Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 37

ayaghmour2 · 01-31-2022, 06:44 PM

SS Bill Graham (282nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1938)
Drafted: 4th Round, 59th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs

He took a bit of a tumble in the prospect rankings, leaving the top 125 and falling all the way down to 282 at the end of the season, but it's not like Bill Graham had a bad season. He started the season in San Jose, where he hit .295/.361/.502 (118 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 8 homers, and 46 RBIs across 338 plate appearances. He then finished the season with 155 PAs up in Lincoln, while hitting a decent .269/.357/.408 (108 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 21 RBIs. These are good numbers at the plate for an excellent defender, as Graham had a superb 16.3 zone rating and 1.140 efficiency with the Cougars at third and a 6.9 zone rating and 1.065 efficiency at short with the Legislators. Now 23, Graham is a bit on the older side, and I hope he can finish next season in Mobile as we can't have him stall out in the lower minors. His glove helps give him value even if his bat doesn't develop much farther, as he won't have much power. He does have an average eye and should be able to draw a lot of walks, but Graham is a bit of light hitter. He profiles more as a bench bat now then a starter, but there is hope that he can still develop into a reliable big leaguer.

1B Cuno Myer (285th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 22nd Round, 351st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Norfolk State Navigators

There is a chance he becomes the 21st Cougar draftee from 1932 to appear in a big league game, but I doubt it will be with us. And honestly, I'm not sure why the 26-year-old is even in our top prospect list, as he's a bat first first basemen without any power. Myer spent all season at Milwaukee, slashing .361/.414/.464 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 58 RBIs with a nice 37-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has a good eye and should hit for a high average and OBP, but the lack of power is really tough to bear for a first basemen. Even worse, he's a terrible defensive first basemen, with a career -72.7 zone rating and .922 efficiency at first. To be fair, some team may take a risk on him during the Rule-5 Draft, so Myer may not be a Cougar for much longer, but unless we have injuries to Ray Ford, Bobby Mills, and Freddie Jones, I really can't see Myer getting any time at first for the Cougars.

RHP Joe Crosby (312th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 53rd Overall (1937)
Alma Mater: St. Peter's Spartans

Another guy who took a tumble in the prospect rankings, his overall "doubled" which isn't a good thing when low is better. Unlike Graham, however, "Boney Joe" Crosby really struggled up in Lincoln. The 21-year-old went 8-4, but with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 133 innings pitched. These 19 starts, compared to 19 with San Jose last year, saw Crosby's ERA and WHIP rise while his K/9 dropped. The only thing he maintained was his 3.2 BB/9, something you don't really want to see. Crosby did work hard this offseason, adding some speed to his fastball which now sits in the 89-91 range. It's his best pitch, but he also has a sharp curve and a slider with a lot of bite. Of course, he does struggle with his command and at times starts to completely miss the plate. Still, the stuff could end up being enough to compensate and he gets decent movement on his pitches as well. Despite the tough season, Tom Weinstock hasn't soured on Crosby, and still rates him as a back of the rotation starter. It will be tough for him to reach that now, but I hope we can milk out whatever talent he has left in him.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: CC Los Angeles Coyotes

Our 4th Rounder back in 1938, Ed Wilkinson started his season in Lincoln and ended up in Mobile. He made 16 starts with the Legislators, an even 8-8 with a strong 2.83 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 33 walks, and 53 strikeouts in 133.1 innings pitched. His 9 appearances weren't that great in Mobile, but he was still average on the mound, 4-4 with a 4.52 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 22 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Wilkinson turns 24 this December, and we're hoping a year from now he'll be either in Milwaukee or Chicago. He's got decent stuff, a five pitch mix with a decent low 90s fastball and a group of okay secondary offerings including a curve, slider, change, and forkball. To succeed in the big leagues, he'll want to turn one of those pitches into an out pitch, as he won't be able to overpower anyone. Wilkinson has all the features of an innings eater, but he'll have to work hard to eat innings in the big leagues instead of just in AAA with all the other failed prospects.

RHP Fred Thaxton (320th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 97th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Tallmadge State Terriers

He's already 22, but our recent 7th Rounder Fred Thaxton was absolutely dominant with San Jose. In his 10 starts, Thaxton went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. These were impressive numbers for a recent draftee, and I think he's ready to make the move up to Lincoln. The righty is a bit of a soft tosser, sitting in the mid-to-high 80s with both his fastball and cutter, while his change is the hallmark of his offerings. He has decent stuff and gets good movement, but Tom thinks he may have some issues with home runs as he develops. I'm hoping he can continue to add velocity, but Thaxton isn't really the type of guy to put in long hours to work on bettering his game. That could be his downfall, as he does have the tools to at least full a big league pen, but if he wants to do better then just spot starter, he'll have to work on improving his game more often.

ayaghmour2 · 02-01-2022, 06:20 PM

RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (321st Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1938)
Drafted: 1st Round, 6th Overall (1937)
Alma Mater: Capital Academy Colts

This was a huge season for Willie Gonzalez Jr., who just recently added his third velocity boost of the 1940 season. When he tore his rotator cuff in May of 1938, his fastball and cutter were just low 90s pitched. Now, however, those both sit comfortably in the high 90s and if he really tried he could hit triple digits. He has an effective four pitch mix, all average or better, with a curve and change mixed in. He used all his pitches effectively, and was flat out dominant in his first 10 starts with San Jose. They earned him a promotion, as he went 7-1 with a 2.75 ERA (176 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 15 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The concern was he just threw 59 innings, but those concerns were alleviated a bit when he managed 101 innings in just three more starts with Lincoln. The production was great there too, as the 21-year-old went 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 26 walks, and 56 strikeouts. I have a lot of good arms sitting in Lincoln right now, so I know someone will have to move up, and it may end up being Gonzalez. I like his stuff and he does a good job locating his pitches, leading Tom to think he could fill out the back of a rotation. It will be tough for him to add any more speed, as he's done it eight times already, but he's shown the willingness to improve and he could force his way into our future picture with a few more seasons like this one.

RF Cy Howard (332nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen

Sure he was on one of the Mock Drafts, even as a first rounder, but that's not why I took Cy Howard in the 6th Round. I took him because he's a Chicagoan! Just kidding, well partially, as there is a lot to like about the 22-year-old. He's an extremely hard worker, labeled a "Baseball Rat" by his coaches and teammates, and he's got the positional versatility to man third, left, second, short, center, and right. I took advantage of that versatility, giving him 12 games at second, 14 at third, 13 at short, and 30 out in right. Best part is, his efficiency was actually best at short, with a 1.055 in a small 102.1 inning sample. He was above average at all four positions, as well as his three games out in center. If he continues his glovework like this, he could force his way into the lineup at any spot, and gives him the high floor of a very useful super utility player. Unfortunately, he didn't hit all that well, just a .245/.322/.303 (61 OPS+) line, so he clearly has a lot of work. The coolest part of his season was the trio of 27s, his walk, strikeout, and RBI total, but unfortunately this isn't poker so three of a kind doesn't help too much.

RHP Bill Tuttle (350th Overall)
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1938)
Drafted: 14th Round, 209th Overall (1935)
Alma Mater: Easton Eagles

Last season Bill Tuttle made just 6 appearances due to shoulder inflammation, so this ended up being Tuttle's first full season as a starter. The 21-year-old made 16 starts in San Jose, finishing 10-3 with a 3.14 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 24 walks, and 47 strikeouts before a late season promotion to Lincoln. He didn't maintain that dominant level, but his 7 starts there were still very effective. The almost 22-year-old was 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 19 walks, and 22 strikeouts. The main issue here was the jump in walks, from a 1.8 to 3.0 BB/9. To be fair, the 1.8 BB/9 was likely an outlier, considering he's even had high walk numbers in the pen, but I'm hoping once his pitches develop a bit more, he'll find the zone a bit more. His stuff is average, the best his change, but that's also the pitch with the most work. His mid 90s cutter and splitter are decent enough, but he does have a tendency to allow more then his share of homers. Technically we could lose him in the Rule-5 Draft, but I can't see a team wasting a pick on a pitcher with just 57 innings in A ball, especially one as underdeveloped as Tuttle. He has a bright future, but I'm not sure he'll develop quickly enough to become a major asset for us.

RHP King Price (362nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs

We have a few Bluegrass State alum in our organization, and King Price was actually teammates with Bill Graham in 1937 and 1938. Price is surprisingly a few months older, despite Graham graduating the year before Price was selected in the 9th Round. They were also teammates for part of the season, with both starting in San Jose and both ending in Lincoln. It was a tail of two seasons for Price, as he was great in San Jose, going 7-3 with a 3.93 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 25 walks, and 50 strikeouts. He then seemingly hit a wall against A ball hitters, slumping to 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 23 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Strikeouts fell, hits jumped, and of course, runs did as well, which is concerning as someone his age shouldn't have too much trouble with A ball. I mean, Peter the Heater is a full year younger and led the CA in strikeouts and K/9! Yes, Price is no Papenfus (although, who really is?), but the intelligent sidearmer does excite in his own ways. He has a polished three piece mix with a consistent change, nifty knuckle curve, and soft biting cutter. He doesn't overwhelm with speed, but his pitches move a lot, and his sidearm delivery makes him tough for righties. I also liked how he was able to pass 100 most starts, even passing 150 in a pair of complete game victories. He has a pretty high floor, but very limited upside, as I can't see Price as a regular starter, but he could develop into an Allen Purvis type of pitcher who can keep run of the board late in the game and fill in with the occasional spot start. I have no doubt he can pitch much better in Lincoln next year, but with a lot of talented arms starting to reach the upper minors, Price may be stuck in Nebraska all season.

LRHP Ron Sexton (363rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Pittsburgh (1939)
Drafted: 5th Round, 79th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Canarsie Chiefs

Ron Sexton may round out our Offseason Top 30, but two months later he's already moved up to 20. Sure, a lot more of our guys have dropped, but it's encouraging for a guy who tore his UCL in July. Of course, that means he will miss the start of next season, and will likely have to start it in La Crosse to easy him back into things. He's still just 20 and won't turn 21 until August, but if he stayed healthy he likely would have finished his year in San Jose. Sexton made 13 starts for the Lions, going 6-5 with an adjusted league average 4.48 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 40 walks, and 49 strikeouts. Like a lot of our guys, the walks were a bit concerning, but his 4.8 K/9 was a personal best and he's now bumped his velo to 90-92. These are all encouraging signs, but with the major injury it is still yet to be seen if the can avoid regressing, let alone mature more. He will need to locate his pitches better, as while his stuff should be good, it is still very raw. He lacks that one out pitch, but as more of a finesse pitcher, I think it's the multiple options that helps him strike out hitters. Sometimes it's okay if you have four similar pitches, as the hitters really have to look for all four, and finesse pitchers can get away with lower stuff if none of the pitches are weak. He's got a lot of talent, but it may take him longer then most to develop, and that was the thought even before the setback of getting hurt. I think Sexton will be an interesting prospect to follow once he regains his fitness, but I'm tempering my expectations in the short term.

We haven't had much action lately, as the offseason isn't always the most interesting, but we have the Rule-5 Draft tomorrow and the Independent Draft the day after. Those are just the appetizers for the main course, the January Draft, which we'll look to complete over the weekend. Thanks to our trade of Leon Drake, we have the Gothams 2nd Rounder, so the Cougars should be picking 13th, 20th, and 29th. Then for the regional round, the Chiefs again have priority in Illinois and all our other shared regions, so chances are someone I want will be taken. There are still players to be added to the pool, but there are a lot of suitable options for us even after factoring those taken in the first two rounds and those snapped up by our Midwestern rivals.

ayaghmour2 · 02-02-2022, 09:53 AM

We added one and lost one, with Cuno Myer joining the Stars and Ossie Grogan coming over from the Sailors. I was a little surprised Myer was selected, but even more so that it came from the Stars, who have Dave Trowbridge there for now. Myer was one of two first basemen they took, so chances are one (if not both) are returned. Joining us is a switch hitting middle infielder who turns 25 in February. Grogan was one of just four players on my list, with the two ahead of him protected yesterday. He probably won't make the roster, but I really like his bat. He hit .280/.330/.460 (127 OPS+) in AA before raising that line to .354/.426/.431 (143 OPS+) in AAA. He doesn't have much pop, but Weinstock loves his athleticism and thinks he can be a frontrunner for a second base audition. The prospect people rank him 14th in our system and 219th overall.

ayaghmour2 · 02-07-2022, 10:48 AM

1st Round, 13th Overall: 3B Otto Christian
School: Walla Walla
1940: .482/.538/1.000, 132 PA, 14 2B, 15 HR, 47 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .468/.53/1.981, 375 PA, 34 2B, 4 3B, 40 HR, 123 RBI, 16 SB

The draft got off to a bit of a slow start, so I only just made my first rounder. The plan is to finish the second round today, so hopefully by the end of the day we have three new Cougars with a fourth coming tomorrow in the regional round. He wasn't my first choice by most measures, but I do think we got good value with the "Walla Walla Walloper." An 18-year-old out of, you guessed it, Walla Walla Wisconsin, Otto Christian will be a four year starter in high school and go down as one of the most prestigious power hitters the prep game as ever seen. He's likely to add a fourth double digit homer campaign and was one of just two high schoolers in his class to reach double digits last season. No eligible draftee has more career homers then Christian, and no other player has more then 35 for their career. Christian has a shot to pass the 50 homer mark, and I'd love for him to set a new season high as he's done in each of the past two years. Power is a big part of his game, and in a park like ours, he may wallop one back to his hometown.

The best part about Christian might be his position, as he has solid hands and fields the third base position well. He's now penciled in as the heir apparent to Whitney Winner John Lawson, who despite turning 38 in October is showing no signs of slowing down. Lawson has spent the last five seasons in Chicago and his lowest season line was when he hit .302/.355/.461 (133 OPS+) in 1938. Since Christian is just a high schooler and will need a few seasons to develop, he won't have to worry about waiting behind a Hall of Famer for too long. He's a much different player then Lawson, who wins batting titles while Otto will likely end up leading the league in homers. His power should at least be above average, with the chance to potentially challenge a guy like Red Bond or one of the Hammerin' Hanks out in the Fed. His pitch selection needs to improve if he wants to be anything more then an average contact hitter, but I'm sure some pitchers will want to pitch around him and he's good at taking obvious bad pitches. He walked 39 times in high school compared to just 17 strikeouts, and he's yet to strikeout more then 7 times in a season.

If there is a downside about Otto, it's his personality as he can be a bit moody and tends to let the losses get to him. Obviously not great, but at least he cares about team performance instead of just himself. I usually draft a lot of guys with good personalities, to hopefully absorb someone like Otto, and hopefully by time he reaches Chicago his personality is just neutral. There was also a pitcher, that I really like, but I'm hoping he stays available when my next pick comes up. We also pick 20th, so there is a chance I get him there, and I thought he had a better chance of falling. Plus pitchers are much riskier, and our top two and five of our top six are already arms. so the addition of a hitter, especially at a weak position in the farm like third, was too hard to pass up.

ayaghmour2 · 02-07-2022, 06:18 PM

2nd Round, 20th Overall: C Eddie Howard
School: St. Joseph
1940: .520/.568/.730, 121 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 27 RBI, SB
Career: .535/.590/.766, 368 PA, 58 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 96 RBI, 17 SB

The pitcher I wanted, Gene Madison, went two picks before us to the Pioneers, so I instead went with one of the better hitters in the pool Eddie Howard. The only similarity he has with first rounder Otto Christian is both were taken by us, as Howard didn't hit a single homer as a freshman or junior, but his .520 average last year was the lowest of his career. OSA loves his hit tool, and projects Howard to hit .330 in the big leagues, and while Tom is a bit less excited, he views his contact as above average. Howard doesn't have a positional rating yet, but both Tom and OSA think he'll be a reliable and sure handed catcher. There is already a good sign as OSA's Dan Barrell thinks Eddie Howard lasted longer then he should. He finished third of all drat eligible batters for average last season and career, behind first rounder Hal Renard and the still available Bob Montgomery, although his career is just last season. Howard also has the added benefit of possibly being a pitcher, and I never pass up on potential two way players. He hasn't pitched for St. Joseph, but OSA thinks he could end up a #2 while Weinstock offers a much more conservative #5. Part of that is velocity, Howard's sinker sits in the 83-85 range, but he gets good downward movement on it and creates a lot of groundballs. His change is very promising and his slider isn't too shabby, but both offerings are very far from their ceiling. He's a bit of a project on the mound, but since catchers have frequent off days, he may get the occasional start or relief outing to start with. His future is definitely behind the plate, and while we do have Mead their now and Solly waiting in the farm, Howard is three years behind and will probably move up slower as he pitches. It never hurts to have extra catching prospects, especially ones as handy with the bat as Howard, because worst case he can try first or even the outfield.

2nd Round, 29th Overall: LHP Leo Hayden
School: Benicia
1940: .10-1, 103.1 IP, 1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 24 BB, 121 K
Career: .18-3, 207.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 46 BB, 265 K

I didn't get any of the top pitchers on my list, but I'm not disappointed that I ended up with another high schooler in southpaw Leo Hayden. A huge strikeout arm at Benicia, he had a 10.5 K/9 as a sophomore and then boosted it up to 12.5 in 103.1 innings as a junior. Junior year was the best of his two seasons so far, as his wins, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and WAR (5.6) were all personal bests. The towering 6'6'' lefty throws a high 80s fastball, that I'm hoping he'll add velocity to as he ages. He does have three other pitches; a curve, slider, and change, with all decent or better pitches. The change is probably the best, but is curve should be a plus offering as well. Like most youngsters, he may run into command issues, and his 2.1 BB/9 last year wasn't anything special. Still, his command is growing and he carries himself with poise on the mound, and his intimidating presence should help him overperform is talent. Both Weinstock and OSA view him as a back of the rotation arm, but I would not be surprised if the projections improve as he inevitably starts throwing faster. High school pitchers are always risky to bet on, but with the extra second rounder it was a risk I was more then willing to take.

The 2nd Round is now completed, with just the regional round left to finish (hopefully tomorrow). We're getting closer and closer to Spring Training, where Eddie Quinn should be ready to throw again. I'm extremely excited for this season to start, as I think we have all the pieces in place to contend for a championship.

ayaghmour2 · 02-08-2022, 09:48 AM

3rd Round, 45th Overall: SS Jim Dickinson
School: Calumet Catholic
1940: .266/.375/.332, 218 PA, 7 2B, 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 38 SB
Career: .270/.379/.331, 366 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 59 RBI, 72 SB

Not sure it's a good thing, but none of my four regional selections were taken, so I was able to get my #1 choice. In a class deep with top quality shortstops, he won't get mistaken for Gordie Perkins or Billy Bryant, but both my scout and OSA are a fan of the Springfield native Jim Dickinson.
"Speck" is a bit of a light hitter, and also the first college player we'll add to the season. Set to be a three year starter at Calumet Catholic, Dickinson has just two career homers, but he walked 29 times in both seasons compared to just 31 strikeouts. A bit of a groundball hitter, his elite speed should help him beat out hits, but don't expect to see him end up on second very often as he won't hit many extra base hits. He does look to have an average eye too, but his best tool is his glove. He projects to be a defensive marvel at short, and Tom thinks he could force his way into a lineup. OSA is much more bullish, forecasting a big league regular for most of his career, but as long as I get a good eye and good glove from him, I'll be happy with my regional guy.

ayaghmour2 · 02-10-2022, 12:43 PM

Baseball is back! Even if the games are meaningless, the Cougars are back on the field! There is a lot of excitement in camp as the team thinks they'll be competing for a pennant again, even if the way too early preseason predictions are giving us no love. As always, I love stacking the deck for these Spring games, and we will have 56 bodies in camp. I don't expect any NRI's to make the club as our 40 is filled, but we'll get our first look at our two top prospects Donnie and Johnnie Jones, who could get some innings. Below is a complete list of our 1941 Training Camp roster. And as always, * means a guaranteed spot:

RHP Augie Bertrand
RHP Joe Brown*
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Ben Curtin
RHP Grover Donahue
RHP Milt Fritz*
LHP Harl Haines
LHP/LF Al Jones
RHP Donnie Jones
LHP Johnnie Jones
LHP Cal Knight
RHP Jim Lonardo*
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Ray McNeill
RHP Pete Papenfus*
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Eddie Quinn*
LHP Johnny Ruby
RHP Bill Seabolt
RHP Dick Strunk
LHP Rusty Watts
C Diego Bernal
C Harry Mead*
C Claude Ramsey
C Mike Taylor*
1B Ray Ford*
1B Bobby Mills
1B Chris Smith
2B Eddie Curtis
2B Ossie Grogan
2B Billy Hunter*
2B Stu Johnson
2B Freddie Jones*
2B Ollie Page*
3B Bill Dickens
3B John Lawson*
3B Johnny McDowell*
3B Jocko Pollard
SS Jimmy Bach
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider*
LF Dick Earl
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Oscar Panduro
CF Ken Curry
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Carlos Montes*
RF Bobby Bond
RF Alex Ingraham
RF Rich Langton*
RF Cliff Moss
RF Marv Smith
RF Fred Vargas
RF Orlin Yates

We are happy to have both Milt Fritz and Eddie Quinn healthy, giving us an enviable collection of seven quality starting pitchers. Yes, I'm counting Joe Brown, who manager Clyde Meyer actually wants in the 6 spot instead of Quinn. That doesn't bode well for the 34-year-old who spent eight months rehabbing a partially torn UCL, and as things are now, the Caveman is likely starting the season in the pen. Still, I want him and Fritz and to shake off the injury rust and the easiest way to do that is with a strict 6-man. This means Brown will pitch in the pen and the Jones Brothers likely won't start any games. The best news is the emergence of Peter the Heater, who Meyer has leading the rotation, Tom thinks has the highest current and potential ratings in our system, and OSA views as the FABL's 11th best pitcher.

While a lot of guys have spots locked up, we may have to part way with a few prominent players. Barring injuries, 7 of our 9 pitching spots are already filled, meaning at least one of Pug Bryan, Allen Purvis, or Ben Curtin will end up on waivers. They'll also have competition from optionable arms like Cal Knight, Rusty Watts, and Dick Strunk. The bench has a lot of competition too, and I really want to hang on to our Rule-5 pick Ossie Grogan. Sure, the 25-year-old is lazy, but he does currently rank 11th in our system and 139th overall and hits from both sides of the plate. Tom likes his smooth swing and he can play the middle infield well. He'll have to compete with Bobby Mills, Tip Harrison, and Stu Johnson while I can't see myself waiving Ollie Page or Johnny McDowell and Freddie Jones is taking up a bench spot despite getting four or so starts a week at second or short, so bench spots are few and far between. The outfield is crowded with Rich Langton as the 4th outfielder, so I could end up sending Orlin Yates to AAA or waiving Aart MacDonald. I have a lot of roster decisions to make and I'm not really looking forward to them.

ayaghmour2 · 02-11-2022, 06:14 PM

It already happened! We have an injury! And I'm sure you can guess who it is... Billy Hunter! The seemingly always injured former 1st Rounder sprained his knee, and luckily, it's just a day-to-day injury. Of course, I'm not taking any risks, so he's headed to the DL, and will miss 2-3 weeks. That means he should be back for Opening Day, but he does enjoy getting setbacks and there is always the chance he gets hurt again.

The team did okay, 4-3 in our first week, but only four players hit better then .300. One was a surprise, as veteran Freddie Jones had a real nice week, going 3-for-8 with 3 walks. Both Skipper Schneider and Carlos Montes were 4-for-11 with a double and failed steal attempt. Lastly Orlin Yates, who may or may not be a Cougar come Opening Day, was 3-for-9 with a walk and RBI. New addition Cliff Moss had a disappointing first week, just 4-for-20 with an RBI. Leo Mitchell was worse, just 2-for-15 with 6 strikeouts.

The pitching was okay, with each starter making a start with the lone extra going to Peter the Heater. He allowed 6 hits and 4 runs in 8.1 innings, but I was very encouraged by the 8 strikeouts and just 1 walk. I scout him all the time, and for the first time in likely over 100 attempts, he no longer has a negative listed for control! The very recent OSA report agrees to, and I cannot curb my enthusiasm for the young fireballer. Equally impressive may have been the now healthy duo of Fritz and Quinn, who both kept all runners from scoring. Quinn went 4.1 with 4 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts while Fritz got one less out with one less hit. Dick Lyons had a strong outing, 4 innings with 3 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Jim Lonardo was shaky, 5 hits and 2 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts in his four frames. The best start of the week came from Harry Parker, and the now 26-year-old allowed just 2 hits with 3 strikeouts in four shutout innings. Joe Brown was effective out of the pen, recording 2 saves in 5 innings with 6 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Dick Strunk went 4.2 with 4 hits, a run, and 3 strikeouts. Allen Purvis went 3 and allowed just a walk and solo homer.

ayaghmour2 · 02-14-2022, 10:00 AM

It was a solid 4-2 week for the Cougars, and we did it all without any injury lasting more then a week! Ossie Grogan will be day-to-day for a bit with back stiffness, but I'm going to still play him in games. He didn't play since getting hurt on the 28th, but our Rule-5 Pick is 1-for-4 with a double. We will also get John Johnson back for this week, who was dealing with an undisclosed injury he suffered before the Spring, while Billy Hunter continues to rehab his sprained knee. We have had a few NRI not appear in any games in either week, so those were moved down. Not worth keeping them up if they aren't playing.

The offense was bad last week, and a bit rough this week, but we finally had a player with a .400 week. It was just a 4-for-10 for Harry Mead, but still much better then we've seen from anyone so far He doubled, walked twice, and scored three runs as well. Skipper went 5-for-16 with a double, walk, and run. Ray Ford was 4-for-12 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was much better then last week, 4-for-13 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Cliff Moss wasn't great, but his 4-for-15 with a double and RBI were at least respectable. Stu Johnson was 3-for-8 with a run scored. Ollie Page was 2-for-3 with a triple, run, and 3 walks.

Joe Brown pitched in 5 of our 6 games, going 8 innings with 8 hits, a run, 2 wins, 2 saves, and 3 strikeouts. Donnie Jones had two appearances for 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Milt Fritz and Harry Parker both added another 4-inning shutout, 2 hits, 4 walks, and a strikeout for Fritz and just a single hit for Parker. An error cost Peter the Heater a shutout, as he allowed 2 hits, a walk, and an unearned run with a pair of strikeouts. Eddie Quinn was roughed up a but, 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks in 4 innings. Jim Lonardo went 4 with 3 hits and a run. Ben Curtin threw 3 scoreless with a hit, walk, and strikeout.

ayaghmour2 · 02-15-2022, 10:17 AM

It wasn't the greatest week for the Cougars, as we went just 3-4 and fell out of first place. That's not the worst part, as we will be without two Cougars for Opening Day and Billy Hunter's return is now unknown, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy. He'll be joined on the DL by 29-year-old and fellow 1932 draftee Ray Ford, who strained his rib cage muscle and will be day-to-day for the next three weeks. We're hoping his stay will be short, as even in a down year for him, it is hard to replace a .283/.339/.412 (111 OPS+) line who gives you double digit homers and 80+ RBIs. Assuming no setbacks, I think he'll skip a rehab assignment and be back up quickly. In the mean time, Freddie Jones will shift over to first and the injury opens up more playing time (at least temporarily) for Ollie Page and Rich Langton. We are also the second team effected by World War II, as after the Stars saw Dixie Lee get drafted, 25-year-old fireballer Rusty Watts was drafted into the army. He will begin his 12 month tour now, and will be back for Opening Day next year. He probably wasn't going to make camp anyways, but he was very effective in 31.1 innings last year, working to a 1.72 ERA (229 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts.

Jim Lonardo was near perfect this week, making two scoreless four inning starts with just a single walk, strikeout, and hit. Eddie Quinn was a bit less perfect, a hit, 2 walks, and a strikeout in his four frames. Dick Lyons was nowhere near as perfect, 8 hits and 4 runs with 2 strikeouts in his 4 innings. Harry Parker rose his spring ERA to 0.75 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in his 4 inning start. Peter the Heater didn't allow a hit, but walked 4 and struck out 5 in four shutout innings. Milt Fritz went 4 with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. We had good pen outings too, including Harl Haines, who had two appearances with 8 combined innings, allowing 7 hits and a run with 3 strikeouts. Ray McNeill went five and got a win, no hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Pug Bryan went 4 with 2 hits and 3 strikeouts.

Still very little offense, but both Freddie Jones and Aart MacDonald managed to hit over .300. Freddie was 5-for-11 with a double while Aart went 4-for-10 with a triple and homer. Cliff Moss continues his cold start as a Cougar, this week 4-for-19 with 2 runs and 2 walks. Leo Mitchell had a rough week as well, 2-for-12, while Carlos Montes was just 3-for-15. My hope is everyone is just saving their hits for the regular season...

ayaghmour2 · 02-16-2022, 10:01 AM

Probably our worst week in a while, we not only dropped all four games to fall to a three way tie for fourth, but lost Milt Fritz for the next two weeks with a sore elbow. Sure, it makes our roster cuts a little easier, but it sucks seeing Fritz so quickly injured after his torn rotator cuff. Still with an off chance to win 300 games, he enters the season with 178 and has won 12 or more with us in each of his five seasons as a Cougar. And to make matters worse, Billy Hunter still isn't healthy, so it looks like he won't be healthy for Opening Day tomorrow. Since we don't play games until Friday, the one day sim tomorrow could end with a healthy Hunter, but it looks like he won't be ready to break camp with the team.

We didn't hit much this Spring, but the pitching was superb. With a few more innings, Joe Brown would have led the league in ERA, going 2-1 with 5 saves, a 0.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts in a team high 18 innings. Eddie Quinn showed no signs of rust, 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 6 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was even better, 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker's first three starts were dominant, 12 innings with 7 hits, a run, and 5 strikeouts, but he ended up allowing 8 hits and 7 runs against the Stars to ruin his Spring. Peter the Heater was on point and looks to be ready to heat up the FABL, a 2.20 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 6 walks, and 15 strikeouts to his credit. A lot of relievers did really well, including Pug Bryan, who's 6 scoreless innings and Fritz's injury look to have opened a spot for him. Ray McNeil, Harl Haines, and Al Jones all had sub 2 ERAs, while Ben Curtin had 7 shutout innings.

Other then the 1-for-3 Chris Smith, Skipper Schneider was the only Cougar to hit above .300. He slashed .320/.382/.380 with 2 runs scored and driven in. Cliff Moss turned things around towards the end of the week, and finished with a decent .286/.324/.302 line. No homers yet, but he's saving those for the regular season! John Lawson, Carlos Montes, and Harry Mead all hit below .250, with Leo Mitchell hitting that exact mark. They were all at least over .200, which 10 Cougars with 10 or more PAs failed to do. I think they are all saving their hits for the regular season too! Still, Spring games matter very little, and this has done nothing to temper my expectations of an exciting pennant race. Tomorrow I'll announce the Opening Day roster and we'll get a look at the in-game predictions. Jiggs McGee agrees with me that the Cougars will take home the CA title, but Dan Barrell thinks it'll got to Cincinnati. My guess is in game will go Toronto, giving us the three teams likely to lead the pack, and likely end up beating the Miners in the championship!

ayaghmour2 · 02-17-2022, 10:21 AM

Baseball is back! The Cougars are in Chicago, ready to start the season with three games against Montreal. The preseason predictions have them finishing last (62-92), with us (82-72) in third, and the New York Stars (91-63) in first place. We do have a pair of pitchers in the projected tops, with Peter the Heater leading the way and Jim Lonardo taking third. The game thinks Papenfus will go 23-18 with a 3.30 ERA and 259 strikeouts with Lonardo at 23-17 with a 3.28 ERA and 87 strikeouts. Below is our roster to start things off:

RHP Joe Brown
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Ben Curtin
RHP Jim Lonardo
LHP Dick Lyons
RHP Pete Papenfus
RHP Harry Parker
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Eddie Quinn
C Harry Mead
C Mike Taylor
1B Freddie Jones
1B Bobby Mills
2B Ossie Grogan
2B Ollie Page
3B John Lawson
3B Johnny McDowell
SS Skipper Schneider
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Carlos Montes
RF Rich Langton
RF Cliff Moss
RF Orlin Yates

As mentioned, we start the season hosting the Saints for three, who's lineup will be a bit weaker this season. That's because of the Adam Mullins sized hole, as they sent him to the Cannons for a pair of first, two top prospects, and their new catcher Ben Richardson. Yes, that Ben Richardson, who we took in the 15th Round of the 1927 Draft and included with three other prospects to pickup Max Wilder and Russ Combs in the 1929 offseason. Wilder and Combs were a big part of our pennant winning teams while Richardson's 347 FABL games are the most of the guys we gave up. The 31-year-old has hit okay for a catcher, batting .257/.306/.388 (85 OPS+) in parts of six seasons in eight years with the Foresters, Eagles, Dynamos, and Cannons. There are some other new faces, including Ed Jordan, who pushed Red Bond from right to first, and former 2nd Rounder Bob Jennings, a current top 75 prospect. Both are debuting against us, but neither will make up for Mullins' departure. I think this is the perfect series to get us started on the right foot, and I'm hoping we show them exactly who's boss. We also get them again, starting a three game series on Sunday north of the border.

Our homestand is short, as we'll head out to Brooklyn for three games in two days with the Kings. It was a huge offseason for young center fielder Rats McGonigle, as his amazing offseason workout regimen is looking to do wonders for his season. He spent a lot of time building up strength in the gym, shagging fly balls, and hitting in the cage as he looks for a breakout season at 22. Taken 9th Overall in 1939, Rats had his first full season last year and hit .265/.314/.448 (105 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 21 triples, 13 homers, 11 steals, and 61 RBIs. They've also shuffled the lineup around, sending Al Wheeler to the bench with former Gotham Howard Brown Jr. returning to his leadoff spot and manning left field. Frank Lemieux has been moved to the bench, with top 100 prospect Jimmie Field taking over at third. The rotation could be good this year, with Art White looking to follow his 16-12 season, but this is the first season since 1933 that former Cougar Tom Barrell wasn't on the Opening Day roster. They sent him to Pittsburgh in the offseason, and will now fill the rotation with another former Cougar, Jim Crawford. They also have Stumpy Beaman and Danny Goff Jr's brother Jack, and while it's not the best back of the rotation out there, Beaman and Goff have a ton of upside and a 25-year-old Crawford did have a 125 ERA+ on a team that won a ring.

Our farm is still healthy as well, ranked 5th in the league, and we sport three prospects in the top 20 and 9 in the top 101. We also have 44 prospects in the entire top 500, but a fair amount of them are towards the back. Still, we have enviable pitching depth, with the Jones brothers ranked 6th and 13th and the quickly rising Duke Bybee at 19. Last year's first rounder Mel Haynes and 1938 lottery selection Solly Skidmore check in at 34 and 38, providing us a lot of top level talent. I can't see myself moving either of the top three, but Skidmore and Haynes would be enticing headliners if we have to upgrade our roster during the season. Even though I think we'll have an excellent season and compete for a pennant just like last season, even if things go wrong, we have a lot to be excited about and a lot of capable youngsters ready to take big league jobs once our vets age out.

ayaghmour2 · 02-18-2022, 12:40 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 4-3 (4th, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 29 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.089 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .360 AVG, .840 OPS
Harry Mead : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .905 OPS

Schedule
4-15: Win vs Saints (3-5)
4-16: Win vs Saints (3-4)
4-17: Loss vs Saints (7-5)
4-18: Loss at Kings (5-7)
4-19: Win at Kings (6-1)
4-19: Win at Kings (5-4)
4-20: Loss at Saints (1-5)

Recap
It's time to play ball! Our home opener had over 30,000 Cougar fans cheering on the home team as we edged the Saints 5-3 to start the 1941 season. Unfortunately, we had trouble with the Saints, with two of our three losses coming at their hands. These are their only two wins, of course, as the Stars had no problem decimating them by scores of 7-0 and 20-7. Yes, it's still early, but we're already dropping games that we should be winning rather easily. We did sweep the double header in Brooklyn and took two of three from the Kings, but I think we should be 5-2 if not 6-1 based on the teams we played. Good news for us, reigning Whitney Winner John Lawson picked up right where he left off, taking home the CA Player of the Week. The 3-Time Winner went 12-for-29 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 7 RBIs. We'll also have Billy Hunter back, which means Orlin Yates is the odd man out, and the 29-year-old who managers love (despite his lack of work ethic) will head down to Milwaukee. He's more then capable of starting in the big leagues, but I don't want to let Rule-5 Pick Ossie Grogan go and I can't option Aart MacDonald. Carlos Montes is now dealing with a twisted ankle, but he should only miss three more days, giving Aart a few starts that would have gone to Yates. I still have to eventually make room for Ray Ford, and I can already see Bobby Mills and Johnny McDowell start sweating.

The offense did play well, as we put up a lot of runs, despite the ineptness of our corner outfield. Just like Leon Drake last year, Cliff Moss is starting his season off in the worst way possible, going 2-for-16 with a double and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell has somehow been worse, 4-for-26 with a double, and of course, 7 strikeouts. Langton and MacDonald struggled as well, with the pair combining to go 4-for-27 with three runs a piece. On the flip side, Skipper Schneider got off to a nice start, with the 20-year-old going 9-for-25 with 3 doubles and a run scored and driven in. Harry Mead, who has graduated from platoon partner to full time backstop showed he deserves all (well, most, since he's a catcher) the starts, 7-for-21 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones looks like the '39 version and not the '40 version in the very early goings, 7-for-19 with 3 walks and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor and Johnny McDowell looked good in their limited time, 7-for-15 with 4 Taylor RBIs. McDowell won't see much time, but Taylor will still get a few starts each week as he's still a capable starter, it's just Mead has started to hit his prime at 26.

We didn't really pitch well, especially Harry Parker, who tried to replicate his final spring start. Just 1.2 innings instead of 4, but Parker allowed 9 hits and 7 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons pitched like someone in his 40s, and allowed 10 hits and 5 runs with 2 walks and a strikeout in 6 innings. Jim Lonardo got a win and a loss, going 17 total innings with 20 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Peter the Heater won both his starts, and flashed signs of dominance, striking out 19 and walking just 6 in 17 innings pitched. He did allow 16 hits and 7 runs, but he's the only starter in baseball to top Jim Whitley's and Wally Doyle's 11 strikeouts. Eddie Quinn made his case to stay in the rotation, just a single run with 8 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Everyone but Pug got time in the pen, with Allen Purvis allowing just a single hit with a pair of walks and strikeouts in 5.1 innings relieving Parker. Ben Curtin and Joe Brown each allowed a run, with Curtin's coming in 3 frames and Brown's in 2. I expect the pitching to recover, it's just one week after all, but tied for second in runs scored and tied for fifth in runs allowed after a week is the opposite of what I expected.

Looking Ahead
The next two in Montreal should be treated as must win, as I will be very angry if our first series loss of the season comes at the hands of a team who hasn't won 80 games in over a decade. I mentioned Doyle's 11 strikeouts, and all of the came against us. We won't face him again as he won the finale, but the Waco Kid has a nice 1.32 ERA in his 13.2 innings pitched. It looks like we'll see Jake DeYoung and former Cougar farmhand Karl Wallace, their #3 and 4. DeYoung also beat us, but allowed 9 hits and 5 runs with 3 strikeouts in his complete game win. Wallace lost to the Stars and allowed 10 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Whitney runner up Red Bond is off to an expected hot start, slashing .409/.480/.682 (212 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs. He ends a top four of Heinie Billings, Jake Hughes, and Bert Lass, who are all hitting .350 or better. The top of their lineup definitely has to be respected, especially Lass, who's .313/.370/.456 (122 OPS+) line last season was definitely overshadowed by Bond's offensive explosion. If we can keep the top four quiet, I like our chances, but we didn't have much success with that this week. Just like this week, we also finish the week with the Saints, this time at home for just a single game.

We return home after, and will host the Stars for two games. The BNN favorite for winning the pennant, New York is tied with Toronto and Philadelphia at 4-2. The Stars traded former ace George Phillips to the Miners this offseason for Hinsdale native Lew Seals, who I pursued before acquiring Cliff Moss. The 27-year-old doesn't hit for a high average, but slashed .260/.395/.474 (129 OPS+) and .260/.357/.462 (125 OPS+) the past two seasons in Pittsburgh with 38 homers and 157 RBIs. Like Moss, his season hasn't gone as planned, and he's just 2-for-18 in the early going. Dave Trowbridge only got three starts, but was an impressive 6-for-13 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. The longtime face of the Stars may be getting up their in age, but this seems like the season he will pass the baton to the future; Big Bad Billy Barrett. A favorite for the Whitney this year, he's already hitting .375/.429/.542 (165 OPS+) with a homer and 5 RBIs. They made a change at catcher this season, adding former Cougar prospect Joe Rainbow from the Cannons, and placing him behind the plate. He's off to a slow start, hitting .250/.286/.350 (74 OPS+) in his first five games in New York. On the mound, Billy Riley, who we are likely to see, tossed an 8-hit shutout against Montreal and didn't allow an earned run in any of his 16 spring innings. Vern Hubbard seems to have shaken off his tough 1940 season, allowing 5 hits and a run with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in an 8.1 inning win. The Stars are a good team and our first real test of the season, but at home we should be able to get the best of them.

Friday and Saturday will be spent against the Kings, who this time come to Chicago. At 3-4, they actually gave the Stars their only two losses. Jack Goff got one of the wins, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a complete game win. Art White has had some bad luck, losing both to us and the Stars, but working to a respectable 3.31 ERA (109 ERA+) with a 1.41 WHIP, 7 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Frank LeMieux ended up starting at third, and it worked out for Brooklyn as the 27-year-old hit .400/.400/.500 (144 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI. Tiny Tim Hopkins started 4 of his 7 appearances, and was 4-for-14 with a triple, 6 walks, and an RBI. 35-year-old Frank Lightbody has shown some signs of life, and his .450 average is the best in the CA after one week. He's also homered and drove in 6 with a walk and zero strikeouts. I'm hoping we can take both games here as well and I like our chances for another winning week. The Stars will be a tough contest, but home field advantage comes in clutch no matter what team you are, and we seem to love playing in the Windy City.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnnie Jones (AAA Milwaukee Blues): 1940 wasn't a great year for the Patron Saint of Groundballs, as he missed some time with injury and finished just 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1,79 WHIP in AA Mobile. Still, I thought he was ready for AAA, and the 15th ranked prospect seemed to agree. Johnnie Jones was impressive, tossing a 7-hit shutout with 4 walks and 8 strikeouts as the Blues beat Fort Wayne 4-0. The lanky 22-year-old is set to make his big league debut this season, and with more starts like this, it may come before September. Jones is one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game, as he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground with his mid 90s sinker. All four of his pitches have outstanding movement, and while he does have some issues with control, that is something he can grow into. It's early, but seeing a shutout already is very encouraging, and I'm hoping he has a few more of those in what could be his last season in the minors.

RHP Fred Thaxton (A Lincoln Legislators): Going into the season, I had a little bit of a numbers crunch, as all my young pitchers wanted to be in San Jose, and got scared when I tried promoting them to Lincoln. Well, all of them except Fred Thaxton. Despite just 10 starts with San Jose after being selected in the 7th Round last season, I rolled the dice and moved the 22-year-old up to Lincoln. It seems like it was the right call, as the righty did his best and befuddled the Cedar Rapid Chiefs in his first start of the season. Thaxton allowed just 2 hits and walks with 4 strikeouts in a 5-0 shutout victory. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised he was ready for A ball, as our currently ranked 29th prospect was dominant in 76.2 innings there. He went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He's got good stuff and a really nice change, but if there is a knock on Thaxton, it's that he's not the sort of player who comes in early and works his hardest and to him, optional means I don't have to do it. Still, Tom likes his potential and thinks he could be a decent spot starter, and he's already got the stuff to start FABL games.

ayaghmour2 · 02-21-2022, 12:46 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 8-6 (3rd, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 6 BB, 5 K, 0.50 ERA
Cliff Moss : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .346 AVG, .919 OPS
John Lawson : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.030 OPS

Schedule
4-21: Win at Saints (2-0)
4-22: Win at Saints (6-3)
4-23: Loss vs Stars (13-3)
4-24: Loss vs Stars (6-2)
4-25: Win vs Kings (4-6)
4-26: Win vs Kings (1-4)
4-27: Loss vs Saints (4-2)

Recap
It wasn't a great week by any means, but considering what happened around the league with the career ender to the Pioneer's David Abalo and the draft deferments of star level players Bobby Barrell, Mel Carroll, Fred McCormick, and George Cleaves, I think we got out alright. Sure, the Stars smooshed us like they everyone else, but we took two of three from the Saints and swept the Kings in Chicago. Milt Fritz and Ray Ford are both healthy, with Fritz heading to Milwaukee for rehab while Ford will claim the roster spot of Bobby Mills. It hurts cutting Mills, as the 6th Rounder hit .296/.320/.535 (137 OPS+) last season, but Ossie Grogan has much more upside and Johnny McDowell has speed and relative versatility to the more-or-less first base only Mills. He was 5-for-16 this season and I expect him to get claimed by another team, most likely Detroit. With Fritz, I want him to get a few starts as he's coming off a sore elbow, and the last thing I want is to rush him back and he tears another arm ligament. Plus it gives me time to decide if I want to cut Allen Purvis or Pug Bryan, and to see if Quinn or Lyons leaves the rotation.

When they didn't face the Stars, the pitching was much better this week. Harry Parker was superb in his two starts, starting with a 3-hit shutout of the Saints and finishing with a complete game victory against the Kings. He allowed just a single run with 7 hits, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts split between the two starts. Dick Lyons was our other two start starter, picking up a complete game win and loss against Montreal. He allowed 22 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks with just a single strikeout. Eddie Quinn was the unlucky arm in the 13-3 game, allowing 10 hits and 8 runs (7 earned) with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. The other to face the Stars was Peter the Heater, who went 8 with 7 hits, 4 runs, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win, 8 innings with 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The pen had it's issues, with both Allen Purvis and Joe Brown having struggles. Purvis pitched 3 innings and allowed 4 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 4 walks with a strikeout. Joe Brown had a pair of one inning outings, getting a save and allowing 2 hits and 2 runs.

The offense was okay, with John Lawson leading the way yet again. The superstar who should be too old to be drafted went 8-for-21 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Cliff Moss had his first good week as a Cougar, and while still no homers, went 9-for-26 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 6 RBIs. Freddie Jones, who will see his playing time drop a bit with Ray Ford's return, continued his nice start, 6-for-18 with a triple. Billy Hunter had a decent return to the lineup, 7-for-21 with a double and 4 runs scored. Leo Mitchell had another 7 strikeout week, but this time he was 9-for-27 with a double and 7 RBIs.

Looking Ahead
We stay home to start the week, getting our first taste of the Cleveland Foresters. They're 4-9 to start the season and already 7 games out, but even the most devoted Forester fans realized that this is about where they expected to be. After a run of 80 or more wins from 1932-1939, last season they managed just 53 and were rewarded with The Undertaker Hiram Steinberg. Cleveland didn't make many changes to their roster, but they have inserted former 10th Rounder Doc Dorso into the 5 spot in the rotation. The 28-year-old got one relief outing last season, but has made his first two starts this year, 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.74 WHIP, 11 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Still leading the rotation is former Cougar farmhand Dean Astle, who is hoping he can pitch well enough to earn a ticket out of Cleveland. The southpaw is off to a nice start, 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. At the plate, Dan Fowler is off to a scalding start, playing closer to his prime numbers and not his past two season's form. It's just a 37 PA sample size, but the slugger is hitting .414/.541/.655 (221 OPS+) with 2 homers, 8 walks, and 9 RBIs. He hasn't gotten much help, however, as Cleveland ranks 8th in runs scored, average, OBP, slugging, OPS, bWAR, and wOBA. We'll face them four times, and we're guaranteed Astle, so I'm hoping we can take three if not all four of these games to bring us closer to the red hot Stars.

After Cleveland leaves, we welcome in the other Ohio team, the Cincinnati Cannons, for a two game set. Cincy had a tough first week, but bounced back this week and is now 7-6 and a half game behind us. After his breakout last season, Rufus Barrell has been roughed up this season, 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA (49 ERA+), 1.97 WHIP, 6 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We also won't have to worry about new Cannon Adam Mullins, who strained his PCL and likely won't rejoin the team until June. Still, Cincy has a lot of firepower even if their offense is off to a slow start. Moxie Pidgeon and Denny Andrew have started off ice cold, but 25-year-old second basemen Charley McCullough is off to a great start. He's hitting .383/.486/.467 (163 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 10 RBIs. Behind him is the Mouse Fred Galloway, who's hitting an impressive .349/.438/.587 (180 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, steal, and 12 RBIs. Their bullpen has been impressive as well, with Larry Brown, Donnie Scheuermann, and former #1 Overall Pick Vic Carroll all sporting ERAs below 2. Butch Smith has also given them three great starts, 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 8 walks, and 11 strikeouts so far. This is a very good team, but with home field advantage, we may be able to work some magic and pull of a sweep.

We finish the week with the first of three against the Sailors. Like us, they have 8 wins, but since they've been lucky enough to have not one, but two off days (our first comes on the 12th...) already! Dutch Sheldon tore his UCL in Spring Training, so 26-year-old Lee "Lord Byron" Marshall has taken the 5th spot in the rotation. It may be short lived, as the former Rule-5 Pick is 1-1 with an 8.56 ERA (43 ERA+), 2.20 WHIP, 9 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation is solid, as the only other pitcher with a sub 100 ERA+ is the reigning Allen Winner Walt Wells, who is still 2-0 with a 3.92 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The offense has a new face, with Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills winning the left field job. It's just 19 PAs, but he's hit a strong .333/.474/.600 (188 OPS+) with a double, homer, and 2 RBIs. The real surprise, however, has been leadoff man Don Homer, who's hitting a superb .400/.426/.511 (152 OPS+) with a double, steal, two triples, and 3 RBIs. We'll get more on them tomorrow, but I'm hoping we can start the series with a win so a split will all we need to start next week.

Minor League Report
RHP Ray McNeill (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I debated protecting McNeill in the offseason as he was eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, but I decided against it and he was left unselected. If he keeps pitching like he has to start the season, I may have to protect him. His first start was a complete game win with 9 hits, 2 runs, and 5 strikeouts against the Indianapolis Hoosiers. The second time around was even better, as he allowed just 4 hits with 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Yes, it's a small sample, but much better then his 9 starts with Milwaukee last season. He went 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. McNeill isn't a very hard thrower, sitting in the 85-87 range, but he has six pitches he's able to mix together pretty well. His control is better then average, but he's done a good job striking out a lot of hitters despite not being able to overpower many hitters. With Harl Haines as the next man up and the eventual return of Milt Fritz, there are a lot of starters in line ahead of him in case of more injury. He may end up just a spot starter, but he's shown the ability to pitch deep into games and soak up innings when ended.

2B Eddie Curtis (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite not getting an at bat above A ball before this season, I added Eddie Curtis to the 40 as he would have been eligible for the Rule-5 Draft. His season didn't start great, but he was outstanding in the Commodores 11-4 win over the Chattanooga Reliables. The 23-year-old went 5-for-5 with a run scored and four driven in. The 7th Rounder has hit .304/.373/.413 (105 OPS+) in 11 games so far. "Slick Eddie" may just end up as a versatile bench bat, but Tom thinks he can develop into a .330 hitter while being a capable defender at second, third, short, left, and right. I think his best position will be second, but with Billy Hunter there for the foreseeable, it might be tough for him to find every day playing time.

RHP Bob Leonard (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a weird career for the former 11th Rounder, who my scouts and managers who have thought should start, while I haven't given him many starts. Well, we were a bit desperate for low minors starters, so I decided to go with the 25-year-old. He's probably ready for a harder challenge, but we have seven starters in Mobile and seven more in Lincoln, so he's stuck here for the time being. But if he keeps pitching like he did in his most recent game, it may be a bit tough to keep him down. It was just his sixth minor league start, but he tossed a 4-hit shutout against with 4 strikeouts against the Fresno Falcons. One of the most hardworking members of our system, Leonard has definitely earned more starts, but he doesn't quite have the upside you look for in low minors pitchers. He sits in the 88-90 range and features five pitches, with the best an average changeup. He does have good control and is able to miss a lot of bats, while walking just 5 in 51.2 innings while striking out 35. He's got a tough path to fulfilling his dream as a big league pitcher, but he'll always be useful minor league depth.

1B Adolph Jacobson (B San Jose Cougars): One of the three useless lottery picks (the other, Solly Skidmore of course), Adolph Jacobson finally made his way up to San Jose, and this week he had a huge power filled surge that was as unexpected as ever. It was good enough for a Player of the Week, as Jacobson went 13-for-29 with 4 homers, 7 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. This increased his season line to an impressive .280/.345/.680 (183 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 walks, and 7 RBIs. The 21-year-old did hit 16 homers last season in La Crosse with his .274/.339/.517 (120 OPS+), so his bat could be developing into something more. Tom thinks he could be an average enough contact hitter, and OSA likes his combination of bat speed and barrel control. He's got a lot of talented players blocking his path, plus he's not quite an ideal personality in the clubhouse, so the deck may be stacked against him.

ayaghmour2 · 02-22-2022, 12:48 PM

Weekly Record:6-1
Seasonal Record: 14-7 (2nd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 18 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .692 AVG, 1.753 OPS
Freddie Jones : 14 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .714 AVG, 1.622 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .300 AVG, .897 OPS

Schedule
4-28: Win vs Foresters (7-9)
4-29: Win vs Foresters (3-5)
4-30: Win vs Foresters (2-4)
5-1: Win vs Foresters (1-9)
5-2: Loss vs Cannons (6-2)
5-3: Win vs Cannons (5-6): 10 innings
5-4: Win vs Sailors (4-7)

Recap
Hey, hey, hey! I can get used to this! The home cooking was wonderful, and the Cougars ran off a wonderful 6-1 week! Yes, four of the wins came against the 5-15 Foresters, and yes, five of the wins we won by three or less ones, but hey! A 6-1 week! And we didn't lose in regulation! The CA looks a lot different then last season, as the parity is already starting to fall apart. Other then us and the 15-4 Stars, no other CA team has a winning record and only the Kings have joined us with double digit wins.

The offense exploded this week, and even though his ended with a sore back (and he'll miss a game this week), Ray Ford came back with a vengeance and took home Player of the Week. He slashed a well beyond elite .692/.714/.1.038 (385 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, steal, 2 walks, and 7 RBIs. He didn't strike out while being worth a full win above replacement. His week was actually matched by Freddie Jones, who hit .714/.765/.857 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs. They had a lot of help, including from Cliff Moss, who was 7-for-22 with a triple, 4 runs, 4 walks, and his first Cougar homer. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 6 RBIs. John Lawson showed his power, 9-for-30 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 8 RBIs. Leo Mitchell struck out just 5 times instead of 7, while going 7-for-21 with a double and RBI. Part-timers Mike Taylor and Rich Langton got into the fun too, 7-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Sure, Harry Mead, Carlos Montes, and Billy Hunter didn't produce too much, but with how the rest of the team carried the load it really didn't matter.

The pitching wasn't great, but Harry Parker was. He tossed another complete game win, this time with 4 hits, a run, walk, and 6 strikeouts. His first start of the season was terrible, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs without getting out of the second, but in the three complete game victories since ,he allowed just 10 hits and 2 runs with 11 strikeouts in. Jim Lonardo picked up a complete game victory, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs with a pair of strikeouts. Dick Lyons pitched fine, but got the loss, 8 innings with 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Eddie Quinn made a pair of starts, but neither were that great. He allowed 16 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), and 10 walks with 4 strikeouts in what could be two of his last starts as a Cougar. Milt Fritz will be back next week, so unless Quinn tosses a gem and Lyons' arm falls apart, Quinn may move to the pen. Peter the Heater was our other two start starter, and while the outings weren't great, he did pick up a pair of wins. He allowed 15 hits and 7 runs with 8 walks and 18 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. The fireballer now has 45 strikeouts, 20 more then Rusty Petrick and Wally Doyle, who are tied for second in the FABL. The inning eater fireballer has already thrown 714 pitches in his 5 starts, averaging 142.8 pitches per outing. His ERA is a bit higher then we'd like (3.86, 94), but it's hard to get mad at a 4-1 pitcher with modern day strikeout numbers.

Looking Ahead
We took the opener already, and now have two more games with the Sailors. Philly is tied for third and 9-9, and are looking to move longtime first basemen Dick Walker. He's never had a season with an OPS+ below 90, and all but 1934 were above 100, but the 34-year-old is hitting just .228/.371/.246 (68 OPS+) with a double, 5 RBIs, and 13 walks. Bob Smith is hitting above .400, slashing .408/.482/.551 (176 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 6 walks, and 6 RBIs. Don Homer's line has slumped a bit, but his .355/.394/.516 (142 OPS+) line is still impressive. They really don't have many holes in their lineup, but the rest of the lineup can be navigated through. Their rotation has four of five pitchers with ERA+s of 100 or better, with Doc Newell sort of looking like his old self. The 33-year-old is an unlucky 0-2, but with a 3.12 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Herb Flynn is having a nice bounce back season, 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 9 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It will be a tough series for us, but we're red hot right now and I'm hoping we can keep riding it out.

Our homestand ends with two games hosting the Wolves, who are off to a slow start at 8-10. I also think they're going to get the unlucky news that Fred McCormick's deferral was denied, but the 31-year-old is hitting a not-so-McCormick-like .239/.345/.352 (87 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a homer, 2 steals, and 7 RBIs. They have seen a return for Walt Pack, who's hitting a solid .316/.366/.434 (114 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBIs. The offense has struggled, with Levi Redding, Reginald Westfall, Tom Frederick, Charlie Artuso, and Clarence Howerton are all hitting below .240. I can't see that continuing for the middle three, but the team has been really cold and it's spread to the pitching too. Joe Hancock has had a terrible start, 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA (57 ERA+), 1.82 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Same goes for George Garrison, who's a bit better at 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Luckily it hasn't spread to Bernie Johnson, who is an unlucky 2-2 despite his 1.57 ERA (240 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Chick Wirtz has done great as well, 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, and 5 walks and strikeouts. I'm hoping their struggles will continue a little longer, but they are definitely a team to be respected.

The week ends with our toughest series of the season yet, three games in New York with the supernova-ing Stars. At 15-4, they've had their way with the entire league, and are the only team to give us consecutive losses on the season. The pitching is great, the hitting is great, and the defense is great, and other then catcher, they don't really have a weakness. Bill Barrett is absolutely destroying baseballs, slashing .390/.449/.727 (218 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 8 homers, and 23 RBIs. Dave Trowbridge is showing 42 isn't too old for being a good hitter, slashing .418/.458/.507 (164 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs. Clark Car has cooled off a bit, but his .339/.364/.500 (134 OPS+) line is still well above average. The pitching is incomparable, with the highest ERA on the staff Lou Robertson's 3.04. Vern Hubbard has somehow been the best pitcher in the game, 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA (255 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 15 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Billy Riley has done great atop the rotation, 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 6 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Chuck Cole is a similar 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 9 walks, and 12 strikeouts while Chris Clarke is 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. This is a big test for us, as a bad series could drop us in a hole too deep to dig out of while a good series could put us in first for the first time this season.

Minor League Report
RF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): La Crosse has had an excellent season already, now 13-4 and leading the UMVA, but there are very few games they've played with a 16-1 domination over Rock Island. Leo Davis was a huge part of that, going 5-for-5 with a double, homer, walk, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. That launched his .222/.294/.244 line to .300/.368/.400, and he finished the week with a nice .294/.364/.441 (118 OPS+) split. He's added 3 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 4 steals, and 13 RBIs. Our 8th Rounder last season, the 22-year-old will look to earn a promotion after our draft, and he's shown elite defense out in right field. His contact skills are a bit below average, but with his speed he can beat out a ton of ground balls and wreck havoc on the basepaths. He profiles more as of a 4th outfielder, but we're hoping we can get the most out of him.

RHP Mel Haynes (C La Crosse Lions): He keeps bouncing up and down the prospect lists, but in my mind, nothing has really changed. Currently 7th in our system and 80th overall, Haynes has been flat out dominant in his first three starts. The third was top notch, allowing just 3 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in a complete game win over, you guessed it, Rock Island. That improved his season record to 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA (284 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 26 innings. He's also gotten some time at first, and has hit .346/.469/.423 (143 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 6 walks. If he keeps pitching and hitting like this I can see him finishing his season in San Jose, but I don't want to rush the talented teen. I think his future is on the mound, but he's a decent enough hitter too. He projects to hit over .300 and has great pitch recognition skills. On the mound he's much more exciting, with a quality four pitch repertoire. His best may be his sinker, an 89-91 pitch that allows him to generate a ton of groundballs. His change may end up better, as it could turn into a really tough pitch to hit. He should be able to record a bunch of strikeouts, but control may end up an issue. I think Haynes could develop into a mid-rotation arm with the chance to fill out at the top, but his upside is immense.

RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): It wasn't against Rock Island, but Harry Stewart took his dominance out on the Marshalltown Kings. The 18-year-old allowed just 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 4 walks in a complete game win. He's been outstanding in each of his three starts, 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA (569 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 8 walks, and 6 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He doesn't turn 19 until the end of May, and has started throwing 91-93 this season. He has a nice four pitch mix, led with a filthy change and nice fastball. His curve and splitter could develop into decent pitches, and he can flat out dominate when he's finding the zone. Like many others, his control problems may stop him from reaching his potential, but he has the upside to fill out a big league rotation. Last year's 5th Rounder ranks 13th in our system and 151st overall, and I think he'll end up a top 100 prospect before graduating off the lists. He's a skinny righty who may end up throwing a bit harder as he ages, and I'm excited to see what he turns into.

ayaghmour2 · 02-22-2022, 11:12 PM

Dick Walker has always been a player I've been fascinated with. Sure, he's 34 now, but this is a guy who from 1929 to 1940 only had one season with a sub 100 OPS+ and has double the walks (1,186) to strikeouts (521). Add in the ten seasons with double digit homers and 12 seasons with double digit steals, and you have a really interesting and unorthodox first basemen. Since debuting in 1928, the lefty has hit an impressive .281/.382/.443 (117 OPS+) with 323 doubles, 209 triples, 135 homers, 298 steals, and 953 RBIs. His player page is filled with black ink, leading the CA in walks in 1931 (115), 1932 (89), 1933 (97), 1935 (112), 1938 (109), and 1939 (126), steals in 1931 (27), 1932 (25), 1934 (30), 1938 (33), and 1939 (27), and while not as impressive, plate appearances in 1931 (711). He's been remarkably durable too, 140 or more games in each season since 1930 excluding his 137 in 1937, and he's been worth 52.2 wins above replacement for the Sailors. And now he's a Chicago Cougar.

Sure, he's starting to see some effects of age this season, but Walker did hit .257/.374/.442 (119 OPS+) last season with 25 doubles, 16 triples, 14 homers, 17 steals, and 72 RBIs with nearly double the walks (101) as strikeouts (62). And yes, he doesn't really have an open lineup spot, with Ray Ford at first, but he's already shown that he gets injured more then he should. And yes, I have Freddie Jones to backup first when Ford is gone, but what are the odds him and Billy Hunter stay healthy by the end of the month, let alone all season? And with a team who almost never has anyone good at stealing bases, who wouldn't want some one who hasn't been caught stealing more then he's stolen since he was just 22! Our only real base stealer is Carlos Montes, and he's been caught (39) more often then he's succeeded (39), and no one else last season stole more then five bases and was caught less then they stole. Plus, with Ford as a righty, Walker can give him a few days off against tough righties, and if I want to get creative, I can also use Walker if I want to give Leo Mitchell a day off against lefties, with Ford moving to left. Walker is basically league average against lefties, hitting .268/.351/.400 (98 OPS+) for his career, while Mitchell, albeit, in a small sample, is just .204/.222/.229 (26 OPS+) this season. His plate discipline is almost unmatched as well, and we haven't had an 100 walk hitter since Dibblee hit the century mark in 1927. In fact, we had just three hitters reach 50 last season, with Montes leading the way with 52.

To make room for him, I will have to cut Ossie Grogan, but since Grogan was formerly a Sailor, I worked him in the deal as well. He will become optionable (although I'm pretty sure he'll take up a 40 spot), as we send minor league infielders Vince Conforti and Jim McCarthy to Philly for the pair. McCarthy does rank as our 20th best prospect, but I have Jocko Pollard ahead of him for third basemen and Billy Hunter is looking more and more likely to become our third basemen of the future, so McCarthy didn't really have the easiest path to the big leagues. Walker really improves our depth and adds a solid influence to the clubhouse while not costing us too much. And of course, I'm always partial to players I like, and Walker is someone I've been a fan of (and he's appeared in a decent amount of our writeups) and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add him to the roster. I'm hoping the change of scenery can do him well, and when Ray Ford has injury #11, I don't think we'll miss a beat with Walker. His All-Star days are behind him, but he's definitely better then the depth we'd be able to pluck off the waiver wire.

ayaghmour2 · 02-23-2022, 07:08 PM

Weekly Record:5-2
Seasonal Record: 19-9 (2nd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.048 OPS
Freddie Jones : 13 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.115 OPS
Billy Hunter : 17 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .412 AVG, .941 OPS

Schedule
5-5: Win vs Sailors (6-7): 10 innings
5-6: Win vs Sailors (2-3): 11 innings
5-7: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
5-8: Win vs Wolves (3-4)
5-9: Loss at Stars (1-2)
5-10: Win vs Stars (7-4)
5-11: Loss vs Stars (3-5)

Recap
We swept the Sailors and swept the Wolves, but when we went to New York the Stars took two of three from us. They lost a game earlier in the week, so we're still two out of first, and the two of us are separating ourselves from the pack early on. The three one run wins are a little concerning, but considering were just as close to our 20th win as out 10th loss, it's really hard to complain about what's going on. Well, I guess I can complain about the injuries, as Billy Hunter is hurt again! He sprained his knee again, but instead of almost a month, we're thinking he'll just miss 1-2 weeks. This was a great week for Hunter, as he was 7-for-17 with 2 doubles and RBIs, and the 26-year-old has hit .328/.361/.431 (115 OPS+) in the early goings. Lucky for us, his replacement will be Freddie Jones, who is slashing .453/.514/.547 (189 OPS+) in 72 PAs thusfar.

Jones only made three starts this week, but was 6-for-13 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He'll get most of the starts at the keystone, with Ollie Page filling in a few times a week to keep Jones healthy. John Lawson had himself another nice week, 9-for-24 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Rich Langton did good in limited time, 4-for-11 with a double, triple, and 5 RBIs. Carlos Montes went 7-for-24 with a double, 3 runs, 5 walks, and 2 RBIs. The rest of the lineup didn't do much, but while Leo Mitchell went just 7-for-28 (with 7 strikeouts...), he did homer and drive in 5. Johnny McDowell was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, run, and RBI in three pinch hit opportunities. Dick Walker will join the roster this week, and since Hunter got hurt, Stu Johnson will stick around and fill out the bench. Meyer wants Walker to get starts against righties and Ford against lefties, and while I won't leave Ford on the bench for all righties, I do think Walker will get a decent amount of time there.

The pitching was solid, but we got an injury scare with Eddie Quinn. He left his start against the Wolves after just two batters with back tightness, but he won't miss any time. It really hurt him, as it was his last chance to make a case for staying in the rotation, as Milt Fritz will rejoin the team. Quinn struggles in 31 innings so far, working to a 4.94 ERA (77 ERA+) and 1.61 WHIP with 16 walks and 9 strikeouts. To make room for Fritz, I'll be letting to of the 38-year-old Allen Purvis, who has managed to keep a roster spot since we claimed him off waivers way back in 1935. He's done well this season, 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 10 walks, and 4 strikeouts, but I can't bring myself to cut Pug, Joe Brown has a ton of upside as a starter, and Ben Curtin is a leader and popular clubhouse figure. Purvis ended up pitching more innings for us (387.2) then any other team, and was 24-24 with 12 saves, a 3.74 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 161 walks, and 124 strikeouts. For his career, he's 43-54 with 19 saves, a 4.27 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 318 walks, and 254 strikeouts.

The only starter who really struggled this week was Jim Lonardo, who picked up two wins and improved to 5-1 on the season. He had a 10 inning complete game win to start the week and pitched 7 innings in our win against the Stars. Still, he allowed 23 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. Harry Parker was our other two start starter, winning one and losing one. He tallied 19 innings with 15 hits, 7 runs, 8 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Peter the Heater was outdueled by Chuck Cole, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8 innings. Dick Lyons had a brilliant outing, 8 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in a complete game win over Toronto. The off day to start the week should really help refresh the staff as we head on a long road trip.

Looking Ahead
It took 28 days before our first off day, but the red hot Cougars will get a day to rest and recuperate before heading on the road. Our first stop should be the easiest, a pair of games with the struggling Foresters. As it's set now, we're looking at facing two former Cougars in Ben Turner and Dean Astle, although to be fair, four of the five Foresters rotation members have spent time in our organization. Turner has been unlucky, 0-3 despite a respectable 3.79 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 13 walks, and 8 strikeouts in his five starts. Astle has been okay, 2-4 with an adjusted league average 3.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts. The Foresters did get some good news recently, as Mel Carrol's deferment was accepted, so the Foresters will not lose him like the Wolves lost Fred McCormick. The 29-year-old known as the Harborcreek Hustler could end up being a hot commodity around the trade deadline, and he's hitting .320/.343/.526 (124 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 13 RBIs. He hasn't had much help in the lineup, with the only other above average hitters behind him in Bill Moore and Dan Fowler. Both are hitting .300, but Fowler has 4 homers and 12 RBIs and a very impressive 146 OPS+ compared to Moore's 2, 13, and 119. 25-year-old catcher Ken Vance seemed poised for a big breakout season, but the switch hitter has been ice cold, hitting a pitiful .173/.195/.213 (7 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 7 RBIs. A lot of it is bad luck as he's struck out in only 3 of his 80 plate appearances, but he has not been able to find the outfield grass very often. If both teams keep playing like they have all season, we should have no issues, and with a little luck, this could push us into first place.

Next stop is Philadelphia for three with the Sailors, so Dick Walker will get to face his old team almost immediately. Philly has struggled early on, 10-14 and already 9 games behind New York. As a whole, the team hasn't hit much, but Bob Smith had a decent week and is hitting .397/.468/.529 (160 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. No word on who will replace Walker in the lineup, but there is a chance former 7th Overall Pick and top prospect Marion Boismenu will man first. A natural third basemen, he has experience at first as well, and has hit .353/.389/.353 (95 OPS+) in limited time. Another option could be their top prospect Johnny Zeidman, another third basemen, who ranks 18th in the league. He has a bit of experience at first too, and has hit .274/.378/.389 (104 OPS+) in 24 games with AAA San Francisco. They'll need some sort of a jolt to the lineup, with the generally reliable Joe Watson, Woody Stone, Jim Beard, and Rip Lee all enduring below average seasons at the plate. The pitching has been hit hard lately, with Herb Flynn, Doc Newell, and Chuck Murphy all seeing their ERAs jump. Lee Marshall was moved to the pen with the fragile Ray McCarthy claiming the five spot. He's shown flashes of greatness when healthy, and in 5 relief outings and one start this season he is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts, and a save. Playing on the road is always tough, but I think we have the advantage here and should end up winning another series.

Our week then finishes with the first of three in Cincinnati. The Cannons have had a tough start after an exciting season saw them back in a pennant race for the first time in almost a decade. The early injury to Adam Mullins has been hard to overcome, and they are in seventh at 10-15. The pitching was superb last season, but most of the staff have really struggled this season. The only starter pitching well, at least before Roger Perry's no hitter, is Glenn Payne, who is probably the fourth best pitcher on the staff. The 27-year-old southpaw has pitched well, 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The biggest surprise has been Rufus Barrell, who is 1-3 with a 6.48 ERA (60 ERA+), 1.77 WHIP, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts. They've also had some issues at the plate, with the prolific slugger Moxie Pidgeon hitting just .240/.295/.354 (73 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 17 RBIs. His corner outfield partner Mike Taylor is also having a down season, hitting just .262/.331/.383 (90 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, and 11 RBIs. One guy who isn't struggling is Doc Love, who has been getting some reps in left with Pidgeon spending some time at first. The former Cougar has made just 43 trips to the plate, but is hitting a strong .395/.442/.526 (157 OPS+) with 5 doubles and RBIs. We get the teams with the three worst records in the CA this week, so we should be able to run through our opponents. Still, anything can happen on the road, and the Sailors and Canons both have a lot of talent, so we can't take anything for granted.

Minor League Report
RHP Ira Hawker (B San Jose Cougars): He struggled a bit last season in San Jose, and he started the season with a red arrow here as well, but I decided to push Ira Hawker and let him start the season in San Jose. My gamble has worked out so far, as Hawker improved to 3-2 with a 2-hit shutout as San Jose beat Tacoma 6-0. Hawker has yet to allow more then three earned runs in an outing so far, and owns a 2.20 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 9 walks, and 19 strikeouts. This is a huge jump in production for the 22-year-old, who got a late start to his pitching career. If he keeps this up, we can hopefully have him finish the season in Lincoln, something I didn't expect to happen this quickly. Hawker has added a bit more speed to his fastball, moving from 85-87 to 87-89 this Spring. The more speed he adds, the better pitch this will pair with his plus curve. His slider and change need more work, but both should end up as big league quality pitches. He also does a good job keeping the ball in the park, and turn a double play or two when needed. OSA likes Hawker more then Tom, thinking he could be a decent 5th starter, and the prospect people rank him 12th in our system and 130th overall. He's got a lot of developing left to do, but we may have to start speeding up his process.

RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): His dominant season just keeps on going, as the 18-year-old followed up his 3-hit shutout with a 7-hit shutout. Again on the road, but this time against the Waterloo Chiefs, who we pulverized 16-0 despite them being above .500 and 4.5 games behind the Lions. Stewart has now allowed just 16 hits and a single run in his last three starts, all of which were complete games. I didn't really think he was ready for San Jose, but he's now shaping up to be the next man up if we need an arm in San Jose. Including his 10 starts last season with the Lions, he's now 10-1 with a 3.41 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 30 walks, and 56 strikeouts across 116 innings pitched. I've always been a big fan of Stewart, and I'm hoping he can be a quick riser for a high schooler and if he keeps pitching the way he is, could end up as enticing trade bait if we need to make upgrades in the new future. I think he could end up a middle of the rotation arm, but OSA and Tom think he's more of a spot starter. I think that's a bit low, but he does rank 13th in our system and 157th overall.

ayaghmour2 · 02-24-2022, 06:41 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 21-13 (2nd, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .476 AVG, 1.065 OPS
Cliff Moss : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.162 OPS
John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .890 OPS

Schedule
5-13: Win at Foresters (10-5)
5-14: Win at Foresters (17-9)
5-15: Loss at Sailors (6-8)
5-16: Loss at Sailors (3-5)
5-17: Loss at Sailors (1-9)
5-18: Loss at Sailors (2-4)

Recap
Not really the week we were looking for here... Yes, we swept the Foresters, but we let the Sailors run us right out of town and dropped the first came in Cincy, falling to 3.5. games out of first. We wasted all our runs in the first two games, and another week like this and we may fall out of the race as the Stars have decided losing is overrated. The big league team stayed healthy and we should have Billy Hunter back next week, but we'll need to get things turned around quickly.

One guy who has really struggled so far is Leo Mitchell, who had another tough week and went 5-for-21 with 6 more strikeouts. He's now hitting just .260/.300/.309 (65 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs with the same amount of strikeouts (32) as hits. This is very concerning for the 28-year-old, who has put up OPS+ of 133, 139, 134, and 135 in the past four seasons. I'm sure it's just bad luck more then anything, but he will see some of his at bats against lefties go to Rich Langton instead. Mitchell is hitting just .217/.242/.283 against same side pitchers this year despite a .308/.341/.398 (104 OPS+) measure for his career. Langton, who had a rough season last year, is coming off a 5-for-11 week with a double and 3 RBIs, and pushed his season line up to .340/.411/.440 (130 OPS+).

Despite the bad week, we did have a lot of hitters play well, including new Cougar Dick Walker. It was just 10 PAs, but the lefty was 4-for-9 with a double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Cliff Moss has started to turn a corner, and was 8-for-19 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. Same for Skipper Schneider, who had easily his best week of the season, going 10-for-21 with a double, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. John Lawson was 9-for-25 with 4 doubles, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones went 6-for-18 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Our catching duo did have it's struggles, with Mead and Taylor combining to go 4-for-23 with a Mead double and Taylor triple.

We did not pitch well this week, with just Harry Parker in the rotation not allowing 5 or more earned runs. He did allow 5 runs, just two were unearned, with 13 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in 8 innings. Milt Fritz did not have a nice return to the staff, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks in 6.2 innings. Dick Lyons was ineffective in his start, 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and strikeout in just 3 innings against Cleveland. Jim Lonardo went 7 with 13 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. Pete Papenfus was the lone two start starter, beating Cleveland and losing to Cincinnati. He went 17 innings with 18 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts. The pen had issues too, with Pug Bryan allowing 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Joe Brown saw his ERA rise yet again with 2 hits and a run in his lone inning. After a 2.84 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP in 73 innings last year, his 11 innings this season have seen marks of 7.36 and 1.64. The pitching should come around, but it seems the staff has been very hit or miss in the early goings.

Looking Ahead
We get two more with the Cannons, who after beating us moved up to 14-18 and 9.5 games out of first. There are a lot of options for them to go with in our series, and they announced later in the week former #2 Overall Pick and #5 prospect Bill Sohl will make his big league debut. We won't face him, but he was 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 27 walks, and 21 strikeouts. I expect for us to see Butch Smith, who is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 18 walks, and 23 strikeouts. With Sohl coming up, they may move Vic Carroll, who is the most rested rotation member, to the pen after he allowed 12 hits and 8 runs in his first start after 6 excellent relief outings. If they skip him that would mean Smith and Glenn Payne, who is now 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 17 walks, and 23 strikeouts. The Cannons have scored the third most runs in the league, but the offense hasn't really performed that well. Charley McCullough has done well at the top of the lineup, hitting .316/.414/.368 (108 OPS+) and Mike Taylor rode a hot week and boosted his season line to .285/.346/.431 (104 OPS+). They'll get a nice boost when Adam Mullins returns to the lineup, probably two weeks from now, as he's exponentially better then Buster Farrar and his .224/.319/.296 (63 OPS+) line. These two games are must wins, as we can't afford to let another struggling team stop their struggling against us.

We then finish our road trip with two in Toronto against the Wolves. They're a week in to the year without Fred McCormick, but they improved their record to 14-17 and we'll hope they end up 15-17 after a game with the Stars on the 20th. Replacing McCormick at first is Walt Pack, who is being replaced at third by 25-year-old rookie Ockie Holliday. I actually made a run at Holliday in the offseason, but when Otto Christian fell to us in the draft, I decided it wasn't worth having both. It wasn't a great debut week for Ockie, who went just 6-for-20, but he scored five times and drove in four. Pack is having a much better season himself, hitting a nice .316/.372/.453 (113 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBIs. The Wolves lost their center fielder Levi Redding for 4-5 weeks, which opened a spot for former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales. The Wolves have been unlucky at the plate and on the mound, but they've gotten good production from Larry Vestal and Bernie Johnson. Vestal, who tends to start hot, is hitting .333/.457/.450 (136 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, steal, and 19 RBIs. Johnson has arguably been the best pitcher in the league this season, 4-2 with a 1.58 ERA (257 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 13 walks, and 14 strikeouts. He's carried the staff with the uncharacteristic slumps from Joe Hancock and George Garrison, who have ERAs of 5.65 (72 ERA+) and 4.34 (93 ERA+) respectively. Garrison started slow last season, but Hancock won the 1939 Allen Award and is coming off back-to-back 7+ WAR seasons and has never had an ERA above 4. Toronto is definitely better then their record, but a Wolves team without Fred McCormick doesn't seem like a pennant contender.

Big off day on Friday before what could be the five most important games of the season. That's because we face the New York Stars, who are 4-1 against us. It starts with three in Chicago and then two in New York, and these are huge games that could really make the pennant race less interesting. They already have a 3.5 game lead cushion, and with another series win against us, we could fade away into irrelevance. The biggest catalyst for the Stars success has been William the Conqueror, who has exploded this season and hit a robust .442/.527/.800 (246 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs. And not only has he led them to a league high runs scored, but their staff has allowed the fewest runs. Vern Hubbard went from potentially losing his rotation spot to 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA (293 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 23 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Chuck Cole has followed up his strong 1940 with a better 1941, 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA (199 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Then there is Lou Robertson, who shook off a rough start with 4 straight starts with 2 or fewer earned runs, and is now 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Crazy enough, they traded their best arm last season George Phillips for Lou Seals, and none of those three are the best arm left. That would be 26-year-old Billy Riley, who is 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 12 walks, and 29 strikeouts. The offense does need to be a bit more well rounded, as Joe Angevine and Clark Car have started to slump and Lew Seals and Chink Stickels haven't really gotten it together, but there is a lot of talent in the lineup. Of course, Dave Trowbridge keeps trucking along, hitting .364/.419/.448 (129 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, homer, and 24 RBIs. This series will be a true test of both teams merits, and I know the rest of the league is hoping for an even series so they can keep their playoff hopes alive.

Minor League Report
2B Ossie Grogan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He was 0-for-4 in Chicago, but his first week in Milwaukee, Ossie Grogan was as good as it gets. Taking home Player of the Week, the 25-year-old went 13-for-27 with 4 doubles and 11 RBIs, good for a .481/.533/.630 (218 OPS+) line. It's nice that we were able to get Grogan with Walker, as he's going to get far more playing time with the Blues compared to what he would have with us, as he was behind Hunter, Jones, and Page. One of out top 10, he ranks just outside the top 100 at 117, and at 9th is our first non-top 100 prospect. Sure, the switch hitter is a bit lazy, but he has recognizable upside at the plate after putting up OPS+ of 134 and 152 in AA and AAA last season. He should be able to hit comfortably above .300 with improving pitch recognition skills and a reliable glove at the keystone. Not much power, but he has good speed and does well when he puts the ball in play. Tom is a big fan of Grogan, thinking he has the talent to flourish in a big league role, but I'd even be happy if he is no more then an Ollie Page type player.

RF Sammy Dillon (AA Mobile Commodores): We have a pretty stacked outfield in the upper minors, but that didn't stop Indiana's Sammy Dillon from putting together a remarkable week. The 24-year-old slugger went 10-for-17 with 3 homers, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. This upped his season line to an absurd .344/.517/.766 (229 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 18 RBIs. Dillon missed 4 months last season with a fractured ankle, and I was afraid it would have some impact on his power, but he's shown no signs of deterioration. In 26 games last season he only homered once, and this year he's basically homering each week. A former 4th Rounder, Dillon doesn't rank in the top 500, but this can be very common for slugging corner bats. His offensive prowess is clear, and he projects to hit a lot of homers. His contact tool isn't the greatest, and could limit his value, but he's a patient and selective hitter who can wait out wild pitchers and punish their mistakes. Right now he's stuck behind Oscar Panduro and Fred Vargas for corner bats, and with Bunny Hufford hitting well and a much more exciting prospect, he's not even the next man up. He is Rule-5 eligible now, so we risk losing him if we don't bring him up, but for now he's going to remain in Mobile.

C Solly Skidmore (A Lincoln Legislators): 1940 was an insane season for Solly Skidmore, who hit .388/.437/.581 (163 OPS+) in La Crosse and .395/.437/.566 (159 OPS+) in San Jose, combining 43 doubles, 17 homers, and 108 RBIs. I then pushed the 20-year-old a bit further, having him start the season in Lincoln. He had a bit of a slow start, but he was great against Terre Haute on the 14th, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. He then went 7-for-13 in the next three games and increased his season line to an impressive .353/.395/.437 (129 OPS+). Sure, it's not the astronomical numbers from the year prior, but these are great numbers for a catcher, especially one as young as Solly. His extra base hits have dropped a bit, just 4 doubles and 2 homers with 25 RBIs, but he's walked (9) nearly five times as frequently as he's struck out (2) and he may find himself up in Mobile soon. He projects to be a well above average hitter in the big leagues, with plus-plus contact skills due to his smooth as silk swing. He has a great eye and should continue to walk more then he strikes out in the big leagues, and he is good enough behind the plate with a bat like his. The only question mark is the power, as I'm not sure he'll ever be a double digit home run hitter in the FABL. He's a big guy, 6'3'' 200, which bodes well for his home run hitting, but guys who can slug in the low minors don't always have that success as they age. He is one of the brightest prospects in the game, 21st overall and the top ranked catcher, and while Harry Mead is struggling severely this season, he could potentially be a top-5 catcher. Skidmore is a great fall back option, and with the 6 year age difference, they could coexist like Mead and Taylor are now.

RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): After a dominant 1939 season, Joe Crosby seemed like he was ready to take the league by storm, and work his way up the top prospects list. Unfortunately, 1940 was a nightmare, as he dealt with shoulder tendinitis and finished with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+) and 1.52 WHIP while walking more (48) batters then he struck out (43). I gave him another go in Lincoln, and his 5 starts this season have gone much better. He was a single hit away from a no-hitter in his most recent outing, allowing 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in a complete game win as we slaughtered the Gary Steelman 12-0. That improved the 22-year-old to 3-2 on the season with a 2.04 ERA (183 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, 12 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Crosby put himself back in the top 500, but down to 322 from 132 after the 1939 season. He is throwing a bit harder now, sitting at 90-92 with his fastball, and it should turn into a plus pitch. So should his curve, but right now the slider is looking like an average pitch at best. Command is still a little of an issue, as he consistently has a BB/9 over 3, but I'm hoping we can work him out of his control problems as he continues to move up the ladder. He's not the top prospect he once looked like, but he could end up as a nice swingman option with more upside then the waiver wire vets.

RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): Okay, this is just getting silly now! Stewart bested Waterloo again, this time with 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. He's now thrown three consecutive complete game shutouts and hasn't allowed a run in 34 consecutive innings. He's made 5 starts this year and is a perfect 4-0 with a 0.41 ERA (966 ERA+), 0.89 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 44 near perfect innings. The UMVA league average ERA is 3.84 and the next best qualified pitcher has a 1.60 ERA. He will be promoted to San Jose, but I first have to see if he can keep this streak going any longer! I'm really not sure what's gotten into the 18-year-old (although he'll be 19 on the 21st), as his production has skyrocketed despite his K/9 dropping from 5.3 to 1.8. I'm sure there is some luck involved, as he's getting a lot of balls put in play, and our defense has been really good. I'm not sure how long he'll continue to be effective with a lowered K/9, but it's looking more and more like his ceiling is much higher then spot starter. If he can continue to dominate in the zone like he has, we could have another exciting young pitcher on our hands, and hopefully one with a long big league career.

CF Don Lee (C La Crosse Lions): I remember when I was making my second rounder last season, I was really worried if I made the right pick. My scout absolutely loved Don Lee, ranking him in his top 10th, but OSA wasn't as fond, and he dropped out of the first round. Fast forward to the June portion and he wasn't really present on the Mock Drafts, and panic started to set in a bit. Luckily for us, he was an instant top 200 prospect, and currently ranks 11th in our system and 122nd overall. He was great last season, hitting .289/.411/.481 (132 OPS+), but he's taken it to the next level this season. The 19-year-old had a week to remember, hitting .393 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. This increased his season line to .350/.439/.553 (166 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 23 RBIs. He's also been reliable out in center, with a 1.076 efficiency this season after looking just average last year. I'm not quite ready to move him up, we have a full outfield in San Jose, but I can't imagine staying in La Crosse after the draft. Lee is an extremely hard worker who I expect to continue to improve, but unless we have injury troubles, there's no rush to move him up. He looks to have the most upside in the outfield in our system, and while far from a star, he could be a really reliable center fielder.

ayaghmour2 · 02-25-2022, 07:21 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 25-15 (2nd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Ray Ford : 15 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .667 AVG, 2.173 OPS
Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 12.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-19: Win at Cannons (6-3)
5-20: Loss at Cannons (0-1)
5-21: Win at Wolves (3-1): 12 innings
5-22: Loss at Wolves (0-2)
5-24: Win vs Stars (3-5)
5-25: Win vs Stars (5-6)

Recap
Way to end the week! Sure, it was frustrating to split with the week with the Cannons and Wolves, but we can take some solace in the fact that we won all the games we scored in! Plus, we finally beat the Stars! That brought us within a game of them, and with one more game in Chicago before heading to New York, we can finish the sweep with a tie of first place. We got news on injury, but as one player returns, another leaves. Billy Hunter is back and healthy, but for the first time in his entire career, Jim Lonardo will miss more then three days. The 36-year-old left our 6-5 win against the Stars with a sprained ankle and is likely to miss at least two weeks. Lonardo struggled in it too, 9 hits and 5 runs in 6.1 innings pitched. He hasn't had the greatest season, but he's 5-3 with a 4.11 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 11 walks, and 27 strikeouts. With him leaving the roster, Eddie Quinn will return to the rotation after not getting a single relief outing. I'm hoping Quinn can get back on track as his five starts haven't gone well, but there are definitely worst options for spot starts. Allen Purvis cleared waivers, but since he didn't accept a demotion to Milwaukee, so he'll be the lucky one to replace Lonardo on the roster.

Despite losing Lonardo, and his performance, the pitch was outstanding. Harry Parker continued his outstanding season, winning an extra inning game that never should have gone to extras. An Ollie Page error in the third was the only run the Wolves got, as the inning eater threw a 12-inning, 168 pitch complete game. He allowed just 8 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 5-3 with a 2.53 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 20 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The best parts is the lack of homers, just 4 (0.5 HR/9) on the season after a league high 36 and 30 the past two seasons. Now I don't think he mastered the home run, but I feel like homers are down in the league this season. Still, it looks like someone else will lead the CA in homers this year. Milt Fritz had a much better second start, tossing a complete game win with 7 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Peter the Heater lost the 2-0 game against the Wolves, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 quality innings. Dick Lyons had a good start too, picking up a win with 8 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. I'm hoping we can keep this up as we finish up with the Stars.

The offense really struggled, as we continue to not do both things right, with just our first basemen having above average weeks. Ray Ford took home another Player of the Week, 10-for-15 with 2 walks, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Dick Walker picked up his 2,000th career hit, and despite going just 3-for-15, he walked twice, doubled, homers, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. Somehow, the next best week went to Leo Mitchell, and he was just 4-for-16 with a double. Best part is he only struck out three times, the lowest of a week so far. The middle infield pair of Freddie Jones and Skipper Schneider were ice cold, combining to go 3-for-36 with 4 walks and 3 Skipper RBIs. The 20-year-old is dealing with a huge sophomore slump, hitting just .289/.345/.333 (84 OPS+) with 6 doubles and 17 RBIs. He does have a superb 12-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio and an impressive 5.8 zone rating and 1.088 efficiency at short. I have faith he'll turn things around, as it's tough to get mad at 20-year-old for not dominating big league pitchers. With Hunter back, Skipper may get a day or two off so Freddie Jones can still get some at bats with Hunter sliding over to short. I'm hoping for better production next week, but I'll trade good hitting for consistent 4-2 weeks.

Looking Ahead
One more with the Stars in Chicago before heading to New York for two more. They are just 24-12, playing in four fewer games then we have, which equates to a one game cushion for first. They've still allowed the fewest runs while scoring the most, while Bill Barrett has over half the teams home run output. He dropped below .400, but is still hitting .397/.488/.730 (219 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, and 41 RBIs with an impressive 26-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He did suffer a mild hamstring in the game Lonardo left, but he should be good for the away portion. Him and Trowbridge are the only two hitting above .300, but Chink Stickels has started to improve and brought his line to an above average .285/.380/.380 (102 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs to go with a 21-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. We'll start the series with Lou Robertson before Chuck Cole and Vern Hubbard. Robertson is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 19 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Hubbard suffered his first loss of the season against the Cannons, now 5-1 with a 1.69 ERA (235 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 26 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Cole is now 6-2 with a 2.37 ERA (167 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 17 walks, and 19 strikeouts. All three are very good pitchers and we'll have to be at our best to keep our little run going.

We're off on Thursday, but it won't really feel like it, as it's just before a double header with the Saints. They're currently in the cellar, 14-24 and 11 games out of first. Wally Doyle is having a great season, but the rest of the rotation has really struggled. Ed Baker has been a bit unlucky, but is 2-7 with a 5.50 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 22 walks, and 22 strikeouts. Jake DeYoung has struggled to match his early career numbers, this season 2-5 with a 5.53 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 12 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Jake Hughes hasn't had much success in the field, but the 25-year-old is hitting .382/.429/.551 (153 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs. He's no Red Bond, but that line is technically better then the new first basemen, who is hitting .319/.390/.478 (125 OPS+) with 5 homers and 29 RBIs. They recently traded Gary Carmichael away to the Stars to make room for Mark Burns, who has hit .353/.402/.565 (149 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 21 RBIs. Their lineup isn't bad, but they are not scoring a lot of runs and they've allowed more runs then any team in the league. They've already beat us three times and we can't continue to drop games to them.

It's a short road trip as we return home to Chicago to start a three game series Former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales got a start this week as the Wolves has a lot of games in a row, getting a no decision with 5 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout in 6.1 innings pitched. Another former Cougar prospect Reginald Westfall, who is hitting .299/.379/.468 (119 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 18 RBIs. He's no Fred McCormick, but between him, Walt Pack, and Larry Vestal, they have trio of really solid hitters. Tom Frederick and Charlie Artuso should eventually stop underperforming, but both are outstanding middle infielders so they still provide value when the bat is struggling. I also really hope we don't have to face Bernie Johnson, who's 4-2 with a 1.47 ERA (275 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 15 walks, and 16 strikeouts. Right now him, Walls, and Pomales are the projected starters, but the Wolves will probably return to a five man rotation, so we could really see any of them to finish the week.

Minor League Report
CF Bunny Hufford (AA Mobile Commodores): He may have dropped out of the top 100, but there hasn't been any decline in production from Bunny Hufford. The 23-year-old was a big part of the Commodores 20-8 victory over the Knoxville Knights, going 6-for-7 with 2 doubles and 4 runs scored. This helped him take home Player of the Week, finishing 13-for-26 with a homer and 8 runs scored. He's now appeared in 38 AA games, and is slashing an impressive .372/.429/.510 (141 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 7 steals, and 23 RBIs. He's also made just one error in center, although his .976 efficiency isn't as encouraging. Tom Weinstock is a huge fan of Hufford, expecting him to flourish as a center fielder with above average contact skills and good strike zone recognition. Hufford is extremely fast, leading to a lot of steals and extra base hits, as well as range in the outfield. I don't need to rush him up, but I do think his bat is near big league ready, and he could fill in sooner if injuries pile up.

1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): It's still early, but this season is looking to be a breakout for the 23-year-old from Chicago. Like Hufford, he's fallen a bit in the prospect rankings, but unlike Hufford who is still in our 10 and the top 150, Seagroves dropped to 20 and 262nd. He's done a great job at the plate, however, slashing .362/.440/.586 (178 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 16 RBIs, and 17 walks. He has yet to strikeout in 134 trips to the plate and has only struck out five times in the past two seasons. Easily one of the most disciplined hitters in the system, he always gives outstanding at bats and he should be a consistent .300 hitter in the big leagues. He's played a lot of first base for us since he's tall and we don't have many options there, but I'd be more then comfortable moving him to second if needed. I think he's ready for Mobile, and when one of Billy Hunter or Freddie Jones inevitably get injured, I can see him moving on up.

Amateur Report
it's draft time! A few picks have already been made, including a player I really wanted to take, but we do have a pair of 4ths and 6th and pick 13th in the remaining six rounds. I updated my draft database, but I will also give updates on the four players we already selected:

1st Round, 13th Overall: 3B Otto Christian
School: Walla Walla
Commit School: Red River State
1941: .486/.545/.972, 123 PA, 13 2B, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .473/.534/.979, 498 PA, 47 2B, 4 3B, 53 HR, 166 RBI, 24 SB

The Walla Walla Walloper will go down as one of the most prestigious power hitters of the non-feeder era, adding 13 homers to his career total. He finished with 53 homers and 166 RBIs, and hit for his highest average and second highest OBP as a high schooler. Tom isn't as big of a fan of him now as he was back in January, but I have absolutely no regrets on this pick. Despite what he's shown, John Lawson won't be able to play forever, and Otto has the power to potentially impact the game. If he pans out, he could easily be the greatest power hitting Cougar and potentially one of the all time great sluggers. His contact tool is really just average, but with his power, expect a lot of scared pitchers pitching around him, leading to a pile of walks. I wouldn't be surprised if he has to deal with strikeouts his whole career, as power usually comes with a lot of them, but he can change the game with one swing of the bat. He should also be a decent defender at third. It would be cool if we were able to go from Hall of Fame third basemen to another, and I'm hoping Lawson can help mentor Christian once he's big league ready. The mock only lists him as a second rounder, but I don't think there is a single hitter with as much upside as he boasts.

2nd Round, 20th Overall: C Eddie Howard
School: St. Joseph
Commit School: Cumberland University
1941: .510/.574/.820, 118 PA, 20 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .529/.586/.779, 486 PA, 78 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 126 RBI, 20 SB

He didn't hit 13 homers like Otto, but Eddie Howard had a career high 3 in his fourth consecutive .500 season at St. Joseph. .510 was actually his lowest mark, as he was never able to match the .551/.611/.847 line, but his OBP and slugging were improved from last season. He'll be 18 in a week, and takes the final spot in the initial Mock top 10. He has well above average contact potential and has shown a lot of promise defensively behind the plate. He's got a good eye and could eventually draw 50 walks a season, and he has all the tools to get on base a lot and not strike out too much. He's a really raw prospect with a lot of upside, but it could be a long trek up the system. He's not quite blocked by Solly Skidmore, as he's already in A ball and could finish the season in AA, but eventually Skidmore will get in his way. Depending on how Howard develops, he could push himself in front, or end up as trade bait for a future upgrade. We recently had a huge surplus of top quality catching prospects, and while Skidmore is no longer the only top 50 backstop, there are only 7 in the top 150. and 4 of the top 9 catching prospects are Keystones, so there could be a lot of interest for an exciting young catcher.

2nd Round, 29th Overall: LHP Leo Hayden
School: Benicia
Commit School: Redwood University
1941: 8-0, 82.2 IP, 0.76 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 13 BB, 136 K
Career: .18-3, 207.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 46 BB, 265 K

In hindsight, I with this pick would have been Lazaro Deleon, but that's not to say Leo Hayden is not a quality pitching prospect. He is one of just ten pitchers in the initial mock, and he ranks 6th, right behind "El Mago". He did start a career low 12 games as a senior, but the 6'6'' southpaw was dominant. He was a perfect 8-0 with a career best in ERA, WHIP, BB/9 (1.4), and K/9 while matching his 5.6 WAR from last season in about 20 fewer innings. Just three eligible pitchers had a lower ERA then Hayden this season, and if I passed on him, I imagine he would have been one of the first pitchers selected this Summer. He's an intimidating mound presence, with his fastball currently in the high 80s. He features a curve, slider, and change too, with the curve the best pitch. At times it is unhittable, and he should be able to strike out a ton of batters in affiliated ball. He did limit concern about his command with a huge drop in walks, but he may end up giving up a few more homers then he should as he'll occasionally hang a change or slider. OSA thinks all his skills are plus, Tom thinks he'll fill the back of a rotation, and I think he could end up as a similar pitcher to Harry Parker. Hayden should really help keep our pitching depth in the low minors up, giving La Crosse another extremely valuable arm.

3rd Round, 45th Overall: SS Jim Dickinson
School: Calumet Catholic
1941: .270/.373/.344, 255 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 38 SB
Career: .270/.377/.336, 687 PA, 20 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 96 RBI

It's looking like I hit with my regional pick this year, as the mock actually has Jim Dickinson as the projected 13th Pick, where we took Otto Christian. "Speck" is the only college player we took, and he hit a decent .270/.373/.344 leading the Calumet Catholic lineup in one of the toughest college leagues. 1941 was the first season the Springfield native managed more then a single homer, and he set career bests in doubles, triples, RBIs, and walks while matching his top steal total. He's gotten time at second and third as well as short, but Tom thinks he's a defensive marvel there. He has great speed and can get to balls hit all around the shortstop position, and OSA shares Tom's love of his defense. He has good plate vision, but I don't see him hitting for much power or even a very high average. Expect a lot of grounders from him, but he has the speed to beat out the slow rollers and avoid double plays. He lacks star power, but reminds me a lot of former Cougar first rounder Hal Wood. At 22, he could rise up the system quick, and I could see him and Jimmie James eventually getting used to each other as double play partners in the minors.

ayaghmour2 · 02-26-2022, 02:13 PM

When my first 4th came up, I made a gamble. There was a guy I really wanted (after my top three were already gone), but the Cannons approached me with a very enticing trade offer. They had their eye on a pair of outfielders, and when one of them was there at my pick, they offered a cornucopia of picks; the 11th Pick in the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th, as well as the 9th pick in the 10th Round. I absolutely love making draft picks, as their GM knows, and it was an offer I couldn't refuse. There are always a lot of players I want to draft, and we basically doubled our remaining picks while still remaining in the 4th Round. And sure enough, the guy I wanted at 8 was still there at 13!

4th Round, 61st Overall: LF Huck Hanes
School: Ferguson
1941: .311/.374/.439, 238 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI
Career: .311/.374/.439, 238 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI

He just started one season at Ferguson, but it was strong enough that the Mock Draft actually ranked Huck Hanes as the second best player in the draft, behind only Ernie Grout, an 18-year-old who went 7th overall and Tom Weinstock describes as a "potential elite left fielder." Now I won't claim our new 22-year-old is elite, but Tom thinks he is a top level talent, and I absolutely love this kid's bat. Usually I shy away from corner bats early on, but the pitchers I really wanted were gone, and a few of the next group should still be available for my 5th Rounder. Hanes looks to be a very develop prospect, potentially starting with us in A ball or even AA, and could be a quick riser up the system. He's got a great swing and should hit for a high average, and his eye is above average as well. He gives Doc Love vibes, just from the right side of the plate, and even if his defense is never that great, he's still capable in a corner. I'm not worried about Leo Mitchell's slump this season, but he is getting up there, now 28-years-old and they can coexist as Mitchell is a lefty. This could ease Hanes into a big league role, starting strictly against lefties before eventually taking the job. The only weakness is the power, he's more of a ground ball hitter and I can't really see him hitting any more then 10 in a season, but he should more then make up for it with extra base hits. It's not a flashy, high-upside pick, but Hanes is a nice add to our system that doesn't have too many corner bats.

01-31-2022, 06:44 PM	#721
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 21-25 SS Bill Graham (282nd Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1938) Drafted: 4th Round, 59th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs He took a bit of a tumble in the prospect rankings, leaving the top 125 and falling all the way down to 282 at the end of the season, but it's not like Bill Graham had a bad season. He started the season in San Jose, where he hit .295/.361/.502 (118 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 8 homers, and 46 RBIs across 338 plate appearances. He then finished the season with 155 PAs up in Lincoln, while hitting a decent .269/.357/.408 (108 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 21 RBIs. These are good numbers at the plate for an excellent defender, as Graham had a superb 16.3 zone rating and 1.140 efficiency with the Cougars at third and a 6.9 zone rating and 1.065 efficiency at short with the Legislators. Now 23, Graham is a bit on the older side, and I hope he can finish next season in Mobile as we can't have him stall out in the lower minors. His glove helps give him value even if his bat doesn't develop much farther, as he won't have much power. He does have an average eye and should be able to draw a lot of walks, but Graham is a bit of light hitter. He profiles more as a bench bat now then a starter, but there is hope that he can still develop into a reliable big leaguer. 1B Cuno Myer (285th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 22nd Round, 351st Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Norfolk State Navigators There is a chance he becomes the 21st Cougar draftee from 1932 to appear in a big league game, but I doubt it will be with us. And honestly, I'm not sure why the 26-year-old is even in our top prospect list, as he's a bat first first basemen without any power. Myer spent all season at Milwaukee, slashing .361/.414/.464 (131 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 58 RBIs with a nice 37-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has a good eye and should hit for a high average and OBP, but the lack of power is really tough to bear for a first basemen. Even worse, he's a terrible defensive first basemen, with a career -72.7 zone rating and .922 efficiency at first. To be fair, some team may take a risk on him during the Rule-5 Draft, so Myer may not be a Cougar for much longer, but unless we have injuries to Ray Ford, Bobby Mills, and Freddie Jones, I really can't see Myer getting any time at first for the Cougars. RHP Joe Crosby (312th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 53rd Overall (1937) Alma Mater: St. Peter's Spartans Another guy who took a tumble in the prospect rankings, his overall "doubled" which isn't a good thing when low is better. Unlike Graham, however, "Boney Joe" Crosby really struggled up in Lincoln. The 21-year-old went 8-4, but with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 133 innings pitched. These 19 starts, compared to 19 with San Jose last year, saw Crosby's ERA and WHIP rise while his K/9 dropped. The only thing he maintained was his 3.2 BB/9, something you don't really want to see. Crosby did work hard this offseason, adding some speed to his fastball which now sits in the 89-91 range. It's his best pitch, but he also has a sharp curve and a slider with a lot of bite. Of course, he does struggle with his command and at times starts to completely miss the plate. Still, the stuff could end up being enough to compensate and he gets decent movement on his pitches as well. Despite the tough season, Tom Weinstock hasn't soured on Crosby, and still rates him as a back of the rotation starter. It will be tough for him to reach that now, but I hope we can milk out whatever talent he has left in him. LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: CC Los Angeles Coyotes Our 4th Rounder back in 1938, Ed Wilkinson started his season in Lincoln and ended up in Mobile. He made 16 starts with the Legislators, an even 8-8 with a strong 2.83 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 33 walks, and 53 strikeouts in 133.1 innings pitched. His 9 appearances weren't that great in Mobile, but he was still average on the mound, 4-4 with a 4.52 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 22 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Wilkinson turns 24 this December, and we're hoping a year from now he'll be either in Milwaukee or Chicago. He's got decent stuff, a five pitch mix with a decent low 90s fastball and a group of okay secondary offerings including a curve, slider, change, and forkball. To succeed in the big leagues, he'll want to turn one of those pitches into an out pitch, as he won't be able to overpower anyone. Wilkinson has all the features of an innings eater, but he'll have to work hard to eat innings in the big leagues instead of just in AAA with all the other failed prospects. RHP Fred Thaxton (320th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 97th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Tallmadge State Terriers He's already 22, but our recent 7th Rounder Fred Thaxton was absolutely dominant with San Jose. In his 10 starts, Thaxton went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. These were impressive numbers for a recent draftee, and I think he's ready to make the move up to Lincoln. The righty is a bit of a soft tosser, sitting in the mid-to-high 80s with both his fastball and cutter, while his change is the hallmark of his offerings. He has decent stuff and gets good movement, but Tom thinks he may have some issues with home runs as he develops. I'm hoping he can continue to add velocity, but Thaxton isn't really the type of guy to put in long hours to work on bettering his game. That could be his downfall, as he does have the tools to at least full a big league pen, but if he wants to do better then just spot starter, he'll have to work on improving his game more often. __________________ 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; 02-01-2022 at 05:50 PM.

02-01-2022, 06:20 PM	#722
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Top Prospects: 26-30 RHP Willie Gonzalez Jr. (321st Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1938) Drafted: 1st Round, 6th Overall (1937) Alma Mater: Capital Academy Colts This was a huge season for Willie Gonzalez Jr., who just recently added his third velocity boost of the 1940 season. When he tore his rotator cuff in May of 1938, his fastball and cutter were just low 90s pitched. Now, however, those both sit comfortably in the high 90s and if he really tried he could hit triple digits. He has an effective four pitch mix, all average or better, with a curve and change mixed in. He used all his pitches effectively, and was flat out dominant in his first 10 starts with San Jose. They earned him a promotion, as he went 7-1 with a 2.75 ERA (176 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 15 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The concern was he just threw 59 innings, but those concerns were alleviated a bit when he managed 101 innings in just three more starts with Lincoln. The production was great there too, as the 21-year-old went 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 26 walks, and 56 strikeouts. I have a lot of good arms sitting in Lincoln right now, so I know someone will have to move up, and it may end up being Gonzalez. I like his stuff and he does a good job locating his pitches, leading Tom to think he could fill out the back of a rotation. It will be tough for him to add any more speed, as he's done it eight times already, but he's shown the willingness to improve and he could force his way into our future picture with a few more seasons like this one. RF Cy Howard (332nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen Sure he was on one of the Mock Drafts, even as a first rounder, but that's not why I took Cy Howard in the 6th Round. I took him because he's a Chicagoan! Just kidding, well partially, as there is a lot to like about the 22-year-old. He's an extremely hard worker, labeled a "Baseball Rat" by his coaches and teammates, and he's got the positional versatility to man third, left, second, short, center, and right. I took advantage of that versatility, giving him 12 games at second, 14 at third, 13 at short, and 30 out in right. Best part is, his efficiency was actually best at short, with a 1.055 in a small 102.1 inning sample. He was above average at all four positions, as well as his three games out in center. If he continues his glovework like this, he could force his way into the lineup at any spot, and gives him the high floor of a very useful super utility player. Unfortunately, he didn't hit all that well, just a .245/.322/.303 (61 OPS+) line, so he clearly has a lot of work. The coolest part of his season was the trio of 27s, his walk, strikeout, and RBI total, but unfortunately this isn't poker so three of a kind doesn't help too much. RHP Bill Tuttle (350th Overall) Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1938) Drafted: 14th Round, 209th Overall (1935) Alma Mater: Easton Eagles Last season Bill Tuttle made just 6 appearances due to shoulder inflammation, so this ended up being Tuttle's first full season as a starter. The 21-year-old made 16 starts in San Jose, finishing 10-3 with a 3.14 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 24 walks, and 47 strikeouts before a late season promotion to Lincoln. He didn't maintain that dominant level, but his 7 starts there were still very effective. The almost 22-year-old was 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 19 walks, and 22 strikeouts. The main issue here was the jump in walks, from a 1.8 to 3.0 BB/9. To be fair, the 1.8 BB/9 was likely an outlier, considering he's even had high walk numbers in the pen, but I'm hoping once his pitches develop a bit more, he'll find the zone a bit more. His stuff is average, the best his change, but that's also the pitch with the most work. His mid 90s cutter and splitter are decent enough, but he does have a tendency to allow more then his share of homers. Technically we could lose him in the Rule-5 Draft, but I can't see a team wasting a pick on a pitcher with just 57 innings in A ball, especially one as underdeveloped as Tuttle. He has a bright future, but I'm not sure he'll develop quickly enough to become a major asset for us. RHP King Price (362nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs We have a few Bluegrass State alum in our organization, and King Price was actually teammates with Bill Graham in 1937 and 1938. Price is surprisingly a few months older, despite Graham graduating the year before Price was selected in the 9th Round. They were also teammates for part of the season, with both starting in San Jose and both ending in Lincoln. It was a tail of two seasons for Price, as he was great in San Jose, going 7-3 with a 3.93 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 25 walks, and 50 strikeouts. He then seemingly hit a wall against A ball hitters, slumping to 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 23 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Strikeouts fell, hits jumped, and of course, runs did as well, which is concerning as someone his age shouldn't have too much trouble with A ball. I mean, Peter the Heater is a full year younger and led the CA in strikeouts and K/9! Yes, Price is no Papenfus (although, who really is?), but the intelligent sidearmer does excite in his own ways. He has a polished three piece mix with a consistent change, nifty knuckle curve, and soft biting cutter. He doesn't overwhelm with speed, but his pitches move a lot, and his sidearm delivery makes him tough for righties. I also liked how he was able to pass 100 most starts, even passing 150 in a pair of complete game victories. He has a pretty high floor, but very limited upside, as I can't see Price as a regular starter, but he could develop into an Allen Purvis type of pitcher who can keep run of the board late in the game and fill in with the occasional spot start. I have no doubt he can pitch much better in Lincoln next year, but with a lot of talented arms starting to reach the upper minors, Price may be stuck in Nebraska all season. LRHP Ron Sexton (363rd Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Pittsburgh (1939) Drafted: 5th Round, 79th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Canarsie Chiefs Ron Sexton may round out our Offseason Top 30, but two months later he's already moved up to 20. Sure, a lot more of our guys have dropped, but it's encouraging for a guy who tore his UCL in July. Of course, that means he will miss the start of next season, and will likely have to start it in La Crosse to easy him back into things. He's still just 20 and won't turn 21 until August, but if he stayed healthy he likely would have finished his year in San Jose. Sexton made 13 starts for the Lions, going 6-5 with an adjusted league average 4.48 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 40 walks, and 49 strikeouts. Like a lot of our guys, the walks were a bit concerning, but his 4.8 K/9 was a personal best and he's now bumped his velo to 90-92. These are all encouraging signs, but with the major injury it is still yet to be seen if the can avoid regressing, let alone mature more. He will need to locate his pitches better, as while his stuff should be good, it is still very raw. He lacks that one out pitch, but as more of a finesse pitcher, I think it's the multiple options that helps him strike out hitters. Sometimes it's okay if you have four similar pitches, as the hitters really have to look for all four, and finesse pitchers can get away with lower stuff if none of the pitches are weak. He's got a lot of talent, but it may take him longer then most to develop, and that was the thought even before the setback of getting hurt. I think Sexton will be an interesting prospect to follow once he regains his fitness, but I'm tempering my expectations in the short term. We haven't had much action lately, as the offseason isn't always the most interesting, but we have the Rule-5 Draft tomorrow and the Independent Draft the day after. Those are just the appetizers for the main course, the January Draft, which we'll look to complete over the weekend. Thanks to our trade of Leon Drake, we have the Gothams 2nd Rounder, so the Cougars should be picking 13th, 20th, and 29th. Then for the regional round, the Chiefs again have priority in Illinois and all our other shared regions, so chances are someone I want will be taken. There are still players to be added to the pool, but there are a lot of suitable options for us even after factoring those taken in the first two rounds and those snapped up by our Midwestern rivals. __________________ 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

02-02-2022, 09:53 AM	#723
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Rule-5 Draft We added one and lost one, with Cuno Myer joining the Stars and Ossie Grogan coming over from the Sailors. I was a little surprised Myer was selected, but even more so that it came from the Stars, who have Dave Trowbridge there for now. Myer was one of two first basemen they took, so chances are one (if not both) are returned. Joining us is a switch hitting middle infielder who turns 25 in February. Grogan was one of just four players on my list, with the two ahead of him protected yesterday. He probably won't make the roster, but I really like his bat. He hit .280/.330/.460 (127 OPS+) in AA before raising that line to .354/.426/.431 (143 OPS+) in AAA. He doesn't have much pop, but Weinstock loves his athleticism and thinks he can be a frontrunner for a second base audition. The prospect people rank him 14th in our system and 219th overall. __________________ 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

02-07-2022, 10:48 AM	#724
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1941 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 13th Overall: 3B Otto Christian School: Walla Walla 1940: .482/.538/1.000, 132 PA, 14 2B, 15 HR, 47 RBI, 8 SB Career: .468/.53/1.981, 375 PA, 34 2B, 4 3B, 40 HR, 123 RBI, 16 SB The draft got off to a bit of a slow start, so I only just made my first rounder. The plan is to finish the second round today, so hopefully by the end of the day we have three new Cougars with a fourth coming tomorrow in the regional round. He wasn't my first choice by most measures, but I do think we got good value with the "Walla Walla Walloper." An 18-year-old out of, you guessed it, Walla Walla Wisconsin, Otto Christian will be a four year starter in high school and go down as one of the most prestigious power hitters the prep game as ever seen. He's likely to add a fourth double digit homer campaign and was one of just two high schoolers in his class to reach double digits last season. No eligible draftee has more career homers then Christian, and no other player has more then 35 for their career. Christian has a shot to pass the 50 homer mark, and I'd love for him to set a new season high as he's done in each of the past two years. Power is a big part of his game, and in a park like ours, he may wallop one back to his hometown. The best part about Christian might be his position, as he has solid hands and fields the third base position well. He's now penciled in as the heir apparent to Whitney Winner John Lawson, who despite turning 38 in October is showing no signs of slowing down. Lawson has spent the last five seasons in Chicago and his lowest season line was when he hit .302/.355/.461 (133 OPS+) in 1938. Since Christian is just a high schooler and will need a few seasons to develop, he won't have to worry about waiting behind a Hall of Famer for too long. He's a much different player then Lawson, who wins batting titles while Otto will likely end up leading the league in homers. His power should at least be above average, with the chance to potentially challenge a guy like Red Bond or one of the Hammerin' Hanks out in the Fed. His pitch selection needs to improve if he wants to be anything more then an average contact hitter, but I'm sure some pitchers will want to pitch around him and he's good at taking obvious bad pitches. He walked 39 times in high school compared to just 17 strikeouts, and he's yet to strikeout more then 7 times in a season. If there is a downside about Otto, it's his personality as he can be a bit moody and tends to let the losses get to him. Obviously not great, but at least he cares about team performance instead of just himself. I usually draft a lot of guys with good personalities, to hopefully absorb someone like Otto, and hopefully by time he reaches Chicago his personality is just neutral. There was also a pitcher, that I really like, but I'm hoping he stays available when my next pick comes up. We also pick 20th, so there is a chance I get him there, and I thought he had a better chance of falling. Plus pitchers are much riskier, and our top two and five of our top six are already arms. so the addition of a hitter, especially at a weak position in the farm like third, was too hard to pass up. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

02-07-2022, 06:18 PM	#725
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1941 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 20th Overall: C Eddie Howard School: St. Joseph 1940: .520/.568/.730, 121 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 27 RBI, SB Career: .535/.590/.766, 368 PA, 58 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 96 RBI, 17 SB The pitcher I wanted, Gene Madison, went two picks before us to the Pioneers, so I instead went with one of the better hitters in the pool Eddie Howard. The only similarity he has with first rounder Otto Christian is both were taken by us, as Howard didn't hit a single homer as a freshman or junior, but his .520 average last year was the lowest of his career. OSA loves his hit tool, and projects Howard to hit .330 in the big leagues, and while Tom is a bit less excited, he views his contact as above average. Howard doesn't have a positional rating yet, but both Tom and OSA think he'll be a reliable and sure handed catcher. There is already a good sign as OSA's Dan Barrell thinks Eddie Howard lasted longer then he should. He finished third of all drat eligible batters for average last season and career, behind first rounder Hal Renard and the still available Bob Montgomery, although his career is just last season. Howard also has the added benefit of possibly being a pitcher, and I never pass up on potential two way players. He hasn't pitched for St. Joseph, but OSA thinks he could end up a #2 while Weinstock offers a much more conservative #5. Part of that is velocity, Howard's sinker sits in the 83-85 range, but he gets good downward movement on it and creates a lot of groundballs. His change is very promising and his slider isn't too shabby, but both offerings are very far from their ceiling. He's a bit of a project on the mound, but since catchers have frequent off days, he may get the occasional start or relief outing to start with. His future is definitely behind the plate, and while we do have Mead their now and Solly waiting in the farm, Howard is three years behind and will probably move up slower as he pitches. It never hurts to have extra catching prospects, especially ones as handy with the bat as Howard, because worst case he can try first or even the outfield. 2nd Round, 29th Overall: LHP Leo Hayden School: Benicia 1940: .10-1, 103.1 IP, 1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 24 BB, 121 K Career: .18-3, 207.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 46 BB, 265 K I didn't get any of the top pitchers on my list, but I'm not disappointed that I ended up with another high schooler in southpaw Leo Hayden. A huge strikeout arm at Benicia, he had a 10.5 K/9 as a sophomore and then boosted it up to 12.5 in 103.1 innings as a junior. Junior year was the best of his two seasons so far, as his wins, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and WAR (5.6) were all personal bests. The towering 6'6'' lefty throws a high 80s fastball, that I'm hoping he'll add velocity to as he ages. He does have three other pitches; a curve, slider, and change, with all decent or better pitches. The change is probably the best, but is curve should be a plus offering as well. Like most youngsters, he may run into command issues, and his 2.1 BB/9 last year wasn't anything special. Still, his command is growing and he carries himself with poise on the mound, and his intimidating presence should help him overperform is talent. Both Weinstock and OSA view him as a back of the rotation arm, but I would not be surprised if the projections improve as he inevitably starts throwing faster. High school pitchers are always risky to bet on, but with the extra second rounder it was a risk I was more then willing to take. The 2nd Round is now completed, with just the regional round left to finish (hopefully tomorrow). We're getting closer and closer to Spring Training, where Eddie Quinn should be ready to throw again. I'm extremely excited for this season to start, as I think we have all the pieces in place to contend for a championship. __________________ 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

02-08-2022, 09:48 AM	#726
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1941 Draft: Round 3 3rd Round, 45th Overall: SS Jim Dickinson School: Calumet Catholic 1940: .266/.375/.332, 218 PA, 7 2B, 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 38 SB Career: .270/.379/.331, 366 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 59 RBI, 72 SB Not sure it's a good thing, but none of my four regional selections were taken, so I was able to get my #1 choice. In a class deep with top quality shortstops, he won't get mistaken for Gordie Perkins or Billy Bryant, but both my scout and OSA are a fan of the Springfield native Jim Dickinson. "Speck" is a bit of a light hitter, and also the first college player we'll add to the season. Set to be a three year starter at Calumet Catholic, Dickinson has just two career homers, but he walked 29 times in both seasons compared to just 31 strikeouts. A bit of a groundball hitter, his elite speed should help him beat out hits, but don't expect to see him end up on second very often as he won't hit many extra base hits. He does look to have an average eye too, but his best tool is his glove. He projects to be a defensive marvel at short, and Tom thinks he could force his way into a lineup. OSA is much more bullish, forecasting a big league regular for most of his career, but as long as I get a good eye and good glove from him, I'll be happy with my regional guy. __________________ 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

02-10-2022, 12:43 PM	#727
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training! Baseball is back! Even if the games are meaningless, the Cougars are back on the field! There is a lot of excitement in camp as the team thinks they'll be competing for a pennant again, even if the way too early preseason predictions are giving us no love. As always, I love stacking the deck for these Spring games, and we will have 56 bodies in camp. I don't expect any NRI's to make the club as our 40 is filled, but we'll get our first look at our two top prospects Donnie and Johnnie Jones, who could get some innings. Below is a complete list of our 1941 Training Camp roster. And as always, * means a guaranteed spot: RHP Augie Bertrand RHP Joe Brown* RHP Pug Bryan RHP Ben Curtin RHP Grover Donahue RHP Milt Fritz* LHP Harl Haines LHP/LF Al Jones RHP Donnie Jones LHP Johnnie Jones LHP Cal Knight RHP Jim Lonardo* LHP Dick Lyons* RHP Ray McNeill RHP Pete Papenfus* RHP Harry Parker* RHP Allen Purvis RHP Eddie Quinn* LHP Johnny Ruby RHP Bill Seabolt RHP Dick Strunk LHP Rusty Watts C Diego Bernal C Harry Mead* C Claude Ramsey C Mike Taylor* 1B Ray Ford* 1B Bobby Mills 1B Chris Smith 2B Eddie Curtis 2B Ossie Grogan 2B Billy Hunter* 2B Stu Johnson 2B Freddie Jones* 2B Ollie Page* 3B Bill Dickens 3B John Lawson* 3B Johnny McDowell* 3B Jocko Pollard SS Jimmy Bach SS Tip Harrison SS Skipper Schneider* LF Dick Earl LF Leo Mitchell* LF Oscar Panduro CF Ken Curry CF Aart MacDonald CF Carlos Montes* RF Bobby Bond RF Alex Ingraham RF Rich Langton* RF Cliff Moss RF Marv Smith RF Fred Vargas RF Orlin Yates We are happy to have both Milt Fritz and Eddie Quinn healthy, giving us an enviable collection of seven quality starting pitchers. Yes, I'm counting Joe Brown, who manager Clyde Meyer actually wants in the 6 spot instead of Quinn. That doesn't bode well for the 34-year-old who spent eight months rehabbing a partially torn UCL, and as things are now, the Caveman is likely starting the season in the pen. Still, I want him and Fritz and to shake off the injury rust and the easiest way to do that is with a strict 6-man. This means Brown will pitch in the pen and the Jones Brothers likely won't start any games. The best news is the emergence of Peter the Heater, who Meyer has leading the rotation, Tom thinks has the highest current and potential ratings in our system, and OSA views as the FABL's 11th best pitcher. While a lot of guys have spots locked up, we may have to part way with a few prominent players. Barring injuries, 7 of our 9 pitching spots are already filled, meaning at least one of Pug Bryan, Allen Purvis, or Ben Curtin will end up on waivers. They'll also have competition from optionable arms like Cal Knight, Rusty Watts, and Dick Strunk. The bench has a lot of competition too, and I really want to hang on to our Rule-5 pick Ossie Grogan. Sure, the 25-year-old is lazy, but he does currently rank 11th in our system and 139th overall and hits from both sides of the plate. Tom likes his smooth swing and he can play the middle infield well. He'll have to compete with Bobby Mills, Tip Harrison, and Stu Johnson while I can't see myself waiving Ollie Page or Johnny McDowell and Freddie Jones is taking up a bench spot despite getting four or so starts a week at second or short, so bench spots are few and far between. The outfield is crowded with Rich Langton as the 4th outfielder, so I could end up sending Orlin Yates to AAA or waiving Aart MacDonald. I have a lot of roster decisions to make and I'm not really looking forward to them. __________________ 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

02-11-2022, 06:14 PM	#728
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 1 It already happened! We have an injury! And I'm sure you can guess who it is... Billy Hunter! The seemingly always injured former 1st Rounder sprained his knee, and luckily, it's just a day-to-day injury. Of course, I'm not taking any risks, so he's headed to the DL, and will miss 2-3 weeks. That means he should be back for Opening Day, but he does enjoy getting setbacks and there is always the chance he gets hurt again. The team did okay, 4-3 in our first week, but only four players hit better then .300. One was a surprise, as veteran Freddie Jones had a real nice week, going 3-for-8 with 3 walks. Both Skipper Schneider and Carlos Montes were 4-for-11 with a double and failed steal attempt. Lastly Orlin Yates, who may or may not be a Cougar come Opening Day, was 3-for-9 with a walk and RBI. New addition Cliff Moss had a disappointing first week, just 4-for-20 with an RBI. Leo Mitchell was worse, just 2-for-15 with 6 strikeouts. The pitching was okay, with each starter making a start with the lone extra going to Peter the Heater. He allowed 6 hits and 4 runs in 8.1 innings, but I was very encouraged by the 8 strikeouts and just 1 walk. I scout him all the time, and for the first time in likely over 100 attempts, he no longer has a negative listed for control! The very recent OSA report agrees to, and I cannot curb my enthusiasm for the young fireballer. Equally impressive may have been the now healthy duo of Fritz and Quinn, who both kept all runners from scoring. Quinn went 4.1 with 4 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts while Fritz got one less out with one less hit. Dick Lyons had a strong outing, 4 innings with 3 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Jim Lonardo was shaky, 5 hits and 2 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts in his four frames. The best start of the week came from Harry Parker, and the now 26-year-old allowed just 2 hits with 3 strikeouts in four shutout innings. Joe Brown was effective out of the pen, recording 2 saves in 5 innings with 6 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Dick Strunk went 4.2 with 4 hits, a run, and 3 strikeouts. Allen Purvis went 3 and allowed just a walk and solo homer. __________________ 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

02-14-2022, 10:00 AM	#729
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 2 It was a solid 4-2 week for the Cougars, and we did it all without any injury lasting more then a week! Ossie Grogan will be day-to-day for a bit with back stiffness, but I'm going to still play him in games. He didn't play since getting hurt on the 28th, but our Rule-5 Pick is 1-for-4 with a double. We will also get John Johnson back for this week, who was dealing with an undisclosed injury he suffered before the Spring, while Billy Hunter continues to rehab his sprained knee. We have had a few NRI not appear in any games in either week, so those were moved down. Not worth keeping them up if they aren't playing. The offense was bad last week, and a bit rough this week, but we finally had a player with a .400 week. It was just a 4-for-10 for Harry Mead, but still much better then we've seen from anyone so far He doubled, walked twice, and scored three runs as well. Skipper went 5-for-16 with a double, walk, and run. Ray Ford was 4-for-12 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was much better then last week, 4-for-13 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Cliff Moss wasn't great, but his 4-for-15 with a double and RBI were at least respectable. Stu Johnson was 3-for-8 with a run scored. Ollie Page was 2-for-3 with a triple, run, and 3 walks. Joe Brown pitched in 5 of our 6 games, going 8 innings with 8 hits, a run, 2 wins, 2 saves, and 3 strikeouts. Donnie Jones had two appearances for 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Milt Fritz and Harry Parker both added another 4-inning shutout, 2 hits, 4 walks, and a strikeout for Fritz and just a single hit for Parker. An error cost Peter the Heater a shutout, as he allowed 2 hits, a walk, and an unearned run with a pair of strikeouts. Eddie Quinn was roughed up a but, 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks in 4 innings. Jim Lonardo went 4 with 3 hits and a run. Ben Curtin threw 3 scoreless with a hit, walk, and strikeout. __________________ 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

02-15-2022, 10:17 AM	#730
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 3 It wasn't the greatest week for the Cougars, as we went just 3-4 and fell out of first place. That's not the worst part, as we will be without two Cougars for Opening Day and Billy Hunter's return is now unknown, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy. He'll be joined on the DL by 29-year-old and fellow 1932 draftee Ray Ford, who strained his rib cage muscle and will be day-to-day for the next three weeks. We're hoping his stay will be short, as even in a down year for him, it is hard to replace a .283/.339/.412 (111 OPS+) line who gives you double digit homers and 80+ RBIs. Assuming no setbacks, I think he'll skip a rehab assignment and be back up quickly. In the mean time, Freddie Jones will shift over to first and the injury opens up more playing time (at least temporarily) for Ollie Page and Rich Langton. We are also the second team effected by World War II, as after the Stars saw Dixie Lee get drafted, 25-year-old fireballer Rusty Watts was drafted into the army. He will begin his 12 month tour now, and will be back for Opening Day next year. He probably wasn't going to make camp anyways, but he was very effective in 31.1 innings last year, working to a 1.72 ERA (229 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was near perfect this week, making two scoreless four inning starts with just a single walk, strikeout, and hit. Eddie Quinn was a bit less perfect, a hit, 2 walks, and a strikeout in his four frames. Dick Lyons was nowhere near as perfect, 8 hits and 4 runs with 2 strikeouts in his 4 innings. Harry Parker rose his spring ERA to 0.75 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in his 4 inning start. Peter the Heater didn't allow a hit, but walked 4 and struck out 5 in four shutout innings. Milt Fritz went 4 with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. We had good pen outings too, including Harl Haines, who had two appearances with 8 combined innings, allowing 7 hits and a run with 3 strikeouts. Ray McNeill went five and got a win, no hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Pug Bryan went 4 with 2 hits and 3 strikeouts. Still very little offense, but both Freddie Jones and Aart MacDonald managed to hit over .300. Freddie was 5-for-11 with a double while Aart went 4-for-10 with a triple and homer. Cliff Moss continues his cold start as a Cougar, this week 4-for-19 with 2 runs and 2 walks. Leo Mitchell had a rough week as well, 2-for-12, while Carlos Montes was just 3-for-15. My hope is everyone is just saving their hits for the regular season... __________________ 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

02-16-2022, 10:01 AM	#731
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Spring Training: Week 4 Probably our worst week in a while, we not only dropped all four games to fall to a three way tie for fourth, but lost Milt Fritz for the next two weeks with a sore elbow. Sure, it makes our roster cuts a little easier, but it sucks seeing Fritz so quickly injured after his torn rotator cuff. Still with an off chance to win 300 games, he enters the season with 178 and has won 12 or more with us in each of his five seasons as a Cougar. And to make matters worse, Billy Hunter still isn't healthy, so it looks like he won't be healthy for Opening Day tomorrow. Since we don't play games until Friday, the one day sim tomorrow could end with a healthy Hunter, but it looks like he won't be ready to break camp with the team. We didn't hit much this Spring, but the pitching was superb. With a few more innings, Joe Brown would have led the league in ERA, going 2-1 with 5 saves, a 0.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts in a team high 18 innings. Eddie Quinn showed no signs of rust, 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 6 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was even better, 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Harry Parker's first three starts were dominant, 12 innings with 7 hits, a run, and 5 strikeouts, but he ended up allowing 8 hits and 7 runs against the Stars to ruin his Spring. Peter the Heater was on point and looks to be ready to heat up the FABL, a 2.20 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 6 walks, and 15 strikeouts to his credit. A lot of relievers did really well, including Pug Bryan, who's 6 scoreless innings and Fritz's injury look to have opened a spot for him. Ray McNeil, Harl Haines, and Al Jones all had sub 2 ERAs, while Ben Curtin had 7 shutout innings. Other then the 1-for-3 Chris Smith, Skipper Schneider was the only Cougar to hit above .300. He slashed .320/.382/.380 with 2 runs scored and driven in. Cliff Moss turned things around towards the end of the week, and finished with a decent .286/.324/.302 line. No homers yet, but he's saving those for the regular season! John Lawson, Carlos Montes, and Harry Mead all hit below .250, with Leo Mitchell hitting that exact mark. They were all at least over .200, which 10 Cougars with 10 or more PAs failed to do. I think they are all saving their hits for the regular season too! Still, Spring games matter very little, and this has done nothing to temper my expectations of an exciting pennant race. Tomorrow I'll announce the Opening Day roster and we'll get a look at the in-game predictions. Jiggs McGee agrees with me that the Cougars will take home the CA title, but Dan Barrell thinks it'll got to Cincinnati. My guess is in game will go Toronto, giving us the three teams likely to lead the pack, and likely end up beating the Miners in the championship! __________________ 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

02-17-2022, 10:21 AM	#732
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Opening Day! Baseball is back! The Cougars are in Chicago, ready to start the season with three games against Montreal. The preseason predictions have them finishing last (62-92), with us (82-72) in third, and the New York Stars (91-63) in first place. We do have a pair of pitchers in the projected tops, with Peter the Heater leading the way and Jim Lonardo taking third. The game thinks Papenfus will go 23-18 with a 3.30 ERA and 259 strikeouts with Lonardo at 23-17 with a 3.28 ERA and 87 strikeouts. Below is our roster to start things off: RHP Joe Brown RHP Pug Bryan RHP Ben Curtin RHP Jim Lonardo LHP Dick Lyons RHP Pete Papenfus RHP Harry Parker RHP Allen Purvis RHP Eddie Quinn C Harry Mead C Mike Taylor 1B Freddie Jones 1B Bobby Mills 2B Ossie Grogan 2B Ollie Page 3B John Lawson 3B Johnny McDowell SS Skipper Schneider LF Leo Mitchell CF Aart MacDonald CF Carlos Montes RF Rich Langton RF Cliff Moss RF Orlin Yates As mentioned, we start the season hosting the Saints for three, who's lineup will be a bit weaker this season. That's because of the Adam Mullins sized hole, as they sent him to the Cannons for a pair of first, two top prospects, and their new catcher Ben Richardson. Yes, that Ben Richardson, who we took in the 15th Round of the 1927 Draft and included with three other prospects to pickup Max Wilder and Russ Combs in the 1929 offseason. Wilder and Combs were a big part of our pennant winning teams while Richardson's 347 FABL games are the most of the guys we gave up. The 31-year-old has hit okay for a catcher, batting .257/.306/.388 (85 OPS+) in parts of six seasons in eight years with the Foresters, Eagles, Dynamos, and Cannons. There are some other new faces, including Ed Jordan, who pushed Red Bond from right to first, and former 2nd Rounder Bob Jennings, a current top 75 prospect. Both are debuting against us, but neither will make up for Mullins' departure. I think this is the perfect series to get us started on the right foot, and I'm hoping we show them exactly who's boss. We also get them again, starting a three game series on Sunday north of the border. Our homestand is short, as we'll head out to Brooklyn for three games in two days with the Kings. It was a huge offseason for young center fielder Rats McGonigle, as his amazing offseason workout regimen is looking to do wonders for his season. He spent a lot of time building up strength in the gym, shagging fly balls, and hitting in the cage as he looks for a breakout season at 22. Taken 9th Overall in 1939, Rats had his first full season last year and hit .265/.314/.448 (105 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 21 triples, 13 homers, 11 steals, and 61 RBIs. They've also shuffled the lineup around, sending Al Wheeler to the bench with former Gotham Howard Brown Jr. returning to his leadoff spot and manning left field. Frank Lemieux has been moved to the bench, with top 100 prospect Jimmie Field taking over at third. The rotation could be good this year, with Art White looking to follow his 16-12 season, but this is the first season since 1933 that former Cougar Tom Barrell wasn't on the Opening Day roster. They sent him to Pittsburgh in the offseason, and will now fill the rotation with another former Cougar, Jim Crawford. They also have Stumpy Beaman and Danny Goff Jr's brother Jack, and while it's not the best back of the rotation out there, Beaman and Goff have a ton of upside and a 25-year-old Crawford did have a 125 ERA+ on a team that won a ring. Our farm is still healthy as well, ranked 5th in the league, and we sport three prospects in the top 20 and 9 in the top 101. We also have 44 prospects in the entire top 500, but a fair amount of them are towards the back. Still, we have enviable pitching depth, with the Jones brothers ranked 6th and 13th and the quickly rising Duke Bybee at 19. Last year's first rounder Mel Haynes and 1938 lottery selection Solly Skidmore check in at 34 and 38, providing us a lot of top level talent. I can't see myself moving either of the top three, but Skidmore and Haynes would be enticing headliners if we have to upgrade our roster during the season. Even though I think we'll have an excellent season and compete for a pennant just like last season, even if things go wrong, we have a lot to be excited about and a lot of capable youngsters ready to take big league jobs once our vets age out. 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

02-18-2022, 12:40 PM	#733
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 1: April 14th-April 20th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 4-3 (4th, 0.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 29 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.089 OPS Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .360 AVG, .840 OPS Harry Mead : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .905 OPS Schedule 4-15: Win vs Saints (3-5) 4-16: Win vs Saints (3-4) 4-17: Loss vs Saints (7-5) 4-18: Loss at Kings (5-7) 4-19: Win at Kings (6-1) 4-19: Win at Kings (5-4) 4-20: Loss at Saints (1-5) Recap It's time to play ball! Our home opener had over 30,000 Cougar fans cheering on the home team as we edged the Saints 5-3 to start the 1941 season. Unfortunately, we had trouble with the Saints, with two of our three losses coming at their hands. These are their only two wins, of course, as the Stars had no problem decimating them by scores of 7-0 and 20-7. Yes, it's still early, but we're already dropping games that we should be winning rather easily. We did sweep the double header in Brooklyn and took two of three from the Kings, but I think we should be 5-2 if not 6-1 based on the teams we played. Good news for us, reigning Whitney Winner John Lawson picked up right where he left off, taking home the CA Player of the Week. The 3-Time Winner went 12-for-29 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 7 RBIs. We'll also have Billy Hunter back, which means Orlin Yates is the odd man out, and the 29-year-old who managers love (despite his lack of work ethic) will head down to Milwaukee. He's more then capable of starting in the big leagues, but I don't want to let Rule-5 Pick Ossie Grogan go and I can't option Aart MacDonald. Carlos Montes is now dealing with a twisted ankle, but he should only miss three more days, giving Aart a few starts that would have gone to Yates. I still have to eventually make room for Ray Ford, and I can already see Bobby Mills and Johnny McDowell start sweating. The offense did play well, as we put up a lot of runs, despite the ineptness of our corner outfield. Just like Leon Drake last year, Cliff Moss is starting his season off in the worst way possible, going 2-for-16 with a double and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell has somehow been worse, 4-for-26 with a double, and of course, 7 strikeouts. Langton and MacDonald struggled as well, with the pair combining to go 4-for-27 with three runs a piece. On the flip side, Skipper Schneider got off to a nice start, with the 20-year-old going 9-for-25 with 3 doubles and a run scored and driven in. Harry Mead, who has graduated from platoon partner to full time backstop showed he deserves all (well, most, since he's a catcher) the starts, 7-for-21 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones looks like the '39 version and not the '40 version in the very early goings, 7-for-19 with 3 walks and 4 RBIs. Mike Taylor and Johnny McDowell looked good in their limited time, 7-for-15 with 4 Taylor RBIs. McDowell won't see much time, but Taylor will still get a few starts each week as he's still a capable starter, it's just Mead has started to hit his prime at 26. We didn't really pitch well, especially Harry Parker, who tried to replicate his final spring start. Just 1.2 innings instead of 4, but Parker allowed 9 hits and 7 runs with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons pitched like someone in his 40s, and allowed 10 hits and 5 runs with 2 walks and a strikeout in 6 innings. Jim Lonardo got a win and a loss, going 17 total innings with 20 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Peter the Heater won both his starts, and flashed signs of dominance, striking out 19 and walking just 6 in 17 innings pitched. He did allow 16 hits and 7 runs, but he's the only starter in baseball to top Jim Whitley's and Wally Doyle's 11 strikeouts. Eddie Quinn made his case to stay in the rotation, just a single run with 8 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Everyone but Pug got time in the pen, with Allen Purvis allowing just a single hit with a pair of walks and strikeouts in 5.1 innings relieving Parker. Ben Curtin and Joe Brown each allowed a run, with Curtin's coming in 3 frames and Brown's in 2. I expect the pitching to recover, it's just one week after all, but tied for second in runs scored and tied for fifth in runs allowed after a week is the opposite of what I expected. Looking Ahead The next two in Montreal should be treated as must win, as I will be very angry if our first series loss of the season comes at the hands of a team who hasn't won 80 games in over a decade. I mentioned Doyle's 11 strikeouts, and all of the came against us. We won't face him again as he won the finale, but the Waco Kid has a nice 1.32 ERA in his 13.2 innings pitched. It looks like we'll see Jake DeYoung and former Cougar farmhand Karl Wallace, their #3 and 4. DeYoung also beat us, but allowed 9 hits and 5 runs with 3 strikeouts in his complete game win. Wallace lost to the Stars and allowed 10 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Whitney runner up Red Bond is off to an expected hot start, slashing .409/.480/.682 (212 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBIs. He ends a top four of Heinie Billings, Jake Hughes, and Bert Lass, who are all hitting .350 or better. The top of their lineup definitely has to be respected, especially Lass, who's .313/.370/.456 (122 OPS+) line last season was definitely overshadowed by Bond's offensive explosion. If we can keep the top four quiet, I like our chances, but we didn't have much success with that this week. Just like this week, we also finish the week with the Saints, this time at home for just a single game. We return home after, and will host the Stars for two games. The BNN favorite for winning the pennant, New York is tied with Toronto and Philadelphia at 4-2. The Stars traded former ace George Phillips to the Miners this offseason for Hinsdale native Lew Seals, who I pursued before acquiring Cliff Moss. The 27-year-old doesn't hit for a high average, but slashed .260/.395/.474 (129 OPS+) and .260/.357/.462 (125 OPS+) the past two seasons in Pittsburgh with 38 homers and 157 RBIs. Like Moss, his season hasn't gone as planned, and he's just 2-for-18 in the early going. Dave Trowbridge only got three starts, but was an impressive 6-for-13 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. The longtime face of the Stars may be getting up their in age, but this seems like the season he will pass the baton to the future; Big Bad Billy Barrett. A favorite for the Whitney this year, he's already hitting .375/.429/.542 (165 OPS+) with a homer and 5 RBIs. They made a change at catcher this season, adding former Cougar prospect Joe Rainbow from the Cannons, and placing him behind the plate. He's off to a slow start, hitting .250/.286/.350 (74 OPS+) in his first five games in New York. On the mound, Billy Riley, who we are likely to see, tossed an 8-hit shutout against Montreal and didn't allow an earned run in any of his 16 spring innings. Vern Hubbard seems to have shaken off his tough 1940 season, allowing 5 hits and a run with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in an 8.1 inning win. The Stars are a good team and our first real test of the season, but at home we should be able to get the best of them. Friday and Saturday will be spent against the Kings, who this time come to Chicago. At 3-4, they actually gave the Stars their only two losses. Jack Goff got one of the wins, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in a complete game win. Art White has had some bad luck, losing both to us and the Stars, but working to a respectable 3.31 ERA (109 ERA+) with a 1.41 WHIP, 7 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Frank LeMieux ended up starting at third, and it worked out for Brooklyn as the 27-year-old hit .400/.400/.500 (144 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI. Tiny Tim Hopkins started 4 of his 7 appearances, and was 4-for-14 with a triple, 6 walks, and an RBI. 35-year-old Frank Lightbody has shown some signs of life, and his .450 average is the best in the CA after one week. He's also homered and drove in 6 with a walk and zero strikeouts. I'm hoping we can take both games here as well and I like our chances for another winning week. The Stars will be a tough contest, but home field advantage comes in clutch no matter what team you are, and we seem to love playing in the Windy City. Minor League Report LHP Johnnie Jones (AAA Milwaukee Blues): 1940 wasn't a great year for the Patron Saint of Groundballs, as he missed some time with injury and finished just 8-10 with a 4.66 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1,79 WHIP in AA Mobile. Still, I thought he was ready for AAA, and the 15th ranked prospect seemed to agree. Johnnie Jones was impressive, tossing a 7-hit shutout with 4 walks and 8 strikeouts as the Blues beat Fort Wayne 4-0. The lanky 22-year-old is set to make his big league debut this season, and with more starts like this, it may come before September. Jones is one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game, as he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground with his mid 90s sinker. All four of his pitches have outstanding movement, and while he does have some issues with control, that is something he can grow into. It's early, but seeing a shutout already is very encouraging, and I'm hoping he has a few more of those in what could be his last season in the minors. RHP Fred Thaxton (A Lincoln Legislators): Going into the season, I had a little bit of a numbers crunch, as all my young pitchers wanted to be in San Jose, and got scared when I tried promoting them to Lincoln. Well, all of them except Fred Thaxton. Despite just 10 starts with San Jose after being selected in the 7th Round last season, I rolled the dice and moved the 22-year-old up to Lincoln. It seems like it was the right call, as the righty did his best and befuddled the Cedar Rapid Chiefs in his first start of the season. Thaxton allowed just 2 hits and walks with 4 strikeouts in a 5-0 shutout victory. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised he was ready for A ball, as our currently ranked 29th prospect was dominant in 76.2 innings there. He went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (206 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He's got good stuff and a really nice change, but if there is a knock on Thaxton, it's that he's not the sort of player who comes in early and works his hardest and to him, optional means I don't have to do it. Still, Tom likes his potential and thinks he could be a decent spot starter, and he's already got the stuff to start FABL games. __________________ 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

02-21-2022, 12:46 PM	#734
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 2: April 21st-April 27th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 8-6 (3rd, 3.5 GB) Stars of the Week Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 6 BB, 5 K, 0.50 ERA Cliff Moss : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .346 AVG, .919 OPS John Lawson : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.030 OPS Schedule 4-21: Win at Saints (2-0) 4-22: Win at Saints (6-3) 4-23: Loss vs Stars (13-3) 4-24: Loss vs Stars (6-2) 4-25: Win vs Kings (4-6) 4-26: Win vs Kings (1-4) 4-27: Loss vs Saints (4-2) Recap It wasn't a great week by any means, but considering what happened around the league with the career ender to the Pioneer's David Abalo and the draft deferments of star level players Bobby Barrell, Mel Carroll, Fred McCormick, and George Cleaves, I think we got out alright. Sure, the Stars smooshed us like they everyone else, but we took two of three from the Saints and swept the Kings in Chicago. Milt Fritz and Ray Ford are both healthy, with Fritz heading to Milwaukee for rehab while Ford will claim the roster spot of Bobby Mills. It hurts cutting Mills, as the 6th Rounder hit .296/.320/.535 (137 OPS+) last season, but Ossie Grogan has much more upside and Johnny McDowell has speed and relative versatility to the more-or-less first base only Mills. He was 5-for-16 this season and I expect him to get claimed by another team, most likely Detroit. With Fritz, I want him to get a few starts as he's coming off a sore elbow, and the last thing I want is to rush him back and he tears another arm ligament. Plus it gives me time to decide if I want to cut Allen Purvis or Pug Bryan, and to see if Quinn or Lyons leaves the rotation. When they didn't face the Stars, the pitching was much better this week. Harry Parker was superb in his two starts, starting with a 3-hit shutout of the Saints and finishing with a complete game victory against the Kings. He allowed just a single run with 7 hits, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts split between the two starts. Dick Lyons was our other two start starter, picking up a complete game win and loss against Montreal. He allowed 22 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks with just a single strikeout. Eddie Quinn was the unlucky arm in the 13-3 game, allowing 10 hits and 8 runs (7 earned) with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. The other to face the Stars was Peter the Heater, who went 8 with 7 hits, 4 runs, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win, 8 innings with 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The pen had it's issues, with both Allen Purvis and Joe Brown having struggles. Purvis pitched 3 innings and allowed 4 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 4 walks with a strikeout. Joe Brown had a pair of one inning outings, getting a save and allowing 2 hits and 2 runs. The offense was okay, with John Lawson leading the way yet again. The superstar who should be too old to be drafted went 8-for-21 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Cliff Moss had his first good week as a Cougar, and while still no homers, went 9-for-26 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 6 RBIs. Freddie Jones, who will see his playing time drop a bit with Ray Ford's return, continued his nice start, 6-for-18 with a triple. Billy Hunter had a decent return to the lineup, 7-for-21 with a double and 4 runs scored. Leo Mitchell had another 7 strikeout week, but this time he was 9-for-27 with a double and 7 RBIs. Looking Ahead We stay home to start the week, getting our first taste of the Cleveland Foresters. They're 4-9 to start the season and already 7 games out, but even the most devoted Forester fans realized that this is about where they expected to be. After a run of 80 or more wins from 1932-1939, last season they managed just 53 and were rewarded with The Undertaker Hiram Steinberg. Cleveland didn't make many changes to their roster, but they have inserted former 10th Rounder Doc Dorso into the 5 spot in the rotation. The 28-year-old got one relief outing last season, but has made his first two starts this year, 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.74 WHIP, 11 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Still leading the rotation is former Cougar farmhand Dean Astle, who is hoping he can pitch well enough to earn a ticket out of Cleveland. The southpaw is off to a nice start, 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. At the plate, Dan Fowler is off to a scalding start, playing closer to his prime numbers and not his past two season's form. It's just a 37 PA sample size, but the slugger is hitting .414/.541/.655 (221 OPS+) with 2 homers, 8 walks, and 9 RBIs. He hasn't gotten much help, however, as Cleveland ranks 8th in runs scored, average, OBP, slugging, OPS, bWAR, and wOBA. We'll face them four times, and we're guaranteed Astle, so I'm hoping we can take three if not all four of these games to bring us closer to the red hot Stars. After Cleveland leaves, we welcome in the other Ohio team, the Cincinnati Cannons, for a two game set. Cincy had a tough first week, but bounced back this week and is now 7-6 and a half game behind us. After his breakout last season, Rufus Barrell has been roughed up this season, 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA (49 ERA+), 1.97 WHIP, 6 walks, and 11 strikeouts. We also won't have to worry about new Cannon Adam Mullins, who strained his PCL and likely won't rejoin the team until June. Still, Cincy has a lot of firepower even if their offense is off to a slow start. Moxie Pidgeon and Denny Andrew have started off ice cold, but 25-year-old second basemen Charley McCullough is off to a great start. He's hitting .383/.486/.467 (163 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 10 RBIs. Behind him is the Mouse Fred Galloway, who's hitting an impressive .349/.438/.587 (180 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, steal, and 12 RBIs. Their bullpen has been impressive as well, with Larry Brown, Donnie Scheuermann, and former #1 Overall Pick Vic Carroll all sporting ERAs below 2. Butch Smith has also given them three great starts, 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 8 walks, and 11 strikeouts so far. This is a very good team, but with home field advantage, we may be able to work some magic and pull of a sweep. We finish the week with the first of three against the Sailors. Like us, they have 8 wins, but since they've been lucky enough to have not one, but two off days (our first comes on the 12th...) already! Dutch Sheldon tore his UCL in Spring Training, so 26-year-old Lee "Lord Byron" Marshall has taken the 5th spot in the rotation. It may be short lived, as the former Rule-5 Pick is 1-1 with an 8.56 ERA (43 ERA+), 2.20 WHIP, 9 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation is solid, as the only other pitcher with a sub 100 ERA+ is the reigning Allen Winner Walt Wells, who is still 2-0 with a 3.92 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The offense has a new face, with Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills winning the left field job. It's just 19 PAs, but he's hit a strong .333/.474/.600 (188 OPS+) with a double, homer, and 2 RBIs. The real surprise, however, has been leadoff man Don Homer, who's hitting a superb .400/.426/.511 (152 OPS+) with a double, steal, two triples, and 3 RBIs. We'll get more on them tomorrow, but I'm hoping we can start the series with a win so a split will all we need to start next week. Minor League Report RHP Ray McNeill (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I debated protecting McNeill in the offseason as he was eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, but I decided against it and he was left unselected. If he keeps pitching like he has to start the season, I may have to protect him. His first start was a complete game win with 9 hits, 2 runs, and 5 strikeouts against the Indianapolis Hoosiers. The second time around was even better, as he allowed just 4 hits with 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Yes, it's a small sample, but much better then his 9 starts with Milwaukee last season. He went 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. McNeill isn't a very hard thrower, sitting in the 85-87 range, but he has six pitches he's able to mix together pretty well. His control is better then average, but he's done a good job striking out a lot of hitters despite not being able to overpower many hitters. With Harl Haines as the next man up and the eventual return of Milt Fritz, there are a lot of starters in line ahead of him in case of more injury. He may end up just a spot starter, but he's shown the ability to pitch deep into games and soak up innings when ended. 2B Eddie Curtis (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite not getting an at bat above A ball before this season, I added Eddie Curtis to the 40 as he would have been eligible for the Rule-5 Draft. His season didn't start great, but he was outstanding in the Commodores 11-4 win over the Chattanooga Reliables. The 23-year-old went 5-for-5 with a run scored and four driven in. The 7th Rounder has hit .304/.373/.413 (105 OPS+) in 11 games so far. "Slick Eddie" may just end up as a versatile bench bat, but Tom thinks he can develop into a .330 hitter while being a capable defender at second, third, short, left, and right. I think his best position will be second, but with Billy Hunter there for the foreseeable, it might be tough for him to find every day playing time. RHP Bob Leonard (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a weird career for the former 11th Rounder, who my scouts and managers who have thought should start, while I haven't given him many starts. Well, we were a bit desperate for low minors starters, so I decided to go with the 25-year-old. He's probably ready for a harder challenge, but we have seven starters in Mobile and seven more in Lincoln, so he's stuck here for the time being. But if he keeps pitching like he did in his most recent game, it may be a bit tough to keep him down. It was just his sixth minor league start, but he tossed a 4-hit shutout against with 4 strikeouts against the Fresno Falcons. One of the most hardworking members of our system, Leonard has definitely earned more starts, but he doesn't quite have the upside you look for in low minors pitchers. He sits in the 88-90 range and features five pitches, with the best an average changeup. He does have good control and is able to miss a lot of bats, while walking just 5 in 51.2 innings while striking out 35. He's got a tough path to fulfilling his dream as a big league pitcher, but he'll always be useful minor league depth. 1B Adolph Jacobson (B San Jose Cougars): One of the three useless lottery picks (the other, Solly Skidmore of course), Adolph Jacobson finally made his way up to San Jose, and this week he had a huge power filled surge that was as unexpected as ever. It was good enough for a Player of the Week, as Jacobson went 13-for-29 with 4 homers, 7 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. This increased his season line to an impressive .280/.345/.680 (183 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 walks, and 7 RBIs. The 21-year-old did hit 16 homers last season in La Crosse with his .274/.339/.517 (120 OPS+), so his bat could be developing into something more. Tom thinks he could be an average enough contact hitter, and OSA likes his combination of bat speed and barrel control. He's got a lot of talented players blocking his path, plus he's not quite an ideal personality in the clubhouse, so the deck may be stacked against him. __________________ 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

02-22-2022, 12:48 PM	#735
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 3: April 28th-May 4th Weekly Record:6-1 Seasonal Record: 14-7 (2nd, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 26 AB, 18 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .692 AVG, 1.753 OPS Freddie Jones : 14 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .714 AVG, 1.622 OPS John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .300 AVG, .897 OPS Schedule 4-28: Win vs Foresters (7-9) 4-29: Win vs Foresters (3-5) 4-30: Win vs Foresters (2-4) 5-1: Win vs Foresters (1-9) 5-2: Loss vs Cannons (6-2) 5-3: Win vs Cannons (5-6): 10 innings 5-4: Win vs Sailors (4-7) Recap Hey, hey, hey! I can get used to this! The home cooking was wonderful, and the Cougars ran off a wonderful 6-1 week! Yes, four of the wins came against the 5-15 Foresters, and yes, five of the wins we won by three or less ones, but hey! A 6-1 week! And we didn't lose in regulation! The CA looks a lot different then last season, as the parity is already starting to fall apart. Other then us and the 15-4 Stars, no other CA team has a winning record and only the Kings have joined us with double digit wins. The offense exploded this week, and even though his ended with a sore back (and he'll miss a game this week), Ray Ford came back with a vengeance and took home Player of the Week. He slashed a well beyond elite .692/.714/.1.038 (385 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, steal, 2 walks, and 7 RBIs. He didn't strike out while being worth a full win above replacement. His week was actually matched by Freddie Jones, who hit .714/.765/.857 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs. They had a lot of help, including from Cliff Moss, who was 7-for-22 with a triple, 4 runs, 4 walks, and his first Cougar homer. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 6 RBIs. John Lawson showed his power, 9-for-30 with a double, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 8 RBIs. Leo Mitchell struck out just 5 times instead of 7, while going 7-for-21 with a double and RBI. Part-timers Mike Taylor and Rich Langton got into the fun too, 7-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Sure, Harry Mead, Carlos Montes, and Billy Hunter didn't produce too much, but with how the rest of the team carried the load it really didn't matter. The pitching wasn't great, but Harry Parker was. He tossed another complete game win, this time with 4 hits, a run, walk, and 6 strikeouts. His first start of the season was terrible, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs without getting out of the second, but in the three complete game victories since ,he allowed just 10 hits and 2 runs with 11 strikeouts in. Jim Lonardo picked up a complete game victory, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs with a pair of strikeouts. Dick Lyons pitched fine, but got the loss, 8 innings with 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Eddie Quinn made a pair of starts, but neither were that great. He allowed 16 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), and 10 walks with 4 strikeouts in what could be two of his last starts as a Cougar. Milt Fritz will be back next week, so unless Quinn tosses a gem and Lyons' arm falls apart, Quinn may move to the pen. Peter the Heater was our other two start starter, and while the outings weren't great, he did pick up a pair of wins. He allowed 15 hits and 7 runs with 8 walks and 18 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. The fireballer now has 45 strikeouts, 20 more then Rusty Petrick and Wally Doyle, who are tied for second in the FABL. The inning eater fireballer has already thrown 714 pitches in his 5 starts, averaging 142.8 pitches per outing. His ERA is a bit higher then we'd like (3.86, 94), but it's hard to get mad at a 4-1 pitcher with modern day strikeout numbers. Looking Ahead We took the opener already, and now have two more games with the Sailors. Philly is tied for third and 9-9, and are looking to move longtime first basemen Dick Walker. He's never had a season with an OPS+ below 90, and all but 1934 were above 100, but the 34-year-old is hitting just .228/.371/.246 (68 OPS+) with a double, 5 RBIs, and 13 walks. Bob Smith is hitting above .400, slashing .408/.482/.551 (176 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 6 walks, and 6 RBIs. Don Homer's line has slumped a bit, but his .355/.394/.516 (142 OPS+) line is still impressive. They really don't have many holes in their lineup, but the rest of the lineup can be navigated through. Their rotation has four of five pitchers with ERA+s of 100 or better, with Doc Newell sort of looking like his old self. The 33-year-old is an unlucky 0-2, but with a 3.12 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 7 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Herb Flynn is having a nice bounce back season, 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 9 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It will be a tough series for us, but we're red hot right now and I'm hoping we can keep riding it out. Our homestand ends with two games hosting the Wolves, who are off to a slow start at 8-10. I also think they're going to get the unlucky news that Fred McCormick's deferral was denied, but the 31-year-old is hitting a not-so-McCormick-like .239/.345/.352 (87 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a homer, 2 steals, and 7 RBIs. They have seen a return for Walt Pack, who's hitting a solid .316/.366/.434 (114 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBIs. The offense has struggled, with Levi Redding, Reginald Westfall, Tom Frederick, Charlie Artuso, and Clarence Howerton are all hitting below .240. I can't see that continuing for the middle three, but the team has been really cold and it's spread to the pitching too. Joe Hancock has had a terrible start, 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA (57 ERA+), 1.82 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Same goes for George Garrison, who's a bit better at 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Luckily it hasn't spread to Bernie Johnson, who is an unlucky 2-2 despite his 1.57 ERA (240 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Chick Wirtz has done great as well, 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, and 5 walks and strikeouts. I'm hoping their struggles will continue a little longer, but they are definitely a team to be respected. The week ends with our toughest series of the season yet, three games in New York with the supernova-ing Stars. At 15-4, they've had their way with the entire league, and are the only team to give us consecutive losses on the season. The pitching is great, the hitting is great, and the defense is great, and other then catcher, they don't really have a weakness. Bill Barrett is absolutely destroying baseballs, slashing .390/.449/.727 (218 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 8 homers, and 23 RBIs. Dave Trowbridge is showing 42 isn't too old for being a good hitter, slashing .418/.458/.507 (164 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs. Clark Car has cooled off a bit, but his .339/.364/.500 (134 OPS+) line is still well above average. The pitching is incomparable, with the highest ERA on the staff Lou Robertson's 3.04. Vern Hubbard has somehow been the best pitcher in the game, 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA (255 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 15 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Billy Riley has done great atop the rotation, 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 6 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Chuck Cole is a similar 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 9 walks, and 12 strikeouts while Chris Clarke is 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. This is a big test for us, as a bad series could drop us in a hole too deep to dig out of while a good series could put us in first for the first time this season. Minor League Report RF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): La Crosse has had an excellent season already, now 13-4 and leading the UMVA, but there are very few games they've played with a 16-1 domination over Rock Island. Leo Davis was a huge part of that, going 5-for-5 with a double, homer, walk, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. That launched his .222/.294/.244 line to .300/.368/.400, and he finished the week with a nice .294/.364/.441 (118 OPS+) split. He's added 3 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 4 steals, and 13 RBIs. Our 8th Rounder last season, the 22-year-old will look to earn a promotion after our draft, and he's shown elite defense out in right field. His contact skills are a bit below average, but with his speed he can beat out a ton of ground balls and wreck havoc on the basepaths. He profiles more as of a 4th outfielder, but we're hoping we can get the most out of him. RHP Mel Haynes (C La Crosse Lions): He keeps bouncing up and down the prospect lists, but in my mind, nothing has really changed. Currently 7th in our system and 80th overall, Haynes has been flat out dominant in his first three starts. The third was top notch, allowing just 3 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in a complete game win over, you guessed it, Rock Island. That improved his season record to 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA (284 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 26 innings. He's also gotten some time at first, and has hit .346/.469/.423 (143 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 6 walks. If he keeps pitching and hitting like this I can see him finishing his season in San Jose, but I don't want to rush the talented teen. I think his future is on the mound, but he's a decent enough hitter too. He projects to hit over .300 and has great pitch recognition skills. On the mound he's much more exciting, with a quality four pitch repertoire. His best may be his sinker, an 89-91 pitch that allows him to generate a ton of groundballs. His change may end up better, as it could turn into a really tough pitch to hit. He should be able to record a bunch of strikeouts, but control may end up an issue. I think Haynes could develop into a mid-rotation arm with the chance to fill out at the top, but his upside is immense. RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): It wasn't against Rock Island, but Harry Stewart took his dominance out on the Marshalltown Kings. The 18-year-old allowed just 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 4 walks in a complete game win. He's been outstanding in each of his three starts, 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA (569 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 8 walks, and 6 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He doesn't turn 19 until the end of May, and has started throwing 91-93 this season. He has a nice four pitch mix, led with a filthy change and nice fastball. His curve and splitter could develop into decent pitches, and he can flat out dominate when he's finding the zone. Like many others, his control problems may stop him from reaching his potential, but he has the upside to fill out a big league rotation. Last year's 5th Rounder ranks 13th in our system and 151st overall, and I think he'll end up a top 100 prospect before graduating off the lists. He's a skinny righty who may end up throwing a bit harder as he ages, and I'm excited to see what he turns into. 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

02-22-2022, 11:12 PM	#736
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Trade News! Dick Walker has always been a player I've been fascinated with. Sure, he's 34 now, but this is a guy who from 1929 to 1940 only had one season with a sub 100 OPS+ and has double the walks (1,186) to strikeouts (521). Add in the ten seasons with double digit homers and 12 seasons with double digit steals, and you have a really interesting and unorthodox first basemen. Since debuting in 1928, the lefty has hit an impressive .281/.382/.443 (117 OPS+) with 323 doubles, 209 triples, 135 homers, 298 steals, and 953 RBIs. His player page is filled with black ink, leading the CA in walks in 1931 (115), 1932 (89), 1933 (97), 1935 (112), 1938 (109), and 1939 (126), steals in 1931 (27), 1932 (25), 1934 (30), 1938 (33), and 1939 (27), and while not as impressive, plate appearances in 1931 (711). He's been remarkably durable too, 140 or more games in each season since 1930 excluding his 137 in 1937, and he's been worth 52.2 wins above replacement for the Sailors. And now he's a Chicago Cougar. Sure, he's starting to see some effects of age this season, but Walker did hit .257/.374/.442 (119 OPS+) last season with 25 doubles, 16 triples, 14 homers, 17 steals, and 72 RBIs with nearly double the walks (101) as strikeouts (62). And yes, he doesn't really have an open lineup spot, with Ray Ford at first, but he's already shown that he gets injured more then he should. And yes, I have Freddie Jones to backup first when Ford is gone, but what are the odds him and Billy Hunter stay healthy by the end of the month, let alone all season? And with a team who almost never has anyone good at stealing bases, who wouldn't want some one who hasn't been caught stealing more then he's stolen since he was just 22! Our only real base stealer is Carlos Montes, and he's been caught (39) more often then he's succeeded (39), and no one else last season stole more then five bases and was caught less then they stole. Plus, with Ford as a righty, Walker can give him a few days off against tough righties, and if I want to get creative, I can also use Walker if I want to give Leo Mitchell a day off against lefties, with Ford moving to left. Walker is basically league average against lefties, hitting .268/.351/.400 (98 OPS+) for his career, while Mitchell, albeit, in a small sample, is just .204/.222/.229 (26 OPS+) this season. His plate discipline is almost unmatched as well, and we haven't had an 100 walk hitter since Dibblee hit the century mark in 1927. In fact, we had just three hitters reach 50 last season, with Montes leading the way with 52. To make room for him, I will have to cut Ossie Grogan, but since Grogan was formerly a Sailor, I worked him in the deal as well. He will become optionable (although I'm pretty sure he'll take up a 40 spot), as we send minor league infielders Vince Conforti and Jim McCarthy to Philly for the pair. McCarthy does rank as our 20th best prospect, but I have Jocko Pollard ahead of him for third basemen and Billy Hunter is looking more and more likely to become our third basemen of the future, so McCarthy didn't really have the easiest path to the big leagues. Walker really improves our depth and adds a solid influence to the clubhouse while not costing us too much. And of course, I'm always partial to players I like, and Walker is someone I've been a fan of (and he's appeared in a decent amount of our writeups) and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add him to the roster. I'm hoping the change of scenery can do him well, and when Ray Ford has injury #11, I don't think we'll miss a beat with Walker. His All-Star days are behind him, but he's definitely better then the depth we'd be able to pluck off the waiver wire. __________________ 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

02-23-2022, 07:08 PM	#737
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 4: May 5th-May 11th Weekly Record:5-2 Seasonal Record: 19-9 (2nd, 2 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.048 OPS Freddie Jones : 13 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.115 OPS Billy Hunter : 17 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .412 AVG, .941 OPS Schedule 5-5: Win vs Sailors (6-7): 10 innings 5-6: Win vs Sailors (2-3): 11 innings 5-7: Win vs Wolves (2-4) 5-8: Win vs Wolves (3-4) 5-9: Loss at Stars (1-2) 5-10: Win vs Stars (7-4) 5-11: Loss vs Stars (3-5) Recap We swept the Sailors and swept the Wolves, but when we went to New York the Stars took two of three from us. They lost a game earlier in the week, so we're still two out of first, and the two of us are separating ourselves from the pack early on. The three one run wins are a little concerning, but considering were just as close to our 20th win as out 10th loss, it's really hard to complain about what's going on. Well, I guess I can complain about the injuries, as Billy Hunter is hurt again! He sprained his knee again, but instead of almost a month, we're thinking he'll just miss 1-2 weeks. This was a great week for Hunter, as he was 7-for-17 with 2 doubles and RBIs, and the 26-year-old has hit .328/.361/.431 (115 OPS+) in the early goings. Lucky for us, his replacement will be Freddie Jones, who is slashing .453/.514/.547 (189 OPS+) in 72 PAs thusfar. Jones only made three starts this week, but was 6-for-13 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He'll get most of the starts at the keystone, with Ollie Page filling in a few times a week to keep Jones healthy. John Lawson had himself another nice week, 9-for-24 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Rich Langton did good in limited time, 4-for-11 with a double, triple, and 5 RBIs. Carlos Montes went 7-for-24 with a double, 3 runs, 5 walks, and 2 RBIs. The rest of the lineup didn't do much, but while Leo Mitchell went just 7-for-28 (with 7 strikeouts...), he did homer and drive in 5. Johnny McDowell was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, run, and RBI in three pinch hit opportunities. Dick Walker will join the roster this week, and since Hunter got hurt, Stu Johnson will stick around and fill out the bench. Meyer wants Walker to get starts against righties and Ford against lefties, and while I won't leave Ford on the bench for all righties, I do think Walker will get a decent amount of time there. The pitching was solid, but we got an injury scare with Eddie Quinn. He left his start against the Wolves after just two batters with back tightness, but he won't miss any time. It really hurt him, as it was his last chance to make a case for staying in the rotation, as Milt Fritz will rejoin the team. Quinn struggles in 31 innings so far, working to a 4.94 ERA (77 ERA+) and 1.61 WHIP with 16 walks and 9 strikeouts. To make room for Fritz, I'll be letting to of the 38-year-old Allen Purvis, who has managed to keep a roster spot since we claimed him off waivers way back in 1935. He's done well this season, 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 10 walks, and 4 strikeouts, but I can't bring myself to cut Pug, Joe Brown has a ton of upside as a starter, and Ben Curtin is a leader and popular clubhouse figure. Purvis ended up pitching more innings for us (387.2) then any other team, and was 24-24 with 12 saves, a 3.74 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 161 walks, and 124 strikeouts. For his career, he's 43-54 with 19 saves, a 4.27 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 318 walks, and 254 strikeouts. The only starter who really struggled this week was Jim Lonardo, who picked up two wins and improved to 5-1 on the season. He had a 10 inning complete game win to start the week and pitched 7 innings in our win against the Stars. Still, he allowed 23 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. Harry Parker was our other two start starter, winning one and losing one. He tallied 19 innings with 15 hits, 7 runs, 8 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Peter the Heater was outdueled by Chuck Cole, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8 innings. Dick Lyons had a brilliant outing, 8 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in a complete game win over Toronto. The off day to start the week should really help refresh the staff as we head on a long road trip. Looking Ahead It took 28 days before our first off day, but the red hot Cougars will get a day to rest and recuperate before heading on the road. Our first stop should be the easiest, a pair of games with the struggling Foresters. As it's set now, we're looking at facing two former Cougars in Ben Turner and Dean Astle, although to be fair, four of the five Foresters rotation members have spent time in our organization. Turner has been unlucky, 0-3 despite a respectable 3.79 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 13 walks, and 8 strikeouts in his five starts. Astle has been okay, 2-4 with an adjusted league average 3.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts. The Foresters did get some good news recently, as Mel Carrol's deferment was accepted, so the Foresters will not lose him like the Wolves lost Fred McCormick. The 29-year-old known as the Harborcreek Hustler could end up being a hot commodity around the trade deadline, and he's hitting .320/.343/.526 (124 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 13 RBIs. He hasn't had much help in the lineup, with the only other above average hitters behind him in Bill Moore and Dan Fowler. Both are hitting .300, but Fowler has 4 homers and 12 RBIs and a very impressive 146 OPS+ compared to Moore's 2, 13, and 119. 25-year-old catcher Ken Vance seemed poised for a big breakout season, but the switch hitter has been ice cold, hitting a pitiful .173/.195/.213 (7 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 7 RBIs. A lot of it is bad luck as he's struck out in only 3 of his 80 plate appearances, but he has not been able to find the outfield grass very often. If both teams keep playing like they have all season, we should have no issues, and with a little luck, this could push us into first place. Next stop is Philadelphia for three with the Sailors, so Dick Walker will get to face his old team almost immediately. Philly has struggled early on, 10-14 and already 9 games behind New York. As a whole, the team hasn't hit much, but Bob Smith had a decent week and is hitting .397/.468/.529 (160 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. No word on who will replace Walker in the lineup, but there is a chance former 7th Overall Pick and top prospect Marion Boismenu will man first. A natural third basemen, he has experience at first as well, and has hit .353/.389/.353 (95 OPS+) in limited time. Another option could be their top prospect Johnny Zeidman, another third basemen, who ranks 18th in the league. He has a bit of experience at first too, and has hit .274/.378/.389 (104 OPS+) in 24 games with AAA San Francisco. They'll need some sort of a jolt to the lineup, with the generally reliable Joe Watson, Woody Stone, Jim Beard, and Rip Lee all enduring below average seasons at the plate. The pitching has been hit hard lately, with Herb Flynn, Doc Newell, and Chuck Murphy all seeing their ERAs jump. Lee Marshall was moved to the pen with the fragile Ray McCarthy claiming the five spot. He's shown flashes of greatness when healthy, and in 5 relief outings and one start this season he is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts, and a save. Playing on the road is always tough, but I think we have the advantage here and should end up winning another series. Our week then finishes with the first of three in Cincinnati. The Cannons have had a tough start after an exciting season saw them back in a pennant race for the first time in almost a decade. The early injury to Adam Mullins has been hard to overcome, and they are in seventh at 10-15. The pitching was superb last season, but most of the staff have really struggled this season. The only starter pitching well, at least before Roger Perry's no hitter, is Glenn Payne, who is probably the fourth best pitcher on the staff. The 27-year-old southpaw has pitched well, 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA (169 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The biggest surprise has been Rufus Barrell, who is 1-3 with a 6.48 ERA (60 ERA+), 1.77 WHIP, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts. They've also had some issues at the plate, with the prolific slugger Moxie Pidgeon hitting just .240/.295/.354 (73 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 17 RBIs. His corner outfield partner Mike Taylor is also having a down season, hitting just .262/.331/.383 (90 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, and 11 RBIs. One guy who isn't struggling is Doc Love, who has been getting some reps in left with Pidgeon spending some time at first. The former Cougar has made just 43 trips to the plate, but is hitting a strong .395/.442/.526 (157 OPS+) with 5 doubles and RBIs. We get the teams with the three worst records in the CA this week, so we should be able to run through our opponents. Still, anything can happen on the road, and the Sailors and Canons both have a lot of talent, so we can't take anything for granted. Minor League Report RHP Ira Hawker (B San Jose Cougars): He struggled a bit last season in San Jose, and he started the season with a red arrow here as well, but I decided to push Ira Hawker and let him start the season in San Jose. My gamble has worked out so far, as Hawker improved to 3-2 with a 2-hit shutout as San Jose beat Tacoma 6-0. Hawker has yet to allow more then three earned runs in an outing so far, and owns a 2.20 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 9 walks, and 19 strikeouts. This is a huge jump in production for the 22-year-old, who got a late start to his pitching career. If he keeps this up, we can hopefully have him finish the season in Lincoln, something I didn't expect to happen this quickly. Hawker has added a bit more speed to his fastball, moving from 85-87 to 87-89 this Spring. The more speed he adds, the better pitch this will pair with his plus curve. His slider and change need more work, but both should end up as big league quality pitches. He also does a good job keeping the ball in the park, and turn a double play or two when needed. OSA likes Hawker more then Tom, thinking he could be a decent 5th starter, and the prospect people rank him 12th in our system and 130th overall. He's got a lot of developing left to do, but we may have to start speeding up his process. RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): His dominant season just keeps on going, as the 18-year-old followed up his 3-hit shutout with a 7-hit shutout. Again on the road, but this time against the Waterloo Chiefs, who we pulverized 16-0 despite them being above .500 and 4.5 games behind the Lions. Stewart has now allowed just 16 hits and a single run in his last three starts, all of which were complete games. I didn't really think he was ready for San Jose, but he's now shaping up to be the next man up if we need an arm in San Jose. Including his 10 starts last season with the Lions, he's now 10-1 with a 3.41 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 30 walks, and 56 strikeouts across 116 innings pitched. I've always been a big fan of Stewart, and I'm hoping he can be a quick riser for a high schooler and if he keeps pitching the way he is, could end up as enticing trade bait if we need to make upgrades in the new future. I think he could end up a middle of the rotation arm, but OSA and Tom think he's more of a spot starter. I think that's a bit low, but he does rank 13th in our system and 157th overall. __________________ 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

02-24-2022, 06:41 PM	#738
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 5: May 12th-May 18th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 21-13 (2nd, 3.5 GB) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .476 AVG, 1.065 OPS Cliff Moss : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.162 OPS John Lawson : 25 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .360 AVG, .890 OPS Schedule 5-13: Win at Foresters (10-5) 5-14: Win at Foresters (17-9) 5-15: Loss at Sailors (6-8) 5-16: Loss at Sailors (3-5) 5-17: Loss at Sailors (1-9) 5-18: Loss at Sailors (2-4) Recap Not really the week we were looking for here... Yes, we swept the Foresters, but we let the Sailors run us right out of town and dropped the first came in Cincy, falling to 3.5. games out of first. We wasted all our runs in the first two games, and another week like this and we may fall out of the race as the Stars have decided losing is overrated. The big league team stayed healthy and we should have Billy Hunter back next week, but we'll need to get things turned around quickly. One guy who has really struggled so far is Leo Mitchell, who had another tough week and went 5-for-21 with 6 more strikeouts. He's now hitting just .260/.300/.309 (65 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 17 RBIs with the same amount of strikeouts (32) as hits. This is very concerning for the 28-year-old, who has put up OPS+ of 133, 139, 134, and 135 in the past four seasons. I'm sure it's just bad luck more then anything, but he will see some of his at bats against lefties go to Rich Langton instead. Mitchell is hitting just .217/.242/.283 against same side pitchers this year despite a .308/.341/.398 (104 OPS+) measure for his career. Langton, who had a rough season last year, is coming off a 5-for-11 week with a double and 3 RBIs, and pushed his season line up to .340/.411/.440 (130 OPS+). Despite the bad week, we did have a lot of hitters play well, including new Cougar Dick Walker. It was just 10 PAs, but the lefty was 4-for-9 with a double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Cliff Moss has started to turn a corner, and was 8-for-19 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. Same for Skipper Schneider, who had easily his best week of the season, going 10-for-21 with a double, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. John Lawson was 9-for-25 with 4 doubles, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones went 6-for-18 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Our catching duo did have it's struggles, with Mead and Taylor combining to go 4-for-23 with a Mead double and Taylor triple. We did not pitch well this week, with just Harry Parker in the rotation not allowing 5 or more earned runs. He did allow 5 runs, just two were unearned, with 13 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts in 8 innings. Milt Fritz did not have a nice return to the staff, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks in 6.2 innings. Dick Lyons was ineffective in his start, 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and strikeout in just 3 innings against Cleveland. Jim Lonardo went 7 with 13 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), a walk, and a strikeout. Pete Papenfus was the lone two start starter, beating Cleveland and losing to Cincinnati. He went 17 innings with 18 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), 9 walks, and 11 strikeouts. The pen had issues too, with Pug Bryan allowing 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Joe Brown saw his ERA rise yet again with 2 hits and a run in his lone inning. After a 2.84 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP in 73 innings last year, his 11 innings this season have seen marks of 7.36 and 1.64. The pitching should come around, but it seems the staff has been very hit or miss in the early goings. Looking Ahead We get two more with the Cannons, who after beating us moved up to 14-18 and 9.5 games out of first. There are a lot of options for them to go with in our series, and they announced later in the week former #2 Overall Pick and #5 prospect Bill Sohl will make his big league debut. We won't face him, but he was 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 27 walks, and 21 strikeouts. I expect for us to see Butch Smith, who is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 18 walks, and 23 strikeouts. With Sohl coming up, they may move Vic Carroll, who is the most rested rotation member, to the pen after he allowed 12 hits and 8 runs in his first start after 6 excellent relief outings. If they skip him that would mean Smith and Glenn Payne, who is now 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 17 walks, and 23 strikeouts. The Cannons have scored the third most runs in the league, but the offense hasn't really performed that well. Charley McCullough has done well at the top of the lineup, hitting .316/.414/.368 (108 OPS+) and Mike Taylor rode a hot week and boosted his season line to .285/.346/.431 (104 OPS+). They'll get a nice boost when Adam Mullins returns to the lineup, probably two weeks from now, as he's exponentially better then Buster Farrar and his .224/.319/.296 (63 OPS+) line. These two games are must wins, as we can't afford to let another struggling team stop their struggling against us. We then finish our road trip with two in Toronto against the Wolves. They're a week in to the year without Fred McCormick, but they improved their record to 14-17 and we'll hope they end up 15-17 after a game with the Stars on the 20th. Replacing McCormick at first is Walt Pack, who is being replaced at third by 25-year-old rookie Ockie Holliday. I actually made a run at Holliday in the offseason, but when Otto Christian fell to us in the draft, I decided it wasn't worth having both. It wasn't a great debut week for Ockie, who went just 6-for-20, but he scored five times and drove in four. Pack is having a much better season himself, hitting a nice .316/.372/.453 (113 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBIs. The Wolves lost their center fielder Levi Redding for 4-5 weeks, which opened a spot for former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales. The Wolves have been unlucky at the plate and on the mound, but they've gotten good production from Larry Vestal and Bernie Johnson. Vestal, who tends to start hot, is hitting .333/.457/.450 (136 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, steal, and 19 RBIs. Johnson has arguably been the best pitcher in the league this season, 4-2 with a 1.58 ERA (257 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 13 walks, and 14 strikeouts. He's carried the staff with the uncharacteristic slumps from Joe Hancock and George Garrison, who have ERAs of 5.65 (72 ERA+) and 4.34 (93 ERA+) respectively. Garrison started slow last season, but Hancock won the 1939 Allen Award and is coming off back-to-back 7+ WAR seasons and has never had an ERA above 4. Toronto is definitely better then their record, but a Wolves team without Fred McCormick doesn't seem like a pennant contender. Big off day on Friday before what could be the five most important games of the season. That's because we face the New York Stars, who are 4-1 against us. It starts with three in Chicago and then two in New York, and these are huge games that could really make the pennant race less interesting. They already have a 3.5 game lead cushion, and with another series win against us, we could fade away into irrelevance. The biggest catalyst for the Stars success has been William the Conqueror, who has exploded this season and hit a robust .442/.527/.800 (246 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs. And not only has he led them to a league high runs scored, but their staff has allowed the fewest runs. Vern Hubbard went from potentially losing his rotation spot to 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA (293 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 23 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Chuck Cole has followed up his strong 1940 with a better 1941, 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA (199 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Then there is Lou Robertson, who shook off a rough start with 4 straight starts with 2 or fewer earned runs, and is now 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Crazy enough, they traded their best arm last season George Phillips for Lou Seals, and none of those three are the best arm left. That would be 26-year-old Billy Riley, who is 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 12 walks, and 29 strikeouts. The offense does need to be a bit more well rounded, as Joe Angevine and Clark Car have started to slump and Lew Seals and Chink Stickels haven't really gotten it together, but there is a lot of talent in the lineup. Of course, Dave Trowbridge keeps trucking along, hitting .364/.419/.448 (129 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, homer, and 24 RBIs. This series will be a true test of both teams merits, and I know the rest of the league is hoping for an even series so they can keep their playoff hopes alive. Minor League Report 2B Ossie Grogan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He was 0-for-4 in Chicago, but his first week in Milwaukee, Ossie Grogan was as good as it gets. Taking home Player of the Week, the 25-year-old went 13-for-27 with 4 doubles and 11 RBIs, good for a .481/.533/.630 (218 OPS+) line. It's nice that we were able to get Grogan with Walker, as he's going to get far more playing time with the Blues compared to what he would have with us, as he was behind Hunter, Jones, and Page. One of out top 10, he ranks just outside the top 100 at 117, and at 9th is our first non-top 100 prospect. Sure, the switch hitter is a bit lazy, but he has recognizable upside at the plate after putting up OPS+ of 134 and 152 in AA and AAA last season. He should be able to hit comfortably above .300 with improving pitch recognition skills and a reliable glove at the keystone. Not much power, but he has good speed and does well when he puts the ball in play. Tom is a big fan of Grogan, thinking he has the talent to flourish in a big league role, but I'd even be happy if he is no more then an Ollie Page type player. RF Sammy Dillon (AA Mobile Commodores): We have a pretty stacked outfield in the upper minors, but that didn't stop Indiana's Sammy Dillon from putting together a remarkable week. The 24-year-old slugger went 10-for-17 with 3 homers, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. This upped his season line to an absurd .344/.517/.766 (229 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 18 RBIs. Dillon missed 4 months last season with a fractured ankle, and I was afraid it would have some impact on his power, but he's shown no signs of deterioration. In 26 games last season he only homered once, and this year he's basically homering each week. A former 4th Rounder, Dillon doesn't rank in the top 500, but this can be very common for slugging corner bats. His offensive prowess is clear, and he projects to hit a lot of homers. His contact tool isn't the greatest, and could limit his value, but he's a patient and selective hitter who can wait out wild pitchers and punish their mistakes. Right now he's stuck behind Oscar Panduro and Fred Vargas for corner bats, and with Bunny Hufford hitting well and a much more exciting prospect, he's not even the next man up. He is Rule-5 eligible now, so we risk losing him if we don't bring him up, but for now he's going to remain in Mobile. C Solly Skidmore (A Lincoln Legislators): 1940 was an insane season for Solly Skidmore, who hit .388/.437/.581 (163 OPS+) in La Crosse and .395/.437/.566 (159 OPS+) in San Jose, combining 43 doubles, 17 homers, and 108 RBIs. I then pushed the 20-year-old a bit further, having him start the season in Lincoln. He had a bit of a slow start, but he was great against Terre Haute on the 14th, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. He then went 7-for-13 in the next three games and increased his season line to an impressive .353/.395/.437 (129 OPS+). Sure, it's not the astronomical numbers from the year prior, but these are great numbers for a catcher, especially one as young as Solly. His extra base hits have dropped a bit, just 4 doubles and 2 homers with 25 RBIs, but he's walked (9) nearly five times as frequently as he's struck out (2) and he may find himself up in Mobile soon. He projects to be a well above average hitter in the big leagues, with plus-plus contact skills due to his smooth as silk swing. He has a great eye and should continue to walk more then he strikes out in the big leagues, and he is good enough behind the plate with a bat like his. The only question mark is the power, as I'm not sure he'll ever be a double digit home run hitter in the FABL. He's a big guy, 6'3'' 200, which bodes well for his home run hitting, but guys who can slug in the low minors don't always have that success as they age. He is one of the brightest prospects in the game, 21st overall and the top ranked catcher, and while Harry Mead is struggling severely this season, he could potentially be a top-5 catcher. Skidmore is a great fall back option, and with the 6 year age difference, they could coexist like Mead and Taylor are now. RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): After a dominant 1939 season, Joe Crosby seemed like he was ready to take the league by storm, and work his way up the top prospects list. Unfortunately, 1940 was a nightmare, as he dealt with shoulder tendinitis and finished with a 5.28 ERA (76 ERA+) and 1.52 WHIP while walking more (48) batters then he struck out (43). I gave him another go in Lincoln, and his 5 starts this season have gone much better. He was a single hit away from a no-hitter in his most recent outing, allowing 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in a complete game win as we slaughtered the Gary Steelman 12-0. That improved the 22-year-old to 3-2 on the season with a 2.04 ERA (183 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, 12 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Crosby put himself back in the top 500, but down to 322 from 132 after the 1939 season. He is throwing a bit harder now, sitting at 90-92 with his fastball, and it should turn into a plus pitch. So should his curve, but right now the slider is looking like an average pitch at best. Command is still a little of an issue, as he consistently has a BB/9 over 3, but I'm hoping we can work him out of his control problems as he continues to move up the ladder. He's not the top prospect he once looked like, but he could end up as a nice swingman option with more upside then the waiver wire vets. RHP Harry Stewart (C La Crosse Lions): Okay, this is just getting silly now! Stewart bested Waterloo again, this time with 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. He's now thrown three consecutive complete game shutouts and hasn't allowed a run in 34 consecutive innings. He's made 5 starts this year and is a perfect 4-0 with a 0.41 ERA (966 ERA+), 0.89 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 44 near perfect innings. The UMVA league average ERA is 3.84 and the next best qualified pitcher has a 1.60 ERA. He will be promoted to San Jose, but I first have to see if he can keep this streak going any longer! I'm really not sure what's gotten into the 18-year-old (although he'll be 19 on the 21st), as his production has skyrocketed despite his K/9 dropping from 5.3 to 1.8. I'm sure there is some luck involved, as he's getting a lot of balls put in play, and our defense has been really good. I'm not sure how long he'll continue to be effective with a lowered K/9, but it's looking more and more like his ceiling is much higher then spot starter. If he can continue to dominate in the zone like he has, we could have another exciting young pitcher on our hands, and hopefully one with a long big league career. CF Don Lee (C La Crosse Lions): I remember when I was making my second rounder last season, I was really worried if I made the right pick. My scout absolutely loved Don Lee, ranking him in his top 10th, but OSA wasn't as fond, and he dropped out of the first round. Fast forward to the June portion and he wasn't really present on the Mock Drafts, and panic started to set in a bit. Luckily for us, he was an instant top 200 prospect, and currently ranks 11th in our system and 122nd overall. He was great last season, hitting .289/.411/.481 (132 OPS+), but he's taken it to the next level this season. The 19-year-old had a week to remember, hitting .393 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. This increased his season line to .350/.439/.553 (166 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 5 steals, and 23 RBIs. He's also been reliable out in center, with a 1.076 efficiency this season after looking just average last year. I'm not quite ready to move him up, we have a full outfield in San Jose, but I can't imagine staying in La Crosse after the draft. Lee is an extremely hard worker who I expect to continue to improve, but unless we have injury troubles, there's no rush to move him up. He looks to have the most upside in the outfield in our system, and while far from a star, he could be a really reliable center fielder. __________________ 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; 02-25-2022 at 12:50 PM.

02-25-2022, 07:21 PM	#739
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	Week 6: May 19th-May 25th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 25-15 (2nd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week Ray Ford : 15 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .667 AVG, 2.173 OPS Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Harry Parker : 1 Win, 12.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 5-19: Win at Cannons (6-3) 5-20: Loss at Cannons (0-1) 5-21: Win at Wolves (3-1): 12 innings 5-22: Loss at Wolves (0-2) 5-24: Win vs Stars (3-5) 5-25: Win vs Stars (5-6) Recap Way to end the week! Sure, it was frustrating to split with the week with the Cannons and Wolves, but we can take some solace in the fact that we won all the games we scored in! Plus, we finally beat the Stars! That brought us within a game of them, and with one more game in Chicago before heading to New York, we can finish the sweep with a tie of first place. We got news on injury, but as one player returns, another leaves. Billy Hunter is back and healthy, but for the first time in his entire career, Jim Lonardo will miss more then three days. The 36-year-old left our 6-5 win against the Stars with a sprained ankle and is likely to miss at least two weeks. Lonardo struggled in it too, 9 hits and 5 runs in 6.1 innings pitched. He hasn't had the greatest season, but he's 5-3 with a 4.11 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 11 walks, and 27 strikeouts. With him leaving the roster, Eddie Quinn will return to the rotation after not getting a single relief outing. I'm hoping Quinn can get back on track as his five starts haven't gone well, but there are definitely worst options for spot starts. Allen Purvis cleared waivers, but since he didn't accept a demotion to Milwaukee, so he'll be the lucky one to replace Lonardo on the roster. Despite losing Lonardo, and his performance, the pitch was outstanding. Harry Parker continued his outstanding season, winning an extra inning game that never should have gone to extras. An Ollie Page error in the third was the only run the Wolves got, as the inning eater threw a 12-inning, 168 pitch complete game. He allowed just 8 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 5-3 with a 2.53 ERA (154 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 20 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The best parts is the lack of homers, just 4 (0.5 HR/9) on the season after a league high 36 and 30 the past two seasons. Now I don't think he mastered the home run, but I feel like homers are down in the league this season. Still, it looks like someone else will lead the CA in homers this year. Milt Fritz had a much better second start, tossing a complete game win with 7 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Peter the Heater lost the 2-0 game against the Wolves, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 quality innings. Dick Lyons had a good start too, picking up a win with 8 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. I'm hoping we can keep this up as we finish up with the Stars. The offense really struggled, as we continue to not do both things right, with just our first basemen having above average weeks. Ray Ford took home another Player of the Week, 10-for-15 with 2 walks, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Dick Walker picked up his 2,000th career hit, and despite going just 3-for-15, he walked twice, doubled, homers, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. Somehow, the next best week went to Leo Mitchell, and he was just 4-for-16 with a double. Best part is he only struck out three times, the lowest of a week so far. The middle infield pair of Freddie Jones and Skipper Schneider were ice cold, combining to go 3-for-36 with 4 walks and 3 Skipper RBIs. The 20-year-old is dealing with a huge sophomore slump, hitting just .289/.345/.333 (84 OPS+) with 6 doubles and 17 RBIs. He does have a superb 12-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio and an impressive 5.8 zone rating and 1.088 efficiency at short. I have faith he'll turn things around, as it's tough to get mad at 20-year-old for not dominating big league pitchers. With Hunter back, Skipper may get a day or two off so Freddie Jones can still get some at bats with Hunter sliding over to short. I'm hoping for better production next week, but I'll trade good hitting for consistent 4-2 weeks. Looking Ahead One more with the Stars in Chicago before heading to New York for two more. They are just 24-12, playing in four fewer games then we have, which equates to a one game cushion for first. They've still allowed the fewest runs while scoring the most, while Bill Barrett has over half the teams home run output. He dropped below .400, but is still hitting .397/.488/.730 (219 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, and 41 RBIs with an impressive 26-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He did suffer a mild hamstring in the game Lonardo left, but he should be good for the away portion. Him and Trowbridge are the only two hitting above .300, but Chink Stickels has started to improve and brought his line to an above average .285/.380/.380 (102 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs to go with a 21-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. We'll start the series with Lou Robertson before Chuck Cole and Vern Hubbard. Robertson is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 19 walks, and 12 strikeouts. Hubbard suffered his first loss of the season against the Cannons, now 5-1 with a 1.69 ERA (235 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 26 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Cole is now 6-2 with a 2.37 ERA (167 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 17 walks, and 19 strikeouts. All three are very good pitchers and we'll have to be at our best to keep our little run going. We're off on Thursday, but it won't really feel like it, as it's just before a double header with the Saints. They're currently in the cellar, 14-24 and 11 games out of first. Wally Doyle is having a great season, but the rest of the rotation has really struggled. Ed Baker has been a bit unlucky, but is 2-7 with a 5.50 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 22 walks, and 22 strikeouts. Jake DeYoung has struggled to match his early career numbers, this season 2-5 with a 5.53 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 12 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Jake Hughes hasn't had much success in the field, but the 25-year-old is hitting .382/.429/.551 (153 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs. He's no Red Bond, but that line is technically better then the new first basemen, who is hitting .319/.390/.478 (125 OPS+) with 5 homers and 29 RBIs. They recently traded Gary Carmichael away to the Stars to make room for Mark Burns, who has hit .353/.402/.565 (149 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 21 RBIs. Their lineup isn't bad, but they are not scoring a lot of runs and they've allowed more runs then any team in the league. They've already beat us three times and we can't continue to drop games to them. It's a short road trip as we return home to Chicago to start a three game series Former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales got a start this week as the Wolves has a lot of games in a row, getting a no decision with 5 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout in 6.1 innings pitched. Another former Cougar prospect Reginald Westfall, who is hitting .299/.379/.468 (119 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 18 RBIs. He's no Fred McCormick, but between him, Walt Pack, and Larry Vestal, they have trio of really solid hitters. Tom Frederick and Charlie Artuso should eventually stop underperforming, but both are outstanding middle infielders so they still provide value when the bat is struggling. I also really hope we don't have to face Bernie Johnson, who's 4-2 with a 1.47 ERA (275 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 15 walks, and 16 strikeouts. Right now him, Walls, and Pomales are the projected starters, but the Wolves will probably return to a five man rotation, so we could really see any of them to finish the week. Minor League Report CF Bunny Hufford (AA Mobile Commodores): He may have dropped out of the top 100, but there hasn't been any decline in production from Bunny Hufford. The 23-year-old was a big part of the Commodores 20-8 victory over the Knoxville Knights, going 6-for-7 with 2 doubles and 4 runs scored. This helped him take home Player of the Week, finishing 13-for-26 with a homer and 8 runs scored. He's now appeared in 38 AA games, and is slashing an impressive .372/.429/.510 (141 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 7 steals, and 23 RBIs. He's also made just one error in center, although his .976 efficiency isn't as encouraging. Tom Weinstock is a huge fan of Hufford, expecting him to flourish as a center fielder with above average contact skills and good strike zone recognition. Hufford is extremely fast, leading to a lot of steals and extra base hits, as well as range in the outfield. I don't need to rush him up, but I do think his bat is near big league ready, and he could fill in sooner if injuries pile up. 1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): It's still early, but this season is looking to be a breakout for the 23-year-old from Chicago. Like Hufford, he's fallen a bit in the prospect rankings, but unlike Hufford who is still in our 10 and the top 150, Seagroves dropped to 20 and 262nd. He's done a great job at the plate, however, slashing .362/.440/.586 (178 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 16 RBIs, and 17 walks. He has yet to strikeout in 134 trips to the plate and has only struck out five times in the past two seasons. Easily one of the most disciplined hitters in the system, he always gives outstanding at bats and he should be a consistent .300 hitter in the big leagues. He's played a lot of first base for us since he's tall and we don't have many options there, but I'd be more then comfortable moving him to second if needed. I think he's ready for Mobile, and when one of Billy Hunter or Freddie Jones inevitably get injured, I can see him moving on up. Amateur Report it's draft time! A few picks have already been made, including a player I really wanted to take, but we do have a pair of 4ths and 6th and pick 13th in the remaining six rounds. I updated my draft database, but I will also give updates on the four players we already selected: 1st Round, 13th Overall: 3B Otto Christian School: Walla Walla Commit School: Red River State 1941: .486/.545/.972, 123 PA, 13 2B, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 8 SB Career: .473/.534/.979, 498 PA, 47 2B, 4 3B, 53 HR, 166 RBI, 24 SB The Walla Walla Walloper will go down as one of the most prestigious power hitters of the non-feeder era, adding 13 homers to his career total. He finished with 53 homers and 166 RBIs, and hit for his highest average and second highest OBP as a high schooler. Tom isn't as big of a fan of him now as he was back in January, but I have absolutely no regrets on this pick. Despite what he's shown, John Lawson won't be able to play forever, and Otto has the power to potentially impact the game. If he pans out, he could easily be the greatest power hitting Cougar and potentially one of the all time great sluggers. His contact tool is really just average, but with his power, expect a lot of scared pitchers pitching around him, leading to a pile of walks. I wouldn't be surprised if he has to deal with strikeouts his whole career, as power usually comes with a lot of them, but he can change the game with one swing of the bat. He should also be a decent defender at third. It would be cool if we were able to go from Hall of Fame third basemen to another, and I'm hoping Lawson can help mentor Christian once he's big league ready. The mock only lists him as a second rounder, but I don't think there is a single hitter with as much upside as he boasts. 2nd Round, 20th Overall: C Eddie Howard School: St. Joseph Commit School: Cumberland University 1941: .510/.574/.820, 118 PA, 20 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB Career: .529/.586/.779, 486 PA, 78 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 126 RBI, 20 SB He didn't hit 13 homers like Otto, but Eddie Howard had a career high 3 in his fourth consecutive .500 season at St. Joseph. .510 was actually his lowest mark, as he was never able to match the .551/.611/.847 line, but his OBP and slugging were improved from last season. He'll be 18 in a week, and takes the final spot in the initial Mock top 10. He has well above average contact potential and has shown a lot of promise defensively behind the plate. He's got a good eye and could eventually draw 50 walks a season, and he has all the tools to get on base a lot and not strike out too much. He's a really raw prospect with a lot of upside, but it could be a long trek up the system. He's not quite blocked by Solly Skidmore, as he's already in A ball and could finish the season in AA, but eventually Skidmore will get in his way. Depending on how Howard develops, he could push himself in front, or end up as trade bait for a future upgrade. We recently had a huge surplus of top quality catching prospects, and while Skidmore is no longer the only top 50 backstop, there are only 7 in the top 150. and 4 of the top 9 catching prospects are Keystones, so there could be a lot of interest for an exciting young catcher. 2nd Round, 29th Overall: LHP Leo Hayden School: Benicia Commit School: Redwood University 1941: 8-0, 82.2 IP, 0.76 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 13 BB, 136 K Career: .18-3, 207.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 46 BB, 265 K In hindsight, I with this pick would have been Lazaro Deleon, but that's not to say Leo Hayden is not a quality pitching prospect. He is one of just ten pitchers in the initial mock, and he ranks 6th, right behind "El Mago". He did start a career low 12 games as a senior, but the 6'6'' southpaw was dominant. He was a perfect 8-0 with a career best in ERA, WHIP, BB/9 (1.4), and K/9 while matching his 5.6 WAR from last season in about 20 fewer innings. Just three eligible pitchers had a lower ERA then Hayden this season, and if I passed on him, I imagine he would have been one of the first pitchers selected this Summer. He's an intimidating mound presence, with his fastball currently in the high 80s. He features a curve, slider, and change too, with the curve the best pitch. At times it is unhittable, and he should be able to strike out a ton of batters in affiliated ball. He did limit concern about his command with a huge drop in walks, but he may end up giving up a few more homers then he should as he'll occasionally hang a change or slider. OSA thinks all his skills are plus, Tom thinks he'll fill the back of a rotation, and I think he could end up as a similar pitcher to Harry Parker. Hayden should really help keep our pitching depth in the low minors up, giving La Crosse another extremely valuable arm. 3rd Round, 45th Overall: SS Jim Dickinson School: Calumet Catholic 1941: .270/.373/.344, 255 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 38 SB Career: .270/.377/.336, 687 PA, 20 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 96 RBI It's looking like I hit with my regional pick this year, as the mock actually has Jim Dickinson as the projected 13th Pick, where we took Otto Christian. "Speck" is the only college player we took, and he hit a decent .270/.373/.344 leading the Calumet Catholic lineup in one of the toughest college leagues. 1941 was the first season the Springfield native managed more then a single homer, and he set career bests in doubles, triples, RBIs, and walks while matching his top steal total. He's gotten time at second and third as well as short, but Tom thinks he's a defensive marvel there. He has great speed and can get to balls hit all around the shortstop position, and OSA shares Tom's love of his defense. He has good plate vision, but I don't see him hitting for much power or even a very high average. Expect a lot of grounders from him, but he has the speed to beat out the slow rollers and avoid double plays. He lacks star power, but reminds me a lot of former Cougar first rounder Hal Wood. At 22, he could rise up the system quick, and I could see him and Jimmie James eventually getting used to each other as double play partners in the minors. __________________ 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

02-26-2022, 02:13 PM	#740
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,992	1941 Draft: Round 4 When my first 4th came up, I made a gamble. There was a guy I really wanted (after my top three were already gone), but the Cannons approached me with a very enticing trade offer. They had their eye on a pair of outfielders, and when one of them was there at my pick, they offered a cornucopia of picks; the 11th Pick in the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th, as well as the 9th pick in the 10th Round. I absolutely love making draft picks, as their GM knows, and it was an offer I couldn't refuse. There are always a lot of players I want to draft, and we basically doubled our remaining picks while still remaining in the 4th Round. And sure enough, the guy I wanted at 8 was still there at 13! 4th Round, 61st Overall: LF Huck Hanes School: Ferguson 1941: .311/.374/.439, 238 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI Career: .311/.374/.439, 238 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI He just started one season at Ferguson, but it was strong enough that the Mock Draft actually ranked Huck Hanes as the second best player in the draft, behind only Ernie Grout, an 18-year-old who went 7th overall and Tom Weinstock describes as a "potential elite left fielder." Now I won't claim our new 22-year-old is elite, but Tom thinks he is a top level talent, and I absolutely love this kid's bat. Usually I shy away from corner bats early on, but the pitchers I really wanted were gone, and a few of the next group should still be available for my 5th Rounder. Hanes looks to be a very develop prospect, potentially starting with us in A ball or even AA, and could be a quick riser up the system. He's got a great swing and should hit for a high average, and his eye is above average as well. He gives Doc Love vibes, just from the right side of the plate, and even if his defense is never that great, he's still capable in a corner. I'm not worried about Leo Mitchell's slump this season, but he is getting up there, now 28-years-old and they can coexist as Mitchell is a lefty. This could ease Hanes into a big league role, starting strictly against lefties before eventually taking the job. The only weakness is the power, he's more of a ground ball hitter and I can't really see him hitting any more then 10 in a season, but he should more then make up for it with extra base hits. It's not a flashy, high-upside pick, but Hanes is a nice add to our system that doesn't have too many corner bats. __________________ 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