider, change, and splitter don't really look like anything more then average pitches. Regardless, his turnaround has made me very happy, as you have to see young pitchers ruined by major arm injuries. Just debuting now will be a huge accomplishment for him, as a torn UCL (even a partial like his) tends to spell disaster for most youngsters, and his leadership and draft pedigree should be able to secure that for him.

RHP Fred Thaxton (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a bit of an up and down season for our 7th Rounder this season, but in his fourth start with the Cougars, he tossed a wonderful 6-hit shutout and struck out 2 in a 6-0 win over Vancouver. It was his fourth of five starts with San Jose so far, and if you take out the first and last, he's allowed just 3 runs in 26 innings. The 21-year-old was one of the first in our class to crack the top 500 list, and now he ranks 42nd in our system and 434th overall. He's a pretty well developed young arm, and is now 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA (160 ERA+), 0.99 WHIP, 6 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He doesn't throw too hard, just 86-88 with his fastball and cutter, while his third offering is a changeup that will only get more effective with more velocity. He does have a little issues with command, and while his change is pretty outstanding, he'll have to either polish it or throw harder, and I feel like better command is an easier task to complete. Until he starts to throw more strikes, it will be tough for him to move up in the rotation, but he has a low floor and worst case ends up a productive inning eater.

RF Edmund Mann (B San Jose Cougars): It was a good week for 7th Rounders in San Jose, as while Thaxton tossed a shutout, last year's 7th Rounder Edmund Mann had a much needed 5-for-5 in what has been a tough sophomore season. The switch hitting teen is hitting just .251/.321/.345 (71 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 13 steals, and 37 RBIs. The hard worker actually hit much better last season, sporting an ever so slightly above average .289/.399/.343 (101 OPS+) in about 100 fewer trips to the plate. The natural centerfielder has spent most of his time in right, and has put up strong defensive numbers, recording a 4.3 zone rating and 1.051 efficiency in 520 innings. He's looked capable in center, actually owning a higher fielding percentage (.988 vs. 9.79) with a respectable 2.7 zone rating and 1.023 efficiency in just shy of 200 innings. I think he can end up in center, with OSA loving his range and Tom calling his defense big league ready, and with regional selection Bill Rich not having the most success in center, Mann may end up supplanting him before the season ends. He looks like the perfect leadoff hitter too, mixing great speed with an above average contact tool while also walking much more frequently then he strikes out. Still, it looks like his bat has a lot of developing to do, and unless he makes major strides, he'll end up as a 4th outfielder at best.

ayaghmour2 · 01-12-2022, 07:07 PM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 64-51 (3rd, 1.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 13 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .542 AVG, 1.455 OPS
John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .360 AVG, .840 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .421 AVG, .974 OPS

Schedule
8-13: Loss vs Stars (4-2)
8-14: Win vs Stars (3-5)
8-15: Win vs Stars (0-4)
8-16: Win vs Kings (1-6)
8-18: Win vs Kings (2-8)
8-18: Win vs Kings (4-5)

Recap
This is what I'm talking about! We dropped the opener to the Stars, but won the next two and rode that momentum into a sweep of the Kings. If we instead took two of three from the Saints last week, we'd be in first place right now, but instead are in 3rd and a game and a half behind Wolves. Can't really complain about that, another good week and we can be leading the pack. We also had another Player of the Week, this time Leo Mitchell, who went 13-for-24 and slugged 3 homers with 8 driven in. Mitchell has been one of the most consistent Cougar hitters since becoming a fulltime starter in 1937, recording OPS+'s of 133, 139, 134, and currently 136. He's slashing an always impressive .337/.380/.484 with 19 doubles, a triple, 13 homers, and 57 RBIs. Yes, he also struck out five more times and is just seven away from 100, but hey! When you hit .330, who cares if you strike out a ton!

Mitchell had some help from the offense this week too, including a bounce back week from Skipper Schneider. Skipper went 8-for-19 with a double, 3 walks, 3 runs, and an RBI. His double play partner, at least for this week, Ollie Page was 5-for-19 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 walks, and 4 RBIs. Billy Hunter will be returning this week, so Page will return to a part-time role, but with Hunter's injuries struggles, he'll continue to make starts at second to hopefully keep Billy on the field the rest of the season. John Lawson looked more himself, 9-for-25 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Our right field platoon was impressive, 8-for-25 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 walks, 6 runs, and 2 RBIs. Reigning Player of the Week Ray Ford didn't quite match his production, but finished 8-for-25 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. The only guys that really struggled were Montes and the catching duo, but considering the strength in the rest of the lineup, we were able to make up for it.

Jim Lonardo seems to have regained form, tossing a 5-hit, 3-strikeout shutout in our 4-0 win over the Stars. Harry Parker also stayed hot, 5 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Pete Papenfus put together a strong start, 4 hits, 4 walks, 2 runs, and 8 strikeouts in a complete game win. Milt Fritz also got a complete game win of his own, 10 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons was our two start starter, but he wasn't that great. He won a start and lost a start, going 15.2 innings with 16 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He allowed 4 runs in both of his starts, and was the only pitcher this week to allow more then three. It will be hard to lose games if we keep pitching like this, but are staff has allowed the fewest runs (466) with the best team ERA (3.46) and our rotation has been lights out (3.37). If we could just score some, I think we'd be comfortably in first, but the lineup has the fewest amount of extra base hits while dropping to just 4th in homers.

Looking Ahead
We're off to start the week, but we'll use that day to cross the border to Toronto. We'll look to extend our win streak to seven against the first place Wolves, who are 66-50 and hold just a half game lead over the Cannons, after briefly falling in to second place. No offense has scored more runs then the Wolves, and that's what having Fred McCormick will do for you. Even after the slow start, he's hitting .335/.420/.474 (136 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, and 61 RBIs with 6 steals, 70 walks, and 45 strikeouts. Walt Pack is their only double digit home run hitter, but his .251/.308/.403 (86 OPS+) line is still not what most were expecting from the 25-year-old. He does have 17 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 69 RBIs, and I think the combined .290/.352/.466 (113 OPS+) line between his two seasons is more Pack then he's shown this season. Former Cougar and 1932 draftee Reginald Westfall has returned to the lineup, and he's hitting a productive .303/.376/.436 (114 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 walks, and 20 RBIs. Charlie Artuso is still on an over 7 WAR pace, hitting a reliable .300/.360/.440 (110 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, and 64 RBIs with an 18.8 zone rating and 1.119 efficiency. Of course, you can't forget about the pitching, but at least we can't see all three of Hancock, Garrison, and Johnson. I'm thinking we'll see Garrison and Johnson, as they should both be rested with the Wolves off day. Garrison actually hasn't pitched since the 13th, but the 22-year-old is 12-11 with a 3.28 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 49 walks, and 84 strikeouts. Interesting enough, he did have two recent starts against us that couldn't have gone any different. The first we scored 8 with 12 hits in 8.2 innings during an 8-1 Cougar victory, and then he followed that up with a 4-hit shutout where the Wolves scored just a single run. Johnson has similar, but arguably better numbers, 11-9 with a 3.13 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 33 walks, and 48 strikeouts. This will be a tough series in a tough week, and while a split is okay, a sweep on either side could make the difference come Fall.

It gets tougher, as we could get another battle for first place with the Cincinnati Cannons. Depending on how the series goes against the Wolves (we're 9-9 against them), the Cannons may be the only team we have a losing record against (8-9). We get three in Cincy, and may get to see the newest member of their rotation, Jim Anderson. "Jersey Jim" made a relief outing and three starts, 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (304 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts. As good as he's been, it's better facing him then any of the other four, who all have sub 4 ERAs. "Deuce" has been the best of the group, 14-6 with a 3.09 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 27 walks, and 108 strikeouts in his coming out season. Same goes for Butch Smith, who is 14-9 with a 3.16 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 56 walks, and 93 strikeouts. It's tough to score against the Cannons, 2nd fewest runs allowed, and they also have tied for the second most runs scored as well. Somehow Moxie Pidgeon hasn't homered in August, so expect five in our series, but he's still hitting .332/.375/.536 (142 OPS+) with 20 doubles, a triple, 17 homers, and 81 RBIs. I'm really pushing for him to reach 20 homers, but I'd prefer it not to be at our expense. Their Mike Taylor is having a nice season, hitting .307/.340/.481 (118 OPS+) in the three spot, chipping in with 12 doubles, 14 triples, 3 homers, and 40 RBIs. Switch hitter Denny Andrews has continued to impress despite a low average, hitting .266/.403/.452 (129 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 32 RBIs. He's also walked (43) more then twice as much as he strikes out (20), and his early production is probably what they were expecting from Ken Mayhugh. We're going to have our work cut out for us in this one and while I like our chances, I wouldn't be surprised if we disappoint.

We then finish the week with the first of three in Philly against the Sailors. They're having a decent season, 62-54, and four games out of first. Merritt Thomas suffered a strained forearm in his last start, and he may miss our series. He has spent most his time out of the pen, 1-2 with 8 saves, a 2.89 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 16 walks, and 23 strikeouts. That could mean Doc Newell gets a few more starts, as he's just 4-9 with a 4.52 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 44 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 16 starts and 3 relief appearances. Dick Walker homered in his most recent game against the Cannons, becoming the first Sailor to reach double digits. He's hitting .254/.367/.443 (113 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 13 triples, 10 homers, 56 RBIs, and 73 walks. Joe Watson is close, 9 homers to go with his .300/.338/.466 (110 OPS+) line, 20 doubles, 12 triples, and 60 RBIs. I hope we won't have to see Walt Wells, who's won his last five starts, ranks 2nd in ERA (2.63), and 1st in wins (18), but even without him on the mound, we will have to be at our best to keep on winning.

Minor League Report
RHP Tommy Davis (C Lincoln Legislators): It was an abrupt end to the season for last year's 4th Rounder, as a torn labrum ended his season after just two starts. That caused him to fall in the prospect rankings, but this season he has shown no signs of lasting damage. His most recent start really exemplifies his return to form, allowing just 3 hits and a walk with 8 strikeouts in a 7-0 shutout against the Waterloo Chiefs. That was his 6th straight win as he improved to 11-6 with a 3.58 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 41 walks, and 155 strikeouts. The strikeout numbers are huge, an impressive 9.3 K/9 as the 6'3'' righty as flashed dominant stuff. He already has a consistent low 90s sinker that could fool some big league hitters, and he leans on it both for strikeouts and groundouts. His curve could be a plus pitch, but if Davis wants to start big league games, he'll have to improve his change. His command is solid and he does a good job keeping the ball in the park, while erasing runners with a consistent stream of groundballs. His prospect shine has dimmed a bit, but Davis does have a connection with a pair of Jones in the organization. No, not Johnnie and Donnie, but Davis, along with Freddie and the recently acquired Al Jones all graduated from Central Ohio. Bill Seabolt, our 6th Rounder in 1935, is also a Central Ohio graduate giving us four in total. There aren't many Central Ohio grads around, 6th active, and Al and Freddie are the only two Aviators to debut.

RF Edmund Mann (B San Jose Cougars): Edmund Mann has to be the hottest hitter in the world right now! Yeah, Hank Barnett won back-to-back Player of the Weeks, but did he go 14-for-22 this week and have a 5-hit game to finish off last week? Mann did! He actually moved to more of a utility role with the return of Danny Goff Jr. and Connie Wright. That didn't stop his production, and Mann has hit .414/.477/.621 in 63 August Plate Appearances. It could quite easily be a flash in the pan for Mann, but perhaps the 19-year-old has started to turn the corner. His season line is still just .273/.342/.386 (87 OPS+), but with about a month less in the minor league season, he can finish off strong.

ayaghmour2 · 01-13-2022, 07:15 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 66-55 (4th, 4.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Mike Taylor : 15 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.571 OPS
John Lawson : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.039 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .360 AVG, .847 OPS

Schedule
8-20: Loss at Wolves (3-6)
8-21: Loss at Wolves (1-2)
8-22: Loss at Cannons (2-3): 14 innings
8-23: Win at Cannons (5-1)
8-24: Loss at Cannons (6-7)
8-25: Win at Sailors (13-1)

Recap
I can feel the season slipping away... It seems every time we get close to first, we start losing games, and that's exactly what happened this week. This week really hurt, as three of our losses were one run walk-offs, including one where we fell in 14 innings after allowing 2 runs in the 9th because of Moxie Pidgeon's first homer in August. We did not play up to our competition, as the 1st Place Wolves swept through us and the Cannons, 3.5 games out due to the Wolves hot week, took two of three. Sure, we slaughtered the Sailors, but we're now 4.5 games out with about a month left in the season. A good week or two and we could be right back in it, but we dug an unnecessary hole for ourselves as August winds down.

Billy Hunter was outstanding in his return to the lineup, 6-for-16 with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Both of our catchers looked good, with Mike Taylor one of the best players anywhere this week. Taylor went 7-for-15 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs while Harry Mead was 3-for-7 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. John Lawson had a powerful week, 8-for-24 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, walks, runs, and RBIs. Rich Langton got into the fun too, 2-for-6 with a triple, RBI, and 3 runs scored. Orlin Yates, Carlos Montes, and Ray Ford, however, really had tough times this week, with the trio hitting just 8-for-76 a triple, steal, and 6 RBIs. We need everyone to hit next week if we want to keep our season going, but it may end up being too little too late, as the offense cannot perform with any sort of consistency.

The pitching was mostly wonderful, but Milt Fritz had a poor start and Pete Papenfus as unlucky one. Fritz made two starts, one where he allowed 6 runs in 8 innings and the other just one in a complete game victory. In total, he allowed 14 hits and 9 walks with 3 strikeouts. Papenfus got killed with errors, as 5 of his 7 runs were unearned. He went 8.1 as the Cannons walked us off (in fact, all runs came after a 5 run 7th), charged with 13 hits and 2 walks with 12 strikeouts. The 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio is really encouraging, and for the season, he has an improved 5.1 BB/9 and 7.2 K/9 in 129 innings. Dick Lyons was an error away from a shutout, allowing 3 hits and a walk with a strikeout. Jim Lonardo went just 7, and got a no decision, with 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks. Joe Brown tried to finish the game before another walk off loss, going an inning and a third with a hit, run, and 2 walks. Harry Parker was the unlucky pitcher in our 14 inning loss, getting one out in the 14th before we were walked off. He allowed 13 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Our starters managed to go deep in nearly every game this week, but for some reason that didn't translate into wins.

Looking Ahead
We do get two more against the Sailors, which should hopefully help us get on track as we had little issue with them in the opener. It is looking like we will see Walt Wells, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. The 32-year-old is 18-7 with a 2.80 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 77 walks, and 69 strikeouts in his fourth consecutive 200 inning season. We'll also see either Merritt Thomas or Dutch Sheldon, but with the Thomas injury I'm guessing it will be Sheldon. The 31-year-old is 13-12 with a 3.70 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 102 walks, and 85 strikeouts. Wells and Sheldon are their top two pitchers, but even if we can't score much on them, I think our pitching can do well against their lineup. Joe Watson is having a tough season, hitting just .291/.331/.453 (105 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 13 triples, 9 homers, and 64 RBIs. Not bad numbers, by any means, but after OPS+ above 140 the past two seasons, it's not what Sailors fans have been used to. They have made a change in the outfield, with 25-year-old Joe Scott getting a few starts. Most of the time has came off the bench, but he's hitting a strong .308/.398/.513 (139 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, homer, and 22 RBIs. At least we can't get swept, already a plus, but we really need to win both and cannot afford to drop both.

Our road trip then ends with two in Cleveland against the 39-83 Foresters. It's been a rough fall from grace, as the Foresters went from pennant contender to cellar dweller. Four of the five rotation members have ERAs above 4, while both Lou Martino and Ben Turner have been awful. Martino led the CA in ERA last year, but this season is just 3-16 with a 5.05 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 74 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Ben Turner is a similar 6-15 with a 5.03 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 63 walks, and 34 strikeouts. At the plate, Mel Carrol is hitting well, but a .343/.388/.474 (126 OPS+) line is not what he's used to hitting. The 28-year-old won the most recent Player of the Week and has 18 doubles, a triple, 14 homers, and 69 RBIs in 117 games. They do have the second most homers in the league, with Lou Balk, Bill Moore, and Dan Fowler all in double digits. Balk is one of the few hitters to keep up with Leo Mitchell's strikeouts, and he's hit a strong .299/.326/.492 (113 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 12 homers, and 46 RBIs. Moore is hitting a similar .293/.370/.453 (116 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, and 60 RBIs. Fowler, however, is having an awful season, just .242/.324/.381 (85 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 65 RBIs. Formerly a top-5 center fielder, Fowler had a 115 or higher OPS+ in each season from 1932-1938, but this should make two seasons of below average production. We cannot afford to drop any more games with Cleveland, and anything less then a sweep would be a major disappointment.

We're off on Friday, and will the return home for two with the Saints. Like Cleveland, we really need to beat Montreal, as they are 50-70 and the only other CA team with fewer then 60 wins. Spud Bent is hurt, giving Mark Burns a return to the lineup. He was great as a rookie last season, but has hit just .232/.312/.331 (71 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs in just over 200 trips to the plate. To the right of him at short is Jake Hughes, who has looked good in his sophomore season. Hughes is hitting .312/.378/.429 (113 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 7 steals, and 41 RBIs in just shy of 200 PAs. Of course, neither compare to Red Bond, who is slashing a superb .328/.385/.538 (142 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 24 homers, and 78 RBIs. The team doesn't hit many homers, with the only other in double digits 32-year-old Vic Crawford. Last year was his first full season with a sub 100 OPS+, but he's back on track and hitting .269/.348/.469 (114 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 7 triples, 11 homers, and 59 RBIs. The pitching has really struggled, allowing the most amount of runs in the CA. Karl Wallace has done fine, but he's the only rotation member with an ERA below 4. He's 7-6 with a 3.70 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 35 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 16 starts and 11 relief outings. Wally Doyle is back, and while he hasn't been great, the 21-year-old is 5-6 with a 4.59 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 63 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 16 starts. These back four games may be enough for us to secure a winning week, but I think we have a good chance of going 5-1 with an outside shot at a much needed 6-0 week.

Minor League Report
RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): It's been a tough season for Boney Joe Crosby, but in his 16th start of the season he was near flawless. The 21-year-old allowed just 5 hits and struck out 2 in a complete game shutout win over the Gary Steelmen. This improved his season record to 6-4 with a 5.38 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 43 walks, and 37 strikeouts. Definitely not the most inspiring numbers possible, and compared to his 19 starts in San Jose last year, his BB/9 is up and his K/9 down. His ERA and WHIP are way up as well, but it's tough to match a 3.32 ERA (147 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP. The former 4th Rounder also missed about a month with shoulder tendinitis, but he's actually been better since returning. The down season has also affected his prospect rankings, as he dropped down to 21st in our system and 266th overall. I'm not overly concerned, young pitchers do have their struggles, and Tom Weinstock thinks he'll end up a back of the rotation arm. He does have a nice 89-91 fastball and his curve and slider should develop into quality offerings. Walks have hurt him a bit, and he'll have to improve his control if he wants to continue starting games, as he doesn't have the raw stuff to overpower hitters.

Likely no report tomorrow as I'm going to be very busy, and with no sims on the weekend I won't feel rushed to get something posted before the next sim. I imagine I'll wait until Saturday, but it may be up very late tomorrow.

ayaghmour2 · 01-15-2022, 10:44 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 70-57 (2nd, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jim Lonardo : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 5 K, 0.50 ERA
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .308 AVG, 1.038 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 26 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .385 AVG, .907 OPS

Schedule
8-26: Win at Sailors (3-1)
8-27: Loss at Sailors (4-5)
8-28: Win at Foresters (10-6)
8-29: Loss at Foresters (6-8)
8-31: Win vs Saints (6-9)
9-1: Win vs Saints (4-0)

Recap
Well, on the field we did good. We split the final two in Philly, winning that series, before unfortunately splitting in Cleveland. The off day did rejuvenate us, and then back at home, we swept the Saints out of Cougars Park. But despite all that fun, and the jump in the standings back to second, and a game cut out of the deficit, this was a very somber week for the Chicago Cougars. We will now be without one of the most effective pitchers in baseball for the rest of the season. After leaving his start in the 6th against the Saints, the worst part of Milt Fritz's night was not the 11 hits, 5 runs, and walk; it was the tearing of his rotator cuff. The very durable veteran has 2,877.1 career FABL innings and 3,382 in total if you include high school and his season in the minors, Fritz has only three previous injuries on his record. Two of those were less then a week and the last was less then a month, but this one will keep Fritz out of action for about 7 months, meaning he's almost guaranteed to miss part of next season as well. This was easily Fritz's best season as a Cougar, and perhaps his best since he took home the 1931 Allen Award. The 30-year-old was 18-7 with a 2.84 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 87 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 26 starts and 212.2 innings pitched. It was his fifth 200 inning season with us and 11 of his 12 seasons have seen him throw 200 or more FABL innings. The only one that wasn't was the year I let him work things out in Milwaukee after an awful start to the season with the Gothams. In total, Fritz is 178-141 with a 3.68 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 1,021 walks, and 1,016 strikeouts.

Losing Fritz is a huge blow, but at least Jim Lonardo has has really turned things around. On the same day he won CA Pitcher of the Month, he tossed a 4-hit, 3-strikeout shutout of the Saints to improve to 10-11 on the season. It was his second complete game victory of the week, the other was just as good, 3 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. Since July, Lonardo is 6-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. This is the Lonardo I was looking for at the beginning of the season, and he's improved his ERA to 3.42 (111 ERA+) and WHIP to 1.17 with 31 walks and 62 strikeouts. I plan to use a loose four man rotation, so I can see us leaning on Lonardo heavily. Unfortunately, the rest of our rotation really struggled this week. Dick Lyons got a win, but allowed 11 hits, 6 runs, and a strikeout in 8 innings. Harry Parker picked up a loss, and shockingly didn't get a complete game, charged with 11 hits, 5 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. Pete Papenfus fell apart after the 7th again, with 6 of his 7 runs allowed after the 7th. One of the run was unearned, and he went 8.2 with 12 hits, 5 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Despite only 16 starts, his 115 strikeouts are more then every CA pitcher except Rufus Barrell, but he has thrown nearly 100 more innings with just 6 more strikeouts. Allen Purvis got an outing, a 3.2 inning save relieving Fritz with 3 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout.

Last week I was complaining about Ray Ford and Carlos Montes, and now they both excited with great weeks. Ford was swinging for the fences, 8-for-26 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Now 11 homers for the season, it's four straight with double digits, but he's still ways away from the 16 he hit in each of the past two seasons. Montes is likely looking at his first season with fewer then double digit homers, but he did have a nice 9-for-25 week with 2 doubles, a triple, 5 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 steals. They didn't have too much help, but the reliable Leo Mitchell and John Lawson both did well. Mitchell was 10-for-26 with a homer and 4 RBIs while Lawson was 9-for-29 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 10 RBIs. Harry Mead looked good in his three games, 4-for-9 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Ollie Page filled in well, 4-for-8 with a double and 3 walks. It's a little surprising we won four games this week despite overall poor hitting and poor pitching, and with heading back on the road, we'll need better performances on both sides of the field.

We do have a need for another starter, so getting the occasional starts will be 26-year-old Joe Brown, who has been tremendous out of the pen. He is just 2-4, but with 5 saves, a 2.66 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. Only 4 of his 65 FABL appearances have been starts, but he did make 14 in Milwaukee last year and 12 the year before. Roster expansion also makes thing easier on us, and replacing Brown in the stopper role is a former Cougar prospect. Taken in the second round the year before the first human draft, Ben Curtin was a top 100 prospect as a starter and one of the three prospects involved in the John Kincaid deal back in 1929 offseason. He did debut that season, going 3-4 with a 4.95 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.90 WHIP, 42 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 9 starts. That wasn't the only major trade he was a part of, as the next season he was off to St. Louis in the blockbuster Max Morris trade. Both times he wasn't the top piece, first it was Dean Astle then Fred McCormick, but Curtin has put together a decent career. He's appeared in the big leagues every season since, but only made four more big league starts. He turned into a decent reliever, and was a member of the 1933 All Star Game. The then Pioneer was 7-6 with a 4.46 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 38 walks, and 45 strikeouts with a league high 21 saves and 69 appearances. In total, he's appeared in 374 big league games across 642 innings and recorded a 4.37 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 283 walks, and 240 strikeouts. Before this season, he pitched 40 or more innings in each season, but he only got one out with the Dynamos back on the 20th of April and has remained a free agent until I gave him $7,700 to help improve our leadership. He's 35 and I do prefer a lot of our younger arms for net season, so his stay in our organization may be short.

We're also down Billy Hunter, again, this time due to a hamstring strain that hopefully has him back in two or three sims. That's his fourth injury of the season and eighth in the past three, but after 133 and 146 games in 1938 and 1938, he'll be lucky to reach 60 this season. He's made just 180 trips to the plate, but hit a nice .301/.344/.458 (119 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. His power has really dropped since he debuted with 6 homers in 51 games as a rookie, with just 7 in '39 and 4 in '40. When healthy, he's one of the best middle infielders in the game, but he just has not been able to stay on the field this season. We will have Freddie Jones back to step into the second base role, and thanks to an 11-for-21 week, his .261/.395/.333 (94 OPS+) line with the Blues doesn't look too awful. He was play first, and wasn't terrible, but I'm hoping he can carry out the momentum from his last week in the minors to improve his career worst .258/.343/.284 (74 OPS+). Barring a miracle where he hits like he did from 1932-1937 and carries us to the playoffs, this will likely be his first season with a below average OPS+. Jones is a career .339/.438/.436 (129 OPS+) hitter who never spent a game in the minors until this rehab assignment.

Of course, with rosters expanding, we'll have a lot of new faces on the roster, but I'm not quite ready to fill up all 35 spots. As usual, I'll bring up a third catcher, and Johnnie Williamson will return to Chicago. This may be his last trip with us, as he's out of options and not as good as Mead or Taylor. I do think he could be a decent enough starter in the FABL, but he didn't set the world on fire in Milwaukee this season. He dealt with an injury which limited to 73 games while hitting just .302/.366/.342 (87 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 27 RBIs, and 29 walks. The former 8th Rounder has a strong .295/.367/.364 (114 OPS+) career line in the big leagues, but it's just 50 PAs and 47 of them came in 1937. Another bench spot will be filled by the super utility man Tip Harrison, who appeared in 5 games at every position this season except catcher and pitcher. He didn't get much time at second or third, but appeared in 20 or more games at first, short, left, center, and right. He turned 29 today, and hit .274/.348/.392 (92 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, 9 steals, and 46 RBIs in 466 plate appearances with the Blues. The last position player joining this week will be Tommy Sandstorm, our Rule-5 pick from last season. He didn't get too much playing time in Milwaukee, mostly functioning off the bench, but he hit a strong .255/.362/.433 (109 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 18 RBIs. The Blues do have two weeks left to go, and even though they are 13.5 games out of first, I do have a lot of guys I want to keep getting every day at bats. I imagine that outfielders John Johnson and Fred Vargas will join after, but I have a lot of non-roster guys I might want to shield in the upcoming draft who have a few more weeks to impress. That includes infielders Cuno Myer, Stu Johnson, Bill Dickens, and Jimmy Bach, as well as outfielder Oscar Panduro. I also added Nick Wallace on a minor league deal, but he hasn't played since June and I'm hoping he can get a few at bats with the Blues first.

On the pitching side, I want Harl Haines and Johnny Ruby to continue making starts, so they'll have to wait until the Blues season ends before I consider calling them up. With the Fritz injury I could use an extra arm, so the no-hit star Dick Strunk will get his first shot to pitch as a Cougar. The 26-year-old joined off waivers in the offseason, and was 14-8 with a 3.90 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 50 walks, and 63 strikeouts. There is still room for another arm, so he will be joined by southpaw Cal Knight. The former 2nd Rounder was great out of the pen for us, but he took his lumps with the Blues. He started 19 of his 20 appearances, but went 9-10 with a 4.21 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 73 walks, and 43 strikeouts. This gives us 29 of the 35 spots filled, plus one that will remain empty for Billy Hunter. I only have 36 people on my 40 after sending Fritz to the 60-Day DL, so I have a lot of flexibility with who I decided to bring up. Of course, there is always the chance of injury, but along with Vargas and Johnson, I think I'd like to get a look at Haines, leaving two spots undecided. One will definitely be an infielder, but I still have time to decide exactly who will get the call. Plus, there is always the waiver wire, as some teams may have to DFA guys to bring up a non roster player they want to take a look at.

Looking Ahead
Right back on the road as all 29 Cougars prepare for a double header against the Brooklyn Kings. At 65-63, the Kings are back over .500 and single digits (albeit, 9) games out of first place. Art White has hit a bit of a rough patch, 4 or more runs allowed in each of his last five starts, including one where he allowed 7 against us on the 9th. White is still having a tremendous year, 13-9 with a 3.22 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 58 walks, and 64 strikeouts, and the fully rested 29-year-old will be on the bump in one of the games. Based on rest status, we'll also get Jack Goff who is 3-6 with an adjusted league average 3.94 ERA. Danny's big brother has made 12 starts in his 19 games and tallied 109.2 innings with a 1.38 WHIP, 35 walks, and 40 strikeouts. These two lefties are probably the best the Kings have to offer, with Crawford and Cummings sporting ERAs above 4 and Tom Barrell's somehow still above 5. Even if we don't score too much, we should be able to keep their hitters off base, and hopefully when Al Wheeler is up. Sure he's hitting just .264/.341/.432 (104 OPS+), but he has 20 doubles, a triple, 18 homers, and 65 RBIs in what should end up his 11th 20 or more homer season. He was so close last season with 19, breaking his 10 season streak. His fellow corner outfielder Joe Herman has came back to earth a bit, but the breakout 24-year-old is still hitting a well above average .327/.368/.533 (137 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 13 homers, 5 steals, and 61 RBIs. Between those two is Tiny Tim, who is now hitting a strong .274/.353/.487 (121 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 homers, and 39 RBIs. As you can see from this 3-4-5, a lot of homers, but not many RBIs. The Kings rank 8th in OBP, OPS, and wOBA, but lead the CA with 86 home runs. Another home run hitter to watch out for is Rats McGonigle, who is hitting an average .268/.309/.459 (102 OPS+), but with 27 doubles, 19 triples, 12 homers, 10 steals, and 51 RBIs in a pretty well rounded season. As long as we make sure their homers happen with the bases empty, I foresee a double header sweep for the 2nd Place Cougars.

An annoying series with the Stars follows, as we're off, on, off again, and then on again for two games in four days. The Stars had a rough week, going 1-6 while winning just three of their last ten. Now 67-60, they're 6.5 games out of first and in fifth place. Dave Trowbridge is challenging John Lawson for the batting title, and the ageless wonder is hitting a remarkable .350/.409/.488 (141 OPS+) with 36 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 47 RBIs. It's a little surprising he's driven in so few runs, considering the two hitters above him are Joe Angevine and Chink Stickels, and those two have 72 and 89 RBIs while Bill Barrett behind him as 80. Barrett is doing the best of the trio, and the 20-year-old is hitting .315/.375/.478 (128 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, and 80 RBIs while walking (44) almost five times as much as he strikes out (7). On the mound, Lou Robertson has drifted back towards the mean, but he's still 9-4 with a 2.77 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 47 walks, and 42 strikeouts in his 15 starts. I'd much rather see Chris Clarke then him, as his 3.90 ERA (100 ERA+) is the worst on the team. He's started 8 of his 13 games and gone 4-3 with a 1.46 WHIP, 22 walks, and 21 strikeouts. Each of their top three has lost 11 games on the season, but Phillips, Riley, and Cole make up a strong top of the rotation. With Fritz now injured, they may have the best 1 through 5 in the CA, but we may have caught them at the right time and we could capitalize off their recent poor play.

Next stop is Montreal, where we play one on Saturday and two on Sunday before finishing off the series on Monday. We just swept the Saints in Chicago after they swept the Cannons (and won one against the Wolves) as they have really helped our playoff chances. I'm hoping for more of that this week, and while we all know about Bond and Mullins, one bat to watch out for is Bert Lass. The other "Red" started his season with a .195/.283/.220 line in April, but has hit over .350 since July. The 26-year-old now has a much improved .306/.361/.455 (115 OPS+) line with 31 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 61 RBIs. They've also gotten good production at the plate out of shortstop Jake Hughes, but his -4.7 zone rating and .861 efficiency in the field show he may be better suited for third (-2.1, .950). Still, the 24-year-old has hit a respectable .304/.364/.419 (107 OPS+), rather similar to Frank Davis who they shipped out at the deadline. Hughes has also added 13 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 8 steals, and 17 RBIs. The pitching has really hurt the Saints, but Ed Baker has matched his 14-12 record from last season. He has an almost identical 1.45 WHIP, 65 walks, and 69 strikeouts in 230.1 innings compared to 1.43, 69, and 68 in 228.2 innings last year, but his 4.65 ERA (85 ERA+) is almost a point higher. The Saints were expecting a lot more from him when they sent away highly touted youngster Hank McKay, who has done well with the Keystones. Sure, he's no Red Bond, but the 24-year-old right fielder has hit an adjusted league average .258/.335/.388 with 14 doubles, 13 triples, 7 homers, 21 steals, and 44 RBIs as the Keystones have shaken off a pair of 60 win seasons with a 73-56 record. These are crucial must win games for us, as this week could really help us make up ground against Toronto. The Wolves have to face the Foresters, Cannons, and Sailors, and while they should have no problem in Cleveland, the other two series will be tough at home. With a magic number of 24, a lot can still happen, but it is worth noting their playoff percentage is 77.1% compared to just 13.2% for us. We have a slightly tougher schedule (.488 to .480), but 17 of our 27 games are at home while they only have 11 of 25 in Toronto. We only play them once more this season, a midweek series between our last two off-days on the 17th and 18th.

Minor League Report
RHP Donnie Jones (AA Mobile Commodores): He has taken his lumps in the minors, but that is expected when a 20-year-old is pitching in AA and the only team better then the Commodores has 13 players over 26 and all 21 can walk in a bar and buy a beer. What isn't expected is when a 20-year-old tosses a shutout against a team with an average age of 28. "Mole Killer" Donnie Jones allowed just 6 hits and struck out 6 Excelsiors in a 7-0 Commodores victory. It was his 11th complete game in 21 starts, and he improved to 10-9 with a 4.38 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 84 walks, and 88 strikeouts. Donnie was a dominant high school pitcher and has long been considered an elite talent. Tom thinks he'll be a #1 and I think he'll be one of the best pitchers in the game. The 6'2'' righty has a dominant mid 90s sinker that generates a ton of groundballs. It's not even his best pitch, that's his potentially elite curve, and he also has a good fastball and change. His stuff is big league ready, but he does have to get his command straightened out. He's excellent in the clubhouse, constantly complimenting his teammates while leading players much older then him in the locker room. The sky really is the limit for him, and while he did drop out of the top 10 for prospects, Jones is still a top of the line arm who projects to have an outstanding career.

LHP Johnnie Jones (AA Mobile Commodores): Since I brought up Donnie, I might as well talk about Johnnie. The 22-year-old is also in Mobile and ranks 4 spots behind his younger brother in the top 100 list. He missed a little time this season, but the skinny 6'4'' southpaw has looked much better this season then last. "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" is 8-9 in 19 starts with a 4.50 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 76 walks, and 46 strikeouts. He's walking too many hitters, 5.0 per nine, but lucky for him, he is excellent at erasing runners with a double play. He has very polished stuff, featuring an excellent mid 90s sinker, equally impressive forkball, decent slider, and developing change. He also gets a ton of movement on all four pitches, which is what really makes him dangerous on the mound. If he polishes up his control, Jones will be dominant, and he could win a few Allen Awards. He may never be an ace because he's going to be playing with Donnie and Pete Papenfus, but he's bound to be one of the most talented arms in the league. I think he may be a bit of a slow developer, which is okay, and I could see it taking him a few seasons once he's in the big leagues before he really gets a hang of things. Johnnie is an extremely talented arm and I can't wait to see the type of pitcher he will become.

RHP Roy Carey (AA Mobile Commodores): It hasn't been the smoothest of sailing for the former 2nd Round Pick, as he's been bounced between Mobile and Lincoln the past three years. Now 25, a demotion to A ball might end his dream of pitching in a big league rotation. He's doing his best to earn a promotion instead, and after suffering through four of five starts with 7 or more runs allowed, he his five game losing streak with a dominant performance over the Memphis Excelsiors. He allowed just 3 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts to improve to 6-7 on the season. Carey has had walk issues, 37 in 112 innings, but he has a respectable 4.26 ERA (108 ERA+) and 1.55 WHIP with just 16 strikeouts. He does have good pitches, including a decent change, but he's a soft tosser and none of his other five pitches inspire too much confidence. It is a littler surprising he hasn't gotten a velocity boost, but Carey also hasn't gotten injured. He is now Rule-5 Draft eligible, but I don't think I'm going to end up protecting him. He has a lot of improving to do before being considered a big league pitcher, but I wouldn't mind if a struggling team gave him a chance. He's shown the ability to eat a lot of innings as he will can pitch deep into games, and when it comes with durability as well, he could be a useful depth piece.

2B Eddie Curtis (A Lincoln Legislators): He's caught fire recently, and on the 29th 22-year-old Eddie Curtis had an impressive 5-for-5 night in our 10-2 win over Evansville. Curtis also walked, drove in two, and scored four times. This was just one of many good games, as Curtis was also named the Heartland League Batter of the Month. He hit .419 with 30 runs scored and 18 driven in, plus he walked 15 times and hit 5 doubles and 6 triples. He hasn't done the best in the field, but he's hit a strong .325/.376/.401 (113 OPS+) for the season with 9 doubles, 9 triples, a homer, 16 steals, and 35 RBIs. He's a discipline hitter, double the walks (31) to strikeouts (15) in 435 plate appearances with the Legislators. A versatile player, he's actually a natural shortstop and has spent most of his time there. He can also man third, left, and right, allowing him to play five different positions. The glove isn't great, but he has excellent speed and range and should at least be average at second if not short. He doesn't project to be an outstanding hitter, but he could hit .300 a few times with limited power and a lot of steals. His future likely lies as a bench bat, but I think the former 7th Rounder has a shot to be a big league player.

CF Bunny Hufford (A Lincoln Legislators): It was an excellent week for our top outfield prospect Bunny Hufford. Currently ranked 8th in our system and 80th overall, Bunny went 13-for-30 and drove in 8 to improve his Lincoln line to .292/.369/.437 (120 OPS+). The 22-year-old added in 16 doubles, 10 triples, 3 homers, and 41 RBIs in 353 trips to the plate. He hasn't looked the greatest out in center, a -3.6 zone rating and .955 efficiency, but in left he has a 4.6 and 1.041 with a 2.9 and 1.061 for San Jose out in right. The former 4th Rounder is a lean and athletic lefty who projects to hit over .330 and his patient approach at the plate should allow him to reach base with frequency. He has the profile of a leadoff hitter, but he doesn't steal many bases. He does run them well, and he is always looking to take the extra base. Bunny is a good influence in the clubhouse, constantly challenging his teammates in drills and pushing them and himself to the limit. I think he has the tools to be a big league starter, and I expect him to start the season up in Mobile next year.

SS Jimmie James (B San Jose Cougars): Taken in the 4th Round of this recent draft, Jimmie James skipped La Crosse and started up in San Jose. The switch hitter had an outstanding week, going 10-for-19 with 2 homers, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Of course he hasn't done this all season, but he's done a great job at the plate, slashing .349/.412/.493 (132 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 27 RBIs. A versatile defender, he's split his time pretty evenly between third and short. He also has the ability to fill in at second, left, center, and right. He's been great at short, recording a 3.0 zone rating and 1.051 efficiency, but right now Connie Wright is getting time at short and I wanted to see how James could do at the hot corner. He hasn't done that well in limited time, but I do think he could eventually be average or better there, but I think his future will be at short. He has to develop his bat, but he does have good discipline and should find himself on base frequently. He leads our second tier of prospects, the first one outside the top 100 at 143rd and 10th in our system. It will be tough with Skipper Schneider and Billy Hunter in the middle infield, and John Lawson isn't showing any signs of slowing down, giving him no direct route to the majors. I can take my time with him, but he may end up just a useful utility player.

RHP Mel Haynes (C La Crosse Lions): Our first round selection this January, Mel Haynes was firing on all cylinders against the Rock Island Steamboats. The 18-year-old righty allowed just 3 hits with 6 strikeouts in a complete game victory. This improved him to 5-2 in 7 starts with a 2.70 ERA (167 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 13 walks, and 28 strikeouts. It's a nice start to hopefully a long career for Haynes, who currently ranks 7th in our system and 78th overall. He's also gotten a little time out at first, and while his defense has been awful, he's hitting a strong .358/.414/.434 (115 OPS+) with 4 doubles and 7 RBIs. His future is definitely on the mound, but if injuries ever strike, he at least has something to fall back on. Haynes doesn't throw the hardest, sitting at 88-86, but he's a huge 6'2'' unit who could add velocity as he ages. He does a good job keeping the ball on the ground and at his peak he should have decent stuff too. His change should be his best pitch, while his sinker, slider, and forkball are all decent offerings as well. Tom thinks he could develop walk problems, but so far he's done a good job limiting them. He's also done an outstanding job pitching deep into games, with six of his seven starts complete games and despite the most recent being just 98 pitches, all seven he's gone past the century mark, and he's been able to reach 140 as well. I think he has a future at the top of a rotation, OSA thinks middle, and Tom thinks back, so I imagine one of the three of us will be right. Haynes has a ton of upside, so it may be tough for him to reach that lofty upside, but while it may be a long and winding road to reach it, he's got the tools needed to make it work the effort.

RF Ray Powell (C La Crosse Lions): One of the first two lottery picks for us, Ray Powell was a disappointment since day one. Sure he won Batter of the Month for August, but it's in C ball because he has a red arrow when I wanted him in San Jose. He's not an every day player, and 20 of his 28 appearances this month came off the bench, but the 22-year-old did hit .462/.508/.904 with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, and 16 RBIs. This was a truly remarkable month, and he increased his season line way up to .303/.376/.544 (130 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 13 homers, 7 steals, and 60 RBIs. These are pretty good numbers, and he's been about average out in right while not quite used to left. He could end up a fourth outfielder, as he does have decent hands in the outfield and the ability to draw a lot of walks. Still, it did hurt getting him instead of making a choice for the 2nd Round, as he never really profiled as anything special. Powell has sparingly ranked in the top 500, and he's not even on our team top 100 while neither my scouts or OSA have been much of a fan. He's going to be Rule-5 eligible soon, but my guess is he has a better chance of being cut then making a big league roster.

RF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): Our 8th Rounder this draft, Leo Davis had a week to remember, 15-for-22 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. That increased his batting line to an impressive .345/.424/.534 (142 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, and 22 RBIs. The 21-year-old is a natural center fielder and has made 16 appearances in the middle with 32 more in right. He's done outstanding, a 1.150 and 1.158 efficiency in center and right, and should be an excellent defensive outfielder when he's fully developed. That should help him move up the system, but I'm not sure if his bat is enough to get him frequent playing time at the top level. He may have issues with striking out as he sometimes isn't able to get the bat on the ball.

ayaghmour2 · 01-17-2022, 03:55 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 73-61 (3nd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .286 AVG, .739 OPS
Jim Lonardo : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Joe Brown : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.00 ERA

Schedule
9-2: Loss at Kings (0-5)
9-2: Loss at Kings (1-4)
9-4: Loss at Stars (0-2)
9-6: Win at Stars (7-3)
9-7: Win at Saints (4-3)
9-8: Loss at Saints (1-4)
9-8: Win at Saints (6-2)

Recap
This week really feels like a missed opportunity. We went just 3-4, but managed to pickup two and a half games against the struggling Wolves. They suffered a six game losing streak, and now hold just a one game lead over us. What sucks is if we just had a winning week, we'd be tied for first, 5-2 would have given us a game lead, and a 7-0 would have been a nice three game cushion. Still, we're right in the think of things, but back down to third while the Cannons are a half game ahead of us. The worst part was the Kings series, as we let them sweep the double header. I can't wait to return, as the road hasn't treated us very well.

Dick Lyons had a two start week, picking up a win and a loss. He went 6 in the loss with 4 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Errors cost him a complete game shutout, as all three of his runs were unearned. He allowed 7 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts to improve to 17-8. Harry Parker made two starts, and loss two to move his loss streak to four. Both were 8 innings with 4 runs, the first saw 11 hits, a walk, and 6 strikeouts with 10 hits and 4 walks in the other. Jim Lonardo also have errors cost him a shutout, giving up 7 hits, 3 unearned runs, and a walk with a strikeout. Joe Brown pitched well in his first start of the season, going all nine with 12 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-4 on the season. Peter the Heater pitched well enough to win, but got a loss with 8 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. We pitched like a team who won a lot of games, but luck was not quite on our side.

Of course, we didn't hit much, with the only regulars this week having an above average offensive week being Leo Mitchell and Freddie Jones. Jones had a nice return to the lineup, going 4-for-12 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Mitchell wasn't even that great, but his 8-for-28 was much better then the rest of the bunch. He also homered, drove in 5, and of course, struck out four times. Skipper had a really rough week, going just 2-for-19 with a double, run, and RBI. John Lawson hurt his batting title chances, going just 4-for-28 with a double, run, walk, and 2 RBIs. We're going to really need them to turn things around if we want to take over the division, but considering Ford, Montes, and the catchers all struggled too, there was a lot more we needed to go right.

Looking Ahead
Our road trip ends with the finale against the Saints, and we cannot afford to lose this game. They are just 57-76 and 16.5 games outside of first. It's looking like we'll see the struggling Jake DeYoung who is 12-15 with a 4.69 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 35 walks, and 92 strikeouts. Homers have always been an issue for DeYoung, just like for Harry Parker, as the 27-year-old has allowed 27 in 30 starts, despite the Parc Cartier being one of the toughest places to hit home runs at. Of course, you can't tell that to Red Bond, who has 26 with 91 RBIs and his .343/.399/.550 (149 OPS+) batting line. Montreal has repeatedly said that Bond is untouchable, but he could be an interesting trade target in the offseason if they decide to change their mind. The Saints aren't great now, but if their young pitchers stay healthy/recover, they can be a real force to be reckoned with.

We finally return home for what could be a huge series for first place. We get two with the Cannons, who have started to reheat and are 74-61 and just a win behind the Wolves. They are off to start the week, but I expect to see their 3 and 4 in Rufus Barrell and Butch Smith. They might be the two best, and the 23-year-old Barrell has broken out this season. Deuce is 16-8 with a 3.37 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 37 walks, and 126 strikeouts. Smith has started to slow down a bit, but he's still 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 66 walks, and 104 strikeouts. It will be tough to score runs on these two, and we'll have our work cut out with the lineup as well. Moxie Pidgeon is a homer away from 20, and hitting .339/.385/.541 (146 OPS+) with 23 doubles, a triple, and 92 RBIs. They've called up former 3rd Rounder and the current 54th rated prospect Don Cress to Cincinnati, and started him at first base. The 23-year-old has made just 42 trips to the plate, but has a nice .316/.381/.447 (122 OPS+) line with 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBIs. He's behind Moxie and above Fred Galloway, who's line has dropped to .279/.375/.402 (109 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 17 triples, 2 homers, and 65 RBIs with an elite 84-to-10 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This series will have huge playoff implications, as a sweep on either side could spell doom for the losers.

We stay in Chicago after to welcome the Sailors in for three. They haven't gone away either, now 73-63 and just 2 games out of first. Walt Wells has done all he can to earn his first career Allen Award, 19-9 with a 2.69 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 88 walks, and 73 strikeouts. With Milt Fritz out for the year, Flynn should have the inside track for the ERA crown and most wins in the CA. I'm hoping we miss him, but it's shaping up like he'll play in one of the three meetings. The Sailors have a great defense, which has really helped Chuck Murphy and his flyball tendencies. Murphy is 13-9 with a 3.54 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 56 walks, and 43 strikeouts in just his second 200 inning season. At the plate Joe Watson has reached double digits for homer, hitting .286/.331/.446 (103 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, 10 homers, and 71 RBIs. Woody Stone has done a great job behind the plate, and is hitting a strong .314/.348/.459 (111 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 63 RBIs. Bob Smith may strike out double digit times this season, with 9 and just 30 walks, both which could end up career worsts. He is hitting well, .298/.339/.468 (111 OPS+) and he has added 33 doubles, 9 triples, 9 homers, 8 steals, and 61 RBIs. I expect another hard fought series here, and this five game stretch could determine the fate of our season.

We then finish the week with a double header hosting the Foresters. Cleveland is the only CA team eliminated from the playoffs, and are just 48-87 and hoping to to keep their loss total under 100. They have never lost more then 98 games (1926) and have had 80 or more wins since the 1932 season. Dean Astle is currently hurt and Dave Rankin has really struggled lately. He's now 10-16 with a 3.96 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 75 walks, and 60 strikeouts. They do hit a lot of homers, which can hurt us in Chicago, and even Brooks Meeks has cracked double digits. The 31-year-old has hit just .230/.277/.385 (73 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, and 55 RBIs. For some reason they have taken Lou Balk out of the lineup, despite him hitting .293/.321/.485 (109 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 12 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. His replacement is Cal Howe, who went just 3-for-18 with a double and 2 RBIs in his first week with the Foresters. Former 1st Rounder and top prospect Eli Harkless has replaced the struggling Roy Bradley, but Harkless'.278/.345/.391 (94 OPS+) is just 1 percent better then Bradley's. In 316 trips to the plate he has 9 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs while Bradley has 25, 6, 3 and 39 in 372. These are absolute must win games, as the Foresters have nothing to play for, but at least their fans can look forward to the offseason where their season of futility gifts them the Undertaker Hiram Steinberg.

ayaghmour2 · 01-18-2022, 06:00 PM

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 78-64 (t-2nd, 1.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 33 AB, 18 H, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .545 AVG, 1.549 OPS
Carlos Montes : 40 AB, 16 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, .915 OPS
Ray Ford : 35 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .371 AVG, .920 OPS

Schedule
9-9: Win vs Saints (2-13)
9-10: Loss vs Cannons (6-4): 10 innings
9-11: Loss vs Cannons (10-8): 11 innings
9-12: Win vs Sailors (2-9)
9-13: Win vs Sailors (2-7)
9-14: Win vs Sailors (1-7)
9-15: Win vs Foresters (3-13)
9-15: Loss vs Foresters (11-10)

Recap
We were so close to a perfect week, starting off with a destruction of the Saints, before back-to-back extra inning losses to the now first place Cannons. At least we didn't blow both, we actually acme back in both, and we were actually losing on the 11th 8-0 before scoring 5 in the last two innings. We then took out our anger on the Sailors before splitting the double header against the Foresters. The win was by ten, the loss a single run, and while I usually complain about how terrible we are in one run games, but at least we're 18-20 instead of 10-30. Just a game and a half out, we're still in it, but the Cannons are in the driver seat. Their magic number is 12, and what could be helpful for us is they play six games against the Wolves, and if they beat up on each other we have a chance to seize control of the lead.

As surprising as it may be, the offense was super this week. It's not very surprising John Lawson had a great week, especially after an awful one last week. He was unstoppable on his way to another Player of the Week. The 7-Time All Star was 18-for-33 with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 14 runs, and 15 RBIs. This shot Lawson back in the lead for the CA Batting Title, slashing .353/.405/.526 (154 OPS+) on the season. He's two homers away from 20 and has drove in 108 in 142 games. He wasn't the only one with an outstanding week, as Ray Ford went 13-for-35 with 5 doubles, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs. Carlos Montes was always on base, 16-for-40 with a double, homer, walk, 3 steals, 10 runs, and 6 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had a needed bounce back week, 11-for-31 with a double, 8 runs, and 4 RBIs. Our catching duo was on target as well, 11-for-32 with a double, triple, 9 runs, and 8 RBIs. Leo Mitchell didn't have a great week, just 11-for-34, but he had a huge 5-hit game in the first game of our double header with the Foresters. He doubled, drove in two, and scored three in our 13-3 win. Orlin Yates had a rough week, just 1-for-15 with 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. He's had a tough August and September, hitting just .143 with 5 doubles and 11 RBIs. This has dropped his season line to .242/.352/.324 (87 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 24 RBIs. The run scoring was outstanding, and I really hope we can keep it up for the rest of the month.

All 11 of our pitchers threw at least an inning this week, partly because of the injury to Pete Papenfus. His first start was amazing, 8 hits, 2 runs, 8 walks, and 7 strikeouts in a complete game win, before leaving after just 8 pitches in his second one. It was just a dead arm, and he'll be fine for his next start, but Allen Purvis was outstanding in relief as we beat the Sailors 7-1. Purvis went 6.2 innings with just a hit and a walk to take home the win. Joe Brown had another strong start, a complete game win with 7 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker had a similar outing, a complete game win as well with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was roughed up in his two starts, just 8 innings combined with 15 hits, 15 runs, 6 walks, and a strikeout. He got a pair of no decisions, but we lost both of those outings. This ballooned his ERA to 3.57 (107 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.21, but he's still 17-8 on the season. Jim Lonardo cooled off, getting a 9 inning win and a 10 inning loss. He allowed 27 hits, 9 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. In the pen, Dick Strunk had a pair of relief outings, 6 innings with 2 hits, a run, walk, and 5 strikeouts. Rusty Watts got a big unlucky, picking up a pair of losses with 4 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), 3 walks, and a strikeout. As long as Lyons and Lonardo turn things around, our pitching should help keep us in any game.

Looking Ahead
We have just two off days the rest of the way; one to start the week and one after our two game series with the Wolves. Toronto has one more in New York, so we'll be rested while they aren't. They're tied with us at 78-64, but regardless of the result, we won't be tied once the series starts or end. The Wolves offense has scored the most runs in the CA, and Fred McCormick has been red hot. The Reticent Reaper is still making a case to take home another Whitney, now hitting .340/.427/.506 (145 OPS+) with 38 doubles, 11 triples, 10 homers, 7 steals, and 84 RBIs. He hasn't had the most help, but Charlie Artuso is continuing his breakout season, slashing .291/.356/.424 (105 OPS+) with 40 doubles, 8 triples, 3 homers, 74 RBIs, and an elite 23.1 zone rating and 1.115 efficiency at short. The only Wolf other then McCormick hitting better then him is Reginald Westfall, who's slashing .300/.382/.441 (117 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, and 26 RBIs. Tom Frederick has cooled off a bit, but Mr. Versatility is hitting an average .293/.357/.416 (104 OPS+) with 14 doubles and 44 RBIs. The top three in the rotation is still impressive, led by Joe Hancock. The 27-year-old is 15-11 with a 3.44 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 65 walks, and 124 strikeouts. Bernie Johnson has been better, 15-11 with a 3.13 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 42 walks, and 63 strikeouts. George Garrison is having similar success, 14-15 with a 3.27 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 64 walks, and 107 strikeouts. This will be a tough series, and either of us could kiss our playoff chances good bye if we let the other sweep us.

After the off day we'll host the fourth place Stars for three. They are 74-66, but 4.5 games out of first. Their rotation has been stellar, all five with ERAs below 3.75. The highest is Billy Riley, who is 15-12 with a 3.72 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 69 walks, and 93 strikeouts. Lou Robertson has struggled a bit, 8 runs allowed in three of his last four starts. He's still having a great season, 10-6 with a 3.12 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 56 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 18 impressive starts. George Phillips has been leading the line, 14-12 with a 3.39 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 85 walks, and 98 strikeouts in his third straight 200 inning season. It will be hard to score off their rotation, and they have a strong 3-4-5 in the lineup. Dave Trowbridge is continuing to challenge John Lawson for the batting title, slashing .349/.408/.492 (141 OPS+) with 37 doubles, a triple, 11 homers, and 55 RBIs. He bats before Big Bad Billy and Chink Stickels, who are two of the top outfielders in the league. Barrett is hitting .316/.380/.492 (133 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 10 triples, 12 homers, and 87 RBIs while Stickels has slashed .287/.353/.472 (120 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 22 triples, 11 homers, 9 steals, and 99 RBIs. If we can tip toe around them, we have a chance to win a few pitchers duels, but this will be a tough, potentially season defining week.

Minor League Report
The minor league season officially ended today, and over the weekend I will have a special Minor League Report covering each team and some of the players that had the most impact for the team. All our affiliates had a winning record, but just San Jose brought home a title. I didn't have one yesterday (wanted to get my post up before I had to leave home) and I won't have a regular one today. Instead, I will do a report on each player joining us for the rest of the season. Billy Hunter's recover is unknown, so he'll remain on the DL, with five new faces joining the roster.

LF Fred Vargas: Acquired along with the Gothams 2nd Round Pick in the Leon Drake deal, I played former first rounder Fred Vargas strictly out in right field, a position he had only 55 innings at previously. The results weren't great, a .932 fielding percentage, -3.7 zone rating, and .945 efficiency, but considering he's pretty bad in left too, I can't really complain with the early results. What is a bit more concerning is the fact that the 22-year-old hit just .220/.353/.390 (96 OPS+) in his 174 plate appearances. He did have 5 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 18 RBIs and walked (30) twice as much as he struck out (15), but this is a guy Tom thinks will hit .290 in the big leagues. His plate discipline is definitely elite, and I like the boost in power, but he won't displace Orlin Yates or Rich Langton if he can't at least hit around .275. Still, there is a lot to like. Tom thinks he profiles as an everyday player who "can make an impact on a top-tier team" while the prospect pickers have him 9th in our system and 90th overall. Unless we fall out of the race, I doubt Vargas makes a start, but he could be a nice lefty pinch hitter off the bench when we need someone to get on base. His time with the Gothams didn't go well, hitting just .149/.344/.149 (38 OPS+) in 26 games, but it will be hard to do worse then that. He's still got a lot of developing to go, but he's one of our most polished young outfielders and he could end up as an everyday player before he turns 25.

3B Nick Wallace: Signed as a minor league free agent, Nick Wallace spent September in Milwaukee, and hit .370/.433/.370 (114 OPS+) with 3 walks and 3 RBIs in 30 PAs for the Blues. A fan favorite, Wallace is one of those guys that is a hit with the kid, always willing to sign autographs for fans, and I think he'll give a boost to clubhouse atmosphere and attendance. The 32-year-old has had a productive big league career, appearing in 846 games and hitting an almost average .308/.350/.402 (99 OPS+) with 157 doubles, 42 homers, and 398 RBIs. 711 of his games came with the Wolves from 1935-1939 where he was a mainstay in the lineup. Tom thinks he's an above average big league third basemen, I'd say that's a bit too generous, but he's another nice bench bat for the stretch run who likely won't make a start. He wasn't on the 40, so he took the 37th spot.

2B Stu Johnson: A former 7th Rounder, the 26-year-old infielder will finally get his last name on the back of a Cougar jersey. Sure, he could have bought a George Johnson, John Johnson, Joe Johnson, or Johnny Johnson jersey to accomplish that, but this time it will be one he can wear in a big league game. It's been a slow climb up the ladder, and while he made it to Milwaukee last season, he hit just .164/.299/.291 (55 OPS+) in the 17 game sample. This year went much better, as Stu hit .285/.370/.422 (109 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, and 65 RBIs. He displayed an impressive eye, as he has done a great job working the count. He does occasionally let that discipline drift a bit, leading to a decent amount of strike outs, and sometimes the best of pitches will fool him. He's also an outstanding defensive shortstop, earning a 7.2 zone rating and 1.044 efficiency at the keystone. He's able to handle third and short as well, with 160+ games at each position. He's more of a bench piece then anything, but he'll get his first shot to prove he belongs in the big leagues. He's also not on the 40, and will take up the 38th spot.

RHP Grover Donahue: He didn't have the best season for the Blues, but the 26-year-old will work out of the pen for the last two weeks in Chicago. The former 2nd Rounder went 13-9 with a 4.34 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 83 walks, and 42 strikeouts. A bit of a soft tosser, Donahue sits in the 84-86 range and mixes in six different pitches. His splitter is a decent pitch, but none of the other five inspire much confidence. Walks were a bit of an issue for him, recording a 3.8 BB/9, but it was his first season above 3. He projects as a solid bullpen contributor, and may have well started his last game this season.

CF John Johnson: I debated a bit on the last callup, but with two guys on the 60, I didn't want to add anyone else to the 40, so instead of Harl Haines, we'll see John Johnson. He missed some time with injury, but the 26-year-old (seems like all these guys are 26!) hit an outstanding .276/.406/.469 (130 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 34 RBIs in 315 trips to the plate. Johnson debuted this season for us, and the former 3rd Rounder went 3-for-13 with 3 walks and 4 runs scored. He's a capable center fielder, which helped him get the nod over Earl, and can handle both outfield corners as well as first. He has good speed, a good eye, and is a good defender, but he hits too many grounders and not enough extra base hits. A decent option as a 4th outfielder, but not someone you want starting regularly for you. He is a hard worker, and definitely earned a spot on the team, but he better enjoy each additional inning as he may not have too many more.

I do have some cuts to deal with in the offseason, as at least one 40 spot will be needed to be freed up for Haines, so the last few weeks will work as sort of an early addition for some of the fringe roster players. It's hard to give them too many looks in a pennant race, but with a bad week, we may have to focus on 1941. Even if we come up short, it's been a really great season for us, and it's been one of the most exciting pennant races in the CA.

ayaghmour2 · 01-20-2022, 10:27 AM

It looks like I forgot to post yesterday, which makes absolutely no sense. I had a whole write up in the post box, and I sweat I hit submit. And of course, it was one where I didn't save the post in notepad first, so I guess that one is lost. It did a good job explaining the context for the last week, as we entered tied with the Wolves and a game ahead of the Cannons. There was also a nice little part on Dick Lyons' 200th career win, but I guess that's gone too.

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 87-67 (2nd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 29 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, .897 OPS
Rich Langton : 13 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.281 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .286 AVG, .680 OPS

Schedule
9-23: Win vs Saints (5-6)
9-24: Loss vs Saints (6-2)
9-25: Win vs Saints (4-9)
9-26: Win vs Kings (3-5)
9-27: Win vs Kings (4-5)
9-28: Win at Stars (4-3): 14 innings
9-29: Loss at Stars (5-11)

Recap
So close... Yet so far... We were in it up until the last game, but we lost our game while the Wolves won theirs. Jim Lonardo ran out of steam at the end, and the Stars piled on runs to end our season in September. Of course, this comes right after a one-run, 14-inning win over New York, so we were lucky to still be in it on the last day, but to come up just short really hurt. Plus, Dave Trowbridge was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in that loss, giving him the batting title with an average .001 better then Lawson, while Red Bond also tied Lawson for most RBIs at 111. Pete Papenfus struck out 6 in 11.2 innings the day before to lead the CA with 148 strikeouts, and Milt Fritz's 2.84 ERA was the only sub 3 ERA in the CA. Dick Lyons was tied for second most wins in the league with 19 and John Lawson's 7.2 WAR was better then all CA hitters except Charlie Artuso. It does hurt to come up just short, but we'll be here for a while, and will only get better. The Wolves will get to face the Pittsburgh Miners in the championship, and Toronto has not won a pennant since 1911. Our downfall this season was our slow start, 20-22 in the first two months before finishing the season with an 18-10 September. We lost far too many games to the Foresters, finishing 12-10 against a team who finished the year 53-101. We also couldn't beat the other two best teams in our league, 10-12 against the Wolves and 9-13 against the Cannons.

Still, a lot to be happy with. Dick Lyons continued to defy age, finishing 19-8 with a 3.46 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 59 walks, and 41 strikeouts. Despite a slow start, Jim Lonardo matched that 3.46 ERA, and was 14-13 with a 1.19 WHIP, 36 walks, and 72 strikeouts. We got to witness the coming out party of Pete Papenfus, who also led the league in K/9 (7.3) and was 8-10 with a 3.40 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 103 walks, and 148 strikeouts. He'll be 23, and the young fireballer will only continue to get better. They make up a reliable 1-2-3, even if we never see Quinn or Fritz pitch again, and you can do a lot worse then Harry Parker as your four. The 25-year-old giant had a nice third season, and while he did allow a league high 30 homers, he went 16-10 with a 3.67 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 49 walks, and 108 strikeouts. With Quinn and Fritz both nursing injuries, Joe Brown may start the year in the rotation, and despite an awful last start of the season, the 26-year-old was 4-5 with a 2.84 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP to go with 24 walks and 33 strikeouts in 3 starts and 31 relief outings. The bullpen is a mess, and I may have to get rid of Pug Bryan, but Rusty Watts emerged as a dominant lefty pen piece. The 25-year-old fireballer was 3-3 with a 1.72 ERA (224 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. He has an option left, which may go against him, but I think he has the inside track for securing a pen spot. Allen Purvis' leadership is always a plus, as is Ben Curtin's, who also threw seven scoreless to end his season.

The offense started really slow, and at times never picked up. Even with his September slump, however, John Lawson slashed a healthy .345/.399/.507 (147 OPS+) with 48 doubles (best in the CA), 17 homers, and 111 RBIs. He probably won't win the Whitney Award, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old definitely has my vote. He was worth 7.2 wins above replacement and had his best offensive season as a Cougar, with Cougar bests in average, OBP, slugging, WAR, OPS+, RBIs, and doubles and he matched his high hit total. Leo Mitchell had a productive season as well, although it was arguably his worst in his four years as a full time starter. Mitchell hit .335/.374/.463 (128 OPS+) with 26 doubles, a triple, 15 homers, and 78 RBIs. As expected, he struck out the most in the CA, set down 130 times in 143 games. This gave him an ever so high .412 BABIP, two points lower then last season. Ray Ford had a down year, which could have been the difference in winning the pennant and watching from home. He hit just .283/.339/.412 (105 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 85 RBIs. He set career lows for average, OBP, slugging, and OPS+ with a career high for strikeouts. There was also the downfall of Freddie Jones, who was only healthy for 63 games and he hit a pitiful .260/.350/.294 (79 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, no homers, and 20 RBIs. Jones has never had a sub 100 OPS+ and hit an impressive .305/.388/.453 (128 OPS+) last season for us. This made room for a breakout rookie season for teen Skipper Schneider, who slashed 300/.344/.391 (101 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, steal, and 51 RBIs. Those two and Billy Hunter will rotate next season in the middle infield, with Jones and Skipper at second and short with Hunter moving between them. Jones and Hunter are always hurt, so I can't imagine this rotation will last very long, but they are all quality hitters while Tom thinks Skipper is elite overall. Jones may also see some time at first to keep him healthy, giving Ford the occasional day off. I really want to add a bit bat to the lineup, as we are so close to being a championship team. Other then the Jones brothers, I'm willing to tap into my prospect and pick pool, and hopefully we can get something put together. Posts will be a little less regular now in the offseason, but I'll probably put something together tomorrow night or at least on the weekend, as I have my minor league report and the no-trade team to cover, plus any other offseason news.

ayaghmour2 · 01-22-2022, 07:12 PM

So close! The Cougars came up a game short in the actual season, and it will be tough for the no trade team to top our success. Despite being just 4th in scoring, our offense was actually most valuable this season while our pitching came in 6th despite the league best 3.42 ERA.

Catchers
Fred Barrell (BRK): 68 OPS+, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 1.0 WAR
Harry Mead (CHC): 111 OPS+, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 2.0 WAR

Infielders
Ed Reyes (CHI): 69 OPS+, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 0.0 WAR
Billy Hunter (CHC): 115 OPS+, HR, 25 RBI, SB, 1.1 WAR
Rabbit Forrest (DET): N/A
Ducky Jordan (CHI): 44 OPS+, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 4 SB, -0.9 WAR
Mack Deal (PIT): 103 OPS+, 3 HR, 10 RBI, SB, 0.3 WAR
Red Moore (MON): N/A
John Lawson (CHC): 147 OPS+, 17 HR, 111 RBI, 7.2 WAR

Outfielders
Leo Mitchell (CHC): 128 OPS+, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 3 SB, 4.4 WAR
Reginald Westfall (TOR): 120 OPS+, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 1.1 WAR
Dave Haight (NYG): 52 OPS+, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 3 SB, -1.0 WAR
Rich Langton (CHC): 89 OPS+, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 2 SB, 0.4 WAR
Chink Stickels (NYS): 118 OPS+, 12 HR, 106 RBI, 10 SB, 4.4 WAR
Carlos Montes (CHC): 100 OPS+, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 16 SB, 3.8 WAR

Pitchers
Dick Lyons (CHC): 19-8, 111 ERA+, 41 K, 3.0 WAR
Dean Astle (CLE): 8-14, 94 ERA+, 68 K, 3.3 WAR
Tom Barrell (BRK): 10-17, 72 ERA+, 94 K, 2.5 WAR
Mike Murphy (BRK/DET): 15-15, 102 ERA+, 73 K, 3.0 WAR
Pete Papenfus (CHC): 8-10, 2 SV, 113 ERA+, 149 K, 2.9 WAR
Harry Parker (CHC): 16-10, 105 ERA+, 108 K, 3.0 WAR
Phil English (TOR): 3-0, SV, 222 ERA+, 2 K, 0.1 WAR
Pug Bryan (CHC): 0-4, 44 ERA+, 7 K, -0.8 WAR
Rusty Watts (CHC): 3-3, 225 ERA+, 15 K, 0.7 WAR

Totals
Offense: 22.7 WAR
Pitching: 17.7 WAR
Total: 40.4
Approximate Wins: 78

Just like the real Cougars, these Cougars come up short, but instead of an exciting pennant race we'd be in the second division. The offense was much weaker then our actual offense, with almost all it's production coming form John Lawson. Moore and Forrest didn't even play this season while Mack Deal ended the season as a free agent. Ed Reyes and Ducky Jordan both had rough seasons, but one of our draftees Skipper Schneider got into a surprise 116 game rookie season and will join the no-trade team for next year. The pitching wasn't much better, as Astle and Barrell had tough seasons. The youngsters are starting to bloom, Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus having great seasons, and eventually we'll see Charlie Wheeler replace Dick Lyons when he's ready to retire.

Offseason Moves for 1941
Replace Red Moore with Skipper Schneider
Replace Rabbit Forrest with Tommy Wilson
Replace Mack Deal with Hal Wood

Notable Prospects/Picks Traded
December 1939: Traded Cy Sullivan, Tony Mullis, and a 4th Round Pick to the Dynamos for Leon Drake
December 1939: Traded Hal Wood and Juan Pomales to the Wolves for Donnie Jones
January 1940: Traded Art Saunders, Del Burns, and Arnie Scurlock to the Eagles for Eddie Quinn

ayaghmour2 · 01-23-2022, 08:11 PM

AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 79-61, 3rd, 11 GB: The Blues could not complete their threepeat, but they still finished in the first division and third place. They also finished 3rd in runs scored and runs against, and had a pretty young team towards the end. After Skipper left we didn't have many top prospects in Milwaukee, with one of the more exciting ones Harl Haines. Now 23, the southpaw will end up with a 40-man roster spot after going 13-12 with a 3.72 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 225 innings pitched. With injuries to Eddie Quinn and Milt Fritz, plus the age of Lonardo and Lyons, Haines could end up spending some time in the five spot next season. The offense had a lot of depth players, with most of the everyday players middling pieces. One youngster that got time was Steve Mountain, but the 23-year-old catcher hit just .267/.362/.335 (85 OPS+) in 221 trips to the plate. Mountain profiles more as a backup catcher, and doesn't have an easy path to playing time until Mike Taylor is ready to age out. I expect Mountain to spend most if not all his time with the Blues next season and he could debut next year if we have any injuries. Former 8th Rounder Johnny Ruby threw half of his 24 starts with Milwaukee this season, and looked pretty good. The lefty went 7-3 with a 3.93 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, 49 walks, and 51 strikeouts. I haven't decided yet if I'll protect him in the Rule-5 Draft, but I don't think he's ready for the big leagues yet. Not too many other overly productive players, but first basemen and 1932 draftee Cuno Myer hit .361/.414/.464 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 2 tirples, 4 homers, and 58 RBIs in 414 trips to the plate. He got time because Bobby Mills spent most of his season in Chicago, and with Mills now out of options, Myer should get a majority of the time at first until Bill Dambreville is ready for AAA. The Blues have seen years with much better young players, but I can see Donnie and Johnnie in their rotation next season, but the offense will continue to see a lot more depth players then top prospects.

AA Mobile Commodores (Dixie League): 74-66, 2nd, 9 GB: It's now three consecutive second place finishes, but the Commodores we're closer to seventh then first. At the top of the rotation they had our top two prospects Donnie and Johnnie Jones, and the Commodores were tied for the fewest runs allowed. Donnie was healthy all season, going 10-10 with a 4.32 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 95 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 181.1 innings pitched. The walks were a little concerning, a 4.7 BB/9 rate, and while his raw stuff is superb, his command is not near finished developing. Walks may slow him a bit like with Peter the Heater, but he has the stuff and talent to top a rotation. Johnnie missed a few starts, but he finished 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 87 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. He had a higher BB/9 and lower K/9 then Donnie, and the lefty is projected to be a middle of the rotation arm. He has plenty of movement on his pitches, gets a ton of grounders just like his brother, and they both could make a cameo next season. I can't wait to see these youngsters in Chicago and they could end up as the best brother duo in FABL history. The best Commodore pitcher, however, was the former 5th Rounder Ralph Kendall. After 124 consecutive relief appearances, he made 12 starts to finish the season. The soon-to-be 23-year-old finished the season 11-1 with 5 saves, a 3.76 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 42 walks, and 49 strikeouts. The offense wasn't great, but Jocko Pollard hit an impressive .320/.382/.538 (133 OPS+) with 42 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 92 RBIs. He didn't have much support in the lineup, but for 60 games got Bill Dambreville. The first basemen hit .351/.456/.480 (139 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 26 RBIs with a strong 46-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Chick Browning was there the whole season, and the 8th Rounder from Chicago hit a respectable .286/.391/.418 (106 OPS+) with 24 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 50 RBIs. Those two should return to Mobile for next season, but I could see Pollard moving up to AAA. I'm hoping they could move up to 1st next season, and they could have some reinforcements from Lincoln making the difference.

A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League): 79-61, 3rd, 9 GB: The Heartland League race was a two-way contest between the Peoria Pastimers and Terre Haute Braves, who ended the season tied at 88-52. Lincoln led the rest of the division, 7 games ahead of the fourth place Springfield Hustlers. They had help from one of our top prospects, Lou Eaker, who went 10-8 with a 3.54 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 71 walks, and 82 strikeouts in 20 excellent starts. Willie Gonzalez Jr. was unhittable in his 13 outings, 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 26 walks, and 56 strikeouts. He kept his walks low and boosted his strikeouts, and got a pair of velocity boosts to push him up to 96-98. Unfortunately Boney Joe Crosby had a tough season, dropping in the prospect ranks and going 8-4 with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 43 strikeouts. The offense had another top prospect in the soon-to-be 23-year-old Bunny Hufford. With right field a huge question mark right now, it's Hufford's spot to lose, and the former 4th Rounder could end up in AA or AAA next season. The top 100 prospect hit .315/.385/.466 (131 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 15 triples, 3 homers, and 53 RBIs in 417 PAs. A non top 100 prospect had an equally impressive season, with Slick Eddie Curtis batting leadoff and slashing .341/.390/.435 (124 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 11 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 43 RBIs. The versatile infielder can play all around the diamond, but spent 50 games at second and 81 at short this year, with a few innings at third, left, and right too. Both look like they deserve to start the next season with the Commodores, which could really help that lineup. Hod Seagroves has been trailing Bill Dambreville, so he may stay with Lincoln, and they could use his .311/.397/.409 (120 OPS+) line for a full season instead of 64 games. The first and second basemen had 10 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 42 RBIs, and 36 walks with just 2 strikeouts in just shy of 300 PAs for the Legislators. Lincoln has dropped a position in the leas three seasons, and I'd love for them to not fall to 4th next year. Our lower minors has a lot of talented youngsters, and that could help push the Legislators back up to first.

B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 92-48, 1st, 3 GA: Each one of our affiliates finished above .500 this season, but the San Jose Cougars were the only member of the organization to grab a pennant. The draft really helped the team, as it gave them new life in the lineup and brought up some guys from La Crosse who were ready for the next level. The biggest draft day acquisition was regional round selection Bill Rich, who hit a remarkable .353/.393/.667 (166 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 11 homers, and 35 RBIs. He showed much more power then expected, but really struggled in the outfield. Expect him to start next season in Lincoln, and the Illinois native may end up moving through the ladder very quickly. Joining him from the college ranks was Jimmie James, who split time between third and short and hit .359/.439/.526 (146 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 2 steals, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. There was also some help from La Crosse, with Solly Skidmore and Harry Carr who joined the Cougars after spending the first part of the season as Lions. Skidmore is our top positional prospect and in 62 games with San Jose he hit an elite .395/.437/.566 (155 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs. Carr, of course, couldn't match that, but his .362/.403/.525 (135 OPS+) line was well above average. After spending near all his time with La Crosse in center, Carr manned left in San Jose, and added 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBIs. The pitching allowed the fewest runs in the league, with 20-year-old Oliver Allen putting together 24 tremendous starts. Allen was 11-3 with a 3.55 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 54 walks, and 81 strikeouts. He had help from our 7th Rounder this season Fred Thaxton, who looked like an established vet, 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. One of our top prospects Danny Goff Jr. missed a lot of time with injury, and he wasn't too great on the mound. He went just 5-5 with a 5.13 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 27 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was, however, much better with the bat, slashing .337/.402/.476 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 36 RBIs while walking 26 times with just 3 strikeouts. San Jose had a lot of our better prospects, and should compete for a pennant spot again next season.

C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 89-51, 2nd, 2 GB: They were in it till the end, but the Lions fell just short of a third consecutive pennant. Being our lowest level, they saw a lot of different players, with multiple prospects and filler players going up and down throughout the season. One of the biggest surprises was a strong season from Adolph Jacobson, who hit .274/.339/.517 (114 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 7 triples, 16 homers, and 73 RBIs. The former lottery pick isn't one of our more exciting prospects, but the 20-year-old has shown improvements each season, and could make the move to San Jose. 8th Rounder Leo Davis was a nice midseason pickup, as the 21-year-old hit .352/.433/.596 (159 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 6 triples, 9 homers, and 37 RBIs atop the Lions lineup. Fellow newcomer Don Lee, who was our 2nd Rounder and a top 200 prospect, looked good despite being 18, hitting .289/.411/.481 (126 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 31 RBIs. The rest of the lineup had it's struggles, with most of the top hitters (like Skidmore) getting promotions throughout the season. Part-timer Ray Powell did hit well, but kept getting red arrows in San Jose. The former lottery pick hit .304/.378/.547 (132 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 9 triples, 14 homers, 7 steals, and 61 RBIs. Even if he continues to have a down arrow, he'll head to San Jose, as the 21-year-old needs to start moving up the ladder. We did feature a ton of exciting pitching prospects, including newcomers Mel Haynes, Harry Stewart, and Duke Bybee. Haynes looked much better then an 18-year-old should, going 7-3 with a 2.72 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts, showing decent command with great stuff while keeping the ball on the ground. Stewart had some struggles, and looked like a teen, but Bybee pitched well beyond his years. He turned 18 just a few days before the draft, but went 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 25 walks, and 40 strikeouts. The trio will stay in La Crosse to start next season, but at this time next season they might be getting their feet wet in San Jose. Tommy Davis spent all but four of his starts with the Lions, and showed no signs of being slowed down by his torn labrum from last year. The 22-year-old finished the season in San Jose after going 12-6 with a 3.43 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 42 walks, and 165 strikeouts. His 9.3 K/9 was superb and he could start to move up pretty quickly. Ron Sexton and Jimmy Ballard, both top 500 prospects, had major arm injuries, and may miss most of next season. Still, we have a ton of talented young pitchers waiting for the Lions next season, and I'd bet we'll allow the fewest runs next year as well.

ayaghmour2 · 01-25-2022, 10:51 AM

The Wolves may have just won the 1940 Championship, but I wasn't wasting any time trying to win the 1941 Championship! You could argue that we lost the 1940 pennant by trading for Leon Drake, so I'm hoping for the opposite result here! We hooked up with our crosstown counterparts in the Fed to acquire a former #1 Overall Pick in exchange for a pair of young pitchers in Lou Eaker and Ralph Kendall.

That former #1 Overall Pick is veteran slugger Cliff Moss, who was selected by Montreal out of Pierpont in the 1927 Draft. Moss was in Montreal after just 37 minor league games split between levels. The rookie hit .309/.381/.461 (127 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, and 57 RBIs in 490 trips to the plate. It was his first of four consecutive above average seasons at the plate before a three year semi-slump. Then a week in to the 1935 season, the then Saints GM and now current Chiefs GM brought Moss back to his organization and it revived his career. Moss was more of a platoon player in his first season with the Chiefs, but he hit a wonderful .331/.422/.579 (161 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 19 homers, and 60 RBIs. That was the start of an impressive five season stint, where he hit .295/.377/.495 (132 OPS+) with 113 doubles, 15 triples, 116 homers, and 418 RBIs in 713 games. This last season was one of the best in his thirteen year career, as the now 34-year-old lefty slashed .278/.375/.492 (133 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 23 homers, and 69 RBIs to bump his career line to .294/.370/.471 (121 OPS+). He's a huge boost to the lineup, ranked as a top five right fielder and he's arguably better then all of them except Red Bond and Bill Barrett. We do have a lot of lefties in the lineup now, and our 3-4-5 or even 2-3-4 next season may end up being three lefties. As good as Moss is, he's not the best against same side pitchers, leaving a little room for Rich Langton. Moss is also a decent fielder, not Yates or Drake level in right, but more then capable. He could end up a 30 homer hitter and he's hit 19 or more in five of the last six seasons. I can't see him having a Leon Drake type fall off, although age could make his Cougar tenure a bit on the short side, but we have Bunny Hufford and Fred Vargas waiting in the winds, and with four pitchers ranked 49th to 58th in our system, plus the two Joneses, we should be able to handle the loss of Eaker. I like what the roster will look like next season, and it would be an added bonus if both Quinn and Fritz will be healthy in the Spring.

ayaghmour2 · 01-26-2022, 10:06 AM

Even after trading a top 100 prospect in Lou Eaker, we have a lot of depth and talent in our system. Our system ranks 5th with 146 points behind the Sailors (152) and ahead of the Pioneers (137). We have one top 10 prospect, 4 top 50, 8 top 100, 17 top 250, and 44 top 500 prospects. Of course, there will be trades of some sort (didn't take long!), but for now, here are the top 30 Cougar prospects:

1. RHP Donnie Jones (10th Overall): Acquired from Toronto
2. LHP Jonnie Jones (13th Overall): 1st/15th
3. C Solly Skidmore (26th Overall): 2nd/27th
4. RHP Mel Haynes (49th Overall): 12th Overall Pick
5. RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (53rd Overall): 6th/65th
6. RHP Duke Bybee (54th Overall): 49th Overall Pick
7. CF Bunny Hufford (68th Overall): 7th/73rd
8. RF Fred Vargas (89th Overall): Acquired from New York
9. SS Jimmie James (126th Overall): 53rd Overall Pick
10. CF Don Lee (159th Overall): 28th Overall Pick
11. RHP Harry Stewart (173rd Overall): 69th Overall Pick
12. 1B Hod Seagroves (182nd Overall): 16th/222nd
13. RHP Newt Jackson (196th Overall): Not ranked
14. RHP Ira Hawker (221st Overall): 22nd/262nd
15. LF Harry Carr (229th Overall): 18th/245th
16. CF Bill Rich (230th Overall): 44th Overall Pick
17. LHP Harl Haines (239th Overall): 14th/157th
18. LF Harry Harris (254th Overall): 23rd/263rd
19. LHP Bob Hobbs (265th Overall): Not ranked
20. RHP Roscoe Brown (268th Overall): 113th Overall Pick
21. SS Bill Graham (282nd Overall): 11th/124th
22. 1B Cuno Myer (285th Overall): Not ranked
23. RHP Joe Crosby (312th Overall): 12th/132nd
24. LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall): 15th/193rd
25. RHP Fred Thaxton (320th Overall): 97th Overall Pick
26. RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (321st Overall): Not ranked
27. RF Cy Howard (332nd Overall): 92nd Overall Pick
28. RHP Bill Tuttle (350th Overall): Not ranked
29. RHP King Price (362nd Overall): Not ranked
30. RHP Ron Sexton (363rd Overall): Not ranked

EDIT: Already made a few trades! Updated the list to reflect that. The first move send Bill Dambreville to the Minutemen for their 4th Round Pick, with the second returning Jasper Wright to the Miners for their 6th Rounder and SS Johnny Bunce. Bunce is a switch hitting 22-year-old from Wisconsin who when to high school in Illinois (a school that doesn't exist, but is in my mother's hometown) who was an 11th Rounder back in 1936. He was actually on my draft list that year because of his outstanding glove, but I never used a pick on him. He's a good clubhouse influence, always one of the nicest guys out there, and I love the glove. He spent 29 games at second, 45 at third, and 75 at short, putting up efficiencies of 1.138, 1.125, and 1.106. He also has difference making speed and could end up an average contact hitter. He didn't hit much in Class B Spokane this year, just .269/.317/.358 (67 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 18 steals, and 72 RBIs. Even with the poor hit numbers, I may push him to A ball and the glove should make him a favorite of mine.

ayaghmour2 · 01-27-2022, 08:23 PM

Before getting started with our top prospects, we have something far more important to mention! We have a Whitney Award Winner! In a very tightly contested race, John Lawson received just 5 of the 13 first place votes, with Red Bond receiving 6, but Lawson had more overall points (162 to 155), taking home his third career Whitney Award. "Jack the Ripper" ripped .345/.399/.507 (147 OPS+) in his aged 37 season and led the league in hits (210) and doubles (48) while tied for the RBI lead (111). He also fell a point short of another batting title, and hit 17 homers with 51 walks. Lawson was worth 7.2 WAR, behind just Charlie Artuso in the CA and it was his highest mark since 7.6 back in 1933. One of the most durable and talented players in the league, Lawson will anchor our lineup yet again and will have a little more help with Cliff Moss in the lineup.

RHP Donnie Jones (10th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Toronto (1939)
Drafted: 1st Round, 6th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Minneapolis Auggies

Ranked 10th Overall and 5th for all pitchers, Donnie Jones is easily one of the most talented young pitchers in the league. Nicknamed "Mole Killer" due to his propensity for serving up groundballs, the 20-year-old is a really talented four pitch pitcher who features a mid 90s sinker that does a great job generating week contact. His curve has the potential to be elite and his fastball is good too, but Donnie rarely features his change. His command is getting there, but Jones has all the tools to develop into a #1 pitcher. 1940 was Jones' best season in the minors, making 23 starts for the Commodores and finishing an even 10-10. He had a solid 4.32 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, 95 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 181.1 innings pitched, setting career highs for wins, innings, strikeouts, WAR, and ERA+. The walks were a bit concerning, a 4.7 BB/9, but the only level he had one below 4.7 was from his 14 starts in Class B two seasons ago. Still, if he's able to strikeout just as many hitters now, I imagine those numbers will move in opposite directions just like with Peter the Heater. It's hard to remember Jones will be just 21 next season and in AAA, so the fact he was above average in AA against players way older then him is a great sign. I don't think he'll be big league ready next year, but mark your calendars for 1942 when he'll not only fight for a rotation spot, but likely make his big league debut. Ever since he was "created," Jones has been a guy I've closely followed, and it was the reason I could convince myself to move top young talent in Juan Pomales and Hal Wood to acquire him. I say it all the time, but imagining a decade with a rotation led by him, his brother, and Peter the Heater, it's hard to not see a few pennants and championships mixed in.

LHP Johnnie Jones (15th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Washington (1939)
Drafted: 1st Round, 4th Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: St. Paul Golden Bears

Here's Johnnie! Sure, his brother may technically be the better pitcher, but "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" isn't too shabby himself. A few years older, he turned 22 in June, and while I do want them to move up together, I could see Johnnie debuting next season. The lefty did pitch a bit worse and had a little injury to deal with, but finished 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 87 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. For Johnnie, the walks being much higher then the strikeouts hurt, but his stuff is not quite as good as Donnie. He does much better when guys put the ball in play, and is able to rack up even more grounders then his younger brother. They both have great sinkers, and I'd say Johnnie's is better, but he doesn't have the devastating offspeed pitch to match. His forkball is excellent and he gets outstanding movement on all four pitches, but he does rely a lot on his sinker. Interesting enough, Tom doesn't think command will ever be an issue for him despite the 5.1 BB/9, and while he doesn't see ace, he sees middle-rotation arm. I think Jones could easily lead a rotation in another organization, but of the three top pitchers, he is clearly the #2. That being said, he has greater upside then even star pitchers like Lyons, Fritz, and Lonardo, and especially in a stadium like ours that is easy to hit homers, Jones should really be able to excel. The skinny 6'4'' lefty has all the tools to succeed, and if he can stay healthy, he'll be one of the top pitchers in the game just like his brother.

C Solly Skidmore (30th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Monroe Hurricanes

I was really tempted to use Skidmore as a headliner in a trade for Adam Mullins, but instead the 20-year-old might start the 1940 season in Lincoln instead of San Jose. Just 62 of his 129 games this season were with San Jose, but he hit an outstanding .395/.437/.566 (155 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs with an impressive 22-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I always knew his bat would be dependable, but this year he really took it to the next level. The former 1st Rounder showed the hit tool and power expected of him, as he's talented at hitting line drives all across the diamond. Weinstock expects him to hit for a high average, display top notch discipline, and he could hit double digit homers with his excellent approach at hitting. He hits it hard and the ball can get out in Chicago, and he has all the tools to be one of the best hitting catchers once the current guard of Mullins, Tom Bird, and George Cleaves get older. He doesn't project to be an outstanding defender, but he managed to throw out 63.3% percent of runners. Skidmore is the highest rated catching prospect and the only one in the top 50. There are 3 more in the 51-75 range, but Solly is clearly the cream of the crop. Harry Mead has developed into an outstanding catcher in his own rights, so Solly doesn't quite have the most direct path, but at just 20 he has a lot of time to grow.

RHP Mel Haynes (49th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Princeton Panthers

Taken with the same pick as Solly just two years later, Mel Haynes was our first rounder this January. Now 19, Haynes finished his fourth season in Princeton before making 10 starts with the Lions. He was nothing short of dominant, 7-3 with a 2.72 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 86 dominant innings. Haynes had no trouble going deep in games either, with 8 of his 10 starts complete games and just one less then 8 innings (a loss on the road). He even managed to throw 151 in a win over the league champions Owls, where Haynes allowed 8 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Haynes also is a really good hitter, and even started 11 games at first. He was terrible in the field, but hit .358/.413/.522 (137 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 homers, and 13 RBIs. His future is definitely on the mound, where he has a strong sinker that allows him to keep the ball on the ground. It sits in the mid 80s and Haynes also throws a slider, change, and forkball and all four should be reliable big league pitches. He does struggle locating pitches at times, but his overall upside more then makes up for it. A lot of high school arms take a long time to develop, so he'll definitely start next season in La Crosse, but he seems to be very well developed for his young age. If things go right with the Jones brothers, Haynes will never have to be an ace, but I think OSA is right with labeling him a middle of the rotation arm, more Harry Parker then Jim Lonardo.

RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (53rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Hempstead Hawks

This was a tough season for Danny Goff Jr., not because of his performance, but because of shoulder inflammation that cost him about 3 months of the season. It effected his pitching a bit, and he went just 5-5 with a 5.13 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 27 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. Of course, his hitting was more then fine, and the 22-year-old hit .337/.402/.476 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 26 RBIs. His bat is much further along, but he's got a lot more upside on the mound. He features a high 80s fastball, curve, and change, but his control issues lead to a lot of walks and a few homers. At the plate he does feature a plus-plus contact tool and a very smooth swing that should allow him to hit for a high average. His defense isn't great, but I expect it to improve as he gets more experience in the field. I think he's ready for Lincoln, but I don't want to rush him as it will take a bit longer for him to develop. if he gets hurt again, I may have to rethink him pitching, but I think he's got the tools to pitch in the big leagues just like his father and brother.

ayaghmour2 · 01-28-2022, 07:53 PM

LHP Duke Bybee (54th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 49th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Brooklyn Friends Quakers

The first pick in the June portion of the draft, I was able to select the 18-year-old southpaw because I acquired the pick from the Gothams. It's already looking like a great pick, as Bybee is the highest ranked prospect selected in the second portion of the draft and in the recent file he hopped into the top 50 for all prospects. There's a lot to like about the youngster; his personality, pitch mix, height, and stuff. Another thing his brand new velocity boost, as when the season finished, Bybee decided to add two more miles to his fastball and cutter. He now sits in the 89-91 range, and also features a curve, slider, change, and forkball. His best pitch is his change, which should be well above average, and while none of the other pitches are overpowering, they are all very effective offerings. His best asset may be his movement, but he deals with inconsistent command. This is quite common at his age, but unlike most pitchers, his stuff and movement will be able to make up for it even if he never improves it. He showed that in his first 10 pro games, going 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 25 walks, and 40 strikeouts and he was able to top 100 pitches in 8 of his 10 starts. The two he didn't were a bit concerning, leaving in the early goings with injuries, and he missed four weeks because of it. We're hoping this doesn't become a trend, because Bybee has tremendous upside and he'd be a huge addition to any future rotation.

CF Bunny Hufford (68th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 49th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Brooklyn Friends Quakers

Like Bybee, Bunny Hufford was a 4th Round selection, but he was 57th Overall last season. The now 23-year-old started the season in San Jose, but spent most of his season in Lincoln. The lefty swinger did well with the Legislators, slashing .315/.385/.466 (131 OPS+) after a 152 OPS+ in his 37 games with the Cougars. In the 136 combined, he tallied 33 doubles, 16 triples, 4 homers, and 78 RBIs. He hit so well he's going to start this season in Mobile, and depending how things go, I may bring him up as there aren't too many outfielders in his way that aren't already in Chicago. Weinstock thinks he has the approach of a leadoff hitter, and while he's not the best base stealer, he has improving pitch recognition skills and could hit over .330. He doesn't have the highest upside, and probably won't surpass Carlos Montes, but he has a very high floor and the tools to develop into an every day player. He'll likely end up in right, jockeying for position with Fred Vargas once Cliff Moss is ready to call it quits. Even if he never develops into a top big leaguer, he's a perfect figure in the clubhouse, helping get the most out of his teammates and consistently working on his game.

RF Fred Vargas (849th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1940)
Drafted: 1st Round, 15th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Cass Tech Technician

Speaking of Fred Vargas, he ranks right behind Hufford, and spent most the last two months of the season in Milwaukee learning how to play right field. It didn't go so well, as he had a -3.7 zone rating and .945 efficiency to go with a .220/.353/.390 (96 OPS+) batting line. Still, I brought him up after the Blues' season ended, and he did pretty good with us. Vargas was 2-for-7 with a double, 3 walks, and 2 RBIs. It was much better then his performance with the Gothams, where he hit a poor .149/.344/.149 (38 OPS+) in 62 PAs. A former first round pick, the 22-year-old is a favorite of Tom Weinstock, who expects him to "make an impact on a top-tier team." That's definitely wishful thinking, but Vargas is a very exciting young player. He has a quick bat and is an excellent fastball hitter, and he's smart enough to lay off offspeed pitches he can't quite hit. He's probably not a .300 hitter, but he'll walk enough to have an OBP much higher the his average. His eye could end up elite, and he may never strike out more then 30 times once he's fully developed. With two options left he has time to fill in, and I'm hoping he'll be hitting his peak while Moss is starting his decline.

SS Jimmie James (126th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 53rd Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lane State Emeralds

Our other fourth round selection in this recent draft, James was taken four spots after Bybee. The switch hitting 22-year-old skipped La Crosse and spent his whole season in San Jose, and slashed an outstanding .359/.439/.526 (146 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. He split his time between third and short, with about 60% of his time at the hot corner. He's a very versatile fielder who can play second, left, center, and right as well, and it does look like he has the range for short. His versatility is one of his best qualities, as he'll probably never hit like this again. His strike zone recognition is solid and he has good speed on the basepaths, but his swing isn't that great. He will draw a lot of walks and runs the bases well, and like many college shortstops, he has a very high ceiling due to his good enough bat and reliable defense. I was a little shocked with how high he was ranked, but with Skipper graduated he's our highest ranked infielder. He could rise up the system quick and be an nice utility bat until injuries hit one of our starters.

CF Don Lee (159th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lincoln High School Lions

From the Lincoln High School Lions to the La Crosse Lions, Don Lee performed well all season. I was a little unsure about using my 2nd Round Selection on him, but so far it's looked like a decent pick. He's ranked inside the top 200 as an 18-year-old and hit .289/.411/.481 (126 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 31 RBIs with an impressive 40-to-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This was an excellent start to his hopefully long pro career, and "Rap" was one of the hardest workers on the Lions roster. This should help him continue to improve, but he's already shown a lot of promising tools. The discipline was obvious, and he has the potential to be a smart hitter who will continuous study pitches. He's one of those guys I'd imagine would always be in the fill room watching old games if we had that sort of technology in the 40s. He's a good runner too and should end up an above average contact hitter. He's a much different prospect then Vargas and Hufford, but I think Lee has far more upside. Of course, he's a lot less developed then them, and has a long way to go before he reaches his potential. I haven't seen enough from him out in center to see if he can stick there, but I'm not sure he'll have the ideal power for a corner. Still, the upside with Lee is obvious, and he should be an interesting prospect to follow.

ayaghmour2 · 01-29-2022, 03:25 PM

RHP Harry Stewart (173rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 69th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Bell Academy Big Red

The first three pitchers we selected in the 1940 draft were all high school arms, and all three rank inside the top 200. Haynes and Bybee are in the top 100, but Stewart is over 100 ranks below them. Our 5th Round Selection, the 18-year-old spent his first partial pro season in La Crosse, where he went 7-1 with a 4.67 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 20 walks, and 48 strikeouts. He struck out a lot of batters, didn't walk too many, and allowed just a single homer, but Stewart allowed a lot of batters to reach base via the base hit. He did add a little velocity towards the end of the season, and it showed in his final start, as he allowed just 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts in a complete game victory. He did win most of his starts, including one with 6, 7, and 8 runs allowed. He does have a decent four pitch mix, featuring a 91-93 fastball, tough change, and average splitter, with his curve a lesser offering. When Stewart is on he's unhittable, but he'll have a few bad innings (or outings) when his command starts to desert him. The more consistent he becomes, the further up in the rotation he'll move, and I think he could develop into a decent back end starter. He has a lot of upside and a long way to go, but there is a lot to like about the skinny righty and he's seen velocity boosts in each of the last three seasons.

R1B Hod Seagroves (182nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1937)
Drafted: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: Lake Park Panthers

The Chicago native may have been drafted by the Dynamos, but all 505 of his professional games have come in our organization. Soon to be 23, Seagroves got nice news when he found out Bill Dambreville had been traded, and he now ranks not only as our top second base prospect, but also our top first basemen. He doesn't have much power for a first basemen, so he may end up best suited for second, but he put together an excellent offensive season with San Jose and Lincoln. With the Cougars, Hod hit .383/.443/.522 (146 OPS+) in 310 PAs, and then in about 20 less with Lincoln he hit a still solid .311/.397/.409 (120 OPS+). Combined he had 32 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, and 81 RBIs in his fourth season as a Cougar. His size helps him at first, but he was an outstanding defensive second basemen this season, with a 5.4 zone rating and 1.072 efficiency in 503.1 innings at the keystone. His time at first isn't because of his glove, more as a way to get more players in the lineup as we tend to have a lot of shortstops floating around in the system. At the plate he projects to hit for a high average while also drawing 40 or so walks a season. He also nearly never strikes out, just 5 times in 607 plate appearances, truly elite numbers. Seagroves is one of those guys who will always give you a good at bat, and while he's far from a star, he looks to be a very capable big leaguer who gives you 100% day in and day out.

RHP Newt Jackson (196th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 22nd Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: Darby Yellow Jackets

It's been a weird career for Newt Jackson, who has sling-shotted his way in and out of the top 200. Despite just one sim ago being ranked inside, he's now completely fallen out after being out before this season started. In fact, he didn't even start the season as a starter, with just 5 of his 21 appearances with San Jose being starts. He was pretty impressive, 4-3 with 7 saves, a 2.82 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 17 walks, and 19 strikeouts before a promotion up to Lincoln. He started all 11 of his games there, going 5-6 with a 3.48 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 11 walks, and 23 strikeouts. A former 2nd Rounder, Jackson once looked like one of the better pitching prospects as a high schooler out of Darby, but he partially tore his UCL in a nightmarish first season. It definitely looked like the injury ended his career early, as the 1938 season went very poorly, but he's seemed to make up for some of the lost progress. His pitches are much better and far more developed now, as he shook of the "borderline starter" projection for the "starter" projection, and he's throwing consistently in the 90s. His stuff is still rather ordinary, but his command is very impressive, and he shouldn't walk too many hitters. I'm hoping he can start next season in Mobile, and perhaps work his way up to Milwaukee once the season is over, but his future really is up in the air. He could develop into a decent rotation piece, or end up wallowing away in AAA, but one thing for sure is that he won't surpass the 1st Rounder form his draft class.

RHP Ira Hawker (221st Overall)
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1938)
Drafted: 16th Round, 252nd Overall (1937)
Alma Mater: Glasgow Greyhounds

This was the first full season as a pitcher for Ira Hawker, and while it wasn't great, it was better then most pitchers with just over 50 innings under their belt perform. He started the season in La Crosse, and went 4-6 with a 4.58 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 22 walks, and 32 strikeouts. When the draft came along, I decided to push him up to San Jose, and he had similar numbers in his 14 starts there. Hawker flipped his record, 6-4 with a 5.10 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 33 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The only issue there were the strikeouts, as his K/9 dropped from 3.8 to 2.3 with most other rate numbers rather consistent. He'll turn 22 in February, but I think he'll be best served by taking it slow, and returning to San Jose at least for the start of the season. His pitches are still very raw, and the groundballer sits in the mid 80s. His curve is his best pitch, while his fastball, slider, and change still have a lot of room to grow. His stuff doesn't overwhelm, so he'll need to harness his command to make it at the next level, and for now he projects just as a spot starter.

LF Harry Carr (229th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Buchtel Griffins

Like Hawker, Harry Carr split his time between San Jose and La Crosse, but he did not move up at the draft. He spent 70 games with the Lions, hitting .326/.369/.492 (117 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 8 homers, 4 steals, and 46 RBIs before securing a promotion to San Jose. He stayed in La Crosse a bit longer not because of his talent, but because we didn't really have many low minors outfielders, and at 20, there were a lot of older guys added to the system like Bill Rich and Cy Howard who went straight to San Jose. Carr didn't waste his opportunity, however, and hit an even better .362/.403/.525 (135 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBIs in 237 trips to the plate. A natural center fielder, Carr got time at all three outfield spots, with 47, 50, and 36 games at each spot with efficiencies of 1.004, 1.050, and 1.056 left to right. He does have the speed and range for center, but his arm is strong enough that he may end up in right. His speed puts pressure on his opponents, and if he continues to walk more then he strikes out, he could make a career as a leadoff hitter. He has a nice smooth swing, solid pitch recognition skills, and he'll always look to take the extra base. Carr sort of reminds me of a right handed Orlin Yates. He has the tools to start, but the question will be if he can make the most of them or if he'll end up as one of the many 4th outfielders always champing at the bit until someone gets hurt.

ayaghmour2 · 01-30-2022, 09:56 PM

CF Bill Rich (230th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 44th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Grange College Mustangs

Our regional selection in January of 1940, it was a big jump in the draft from 1937 where we selected him in the 20th Round and decided he'd be better served in college. It turned out to be good for everyone, as Rich became a much more skilled player at the prestigious Grange College then he would have been sitting on the bench in La Crosse. In fact, Rich skipped La Crosse entirely, and slashed an elite .353/.393/.667 (166 OPS+) in 168 PAs with San Jose. He wasn't very good in center, with a -3.7 zone rating and .937 efficiency, so he may end up in a corner, but he more then made up for it with the bat. Not only did he hit at an extremely high level, the 21-year-old from Quincy hit 8 doubles, 4 triples, and 11 homers with 35 RBIs. He's set to start next season in Lincoln, and I think I'll have him get more reps out in right then center. Rich has a well above average eye and the potential to make consistent contact, which should help him hit his way up. I doubt he'll ever match this power output, but he could end up with double digits each season. We have a lot of talented outfield prospects, so Rich definitely has his work cut out for him, but he's at worst a reliable bat for the bench with the potential to hit his way to a starting role.

LHP Harl Haines (239th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 149th Overall (1935)
Alma Mater: Niagara Falls Big Red

He may have dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, but that didn't stop me from saving a 40-Man roster spot for him. Our 10th Rounder in the 1935 Draft, Haines has worked his way up the ladder, and spent all season with Milwaukee. He made 29 starts and went 13-12 with a 3.72 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 105 strikeouts. One of the most interesting pitchers in the league, Haines is a 6'3'' southpaw who throws submarine style, with his fastball and cutter sitting comfortably in the 95-97 range. His stuff is really good, allowing him to consistently miss bats and record swings and misses. His advanced control allows him to limit walks as well, leading him to maintain high K/BB ratios while keeping runners off base and out of scoring position. He can roll up a grounder when needed, and his slider and screwball are reliable secondary offerings. He can also pitch deep into games, tallying 225 innings this season with multiple starts of over 130 pitches. Tom Weinstock thinks he can be a middle of the rotation arm, and right now he's our closest prospect to starting in the big leagues, so with a few injuries he may end up getting some starts. I expect him to start next season in Milwaukee, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't at least get a September call up for an inevitable FABL debut.

LF Harry Harris (245th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: DuPont Manual Crimsons

This was the first full pro season for Harry Harris, who again spent most of his time out in left field. He was average out there, working to a -3.9 zone rating and .991 efficiency in 956.1 innings, and with very few outfielders in our low minors, he will probably continue to play left for the Lions. He turns 20 in November, but his age will likely make it take longer for him to move up the system. I think he'll be in San Jose after the draft, but he'll have to hit better then the .297/.363/.415 (98 OPS+) he showed this season. He did have 34 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 75 RBIs, but I'll need to see a lot more from him before I'm comfortable moving him up. He does have a lot of promising characteristics, including above average contact ability and good patience, but he's likely never going to hit for much power. As a switch hitter he does have more value, and can be very handy off the bench, which I think is his likely ending spot. Still, he's young and with a lot of upside, so some hard work and a few nice talent bumps could help him develop into one of our more interesting prospects.

LHP Bob Hobbs (265th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers

An 8th Rounder last season, Bob Hobbs was just 17 when drafted and didn't turn 19 until this October. He'll spend all of next season as a teen, and unlike Skipper Schneider, will likely spend it at one of our lowest levels. He did look advanced for his age in his 23 starts, 13-9 with a 3.63 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 74 walks, and 100 strikeouts, so perhaps after the draft he could move up to San Jose. Hobbs isn't a very hard thrower, just 85-87 with the fastball, but he did strike out nearly 5 per 9 in his first full season. His command does cause problems at times, and sometimes he can't locate his curve or change. Both are good pitches, so if he gets his command under control, they can be really effective as all three pitches should be big league quality. Still, he's a very raw prospect and we will have to take our time with him, as he is very far from being a big league arm, even as a reliever.

RHP Roscoe Brown (268th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 113th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Covington Cougars

From one Cougars to another, we selected the 18-year-old righty out of Covington, where their mascot is also a Cougar. He started as a Lion, and may not be a Cougar until next season, but I was pleasantly surprised with how effective the youngster was. Brown made 10 starts for La Crosse, finishing 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 11 walks, and 50 strikeouts. His command was superb, just a 1.3 BB/9 despite being a very inexperienced arm. Tom's not a fan of his command, which I think is a bit funny, as it hasn't looked like he's had any issues so far. Brown has been throwing harder, sitting in the 91-93 range as well, and I'm hoping he has a few more velocity boosts in him as his two main pitches are his fastball and sinker. The third is a curve with really nice break that is arguably his best pitch. Right now he looks like nothing more then a spot starter, but we've done a good job developing young high school arms, and Brown is a lot further along then most. Young pitching is extremely valuable, which makes Brown a potential trade candidate as well, but with such a long time to develop, he may be staring at the peaks of Pete and the Jones Brothers (almost sounds like a band) while he's the same age as fellow top prospects Duke Bybee and Mel Haynes who look like much more exciting arms.

01-05-2022, 12:39 PM	#701
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 14: July 8th-July 14th Weekly Record: 2-1 Seasonal Record: 45-39 (3rd, 6 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 16 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.000 OPS Leo Mitchell : 12 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.083 OPS Skipper Schneider : 10 AB, 4 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.055 OPS Schedule 7-11: Win at Foresters (4-2) 7-13: Win at Foresters (4-1) 7-14: Loss at Sailors (1-4) Recap Well would you look at that! Back-to-back winning weeks! Has that happened yet this season!? I'm afraid to look... There was also the All Star game this week, but Dick Lyons was charged with the loss. He allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in two thirds of an inning. John Lawson faired better, 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the Fed beat us 7-4. Anyways, we swept the Foresters in the fractured series before dropping the first in Philly to the Sailors. We pitched well, didn't hit, but we get Billy Hunter back! He didn't hit much in Milwaukee, 5-for-22, but he homered and triples. His second base play was shaky, but he hasn't spent much time on the other side of the second base bag. I'm leaning on four, maybe five starts a week, with Ollie Page keeping a few starts. Page has done well at second, a 4.0 zone rating and 1.069 efficiency, and his .235/.342/.337 (89 OPS+) line is at least improving. Page had a nice week, 3-for-11 with a triple, 3 walks, and a run scored. Lawson was 4-for-12 with a double, homer, and 2 RBIs as a Cougar. Leo Mitchell had a needed nice week, 5-for-12 with a homer, run, and 2 RBIs. Skipper Schneider was 4-for-10 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. The rest of the roster really struggled, with Ford, Drake, Montes, and Taylor combining to go just 6-for-39, while Montes at least had 4 walks, an RBI, steal, and 2 runs scored. Lyons pitched much better with us then at the All-Star game, a complete game win that would have been a shutout if Skipper didn't make an error in the 8th. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Milt Fritz had another complete game win, 9 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks. Fritz is now 10-5 with a CA best 2.35 ERA. Jim Lonardo wasn't great, but he pitched 8 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He got the loss, now 6-11, but we didn't need to use a single reliever this week. All our picks I wanted to sign have now signed, and while Charlie Kelsey (as expected), didn't crack the top 500, we now have a 9th top 100 prospect. First rounder Mel Haynes is ranked 57th, a few spots above Danny Goff Jr., while Duke Bybee settled in at 80. 5th Rounder Harry Stewart checks in at 13th and 176th while regional rounder Bill Rich ranks 23rd and 265th. We now have 49 top 500 prospects and 22 in the top 250, while our system is tied for third (155) with the Keystones. We're now behind just Cincinnati (277) and Montreal (224), as the Cannons top two picks Bill Sohl (5th) and Dick Blaszak (6th) propelling their system above the Saints. Looking Ahead I'd love to not get swept by the Sailors, who are 46-41 and a half game behind us. We're lucky enough to miss Walt Wells, and will instead see Doc Newell and Dutch Sheldon. Newell seems to have hit his ceiling, just 4-9 with a 4.71 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 40 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Sheldon is having a nice year two with the Sailors, 9-9 with a 3.41 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 63 walks, and 65 strikeouts. Dick Walker is on a nice run, winning last weeks Player of the Week and hitting .251/.358/.429 (108 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 9 triples, 6 homers, 13 steals, and 36 RBIs. He's also walked 51 times and struck out 27 times, but 1940 will likely be his worst season since a below average 1934. Shortstop Rip Lee was named to his first career All-Star game, playing well in the field and hitting alright too. He has a nice 4.1 zone rating and 1.032 efficiency with a .288/.347/.388 (95 OPS+) line, 20 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 54 RBIs. This will be a tough series to start the week, but it gets worse. The Cannons have been struggling a bit, but I expect the three games in Cincinnati to be very challenging. Errors cost Rufus Barrell in his first All Star game, but the 23-year-old is 10-5 with a 2.82 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 20 walks, and 79 strikeouts. Butch Smith has been just as good, 11-5 with a 2.44 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 44 walks, and 67 strikeouts. Vic Carroll left his last start with wrist soreness, so he may miss a start, but the former #1 Overall Pick is 1-0 with a 3.96 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.84 WHIP, 17 walks, and 12 strikeouts in his first 4 big league starts. Moxie Pidgeon continues to rake, as the 6-time All Star is hitting an outstanding .338/.384/.563 (153 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 15 homers, and 65 RBIs. Fellow All-Star Fred Galloway has a nice .301/.390/.442 (125 OPS+) line with 17 doubles, 11 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, 48 RBIs, and 50 walks. Those two are the heart of the offense, with 1936 1st Rounder Mike T. Taylor sandwiched between them. The rookie has a decent .304/.323/.470 (112 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 9 triples, a homer, 9 steals, and 28 RBIs with 6 walks and not a single strikeout. They've also brought up Boston's former 1st Rounder, Denny Andrews, who came over with Ken Mayhugh in the John Edwards trade. The switch hitter ranks 23rd in the league, and is off to a .254/.391/.451 (127 OPS+) start with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and 16 walks in his first 18 big league games. I expect a tough series, and this week will be a real turning point in the season. We then finish our long road trip with three games in two days north of the border with the Wolves. At 51-33, they have a 2 game lead over the Cannons, and are in the driver seat for the pennant race. Their top three has been outstanding, with Hancock, Johnson, and Garrison all having tremendous seasons. Hancock is 9-6 with a 3.19 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 39 walks, and 64 strikeouts. Johnson is 10-4 with a 2.96 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 24 walks, and 34 strikeouts. Garrison is 9-8 with a 3.25 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 34 walks, and 61 strikeouts. This is what I can only dream our rotation will look like in a few years, with Papenfus and the Jones brothers, and I'd argue Harry Parker and Milt Fritz are much better then Bob Walls and Chick Wirtz, especially two or three seasons from now. Of course, we don't have a Fred McCormick, who is slashing .327/.414/.474 (134 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. Walt Pack is getting closer to an above average season, hitting .248/.319/.424 (96 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, and 48 RBIs. They do have a new face in the lineup as well, 25-year-old Gus Hall, who was an independent selection back in the 1938 offseason. He's been outstanding in 80 trips to the plate, slashing .309/.412/.471 (134 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, homer, and 13 RBIs. Charlie Artuso was rightfully selected to his first All Star game, and the 24-year-old is hitting a nice .301/.363/.439 (113 OPS+) to go with a 9.9 zone rating and 1.100 efficiency at short. Former Cougar prospect and personal favorite Juan Pomales hasn't pitched well, but he's been lethal at the plate. Pomales is hitting .340/.367/.681 (172 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, and 7 RBIs. I'd imagine this is our toughest week of the season, a real make or break one, and if we drop too many games, it may be impossible to recover. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-06-2022, 12:58 PM	#702
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 15: July 15th-July 21st Weekly Record: 4-4 Seasonal Record: 49-43 (4th, 5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.331 OPS John Lawson : 36 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .768 OPS Skipper Schneider : 24 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, .900 OPS Schedule 7-15: Loss at Sailors (6-7): 10 innings 7-16: Loss at Sailors (3-8) 7-17: Loss at Cannons (4-8) 7-18: Loss at Cannons (3-8) 7-19: Win at Cannons (8-7): 11 innings 7-20: Win at Wolves (7-5) 7-21: Win at Wolves (5-0) 7-21: Win at Wolves (8-1) Recap Well, this was a week... We let the Sailors sweep us, and then the Cannons took two of three. In fact, three of those four losses we allowed 8 runs, and in the other, it was 7 and a very fun one run loss. When it seemed like the week was lost, we managed to win four in a row, including all three against the first place Wolves. Even with the less then stellar week, we managed to cut the deficit by one, despite dropping a spot in the standings. I'm glad we finally have an off day, and we're finally able to return home. We haven't been terrible on the road, 27-25 so far, but we're 22-18 at home and teams tend to play better at their home stadium. No one had a better week then Leo Mitchell, who took home this week's Player of the Week in the Continental Association. He went 12-for-27 with a double, 3 homer, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. He had another 5-hit game, a 5-for-6 in our 8-7 win over the Cannons, his second 5-hit game in a month and a half. Yes, he struck out 6 times, but he also walked 4 and boosted his season line to .313/.365/.456 (126 OPS+). Still on pace for well over 100 strikeouts, already 79 in 82 games, but he has 15 doubles, 10 homers, and 45 RBIs in 342 trips to the plate. Billy Hunter had a nice return to the lineup, 7-for-21 with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. He did make an error at second, but did well on the other 22 chances and I imagine he'll only improve as he gets more comfortable there. Orlin Yates, who has started to steal some of Leon Drake's time, went 10-for-23 with 5 runs and an RBI. The 28-year-old, who was one of two players with Milt Fritz to come from the Gothams in the Tom Taylor deal, is hitting an impressive .301/.395/.412 (123 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs in 159 PAs. Another guy with some of Drake's at bats was Rich Langton, who was a nice 4-for-9 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had a nice week, 9-for-24 with a double, triple, run, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford was 8-for-31 with a double, triple, homer, 6 walks, 6 RBIs, and 8 runs scored. John Lawson wasn't great, by his standards at least, 12-for-36 with 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Ollie Page looked good in a return to a limited role, 3-for-9 with 3 RBIs. Even Aart MacDonald got into the fun, 4-for-13 with 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. The only guys who really struggled were our catching duo, with Mead and Taylor going 4-for-32, but at least Taylor homered twice and drove in six. There was also Leon Drake, who was a pitiful 2-for-17, dropping his season line to .196/.257/.333 (62 OPS+). Drake's downfall has made next to little sense, and considering we gave up a top 100 prospect, a former top 50 prospect, and a 4th Rounder that could have been Eddie Kincaid, it's already looking like a major misstep. The pitching was terrible, but Milt Fritz did what he does best, at least for one of his starts. In our 5-0 win, he tossed yet another shutout, just 3 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Of course, against the Sailors he really struggled, allowing 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout in 6.1 innings pitched. Dick Lyons had a rare rough start, 5.2 innings with 9 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout. Jim Lonardo continued his age appropriate season, 7 innings with 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, and a strikeout. Harry Parker looked bad in both his starts, but he got a win and no decision. He went 17 innings with 15 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), 5 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Peter the Heater had a good start and bad start, going 6.2 innings against the Cannons with 11 hits, 7 runs, 8 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He bounced back in Toronto, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Papenfus is sort of looking like a good big league pitcher in his 10 starts and 7 relief outings. He's 4-6 with 2 saves, a 3.61 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 48 walks, and 67 strikeouts. His BB/9 is a career low at 5.2, but so is his 7.3 K/9. Still, things are starting to look up for the 22-year-old, and every start makes me more and more excited for his future. Allen Purvis struggled out of the pen, but he did pick up a win in his three starts. He had a loss too, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. We generally pitch well, but this week was really tough, rising our ERA to 3.64 as a team, and we're now 4th in runs allowed. Looking Ahead We have a nice little reprieve, a two game series at home with the Foresters with off days on either side. 30-year-old Dean Astle has had a really rough season, 7-10 with a 4.80 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 50 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He's a big reason why they are just 31-59 and 22 games out of first, a spot Foresters fans haven't been used to for a while. That means it is back to dominating on a struggling team for Dave Rankin, just 7-10, but with a 3.02 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 46 walks, and 37 strikeouts. The offense has been worse, scoring the fewest amount of runs, despite having one of the CA's most valuable players in Mel Carrol. He would've been the starting third basemen in the All Star game if it wasn't for the wonderful John Lawson, as Carrol is hitting .354/.400/.469 (130 OPS+) with 12 doubles, a triple, 9 homers, and 48 RBIs. He hasn't had much help, just the guy above and below him in Bill Moore and Lou Balk. Moore is hitting .295/.374/.452 (118 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 42 RBIs with a nice 40-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Balk has matched Carrol's 9 homers and drove in 35, while hitting .300/.330/.508 (119 OPS+) with 20 doubles and 11 triples. He's one of the few that can compete with Leo Mitchell for strikeouts, 73 in 351 trips to the plate. These are must win games, as I know we are by far the better team, but we have to take them seriously. We then welcome in the Wolves, and hope for more of of the same in our four games in three days. They still lead the CA, 54-38 and a game above the Cannons, and if we can keep beating them, this would be a huge week for us. Their top three continues to impress, but we beat Johnson and Garrison, as well as southpaw Chick Wirtz. He's a consistent starter, as his ERA+ in all six of his seasons in Toronto has been 94, 95, 96, or 98. This year it's 95, as Wirtz is 4-7 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 38 walks, and 30 strikeouts. No matter what we'll see him or Bob Walls, but I'd love to see both. Walls is 9-5, but with a 4.35 ERA (90 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 39 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Right now it is projected we'll see them, and no Joe Hancock, which would be perfect. Their offense is solid too, with rookie and first time All-Star Tom Frederick putting together a very impressive season with the bat. The 24-year-old is hitting .309/.367/.467 (120 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 12 triples, and 33 RBIs. He's been excellent at second (5.9, 1.077), but a bit of a liability in center (-1.9, .985). Still, having him capable of filling both positions, as well as pretty much anywhere but short and catcher, makes him one of the most valuable youngsters in the game. He's the only guy in their lineup without a homer, but in their vast stadium, just Fred McCormick (5) and Walt Pack (10) have more then three. That hasn't limited their potential to score, first in the league in runs scored, as they also lead in wOBA, OPS, and OBP. This will be another tough series, but I like our chances at home, and we may have caught the Wolves at the right time. Minor League Report LHP Johnny Ruby (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He wasn't great in Mobile, but I needed to move someone up, and he was one of the few Mobile arms who was ready to make the jump. His first start was awful, 8 runs (6 earned) in 6 innings, but start three was one to remember. The sidewinding lefty allowed just 2 hits with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts in a nice 2-0 win over St. Paul. He's now 1-2 with a 3.68 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 18 walks, and 8 strikeouts after going just 2-7 with Mobile. His 4.57 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 54 walks, and 44 strikeouts paint a bit better of a picture, but his walks have been concerning. That's a 5.9 BB/9 in 82.2 innings, and last year he had a 4.4 in 24 starts split between Lincoln and Mobile. His stuff should be more then good enough to make up for it, as he features a sweeping curve and great slider in his six pitch mix. The only thing keeping him from being a reliable starter is his control, although I'm not sure he'll ever be able to develop it enough. 1B Bobby Mills (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He didn't deserve a demotion, but I needed to make room for Hunter and he was really the only choice. He didn't take it personally, and capped off a Player of the Week with a 5-for-5 in a 9-7 win over St. Paul. He finished the week 11-for-20 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Mills hit an impressive .294/.333/.510 (130 OPS+) in 51 at bats with us, but his .382/.472/.558 (171 OPS+) line in Milwaukee is outstanding. Add in 9 doubles, 4 homers, and 23 RBIs with a 20-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio, it's really hard to perform any better then he has. Mills has turned into an outstanding hitter, and if he had any sort of defensive skills, he'd be starting for an FABL team. He's on his last option year, and I can't see myself waiving him like I did with Johnny Waters, so expect the former 6th Rounder to steal someone's roster spot next year. 1B Bill Dambreville (AA Mobile Commodores): Good week for our first basemen this week! Former first basemen Leo Mitchell won a Player of the Week, current first basemen Bobby Mills won a Player of the Week, and our top first base prospect Bill Dambreville joined the fun with one of his own! This is just week two for Dambreville in Mobile, after hitting .329/.410/.502 (151 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, and 45 RBIs in 283 trips to the plate. His Mobile line is even better, .467/.547/.667 (207 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs after the 14-for-26 week. I was hesitant when I first selected him in the 5th Round, as I'm not a fan of taking corner players in the early rounds, but I have nothing but good things to say about him now. He has a very smooth swing which should lead to him hitting for a very high average, while his eye is well above average. He doesn't quite have the power I like for corner bats, but he's got 8 homers already and will likely reach double digits by the end of the season. His only obstacle right now is Ray Ford, but at just 22, Ford has 7 years over him. He doesn't have the upside of Ford, yet, but he's climbing up our prospect ladder, now 12th in the system and 174th overall. Tom think's we can pencil him in for the lion's share of first base starts, but until Ford slows down, he may have to wait in the minors. RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (A Lincoln Legislators): I needed to promote someone from San Jose, and while I wasn't sure if Willie was ready, Willie took things into his own hands. It took just four starts, but Gonzalez Jr. tossed a wonderful 5-hit, 2-walk, and 7-strikeout shutout as the Legislators disposed of the Cedar Rapids Chiefs 6-0. That improved him to 2-1 on the season with a 2.73 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 8 walks, and 20 strikeouts. This was after an outstanding 10 start run in San Jose where Junior was 7-1 with a 2.75 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 15 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The former Gotham farmhand hasn't gotten much prospect love, ranked 43rd in the system and 453rd overall, but it's hard to ignore the impressive stats. Plus, he has a nice 96-98 fastball and cutter, both above average pitches, as well as a biting curve. The change isn't great, but if the other three pitches continue to develop as they have, he won't really need it. His command isn't always great, and he's occasionally susceptible to the longball, but he has dropped his BB/9 to 2.3, and his K/9 is above 5 in Lincoln. He's got a lot of upside, but unless he gets a few talent bumps, it may be hard for him to secure regular innings in an FABL rotation. LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Lincoln has been filled with shutouts this season, with two this week. The second came from former 4th Rounder Ed Wilkinson, who allowed 7 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in his complete game shutout. A complete game machine, Wilkinson is 7-8 in 15 starts with a 3.04 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 28 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He's looking to earn a promotion to Mobile, and currently ranks 28th in the system and 332nd overall. He sports a nice five pitch repertoire, led with a lower 90s fastball. His other four pitches are just average, but his stuff is pretty polished and he has the pitches to start in the big leagues. He should have an average amount of walks and strikeouts, but he may end up giving up his share of homers, but he's done an excellent job pitching deep into games. He has eight nine inning starts and just three of less then eight innings, and he could end up developing into a very reliable inning eater. Tom thinks he'll be a back of the rotation arm, OSA a spot starter, but those are both more then I'm expecting. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-07-2022, 12:44 PM	#703
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 16: July 22nd-July 28th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 53-45 (4th, 3 GB) Stars of the Week Carlos Montes : 22 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.162 OPS Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.026 OPS Dick Lyons : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.50 ERA Schedule 7-23: Win vs Foresters (2-5) 7-24: Win vs Foresters (3-4): 12 innings 7-26: Win vs Wolves (1-5) 7-27: Loss vs Wolves (1-0) 7-28: Win vs Wolves (1-4) 7-28: Loss vs Wolves (11-10) Recap The week started great, a sweep of the Foresters, but then we sort of floundered in the Wolves series. Sure, they only scored three total runs in the first three games, but then we managed to give up 11 in the finale as they edged us by a single run. It feels like we should have won all four of those games, but just like that, we're in pouncing distance of first. Still in fourth, but we're just three behind the Wolves in the congested Continental Association. The top six teams are separated by just five and a half games, and with no obvious sellers, it may be a wait and see in the final months to see which roster can push their way above. The Fed is similar, their top five is all within five and a half, and this has been one of the quietest FABL deadlines since the start of the human era. We will, however, be without Billy Hunter again, as a sore elbow will cost him at least two more weeks. He has started to hit a little better, batting .289/.333/.415 (105 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, an 18 RBIs. Ollie Page will return to the lineup while Bobby Mills will make the trip back up to Chicago. Mills is hitting a strong .390/.479/.551 (171 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 29 RBIs in Milwaukee, and will be a valuable option on the bench. The pitching was almost entirely good, but Pete Papenfus blew up against the Wolves. I wish Clyde Meyer pulled him earlier, as half of his ten runs in the Wolves loss came in the 9th. He went 8.1 with 8 hits, 6 walks, and just 2 strikeouts as his ERA ballooned to 4.27 (89 ERA+). Right after I just talked about him turning the corner! Good thing Lonardo made a step in the right direction, 8 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), and 4 strikeouts in a no decision. Dick Lyons had a tremendous week, picking up win 194 and 195, tossing a pair of complete games. He allowed 14 hits, 3 runs, a walk and 4 strikeouts to improve to 13-4 on the season with a 2.88 ERA (133 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP. Harry Parker was very unlucky, as he finally had a good start, but got a loss. He allowed 8 hits, a run, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in a complete game. Milt Fritz had a similar start, just 1 run and 4 hits, walks, and strikeouts in a complete game victory. Joe Brown got the loss in the Papenfus start, but also had a scoreless outing. He allowed 2 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched. We didn't really hit the best, but Carlos Montes had an outstanding week. He went 9-for-22 with 2 triples, a homer, steal, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell stayed hot 9-for-20 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, 3 RBIs, and a steal. John Lawson went just 5-for-22, but he homered, walked 5 times, scored 4 times, and drove in 2. Ray Ford was 7-for-24 with a double, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Part-timers Rich Langton and Ollie Page did good, combining to go 4-for-18 with a steal, 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs. The catching duo continued to disappoint, 2-for-23 with 2 runs and 2 walks, although all the twos were from Mead. I'd like to see more offense, and not have in concentrated in one game where we lose, but hey! Almost in first! Looking Ahead Off to start the week, but then we have a weird two game set with the Sailors. It's one game, off, and then the final game, and with a sweep we could hop right over them. At 54-45, they are two and a half out of first, and had no issues with us last time we played. Walt Wells continues to push for an Allen Award, tossing a 4-hit shutout of the Kings in a 1-0 win on the 27th. He's now 14-6 with a 2.49 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 60 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Chuck Murphy is in the midst of his best season at 31, 10-4 with a 2.88 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 35 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Doc Newell has been removed from the rotation in favor of Merritt Thomas, who's made 17 relief outings and now 2 starts. He's 1-2 with 8 saves, a 2.82 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 14 walks, and 19 strikeouts. Herb Flynn has had a tough run, allowing 5 or more starts in three of his last four starts, and dropped to 10-9 with a 4.75 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 51 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Dick Walker is back to his old self, now hitting .266/.375/.458 (119 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, 51 RBIs, 14 steals, and 61 walks. The rest of the offense hasn't been that great, but Illinois native Woody Stone is having a decent year with the bat. He's hitting .301/.341/.425 (101 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 41 RBIs, but broke his streak of back-to--back All Star selections. We need to at least split, but a sweep here would do wonders for our playoff chances. We'll stay home to welcome the Cannons for three games. They've been rumored to be shopping vets William Jones and Moxie Pidgeon despite being just a game back of the Wolves. I really hope they keep Moxie, even though moving him to a Fed team would make our lives much easier, as he is just 3 homers away from a 20 homer season with his 5th team. He deserves to be in the Whitney consideration, slashing .344/.389/.571 (156 OPS+) with 17 doubles, a triple, 17 homers, and 74 RBIs. Jones has been solid, though not nearly as impressive, 8-9 with a 3.69 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 47 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Rufus Barrell no longer has an ERA below 3, it's now exactly 3.00 (130 ERA+), as he's 12-5 with a 1.02 WHIP, 22 walks, and 90 strikeouts. Butch Smith continues his breakout, 13-6 with a 2.87 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 51 walks, and 76 strikeouts. The offense has started to cool a bit, but they still are tied for the most runs scored in the CA. Fred Galloway is now down to .300/.387/.445 (124 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 55 RBIs. We didn't do so well last time against the Cannons, but they've hit a little rough patch that we have to take advantage of. Minor League Report 1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): What a week for the Chicagoan! Hod hit an even 10-for-20 with a homer and 6 RBIs as he took home the Heartland League Player of the Week. A natural second basemen, with shortstops Eddie Curtis and Steve Jones taking up the middle infield spots, Seagroves has spent all his time at first while most his time with San Jose was spent at the keystone. He was an excellent defender there, putting up a 5.6 zone rating and 1.075 efficiency, and I think the lanky 22-year-old is more then capable of ending up at second. He may end up better at the plate, so he could end up at first, and Tom thinks he's "an advanced hitter for his age." He has a ton of bat speed as well, and I'm hoping he'll end up hitting for more power. That could really help, as he should do a decent job of judging balls and strikes. I think he could end up an above average starter at second, but at least for now, he doesn't really have the pop for first. He's moved up our top prospect list, right behind Bill Dambreville for 13th in our system. He's in the top 200, checking in at 182, and if he keeps hitting like he did this week, his stay in Lincoln may not be that long. LHP Ed Wilkinson (A Lincoln Legislators): Back-to-back! I won't spend too much time rehashing what I wrote yesterday, but another shutout for Ed Wilkinson! This time it was against the Peoria Chiefs, as the Legislators won 5-0. He allowed 8 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to an even 8-8 in 16 starts across 133.1 innings pitched. It dropped his ERA to 2.83 ERA (136 ERA+) with 33 walks, 53 strikeouts, and a 1.27 WHIP. Wilkinson checks right outside our top 30 at 31, and 341st in the league. Up to Mobile for him now, and I hope he can keep up his impressive run of starts. RHP Roscoe Brown (C La Crosse Lions): Sure, it's just three starts, but it's hard to ask for a better to your career then Roscoe's Brown. Our 8th Rounder this year, he instantly joined the top prospect lists and checks in at 22nd and 270th respectively. I was a little bit shocked, but the early returns seem to back that up. He's tossed three consecutive complete games and won all three. He has a nice 1.67 ERA (277 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 4 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He's also throwing a little harder, up to 91-93 with his fastball and sinker, and his third offering is a nice curve. All three pitches should be average or better, and he does a good job mixing the three together. His command isn't the greatest, but he has excellent raw stuff and I'm hoping he can keep the walks down like he has so far. It's very early, but the 18-year-old has a lot of upside and I'm hoping we can nurture him as he rises up our system. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 01-07-2022 at 12:48 PM.

01-07-2022, 03:51 PM	#704
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Trade News! I cannot stress enough how minor this trade is, and it's purpose was solely to inflate my draft success rate for the 1932 class. I send Izzy Sevilla and $5,000 cash to the cash starved Stars to pick up our 17th Rounder Dick Earl. I actually gave him an $850 bonus, and then used him in the four pick package to pick up John Lawson in the weeks before the 1936 season. Since then he raked in the Stars system, even earning a 40-man spot, but he never got that big league debut he probably earned. He hasn't hit the best this year, just .246/.309/.372 (91 OPS+) in 223 PAs up in AAA, but after a demotion to AA, he's hit a more on brand .333/.447/.452 (161 OPS+). The bat has never been an issue, he's always been able to hit, but he's pretty poor in the outfield. He has two options left (one hasn't been used this year), so if I needed to I could stash him in Milwaukee this year and next year. Now, with him and Walker Pearce set to debut in September, 20 of our 30 draftees from that class will appear in an FABL game. Sure, there are some scrubs like the multiply waived Johnny Waters and the 2 innings of Neal Wilkinson, but there's also Billy Hunter, Rich Langton, Harry Mead, Cy Sullivan, Bobby Mills, Ducky Jordan, Hank Stratton, Red Moore, Reginald Westfall, and Dave Haight, all who have had a lot of playing time even if it hasn't all been successful. There are a few others who could end up debuting, including our AAA first basemen Cuno Myer, but other then the three who already retired, the rest are playing Independent ball, so at least they aren't languishing away in the FA pool. Or, at least that was the plan! It started when I reached out to the Gothams to see if they wanted Rich Langton or Aart MacDonald, but they instead were interested in Leon Drake. Drake is in the midst of his worst season yet, and it is already looking like I gave up far too much to add him. The 31-year-old is hitting just .197/.262/.332 (62 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 26 RBIs, and since he was losing more and more time to Orlin Yates, I was hoping to swap him for a struggling, yet like Drake, still quality, veteran big league bat. Now, the Gothams don't have anyone that fits the bill, there only real vet is 36-year-old Bud Jameson, and he's not even struggling, but there is an interesting outfielder in AAA who hit .149/.344/.419 (38 OPS+) in 62 plate appearances with the Gothams. Lucky for us, those are his first 62, and he's an exciting enough 22-year-old. The deal evolved a bit after that, and now Walker Pearce will not be making his debut this September for the Cougars, he'll likely make it a bit sooner for the pitching starved Gothams. Him and Drake will report to the Big Apple, while a 2nd Rounder and Fred Vargas will head to the Windy City. Vargas currently ranks in the fringes of the top 100, checking in at 95, but Tom Weinstock is a huge fan of the former 1st Rounder. He's got a good swing and excels at drawing walks, exemplified in his AAA .298/.469/.450 (143 OPS+) batting line, and Weinstock thinks he can hit above .300 in the big leagues. He just turned 22 last week, and he seems to have really grown out of his strike out problems. He's always walked far more then he's struck out, but did strike out 80 times in 140 games last year. Including his 11 in 26 games with the Gothams, he has just half that as he's approaching his 90th game, and I think he should be able to keep them down once he's fully developed. He doesn't have much power, just 2 homers this season, and is cause for a little concern. Working for him, however, is our stadium is easy to hit homers at and he hits a ton of flyballs. Tom really likes Vargas, and goes as far to say that he "has immense talent, and someday may be considered in conversations about the best players in the game." I don't by that one bit, even if the report was Very High instead of Average, but I do love his bat and I think he could challenge for an OBP title with his nice contact tool and borderline elite eye. The issue is his defense, as he only has a positional rating in left, and he's at best passable out there. I debated bringing him straight up to Chicago, but instead it will be Earl who replaces Drake, and Vargas will play right in Milwaukee. If his glove and arm are strong, he can be out right fielder of the future, but worst case he can play left and Mitchell can move over to right. This opens up a lot of playing time for Orlin Yates, who was starting to chip away at Drake's at bats. Yates, like Vargas, is a high OBP guy, and Weinstock thinks he's better then both Drake and Langton, while the positional rankings list him. He dropped to 10th, but was as high as 6th recently, and Yates is a superior defender to Drake. It's just 83.1 innings, but he has a 2.5 zone rating and 1.187 efficiency to go with a strong .296/.394/.401 (120 OPS+) batting line. Add in 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs with a 22-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and the former Gotham 9th Rounder is having a very impressive season. Yes, it's just 167 PAs and he could fall back to earth again, but my scouts have always thought Yates deserved more playing time, and both Clyde Myer and Pete Morris have Yates as their starting right fielder, not Drake or Langton, even against lefties. Langton will fill the weakside of the platoon, and while he's had a huge fall from his career norms, his .266/.327/.357 (88 OPS+) line is nowhere near as bad as Drake. It's not near his .299/.352/.460 (122 OPS+) line, but the now 29-year-old does have 12 doubles, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 24 RBIs in his 220 plate appearances. This would be his first below average season in terms of OPS+, but he's got time to make up the 12 points below average. The 2nd Round pick can also soften the blow of giving up Sullivan and Mullis in the offseason, as while there are no guarantees, 2nd Round Picks can be very valuable. Our last two, Danny Goff Jr. and Don Lee are both top 200 prospects, and while there were a handful of misses, past 2nd Rounders like Tommy Wilson and Marty Roberts have done alright for themselves. Plus there is Leo Mitchell, and plus further back to a time before me, Dick Lyons, and we all know how talented they are. Plus, the Gothams are one of five teams under .500 at 40-57, so barring any crazy changes, that second rounder will end up in the top 5. It did hurt moving on from Drake when I paid what I knew would be a high price to get him, but it's better then watching him wallow away on the bench, both Cy and Mullis aren't really the guys you want in your clubhouse, even if they are very talented. Vargas is a bit younger then Mullis as well, and he could end up being just as good if not better, so it's really just hoping my 2nd Rounder ends up better then Sullivan and Eddie Kincaid. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-10-2022, 02:38 PM	#705
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 17: July 29th-August 4th Weekly Record: 4-1 Seasonal Record: 57-46 (2nd, 2.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 18 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.199 OPS Milt Fritz : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 11 BB, 5 K, 3.00 ERA Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.00 ERA Schedule 7-30: Win vs Sailors (5-6) 8-1: Win vs Sailors (1-2) 8-2: Loss vs Cannons (2-0) 8-3: Win vs Cannons (1-5) 8-4: Win vs Cannons (1-2) Recap These are the Cougars I've been waiting for! Yes, too many one run wins for my liking, but the pitching was outstanding. Discounting the opener with the Sailors, the staff allowed two or fewer runs in each outing, including a trio of wins where we allowed just a single run. Sure, the Sailors are 5th in runs scored, but pre-sim, the Cannons were tied for the most runs scored with Toronto. Toronto is the only team with a better record then us, after we swept the Sailors and took two out of three against the Cannons, as they are 60-44 and 2.5 games ahead of us. July was a great month for us, as we went 18-9 for the Month and jumped well over .500 to 54-45. No Cougar had a better month then Milt Fritz, who took home the Pitcher of the Month Award in the Continental Association. He made 7 starts, going 6-1 with a 2.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 25 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched. He was actually better in June, 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 19 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Yes, it is a little annoying he keeps walking more hitters then he strikes out, but the Big Cat now has 70 wins as a Cougar, more then his time with the Gothams, Saints, and Chiefs combined (64). To win more then all other teams combined (84), he'll need 15 more wins as a Cougar, and I can see that happening by the end of the 1941 season. He was our two start starter this week, and he tossed a pair of complete game victories. That's now four consecutive for Fritz, who is now 14-6, and this week he allowed 14 hits, 6 runs, 11 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He was much better against the Cannons then Sailors, where he allowed 6 hits, 4 walks, and the lone run. He no longer has the CA ERA lead, but his 2.45 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP are his best marks as a Cougar. The best start of the week came from Jim Lonardo, who allowed just 2 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a much needed complete game victory. Harry Parker had a similar start, a complete game win with 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got the lone loss, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout in 7.2 innings pitched. Joe Brown finished that game, 1.1 innings with 2 strikeouts. We didn't hit too much, but John Lawson put the team on his back in what could have been Player of the Week worthy. Our Whitney candidate went 8-for-18 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs. His average has dropped a bit, as .400 seems next to impossible to reach now, but his .363/.415/.526 (158 OPS+) batting line is one of the best in all of baseball. Orlin Yates did better then Leon Drake could have ever done, 5-for-13 with a double, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Leo Mitchell did alright, 6-for-19 with a triple and 3 runs scored. Ray Ford and Carlos Montes had awful weeks, combining to go just 1-for-34, the hit (and a steal) coming from Montes. We need to start hitting better, but if we're allowing a run a game, this may be enough to keep winning. A little transactional news, as I added another Jones to my collection. This time it is Freddie's brother Al, a former 5th Rounder by the Kings from 1935. I claimed him off waivers, and while he's been pretty bad as a 26-year-old in B ball, where he'll pitch out of the pen and get a few reps out in left and right field. He may end up a better position player then pitcher, but worst case, he's just roster filler as the brother of what should be our star second basemen. I also decided that instead of calling someone up to replace Drake, I will add the recently acquired Earl to the roster. Hunter and Jones should be back soon, so he'll likely be optioned down once ready, but I expect him to get an at bat or two off the bench. If he doesn't this week, he'll get a start next week, but he'll be the latest 1932 draftee of ours to debut. Looking Ahead We have a single home game with the Saints, before an off day followed by two in Montreal. The Saints are 40-61 on the season, and hold a record better then just the Foresters. They moved Frank Davis to the Chiefs, making room for 24-year-old Hank Grant. A former 14th Rounder, the current #50 prospect in the FABL debuted last week and went 7-for-16 with 3 runs scored. Their offense needs all the help they can get, as Red Bond is not enough by himself. Sure, he's hitting .334/.386/.552 (146 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 21 homers, and 59 RBIs, but it hasn't translated into wins for them. Adam Mullins helps a bit, but his .302/.388/.427 (116 OPS+) line is almost identical to last year's mark, which was the lowest of his career. The team leader turns 28 towards the end of the month, and has 10 times the walks (50) then strikeouts with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 43 RBIs. No other Saint has a 110 OPS+ or higher, but Bert Lass, Vic Crawford, and Spud Bent all rank in the 100-109 range. On the mound, Karl Wallace now has equal starts (11) and relief outings, now 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 22 walks, and 28 strike outs. The rest of the rotation has really struggled, with the 1-2 of Ed Baker and Jake DeYoung both 9-11 with ERAs of 4.82 and 4.87. We should be able to get a lot of runs off the Saints, and if we pitch like we did this week, should have no trouble in this series. We stay on the road with three games in Brooklyn with the Kings before another off day. The Kings are in 6th, but closer to first (5.5 GB) then seventh (13 GA). At 54-49, they are back above .500, after their first sub .500 season last year since 1933. Art White has continued to dominate, 12-6 with a 2.93 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 52 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 23 outstanding starts. Tom Barrell's 23 have been far less outstanding, just 7-12 with a 5.28 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 57 walks, and 71 strikeouts. The Kings have recently added brother of Cougar farmhand Danny Goff Jr. Jack Goff to the rotation, and "Black Jack" is 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 17 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 7 starts and 7 pen outings. Al Wheeler is leading the team with 12 homers, but his .263/.337/.416 (99 OPS+) line is just average, while being completely overshadowed by potential star Joe Herman. Herman will finish the year 25, and is hitting .347/.379/.573 (150 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 47 RBIs. They have three other hitters with 9 homers, Walt Layton, Rats McGonigle, and Tim Hopkins, but Layton is hitting a poor .216/.251/.325 (52 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 8 steals, and 29 RBIs. The Kings do rank 6th in runs scored and runs allowed, so on paper, we should have the advantage in this one. Minor League Report LF Oscar Panduro (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was a month to remember for the 26-year-old, as Chicagoan Oscar Panduro took home Century League Player of the Month. He hit a cool .452 with 2 homers, 13 runs, and 28 RBIs. This boosted his season line to .379/.415/.580 (160 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 42 RBIs. Panduro is doing everything he can to show that he belongs on a big league roster, and it's going to be tough for me to not call him up in September for a nice little cup of coffee. The hardworking corner bat is a very popular clubhouse figure who has never had an issue hitting, but his glove leaves a lot to be desired. The Bluegrass State alum projects to hit well above .300 and he has an impressive baseball IQ. Tom thinks he could be a decent defender in left, I'm not as optimistic, but he could end up a decent bench bat regardless. He's far from a star, but I always have a soft spot for Chicagoans and it's going to be hard for me to keep him in Milwaukee. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-11-2022, 09:45 PM	#706
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 18: August 5th-August 11th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 59-50 (4th, 4 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 26 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.221 OPS Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .357 AVG, .786 OPS Carlos Montes : 27 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .693 OPS Schedule 8-5: Loss vs Saints (4-1): 10 innings 8-7: Loss at Saints (3-12) 8-8: Loss at Saints (2-3) 8-9: Win at Kings (7-5) 8-10: Win at Kings (7-1) 8-11: Loss at Kings (1-2): 18 innings Recap Well this was a wasted opportunity... We had every chance to come within striking distance of the Wolves, but instead, we decided to let the Saints sweep us as we fell back to 4th. For one reason or another, we couldn't score on arguably the worst pitching staff in our league, just an average of two runs in each game. Thankfully, we managed 7 in the first two with the Kings before dropping our second one run game of the week. I was really hoping that we could have made continued to make up ground. Luckily we'll get a pair of players back soon, with Freddie Jones and Billy Hunter starting rehab assignments. Since I want Hunter getting more time at second, that will mean Freddie Jones will try out a first base glove. Hunter's stay should be only a week, but I expect Jones to get a least two weeks if not more, as he hasn't played in over two months. Next week Hunter will replace Dick Earl, and then Jones will eventually replace Bobby Mills. Earl did make his debut, 0-for-2 with a walk in 3 separate pinch hit appearances. Walker Pearce also made his debut, a start for the Gothams, but he was hit hard. The soon-to-be 26-year-old allowed 8 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with a single strikeout in five and a third. That makes it 20 members of the 1932 draft class to debut, and sure, I inflated it with Earl, but I'd like to think this is the first team class to debut 20 players! Ray Ford had a much needed good week, hitting an even 13-for-26 to pick up a Player of the Week. He drove in 8 with 2 doubles and a triple. His season line was getting close to dipping under an average mark, but his season line is now back up to .290/.350/.413 (110 OPS+), but his homers (8) and RBIs (56) are a bit down. If we fall just short, a down season from Ford could end up the nail in the coffin, but there is still time for the 29-year-old to return to his normal production. Unlucky for us, the only player to have an average or better week and more then 5 PAs was Leo Mitchell. He was 10-for-28 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, an RBI and of course, five more strikeouts. His 88 are most in the CA (although three Fed hitters have more then 100), but he's at an 124 pace which would be a new career high for him. I'll never understand how he can maintain a BABIP over .380 for basically five seasons, but that's what Mitchell has done! John Lawson now no longer holds the CA batting lead, as his 5-for-23 week dropped him to .355, a point below Dave Trowbridge. Lawson did double twice, walked seven times, and scored four times, and was arguably better then all our bats other then Ford and Mitchell last week, so even in his bad weeks he still finds a way to be useful. We need much more help from our offense this coming week, because if we don't, we're going to keep falling in the standings. Pete Papenfus managed to pitch in both of our extra inning losses, but only one was charged to him. The first he went all ten with 10 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Of course, even with 170 pitches in that one and his ability to consistently pass 150, he did not pitch all 18 against the Kings. He deserved a win, 11 innings with 5 hits, a run, 8 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Dick Lyons had a rare misstep, 13 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 7 shaky innings. Milt Fritz did the same, and while not as poor, he allowed 10 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a complete game loss. Harry Parker, however, tossed a gem, 8 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Jim Lonardo dropped his ERA below 4, going 8 with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and a strikeout. Pug Bryan allowed a run, well, four, in his six consecutives outing, charged with 4 hits and 2 walks in a single inning. Rusty Watts and Joe Brown both allowed a run in 3 innings, and picked up a loss, but Brown's run was unearned. Rusty added a walk and strikeout in the 18 inning extravaganza. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, and we'll head home to prep for a three game set with the Stars. New York is on a nice little hot streak, and is now 59-48. They sit three games out of first in third place, and have won 13 of their last 16. It's time for us to change that, but their rotation has been outstanding so it will be a very tough challenge. Lou Robertson may have allowed 4 runs in each of his last three starts, but the red hot rookie is 7-2 with a 2.34 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 30 walks, and 32 strikeouts on the season. Ahead of him our three 9-loss pitchers, with their ERA's inverse of their wins. Chuck Cole has the best ERA, 3.06 (127 ERA+), but the fewest wins with 9. He has a 1.22 WHIP, 48 walks, and 65 strikeouts in a nice comeback year for the Stars. George Phillips leads the staff, 12-9 with a 3.17 ERA (122 ERA), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 80 strikeouts. Billy Riley has had a somewhat similar season, 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 74 walks, and 89 strikeouts. It will be tough to score off them, and tough to keep them off the scoreboard as well. Dave Trowbridge leads the CA batting title, slashing .356/.415/.501 (146 OPS+) and just celebrated his 42nd birthday on the 8th. He hasn't drove in many runs, just 39, but he has 32 doubles and 7 homers in yet another outstanding year at the plate. Ahead of him hits Chink Stickels, as the former Cougar farmhand is hitting .296/.360/.483 (126 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 17 triples, 8 homers, 7 steals, and 78 RBIs. Behind Trowbridge is Bill Barrett, who's slashing a superb .319/.378/.484 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 8 homers, and 66 RBIs. And if that wasn't enough to scare most staffs, the top 7 in their lineup have OPS+ above 90, with just leadoff man Joe Angevine (94) below 100. It's going to be a tough series, but considering we played bad in the supposedly easy series, maybe we'll play well in the tough series! We finish the week with an annoying series, a single game against the Kings, followed by a double header after and before an off day. We did take two of three from the now 56-52 Kings in Brooklyn, so I'm hoping it will be more of the same in Chicago. The Kings have done a lot of shuffling with their lineup, and now have Frank LeMieux back at the hot corner. In his 216 trips to the plate he's hit an impressive .337/.375/.495 (130 OPS+) with 18 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 29 RBIs. Harry Barrell is having a bit of a rough season with the bat, hitting just .273/.314/.354 (78 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 3 triples, and 36 RBIs. Same for brother Fred, who's .238/.308/.298 (62 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be desired. On the mound, Bob Cummings has hit a really rough patch, 8 runs against the Foresters and 7 against us in his last two starts. This dropped him to 9-11 with a 4.01 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 81 walks, and 66 strikeouts. Interesting enough, former Cougar World Champion Jim Crawford has filled up the 5 spot, and has done a good job as well. He's 3-0 with a 3.59 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 14 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 5 starts and a relief outing. I do feel like Brooklyn has been pretty lucky, as their Pythagorean is a reverse of their record at 52-56, and I like our chances in this series. This could be a big week for us, but it's been a tough season and nothing will come easy. Minor League Report RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): He's taken his lumps in AA, but this may have been the week needed to push lefty Chick Browning to the next level. The former 8th Rounder from the Windy City was 10-for-19 with a homer and 6 RBIs as he came home with the Dixie League Player of the Week. For most it's a solid line, but his .289/.395/.419 (107 OPS+) line looks almost disappointing for the guy who twice slugged over .700 in over 100 PAs at La Crosse and San Jose. The power is a bit down, just 5 homers and 38 RBIs, and he's three homers away from double digits overall. He does have 19 doubles and 49 walks with just 20 strikeouts, but the Commodores' comedian has been a bit challenged by the older pitchers. Browning does have a great feel for the strike zone, as demonstrated by his high OBP and low K-rate, but I want to see more power from the corner outfielder. He'll never play much defense, and some pop can really work wonders for his big league future. He has never and will never rank very highly as a prospect, but that's true for a lot of corner bats like himself. He'll need to do something to separate himself from the pack, and it's impossible for a guy with 20+ home run power to get ignored. I'm not saying Browning is that guy, although he did have 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons, but a lot of batters see their power dry up as they advance up the ladder. Just ask Freddie Bennett, who homered 25 times as a 19-year-old with the Lions and has just 27 since. Browning has managed to rise past a few more interesting prospects, but his luck may run out soon, and he could be a AAAA type player the rest of the way. SS Eddie Curtis (A Lincoln Legislators): I was a little worried I moved Eddie Cutis up from San Jose a bit early, but he's managed to perform well in 76 games with the Legislators. Sure, a 17-for-26 week definitely helped juice his season line, but the Heartland Player of the Week still has a more then respectable .309/.358/.382 (103 OPS+) batting line. The versatile infielder known best as "Slick Eddie" doesn't have much power, just a single homer this season after two last season, but he does have 8 doubles, 6 triples, 13 steals, and 25 RBIs in his 347 trips to the plate. These aren't the most encouraging numbers, but Curtis is a light hitter valued for his defensive ability, speed, and ability to put the ball in play. He rarely strikes out, just 14 times here and 7 in San Jose compared to 31 walks split between, and he does an outstanding job doing anything he can with tough pitches. He'll go opposite field if he needs to, finds away to hit it where they ain't, and when on the basepaths, he can wreck some havoc. All ideal skillsets for a bench player, but he actually checks in at the fringes of the prospect rankings. He's 45th of 48 and 448th of 500, and the 7th Rounder has done well to stick in the system four years after being drafted. OSA thinks he can force his way into a lineup, I think he'll need more then enough injuries, but I could see his versatility earning him an extended look with a struggling franchise looking to unearth a hidden gem with stellar work ethic. RHP Newt Jackson (A Lincoln Legislators): Just when it looked like injuries derailed the career of our former 2nd Round Pick, Newt Jackson got a nice little rating boost, turning back to a projected starter and returning to the to 250. After spending most of the season in San Jose as a reliever, his last five appearances there were starts and he now has 8 with the Legislators. His most recent was easily the best, a 5-hit, 2 strikeout shutout as we beat the Cedar Rapids Chiefs 7-0. This snapped a four game losing streak and evened his record at 4-4. Jackson has an impressive 2.56 ERA (152 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP with 9 walks and 19 strikeouts. A very influential member in the clubhouse, Newt has turned into a captain despite being just 22, and he does a great job working with and commanding his teammates. A plus for any player, that's exactly what you want from a potential stopper, and while I obviously want him to be more then that, I think that's where Jackson's future lies. Still, he's recently upped his velocity to 91-93, and his four pitch mix is very well developed. His best pitch is his cutter, but his slider, change, and splitter don't really look like anything more then average pitches. Regardless, his turnaround has made me very happy, as you have to see young pitchers ruined by major arm injuries. Just debuting now will be a huge accomplishment for him, as a torn UCL (even a partial like his) tends to spell disaster for most youngsters, and his leadership and draft pedigree should be able to secure that for him. RHP Fred Thaxton (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a bit of an up and down season for our 7th Rounder this season, but in his fourth start with the Cougars, he tossed a wonderful 6-hit shutout and struck out 2 in a 6-0 win over Vancouver. It was his fourth of five starts with San Jose so far, and if you take out the first and last, he's allowed just 3 runs in 26 innings. The 21-year-old was one of the first in our class to crack the top 500 list, and now he ranks 42nd in our system and 434th overall. He's a pretty well developed young arm, and is now 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA (160 ERA+), 0.99 WHIP, 6 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He doesn't throw too hard, just 86-88 with his fastball and cutter, while his third offering is a changeup that will only get more effective with more velocity. He does have a little issues with command, and while his change is pretty outstanding, he'll have to either polish it or throw harder, and I feel like better command is an easier task to complete. Until he starts to throw more strikes, it will be tough for him to move up in the rotation, but he has a low floor and worst case ends up a productive inning eater. RF Edmund Mann (B San Jose Cougars): It was a good week for 7th Rounders in San Jose, as while Thaxton tossed a shutout, last year's 7th Rounder Edmund Mann had a much needed 5-for-5 in what has been a tough sophomore season. The switch hitting teen is hitting just .251/.321/.345 (71 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 13 steals, and 37 RBIs. The hard worker actually hit much better last season, sporting an ever so slightly above average .289/.399/.343 (101 OPS+) in about 100 fewer trips to the plate. The natural centerfielder has spent most of his time in right, and has put up strong defensive numbers, recording a 4.3 zone rating and 1.051 efficiency in 520 innings. He's looked capable in center, actually owning a higher fielding percentage (.988 vs. 9.79) with a respectable 2.7 zone rating and 1.023 efficiency in just shy of 200 innings. I think he can end up in center, with OSA loving his range and Tom calling his defense big league ready, and with regional selection Bill Rich not having the most success in center, Mann may end up supplanting him before the season ends. He looks like the perfect leadoff hitter too, mixing great speed with an above average contact tool while also walking much more frequently then he strikes out. Still, it looks like his bat has a lot of developing to do, and unless he makes major strides, he'll end up as a 4th outfielder at best. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-12-2022, 07:07 PM	#707
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 19: August 12th-August 18th Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 64-51 (3rd, 1.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 13 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .542 AVG, 1.455 OPS John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .360 AVG, .840 OPS Skipper Schneider : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .421 AVG, .974 OPS Schedule 8-13: Loss vs Stars (4-2) 8-14: Win vs Stars (3-5) 8-15: Win vs Stars (0-4) 8-16: Win vs Kings (1-6) 8-18: Win vs Kings (2-8) 8-18: Win vs Kings (4-5) Recap This is what I'm talking about! We dropped the opener to the Stars, but won the next two and rode that momentum into a sweep of the Kings. If we instead took two of three from the Saints last week, we'd be in first place right now, but instead are in 3rd and a game and a half behind Wolves. Can't really complain about that, another good week and we can be leading the pack. We also had another Player of the Week, this time Leo Mitchell, who went 13-for-24 and slugged 3 homers with 8 driven in. Mitchell has been one of the most consistent Cougar hitters since becoming a fulltime starter in 1937, recording OPS+'s of 133, 139, 134, and currently 136. He's slashing an always impressive .337/.380/.484 with 19 doubles, a triple, 13 homers, and 57 RBIs. Yes, he also struck out five more times and is just seven away from 100, but hey! When you hit .330, who cares if you strike out a ton! Mitchell had some help from the offense this week too, including a bounce back week from Skipper Schneider. Skipper went 8-for-19 with a double, 3 walks, 3 runs, and an RBI. His double play partner, at least for this week, Ollie Page was 5-for-19 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 walks, and 4 RBIs. Billy Hunter will be returning this week, so Page will return to a part-time role, but with Hunter's injuries struggles, he'll continue to make starts at second to hopefully keep Billy on the field the rest of the season. John Lawson looked more himself, 9-for-25 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Our right field platoon was impressive, 8-for-25 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 walks, 6 runs, and 2 RBIs. Reigning Player of the Week Ray Ford didn't quite match his production, but finished 8-for-25 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. The only guys that really struggled were Montes and the catching duo, but considering the strength in the rest of the lineup, we were able to make up for it. Jim Lonardo seems to have regained form, tossing a 5-hit, 3-strikeout shutout in our 4-0 win over the Stars. Harry Parker also stayed hot, 5 hits, a run, and 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Pete Papenfus put together a strong start, 4 hits, 4 walks, 2 runs, and 8 strikeouts in a complete game win. Milt Fritz also got a complete game win of his own, 10 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons was our two start starter, but he wasn't that great. He won a start and lost a start, going 15.2 innings with 16 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He allowed 4 runs in both of his starts, and was the only pitcher this week to allow more then three. It will be hard to lose games if we keep pitching like this, but are staff has allowed the fewest runs (466) with the best team ERA (3.46) and our rotation has been lights out (3.37). If we could just score some, I think we'd be comfortably in first, but the lineup has the fewest amount of extra base hits while dropping to just 4th in homers. Looking Ahead We're off to start the week, but we'll use that day to cross the border to Toronto. We'll look to extend our win streak to seven against the first place Wolves, who are 66-50 and hold just a half game lead over the Cannons, after briefly falling in to second place. No offense has scored more runs then the Wolves, and that's what having Fred McCormick will do for you. Even after the slow start, he's hitting .335/.420/.474 (136 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, and 61 RBIs with 6 steals, 70 walks, and 45 strikeouts. Walt Pack is their only double digit home run hitter, but his .251/.308/.403 (86 OPS+) line is still not what most were expecting from the 25-year-old. He does have 17 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 69 RBIs, and I think the combined .290/.352/.466 (113 OPS+) line between his two seasons is more Pack then he's shown this season. Former Cougar and 1932 draftee Reginald Westfall has returned to the lineup, and he's hitting a productive .303/.376/.436 (114 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 walks, and 20 RBIs. Charlie Artuso is still on an over 7 WAR pace, hitting a reliable .300/.360/.440 (110 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, and 64 RBIs with an 18.8 zone rating and 1.119 efficiency. Of course, you can't forget about the pitching, but at least we can't see all three of Hancock, Garrison, and Johnson. I'm thinking we'll see Garrison and Johnson, as they should both be rested with the Wolves off day. Garrison actually hasn't pitched since the 13th, but the 22-year-old is 12-11 with a 3.28 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 49 walks, and 84 strikeouts. Interesting enough, he did have two recent starts against us that couldn't have gone any different. The first we scored 8 with 12 hits in 8.2 innings during an 8-1 Cougar victory, and then he followed that up with a 4-hit shutout where the Wolves scored just a single run. Johnson has similar, but arguably better numbers, 11-9 with a 3.13 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 33 walks, and 48 strikeouts. This will be a tough series in a tough week, and while a split is okay, a sweep on either side could make the difference come Fall. It gets tougher, as we could get another battle for first place with the Cincinnati Cannons. Depending on how the series goes against the Wolves (we're 9-9 against them), the Cannons may be the only team we have a losing record against (8-9). We get three in Cincy, and may get to see the newest member of their rotation, Jim Anderson. "Jersey Jim" made a relief outing and three starts, 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (304 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts. As good as he's been, it's better facing him then any of the other four, who all have sub 4 ERAs. "Deuce" has been the best of the group, 14-6 with a 3.09 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 27 walks, and 108 strikeouts in his coming out season. Same goes for Butch Smith, who is 14-9 with a 3.16 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 56 walks, and 93 strikeouts. It's tough to score against the Cannons, 2nd fewest runs allowed, and they also have tied for the second most runs scored as well. Somehow Moxie Pidgeon hasn't homered in August, so expect five in our series, but he's still hitting .332/.375/.536 (142 OPS+) with 20 doubles, a triple, 17 homers, and 81 RBIs. I'm really pushing for him to reach 20 homers, but I'd prefer it not to be at our expense. Their Mike Taylor is having a nice season, hitting .307/.340/.481 (118 OPS+) in the three spot, chipping in with 12 doubles, 14 triples, 3 homers, and 40 RBIs. Switch hitter Denny Andrews has continued to impress despite a low average, hitting .266/.403/.452 (129 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 32 RBIs. He's also walked (43) more then twice as much as he strikes out (20), and his early production is probably what they were expecting from Ken Mayhugh. We're going to have our work cut out for us in this one and while I like our chances, I wouldn't be surprised if we disappoint. We then finish the week with the first of three in Philly against the Sailors. They're having a decent season, 62-54, and four games out of first. Merritt Thomas suffered a strained forearm in his last start, and he may miss our series. He has spent most his time out of the pen, 1-2 with 8 saves, a 2.89 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 16 walks, and 23 strikeouts. That could mean Doc Newell gets a few more starts, as he's just 4-9 with a 4.52 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 44 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 16 starts and 3 relief appearances. Dick Walker homered in his most recent game against the Cannons, becoming the first Sailor to reach double digits. He's hitting .254/.367/.443 (113 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 13 triples, 10 homers, 56 RBIs, and 73 walks. Joe Watson is close, 9 homers to go with his .300/.338/.466 (110 OPS+) line, 20 doubles, 12 triples, and 60 RBIs. I hope we won't have to see Walt Wells, who's won his last five starts, ranks 2nd in ERA (2.63), and 1st in wins (18), but even without him on the mound, we will have to be at our best to keep on winning. Minor League Report RHP Tommy Davis (C Lincoln Legislators): It was an abrupt end to the season for last year's 4th Rounder, as a torn labrum ended his season after just two starts. That caused him to fall in the prospect rankings, but this season he has shown no signs of lasting damage. His most recent start really exemplifies his return to form, allowing just 3 hits and a walk with 8 strikeouts in a 7-0 shutout against the Waterloo Chiefs. That was his 6th straight win as he improved to 11-6 with a 3.58 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 41 walks, and 155 strikeouts. The strikeout numbers are huge, an impressive 9.3 K/9 as the 6'3'' righty as flashed dominant stuff. He already has a consistent low 90s sinker that could fool some big league hitters, and he leans on it both for strikeouts and groundouts. His curve could be a plus pitch, but if Davis wants to start big league games, he'll have to improve his change. His command is solid and he does a good job keeping the ball in the park, while erasing runners with a consistent stream of groundballs. His prospect shine has dimmed a bit, but Davis does have a connection with a pair of Jones in the organization. No, not Johnnie and Donnie, but Davis, along with Freddie and the recently acquired Al Jones all graduated from Central Ohio. Bill Seabolt, our 6th Rounder in 1935, is also a Central Ohio graduate giving us four in total. There aren't many Central Ohio grads around, 6th active, and Al and Freddie are the only two Aviators to debut. RF Edmund Mann (B San Jose Cougars): Edmund Mann has to be the hottest hitter in the world right now! Yeah, Hank Barnett won back-to-back Player of the Weeks, but did he go 14-for-22 this week and have a 5-hit game to finish off last week? Mann did! He actually moved to more of a utility role with the return of Danny Goff Jr. and Connie Wright. That didn't stop his production, and Mann has hit .414/.477/.621 in 63 August Plate Appearances. It could quite easily be a flash in the pan for Mann, but perhaps the 19-year-old has started to turn the corner. His season line is still just .273/.342/.386 (87 OPS+), but with about a month less in the minor league season, he can finish off strong. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-13-2022, 07:15 PM	#708
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 20: August 19th-August 25th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 66-55 (4th, 4.5 GB) Stars of the Week Mike Taylor : 15 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.571 OPS John Lawson : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.039 OPS Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .360 AVG, .847 OPS Schedule 8-20: Loss at Wolves (3-6) 8-21: Loss at Wolves (1-2) 8-22: Loss at Cannons (2-3): 14 innings 8-23: Win at Cannons (5-1) 8-24: Loss at Cannons (6-7) 8-25: Win at Sailors (13-1) Recap I can feel the season slipping away... It seems every time we get close to first, we start losing games, and that's exactly what happened this week. This week really hurt, as three of our losses were one run walk-offs, including one where we fell in 14 innings after allowing 2 runs in the 9th because of Moxie Pidgeon's first homer in August. We did not play up to our competition, as the 1st Place Wolves swept through us and the Cannons, 3.5 games out due to the Wolves hot week, took two of three. Sure, we slaughtered the Sailors, but we're now 4.5 games out with about a month left in the season. A good week or two and we could be right back in it, but we dug an unnecessary hole for ourselves as August winds down. Billy Hunter was outstanding in his return to the lineup, 6-for-16 with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Both of our catchers looked good, with Mike Taylor one of the best players anywhere this week. Taylor went 7-for-15 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs while Harry Mead was 3-for-7 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. John Lawson had a powerful week, 8-for-24 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, walks, runs, and RBIs. Rich Langton got into the fun too, 2-for-6 with a triple, RBI, and 3 runs scored. Orlin Yates, Carlos Montes, and Ray Ford, however, really had tough times this week, with the trio hitting just 8-for-76 a triple, steal, and 6 RBIs. We need everyone to hit next week if we want to keep our season going, but it may end up being too little too late, as the offense cannot perform with any sort of consistency. The pitching was mostly wonderful, but Milt Fritz had a poor start and Pete Papenfus as unlucky one. Fritz made two starts, one where he allowed 6 runs in 8 innings and the other just one in a complete game victory. In total, he allowed 14 hits and 9 walks with 3 strikeouts. Papenfus got killed with errors, as 5 of his 7 runs were unearned. He went 8.1 as the Cannons walked us off (in fact, all runs came after a 5 run 7th), charged with 13 hits and 2 walks with 12 strikeouts. The 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio is really encouraging, and for the season, he has an improved 5.1 BB/9 and 7.2 K/9 in 129 innings. Dick Lyons was an error away from a shutout, allowing 3 hits and a walk with a strikeout. Jim Lonardo went just 7, and got a no decision, with 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks. Joe Brown tried to finish the game before another walk off loss, going an inning and a third with a hit, run, and 2 walks. Harry Parker was the unlucky pitcher in our 14 inning loss, getting one out in the 14th before we were walked off. He allowed 13 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Our starters managed to go deep in nearly every game this week, but for some reason that didn't translate into wins. Looking Ahead We do get two more against the Sailors, which should hopefully help us get on track as we had little issue with them in the opener. It is looking like we will see Walt Wells, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. The 32-year-old is 18-7 with a 2.80 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 77 walks, and 69 strikeouts in his fourth consecutive 200 inning season. We'll also see either Merritt Thomas or Dutch Sheldon, but with the Thomas injury I'm guessing it will be Sheldon. The 31-year-old is 13-12 with a 3.70 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 102 walks, and 85 strikeouts. Wells and Sheldon are their top two pitchers, but even if we can't score much on them, I think our pitching can do well against their lineup. Joe Watson is having a tough season, hitting just .291/.331/.453 (105 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 13 triples, 9 homers, and 64 RBIs. Not bad numbers, by any means, but after OPS+ above 140 the past two seasons, it's not what Sailors fans have been used to. They have made a change in the outfield, with 25-year-old Joe Scott getting a few starts. Most of the time has came off the bench, but he's hitting a strong .308/.398/.513 (139 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, homer, and 22 RBIs. At least we can't get swept, already a plus, but we really need to win both and cannot afford to drop both. Our road trip then ends with two in Cleveland against the 39-83 Foresters. It's been a rough fall from grace, as the Foresters went from pennant contender to cellar dweller. Four of the five rotation members have ERAs above 4, while both Lou Martino and Ben Turner have been awful. Martino led the CA in ERA last year, but this season is just 3-16 with a 5.05 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 74 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Ben Turner is a similar 6-15 with a 5.03 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 63 walks, and 34 strikeouts. At the plate, Mel Carrol is hitting well, but a .343/.388/.474 (126 OPS+) line is not what he's used to hitting. The 28-year-old won the most recent Player of the Week and has 18 doubles, a triple, 14 homers, and 69 RBIs in 117 games. They do have the second most homers in the league, with Lou Balk, Bill Moore, and Dan Fowler all in double digits. Balk is one of the few hitters to keep up with Leo Mitchell's strikeouts, and he's hit a strong .299/.326/.492 (113 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 12 homers, and 46 RBIs. Moore is hitting a similar .293/.370/.453 (116 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, and 60 RBIs. Fowler, however, is having an awful season, just .242/.324/.381 (85 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 65 RBIs. Formerly a top-5 center fielder, Fowler had a 115 or higher OPS+ in each season from 1932-1938, but this should make two seasons of below average production. We cannot afford to drop any more games with Cleveland, and anything less then a sweep would be a major disappointment. We're off on Friday, and will the return home for two with the Saints. Like Cleveland, we really need to beat Montreal, as they are 50-70 and the only other CA team with fewer then 60 wins. Spud Bent is hurt, giving Mark Burns a return to the lineup. He was great as a rookie last season, but has hit just .232/.312/.331 (71 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 homers, and 25 RBIs in just over 200 trips to the plate. To the right of him at short is Jake Hughes, who has looked good in his sophomore season. Hughes is hitting .312/.378/.429 (113 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 7 steals, and 41 RBIs in just shy of 200 PAs. Of course, neither compare to Red Bond, who is slashing a superb .328/.385/.538 (142 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 24 homers, and 78 RBIs. The team doesn't hit many homers, with the only other in double digits 32-year-old Vic Crawford. Last year was his first full season with a sub 100 OPS+, but he's back on track and hitting .269/.348/.469 (114 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 7 triples, 11 homers, and 59 RBIs. The pitching has really struggled, allowing the most amount of runs in the CA. Karl Wallace has done fine, but he's the only rotation member with an ERA below 4. He's 7-6 with a 3.70 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 35 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 16 starts and 11 relief outings. Wally Doyle is back, and while he hasn't been great, the 21-year-old is 5-6 with a 4.59 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 63 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 16 starts. These back four games may be enough for us to secure a winning week, but I think we have a good chance of going 5-1 with an outside shot at a much needed 6-0 week. Minor League Report RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): It's been a tough season for Boney Joe Crosby, but in his 16th start of the season he was near flawless. The 21-year-old allowed just 5 hits and struck out 2 in a complete game shutout win over the Gary Steelmen. This improved his season record to 6-4 with a 5.38 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 43 walks, and 37 strikeouts. Definitely not the most inspiring numbers possible, and compared to his 19 starts in San Jose last year, his BB/9 is up and his K/9 down. His ERA and WHIP are way up as well, but it's tough to match a 3.32 ERA (147 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP. The former 4th Rounder also missed about a month with shoulder tendinitis, but he's actually been better since returning. The down season has also affected his prospect rankings, as he dropped down to 21st in our system and 266th overall. I'm not overly concerned, young pitchers do have their struggles, and Tom Weinstock thinks he'll end up a back of the rotation arm. He does have a nice 89-91 fastball and his curve and slider should develop into quality offerings. Walks have hurt him a bit, and he'll have to improve his control if he wants to continue starting games, as he doesn't have the raw stuff to overpower hitters. Likely no report tomorrow as I'm going to be very busy, and with no sims on the weekend I won't feel rushed to get something posted before the next sim. I imagine I'll wait until Saturday, but it may be up very late tomorrow. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-17-2022, 03:55 PM	#710
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 22: September 2nd-September 8th Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 73-61 (3nd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .286 AVG, .739 OPS Jim Lonardo : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Joe Brown : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.00 ERA Schedule 9-2: Loss at Kings (0-5) 9-2: Loss at Kings (1-4) 9-4: Loss at Stars (0-2) 9-6: Win at Stars (7-3) 9-7: Win at Saints (4-3) 9-8: Loss at Saints (1-4) 9-8: Win at Saints (6-2) Recap This week really feels like a missed opportunity. We went just 3-4, but managed to pickup two and a half games against the struggling Wolves. They suffered a six game losing streak, and now hold just a one game lead over us. What sucks is if we just had a winning week, we'd be tied for first, 5-2 would have given us a game lead, and a 7-0 would have been a nice three game cushion. Still, we're right in the think of things, but back down to third while the Cannons are a half game ahead of us. The worst part was the Kings series, as we let them sweep the double header. I can't wait to return, as the road hasn't treated us very well. Dick Lyons had a two start week, picking up a win and a loss. He went 6 in the loss with 4 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Errors cost him a complete game shutout, as all three of his runs were unearned. He allowed 7 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts to improve to 17-8. Harry Parker made two starts, and loss two to move his loss streak to four. Both were 8 innings with 4 runs, the first saw 11 hits, a walk, and 6 strikeouts with 10 hits and 4 walks in the other. Jim Lonardo also have errors cost him a shutout, giving up 7 hits, 3 unearned runs, and a walk with a strikeout. Joe Brown pitched well in his first start of the season, going all nine with 12 hits, an earned run, an unearned run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-4 on the season. Peter the Heater pitched well enough to win, but got a loss with 8 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. We pitched like a team who won a lot of games, but luck was not quite on our side. Of course, we didn't hit much, with the only regulars this week having an above average offensive week being Leo Mitchell and Freddie Jones. Jones had a nice return to the lineup, going 4-for-12 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Mitchell wasn't even that great, but his 8-for-28 was much better then the rest of the bunch. He also homered, drove in 5, and of course, struck out four times. Skipper had a really rough week, going just 2-for-19 with a double, run, and RBI. John Lawson hurt his batting title chances, going just 4-for-28 with a double, run, walk, and 2 RBIs. We're going to really need them to turn things around if we want to take over the division, but considering Ford, Montes, and the catchers all struggled too, there was a lot more we needed to go right. Looking Ahead Our road trip ends with the finale against the Saints, and we cannot afford to lose this game. They are just 57-76 and 16.5 games outside of first. It's looking like we'll see the struggling Jake DeYoung who is 12-15 with a 4.69 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 35 walks, and 92 strikeouts. Homers have always been an issue for DeYoung, just like for Harry Parker, as the 27-year-old has allowed 27 in 30 starts, despite the Parc Cartier being one of the toughest places to hit home runs at. Of course, you can't tell that to Red Bond, who has 26 with 91 RBIs and his .343/.399/.550 (149 OPS+) batting line. Montreal has repeatedly said that Bond is untouchable, but he could be an interesting trade target in the offseason if they decide to change their mind. The Saints aren't great now, but if their young pitchers stay healthy/recover, they can be a real force to be reckoned with. We finally return home for what could be a huge series for first place. We get two with the Cannons, who have started to reheat and are 74-61 and just a win behind the Wolves. They are off to start the week, but I expect to see their 3 and 4 in Rufus Barrell and Butch Smith. They might be the two best, and the 23-year-old Barrell has broken out this season. Deuce is 16-8 with a 3.37 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 37 walks, and 126 strikeouts. Smith has started to slow down a bit, but he's still 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 66 walks, and 104 strikeouts. It will be tough to score runs on these two, and we'll have our work cut out with the lineup as well. Moxie Pidgeon is a homer away from 20, and hitting .339/.385/.541 (146 OPS+) with 23 doubles, a triple, and 92 RBIs. They've called up former 3rd Rounder and the current 54th rated prospect Don Cress to Cincinnati, and started him at first base. The 23-year-old has made just 42 trips to the plate, but has a nice .316/.381/.447 (122 OPS+) line with 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBIs. He's behind Moxie and above Fred Galloway, who's line has dropped to .279/.375/.402 (109 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 17 triples, 2 homers, and 65 RBIs with an elite 84-to-10 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This series will have huge playoff implications, as a sweep on either side could spell doom for the losers. We stay in Chicago after to welcome the Sailors in for three. They haven't gone away either, now 73-63 and just 2 games out of first. Walt Wells has done all he can to earn his first career Allen Award, 19-9 with a 2.69 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 88 walks, and 73 strikeouts. With Milt Fritz out for the year, Flynn should have the inside track for the ERA crown and most wins in the CA. I'm hoping we miss him, but it's shaping up like he'll play in one of the three meetings. The Sailors have a great defense, which has really helped Chuck Murphy and his flyball tendencies. Murphy is 13-9 with a 3.54 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 56 walks, and 43 strikeouts in just his second 200 inning season. At the plate Joe Watson has reached double digits for homer, hitting .286/.331/.446 (103 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, 10 homers, and 71 RBIs. Woody Stone has done a great job behind the plate, and is hitting a strong .314/.348/.459 (111 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 63 RBIs. Bob Smith may strike out double digit times this season, with 9 and just 30 walks, both which could end up career worsts. He is hitting well, .298/.339/.468 (111 OPS+) and he has added 33 doubles, 9 triples, 9 homers, 8 steals, and 61 RBIs. I expect another hard fought series here, and this five game stretch could determine the fate of our season. We then finish the week with a double header hosting the Foresters. Cleveland is the only CA team eliminated from the playoffs, and are just 48-87 and hoping to to keep their loss total under 100. They have never lost more then 98 games (1926) and have had 80 or more wins since the 1932 season. Dean Astle is currently hurt and Dave Rankin has really struggled lately. He's now 10-16 with a 3.96 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 75 walks, and 60 strikeouts. They do hit a lot of homers, which can hurt us in Chicago, and even Brooks Meeks has cracked double digits. The 31-year-old has hit just .230/.277/.385 (73 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, and 55 RBIs. For some reason they have taken Lou Balk out of the lineup, despite him hitting .293/.321/.485 (109 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 12 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs. His replacement is Cal Howe, who went just 3-for-18 with a double and 2 RBIs in his first week with the Foresters. Former 1st Rounder and top prospect Eli Harkless has replaced the struggling Roy Bradley, but Harkless'.278/.345/.391 (94 OPS+) is just 1 percent better then Bradley's. In 316 trips to the plate he has 9 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs while Bradley has 25, 6, 3 and 39 in 372. These are absolute must win games, as the Foresters have nothing to play for, but at least their fans can look forward to the offseason where their season of futility gifts them the Undertaker Hiram Steinberg. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-18-2022, 06:00 PM	#711
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 23: September 9th-September 15th Weekly Record: 5-3 Seasonal Record: 78-64 (t-2nd, 1.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 33 AB, 18 H, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .545 AVG, 1.549 OPS Carlos Montes : 40 AB, 16 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .400 AVG, .915 OPS Ray Ford : 35 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .371 AVG, .920 OPS Schedule 9-9: Win vs Saints (2-13) 9-10: Loss vs Cannons (6-4): 10 innings 9-11: Loss vs Cannons (10-8): 11 innings 9-12: Win vs Sailors (2-9) 9-13: Win vs Sailors (2-7) 9-14: Win vs Sailors (1-7) 9-15: Win vs Foresters (3-13) 9-15: Loss vs Foresters (11-10) Recap We were so close to a perfect week, starting off with a destruction of the Saints, before back-to-back extra inning losses to the now first place Cannons. At least we didn't blow both, we actually acme back in both, and we were actually losing on the 11th 8-0 before scoring 5 in the last two innings. We then took out our anger on the Sailors before splitting the double header against the Foresters. The win was by ten, the loss a single run, and while I usually complain about how terrible we are in one run games, but at least we're 18-20 instead of 10-30. Just a game and a half out, we're still in it, but the Cannons are in the driver seat. Their magic number is 12, and what could be helpful for us is they play six games against the Wolves, and if they beat up on each other we have a chance to seize control of the lead. As surprising as it may be, the offense was super this week. It's not very surprising John Lawson had a great week, especially after an awful one last week. He was unstoppable on his way to another Player of the Week. The 7-Time All Star was 18-for-33 with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 14 runs, and 15 RBIs. This shot Lawson back in the lead for the CA Batting Title, slashing .353/.405/.526 (154 OPS+) on the season. He's two homers away from 20 and has drove in 108 in 142 games. He wasn't the only one with an outstanding week, as Ray Ford went 13-for-35 with 5 doubles, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs. Carlos Montes was always on base, 16-for-40 with a double, homer, walk, 3 steals, 10 runs, and 6 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had a needed bounce back week, 11-for-31 with a double, 8 runs, and 4 RBIs. Our catching duo was on target as well, 11-for-32 with a double, triple, 9 runs, and 8 RBIs. Leo Mitchell didn't have a great week, just 11-for-34, but he had a huge 5-hit game in the first game of our double header with the Foresters. He doubled, drove in two, and scored three in our 13-3 win. Orlin Yates had a rough week, just 1-for-15 with 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. He's had a tough August and September, hitting just .143 with 5 doubles and 11 RBIs. This has dropped his season line to .242/.352/.324 (87 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 24 RBIs. The run scoring was outstanding, and I really hope we can keep it up for the rest of the month. All 11 of our pitchers threw at least an inning this week, partly because of the injury to Pete Papenfus. His first start was amazing, 8 hits, 2 runs, 8 walks, and 7 strikeouts in a complete game win, before leaving after just 8 pitches in his second one. It was just a dead arm, and he'll be fine for his next start, but Allen Purvis was outstanding in relief as we beat the Sailors 7-1. Purvis went 6.2 innings with just a hit and a walk to take home the win. Joe Brown had another strong start, a complete game win with 7 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker had a similar outing, a complete game win as well with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was roughed up in his two starts, just 8 innings combined with 15 hits, 15 runs, 6 walks, and a strikeout. He got a pair of no decisions, but we lost both of those outings. This ballooned his ERA to 3.57 (107 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.21, but he's still 17-8 on the season. Jim Lonardo cooled off, getting a 9 inning win and a 10 inning loss. He allowed 27 hits, 9 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. In the pen, Dick Strunk had a pair of relief outings, 6 innings with 2 hits, a run, walk, and 5 strikeouts. Rusty Watts got a big unlucky, picking up a pair of losses with 4 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), 3 walks, and a strikeout. As long as Lyons and Lonardo turn things around, our pitching should help keep us in any game. Looking Ahead We have just two off days the rest of the way; one to start the week and one after our two game series with the Wolves. Toronto has one more in New York, so we'll be rested while they aren't. They're tied with us at 78-64, but regardless of the result, we won't be tied once the series starts or end. The Wolves offense has scored the most runs in the CA, and Fred McCormick has been red hot. The Reticent Reaper is still making a case to take home another Whitney, now hitting .340/.427/.506 (145 OPS+) with 38 doubles, 11 triples, 10 homers, 7 steals, and 84 RBIs. He hasn't had the most help, but Charlie Artuso is continuing his breakout season, slashing .291/.356/.424 (105 OPS+) with 40 doubles, 8 triples, 3 homers, 74 RBIs, and an elite 23.1 zone rating and 1.115 efficiency at short. The only Wolf other then McCormick hitting better then him is Reginald Westfall, who's slashing .300/.382/.441 (117 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, and 26 RBIs. Tom Frederick has cooled off a bit, but Mr. Versatility is hitting an average .293/.357/.416 (104 OPS+) with 14 doubles and 44 RBIs. The top three in the rotation is still impressive, led by Joe Hancock. The 27-year-old is 15-11 with a 3.44 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 65 walks, and 124 strikeouts. Bernie Johnson has been better, 15-11 with a 3.13 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 42 walks, and 63 strikeouts. George Garrison is having similar success, 14-15 with a 3.27 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 64 walks, and 107 strikeouts. This will be a tough series, and either of us could kiss our playoff chances good bye if we let the other sweep us. After the off day we'll host the fourth place Stars for three. They are 74-66, but 4.5 games out of first. Their rotation has been stellar, all five with ERAs below 3.75. The highest is Billy Riley, who is 15-12 with a 3.72 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 69 walks, and 93 strikeouts. Lou Robertson has struggled a bit, 8 runs allowed in three of his last four starts. He's still having a great season, 10-6 with a 3.12 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 56 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 18 impressive starts. George Phillips has been leading the line, 14-12 with a 3.39 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 85 walks, and 98 strikeouts in his third straight 200 inning season. It will be hard to score off their rotation, and they have a strong 3-4-5 in the lineup. Dave Trowbridge is continuing to challenge John Lawson for the batting title, slashing .349/.408/.492 (141 OPS+) with 37 doubles, a triple, 11 homers, and 55 RBIs. He bats before Big Bad Billy and Chink Stickels, who are two of the top outfielders in the league. Barrett is hitting .316/.380/.492 (133 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 10 triples, 12 homers, and 87 RBIs while Stickels has slashed .287/.353/.472 (120 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 22 triples, 11 homers, 9 steals, and 99 RBIs. If we can tip toe around them, we have a chance to win a few pitchers duels, but this will be a tough, potentially season defining week. Minor League Report The minor league season officially ended today, and over the weekend I will have a special Minor League Report covering each team and some of the players that had the most impact for the team. All our affiliates had a winning record, but just San Jose brought home a title. I didn't have one yesterday (wanted to get my post up before I had to leave home) and I won't have a regular one today. Instead, I will do a report on each player joining us for the rest of the season. Billy Hunter's recover is unknown, so he'll remain on the DL, with five new faces joining the roster. LF Fred Vargas: Acquired along with the Gothams 2nd Round Pick in the Leon Drake deal, I played former first rounder Fred Vargas strictly out in right field, a position he had only 55 innings at previously. The results weren't great, a .932 fielding percentage, -3.7 zone rating, and .945 efficiency, but considering he's pretty bad in left too, I can't really complain with the early results. What is a bit more concerning is the fact that the 22-year-old hit just .220/.353/.390 (96 OPS+) in his 174 plate appearances. He did have 5 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 18 RBIs and walked (30) twice as much as he struck out (15), but this is a guy Tom thinks will hit .290 in the big leagues. His plate discipline is definitely elite, and I like the boost in power, but he won't displace Orlin Yates or Rich Langton if he can't at least hit around .275. Still, there is a lot to like. Tom thinks he profiles as an everyday player who "can make an impact on a top-tier team" while the prospect pickers have him 9th in our system and 90th overall. Unless we fall out of the race, I doubt Vargas makes a start, but he could be a nice lefty pinch hitter off the bench when we need someone to get on base. His time with the Gothams didn't go well, hitting just .149/.344/.149 (38 OPS+) in 26 games, but it will be hard to do worse then that. He's still got a lot of developing to go, but he's one of our most polished young outfielders and he could end up as an everyday player before he turns 25. 3B Nick Wallace: Signed as a minor league free agent, Nick Wallace spent September in Milwaukee, and hit .370/.433/.370 (114 OPS+) with 3 walks and 3 RBIs in 30 PAs for the Blues. A fan favorite, Wallace is one of those guys that is a hit with the kid, always willing to sign autographs for fans, and I think he'll give a boost to clubhouse atmosphere and attendance. The 32-year-old has had a productive big league career, appearing in 846 games and hitting an almost average .308/.350/.402 (99 OPS+) with 157 doubles, 42 homers, and 398 RBIs. 711 of his games came with the Wolves from 1935-1939 where he was a mainstay in the lineup. Tom thinks he's an above average big league third basemen, I'd say that's a bit too generous, but he's another nice bench bat for the stretch run who likely won't make a start. He wasn't on the 40, so he took the 37th spot. 2B Stu Johnson: A former 7th Rounder, the 26-year-old infielder will finally get his last name on the back of a Cougar jersey. Sure, he could have bought a George Johnson, John Johnson, Joe Johnson, or Johnny Johnson jersey to accomplish that, but this time it will be one he can wear in a big league game. It's been a slow climb up the ladder, and while he made it to Milwaukee last season, he hit just .164/.299/.291 (55 OPS+) in the 17 game sample. This year went much better, as Stu hit .285/.370/.422 (109 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, and 65 RBIs. He displayed an impressive eye, as he has done a great job working the count. He does occasionally let that discipline drift a bit, leading to a decent amount of strike outs, and sometimes the best of pitches will fool him. He's also an outstanding defensive shortstop, earning a 7.2 zone rating and 1.044 efficiency at the keystone. He's able to handle third and short as well, with 160+ games at each position. He's more of a bench piece then anything, but he'll get his first shot to prove he belongs in the big leagues. He's also not on the 40, and will take up the 38th spot. RHP Grover Donahue: He didn't have the best season for the Blues, but the 26-year-old will work out of the pen for the last two weeks in Chicago. The former 2nd Rounder went 13-9 with a 4.34 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 83 walks, and 42 strikeouts. A bit of a soft tosser, Donahue sits in the 84-86 range and mixes in six different pitches. His splitter is a decent pitch, but none of the other five inspire much confidence. Walks were a bit of an issue for him, recording a 3.8 BB/9, but it was his first season above 3. He projects as a solid bullpen contributor, and may have well started his last game this season. CF John Johnson: I debated a bit on the last callup, but with two guys on the 60, I didn't want to add anyone else to the 40, so instead of Harl Haines, we'll see John Johnson. He missed some time with injury, but the 26-year-old (seems like all these guys are 26!) hit an outstanding .276/.406/.469 (130 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 34 RBIs in 315 trips to the plate. Johnson debuted this season for us, and the former 3rd Rounder went 3-for-13 with 3 walks and 4 runs scored. He's a capable center fielder, which helped him get the nod over Earl, and can handle both outfield corners as well as first. He has good speed, a good eye, and is a good defender, but he hits too many grounders and not enough extra base hits. A decent option as a 4th outfielder, but not someone you want starting regularly for you. He is a hard worker, and definitely earned a spot on the team, but he better enjoy each additional inning as he may not have too many more. I do have some cuts to deal with in the offseason, as at least one 40 spot will be needed to be freed up for Haines, so the last few weeks will work as sort of an early addition for some of the fringe roster players. It's hard to give them too many looks in a pennant race, but with a bad week, we may have to focus on 1941. Even if we come up short, it's been a really great season for us, and it's been one of the most exciting pennant races in the CA. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-20-2022, 10:27 AM	#712
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 25: September 23rd-September 29th It looks like I forgot to post yesterday, which makes absolutely no sense. I had a whole write up in the post box, and I sweat I hit submit. And of course, it was one where I didn't save the post in notepad first, so I guess that one is lost. It did a good job explaining the context for the last week, as we entered tied with the Wolves and a game ahead of the Cannons. There was also a nice little part on Dick Lyons' 200th career win, but I guess that's gone too. Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 87-67 (2nd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 29 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, .897 OPS Rich Langton : 13 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.281 OPS Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .286 AVG, .680 OPS Schedule 9-23: Win vs Saints (5-6) 9-24: Loss vs Saints (6-2) 9-25: Win vs Saints (4-9) 9-26: Win vs Kings (3-5) 9-27: Win vs Kings (4-5) 9-28: Win at Stars (4-3): 14 innings 9-29: Loss at Stars (5-11) Recap So close... Yet so far... We were in it up until the last game, but we lost our game while the Wolves won theirs. Jim Lonardo ran out of steam at the end, and the Stars piled on runs to end our season in September. Of course, this comes right after a one-run, 14-inning win over New York, so we were lucky to still be in it on the last day, but to come up just short really hurt. Plus, Dave Trowbridge was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in that loss, giving him the batting title with an average .001 better then Lawson, while Red Bond also tied Lawson for most RBIs at 111. Pete Papenfus struck out 6 in 11.2 innings the day before to lead the CA with 148 strikeouts, and Milt Fritz's 2.84 ERA was the only sub 3 ERA in the CA. Dick Lyons was tied for second most wins in the league with 19 and John Lawson's 7.2 WAR was better then all CA hitters except Charlie Artuso. It does hurt to come up just short, but we'll be here for a while, and will only get better. The Wolves will get to face the Pittsburgh Miners in the championship, and Toronto has not won a pennant since 1911. Our downfall this season was our slow start, 20-22 in the first two months before finishing the season with an 18-10 September. We lost far too many games to the Foresters, finishing 12-10 against a team who finished the year 53-101. We also couldn't beat the other two best teams in our league, 10-12 against the Wolves and 9-13 against the Cannons. Still, a lot to be happy with. Dick Lyons continued to defy age, finishing 19-8 with a 3.46 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 59 walks, and 41 strikeouts. Despite a slow start, Jim Lonardo matched that 3.46 ERA, and was 14-13 with a 1.19 WHIP, 36 walks, and 72 strikeouts. We got to witness the coming out party of Pete Papenfus, who also led the league in K/9 (7.3) and was 8-10 with a 3.40 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 103 walks, and 148 strikeouts. He'll be 23, and the young fireballer will only continue to get better. They make up a reliable 1-2-3, even if we never see Quinn or Fritz pitch again, and you can do a lot worse then Harry Parker as your four. The 25-year-old giant had a nice third season, and while he did allow a league high 30 homers, he went 16-10 with a 3.67 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 49 walks, and 108 strikeouts. With Quinn and Fritz both nursing injuries, Joe Brown may start the year in the rotation, and despite an awful last start of the season, the 26-year-old was 4-5 with a 2.84 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP to go with 24 walks and 33 strikeouts in 3 starts and 31 relief outings. The bullpen is a mess, and I may have to get rid of Pug Bryan, but Rusty Watts emerged as a dominant lefty pen piece. The 25-year-old fireballer was 3-3 with a 1.72 ERA (224 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. He has an option left, which may go against him, but I think he has the inside track for securing a pen spot. Allen Purvis' leadership is always a plus, as is Ben Curtin's, who also threw seven scoreless to end his season. The offense started really slow, and at times never picked up. Even with his September slump, however, John Lawson slashed a healthy .345/.399/.507 (147 OPS+) with 48 doubles (best in the CA), 17 homers, and 111 RBIs. He probably won't win the Whitney Award, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old definitely has my vote. He was worth 7.2 wins above replacement and had his best offensive season as a Cougar, with Cougar bests in average, OBP, slugging, WAR, OPS+, RBIs, and doubles and he matched his high hit total. Leo Mitchell had a productive season as well, although it was arguably his worst in his four years as a full time starter. Mitchell hit .335/.374/.463 (128 OPS+) with 26 doubles, a triple, 15 homers, and 78 RBIs. As expected, he struck out the most in the CA, set down 130 times in 143 games. This gave him an ever so high .412 BABIP, two points lower then last season. Ray Ford had a down year, which could have been the difference in winning the pennant and watching from home. He hit just .283/.339/.412 (105 OPS+) with 34 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 85 RBIs. He set career lows for average, OBP, slugging, and OPS+ with a career high for strikeouts. There was also the downfall of Freddie Jones, who was only healthy for 63 games and he hit a pitiful .260/.350/.294 (79 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, no homers, and 20 RBIs. Jones has never had a sub 100 OPS+ and hit an impressive .305/.388/.453 (128 OPS+) last season for us. This made room for a breakout rookie season for teen Skipper Schneider, who slashed 300/.344/.391 (101 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, steal, and 51 RBIs. Those two and Billy Hunter will rotate next season in the middle infield, with Jones and Skipper at second and short with Hunter moving between them. Jones and Hunter are always hurt, so I can't imagine this rotation will last very long, but they are all quality hitters while Tom thinks Skipper is elite overall. Jones may also see some time at first to keep him healthy, giving Ford the occasional day off. I really want to add a bit bat to the lineup, as we are so close to being a championship team. Other then the Jones brothers, I'm willing to tap into my prospect and pick pool, and hopefully we can get something put together. Posts will be a little less regular now in the offseason, but I'll probably put something together tomorrow night or at least on the weekend, as I have my minor league report and the no-trade team to cover, plus any other offseason news. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-22-2022, 07:12 PM	#713
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1940 No Trade Team So close! The Cougars came up a game short in the actual season, and it will be tough for the no trade team to top our success. Despite being just 4th in scoring, our offense was actually most valuable this season while our pitching came in 6th despite the league best 3.42 ERA. Catchers Fred Barrell (BRK): 68 OPS+, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 1.0 WAR Harry Mead (CHC): 111 OPS+, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 2.0 WAR Infielders Ed Reyes (CHI): 69 OPS+, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 0.0 WAR Billy Hunter (CHC): 115 OPS+, HR, 25 RBI, SB, 1.1 WAR Rabbit Forrest (DET): N/A Ducky Jordan (CHI): 44 OPS+, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 4 SB, -0.9 WAR Mack Deal (PIT): 103 OPS+, 3 HR, 10 RBI, SB, 0.3 WAR Red Moore (MON): N/A John Lawson (CHC): 147 OPS+, 17 HR, 111 RBI, 7.2 WAR Outfielders Leo Mitchell (CHC): 128 OPS+, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 3 SB, 4.4 WAR Reginald Westfall (TOR): 120 OPS+, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 1.1 WAR Dave Haight (NYG): 52 OPS+, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 3 SB, -1.0 WAR Rich Langton (CHC): 89 OPS+, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 2 SB, 0.4 WAR Chink Stickels (NYS): 118 OPS+, 12 HR, 106 RBI, 10 SB, 4.4 WAR Carlos Montes (CHC): 100 OPS+, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 16 SB, 3.8 WAR Pitchers Dick Lyons (CHC): 19-8, 111 ERA+, 41 K, 3.0 WAR Dean Astle (CLE): 8-14, 94 ERA+, 68 K, 3.3 WAR Tom Barrell (BRK): 10-17, 72 ERA+, 94 K, 2.5 WAR Mike Murphy (BRK/DET): 15-15, 102 ERA+, 73 K, 3.0 WAR Pete Papenfus (CHC): 8-10, 2 SV, 113 ERA+, 149 K, 2.9 WAR Harry Parker (CHC): 16-10, 105 ERA+, 108 K, 3.0 WAR Phil English (TOR): 3-0, SV, 222 ERA+, 2 K, 0.1 WAR Pug Bryan (CHC): 0-4, 44 ERA+, 7 K, -0.8 WAR Rusty Watts (CHC): 3-3, 225 ERA+, 15 K, 0.7 WAR Totals Offense: 22.7 WAR Pitching: 17.7 WAR Total: 40.4 Approximate Wins: 78 Just like the real Cougars, these Cougars come up short, but instead of an exciting pennant race we'd be in the second division. The offense was much weaker then our actual offense, with almost all it's production coming form John Lawson. Moore and Forrest didn't even play this season while Mack Deal ended the season as a free agent. Ed Reyes and Ducky Jordan both had rough seasons, but one of our draftees Skipper Schneider got into a surprise 116 game rookie season and will join the no-trade team for next year. The pitching wasn't much better, as Astle and Barrell had tough seasons. The youngsters are starting to bloom, Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus having great seasons, and eventually we'll see Charlie Wheeler replace Dick Lyons when he's ready to retire. Offseason Moves for 1941 Replace Red Moore with Skipper Schneider Replace Rabbit Forrest with Tommy Wilson Replace Mack Deal with Hal Wood Notable Prospects/Picks Traded December 1939: Traded Cy Sullivan, Tony Mullis, and a 4th Round Pick to the Dynamos for Leon Drake December 1939: Traded Hal Wood and Juan Pomales to the Wolves for Donnie Jones January 1940: Traded Art Saunders, Del Burns, and Arnie Scurlock to the Eagles for Eddie Quinn __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 04-03-2022 at 05:19 PM.

01-23-2022, 08:11 PM	#714
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Minor League Report AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 79-61, 3rd, 11 GB: The Blues could not complete their threepeat, but they still finished in the first division and third place. They also finished 3rd in runs scored and runs against, and had a pretty young team towards the end. After Skipper left we didn't have many top prospects in Milwaukee, with one of the more exciting ones Harl Haines. Now 23, the southpaw will end up with a 40-man roster spot after going 13-12 with a 3.72 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 225 innings pitched. With injuries to Eddie Quinn and Milt Fritz, plus the age of Lonardo and Lyons, Haines could end up spending some time in the five spot next season. The offense had a lot of depth players, with most of the everyday players middling pieces. One youngster that got time was Steve Mountain, but the 23-year-old catcher hit just .267/.362/.335 (85 OPS+) in 221 trips to the plate. Mountain profiles more as a backup catcher, and doesn't have an easy path to playing time until Mike Taylor is ready to age out. I expect Mountain to spend most if not all his time with the Blues next season and he could debut next year if we have any injuries. Former 8th Rounder Johnny Ruby threw half of his 24 starts with Milwaukee this season, and looked pretty good. The lefty went 7-3 with a 3.93 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, 49 walks, and 51 strikeouts. I haven't decided yet if I'll protect him in the Rule-5 Draft, but I don't think he's ready for the big leagues yet. Not too many other overly productive players, but first basemen and 1932 draftee Cuno Myer hit .361/.414/.464 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 2 tirples, 4 homers, and 58 RBIs in 414 trips to the plate. He got time because Bobby Mills spent most of his season in Chicago, and with Mills now out of options, Myer should get a majority of the time at first until Bill Dambreville is ready for AAA. The Blues have seen years with much better young players, but I can see Donnie and Johnnie in their rotation next season, but the offense will continue to see a lot more depth players then top prospects. AA Mobile Commodores (Dixie League): 74-66, 2nd, 9 GB: It's now three consecutive second place finishes, but the Commodores we're closer to seventh then first. At the top of the rotation they had our top two prospects Donnie and Johnnie Jones, and the Commodores were tied for the fewest runs allowed. Donnie was healthy all season, going 10-10 with a 4.32 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 95 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 181.1 innings pitched. The walks were a little concerning, a 4.7 BB/9 rate, and while his raw stuff is superb, his command is not near finished developing. Walks may slow him a bit like with Peter the Heater, but he has the stuff and talent to top a rotation. Johnnie missed a few starts, but he finished 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 87 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. He had a higher BB/9 and lower K/9 then Donnie, and the lefty is projected to be a middle of the rotation arm. He has plenty of movement on his pitches, gets a ton of grounders just like his brother, and they both could make a cameo next season. I can't wait to see these youngsters in Chicago and they could end up as the best brother duo in FABL history. The best Commodore pitcher, however, was the former 5th Rounder Ralph Kendall. After 124 consecutive relief appearances, he made 12 starts to finish the season. The soon-to-be 23-year-old finished the season 11-1 with 5 saves, a 3.76 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 42 walks, and 49 strikeouts. The offense wasn't great, but Jocko Pollard hit an impressive .320/.382/.538 (133 OPS+) with 42 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 92 RBIs. He didn't have much support in the lineup, but for 60 games got Bill Dambreville. The first basemen hit .351/.456/.480 (139 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 26 RBIs with a strong 46-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Chick Browning was there the whole season, and the 8th Rounder from Chicago hit a respectable .286/.391/.418 (106 OPS+) with 24 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 50 RBIs. Those two should return to Mobile for next season, but I could see Pollard moving up to AAA. I'm hoping they could move up to 1st next season, and they could have some reinforcements from Lincoln making the difference. A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League): 79-61, 3rd, 9 GB: The Heartland League race was a two-way contest between the Peoria Pastimers and Terre Haute Braves, who ended the season tied at 88-52. Lincoln led the rest of the division, 7 games ahead of the fourth place Springfield Hustlers. They had help from one of our top prospects, Lou Eaker, who went 10-8 with a 3.54 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 71 walks, and 82 strikeouts in 20 excellent starts. Willie Gonzalez Jr. was unhittable in his 13 outings, 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 26 walks, and 56 strikeouts. He kept his walks low and boosted his strikeouts, and got a pair of velocity boosts to push him up to 96-98. Unfortunately Boney Joe Crosby had a tough season, dropping in the prospect ranks and going 8-4 with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 43 strikeouts. The offense had another top prospect in the soon-to-be 23-year-old Bunny Hufford. With right field a huge question mark right now, it's Hufford's spot to lose, and the former 4th Rounder could end up in AA or AAA next season. The top 100 prospect hit .315/.385/.466 (131 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 15 triples, 3 homers, and 53 RBIs in 417 PAs. A non top 100 prospect had an equally impressive season, with Slick Eddie Curtis batting leadoff and slashing .341/.390/.435 (124 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 11 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 43 RBIs. The versatile infielder can play all around the diamond, but spent 50 games at second and 81 at short this year, with a few innings at third, left, and right too. Both look like they deserve to start the next season with the Commodores, which could really help that lineup. Hod Seagroves has been trailing Bill Dambreville, so he may stay with Lincoln, and they could use his .311/.397/.409 (120 OPS+) line for a full season instead of 64 games. The first and second basemen had 10 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 42 RBIs, and 36 walks with just 2 strikeouts in just shy of 300 PAs for the Legislators. Lincoln has dropped a position in the leas three seasons, and I'd love for them to not fall to 4th next year. Our lower minors has a lot of talented youngsters, and that could help push the Legislators back up to first. B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 92-48, 1st, 3 GA: Each one of our affiliates finished above .500 this season, but the San Jose Cougars were the only member of the organization to grab a pennant. The draft really helped the team, as it gave them new life in the lineup and brought up some guys from La Crosse who were ready for the next level. The biggest draft day acquisition was regional round selection Bill Rich, who hit a remarkable .353/.393/.667 (166 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 11 homers, and 35 RBIs. He showed much more power then expected, but really struggled in the outfield. Expect him to start next season in Lincoln, and the Illinois native may end up moving through the ladder very quickly. Joining him from the college ranks was Jimmie James, who split time between third and short and hit .359/.439/.526 (146 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 2 steals, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. There was also some help from La Crosse, with Solly Skidmore and Harry Carr who joined the Cougars after spending the first part of the season as Lions. Skidmore is our top positional prospect and in 62 games with San Jose he hit an elite .395/.437/.566 (155 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs. Carr, of course, couldn't match that, but his .362/.403/.525 (135 OPS+) line was well above average. After spending near all his time with La Crosse in center, Carr manned left in San Jose, and added 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBIs. The pitching allowed the fewest runs in the league, with 20-year-old Oliver Allen putting together 24 tremendous starts. Allen was 11-3 with a 3.55 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 54 walks, and 81 strikeouts. He had help from our 7th Rounder this season Fred Thaxton, who looked like an established vet, 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. One of our top prospects Danny Goff Jr. missed a lot of time with injury, and he wasn't too great on the mound. He went just 5-5 with a 5.13 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 27 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was, however, much better with the bat, slashing .337/.402/.476 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 36 RBIs while walking 26 times with just 3 strikeouts. San Jose had a lot of our better prospects, and should compete for a pennant spot again next season. C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 89-51, 2nd, 2 GB: They were in it till the end, but the Lions fell just short of a third consecutive pennant. Being our lowest level, they saw a lot of different players, with multiple prospects and filler players going up and down throughout the season. One of the biggest surprises was a strong season from Adolph Jacobson, who hit .274/.339/.517 (114 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 7 triples, 16 homers, and 73 RBIs. The former lottery pick isn't one of our more exciting prospects, but the 20-year-old has shown improvements each season, and could make the move to San Jose. 8th Rounder Leo Davis was a nice midseason pickup, as the 21-year-old hit .352/.433/.596 (159 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 6 triples, 9 homers, and 37 RBIs atop the Lions lineup. Fellow newcomer Don Lee, who was our 2nd Rounder and a top 200 prospect, looked good despite being 18, hitting .289/.411/.481 (126 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 31 RBIs. The rest of the lineup had it's struggles, with most of the top hitters (like Skidmore) getting promotions throughout the season. Part-timer Ray Powell did hit well, but kept getting red arrows in San Jose. The former lottery pick hit .304/.378/.547 (132 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 9 triples, 14 homers, 7 steals, and 61 RBIs. Even if he continues to have a down arrow, he'll head to San Jose, as the 21-year-old needs to start moving up the ladder. We did feature a ton of exciting pitching prospects, including newcomers Mel Haynes, Harry Stewart, and Duke Bybee. Haynes looked much better then an 18-year-old should, going 7-3 with a 2.72 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts, showing decent command with great stuff while keeping the ball on the ground. Stewart had some struggles, and looked like a teen, but Bybee pitched well beyond his years. He turned 18 just a few days before the draft, but went 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 25 walks, and 40 strikeouts. The trio will stay in La Crosse to start next season, but at this time next season they might be getting their feet wet in San Jose. Tommy Davis spent all but four of his starts with the Lions, and showed no signs of being slowed down by his torn labrum from last year. The 22-year-old finished the season in San Jose after going 12-6 with a 3.43 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 42 walks, and 165 strikeouts. His 9.3 K/9 was superb and he could start to move up pretty quickly. Ron Sexton and Jimmy Ballard, both top 500 prospects, had major arm injuries, and may miss most of next season. Still, we have a ton of talented young pitchers waiting for the Lions next season, and I'd bet we'll allow the fewest runs next year as well. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-25-2022, 10:51 AM	#715
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Trade News! The Wolves may have just won the 1940 Championship, but I wasn't wasting any time trying to win the 1941 Championship! You could argue that we lost the 1940 pennant by trading for Leon Drake, so I'm hoping for the opposite result here! We hooked up with our crosstown counterparts in the Fed to acquire a former #1 Overall Pick in exchange for a pair of young pitchers in Lou Eaker and Ralph Kendall. That former #1 Overall Pick is veteran slugger Cliff Moss, who was selected by Montreal out of Pierpont in the 1927 Draft. Moss was in Montreal after just 37 minor league games split between levels. The rookie hit .309/.381/.461 (127 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, and 57 RBIs in 490 trips to the plate. It was his first of four consecutive above average seasons at the plate before a three year semi-slump. Then a week in to the 1935 season, the then Saints GM and now current Chiefs GM brought Moss back to his organization and it revived his career. Moss was more of a platoon player in his first season with the Chiefs, but he hit a wonderful .331/.422/.579 (161 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 19 homers, and 60 RBIs. That was the start of an impressive five season stint, where he hit .295/.377/.495 (132 OPS+) with 113 doubles, 15 triples, 116 homers, and 418 RBIs in 713 games. This last season was one of the best in his thirteen year career, as the now 34-year-old lefty slashed .278/.375/.492 (133 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 23 homers, and 69 RBIs to bump his career line to .294/.370/.471 (121 OPS+). He's a huge boost to the lineup, ranked as a top five right fielder and he's arguably better then all of them except Red Bond and Bill Barrett. We do have a lot of lefties in the lineup now, and our 3-4-5 or even 2-3-4 next season may end up being three lefties. As good as Moss is, he's not the best against same side pitchers, leaving a little room for Rich Langton. Moss is also a decent fielder, not Yates or Drake level in right, but more then capable. He could end up a 30 homer hitter and he's hit 19 or more in five of the last six seasons. I can't see him having a Leon Drake type fall off, although age could make his Cougar tenure a bit on the short side, but we have Bunny Hufford and Fred Vargas waiting in the winds, and with four pitchers ranked 49th to 58th in our system, plus the two Joneses, we should be able to handle the loss of Eaker. I like what the roster will look like next season, and it would be an added bonus if both Quinn and Fritz will be healthy in the Spring. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-26-2022, 10:06 AM	#716
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Propects! Even after trading a top 100 prospect in Lou Eaker, we have a lot of depth and talent in our system. Our system ranks 5th with 146 points behind the Sailors (152) and ahead of the Pioneers (137). We have one top 10 prospect, 4 top 50, 8 top 100, 17 top 250, and 44 top 500 prospects. Of course, there will be trades of some sort (didn't take long!), but for now, here are the top 30 Cougar prospects: 1. RHP Donnie Jones (10th Overall): Acquired from Toronto 2. LHP Jonnie Jones (13th Overall): 1st/15th 3. C Solly Skidmore (26th Overall): 2nd/27th 4. RHP Mel Haynes (49th Overall): 12th Overall Pick 5. RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (53rd Overall): 6th/65th 6. RHP Duke Bybee (54th Overall): 49th Overall Pick 7. CF Bunny Hufford (68th Overall): 7th/73rd 8. RF Fred Vargas (89th Overall): Acquired from New York 9. SS Jimmie James (126th Overall): 53rd Overall Pick 10. CF Don Lee (159th Overall): 28th Overall Pick 11. RHP Harry Stewart (173rd Overall): 69th Overall Pick 12. 1B Hod Seagroves (182nd Overall): 16th/222nd 13. RHP Newt Jackson (196th Overall): Not ranked 14. RHP Ira Hawker (221st Overall): 22nd/262nd 15. LF Harry Carr (229th Overall): 18th/245th 16. CF Bill Rich (230th Overall): 44th Overall Pick 17. LHP Harl Haines (239th Overall): 14th/157th 18. LF Harry Harris (254th Overall): 23rd/263rd 19. LHP Bob Hobbs (265th Overall): Not ranked 20. RHP Roscoe Brown (268th Overall): 113th Overall Pick 21. SS Bill Graham (282nd Overall): 11th/124th 22. 1B Cuno Myer (285th Overall): Not ranked 23. RHP Joe Crosby (312th Overall): 12th/132nd 24. LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall): 15th/193rd 25. RHP Fred Thaxton (320th Overall): 97th Overall Pick 26. RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (321st Overall): Not ranked 27. RF Cy Howard (332nd Overall): 92nd Overall Pick 28. RHP Bill Tuttle (350th Overall): Not ranked 29. RHP King Price (362nd Overall): Not ranked 30. RHP Ron Sexton (363rd Overall): Not ranked EDIT: Already made a few trades! Updated the list to reflect that. The first move send Bill Dambreville to the Minutemen for their 4th Round Pick, with the second returning Jasper Wright to the Miners for their 6th Rounder and SS Johnny Bunce. Bunce is a switch hitting 22-year-old from Wisconsin who when to high school in Illinois (a school that doesn't exist, but is in my mother's hometown) who was an 11th Rounder back in 1936. He was actually on my draft list that year because of his outstanding glove, but I never used a pick on him. He's a good clubhouse influence, always one of the nicest guys out there, and I love the glove. He spent 29 games at second, 45 at third, and 75 at short, putting up efficiencies of 1.138, 1.125, and 1.106. He also has difference making speed and could end up an average contact hitter. He didn't hit much in Class B Spokane this year, just .269/.317/.358 (67 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 18 steals, and 72 RBIs. Even with the poor hit numbers, I may push him to A ball and the glove should make him a favorite of mine. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 01-31-2022 at 06:27 PM.

01-27-2022, 08:23 PM	#717
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 1-5 Before getting started with our top prospects, we have something far more important to mention! We have a Whitney Award Winner! In a very tightly contested race, John Lawson received just 5 of the 13 first place votes, with Red Bond receiving 6, but Lawson had more overall points (162 to 155), taking home his third career Whitney Award. "Jack the Ripper" ripped .345/.399/.507 (147 OPS+) in his aged 37 season and led the league in hits (210) and doubles (48) while tied for the RBI lead (111). He also fell a point short of another batting title, and hit 17 homers with 51 walks. Lawson was worth 7.2 WAR, behind just Charlie Artuso in the CA and it was his highest mark since 7.6 back in 1933. One of the most durable and talented players in the league, Lawson will anchor our lineup yet again and will have a little more help with Cliff Moss in the lineup. RHP Donnie Jones (10th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Toronto (1939) Drafted: 1st Round, 6th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Minneapolis Auggies Ranked 10th Overall and 5th for all pitchers, Donnie Jones is easily one of the most talented young pitchers in the league. Nicknamed "Mole Killer" due to his propensity for serving up groundballs, the 20-year-old is a really talented four pitch pitcher who features a mid 90s sinker that does a great job generating week contact. His curve has the potential to be elite and his fastball is good too, but Donnie rarely features his change. His command is getting there, but Jones has all the tools to develop into a #1 pitcher. 1940 was Jones' best season in the minors, making 23 starts for the Commodores and finishing an even 10-10. He had a solid 4.32 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, 95 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 181.1 innings pitched, setting career highs for wins, innings, strikeouts, WAR, and ERA+. The walks were a bit concerning, a 4.7 BB/9, but the only level he had one below 4.7 was from his 14 starts in Class B two seasons ago. Still, if he's able to strikeout just as many hitters now, I imagine those numbers will move in opposite directions just like with Peter the Heater. It's hard to remember Jones will be just 21 next season and in AAA, so the fact he was above average in AA against players way older then him is a great sign. I don't think he'll be big league ready next year, but mark your calendars for 1942 when he'll not only fight for a rotation spot, but likely make his big league debut. Ever since he was "created," Jones has been a guy I've closely followed, and it was the reason I could convince myself to move top young talent in Juan Pomales and Hal Wood to acquire him. I say it all the time, but imagining a decade with a rotation led by him, his brother, and Peter the Heater, it's hard to not see a few pennants and championships mixed in. LHP Johnnie Jones (15th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Washington (1939) Drafted: 1st Round, 4th Overall (1936) Alma Mater: St. Paul Golden Bears Here's Johnnie! Sure, his brother may technically be the better pitcher, but "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" isn't too shabby himself. A few years older, he turned 22 in June, and while I do want them to move up together, I could see Johnnie debuting next season. The lefty did pitch a bit worse and had a little injury to deal with, but finished 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 87 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. For Johnnie, the walks being much higher then the strikeouts hurt, but his stuff is not quite as good as Donnie. He does much better when guys put the ball in play, and is able to rack up even more grounders then his younger brother. They both have great sinkers, and I'd say Johnnie's is better, but he doesn't have the devastating offspeed pitch to match. His forkball is excellent and he gets outstanding movement on all four pitches, but he does rely a lot on his sinker. Interesting enough, Tom doesn't think command will ever be an issue for him despite the 5.1 BB/9, and while he doesn't see ace, he sees middle-rotation arm. I think Jones could easily lead a rotation in another organization, but of the three top pitchers, he is clearly the #2. That being said, he has greater upside then even star pitchers like Lyons, Fritz, and Lonardo, and especially in a stadium like ours that is easy to hit homers, Jones should really be able to excel. The skinny 6'4'' lefty has all the tools to succeed, and if he can stay healthy, he'll be one of the top pitchers in the game just like his brother. C Solly Skidmore (30th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Monroe Hurricanes I was really tempted to use Skidmore as a headliner in a trade for Adam Mullins, but instead the 20-year-old might start the 1940 season in Lincoln instead of San Jose. Just 62 of his 129 games this season were with San Jose, but he hit an outstanding .395/.437/.566 (155 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs with an impressive 22-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I always knew his bat would be dependable, but this year he really took it to the next level. The former 1st Rounder showed the hit tool and power expected of him, as he's talented at hitting line drives all across the diamond. Weinstock expects him to hit for a high average, display top notch discipline, and he could hit double digit homers with his excellent approach at hitting. He hits it hard and the ball can get out in Chicago, and he has all the tools to be one of the best hitting catchers once the current guard of Mullins, Tom Bird, and George Cleaves get older. He doesn't project to be an outstanding defender, but he managed to throw out 63.3% percent of runners. Skidmore is the highest rated catching prospect and the only one in the top 50. There are 3 more in the 51-75 range, but Solly is clearly the cream of the crop. Harry Mead has developed into an outstanding catcher in his own rights, so Solly doesn't quite have the most direct path, but at just 20 he has a lot of time to grow. RHP Mel Haynes (49th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Princeton Panthers Taken with the same pick as Solly just two years later, Mel Haynes was our first rounder this January. Now 19, Haynes finished his fourth season in Princeton before making 10 starts with the Lions. He was nothing short of dominant, 7-3 with a 2.72 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 86 dominant innings. Haynes had no trouble going deep in games either, with 8 of his 10 starts complete games and just one less then 8 innings (a loss on the road). He even managed to throw 151 in a win over the league champions Owls, where Haynes allowed 8 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Haynes also is a really good hitter, and even started 11 games at first. He was terrible in the field, but hit .358/.413/.522 (137 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 homers, and 13 RBIs. His future is definitely on the mound, where he has a strong sinker that allows him to keep the ball on the ground. It sits in the mid 80s and Haynes also throws a slider, change, and forkball and all four should be reliable big league pitches. He does struggle locating pitches at times, but his overall upside more then makes up for it. A lot of high school arms take a long time to develop, so he'll definitely start next season in La Crosse, but he seems to be very well developed for his young age. If things go right with the Jones brothers, Haynes will never have to be an ace, but I think OSA is right with labeling him a middle of the rotation arm, more Harry Parker then Jim Lonardo. RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (53rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Hempstead Hawks This was a tough season for Danny Goff Jr., not because of his performance, but because of shoulder inflammation that cost him about 3 months of the season. It effected his pitching a bit, and he went just 5-5 with a 5.13 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 27 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. Of course, his hitting was more then fine, and the 22-year-old hit .337/.402/.476 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 26 RBIs. His bat is much further along, but he's got a lot more upside on the mound. He features a high 80s fastball, curve, and change, but his control issues lead to a lot of walks and a few homers. At the plate he does feature a plus-plus contact tool and a very smooth swing that should allow him to hit for a high average. His defense isn't great, but I expect it to improve as he gets more experience in the field. I think he's ready for Lincoln, but I don't want to rush him as it will take a bit longer for him to develop. if he gets hurt again, I may have to rethink him pitching, but I think he's got the tools to pitch in the big leagues just like his father and brother. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-28-2022, 07:53 PM	#718
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 6-10 LHP Duke Bybee (54th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 49th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Brooklyn Friends Quakers The first pick in the June portion of the draft, I was able to select the 18-year-old southpaw because I acquired the pick from the Gothams. It's already looking like a great pick, as Bybee is the highest ranked prospect selected in the second portion of the draft and in the recent file he hopped into the top 50 for all prospects. There's a lot to like about the youngster; his personality, pitch mix, height, and stuff. Another thing his brand new velocity boost, as when the season finished, Bybee decided to add two more miles to his fastball and cutter. He now sits in the 89-91 range, and also features a curve, slider, change, and forkball. His best pitch is his change, which should be well above average, and while none of the other pitches are overpowering, they are all very effective offerings. His best asset may be his movement, but he deals with inconsistent command. This is quite common at his age, but unlike most pitchers, his stuff and movement will be able to make up for it even if he never improves it. He showed that in his first 10 pro games, going 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 25 walks, and 40 strikeouts and he was able to top 100 pitches in 8 of his 10 starts. The two he didn't were a bit concerning, leaving in the early goings with injuries, and he missed four weeks because of it. We're hoping this doesn't become a trend, because Bybee has tremendous upside and he'd be a huge addition to any future rotation. CF Bunny Hufford (68th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 49th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Brooklyn Friends Quakers Like Bybee, Bunny Hufford was a 4th Round selection, but he was 57th Overall last season. The now 23-year-old started the season in San Jose, but spent most of his season in Lincoln. The lefty swinger did well with the Legislators, slashing .315/.385/.466 (131 OPS+) after a 152 OPS+ in his 37 games with the Cougars. In the 136 combined, he tallied 33 doubles, 16 triples, 4 homers, and 78 RBIs. He hit so well he's going to start this season in Mobile, and depending how things go, I may bring him up as there aren't too many outfielders in his way that aren't already in Chicago. Weinstock thinks he has the approach of a leadoff hitter, and while he's not the best base stealer, he has improving pitch recognition skills and could hit over .330. He doesn't have the highest upside, and probably won't surpass Carlos Montes, but he has a very high floor and the tools to develop into an every day player. He'll likely end up in right, jockeying for position with Fred Vargas once Cliff Moss is ready to call it quits. Even if he never develops into a top big leaguer, he's a perfect figure in the clubhouse, helping get the most out of his teammates and consistently working on his game. RF Fred Vargas (849th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1940) Drafted: 1st Round, 15th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Cass Tech Technician Speaking of Fred Vargas, he ranks right behind Hufford, and spent most the last two months of the season in Milwaukee learning how to play right field. It didn't go so well, as he had a -3.7 zone rating and .945 efficiency to go with a .220/.353/.390 (96 OPS+) batting line. Still, I brought him up after the Blues' season ended, and he did pretty good with us. Vargas was 2-for-7 with a double, 3 walks, and 2 RBIs. It was much better then his performance with the Gothams, where he hit a poor .149/.344/.149 (38 OPS+) in 62 PAs. A former first round pick, the 22-year-old is a favorite of Tom Weinstock, who expects him to "make an impact on a top-tier team." That's definitely wishful thinking, but Vargas is a very exciting young player. He has a quick bat and is an excellent fastball hitter, and he's smart enough to lay off offspeed pitches he can't quite hit. He's probably not a .300 hitter, but he'll walk enough to have an OBP much higher the his average. His eye could end up elite, and he may never strike out more then 30 times once he's fully developed. With two options left he has time to fill in, and I'm hoping he'll be hitting his peak while Moss is starting his decline. SS Jimmie James (126th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 53rd Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Lane State Emeralds Our other fourth round selection in this recent draft, James was taken four spots after Bybee. The switch hitting 22-year-old skipped La Crosse and spent his whole season in San Jose, and slashed an outstanding .359/.439/.526 (146 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, and 37 RBIs. He split his time between third and short, with about 60% of his time at the hot corner. He's a very versatile fielder who can play second, left, center, and right as well, and it does look like he has the range for short. His versatility is one of his best qualities, as he'll probably never hit like this again. His strike zone recognition is solid and he has good speed on the basepaths, but his swing isn't that great. He will draw a lot of walks and runs the bases well, and like many college shortstops, he has a very high ceiling due to his good enough bat and reliable defense. I was a little shocked with how high he was ranked, but with Skipper graduated he's our highest ranked infielder. He could rise up the system quick and be an nice utility bat until injuries hit one of our starters. CF Don Lee (159th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Lincoln High School Lions From the Lincoln High School Lions to the La Crosse Lions, Don Lee performed well all season. I was a little unsure about using my 2nd Round Selection on him, but so far it's looked like a decent pick. He's ranked inside the top 200 as an 18-year-old and hit .289/.411/.481 (126 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 31 RBIs with an impressive 40-to-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This was an excellent start to his hopefully long pro career, and "Rap" was one of the hardest workers on the Lions roster. This should help him continue to improve, but he's already shown a lot of promising tools. The discipline was obvious, and he has the potential to be a smart hitter who will continuous study pitches. He's one of those guys I'd imagine would always be in the fill room watching old games if we had that sort of technology in the 40s. He's a good runner too and should end up an above average contact hitter. He's a much different prospect then Vargas and Hufford, but I think Lee has far more upside. Of course, he's a lot less developed then them, and has a long way to go before he reaches his potential. I haven't seen enough from him out in center to see if he can stick there, but I'm not sure he'll have the ideal power for a corner. Still, the upside with Lee is obvious, and he should be an interesting prospect to follow. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-29-2022, 03:25 PM	#719
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 11-15 RHP Harry Stewart (173rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 69th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Bell Academy Big Red The first three pitchers we selected in the 1940 draft were all high school arms, and all three rank inside the top 200. Haynes and Bybee are in the top 100, but Stewart is over 100 ranks below them. Our 5th Round Selection, the 18-year-old spent his first partial pro season in La Crosse, where he went 7-1 with a 4.67 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 20 walks, and 48 strikeouts. He struck out a lot of batters, didn't walk too many, and allowed just a single homer, but Stewart allowed a lot of batters to reach base via the base hit. He did add a little velocity towards the end of the season, and it showed in his final start, as he allowed just 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts in a complete game victory. He did win most of his starts, including one with 6, 7, and 8 runs allowed. He does have a decent four pitch mix, featuring a 91-93 fastball, tough change, and average splitter, with his curve a lesser offering. When Stewart is on he's unhittable, but he'll have a few bad innings (or outings) when his command starts to desert him. The more consistent he becomes, the further up in the rotation he'll move, and I think he could develop into a decent back end starter. He has a lot of upside and a long way to go, but there is a lot to like about the skinny righty and he's seen velocity boosts in each of the last three seasons. R1B Hod Seagroves (182nd Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1937) Drafted: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1936) Alma Mater: Lake Park Panthers The Chicago native may have been drafted by the Dynamos, but all 505 of his professional games have come in our organization. Soon to be 23, Seagroves got nice news when he found out Bill Dambreville had been traded, and he now ranks not only as our top second base prospect, but also our top first basemen. He doesn't have much power for a first basemen, so he may end up best suited for second, but he put together an excellent offensive season with San Jose and Lincoln. With the Cougars, Hod hit .383/.443/.522 (146 OPS+) in 310 PAs, and then in about 20 less with Lincoln he hit a still solid .311/.397/.409 (120 OPS+). Combined he had 32 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, and 81 RBIs in his fourth season as a Cougar. His size helps him at first, but he was an outstanding defensive second basemen this season, with a 5.4 zone rating and 1.072 efficiency in 503.1 innings at the keystone. His time at first isn't because of his glove, more as a way to get more players in the lineup as we tend to have a lot of shortstops floating around in the system. At the plate he projects to hit for a high average while also drawing 40 or so walks a season. He also nearly never strikes out, just 5 times in 607 plate appearances, truly elite numbers. Seagroves is one of those guys who will always give you a good at bat, and while he's far from a star, he looks to be a very capable big leaguer who gives you 100% day in and day out. RHP Newt Jackson (196th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 22nd Overall (1936) Alma Mater: Darby Yellow Jackets It's been a weird career for Newt Jackson, who has sling-shotted his way in and out of the top 200. Despite just one sim ago being ranked inside, he's now completely fallen out after being out before this season started. In fact, he didn't even start the season as a starter, with just 5 of his 21 appearances with San Jose being starts. He was pretty impressive, 4-3 with 7 saves, a 2.82 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 17 walks, and 19 strikeouts before a promotion up to Lincoln. He started all 11 of his games there, going 5-6 with a 3.48 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 11 walks, and 23 strikeouts. A former 2nd Rounder, Jackson once looked like one of the better pitching prospects as a high schooler out of Darby, but he partially tore his UCL in a nightmarish first season. It definitely looked like the injury ended his career early, as the 1938 season went very poorly, but he's seemed to make up for some of the lost progress. His pitches are much better and far more developed now, as he shook of the "borderline starter" projection for the "starter" projection, and he's throwing consistently in the 90s. His stuff is still rather ordinary, but his command is very impressive, and he shouldn't walk too many hitters. I'm hoping he can start next season in Mobile, and perhaps work his way up to Milwaukee once the season is over, but his future really is up in the air. He could develop into a decent rotation piece, or end up wallowing away in AAA, but one thing for sure is that he won't surpass the 1st Rounder form his draft class. RHP Ira Hawker (221st Overall) Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1938) Drafted: 16th Round, 252nd Overall (1937) Alma Mater: Glasgow Greyhounds This was the first full season as a pitcher for Ira Hawker, and while it wasn't great, it was better then most pitchers with just over 50 innings under their belt perform. He started the season in La Crosse, and went 4-6 with a 4.58 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 22 walks, and 32 strikeouts. When the draft came along, I decided to push him up to San Jose, and he had similar numbers in his 14 starts there. Hawker flipped his record, 6-4 with a 5.10 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 33 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The only issue there were the strikeouts, as his K/9 dropped from 3.8 to 2.3 with most other rate numbers rather consistent. He'll turn 22 in February, but I think he'll be best served by taking it slow, and returning to San Jose at least for the start of the season. His pitches are still very raw, and the groundballer sits in the mid 80s. His curve is his best pitch, while his fastball, slider, and change still have a lot of room to grow. His stuff doesn't overwhelm, so he'll need to harness his command to make it at the next level, and for now he projects just as a spot starter. LF Harry Carr (229th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Buchtel Griffins Like Hawker, Harry Carr split his time between San Jose and La Crosse, but he did not move up at the draft. He spent 70 games with the Lions, hitting .326/.369/.492 (117 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 8 homers, 4 steals, and 46 RBIs before securing a promotion to San Jose. He stayed in La Crosse a bit longer not because of his talent, but because we didn't really have many low minors outfielders, and at 20, there were a lot of older guys added to the system like Bill Rich and Cy Howard who went straight to San Jose. Carr didn't waste his opportunity, however, and hit an even better .362/.403/.525 (135 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBIs in 237 trips to the plate. A natural center fielder, Carr got time at all three outfield spots, with 47, 50, and 36 games at each spot with efficiencies of 1.004, 1.050, and 1.056 left to right. He does have the speed and range for center, but his arm is strong enough that he may end up in right. His speed puts pressure on his opponents, and if he continues to walk more then he strikes out, he could make a career as a leadoff hitter. He has a nice smooth swing, solid pitch recognition skills, and he'll always look to take the extra base. Carr sort of reminds me of a right handed Orlin Yates. He has the tools to start, but the question will be if he can make the most of them or if he'll end up as one of the many 4th outfielders always champing at the bit until someone gets hurt. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

01-30-2022, 09:56 PM	#720
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 16-20 CF Bill Rich (230th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 44th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Grange College Mustangs Our regional selection in January of 1940, it was a big jump in the draft from 1937 where we selected him in the 20th Round and decided he'd be better served in college. It turned out to be good for everyone, as Rich became a much more skilled player at the prestigious Grange College then he would have been sitting on the bench in La Crosse. In fact, Rich skipped La Crosse entirely, and slashed an elite .353/.393/.667 (166 OPS+) in 168 PAs with San Jose. He wasn't very good in center, with a -3.7 zone rating and .937 efficiency, so he may end up in a corner, but he more then made up for it with the bat. Not only did he hit at an extremely high level, the 21-year-old from Quincy hit 8 doubles, 4 triples, and 11 homers with 35 RBIs. He's set to start next season in Lincoln, and I think I'll have him get more reps out in right then center. Rich has a well above average eye and the potential to make consistent contact, which should help him hit his way up. I doubt he'll ever match this power output, but he could end up with double digits each season. We have a lot of talented outfield prospects, so Rich definitely has his work cut out for him, but he's at worst a reliable bat for the bench with the potential to hit his way to a starting role. LHP Harl Haines (239th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 149th Overall (1935) Alma Mater: Niagara Falls Big Red He may have dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, but that didn't stop me from saving a 40-Man roster spot for him. Our 10th Rounder in the 1935 Draft, Haines has worked his way up the ladder, and spent all season with Milwaukee. He made 29 starts and went 13-12 with a 3.72 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 66 walks, and 105 strikeouts. One of the most interesting pitchers in the league, Haines is a 6'3'' southpaw who throws submarine style, with his fastball and cutter sitting comfortably in the 95-97 range. His stuff is really good, allowing him to consistently miss bats and record swings and misses. His advanced control allows him to limit walks as well, leading him to maintain high K/BB ratios while keeping runners off base and out of scoring position. He can roll up a grounder when needed, and his slider and screwball are reliable secondary offerings. He can also pitch deep into games, tallying 225 innings this season with multiple starts of over 130 pitches. Tom Weinstock thinks he can be a middle of the rotation arm, and right now he's our closest prospect to starting in the big leagues, so with a few injuries he may end up getting some starts. I expect him to start next season in Milwaukee, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't at least get a September call up for an inevitable FABL debut. LF Harry Harris (245th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: DuPont Manual Crimsons This was the first full pro season for Harry Harris, who again spent most of his time out in left field. He was average out there, working to a -3.9 zone rating and .991 efficiency in 956.1 innings, and with very few outfielders in our low minors, he will probably continue to play left for the Lions. He turns 20 in November, but his age will likely make it take longer for him to move up the system. I think he'll be in San Jose after the draft, but he'll have to hit better then the .297/.363/.415 (98 OPS+) he showed this season. He did have 34 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 75 RBIs, but I'll need to see a lot more from him before I'm comfortable moving him up. He does have a lot of promising characteristics, including above average contact ability and good patience, but he's likely never going to hit for much power. As a switch hitter he does have more value, and can be very handy off the bench, which I think is his likely ending spot. Still, he's young and with a lot of upside, so some hard work and a few nice talent bumps could help him develop into one of our more interesting prospects. LHP Bob Hobbs (265th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers An 8th Rounder last season, Bob Hobbs was just 17 when drafted and didn't turn 19 until this October. He'll spend all of next season as a teen, and unlike Skipper Schneider, will likely spend it at one of our lowest levels. He did look advanced for his age in his 23 starts, 13-9 with a 3.63 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 74 walks, and 100 strikeouts, so perhaps after the draft he could move up to San Jose. Hobbs isn't a very hard thrower, just 85-87 with the fastball, but he did strike out nearly 5 per 9 in his first full season. His command does cause problems at times, and sometimes he can't locate his curve or change. Both are good pitches, so if he gets his command under control, they can be really effective as all three pitches should be big league quality. Still, he's a very raw prospect and we will have to take our time with him, as he is very far from being a big league arm, even as a reliever. RHP Roscoe Brown (268th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 113th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Covington Cougars From one Cougars to another, we selected the 18-year-old righty out of Covington, where their mascot is also a Cougar. He started as a Lion, and may not be a Cougar until next season, but I was pleasantly surprised with how effective the youngster was. Brown made 10 starts for La Crosse, finishing 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 11 walks, and 50 strikeouts. His command was superb, just a 1.3 BB/9 despite being a very inexperienced arm. Tom's not a fan of his command, which I think is a bit funny, as it hasn't looked like he's had any issues so far. Brown has been throwing harder, sitting in the 91-93 range as well, and I'm hoping he has a few more velocity boosts in him as his two main pitches are his fastball and sinker. The third is a curve with really nice break that is arguably his best pitch. Right now he looks like nothing more then a spot starter, but we've done a good job developing young high school arms, and Brown is a lot further along then most. Young pitching is extremely valuable, which makes Brown a potential trade candidate as well, but with such a long time to develop, he may be staring at the peaks of Pete and the Jones Brothers (almost sounds like a band) while he's the same age as fellow top prospects Duke Bybee and Mel Haynes who look like much more exciting arms. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe