Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 38

ayaghmour2 · 02-27-2022, 12:31 PM

5th Round, 77th Overall: RHP Jack Huston
School: Bay State
1941: 8-5, 118.1 IP, 3.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 54 BB, 111 K
Career: 25-15, 355.1 IP, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 131 BB, 284 K

The last round where we have only one pick, I continued to grab college players after I started with just prep pitchers. Potentially our only college pitcher I'll take in the first 10 rounds, Huston was a reliable arm, but most of his numbers have trended upwards. It's not all bad, more innings, higher WAR, strikeouts, and K/9, but his ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 all jumped as well. He lost five games each season, won eight the past two, and finished 10 games above .500 at 25-15. His command isn't that great, but I think Huston could end up a spot starter despite it. His stuff isn't great, but he does have a nice curve and slider. His fastball is a bit slow, just 86-88, but he has a deceptive sidearm windup. OSA Is a bigger fan then Tom and I, thinking he could end up as a back of the rotation arm. Unlike most college starters, he seems to be a bit raw, but I still think I'll push him to start in San Jose. I grabbed a lot of high school arms later on, and I expect them all to start in La Crosse.

6th Round, 91st Overall: RHP Bill Ballantine
School: Bay State
Commit School: Laclede
1941: 4-1, SV, 65.1 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 15 BB, 86 K
Career: 20-3, SV, 271.2 IP, 1.46 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 68 BB, 345 K

Was he the best player available at the time? Did he have the most upside available? Does he throw triple digits? Did he start more then 50% of his games as a senior? No to all of those? Well, then what's so special about him? HE HAS THE BEST NICKNAME FOR A CLOSER IN CHICAGO!!! THE WINDY CITY WHIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, the whole ride home after I drafted him, I kept commenting on how awesome his nickname is and how perfect it would be if he became a closer!

Enough about my dreams of the Windy City Whip mowing down hitters in the 9th at North Side Park, let's talk about Bill Ballantine himself. The Chicagoan spent four seasons at Fenger, but was only a full time starter as a freshman. He had a great first season, a perfect 8-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 16 walks, and 123 strikeouts. Yes, that was a dominate season, but he never came anywhere close to that again. He started 13 games that season, but he didn't start double digit games since and only started half his game as a senior. Still, he finished with a nice 11.4 K/9 and a sub 1.00 WHIP. There is a lot to like about him, he has great stuff and a decent four pitch mix led with a low 90s fastball that should end up his best pitch. His ultimate upside isn't that great, but the Windy City Whip needs just one pitch; a super fast fastball! OSA actually thinks Ballentine could pitch his way into the back of a rotation, but I'll be more then happy if Ballentine ends up as a reliable pen arm.

6th Round, 93rd Overall: SS Joe Dackett
School: Darnell State
1941: .282/.355/.368, 198 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 33 RBI, 27 SB
Career: .283/.358/.351, 462 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 75 RBI, 63 SB

A two year starter at Darnell State, Joe Dackett had experience at both middle infield spots, and he looks to be athletic enough for short. He's not the greatest hitter, but he did well against top level college pitching and consistently hits the ball up the middle. He does a good job drawing walks, but he does hit too many groundballs. The mock thinks he should have been a first rounder, I think I may have taken him a little too early in the 6th, but he does have some upside as a useful 5th infielder. I'm sure he can manage third if needed, and he does give good at bats at the plate. He could be a fast mover up the system, and with the threat of war looming in the FABL, he could end up a decent replacement player if we get hit hard by the not-so-fun draft.

6th Round, 96th Overall: C Lee Tiede
School: Gates University
1941: .280/..337/.409, 280 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 5 SB
Career (HS): .411/.476/.675, 461 PA, 48 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 111 RBI, 16 SB
Career (COL): .286/.342/.423, 774 PA, 29 2B, 2 3B, 21 HR, 138 RBI, 12 SB

A 16th Round Pick back in 1938 by the Dynamos, he decided to instead attend Gates University, and developed into a nice power hitting backstop. At Gates, he never hit below his junior year .280/.337/.409 and managed at least 6 homers, 9 doubles, and 40 RBIs. I love his power, and despite rather poor plate discipline, he should still end up hitting more then his share of homers if he ever makes the big leagues. His defense is adequate behind the plate, but he did get some time at first, where his power does work well. This will help him get extra at bats even if he isn't the #1 catching option when he starts, as we have a lot of catchers in the low minors around his age. I think he could be a decent backup catcher, OSA thinks injuries could force his way into the lineup, and the mock thinks he should have been taken before Otto Christian. I'm leaning towards starting him up in San Jose, but no matter where he starts, I expect it to be a part time role at the beginning.

I'm a little behind on these reports, as I was out of the house most of yesterday, so the draft is almost complete. I expect to get separate reports on the 7th and 8th as well as the 9th and 10th out some time today, but we still have a few sims before our draftees will join the system. Our system keeps moving between 4th and 5th, but I'm thinking this class will not only keep us in the top 5, but move us up a bit higher.

ayaghmour2 · 02-27-2022, 03:33 PM

7th Round, 107th Overall: RHP Joe Swank
School: Rhodes
Commit School: American Atlantic
1941: 8-3, 114.1 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 18 BB, 126 K
Career: 8-3, 114.1 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 18 BB, 126 K

He only started one season at American Atlantic, and while it wasn't overall the greatest, there were a lot of signs of encouragement. His BB/9 was a nice 1.4 and despite an ERA near 2, his WHIP was just barely above 1. It looks like Swank can go deep into games, and despite throwing just 83-85, he he projects to have very good stuff. I'm hoping a few velocity boosts would aid his development, as the fastball is his weakest pitch. He does a great job commanding his pitches, and his curve and circle change should end up as very good offerings. Only thing holding him back right now is the fastball, and I'm hoping we can help him begin to throw harder. OSA thinks he could develop into a spot starter while Tom thinks he's more of an organizational piece, but we are running a little thin on pitchers in the upper parts of the system, and the auto draft portion seems to completely ignore grabbing arms. With a lot of new young arms joining the system, he may not get many innings at first, but there are a lot of arms ahead that are going to get passed up as the younger arms are pushed up.

7th Round, 109th Overall: RF Dan Collins
School: Wisconsin State
1941: .277/.378/.382, 291 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .276/.376/.366, 551 PA, 19 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 71 RBI, 16 SB

Back-to-back rounds, the Keystones grabbed the guy I wanted between my two picks, so I ended up adding Wisconsin State outfielder Dan Collins. He was Tom's highest ranked available hitter and OSA thinks he'll end up forcing his way into a lineup, but the mock is the highest on him. They view him as a potential 2nd Rounder, but the reason I grabbed him was his work ethic. He's a true student of the game, working on the fundamentals and he's a natural born leader on the field. He inspire his teammates to do better, and he sets a great example as well. It started to a show a bit between seasons, as he started hitting more homers, drew a few more walks, and based on his WAR increase, I'm thinking he improved his defense a bit as well. Collins is a tall lefty, 6'2'' 200, and he's a very strong and athletic outfielder. He projects to have an above average contact tool and strong plate discipline, taking a patient approach that works on all but the best pitchers. What will determine if he becomes a AAAA player or an every day player will be the power, and despite his groundball tendencies at the plate, I think he'll learn to start elevating the ball more frequently. He may end up just a lefty bench bat, but with the talent pool starting to thin out a bit, I was willing to take a flier on his makeup and bat.

8th Round, 123rd Overall: SS Skippy Ellis
School: Northern Mississippi
1941: .272/.334/.331, 302 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 36 RBI, 36 SB
Career: .281/.347/.343, 536 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 72 RBI, 67 SB

He didn't have the best junior season, but I still took a chance on one of Tom Weinstock's favorite players in the pool. Recently 22, Skippy Ellis started two seasons at Northern Mississippi, but finished with exactly 0 wins above replacement. Still, Tom thinks he's a quality defensive shortstop with great speed and a decent contact tool. He doesn't have much pop, but I can't see him striking out too much either. He didn't play anywhere other then short in college, but with his speed I think he could be a decent outfielder if needed, and if you can handle short, second and third should be reasonable as well. He's a bit of a bubble type player, but with a name like Skippy and a decent set of tools, he seemed like a lottery ticket worth taking.

8th Round, 125th Overall: RHP George Oddo
School: Pawtucket
Commit School: Penn Catholic
1941: 10-0, 103.2 IP, 0.95 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 15 BB, 153 K
Career: 19-3, 222.2 IP, 1.78 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 61 BB, 281

Before this season, the chances of George Oddo being taken in the first ten rounds would have been very low. He started pitching for Pawtucket as a junior, and was 9-3 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 46 walks, and 128 strikeouts in his 16 starts. Pretty uninspiring numbers, even for a skinny 6'4'' righty with a lot of projectability. Right before the season this year, he upped his velocity from 83-85 to 85-87, and he put together a dominant season. Oddo was a perfect 10-0, dropped his ERA below 1, his WHIP was cut nearly in half, and his BB/9 and K/9 went from 3.5 and 9.7 to 1.3 and 13.3. The only thing that didn't really change were his homers, and that's one thing that could end up giving him problems. His stuff is decent, and while the change is still coming around, he has a real nice curve and a solid fastball. His stuff should end up at least decent, and if he improves the change, he'll end up with three plus pitches. Of course, I'm also betting on the '41 version of Oddo being his true self, and he could end up regressing back towards his junior year numbers. He's a risky pick, but one with a lot of upside, and prep arms taken later have a chance making huge strides developmentally.

ayaghmour2 · 02-27-2022, 09:56 PM

9th Round, 139th Overall: RHP Joe Swank
School: Bloomfield
Commit School: Whitney College
1941: 3-1, 2 SV, 54.2 IP, 1.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 17 BB, 87 K
Career: 20-3, 3 SV, 293.2 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 112 BB, 358

My pick was up, and I was in a pinch, so I decided to go with my scouts favorite pitcher who I kept passing on; Pinch Lenhart. A four year pitcher at Bloomfield, the now 19-year-old had arguably his best season as a senior, but he was used a lot out of the pen, with 8 of his 14 appearances coming in relief. Despite that, he had his first sub 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, and as you would expect, had his best BB/9 (2.8) and K/9s (14.3) of his career. The potential lack of stamina is a little concerning, but Tom thinks he has the pitches to start, and enough endurance to pitch well past the 5th. A skinny 6'2'' righty, he has an outstanding curve that pairs well with a high 80s sinker. He gets a lot of ground outs, and can mix in his slider and fastball. He does run into the occasional lapse in command, which can lead into a few balls flying out of the park, but I think that is something he could grow out of. I expect him missing a lot of bats, as well as the strike zone, and he's likely to be eased into a starting role. I'm leaning on using him as a stopper in La Crosse, and as some of our other arms get promoted, he'll end up moving into the rotation. His future is as a starter, but if he can't get his command down, his 1-2 of the curve and sinker should be enough to be an effective pen arm.

9th Round, 141st Overall: C Pat Brown Jr.
School: Union City
Commit School: Grafton University
1941: .408/.465/.578, 114 PA, 15 2B, HR, 25 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .408/.496/.623, 466 PA, 56 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 98 RBI, 27 SB

The son of Pat Brown, a career minor leaguer who was drafted in the 20th Round by the Foresters, Pat Brown Jr. has a very low bar to beat his father. He isn't a prospect full of talent, but he has the work ethic you look for in a young player paired with great size and a keen eye. Plus, we have a lot of replaceable catchers in our system, and I needed to bring in a lot of new faces, so Brown was worth a late pick. He can also paly a little first, but he doesn't have the requisite power to stick there. His contact tool isn't the greatest, but he should be able to get on base with frequently and his glove is capable behind the plate. The mock is much more of a fan then I am, thinking we should have made him our 3rd Round Pick, but I think Brown will be more of a part time player then a 3rd Round talent.

10th Round, 153rd Overall: RHP Russ Cushing
School: Osgood
Commit School: Marquis College
1941: 4-1, SV, 69 IP, 1.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 14 BB, 109 K
Career: 8-2, SV, 125.1 IP, 1.58 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 32 BB, 164 K

He may not be the most notable prospect in the pool, but Russ Cushing does have a unique distinction; he is the youngest eligible draftee. At 16 years and 242 days, he is one of just two 16-year-olds eligible to be selected, and will be the only 16-year-old after July finishes. Tom Weinstock was a bit of a fan of Cushing, he was his highest rated pitcher available here, but Cushing spent a lot of time split between the pen and the rotation. He wasn't great as a junior, but the Indiana native had a huge senior year. He dropped his ERA over a full point, his WHIP dropped over 30, and his WAR more then doubled. Before the season, he improved his velocity from 85-87 to 89-91, and added a fourth pitch to his repertoire. He leans on heavily on the fastball, which gets good life and should be a rather overpowering pitch. He managed to cut his walks in between seasons, but he'll need to continue to overcome control issues. He's got a ton of upside, but is very underdeveloped, and it may take him a while to advance from La Crosse.

10th Round, 155th Overall: CF Glenn Shepperd
School: Calumet Catholic
1941: .285/.358/.344, 303 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 37 RBI, 36 SB
Career: .271/.347/.360, 764 PA, 25 2B, 10 3B, 5 HR, 92 RBI, 113 SB

A three year starter at Calumet Catholic, Glenn Shepperd competed against some of the top college prospects, and did a decent job holding his own. 1941 was the first season he hit above .280, but it was the first season he didn't homer twice. Tom loves his speed and thinks he can hold his own defensively out in center, with the chance to develop into one of the better outfielders. He's got a nice eye at the plate too, and could draw a ton of walks, but he has a better chance stretching a triple into an inside the parker then depositing one over the seats. He is able to hit from both sides of the plate, adding more to his value, and he profiles now as the perfect 4th outfielder. He'll be 22 in a month, and I'll be looking to get him some time out in center, even if he's not playing full time. His defense will help secure him a spot in the organization, and even if the bat never develops into something special, he'll still have a shot at fulfilling his dream as an FABL player.

10th Round, 157th Overall: C Stan Flanders
School: New Haven
Commit School: Eastern State
1941: .393/.455/.589, 124 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB
Career: .406/.478/.597, 360 PA, 35 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 72 RBI, 15 SB

Our last of 18 picks in the top 10, I added yet another catcher to our system. Well, not just a catcher, as I almost like Flanders more on the mound then behind the plate. As a hitter, he hit under .400 the past two seasons, despite just 9 total strikeouts in his three year career. The Indiana native has a quick bat and does make hard contact, but he isn't the most consistent hitter. On the mound, he has a nice curve and a decent mid 80s fastball, but his change is more of a slower fastball then a reliable offspeed pitch. Unless he improves his stuff or his control, he won't ever develop into much of a pitcher, but I think he has much more promise on the mound then behind the plate. He'll likely spend time in the pen and as a third catcher, but he could end up getting more starts as he continues to age.

ayaghmour2 · 02-28-2022, 08:01 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 30-17 (2nd, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 33 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .424 AVG, .987 OPS
Carlos Montes : 35 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .371 AVG, .891 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.053 OPS

Schedule
5-26: Win vs Stars (3-4)
5-27: Win at Stars (9-0)
5-28: Loss at Stars (2-3)
5-30: Win at Saints (11-4)
5-30: Win at Saints (3-2)
5-31: Loss at Saints (3-7)
6-1: Win vs Wolves (6-16)

Recap
Another huge week for us, as we take two out of three from the Stars, and finish the week just half a game out of first. We swept the double header with Montreal, but dropped the finale, before blowing out the Wolves in Chicago. We are now two months into the season, and have won more games then any team in baseball. May was a nice month for us, as we finished 18-11, but in terms of win percentage (.620) it was a big lower then April (.647). The pitching has turned things around, the bats have started heating up, and things are looking good in Chicago as we're neck-and-neck in the two horse race with New York.

Both Leo Mitchell and John Lawson struck out seven times this week, but they were extremely impressive at the plate. It was Mitchell's first good week of the year, going 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, a homer, and 6 RBIs. Lawson was just as good, just in a few more at bats, 14-for-33 with 4 doubles and 8 RBIs. We got a much needed big game from Carlos Montes, who was 5-for-6 in our 11-4 win over the Saints. Montes had a nice overall week, 13-for-35 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 steals, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. A few part time players did well too, with Ollie Page, Rich Langton, and Harry Mead combining to go 13-for-37 and a double a piece. Langton hit his first homer of the season well, and is batting .319/.372/.472 (128 OPS+) after a down season in 1940. We didn't get much from our middle infield, with Hunter, Skipper, and Jones all having poor weeks. We still managed to win 5 games this week, even without their production, so I'm hoping they can turn things around as we try to maintain our record.

With the double header, both Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus had to make two starts. Papenfus was elite in New York, allowing just two players to reach base as he flirted with perfection. We won 9-0 and Papenfus struck out 7 with just a single walk and strikeout. He wasn't as great against the Wolves, but with 16 runs of a support, he picked up another complete game win. He threw 168 pitches, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 7 walks with 6 more strikeouts. He's now up to 82 in 93 innings, with no other FABL pitcher past 60. Parker also beat the Stars, 5 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Unfortunately, he really struggled against the Saints, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks with a pair of strikeouts and homers. He's still been arguably our best pitcher of the season, 6-4 with a 3.20 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 26 walks, and 31 strikeouts. Milt Fritz had a nice start, picking up a complete game victory with 7 hits, 2 runs, and 7 walks. It was better then Eddie Quinn's first start in almost a month, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with a strikeout in 8 innings. Dick Lyons got the loss against the Stars, but the cool part was Lyons allowed Dave Trowbridge's 2,500th hit. The 42-year-old was 3-for-4 with a 1st inning two-run shot off the 40-year-old, probably the highest combined age for any 2,500th hit, or maybe even hit overall. Unlike Trowbridge, Lyons has shown some signs of age, just 3-4 with a 4.35 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts in 8 starts. He may end up moving to the pen with Lonardo gets here, but Eddie Quinn hasn't been too good either. Lonardo's injury return is now unknown, and if he's not healthy soon, I may end up giving him a rehab start. The sooner he's back the better, as he's one of our best pitchers and he'll be crucial for the playoff run.

Looking Ahead
We've already won the first of three with the Wolves, and I'm hoping for more of the same as we won the opener 16-6. The defending champs have really fallen apart, somehow just 19-27 and 11 games out of first. The loss of Fred McCormick has really crippled them, although they weren't doing much better with him. Add in Joe Hancock's struggles, and they are basically without their two best players. Hancock has really struggled in his 10 starts, 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 24 walks, and 24 strikeouts. To make matters worse, we managed to inflate Bernie Johnson's ERA, putting up 8 runs on him before the fifth ended. The start dropped him to 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 21 walks, and 19 strikeouts. George Garrison is getting back on track, but I hope we miss him. He most recently tossed a 5-hit shutout with 7 strikeouts in an 8-0 win over the Foresters. Ockie Holliday has tried his best to replace McCormick's absence, hitting .324/.342/.471 (111 OPS+) with a double, 3 triples, a homer, steal, and 12 RBIs. Reginald Westfall has put together a nice season, hitting .322/.400/.492 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs with a nice 25-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Hitting above Walt Pack seems to help, as he's slashing .314/.387/.500 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 22 RBIs. We can't take this game lightly, but I'm hoping we can continue their misery a bit more.

We then finish our long run of games with two hosting the Cannons. We may get our first look as former #1 Overall Pick Bill Sohl. He hasn't had the best start, but he's 1-0 with a 6.19 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.75 WHIP, 8 walks, and 5 strikeouts in his first 16 FABL innings. Rufus Barrell had a nice May, and he's now 6-3 with a 4.60 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 21 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 10 starts. Roger Perry has been their best pitcher, 3-3 with a 2.80 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 17 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Despite their 23-24 record, the Cannons have scored more runs then every other CA team. Adam Mullins is back in the lineup, and the star catcher went 5-for-16 with a double, 5 walks, and 2 RBIs. The rest of their lineup is pretty balanced, but our old friend Doc Love has really started to cool off. He's now hitting just .299/.333/.379 (89 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, steal, and 8 RBIs. Same goes for Moxie, who is hitting just .264/.323/.382 (87 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 homers, and 28 RBIs. They are the 3-4 hitters, but every other member of the lineup has an above average OPS+. They have a lot of talent, and with a hot streak from them and a cold week from us and the Stars, they could move their way right back into the race.

We get a much needed off day on Friday, before starting a three game series with the Foresters. They're out of the cellar, 19-27 and tied for 6th with the struggling Wolves. They haven't scored many runs and are allowing a lot. Vet Dean Astle has had a rough start to his season, 3-6 with a 5.52 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 27 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Dave Rankin has put together a decent season, 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 27 walks, and 21 strikeouts in his 10 starts. He could be a decent trade piece for them, but Astle has really hurt his value. They survived the Mel Carrol scare, but the 29-year-old his having a down year by his standards. He's hitting just .304/.339/.462 (107 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 18 RBIs. In his place, Dan Fowler has led the offense, hitting a productive .304/.392/.528 (138 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 20 RBIs. Fowler has had back-to-back poor seasons, and he's done his best to show that those two seasons may have been a fluke and not the cliff. Lou Balk is back in the lineup, and is hitting .301/.379/.455 (117 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 15 RBIs, and 33 strikeouts. He's not close to Mitchell, but is also on pace for an 100 strikeout season. These two games are absolute must wins, as we need to beat the bad teams if we want to stay on top of the league.

Minor League Report
1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a big month for 23-year-old Chicagoan Hod Seagroves, who was named the Heartland League Batter of the Month. Seagroves hit .442/.500/.686 in 100 trips to the plate in May, adding 13 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 walks and RBIs to his season totals. He has now yet to strikeout in 36 games and is hitting .363/.432/.578 (174 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, and 18 walks and RBIs. Once the draftees join the system, Seagroves will be moving up to Mobile, as we have room in the Mobile infield but no one to replace him in Lincoln without creating a hole somewhere else. I'm looking to give him time at both first and second, as he should end up a great defenders at both spots. At the plate, he won't ever hit many homers, but he almost never strikes out, draws a ton of walks, and should hit above .300 in the big leagues. The lack of power will kill him at first, but if he can keep playing quality defense at the keystone, he could become either a high OBP guy above the 3-4-5 in the lineup or an extra leadoff hitter in the 8 spot. He's eligible for the Rule- 5 draft this offseason, so I'd love for him to put up great numbers at Mobile the second half of the season, as I expect to give him a 40-man spot in the offseason. He's dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, down to 20th and 258th respectively, but I think he could end up as a bottom 5 starter if not just a very useful part-timer in the weak side of a platoon.

RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): We swept the awards in the Heartland League, as Joe Crosby took homer Pitcher of the Month. The 22-year-old was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. For the season, Crosby is now 5-2 with a 1.76 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 13 walks, and 27 strikeouts, as his two April starts weren't all that great. Still, he's really turned things around, and Boney Joe is making a case for a midseason promotion to Mobile. Our 4th Rounder in 1937, he is eligible for the Rule-5 draft in the offseason as well. He's a borderline case for protection right now, but if he pitches half as good as he has so far to finish the season, he may even get a late callup to Milwaukee or even Chicago. He throws a nice low 90s fastball and plus curve, but his slider is just an average pitch. He has dealt with command problems in the past, frequently sporting BB/9s above 3, but it's down to a more respectable 2.3 this season. His stuff is still good without the command, but it will be hard for him to be anything more then a spot starter if he struggles to find the zone with regularity.

CF Don Lee (C La Crosse Lions): It was a big month for last year's 2nd Rounder Don Lee, who hit .379/.529/.612 with a double, 4 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 22 RBIs in 30 May games. The 19-year-old is now hitting .360/.483/.596 (184 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 10 steals, and 34 RBIs. It took a little maneuvering, but I move backup catcher Lew Lord to first, Danny Richardson to third, Steve Rosko to left, Harry Harris to right, and Leo Davis to center, so Lee could make the jump to San Jose before the new draftees join the club. Lee will continue to patrol center, as he's looked really good out there. He can flat out fly on the field, ranging far and wide to make plays while also picking up a lot of extra bases on the dirt. He can hold his own at the plate, racking up a ton of extra base hits while maintaining a high average. He has time to develop his power, but he's likely to reach double digit homers in his first full pro season. Currently ranked 12th in our system and 126th overall, Lee profiles as a reliable every day center fielder, with the upside of an All Star. He's got a long way to go before reaching his lofty potential, so there is a chance he won't make it, but there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the youngster.

ayaghmour2 · 03-01-2022, 07:47 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 33-20 (2nd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 26 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .385 AVG, 1.179 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 22 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.117 OPS
Ray Ford : 16 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.221 OPS

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

Recap
The worst part of this week wasn't the fact that we went 3-3. Sure, it sucked losing both games to the Wolves in Chicago, and losing a half game on the Stars, but that isn't even close to an issue. We got the awful (for us) news, that superstar in the making Pete Papenfus announced he will not look for deferment if he was drafted, and he would enlist if we were at war. He could be set to report as early as late August, which would leave us without our best pitcher in a potential pennant race. It gets even worse, as Milt Fritz has shown a lot of issues in his return. During a dominant 1940, there were talks of Milt Fritz potentially winning 300 games, approaching 200 at just 30, but now winning even 200 may be in doubt. His injury last season seems to have really taken a lot out of his arm. Fritz used to be able to throw 92-94 with consistency, but his fastball has barely hit 90 this season, and to the average eye, his stuff is starting to become less and less impressive. Fritz seems to be copying his former teammate in Brooklyn Tommy Wilcox, as both were extremely durable until one major arm injury seemed to derail their career. It's still a small sample, but Fritz hasn't located his pitches in his 4 starts with the Cougars, walking 20 and striking out just 3 in 30.2 innings. Fritz has generally been wild, with a career 3.2 BB/9 in nearly 3,000 big league innings, but that mark has swelled to 5.9 this year and his 4.11 ERA and 1.66 WHIP are far worse then his career norms. This is why it's always good to have extra depth, as hanging on to Eddie Quinn and Joe Brown may end up really helping us. We could be down two starters in the late season, and Jim Lonardo is still not healthy. I didn't think we'd have to use them, but Donnie and Johnnie Jones may have to join the rotation if we deal with any more players having to leave. Still, we are in a great spot, and every teams depth is going to be tested.

Looking at the actual performances, the pitching was inconsistent, and best explained by Dick Lyons. He was our two start starter, tossing a gem and a stinker. The first start was a stinker, 6 innings with 8 hits and 6 runs with 2 walks and a strikeout in one of our two losses with the Wolves. The gem came in a game where that stinker would have been enough, as he threw 8 scoreless against the Foresters, allowing 8 hits and 3 walks with a pair of punch outs. Lyons has looked 40 this season, but his 10 starts haven't been that bad. Considering he was supposed to be the 5, 4-5 with a 4.26 ERA (90 ERA+), 1,38 WHIP, 20 walks, and 11 strikeouts isn't bad by any means, and we certainly could be doing worse. I mentioned Fritz's command issues, as he gave up 6 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with just a single strikeout in 6 frames. Harry Parker had his second consecutive rough outing, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks despite 8 strikeouts in 8 innings. Eddie Quinn was a bit unlucky in our 8-7 loss, as five of the eight runs he allowed were unearned. He was charged with 9 hits and 4 walks with a single strikeout in 6 innings against his former team. Peter the Heater picked up another complete game win, this time 8 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts on the ledger. We'll miss those starts, but hopefully we wither have the pennant rapped up by September, or he waits until after the season before leaving us to serve his country. Surprisingly, all four pen pitchers got innings, and none of them gave up a run. Brown, Curtin, and Purvis all had four shutout innings while Pug added an inning of his own. The quartet combined to allow just 11 hits and 4 walks with 7 strikeouts.

The bats were good, but we dealt with a pair of day-to-day injuries. We're hoping they need just two days off, as Ray Ford bruised his heel and Billy Hunter sprained his knee, again... On the few days he's been healthy, Ray Ford has been the best hitter in baseball, going 7-for-16 this week with a triple, homer, steal, 3 runs, and 7 RBIs. It's just 132 PAs, so he's not a qualified hitter, but his .426/.470/.664 (207 OPS+) line is otherworldly. The soon-to-be 30-year-old already has 12 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs with 10 walks and 2 strikeouts. Lucky for us, our other first basemen is just as hot. Dick Walker went 5-for-15 with a double, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. In 57 PAs with us, the 34-year-old vet is hitting .275/.351/.608 (158 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 10 RBIs. Those two had a lot of support, as John Lawson, Leo Mitchell, and Cliff Moss all ripped the cover off the ball. Any of the five could have taken home Player of the Week if it wasn't for Bill Barrett. Lawson went 10-for-26 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs, and is now on pace to break 9 WAR for the first time in his career. Jack the Ripper is ripping .360/.410/.542 (159 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 7 homers, and 41 RBIs, but I don't think he'll be repeating as a Whitney Winner. Mitchell managed to up his OPS+ to 100, going 9-for-22 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Cliff Moss homered just once, but went 8-for-21 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. The left handed trio have made up a really dangerous 3-4-5 lately, and if Mitchell has truly shaken off the poor start, pitchers everywhere will start to sweat.

Looking Ahead
One more with the Foresters, who we dropped to 20-32, and could sweep out of town with a win in the finale. It's looking like we'll face Ben Turner, who is 2-5 with a 4.74 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 22 walks, and 18 strikeouts. I like our chances here, as Turner has really struggled this season and the Foresters have not been able to put up many runs. They were hoping to get some more production out of their youngsters, but three of their former top prospects have seen their production drop. Ken Vance is still undergoing a significant slump, hitting just .248/.280/.306 (54 OPS+) with 9 doubles and 16 RBIs. Jake Creel has taken George Dawson's spot at short, but the former 1st Rounder is hitting just .239/.282/.313 (56 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs with a -1.4 zone rating and .936 efficiency in 44 games. Another former 1st Rounder, Eli Harkless, is in the midst of his first below average offensive season, hitting just .268/.333/.366 (83 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 6 steals, and 18 RBIs. The power is nice, as he's on pace for his first double digit homer season and needs just two more for a new career high, but the talented 23-year-old is leaving a lot to be desired. This is a must win game, as not only do we need to keep pace with the Stars, but the Kings are now just 4 out of first and quickly rising.

Our homestand then ends with two against the Sailors before a midweek off day. Philadelphia is trying to reach .500, now 25-27 and 8.5 games behind New York. They replaced Dick Walker in the lineup with Marion Boismenu, who has respond with a surge in production at the plate. He's hitting a robust .397/.467/.496 (153 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 4 steals, and 15 RBIs in 141 trips to the plate. He was superb in May, slashing .424/.495/.541 and he's carried some of that production into June. Star outfielder Joe Watson has also caught fire, and is mashing to the tune of a .342/.383/.540 (140 OPS+) line with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, and 32 RBIs. Another Sailor really helping the offense has been the reliable Bob Smith, who is hitting .340/.402/.455 (125 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 20 RBIs. These three are very tough hitters, especially as of late, but there are enough weaknesses in the lineup we can exploit. The pitching has had it's issues, with four of the five starters having ERA over 4. This even includes Herb Flynn and Walt Wells, who have shockingly high ERAs of 5.06 (79 ERA+) and 4.76 (84 ERA+). The star of the staff has been Ray McCarthy, who is 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 26 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 6 starts and 5 relief outings. With the way our offense has been scoring runs, I think we have a huge opportunity here, but it looks like we're going to be stuck facing McCarthy in one of the two games. These are must win games, and with the off day after, I can play around with the pitching a bit.

We'll use the off day to travel up to Toronto, for four games in three days with the Wolves. The double header won't hurt too much, as we're off before and after the series, so I can try to lean on our better pitchers. The Wolves stole two from us this week, so we'll really need to get our revenge out in Toronto. We've been much better at home then on the road, so I wouldn't be too surprised if we have some struggles in this one. Their offense has cooled a bit, but Tom Frederick has had a complete 180 from his early season struggles. The versatile 25-year-old is now hitting a respectable .294/.380/.398 (105 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 31 RBIs. He's split time between second and center with zone ratings of 3.2 and 1.2 with efficiencies of 1.078 and 1.016. Their corner outfielders have done well, with Larry Vestal and Reginald Westfall both putting together solid seasons. Vestal has appeared in all 54 of the Wolves games, hitting .295/.391/.443 (119 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 34 RBIs, and 35 walks. Westfall has also gotten in all 54, hitting .306/.386/.469 (124 OPS+) with 23 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 25 RBIs, and 29 walks. They make up the 1-2-3 in front of Walt Pack, who is slashing .292/.363/.459 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, 24 RBIs, and 24 walks. Those four have been very dangerous, but the lineup drops off after that. The bottom four all have sub-100 OPS+, with the rookie Ockie Holliday the only one above 70. The pitching has had it's issues, but George Garrison has really heated up, tossing a pair of shutouts in his last three starts. The 23-year-old is now 4-3 with a 3.96 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Chick Wirtz has been a reliable option with Joe Hancock's struggles and Bernie Johnson's rough trio of starts, 5-3 with a 3.53 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 24 walks, and 14 strikeouts. This is a huge series for us, as we really struggled with the Wolves in Chicago, and the division race is starting to heat up with Brooklyn trying to put themselves in the mix.

Minor League Report
RHP Ray McNeill (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Another shutout for Ray McNeill, who now has two in six starts for the Blues. This one was against Fort Wayne, as he allowed just 2 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts in our 5-0 win. McNeill is now 4-1 on the season, and he's allowed 3 or fewer runs in all but one of his starts. The 25-year-old sports a 1.98 ERA (185 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, 6 walks, and 21 strikeouts in his 50 innings, as he looks to force his way into the big league pitching plan. The 6-pitch pitcher has managed to flash greatness this season, keeping walks down and runs off the board. He's not one of our top prospects, but he does rank inside the top 30 at 26, and appears ready to fill in for the big league club if needed. I'd say he's the second man up for temporary innings, behind just Harl Haines, as I wouldn't want to bring up Donnie or Johnnie just to option them down. He's not on the 40, but we do have two openings plus an eventual third when Allen Purvis gets re-DFA'd. The value of depth arms has rose tremendously, and McNeill may force his way into a big league role.

RF Fred Vargas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was a huge week for the 22-year-old, who took home Century Player of the Week. The former first rounder was an impressive 12-for-20 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs. The current 65th overall prospect is now hitting an impressive .289/.427/.428 (140 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 27 RBIs with a nice 39-to-19 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He was off to a slow start this season, hitting just .205/.392/.385 in April, but he's slashing .500/.600/.917 in his first 8 June games. This is nice, as Vargas will hopefully be ready in a few seasons once Cliff Moss is ready to call it quits. Vargas features an elite eye, potentially one of the best in the game, and he has the chance to put up a few full seasons with 100+ walks. Add in the above average contact tool, and it's really hard to keep Vargas off base. He won't homer very much, but he more then makes up for it with his on-base percentage, and could end up a rare hitter who has a higher OBP then slugging. Defensively, he's still getting used to right, but I can't see him ever becoming more then just adequate defensively. The bat (or more specifically, the eye) will determine his big league success, but I'm pretty excited for the type of hitter he'll turn into.

RHP King Price (A Lincoln Legislators): A 9th Round selection back in 1939, King Price has done a good job pushing his way up our prospect ladder. Now ranked 28th in the system and 338th overall, Price had a week to remember. It started on the 2nd, where he tossed a 7-hit, 7-strikeout shutout of the Gary Steelman, as the Legislators won 6-0. He was just as good in their 10-1 domination of the Springfield Hustlers, allowing just 5 hits, a run, and walk with 4 strikeouts in another complete game victory. This was impressive enough to earn Player of the Week as a pitcher, something that almost never happens. Price has now won six consecutive starts with 8 or more innings pitched, improving to 7-2 on the season. He's got a tiny 1.89 ERA (205 ERA+) with a 1.01 WHIP, 17 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 76.1 very effective innings. This is much better then his 10 starts with the Legislators last year, where he was 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA (81 ERA+) and 1.57 WHIP with 23 walks and 29 strikeouts. I think Price is now ready for the next step, and while I initially wanted to wait until the in-game draft, we now have Ron Sexton and Jimmy Ballard returning from injuries they suffered last season, pushing a few pitchers up. Price has very well developed stuff, and should continue to fool batters with Mobile, as his sidearm delivery really helps him record outs. He's not a hard thrower, his cutter is just 86-88, but he gets a lot of movement on it, as well as his change and knuckle curve. All three look like quality pitches, and he's done a good job lowering his walks this year. Price doesn't have the highest upside, but with the war looming large, arms like him who are well developed could find more important roles, while I try not to risk some of our youngsters with higher upside.

LHP John Johnson (A Lincoln Legislators): He hasn't been in the rotation all season, but his four starts have gone well so far. The most recent was the best, as Johnson allowed just 4 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts in a complete game victory. It was his third start with 2 or fewer runs allowed, now 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA (156 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 13 strikeouts across 36.1 innings pitched. The 22-year-old Chicagoan isn't very highly regarded among our prospects, but he tends to pitch well when on the mound. He has yet to have a sub 100 ERA+ at a minor league stint, and that looks to be continuing this season as well. Johnson has a nice three pitch mix, featuring an 88-90 mile per hour fastball, decent change, and reliable curve. Occasionally, he has issues hitting the zone, and this could lead to high pitch counts. If he continues to struggle with control, he's likely set to be just a spot starter, as tougher hitters will be able to wait him out, and punish his mistakes.

C Walter Loera (B San Jose Cougars): June 2nd was a huge day for 22-year-old Walter Loera, as he was 5-for-6 in San Jose's extra inning win. He flied out in the first, but singled in each of his next five at bats, including a walk-off once in the 12th. An 11th Rounder from 1936, he's had a great season, slashing .362/.413/.468 (138 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, homer, 7 steals, and 35 RBIs. He's definitely ready for Lincoln, but with Solly Skidmore there, he wouldn't get much time. In fact, I actually plan on having him skip Lincoln, as once some our new catchers from the draft fill the lower minors, Loera will leapfrog Skidmore and take every day at bats from the Commodores. Loera hasn't always gotten a share of starts, with just 16 games played last season, but guys who were previously above him like William Rollins, Gidge Sumpter, and Charlie Hawkins start falling off, Loera has managed to seize more time. He's a good contact hitter and above average defender, but his homer this season was the first since he was a junior in high school. He has, however, shown great discipline, 17 walks to 5 strikeouts this year and he had 49 and 14 in a 361 PA sample two seasons ago. I don't see him as anything more then a backup, but he's a great presence in the staff and he'll always work harder on his craft.

ayaghmour2 · 03-02-2022, 06:34 PM

Weekly Record: 6-1
Seasonal Record: 39-21 (t-1st, 4.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.152 OPS
Billy Hunter : 7 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .714 AVG, 2.143 OPS
Eddie Quinn : 2 Wins, 16.0 IP, 7 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA

Schedule
6-9: Win vs Foresters (0-4)
6-10: Win vs Sailors (5-10)
6-11: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
6-13: Win at Wolves (7-2)
6-14: Loss at Wolves (1-5)
6-15: Win at Wolves (9-6)
6-15: Win at Wolves (6-1)

Recap
Now this is what I'm talking about! We had a huge week where we both hit well and pitched well, and took a share of first place with a 6-1 week. We hit well and pitched well, with very few mistakes overall. The Stars were very lucky this week, not just because they had two off days, but because all four of their wins were by a single run. That luck obviously can't continue, and perhaps this is the week we finally separate ourselves from the pack. We got another injury scare, as Billy Hunter sprained his knee yet again, and will now miss most of the week. Worst part was his week was amazing, 5-for-7 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 4 RBIs. Lucky for us, Jim Lonardo is back healthy, finally, and he can rejoin the staff. I'm planning on going to a six man rotation, as we have a double header on Sunday, so at least for this week, no one has to worry about losing a rotation spot.

One of the guys who might have been worried about their rotation spot was Eddie Quinn, but he had a pair of productive starts against two of his former teams. The first was a beaut, 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game shutout as we beat the Foresters 4-0. The second wasn't as great, but he picked up the win, 7 innings with 12 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks. That improved Quinn to 5-2 on the season, but his 4.43 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP leave a lot to be desired, and his 32-to-14 walk-to-strikeout ratio is definitely a bit concerning. Like Milt Fritz, his control seems to have disappeared this season, and unless he has another shutout up his sleeve, he may have to get used to pitching out of the pen. Speaking of Fritz, he continues to make baffling starts, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, 4 walks, and a single run allowed. Harry Parker threw a pair of complete game victories, but he was much better against the Wolves then the Sailors. In Toronto, he allowed just one run with 11 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, while the Sailors got 10 hits, 5 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Peter the Heather threw another gem, a complete game victory with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got the lone loss, 8 innings with 10 hits, 5 runs, and a strikeout. Can't really complain about the pitchers this week, as they kept us in each game, and unless Lyons didn't allow a run, we still would have lost in Toronto.

Other then the one day we lost, the bats were really clicking. Leo Mitchell has started to catch fire, going 10-for-23 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 2 RBIs. Less then a month ago he was hitting just .257/.312/.304 and he's brought his season line way back up to .309/.360/.420 (113 OPS+), again looking like the top left fielder in the game. Dick Walker's power explosion continues, 2 more homers as he was 5-for-21 with a double, triple, 4 walks, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Mike Taylor and Harry Mead both had good weeks, the pair combining to hit 7-for-23 with Taylor tripling, hitting two homers, and driving in 5. Freddie Jones was 3-for-11 with a double and 5 walks. John Lawson was 7-for-26 with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. Overall, the trio of Montes, Moss, and Schneider had some struggles, but each doubled twice and neither were so awful it hurt. Ray Ford, however, finally had a bad week, just 2-for-14 to drop him below .400 to .397/.438/.610 (184 OPS+). Pretty much everything went right for the Cougars, and we're hoping it continues as our road trip drags on.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, as we head to Cincinnati for a three game set with the Cannons. The Cannons haven't had much luck, just 28-31 on the season, but they are second in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed. Adam Mullins has been a huge help since returning to the lineup, slashing .420/.494/.551 (179 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, and 9 RBIs with a nice 11-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. They've also gotten some production from third basemen Frank Covarrubias, who is hitting .311/.370/.429 (113 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs in a nice bounce back season. Fred Galloway is continuing his nice season, hitting .315/.389/.437 (120 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 29 RBIs. On the mound, Rufus Barrell has started to pitch a bit better, now 7-3 with a 4.39 ERA (90 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 23 walks, and 45 strikeouts. Butch Smith is now on a five game winning streak, increasing to 7-3 with a 3.22 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 38 walks, and 51 strikeouts. Unfortunately for them, William Jones has started showing his age, just 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA (72 ERA+), 1.69 WHIP, 35 walks, and 14 strikeouts. It will be a tough series for us, but we'll be ready and rested, and hopefully finish it in first.

We stay in Ohio for the rest of the week, getting four games in three days with the Foresters. We've done well beating the Foresters, and they sit at just 22-37 and 16.5 games behind us. Dean Astle looked like he turned the corner after a 6-hit shutout, but has now allowed 5 or more runs in the past two starts, dropping to 4-7 with a 5.10 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 34 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Dave Rankin has also started to cool off, now 4-8 with a 4.62 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 38 walks, and 25 strikeouts in just under 100 innings. They have gotten a lot of help from the El Dorado Kid, who could end up as a late developing rookie. The 27-year-old is 2-4, but with a 3.18 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 32 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Hale is also the only rotation member to not appear in the Cougars organization (although I wanted to draft him in 1935, but instead too Doc Smith since I didn't realize he was available), as their 5 spot is held by our 1937 Rule-5 Pick (who was later returned) Jonah Brown. He's tossed 21 innings this year, the first FABL action since the '37 season. At the plate, they have a nice 2-3-4, with Dan Fowler, Bill Moore, and Mel Carrol. Neither are having the best seasons, but all three are dangerous hitters who should be taken seriously. Carrol is the best of the bunch, and while he may no longer be a top 3 third basemen, his .313/.356/.475 (116 OPS+) line is very effective. He's added 4 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 29 RBIs, but his 59 strikeouts are somehow 11 more then Leo Mitchell has. Since coming to Cleveland, Moore has been one of the top hitters in the game, and he's arguably the best college hitter. Still, his performance has started to decline, with his Cleveland OPS+ (146, 132, 131, 122) dropping each season. This year has been his worst, as he's hitting just .270/.358/.442 (108 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 30 RBIs, but with a 30-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Dan Fowler has cooled from his hot start, but is still slashing .274/.360/.451 (111 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 21 RBIs. Despite that, they've scored the fewest runs and allowed the most, so I really hope we can take all four, but 3-1 would be fine too.

ayaghmour2 · 03-03-2022, 12:31 PM

Weekly Record: 6-1
Seasonal Record: 45-22 (1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .625 AVG, 1.575 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 7 BB, 13 K, 1.00 ERA
Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .346 AVG, .982 OPS

Schedule
6-18: Loss at Cannons (8-9)
6-19: Win at Cannons (3-2)
6-20: Win at Cannons (6-5)
6-21: Win at Foresters (6-5)
6-21: Win at Foresters (13-2)
6-22: Win at Foresters (11-5)
6-22: Win at Foresters (7-0)

Recap
I can get used to this! We dropped the opener against the Cannons, but then ran up six straight victories to seize first place form the Stars. We have been elite in June, now 16-5 for the month, but the Stars have been almost as hot (14-7) so we haven't made any separation. Just a game above them, but seven above the Kings and the rest of the bunch. Still, no week is perfect, and guess was Billy Hunter did? He sprained his knee! his time Hunter will miss three weeks, the fifth time he's suffered this injury and six DTD injury of the season. On the off chance that he's healthy, he's been extremely productive, slashing .333/.368/.459 (123 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 RBIs. He'll head to the DL, with the career minor leaguer Tip Harrison joining the big league squad. It was either him or Stu Johnson, but both are really struggling in AAA and Harrison can fill in the outfield if needed. His .222/.284/.285 (58 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be inspired, but he's a great defender and probably won't he too much time anyways.

Leo Mitchell has continued his conquest of CA pitching, absolutely tearing the cover off the ball yet again. Mitchell took home CA Player of the Week, going 15-for-24 with 3 doubles, a homer, 9 RBIs, 12 runs, and 6 walks with just 2 strikeouts. 2 strikeouts! Leo Mitchell! His OPS+ is back over 130, slashing .342/.400/.468 (135 OPS+) and on pace for 25 doubles, 14 homers, and 92 RBIs. Everyone but Freddie was outstanding this week, including Skipper Schneider, who hasn't been very good this season. This week was different, as Skipper went 9-for-26 with a double, 4 runs, 9 RBIs, and his first 2 homers of he season. Dick Walker continues to crush in a Cougar uniform, 9-for-22 with a double, homer, 5 RBIs, 3 steals, 7 walks, 7 runs, and the 6 strikeouts I expected Leo Mitchell to have. Harry Mead had a nice week, 2-for-9 with a pair of doubles, 3 runs, and 5 walks. Cliff Moss was 7-for-21 with a double, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford was 7-for-20 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Carlos Montes was 8-for-26 with a triple, 2 steals, 2 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. John Lawson actually had one of the worst weeks on the squad, but he was still 10-for-32 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. The offense was great, little-to-no-weaknesses, and not only do we lead the league in runs scored, but we are first in second in each offensive category except steals, where we are tied for 6th, and strikeouts, where we have the most in the league.

Peter the Heater continues to dominate the league, tossing a pair of complete game victories. He's now riding a six game win streak, with the sixth a 6-hit, 2-walk, 8-strikeout shutout of the Foresters. He also helped us edge the Cannons 3-2, allowing 10 hits, 2 runs, and 5 walks with 5 strikeouts. Papenfus is pushing for a triple crown, leading all of baseball in wins (11) and strikeouts (108) while third in the CA in ERA (2.93). It's so sad that right when he starts hitting his stride, he'll eventually enlist to fight in the war and leave us with a 101 mile per hour hole in our roster. On the other side, Jim Lonardo didn't have a great return to the lineup, allowing 14 hits, 9 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Milt Fritz didn't pitch too well either, 10 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and6 walks with a strikeout in 7 frames. Harry Parker pitched up a complete game win, and despite the 5 runs (4 earned), he was actually very effective. He allowed just 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was a bit unlucky, 7 innings with 9 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 2 walks. Eddie Quinn actually pitched well, 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in a complete game win. The offense bailed us out a few times, but the pitching has been good enough to win games, and that's all we can ask for.

Looking Ahead
The draft happens during this sim, so there is about to be a huge increase of players in our organization. I expect we have to sign a lot of these guys, so it won't happen all at once, but we'll get the expanded rosters down in C ball to help gradually make cuts and refresh the lower levels. Our road trip then ends in Philly, with three against the Sailors. At 31-33, they sit in fourth place and 12.5 games behind us. They've been a bit lucky to be in fourth, 6th in runs scored and 5th in runs allowed. Walt Wells isn't pitching like the ace he is, but the 20-game-winner is now 7-3 with a 4.07 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 33 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Ray McCarthy has hit a bit of a rough patch, allowing 6 earned runs in two of his last four starts, dropping to 6-2 with a 3.82 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. Not all of their starts have struggled, however, as Joe Watson is on pace for his third 140+ OPS+ in the past four seasons. He's slashing .353/.402/.562 (149 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, and 39 RBIs. He's getting some help from Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills, who is hitting a decent .317/.384/.446 (115 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Besides those two, really just Marion Boismenu has been helpful, slashing a slightly lower, but still strong .381/.441/.470 (138 OPS+) line with 6 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. The Sailors have brought up top prospect Johnny Zeidman, but the 23-year-old has been off to a slow start to his pro career. The former 1st Rounder is hitting just .194/.242/.290 (38 OPS+) with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. We are red hot right now, and I hope we can keep it up, but the Sailors are a talented team who can steal games in his series.

We then have a weird one game series with the Kings, before an off day. This game will be at home, but then after the off day, we get two in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is the third team over .500 in the CA, but they dropped to 37-28, mainly because they couldn't beat the Foresters in Cleveland. The Kings have been a weird team, but they've done a good job winning games. Al Wheeler is starting to look like himself again, and is hitting .273/.397/.467 (126 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 27 RBIs. The big star of the Kings has been Joe Herman, who's slashed an elite .355/.408/.568 (154 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 38 RBIs with 21 walks to just 6 strikeouts. Besides those two, he only hitter really doing much is Frank LeMieux. He's been productive for them since Frank Vance left, and this Frank is hitting .333/.378/.476 (123 OPS+) with 19 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 30 RBIs with a nice 14-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The biggest surprise in Brooklyn, however, has been Art White, who is in the midst of his worst season as a full time starter. White is just 5-9 with a 4.58 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 36 walks, and 28 strikeouts. In his place, Chicagoan Bob Cummings has taken over as ace, 8-4 with a 3.53 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 55 walks, and 54 strikeouts. The rest of the staff hasn't been great, but they've gotten good innings from former Cougar prospect Stumpy Beaman. The tiny 27-year-old is 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 31 walks, and 16 strikeouts. This will be a big test for us, and these are must win games as we start next week against the Stars, and I want to still be in first for this series.

Minor League Report
RF Cy Howard (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a tough season for the versatile Cy Howard, but I hope his last two games are a sign of what to come. It started with a 5-for-5 as we beat Spokane 6-1, and then he followed it up with a 3-for-4. In those two games he combined for a double, triple, walk, and 2 RBIs, but he's still hitting just .265/.329/.333 (78 OPS+). The 23-year-old was in the top 500 after being drafted in the 6th Round last season, but he has since completely dropped out. The Chicagoan can play all across the diamond, but so far he's spent almost all his time out in right. He's looked good there, a 3.7 zone rating and 1.063 efficiency, but last season he also got double digit games at second, third, and short and put up above average marks there too. He's in jeopardy of losing some playing time once some of our new draftees join the system, but even if he loses an every day role, he's likely to work as a utility guy, getting time at a few positions each week. He's fast, has above average bat speed at he plate, and he'll end up a threat on the bases. He's got everything you look for in a fourth outfielder, with he added bonus of being able to fill in on the dirt too. I'm not sure Howard will ever be a starter in the big leagues, but I find it hard to imagine he doesn't debut.

RHP Roscoe Brown (C La Crosse Lions): It's been an up and down season for teen Roscoe Brown, but the 19-year-old was firing on all cylinders against the Rock Island Steamboats. Brown allowed just 5 hits with 4 strikeouts in a shutout win to improve to 5-3. In his last five starts, he now has two with no runs and two with 6, and currently owns a 3.62 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP with 23 walks and 39 strikeouts. Brown was excellent in 10 starts last year with La Crosse, but he's seen his K/9 drop with his BB/9, ERA, and WHIP all rising. It's not overly concerning, but I'm hoping once the season finishes he'll have those numbers improved. Brown is one of our top prospects, ranked 17th and 225th respectively. He features a nice low 90s fastball and sinker with his third pitch a curve with nice movement. His stuff has the potential to be electric, leading to high strikeout totals, but his command will need to improve as he continues to develop. Right now he profiles more as a filler arm then a top one, but his stuff could end up carrying him much higher.

ayaghmour2 · 03-04-2022, 06:58 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 49-24 (1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 25 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.066 OPS
Harry Mead : 13 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.231 OPS
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 11.1 IP, 4 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-23: Win at Sailors (4-1)
6-24: Win at Sailors (5-0)
6-25: Win at Sailors (9-1)
6-26: Win vs Kings (3-7)
6-28: Loss at Kings (2-8)
6-29: Loss at Kings (3-4)

Recap
We pushed our win streak up to ten, sweeping the Sailors in Philly before winning our home game against the Kings. The off day seemed to cool us right off, and the Kings won both of the games in Brooklyn. Still, a strong 4-2 week, and I can't expect to win every game, even if we are playing at a top level. The Stars had a nice week, but they still sit a game behind us, and we continue to lead the CA. Eddie Quinn pitched himself back into the bullpen, allowing 12 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), a walk and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The poor guy seems to have been really effected by his partially torn UCL, and despite being 6-3, he has a 4.64 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 36 walks, and 16 strikeouts in his 11 starts. What makes matters worse, is Del Burnes has really blossomed this year. I doubt he would have been this good with us, or even really had a rotation spot, but he's done well in Washington. Sure, 3-7 isn't very good, but he has a 2.97 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 63 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 124.1 innings so far. Of course, if Quinn never got hurt, he could have pitched as good or better, but now it seems like we can mark the trade as a loss.

We had better news from the rest of the staff, as Harry Parker has really started to heat up. The 26-year-old was wonderful against the Sailors, tossing a 5-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts to improve to 10-5. He also pitched a game out of the pen, as with the six man I was allowing starters to relieve, throwing 2.1 hitless innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts. He's won his last four starts, improved his record to 10-5, and dropped his ERA and WHIP to 3.16 (125 ERA+) and 1.18 with 38 walks and 58 strikeouts. Dick Lyons has also really started to heat up, allowing 8 hits, 3 walks, and an unearned run with 2 punch-outs in his complete game win. He's really turned things around, now 5-6 with a 3.95 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 25 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was much better in his second start, scattering 13 hits and a run in a compete game victory. Peter the Heater tossed his seventh consecutive complete game win, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks while striking out 9. Milt Fritz picked up a loss, but he looked fine, 6 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks in 8 innings against one of his former teams.

The offense as a whole really struggled, but when that happens, it usually means John Lawson picked up the slack. That's exactly what he did, going 8-for-25 with a double, 3 homers, and 8 RBIs. Lawson becomes our first hitter to reach double digits for homers, now with 11 in 72 games. Harry Mead had a nice week, 6-for-13 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes was 6-for-19 with a double, triple, 3 walks, 5 runs, and an RBI. Both Ray Ford and Skipper Schneider had average weeks, with Ford 6-for-22 with a homer and 4 RBIs while Skipper was 8-for-23 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Freddie Jones had a tough week in his return as a full time starter, just 4-for-19 with 2 walks and runs scored and his OPS+ on the season dropped below 100. His rough couple of weeks will likely see Ray Ford get some more time at second, allowing me to keep him and Dick Walker in the lineup. Walker himself had a tough week, 2-for-12 with a triple, run, and RBI, but he's still hitting a superb .283/.392/.585 (162 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 3 steals, and 21 RBIs as a Cougar.

The draft is now complete, and with a simless weekend, I'll get a draft recap of the 11th to 25th rounds tomorrow. A decent amount of picks still need to be signed, with our 1st through 5th Rounders needing bonuses as well as pitchers Bill Ballantine (6th) and George Oddo (8th). All will have their demands met. We also have a trio of impossibles that I will let attend college. We do have some early entrants to the top 500, and also our system got a nice boost to second. I expect changes as the new draftees get assigned, but we have 10 top 101 prospects (Ossie Grogan is right outside the top 100) and a lot of our youngsters are moving up. Of the new draftees, 6th Rounder Joe Dackett (291st), 7th Rounder Dan Collins (293rd), 7th Rounder Joe Swank (391st), 8th Rounder Skipper Ellis (395th), and 9th Rounder Pinch Lenhart (465th) all checking in. Some will likely drop out and a few will most definitely slide down a bit, but I'm hoping we have a few top 100 guys. I'd love to see Otto Christian and Ed Howard ranked highly, and I think them and maybe Huck Hanes or Jim Dickinson could join the top 100. Our system is looking really strong, and while I doubt we'll end up with the #1 farm, it would be awesome to be the top team in both record and farm system. There is also the All Star game coming up, with teams announced next sim and the game next Tuesday. There is a day off before and after, giving us much needed off days in a season that has seen very few.

Looking Ahead
We'll need the bats working against the Stars, as their pitching is top notch, but we'll be at home where we should have the advantage. We've now allowed the fewest runs, passing them, but they now passed us in runs scored. Both teams have scored over 100 more runs then allowed, and both of us are clearly the class of the CA, if not the entire FABL. At 46-23, we have 3 more wins and one more loss then they do, but both teams have been truly remarkable. And while Peter the Heater may be the FABL's pitcher, it's pretty clear that Bill Barrett is the FABL's best hitter. Almost three months into the season, and Barrett is hitting .405/.483/.725 (217 OPS+) and on pace for 40 doubles, 45 homers, 165 RBIs, 96 walks, and 13.4 WAR. William the Conqueror is even younger then Papenfus, just 21-years-old, but is in the midst of what could be the most dominant offensive season ever. Compared to him, every other hitter looks like a little leaguer, but there are very few holes on this team. You can't forget about "Father Time", as Dave Trowbridge keeps chugging along, slashing .335/.395/.436 (120 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 43 RBIs in his 19 season with FABL time. The Stars have magically got something out of former Cougar Rule-5 Pick Cliff Ray, who at 32 is hitting .272/.391/.396 (110 OPS+) after a .167/.283/.241 (47 OPS+) season. Both teams have their 1-2-3 going, with Billy Riley, Chuck Cole, and Vern Hubbard the projected starters for New York. Riley is coming off a rough start against the Foresters where he allowed 10 hits and 9 runs (8 earned) while failing to exit the 6th, dropping to 7-3 with a 3.66 ERA (110 ERA+), .137 WHIP, 27 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Cole has managed to improve on a stellar 1940 campaign, 10-4 with a 2.73 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 48 walks, and 46 strikeouts. Hubbard meanwhile has completely 180ed after last year's struggles, going from 3-6 with a 5.03 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 43 walks, and 37 strikeouts to 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA (146 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 47 walks, and 42 strikeouts in practically the same amount of innings. This series may arguably be the best of the regular season, and I can only imagine the buzz of our simulated fanbases around this crucial set, with potentially 30,000 people showing out to North Side Grounds. The fans usually leave happy, as we're 25-8 in Chicago, winning more then 75% of our home contests.

We then get a day to recover, and will remain home to prep for a double header against the Saints. Montreal is just 29-44, and has been hit very hard with injuries, as currently three players are out for more then three months. One is the soon-to-be 36-year-old Ed Baker, who's torn flexor tendon may have ended his career. He was having a rough, yet unlucky season, 2-9 with a 5.07 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 28 walks, and 29 strikeouts, but his FIP (3.19) and FIP- (78) paint a much prettier story. With him out, former Cougar prospect Karl Wallace has stepped into the rotation. He has 5 starts and 6 relief outings, going 2-5 with a 4.01 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 17 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Wally Doyle has been hit hard, allowing 6 or more runs in three of his last four starts, with the other a 4 run affair. The youngster is immensely talented, but is now 9-7 with a 4.68 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 58 walks, and 86 strikeouts after a June to forget. The offense is much better then the pitching, and despite being 4th in runs scored, they lead the league in both average and on-base percentage. They have six hitters batting over .300 and another at .298, and they are a hard team to get out. Despite his rough defense at short, Jake Hughes as developed into a potential long term cornerstone, hitting .349/.391/.456 (120 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 triples, 6 steals, and 41 RBIs. Bert Lass has put together another great season at the plate, slashing .366/.402/.491 (132 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 41 RBIs. It does help that he bats ahead of Red Bond, who's hitting an effective .322/.400/.460 (124 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs as he adjusts to first base. They've also watched Mark Burns start to blossom, as the 26-year-old third basemen is hitting a strong .312/.396/.457 (122 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 5 steals, and 33 RBIs. We've had our struggles against Montreal, dropping far more games to them then we should, but I expect nothing less then a sweep here, as our pitching is significantly better then theirs.

We then finish the week hosting the Kings for a quick two game stop. We'll look to get revenge, as they beat us both times in Brooklyn, and are now 39-31 and 8.5 games out of first. I already mentioned Art White's struggles, but another arm having trouble is Jack Goff. The 25-year-old was reliable the past two seasons, but has really struggled in 1941, 5-6 with a 5.38 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 36 walks, and 36 strikeouts. I'm hoping we catch him and Jim Crawford, as Art White should eventually turn things around, Bob Cummings is an excellent young arm, and Stumpy Beaman had his way with us. The 27-year-old tossed a complete game victory to improve to 8-3, allowing just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in our 8-2 loss. The offense has had it's issues, in part to the two remaining Barrell's Harry and Fred. Harry is hitting just .272/.325/.375 (83 OPS+) and has been moved to the 7 spot, right above his older brother. Of course, he's still arguably the best defender in the sport, with a 12.0 zone rating and 1.114 efficiency at short, and he's added 16 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 28 RBIs. Fred's offense has really fallen since 1936, but he's hitting a poor .242/.293/.303 (56 OPS+) with 10 doubles and 21 RBIs in a really poor season. Now 35, the former Cougar first rounder may be reaching the end of his career. I expect a hard fought series, but with how good we are at home and Brooklyn's 14-22 road record, I really like our chances here. This will be a tough week, but if we can win the series against New York, I think we may be able to pull away a bit.

Minor League Report
LHP Duke Bybee (C La Crosse Lions): He may be 18 (although, only for a few more days), but Duke Bybee doesn't pitch like it. In his last five starts, he allowed 1 or fewer runs in all but one, pitching a total of 44.2 innings. This week he was at his best, picking up a pair of complete game victories with zero earned runs. His first start was best, 4 hits and 6 strikeouts with a lone unearned run, but he tossed a 9-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts just a few days later. He needed just 92 and 114 pitches, but Bybee has shown the ability to throw far more if needed. passing 130 twice, including a 10.2 inning win. Already one of the top prospects in the game, the 1st pick of last year's June Draft ranks 3rd in our system and 17th overall. He is an extremely talented youngster who has a deep six pitch mix, led by a strong low 90s fastball he is able to get a ton of swings and misses on. He reminds me a lot of Harry Parker, both
finesse pitchers who throw in the low 90s and have six reliable pitches. The big difference is Parker has a reliable off speed pitch, his strong changeup, while Bybee has yet to develop one. Bybee also doesn't deal with Harry Parker's home run issues or laziness, as Duke is extremely hard working and not a flyball pitcher. His work ethic is already showing, as he's made huge strides since joining the organization. His numbers this year are just as good as last year, 5-4 with a 3.24 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 23 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched. He has improved a few things, with his BB/9 dropping a full point while his WAR has more then doubled. I was really excited when I drafted Bybee, and that excitement has only heightened, and he may end up developing into an ace. I already loved our potential 1-2-3 of Papenfus and the Jones brothers, but add Duke Bybee into the mix and I don't think there is a team that can do better then that.

LHP Art Ramsey (C La Crosse Lions): Art Ramsey has been red hot lately, allowing just 3 runs in his last 3 starts, with the third a 3-hit shutout of the Waterloo Chiefs. He walked just one and struck out four as the Lions beat the Chiefs by a touchdown. Ramsey strained his back in April, and missed a little less then a month, but has been dominant this season. The former 11th Rounder is a perfect 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA (204 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 8 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Ramsey has also started to climb our prospect list, ranking 28th and 298th after starting the season outside the top 500. He's done a good job boosting velocity, adding a mile in the Spring and another this month. His fastball now sits in the 88-90 range, and he pairs it well with his curve. His change and screwball aren't great, but he does an excellent job locating them, allowing to create weak contact and limit walks. His BB/9 is down from 3.3 last year to 1.5, and his K/9 is up over a point at 5.2. His stuff is still raw, and has a chance to become better, but he's more of finesse then overpower. OSA is a big fan, thinking he could end up a back of the rotation arm, but I'm a bit less optimistic. He's got a ton of development ahead of him and he looks more staff filler then rotation arm. Still, he's received some nice talent boosts already, and a decent future ahead of him.

ayaghmour2 · 03-05-2022, 07:12 PM

11th Round, 174th Overall: CF Alex Horning
School: Amarillo Methodist
1941: .286/.378/.393, 196 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 36 SB
Career: .286/.378/.393, 196 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 36 SB

He was just a one year starter at Amarillo Methodist, but he was actually on my draft list, so it's kind of nice that my scouts first pick was someone I debated selecting. Horning has a great eye at the plate and he projects to be a strong defender out in center. He's got experience in both corners too, as well as first, and his versatility should help him be a decent bench player until a starting role opens up. Tom is a big fan, thinking he can be a reliable supplemental player, but I'm not sure his future is starting in the FABL. Still, the 11th Round is huge because as good as us humans are at drafting, there are always guys we miss each year, and Horning could potentially be a diamond in the rough.

12th Round, 190th Overall: RHP Charlie Everett
School: Shenandoah Valley State
1941: 2-5, 72.2 IP, 4.58 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 46 BB, 60 K
Career: 10-11, 226 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 119 BB, 185 K

This draft didn't have many good college pitchers, and even fewer starters who are currently considered a "Starter," and most that were are pretty bad pitchers. Charlie Everett is one of them. He had a nice freshman season, 4-3 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 38 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 11 starts and 3 pen outings, but his performance got worse over time. Each season his ERA rose, his WHIP never went down, and his final season he had a way too high 5.7 BB/9. At least the strikeouts went up, going from 6.9 to 7.3 to 7.9, but that's about all that went better. He didn't throw many innings, never passing 80 despite 11 starts each season. Still, we need a lot of depth in the lower minors, and Everett can do just that. He can soak up innings out of the pen, likely moving up quickly, and if we are desperate for arms he can start a few games. His stuff is good, with a decent slider, mid 80s fastball, and promising change, with an average curve. Everett is a pedestrian arm now, and there is a reason that no one took the tiny righty in the first ten rounds.

13th Round, 206th Overall: C Butch Stone
School: Gratz
1941: .383/.435/.592, 132 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .417/.485/.680, 489 PA, 49 2B, 4 3B, 18 HR, 121 RBI, 26 SB

A four year starter in high school, Butch Stone had a great freshman season, hitting .466/.546/.989 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs. Unfortunately for Stone, he never hit better then .425/.505/.610, with his entire triple slash dropping each season, and he hit just 7 total homers after that power packed season. I doubt he'll ever come close to his freshman year, but he does hit the ball hard and he has to have some sort of power to hit double digit homers in high school. He does have a coolish nickname, "Firecracker," but I can't see him ever starting more the a handful of games in the minors.

14th Round, 222nd Overall: 3B Israel Holmes
School: New Roads
1941: .431/.530/.578, 134 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 26 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .420/.523/.597, 349 PA, 27 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 18 SB

Another prep bat, Israel Holmes was a three year starter at New Roads, but unlike most of the late round picks, he got better each season. Still, he never really hit that great, but he is a consistent defender at the hot corner. His eye is strong, but he doesn't really make enough contact to be a reliable hitter. If everything breaks right, he could end up a bench player, but he'll need a lot of luck for that to happen.

15th Round, 239th Overall: CF John Baker Jr.
School: Baker
Commit School: Portland Tech
1941: .385/.461/.716, 128 PA, 14 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 SB
Career: .392/.484/.730, 505 PA, 56 2B, 20 3B, 14 HR, 103 RBI, 115 SB

Son of career minor leaguer John Baker, who's career lasted from 1905-1910 and then 5 games between 1914 and 1915, with 399 of his 474 minor league games coming in his first three seasons. The brilliant Baker Jr. may not even be as successful, as his highest career average in four years at Baker was .400. Lucky for him, he's committed to Portland Tech on an academic scholarship and has a future in a white collar role if baseball doesn't pan out. I have no plan in stopping him from his commitment, and while players can improve in college, I don't think he's going to be the next Tucker Ness or Bill Rich.

16th Round, 254th Overall: C Frank Bradberry
School: Lincoln College
1941: .231/.300/.300, 307 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 33 SB
Career (HS): 410/.497/.629, 373 PA, 41 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 79 RBI, 22 SB
Career (COL): .247/.316/.323, 779 PA, 26 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 105 RBI, 91 SB

I didn't even think we had undrafted players, but turns out no one selected Frank Bradberry in the 1938 Draft. College didn't really help him out, as he hit just .247/.316/.323 at Lincoln, and he struck out (118) almost twice as much as he walks (63). He also had a negative WAR each season, including -1.1 this season. I'm not releasing any of my picks yet, but I would not be surprised if he's one of the first to go. His best asset is his speed, something that doesn't age well for a catcher, so I think Bradberry may need to be looking for a job a year from now.

17th Round, 270th Overall: LHP Jim Fetrow
School: Barton
1941: 10-2, 121.1 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 46 BB, 135 K
Career: 33-11, 447.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 160 BB, 513 K

A four year starter at Barton, Jim Fetrow only had one season with a sub 2 ERA, but he did manage a 3.5 or higher WAR each season with 100 or more strikeouts. The lefty has a nice three pitch mix, a high 80s fastball and decent curve and change, and all three pitches could end up being plus offerings. I think he's one of the better guys we got in the later rounds, and he has managed to rack up strikeouts already. I'm not saying he's going to be a future rotation pitcher, but he could be a reliable pen arm with the upside to fill a rotation. Each year there's a Danny Hern, and perhaps Fetrow could be him.

18th Round, 286th Overall: LHP Vince Liberatore
School: Florence
Commit School: Daniel Boone College
1941: 7-4, 102.1 IP, 3.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 68 BB, 98 K
Career: 18-10, 277.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 252 K

A high school pitcher with a 3.00 ERA? Yeah, he should get his degree... Lucky for him, he's committed to Daniel Boone College, and I won't stop him from attending. He's just 17, but he's a flyball pitcher and projected to be a "strictly bullpen" arm, so my guess is Liberatore may never pitch in the minors, let alone the majors.

19th Round, 302nd Overall: LHP Eddie Needham
School: Taft
1941: 7-3, 103 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 44 BB, 86 K
Career: 19-8, 3 SV, 2.80 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 123 BB, 256 K

Yet another high school arm, at least Eddie Needham didn't have a 3.00 ERA! He just never had one below 2.60... A four pitch lefty, none of his pitches are any good, and like Liberatore, he's projected to be strictly a bullpen arm. He does keep the ball on the ground and sits in the mid 80s range, but he'll just be pen fodder until better options show up.

20th Round, 318th Overall: CF Dave Bryant
School: Eastern Oklahoma
1941: .269/.296/.331, 277 PA, 11 2B, 3B, HR, 36 RBI, 14 SB
Career (HS): .419/.473/.604, 489 PA, 55 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 112 RBI, 22 SB
Career (COL): .270/.297/.341, 33 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 113 RBI, 38 SB

Like Frank Bradberry, Dave Bryant was undrafted out of high school, but he was a decent bat in college. Sure, he also had negative WAR seasons each time, but he has good speed and could end up hitting for a high average. He should be a decent outfielder, and can man all three positions, but my guess is he won't stay in the organization very long.

21st Round, 334th Overall: C Tommy Knecht
School: Ursuline
Commit School: Opelika State
1941: .383/.415/.591, 125 PA, 12 2B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .392/.429/.589, 472 PA, 45 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 111 RBI, 29 SB

The last of our three impossibles, the 6'4'' Tommy Knecht will be on his way to Opelika State. He's at least had a .400 season, .402 as a sophomore, but he failed to reach .400 in the other three seasons. He does have a good build, which could lead to power later on, but right now, there really isn't much talent.

22nd Round, 350th Overall: 1B Norm Anderson
School: Emmaus
1941: .400/.448/.533, 116 PA, 9 2B, 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .420/.523/.597, 349 PA, 27 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 18 SB

A four year starter at Emmaus, Norm Anderson was outstanding as a Freshman, slashing .500/.575/.740 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs, but unfortunately he never lived up to that. He was okay as a sophomore, but he barely hit over .400 his past two seasons. He doesn't have the power you need for a first basemen, but we don't have many first basemen in our system, and he will likely hand out in La Crosse for a few seasons until a younger, hopefully better version, takes his place.

23rd Round, 366th Overall: CF John Martinez
School: Meriden
1941: .439/.468/.561, 109 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 26 RBI, 4 SB
Career: .464/.502/.660, 333 PA, 38 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 82 RBI, 8 SB

He'll turn 18 in a few days, so he has his age on his side. Great as a sophomore, he hit over .500, slashing .516/.571/.736, so there should be some sort of talent there. He doesn't have too much offensive or defensive talent, but he can play all three outfield positions and has a lot of time to grow. It's a long shot, but he could have a decent future.

24th Round, 382nd Overall: 2B Jim Nickerson
School: Coal Grove
1941: .416/.449/.525, 107 PA, 11 2B, 21 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .444/.494/.632, 448 PA, 48 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 102 RBI, 21 SB

A four year starter at Coal Grove, Nickerson was actually very effective his first two seasons, hitting .495/.557/.653 as a freshman and .468/.532/.766 as a sophomore. The second half of his high school career didn't go so well, and as a senior he had his first sub 1.000 OPS. He can only play second, which limits his value, and I doubt he'll be a Lion for much longer.

25th Round, 398th Overall: 2B Mike Dimery
School: High Point
1941: .375/.423/.491, 125 PA, 13 2B, 23 RBI, 10 SB
Career: .374/.446/.528, 483 PA, 45 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 100 RBI, 21 SB

We finished out the AI portion of the draft with yet another high schooler, with 11 of the 15 picks coming from a high school. Unlike Nickerson, he can play third and short as well, adding a little value, but also unlike Nickerson, he never hit over .400 in any of his four seasons. He has a poor glove and poor bat, and like a lot of these other guys, seems to have very little chance of developing into a useful piece, but his versatility could allow him to outlast some of the guys taken before him.

Nothing too exciting from this group past the first three, but with all the late picks in the human portion, we really didn't need to get much talent here. As mentioned, no one will be released yet, but as the better draftees sign and the La Crosse roster eventually goes down to 35, I expect to see a decent amount of these guys looking for another job.

ayaghmour2 · 03-07-2022, 06:47 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 53-27 (1st, 3 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.054 OPS
Ray Ford : 26 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .308 AVG, .729 OPS
Carlos Montes : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .286 AVG, .655 OPS

Schedule
6-30: Win vs Stars (2-4)
7-1: Win vs Stars (2-3): 10 innings
7-2: Loss vs Stars (7-1)
7-4: Win vs Saints (2-7)
7-4: Win vs Saints (2-4)
7-5: Loss vs Kings (5-3)
7-6: Loss vs Kings (8-5): 14 innings

Recap
And the lead expands to three! It all honesty, it should have been more, but we just cannot beat the Kings. They won our last two games of the second half, and have now beat us in four consecutive games. They're now just six games out of first, and we're helping them get back in the playoff race. We did take two out of three from the Stars, which helped give us the separation, and we finished June an elite 21-7, winning 75% of the games we played. At 53-27, we are the only FABL team with 50 or more wins at the break, and obviously, we hold the best record. We did get a little bit of bad news, with Cliff Moss out for about three weeks with a herniated disc in his back. It's a tough loss, as Moss was hitting .282/.354/.464 (120 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, and 39 RBIs in his first 285 PAs as a Cougar. Lucky for us, Rich Langton is still a Cougar, and he's hitting like the pre-1940 Rich Langton. In his 121 PAs he's slashing .321/.364/.491 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 25 RBIs. It will also give more time for Dick Walker and Ray Ford, as Ford can play a little in left with Mitchell moving to right.

We had five Cougars heading to the All Star game, led by who should have been the unanimous starter at third John Lawson, and the unanimous starter for the CA Pete Papenfus. Lawson is in the midst of another excellent season, slashing .328/.383/.518 (142 OPS+) with 21 doubles, a triple, 13 homers, and 63 RBIs. He won't repeat as the Whitney Winner, but Lawson has been excellent yet again. Papenfus is having his best season, 12-4 with a 2.95 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 76 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 18 stellar starts. He also won June Pitcher of the Month, finishing 6-0 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 24 walks, and 41 strikeouts. We had there others; Leo Mitchell, Skipper Schneider, and Harry Parker, but none of them will be starting. In May, if you told me Leo Mitchell would be an All-Star, I'd laugh it off, but after a .455/.522/.644 June, Mitchell blazed his way to the All Star game. His season line now is .341/.394/.477 (135 OPS+) and he's added 12 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 53 RBIs. Skipper only got in because there were next to zero quality shortstops in the CA, and the 20-year-old has hit .287/.330/.366 (88 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs with a 20-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Add in the 12.2 zone rating and 1.089 efficiency, and he is the third most productive shortstop in the CA. I was upset Harry Parker wasn't one of the choices for the All Star game, I would have voted for him, but he still got in. It's the first trip for the 26-year-old, who is 10-6 with a 3.38 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 42 walks, and 60 strikeouts. I missed it initially, but Ray Ford was also elected to the All Star game. He has made just 224 trips to the plate, but has an outstanding .368/.417/.544 (159 OPS+) triple slash with 16 doubles, 6 homers, and 31 RBIs. Like Parker, Ford wasn't on the ballot, so even if I wanted to vote for him (I still would've voted Trowbridge), I couldn't have. We led the way with six All Stars, and I can see all of these guys repeating in the future, and for Parker, Papenfus, and Skipper, it should be the first of many.

Looking back at the week, we had a lot of good pitching outings. One pitcher who didn't was new All-Star Harry Parker, who allowed 14 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Pug Bryan also struggled out of the pen, 4 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 4.1 innings across two outings. Peter the Heater was stuck with two no decisions, but went 17.2 innings with 17 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 11 walks with 9 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win and a loss, but allowed just two earned runs in each start. Sure, his loss had three that were unearned, but he allowed 17 hits and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a pair of complete games. Dick Lyons has continued to heat up, 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Milt Fritz had a nice start himself, 4 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks with a strikeout in 8 good enough innings. Our pitching continues to be the best in the league, and we finished the first half allowing the fewest runs in baseball, despite four more games then the Stars, who are second.

Leo Mitchell continues his tear, 8-for-24 with a double, triple, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 9 RBIs. He didn't have too much help, but Mike Taylor had a big partial week, 4-for-8 with a double, run, and 2 walks. Same for Dick Walker, who was 4-for-13, and Rich Langton, who was 3-for-9. Both doubled and drove in a run, while Langton scored twice and Walker scored just once. Mitchell was the only full time player with an above average week, while our other two All-Star bats Skipper and Lawson both hit below .200. They combined to go just 9-for-54, although most of their hits were of the extra base variety. Lawson doubled and homered twice while Skipper tripled and homered. We're lucky to win as many games as we did this week, but the offense has been great most of the time, as we finished the first half with the second most runs scored.

Lastly, all our draftees I plan on signing have signed, so not only do we now have the best record in the FABL, but now also have the top farm system! I was very shocked, but we have jumped over the Saints, as our 183 points are just above their 175. Leading the way is Donnie Jones, who checks in at 6th on the midseason rank. He's one of four in the top 25, followed by Johnnie Jones (13th), Duke Bybee (17th), and Solly Skidmore (22nd). Our first two picks Otto Christian (41st) and Eddie Howard (27th) join them in the top 50, giving us 8 top 100 prospects. We also have 21 in the top 250 and 44 in the top 500. Only the Sailors (51) have more ranked prospects then us, but even with 11 in the top 100 they rank 4th overall. Of the 1941 class, 2nd Rounder Leo Hayden (119th), 5th Rounder Jack Houston (123rd), 3rd Rounder Jim Dickinson (155th), 7th Rounder Dan Collins (306th), 6th Rounder Joe Dackett (341st), 4th Rounder Huck Hanes (407th), 8th Rounder Skippy Ellis (441st), 7th Rounder Joe Swank (459th), and 6th Rounder Bill Ballantine (483rd) all rank in the top 500.

Looking Ahead
The All-Star games is on Tuesday, and we don't play until Thursday, but I couldn't be happier with our start to the second half. We start at home, hosting the Foresters for three games. Cleveland is 29-51, and 24 games behind us, so we should be able to start the second half on the right foot. They've scored the fewest runs and allowed the most, and haven't gotten any consistency from their starting. Four of their five starters have ERAs in the 4s, and the 5th isn't in the 3s, it's Johnny Slaney's 6.59 (62 ERA+). The 25-year-old is having a very rough season, 0-5 with a 1.84 ERA, 33 walks, and 23 strikeouts in 8 starts and 4 relief outings. Dean Astle's ERA is close to 5, and he's 4-9 with a 4.95 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 44 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Rankin and Turner both have 9 losses as well, and I don't think we'll have trouble scoring on them. Strikeout machine Lou Balk is probably their most dangerous hitter right now, and he's slashing .306/.366/.491 (121 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 35 RBIs. He was the closest they had to an All Star, but no Foresters will be at the game. These should be easy wins for us, but you can't count your chickens before they hatch.

We finish the week with two of four against the 40-38 Canons. We'll have a double header in Chicago on Sunday, and while we may not get him this week, we'll likely have to face second time All Star Butch Smith. The 29-year-old is having another great season, 9-4 with a 2.96 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts. He'll be joined on the team by Roger Perry, who is 6-5 with a 3.09 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 27 walks, and 41 strikeouts in a breakout at 34. They had a few other All Stars, including second basemen Charley McCullough, who hit .322/.422/.371 (112 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a homer, triple, 9 steals, and 45 RBIs. He'll be joined with Fred Galloway, who is making his third consecutive appearance. The Mouse is just 25, and with a bit of a down month, he's hitting .291/.372/.403 (105 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs. Their 5th All Star is a bit of shock, not because of performance, but because he played just 35 games. It's his 5th selection, and it's star catcher Adam Mullins. The 28-year-old represented Montreal the first four times, and has hit .385/.475/.526 (165 OPS+) as a Cannon with 13 doubles, 2 homers, and 19 RBIs. I expect a tough series, but we are unbeatable at home when we don't play Brooklyn, and the Cannons are basically the Foresters on the road.

Minor League Report
RF Fred Vargas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I was all ready to call Orlin Yates up from AAA to replace Cliff Moss, but after the month Fred Vargas had, I couldn't leave him in Milwaukee. He won't be an every day player for us, as Langton is set to get most of the games, but I will give Vargas the start against some right handed pitchers. The 22-year-old got on base in over half of his plate appearances, slashing .360/.521/.517 with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 16 RBIs, and 30 walks. For the season, he's hitting an outstanding .298/.452/.421 (143 OPS+) with 18 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 36 RBIs with an outstanding 67-to-27 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His prospect rank dropped a bit with the new draftees, but he still checks in at 8th in our system and 73rd overall. He's slowly becoming a better defender in right, and while not great, his .977 efficiency and -3.4 zone rating are at least passable for a productive hitter. His eye is elite, and while he does strike out at times, he is arguably the best walk drawer in baseball, projecting to potentially hit triple digits in a full season. He's already done that in the minors with 129 in 1939, and if the rest of his offensive game reaches his potential, 100 shouldn't be out of the question. He doesn't have the power you like to see in a corner bat, but getting on base every other trip is better then 20 or so homers in a season. Vargas has the potential to develop into an impact big leaguer, and at just 22, he's already looking like a mature hitter wise beyond his years.

CF Don Lee (B San Jose Cougars): I was a little worried that Class B may be a little too tough for a teenager, but Don Lee has erased any doubt. He won't turn 20 until January, and he managed to hit over .700 in a week. Lee was 10-for-14 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs and is now hitting .407/.510/.651 (208 OPS+) in just over 100 plate appearances. Combined with his time in La Cross, the former 2nd Rounder has 13 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 53 RBIs with 59 walks and just 18 strikeouts. The hardworking center fielder has great speed, leading to excellent outfield range and a knack for stealing bases. He makes a lot of hard contact, as he lays off bad pitches, and any time he puts the ball in play he has a chance to wreck havoc on the bases. I can't check if any of his homers are inside the parkers, but it wouldn't be surprising with his speed. He won't be a reliable double digit homer hitter in the majors, but he should end up with a lot of extra base hits. Lee now ranks 15th and 141st in the prospect rankings, but OSA and Tom Weinstock thinks he'll be a big league starter, with Tom having a more glowing report of "penciled in for a lion's share of starts". I think he has the future to be a great big league outfielder, and when you consider his stellar work ethic, he can push past his current peaks.

RHP Ron Sexton (C La Crosse Lions): On the one year anniversary of his torn UCL, Ron Sexton threw a 4-hit shutout of the Dubuque Dukes. It was his fifth start back, and he walked just one and struck out two to improve to 2-2 in five starts. The 20-year-old has a 2.95 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 8 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched, and with all the new arms joining from the draft, I'm going to be moving him up to San Jose. He still ranks in the top 500, but he dropped down to 382nd in the league and out of our top 30 to 382. The 6'2'' righty is throwing a bit harder this year, with his fastball sitting at 91-93, so he didn't lose any speed with the early career injury. It will affect his stuff long term, as it looks to be just average now, but he's managed to maintain his 4.8 K/9 from last season. He has, however, seen his BB/9 plummet, but it is a little to early to claim his walk issues are gone. I'm excited to see how he does against tough competition, and even if he does perform well, I'm not sure I want to rush him up. He'll likely spend the rest of the season with San Jose, as we have a lot of capable starters in the upper minors.

C Lew Lord (C La Crosse Lions): One of the guys at risk of losing playing time, Lew Lord has been spending time at first. It's helped, as now that Eddie Howard has signed, there wouldn't have been any room at catcher anyways for Lord. Lord had a great week for the Lions, going 9-for-17 with 4 doubles, 4 runs, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Last year's 8th Rounder is now hitting .350/.456/.650 (188 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs. He's probably still best suited for catching duties, but he's 6'2'', which makes him at least passable for first. He's shown a bit of power this year, but his poor discipline holds him backs at time. With all the new young catchers, I may be moving him up to San Jose, but for now he'll likely see more time at first then behind the plate.

ayaghmour2 · 03-08-2022, 12:22 PM

Weekly Record: 4-1
Seasonal Record: 57-28 (1st, 2.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .667 AVG, 1.429 OPS
Fred Vargas : 9 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .556 AVG, 1.711 OPS
John Lawson : 27 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .296 AVG, .803 OPS

Schedule
7-10: Loss vs Foresters (9-2)
7-11: Win vs Foresters (4-5): 12 innings
7-12: Win vs Foresters (2-6)
7-13: Win vs Cannons (3-8)
7-13: Win vs Cannons (1-2)

Recap
Fresh off the break, we put together an impressive 4-1 week, dropping the opener against the Foresters before winning the next four, but we still lost a half game in the standings as the Stars were perfect. The loss was bad, as Cleveland socked five homers off our pitchers, but we managed to recover after. Our league also took home the All Star win, with Peter the Heater given the victory. He pitched the third, allowing two hits with a strikeout. Harry Parker struggled in the second, allowing 2 hits, including a Mahlon Strong two run homer. John Lawson played all game, 1-for-5 with a run, RBI, and error. Skipper pinch hit for Parker and then stayed the rest of the game at second, going 1-for-4 with an RBI triple. Leo Mitchell pinch hit in the 5th, and finished 2-for-3 with a double, run, and 2 RBIs. Ray Ford pinch hit for Papenfus in the 3rd, but finished 0-for-3. The break was helpful for the rest of team, especially Billy Hunter, who will return to the lineup. He's already been hurt six times on the season, and I know it's just a matter of time before #7. His power has disappeared, but his .333/.368/.459 (123 OPS+) line is impressive, and with Freddie Jones hitting a bit worse then average, it's a huge upgrade.

Leo Mitchell continues his war against pitchers, and the sweltering southpaw finished his week 14-for-21 with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and just a single strikeout! That earned him Player of the Week, and his .462/.450/.692 triple slash is very similar to his mark last month. That's not a typo either, his OBP is lower then his average in July, as he has a sac-fly and hasn't walked. He carried the offense this week, but rookie Fred Vargas had a great return to the big leagues. The 22-year-old was 5-for-9 with 2 doubles, a homer, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Harry Mead looked good after the rest, 3-for-11 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. I'm hoping the break will help him regain his 1940 form, but he's now hitting a more respectable .261/.332/.372 (90 OPS+) after 54 games. All Stars Skipper Schneider and John Lawson had nice weeks, with the left side of our infield going 14-for-47 with 5 runs and 7 RBIs. Both doubled twice with Skipper tripling and Lawson homering. A lot of our bats were cold, however, with Walker, Ford, Langton, and Montes all struggling.

As mentioned earlier, Jim Lonardo had a tough start, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs (5 earned) with 3 strikeouts in 6 shaky innings. Dick Lyons had another great start, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. That's three consecutive starts now with 2 or fewer runs, which improved him to 7-6 with a 3.59 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 27 walks, and 19 strikeouts. Milt Fritz looked okay in his start, picking up a complete game victory with 7 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, and a strikeout. Papenfus got an 11 inning no decision, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts. Harry Parker was much better for us then the All Star team, as he allowed just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with a single strikeout in a 6-2 complete game win. The pitching continues to keep us in games, and should help us continue to win.

Looking Ahead
Two more with the Cannons, who are now 42-41. They are having a tough year after a surprise breakthrough last season, but have made a few changes other then just adding Mullins. Last month they picked up former top 10 prospect Chuck Adams, and he's taken over at first base. The 24-year-old has done okay, hitting .247/.295/.438 (92 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 19 RBIs. This has moved Moxie Pidgeon back to left, and his down year has really hurt the Cannons. He does still have 12 homers and 58 RBIs, but his .267/.318/.423 (95 OPS+) batting line is much lower then his .340/.386/.523 (148 OPS+) form last season. I expect to see Butch Smith, who started the All Star game, and is 9-5 with a 3.23 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 walks, and 69 strikeouts. We'll also get a chance to face former #2 overall pick Bill Sohl, who is now 2-3 with a 4.58 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 34 walks, and 17 strikeouts in his first 53 big league innings. These will be a tough two games, but I always like our chances when we play at home.

We then have a weird two game series with the Wolves, a game, off day, and then finale. They are just 36-49, and get two more in New York after losing a double header to end the week. Walt Pack is not Fred McCormick, but he's hitting a decent .300/.366/.466 (115 OPS+) with 14 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 35 RBIs in his place. Larry Vestal has taken advantage hitting above him, and is slashing an excellent .328/.414/.470 (130 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 10 triples, 3 homers, and 39 RBIs. Those two don't have much protection, and there pitching is having a rough season. Of their dominant top three, George Garrison is having the best season, but it's still a bit of a down year for him. He's just 7-6 with a 3.72 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 33 walks, and 70 strikeouts. Bernie Johnson was elite in April and May, but has been awful in June and July. He's now just 6-7 with a 3.95 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 33 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 17 starts. We should be winning these two games, but I really hope they can steal one from the Stars before letting us sweep them.

We then finish the week with two of three with the Sailors. At 36-46, things haven't gone as planned for them, and they've shopped around a few of veterans. I would love to pick up Walt Wells, but there really is no spot for him in the rotation. Wells is having just an average season, 9-5 with a 4.03 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 40 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 18 starts. He's having the best season for the rotation members, after Ray McCarthy endures yet another injury. This one is serious, a partially torn UCL which ended his season at the end of June. They've brought up 25-year-old lefty Tom Cipolla to fill his spot, and in his first career start he got a loss in 8 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. The offense hasn't helped much, but Joe Watson is having yet another great season. The 32-year-old was selected to his second All Star game and is hitting .337/.383/.517 (132 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, and 46 RBIs. If we can keep him in check, we should be able to pick up some wins, but the supporting cast of Marion Boismenu, Woody Stone, Bob Smith, and Joseph Mills can cause their share of trouble.

Minor League Report
LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): What a start to his pro career! Our 2nd Rounder this season, Leo Hayden was dominate in a 5-0 win over Moline, allowing just 8 hits and 2 walks in 3 strikeouts as Hayden picked up a complete game shutout. With a lot more top picked signs, Hayden dropped a little on the prospect ranks, but still sits at 140th in the league. I'm a big fan of the young lefty, who has a nice high 80s fastball with a sweeping curve, plus curve, and solid slider. He's already shown that at times he can be unhittable, but at times his command can desert him and he'll give up a homer or two. OSA is a big fan, thinking all of his skills are plus or better, but they think he may not have the stamina to go deep into games. He did manage 124 pitches, but it's far too early to worry about how deep he can pitch into games. Tom thinks he could end up a backend arm, and while I'm a little higher on him, that's probably a fair assumption. We've done well replenishing the system, and Hayden is another exciting young arm we have in our system.

EDIT: I ended up making a minor trade that wasn't really worth a standalone post. The Eagles have very little pitching in their minor league system, so I helped them out, sending five arms and outfielder John Johnson their way for a 7th, 10th, and 11th Round Pick. The five arms are Bill Seabolt, Newt Jackson, Ray Wilcox, Corky Welch, and the other John Johnson. I have an excess of arms that I will eventually need to trim, and instead of releasing some, this gives me a little bit of return for nothing. Jackson is really the only guy who was a disappointment, as the former 2nd Rounder dealt with a lot of injuries, and never quite lived up to expectations. They are all serviceable arms, but I have other guys I rather give innings to.

ayaghmour2 · 03-09-2022, 06:45 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 61-30 (1st, 4 GA)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 23 AB, 6 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .261 AVG, 1.003 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 12 K, 2.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, .840 OPS

Schedule
7-14: Loss vs Cannons (9-5)
7-15: Win vs Cannons (3-7)
7-16: Win vs Wolves (2-6)
7-18: Loss vs Wolves (5-2)
7-19: Win vs Sailors (1-3)
7-20: Win vs Sailors (1-6)

Recap
Another four win week for the Cougars, as we surpassed the 60 win mark while also expanding our lead over the Stars to four. We continued our nice run of games, now 11-6 in July and 32-13 since the start of June, as we look to separate from the rest of the league. We have been a little lucky this season, 7-1 in extra inning games and 17-6 in one run games, but considering the past few seasons we've been well under .500 in those, it looks like things are finally evening out a bit. Our Pythagorean record is just 57-34, although that would still be good enough for a one game lead. Still, it's far too early to celebrate. New York is still playing over .600 ball, and the Kings have refused to go away. They are now just 6.5 games out of first and own a .600 winning percentage. There is still a lot of time left in the season, and as we approach the deadline, someone behind us can try to make a push to knock us out of first.

Pete Papenfus continues to dominate the league, picking up two more complete game victories. The first came against the Cannons, where he allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts. The second was against the Sailors, where he was charged with just 4 hits, 1 run, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. His 14 wins are the most in the CA, as are his 146 strikeouts, and the only pitcher with a lower ERA then his 2.88 (138 ERA+) is the Stars' Chuck Cole, but he ruptured a tendon in his finger, likely ending his season with 140.2 innings pitched, not enough to qualify for the ERA crown. I think Papenfus is a lock for the Allen Award, but a triple crown would be a huge accomplishment for the talented 23-year-old. Our other talented youngster, Harry Parker, added another complete game win, improving to 12-6 with a 6 hits, 2 run, 1 walk and 4 strikeout victory. Milt Fritz flirted with a shutout, just 3 hits, 2 walks, and an unearned run with a strikeout in a complete game win. Vets Dick Lyons and Jim Lonardo had rough starts, with Lyons allowing 10 hits and 5 runs with 2 strikeouts in 8, while Lonardo was shelled for 11 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strikeout in 5.2 innings. Lonardo has not looked the same since returning form injury, and the 37-year-old as allowed 5 or more runs in each of his last three starts. He's our only starter with an ERA north of 4, now 7-7 with a 4.36 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 22 walks, and 37 strikeouts. I expect him to shake it off, but lucky for us, we have enough depth in the rotation that we can survive his inconsistency.

The bats were booming this week, with most of our hitters putting together really solid numbers. Harry Mead had a huge week, 4-for-13 with a homer, 4 RBIs, and 5 walks as his season line climbs closer to average. John Lawson was just 6-for-23, but the power was huge, adding a double, three homers, and nine RBIs. Lawson now has 17 homers and 75 RBIs, second to just Bill Barrett who will not be caught for either lead. Leo Mitchell continues to chug along, 9-for-24 with a double, steal, and 3 more RBIs. Rich Langton looked good in his four starts, 6-for-15 with a double, steal, and two runs, RBIs, and walks. Carlos Montes was just 6-for-24, but with a pair of steals and triples. Montes is now tied with Mike Taylor (not ours, the Cannons one) for the CA steal lead at 15, and after going 16-for-32 last season, he's been caught just twice. Freddie Jones looked much better in limited time, 3-for-7 with 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and his first homer of the season. Fred Vargas continues to be a hard out, and was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. It's hard to take time away from Langton, but with how great Vargas has been in limited action, I'm going to have to find a way to put him in the lineup.

Looking Ahead
We'll look to finish the sweep of the Sailors, who we have dropped to 38-51, and have now began to shop Joe Watson and Jim Beard. Despite being a corner outfielder, Watson should be an enticing option for teams, as his .327/.371/.503 (125 OPS+) line is strong, and the 32-year-old has hit 22 doubles, 9 triples, and 5 homers with 48 RBIs. Beard has had a rough season, hitting just .278/.345/.348 (81 OPS+) this season, but he is a career .303/.367/.398 (103 OPS+) hitter with nice speed and a good glove. Another interesting candidate to be moved would be Doc Newell, who is 6-8 with a 4.26 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 39 walks, and 41 strikeouts. He hasn't been the same pitcher he used to be, and since 1938 he's had ERA+ of 98, 95, and 90, but he's a durable innings eater who won 20 games in 1937 and has thrown three no-hitters, including a perfect game back in 1935. We're scheduled to face the struggling Herb Flynn, who is just 6-10 with a 4.63 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 46 walks, and 27 strikeouts, who I think we should be able to put up a lot of runs on. This is the last game of what has been a rather long homestand, with our last road game on the 29th of June where we've won 12 of 18. We also finish the week with the Sailors, but those three games will be in Philly.

Between the two Sailors series we have two in Cleveland before an off day on Thursday. The Foresters are 34-57 and 27 games out of first place, and have officially placed Mel Carrol, George Dawson, Bill Moore, Lou Balk, and Dean Astle on the block. Dan Fowler and Dave Rankin weren't specifically listed, but I imagine they too would be available. Dawson was once a player I would trade anything for, but he's really struggled the past two seasons. This season the bat and glove both disappeared, with the formerly elite shortstop sporting just a 0.5 zone rating and .976 efficiency, with a pitcher-like .202/.227/.250 (24 OPS+) line at the plate. Before 1940, his rookie season was the only year he had an OPS+ below 90, and he started his career with six seasons with a double digit zone rating, including two seasons above 35. He's a leader in the clubhouse and just 30, so perhaps a change of scenery could help, as he his angry about losing his job to Jake Creel. I was going to suggest Dean Astle could be moved as well, but before I posted, he was sent to Boston with Bill Moore. Astle could also use a change of scenery, as the former Cougar draftee is 6-10 with a 4.36 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 50 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Moore is on pace for another season with 9 or more homers and a 110 or higher OPS+, slashing .293/.375/.57 (115 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 9 homers, and 49 RBIs in his sixth big league season. The 29-year-old first basemen joined the Foresters from the Dynamos in the 1936 offseason in a package for Leon Drake and Max Morris. Cleveland will in return receive a first, two outfield prospects, and a replacement first basemen in Ed Lockwood. He's struggled in limited time for the Minutemen this season, but is a career .333/.380/.427 (113 OPS+) hitter. He's just a throw in, as one of the outfielders, Pete Sigmund, is a top 50 prospect, and they will also add a late first for the
Winter draft.
And while the present outlook isn't great, the future sure is, as they gave #1 Overall Pick Hiram Steinberg $20,000 to join the system. Currently ranked as the #2 prospect in baseball, I think "The Undertaker" will develop into the best pitcher in baseball. Sure, Peter the Heater is the most dominant, but Steinberg has a lot more talent. He doesn't have any sort of control issues, and his stuff is impressive. He's very raw, and has a lot of developing to do, but I can see Steinberg re-writing records just like he did in High School. We should be able to pick up two more wins, but the Foresters took one in Chicago and anything is possible in baseball.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnnie Jones (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Johnnie Jones had a great start to his season, but before his most recent start, he lost five consecutive starts with 5 or more runs allowed, including 11 runs (10 earned) in 6 innings in his last start against St. Paul. He then completed a full 180 against Minneapolis, allowing just 3 hits and 4 walks in a 3-strikeout shutout as the Blues waltzed to a 9-0 victory. This improved him to 6-8 with a 4.03 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 63 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 114 innings. He's done a great job pitching deep into games, effortless throwing over 125 pitches in eight of his fifteen starts. Johnnie still ranks as our #2 prospect, but with the new draftees, he's dropped to 17th in the league. He still projects to be a #1 starter, and he recently boosted his average sinker velocity to 93-95. That's his best pitch, and has helped earn him his nickname, but he also has a really nice forkball. His change and slider are both plus pitches, and Johnnie has superb stuff. Still at 23 I wish his other tools were further developed, as his control isn't great. He makes up for it with excellent movement on his pitches, but he can't dominate hitters like Peter the Heater does. If Johnnie hits his ceiling, we'll have another ace on our hands, but despite being older then Donnie, he's far less developed. That won't stop him from debuting his September, but I don't think he'll be a full time starter for a season or two.

RHP John Little (AA Mobile Commodores): Make it four in a row, as John Little has one each of his last four starts with complete game wins. This one was a remarkable outing, as despite no strikeouts, he allowed just 2 walks and 4 hits in a 2-0 win over the Memphis Excelsior. Little has now won his last five starts, improving to 10-4 in 15 starts. The former 5th Rounder as worked to a nice 3.86 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 1.49 WHIP, 38 walks, and 35 strikeouts through 123.2 innings pitched. He had very similar numbers last season in Lincoln, with a 3.48 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 33 walks, and 46 strikeouts, but in five fewer starts he has just 30 less innings. He's shown he can pitch deep into games, and soak up multiple innings when needed. I just cleaned out a lot of pitchers in the upper levels, thinning out his competition for a 40-man spot once the season ends. He'll be Rule-5 eligible, so I will have to decide if I'm willing to take a risk and leave him unprotected. I'll be looking to have him finish his season in Milwaukee, but for now he'll continue starting games for the Commodores.

RHP Roscoe Brown (B San Jose Cougars): I was a little concerned Roscoe Brown would have some struggles in San Jose, but he has quickly alleviated those. It's just three starts, but he's allowed just three runs, with all coming in his first start. Brown bested Everett this week, tossing a 4-hit shutout as the Cougars hung on to win 2-0. He's now 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA (353 ERA+) and 0.76 WHIP with a walk and four strikeouts through 22.1 innings pitched. The 19-year-old now ranks 22nd in our system and 280th overall, and seems to be much more developed then most pitchers his age. His stuff is still very raw, and that has shown in his drop in strikeouts, but he does a good job generating week contact with his sinker and he's able to locate his fastball well. His curve has a lot of work, but projects to be a very devastating offering. OSA and Tom Weinstock both view him as a spot starter/long reliever, but pitching depth is crucial right now as we patiently wait for the eventual draft to raid FABL teams.

ayaghmour2 · 03-10-2022, 01:42 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 65-32 (1st, 3.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
None generated this week

Schedule
7-21: Win vs Sailors (0-1): 10 innings
7-22: Loss at Foresters (6-7): 15 innings
7-23: Win at Foresters (4-2)
7-25: Win at Sailors (4-0)
7-26: Win at Sailors (6-2)
7-27: Loss at Sailors (3-4)

Recap
Another productive 4-2 week, but since the Stars played (and won) an extra game, they made up half a game on us. They also played the Sailors and Foresters, but swept a double header in Cleveland to finish their week. Both our runs were of the one loss variety, but the one that strung was the 15 inning loss to the Foresters. Jim Lonardo wasn't great, but 5 of his 6 runs allowed came in the 3rd, and we tried to come back and win that game. Ben Curtin matched Lonardo's 6 innings, pitching from the 9th to the end before Dan Fowler's solo homer started and ended the 15th. Cliff Moss is healthy, just as Carlos Montes gets hurt. Montes just has a dead arm which will cost him 5 days, so he won't head to the DL, and poor Fred Vargas is headed back to Milwaukee. The now 23-year-old has been better then Bill Barrett, slashing .526/.640/1.053 (353 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 6 walks, and 5 RBIs in 25 trips to the plate. If he could play center he would've stayed up, but I need Aart MacDonald in Chicago as he's a great center fielder, and I can't rely on Cliff Moss very frequently out there. Rich Langton has hit well, but Moss' .282/.354/.464 (121 OPS+) line is a bit better, and the slugger also has 12 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, and 39 RBIs.

Our 1-2 of Pete Papenfus and Harry Parker continues to dominate hitters, with both youngsters throwing complete game shutouts. They each now have three on the season, although Harry Parker deserved a fourth. Parker made two starts, starting with a 4-hit, 3-strikeout shutout that lasted 10 innings because we just could not score. In his second, he allowed a pair of unearned runs due to John Lawson errors in the 3rd and 8th, finishing with 12 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. This improved Parker to 14-6 on the season, and he now owns a 2.87 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 48 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 172.2 excellent innings pitched. Papenfus' dominance has been well documented, and this time he allowed 8 hits and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in his 16th complete game in 22 starts. Peter the Heater is now 15-4 with a 2.74 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 88 walks, and 153 strikeouts. Our star also now ranks as the #1 pitcher in the FABL, surpassing George Garrison who has held it for most of the past few seasons. He's still leading the league in wins, one above Parker, with a nice cushion in strikeouts. His ERA is second, with Vern Hubbard (2.86) and Parker a close third and fourth. These two have been crucial in our pennant push, and it's nice to see them both hitting their stride at the same time.

The vets didn't let themselves get outdone, however, as even with Lonardo's rough start, Dick Lyons and Milt Fritz were excellent. Lyons bounced back from a rough start last week, and allowed 12 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout in a complete game win. Fritz got the loss, but when 8 decent innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Lonardo's six were worse then Curtin's, but Curtin got the loss. He allowed 6 hits, a run, a walk, and struck out 2 while Lonardo was charged with 9 hits and 6 runs with a single walk and strikeout.

The offense wasn't great, but it's hard to get mad when they do well enough for a 4-2 week. Leo Mitchell had his first below average week in what seems like months, just 5-for-20, but he did hit his 9th homer of the season. No homers for John Lawson after the three last week, but he hit a much better 10-for-27 with a double, triple, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Dick Walker had a nice week, 5-for-14 with a homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He's our second player to hit double digit homers, with 9 of his 10 this year coming with us. Pre-injury Carlos Montes did well, 7-for-23 with a double, triple, RBI, 3 runs scored, and 2 more steals, before Aart MacDonald filled in well. He's hitting just .175/.250/.193 (22 OPS+) on the season, but the Aruban native was an even 4-for-8 with a walk, run, and RBI. He'll get a couple of starts this week while Montes rests, and even if the bat is an icicle, the 1.087 efficiency out in center can keep runs off the board. I'm hoping for more offense next week, especially when we play the highest run producing team, the Cincinnati Canons.

Looking Ahead
Our commish is heading on vacation, so sadly no sim tomorrow, and it may be a bit before the Cougars are back on the field. When we return to action, it's actually an off day, followed by two in Toronto and another off day. This is huge for us, as it's less games without Carlos Montes healthy. It's hard to call the Wolves struggles surprising, as that's what losing Fred McCormick will do to a team, and 42-57 isn't too bad all things considered. Joe Hancock has really turned things around, and he's been one of the best pitchers in July. He's 2-2 despite a 2.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 19 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. For the season, he's now 7-7 with a 3.77 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 66 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 155 innings pitched. Now all five of their starters have ERA+ above 100, including Jim Morrison, who has been a recent add after starting the year in Buffalo. The 26-year-old has done well in 6 starts, 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 18 walks, and 22 strikeouts. Despite all this good pitching, the Wolves have lost a lot of games because their offense doesn't do much scoring. A huge part of that is McCormick, but another has been Charlie Artuso's regression at the plate. After leading the CA in War and hitting .303/.364/.448 (118 OPS+), Artuso has hit just .254/.328/.335 (73 OPS+) in just over 400 plate appearances. He's still an elite defender, but the talented 25-year-old is a much better hitter then he's shown. Same goes for Mr. Versatility Tom Frederick, who is hitting .285/.354/.388 (93 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, and 54 RBIs. Wolves fans can't complain too much, as they won their first pennant and world series in what probably felt like forever, but once McCormick returns from the war, the Wolves should return to the first division. There pitching is far too good, and their offense has enough weapons to supplement McCormick, even if they don't have another who can carry the load.

We spend our weekend in Cincinnati with three against the Cannons. They are back over .500, and sit at 50-46 which is a whopping 14.5 games out of first. Injuries to their young pitching have really put a damper on their season, and I think if Mullins never gets hurt, the Cannons would have at least had a shot to compete. They have a lot of talented players, such as former #1 pick Rufus Barrell II, who is having another nice season at 24. He's now 12-5 with a 3.70 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 36 walks, and 87 strikeouts. Him and Butch Smith make up a strong 1-2 with Roger Perry's late career breakout giving them a lot of reliable hurlers. Both were All Stars, and Smith is now 10-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 67 walks, and 82 strikeouts, while Perry has been a bit more unlucky. He's somehow just 6-7 despite a 3.10 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 33 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Glenn Payne has been a reliable four, 8-8 with a 3.57 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 52 walks, and 68 strikeouts, making up a very strong rotation. Looking to the lineup, they made an interesting change in the lineup, with former Cougar Pete Asher replacing Charlie McCullough at the keystone. Asher has hit surprisingly well, slashing .412/.423/.510 (147 OPS+) in a 53 PA sample. Moxie Pidgeon has started to turn things around, hitting .284/.337/.437 (104 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 63 RBIs. This will be a tough series, and we both have a lot of talent.

ayaghmour2 · 03-21-2022, 11:16 AM

Weekly Record: 4-1
Seasonal Record: 69-33 (1st, 5.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .421 AVG, .976 OPS
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
John Lawson : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .364 AVG, .773 OPS

Schedule
7-29: Win at Wolves (8-5)
7-30: Win at Wolves (7-5)
8-1: Win at Cannons (1-0)
8-2: Win at Cannons (5-3)
8-3: Loss at Cannons (4-5): 10 innings

Recap
After what felt like the longest week in recent memory, as our commish was on vacation and sims were on hold, the Cougars were back in action! And since no time passed in-game, there was absolutely no rust, and the Cougars put together yet another strong week. We won the first four before dropping an extra inning game to the Cannons, but the Stars had a rough week so we expanded our league to 5.5 games. It's now August and we're just a win away from 70, and with one more week like this, we may be able to cruise to the finish line.

Harry Parker was dominant in his start, and he needed to be, as we couldn't provide him with any run support. It didn't matter, as he was near perfect, just 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts in his second shutout in three weeks. Parker has now won five starts in a row, all complete games, all with two or fewer runs allowed. In his last three starts, he's thrown 28 innings without allowing a single earned run. He was 4-1 in July, working to a 2.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 10 walks, and 16 strikeouts. It's been a wonderous breakout for the 26-year-old, now 15-6 with a 2.72 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 51 walks, and 77 strikeouts in 181.2 innings. The other starters weren't quite on his level, but they did enough to win. Jim Lonardo was effective, 10 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in a complete game win. Dick Lyons, however, was not, allowing 12 hits and 5 runs in a complete game win. Peter the Heater made a pair of starts, the first a shaky complete game win over Toronto. He allowed 13 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with just 4 strikeouts. His second was a no decision in our extra inning loss, going 9.2 innings with 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. We were up 4-3 when he left, as he walked Mike Taylor with two outs. I wish he stayed in, as Joe Brown allowed Moxie Pidgeon to hit a two run homer to end the game.

Billy Hunter finally hit his first homer of the season, and went 5-for-17 with a pair of doubles and RBIs. Harry Mead was 8-for-19 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Leo Mitchell hit homer #10 and went 6-for-18 with a steal, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. John Lawson went 8-for-22 with a double and 3 RBIs. Those few did good, but the rest of the lineup had issues. The trio of Skipper Schneider, Cliff Moss, and Ray Ford really struggled, hitting just 8-for-50 with a double each for Skipper and Ford while Moss hit his 9th homer of the year. We'll need more offensive production next week, but the bats were good enough to win games as we continue to push for a pennant.

Looking Ahead
Our next week is a weird one, as we get one in Chicago with the Saints, an off day, one in Montreal, and then another off day. Montreal currently shares the position of last place with the Foresters, now 39-64 and 30.5 games behind us. Part of their struggles have been Red Bond's fall from grace, as he's hitting an average .296/.374/.428 (108 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 homers, and 64 RBIs. It's not all bad, however, as the Saints have seen the emergence of former 3rd Overall Pick Bill Greene, who is hitting a productive .297/.404/.467 (126 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, and 24 RBIs. They have a lot of hitters in the 100-115 OPS+ range, including Bert Lass (.340, 3, 47), Pete Wood (.300, 3, 24, 2), and Ben Richardson (.284, 7, 36), but despite being 2nd in average and 3rd in OBP, they are just 5th in runs scored. The pitching has been their downfall, but they have been getting good innings from 28-year-old Bill Ross. The former Cougar 3rd Rounder has made 21 starts and 5 relief appearances, going 6-9 with 2 saves, a 3.74 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 26 walks, and 51 strikeouts. Wally Doyle (10-10, 4.58, 117) has racked up the strikeouts, but he's allowed far too many walks and hits, which has limited his effectiveness. At 22, he's got a lot of time to grow, but these should be two easy wins for our superior team.

We then finish the week hosting the Kings for a three game weekend set. We've had trouble with the Kings, who are 63-41 and 7 games behind us. They're third in both the division, runs scored, and runs allowed, and have gotten a nice return to form from Al Wheeler. The 33-year-old slashed an impressive .304/.405/.525 (142 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs with 46 walks and even 3 steals. Joe Herman is having a nice second season as well, hitting .322/.379/.488 (125 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 6 steals, and 69 RBIs with more then triple the walks (34) to strikeouts (10). Jim Lightbody (.347, 1, 42, 6) has looked good in a part time role, Rats McGonigle (.301, 1, 13, 13) has done well when healthy, and Frank LeMieux (.324, 4, 47, 2) has done well lengthening the lineup. The lineup will be hard to contain, and the pitching has been a bit above average. Stumpy Beaman has been effective, 11-5 with a 3.71 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 49 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 14 starts and 5 pen appearances. Art White has been turning things around, now 9-13 with a 4.11 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 61 walks, and 52 strikeouts, in line with Bob Cummings (12-5, 4.11, 81) has had a rough go of late. The star of the staff, however, is former Cougar Jim Crawford, who managed to win Pitcher of the Month in the CA, going a perfect 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Crawford hasn't had an above average season since we won the 1931 World Series, with a lot of it having to do with him, but he's now 9-6 with a 3.75 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 28 walks, and 35 strikeouts. We've got to be at our best against Brooklyn, who we're just 5-5 against them and the only team we don't have a winning record against this season.

Minor League Report
LHP Bob Hobbs (A Lincoln Legislators): Fresh off a promotion to Lincoln, 19-year-old Bob Hobbs had a jewel of a start. He allowed 8 hits and 5 walks with just one strikeout, but he kept Peoria off the scoreboard all day long. He made 9 starts in La Crosse and 6 in San Jose, so combined with the two now, he's 11-5 in his 17 starts. His ERA+ have increased in each season, but it hasn't been all great. His BB/9 is raising and his K/9 is falling, but most 19-year-olds wouldn't be able to hold their own in A ball. Hobbs is a decent three pitch pitcher with a mid 80s fastball, with a plus change and average curve. His command needs to improve, but even so he may not develop into much more then a spot starter.

RHP Mel Haynes (B San Jose Cougars): Righty before July started, I moved 19-year-old Mel Haynes to Class B, hoping he could build off his 12 starts down in Lincoln. I thought he'd be able to hold his own, but I could not have predicted his month of dominance. He was a perfect 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA (188 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 6 walks, and 22 strikeouts as he took home C-O-W Pitcher of the Month. This has helped Haynes work his way up the prospect ladder, now inside the top 50 and ranked 43rd in the league. The large 6'2'' righty has done a good job boosting his velocity each offseason, sitting in the 89-91 range with his go to sinker. He's able to roll up a ton of groundballs, and he's done a great job limit walks with the Cougars. He's filled to the brim with talent, projecting to be a #2 or #3 starter in the big leagues, and he has a reliable four pitch mix. He can lean heavily on his change, which gets a lot of swings and misses, while his slider and forkball can be mixed in as well to keep hitters off balance. I don't have any plans of moving Haynes up any farther, but I'm very excited with how are young hurler has developed.

LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): He's made just four professional starts, but Leo Hayden has already pitched his second shutout. He was brilliant yet again, allowing 5 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. He's won all four of his starts, working to a 2.30 ERA (182 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 12 walks and strikeouts. You might also expect with the pair of shutouts he was named Pitcher of the Month, hopefully the first of many for the imposing righty. At just 18, he's done rather well, but he will need to work on lowering both his walks and hits allowed. He's given up more hits (36) then innings (31.1), which is a little cause for concern, especially when you factor in the 3.4 BB/9. Ranked 12th in our system and 133rd overall, Hayden projects to be a reliable back end starter with a lot of room to grow. He has a nice high 80s fastball, with a sweeping curveball, plus change, and solid slider. When he's on he's unhittable, which he's already shown, but his control allows him to get into some trouble. Still, the lefty has a lot of promising tools and at 6'6'' is an intimidating force on the mound, and I'm hoping he can develop into a Harry Parker type pitcher. His stuff isn't quite Parker level, but he doesn't have nearly as detrimental flyball tendencies and he should be able to fool a ton of hitters as he continues to mature. He'll be 19 at the end of the month, and I may try to push him up to San Jose later in the season or at least before next draft.

RHP Jack Huston (C La Crosse Lions): Another recent draftee, Jack Huston followed up Hayden's shutout of Ottumwa with a shutout of his own. He allowed 6 hits and a walk with 7 strikeouts as the Lions edged the Owls 1-0. Huston has now won his last three starts, working to a 2.83 ERA (148 ERA+) and 0.91 WHIP with 6 walks and 22 strikeouts. After just four starts in La Crosse, I'm ready to move the 21-year-old up to San Jose to replace the once again injured Jimmy Ballard. Our 5th Rounder this June, Huston ranks four spots below Hayden in our organization and 159th overall. He's a sidearmer with stuff a little less developed then I usually look for in a college arm, but he has far more upside then most non-top college starters. He has a nifty slider and curve and he locates his mid 80s fastball well. He's put up strong strikeout numbers so far, and that should continue as he matures, but his command is a bit shaky. Five of his six walks came in one start, but he's already improved in each of his four starts. Huston also projects to be a back end starter, and while he doesn't have the upside of Hayden, he could be a quick riser and eventual inning eater.

RHP Pinch Lenhart (C La Crosse Lions): It seems like every Lion had a shutout this weak, and while Pinch Lenhart didn't do it Ottumwa, he kept Rock Island in check as we topped the Steamboats 4-0. Pinch allowed 9 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts, improving to 5-0 with a save on the season. He's made 5 starts and 2 relief outings, working to a 3.70 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 9 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Our 9th Rounder in the most recent draft, he ranks just outside the top 500 now, but he's made a few appearances inside it. The 19-year-old has a nice four pitch mix, with a plus curve and high 80s sinker that can generate a ton of groundballs. His overall stuff is average, as his fastball and slider aren't the most reliable offerings yet, but he has to iron out his control issues if he wants to make a career for himself in the majors. His upside isn't overly high now, but young pitchers can surprise and our depth will be tested.

ayaghmour2 · 03-22-2022, 11:13 AM

Weekly Record: 4-1
Seasonal Record: 73-34 (1st, 8 GA)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 25 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.060 OPS
Billy Hunter : 20 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.200 OPS
Cliff Moss : 19 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.000 OPS

Schedule
8-4: Win vs Saints (3-9)
8-6: Win at Saints (9-7): 11 innings
8-8: Loss vs Kings (8-4)
8-9: Win vs Kings (2-7)
8-10: Win vs Kings (6-7)

Recap
The Cougars keep on chugging, winning four games in each of the last seven weeks, and we extended our lead to eight. It's not over the Stars, they went 1-4 and dropped to third, but over the Kings, who we took two of three from this week. I'm not a fan of counting chickens, but it's looking more and more likely that the Cougars will return to the postseason for the first time since 1933. We also got a little good news on the draft front, as it's very unlikely Pete Papenfus will be able to enlist before the season ends.

Speaking of Papenfus, he actually had a rough start, getting our lone loss to the Kings this week. He allowed 12 hits, 8 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched. Seven of the eight runs he allowed came in the 7th or later, which is a bit of a concern, but considering he hasn't lost a game since May, I can't really spend too much time being angry with the young fireballer. Milt Fritz was a Dick Walker and Billy Hunter error away from a shutout, allowing 5 hits, 3 unearned runs, and 7 walks with 4 strikeouts, which is surprisingly almost a third of his season total in nearly 100 innings. Jim Lonardo again looked like Jim Lonardo, 9 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in a complete game win. Parker and Lyons both struggled, and both let Ben Curtin pick up their wins. Parker went 7 with 9 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts while Lyons went 6 with 10 hits, 5 runs, and 2 walks and strikeouts. Curtin went 4 innings in two games, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with a strikeout. Joe Brown made two appearances too, just a hit, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 scoreless frames.

The offense was really good this week, as we got a ton of production all around the lineup. Our first base duo was effective, with Walker and Ford combining to go 10-for-22 with 3 doubles, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. Walker added two more homers and a steal, and the former Sailor is hitting a superb .274/.380/.543 (148 OPS+) in a Cougar uniform. Billy Hunter started to heat up, an even 10-for-20 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. John Lawson had a John Lawson type week, 12-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and an RBI. Cliff Moss was 9-for-19 with a double, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had his first good week in what feels like months, 4-for-11 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 7 walks. Mike Taylor made just seven trips to the plate, but was an even 3-for-6 with a solo homer. All seven hitters had weekly OPS+ above 165, and we managed to put up a ton of runs throughout the week.

Looking Ahead
Our homestand continues this week with two against the Saints. It looks like we'll see Karl Weiss, who has spent most of his season in AAA Minneapolis. He's made just one start and five relief outings, working to a 2.60 ERA (158 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 3 walks and strikeouts. We'll also get ace Wally Doyle (10-10, 4.72, 122), who has struck out more batters then everyone but Papenfus. We should be able to get a lot of runs off them, and we won both games against them last week. They do have a good offense, but Jake Hughes (.298, 49, 7) has been ice cold, hitting .224/.267/.299 in August while dropping even further down to .200/.259/.240 in 7 August games. I like our chances in this one, but with how lucky we've been recently, I wouldn't be too surprised if we dropped one of these games.

We then get just a single game with the Stars before an off day on Thursday. The Stars have been ice cold, going just 2-7 in August and dropping to third at 65-43. Bill Barrett won't hit 50 homers this year, but the 21-year-old slugger has hit a robust .378/.480/.671 (202 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 29 homers, and 97 RBIs with over four times as many walks (83) as strikeouts (20). He's also already worth 8.5 wins above replacement, and seems like a lock to hit double digits on the season. His 1.151 OPS seems almost comical, and there is no one near as productive as Barrett has been this season. He's a big reason the Stars have scored the most runs in the league, but they do have a lot of talent in the lineup. Lew Seals (.251, 13, 70) has provided power and versatility and Ray Cochran (.304, 3, 60, 9) is coming off a Player of the Week. Neither can matchup to the ageless Dave Trowbridge, who's .331/.403/.450 (126 OPS+) line is about 43 times better then the average 43-year-old, and he has 23 doubles, 7 homers, and 67 RBIs in 102 games this year. The pitching is good too, but the injury to Chuck Cole (12-4, 2.30, 61) has really set them back. We only have to face one of their pitchers, and I'm hoping it's Lou Robertson (5-7, 3, 4.30, 29) and not Vern Hubbard (12-5, 2.99, 56), who is right behind Harry Parker in the ERA lead chase. It's just one game, which bodes much better for us then them, as even if we lose the series, it won't really effect our hold in the standings.

We hit the road after the off day, taking a trip to Brooklyn for three with the now second place Kings. At 66-43, they are half a game above the Stars, and we now have a winning record against them as well as every other team in the league. They just lost Vince D'Alessandro, who tore his quadriceps and should miss most of the rest of the season. The 25-year-old from Springfield hit just .275/.359/.371 (91 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 5 steals, and 37 RBIs. Al Wheeler continues his return to form, hitting two more homers in Chicago to increase his season total to 16. He's hitting a remarkable .313/.418/.541 (149 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 51 RBIs, and 52 walks. 24-year-old Jim Lightbody has really started to heat up himself, upping his batting line to .333/.423/.503 (142 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 7 steals, and 44 RBIs. The weakest member of the rotation got some good news, with Jack Goff (9-9, 4.71, 51) announcing he is having a kid, which makes our farmhand Danny Goff Jr. a new uncle. I'd love to give him a nice welcoming in the form of a classic Cougar crushing, as he's the weak link in a relatively reliable rotation. This will be a tough series, and a few losses could allow the Kings to assert themselves right back into the race.

Minor League Report
RHP Joe Swank (C La Crosse Lions): The teens in the Lions rotation continue to dominate, with Joe Swank tossing a shutout in his third career start. It's back-to-back starts without an earned run for our 7th Round selection. He's now 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA (363 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP, but the 9 walks to just 1 strikeout are a little concerning. Swank ranks outside our top 30, but sits at 36th in the system and 399th overall. He's a soft tosser, sitting in the 83-85 range with his fastball, which might be the worst of his three pitches. His circle change is good and his curve is average, but OSA thinks his future is as a spot starter. Tom isn't as excited about him, but he's still very young and with a harder fastball, he can be a much more effective pitcher.

RHP Pinch Lenhart (C La Crosse Lions): Back-to-back shutouts now for Pinch Lenhart, who was much better in part two, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with a strikeout to improve to 6-0 on the season. Lenhart now owns a nice 3.04 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 10 walks and 15 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched.

ayaghmour2 · 03-23-2022, 11:34 AM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 75-38 (1st, 5.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 14 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.143 OPS
John Lawson : 18 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .278 AVG, 1.000 OPS
Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 3.0 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
8-11: Loss vs Saints (6-2)
8-12: Win vs Saints (0-2)
8-13: Loss vs Stars (6-3)
8-15: Win vs Kings (13-4)
8-16: Loss vs Kings (2-5)
8-17: Loss vs Kings (1-5)

Recap
It was our first bad week in nearly two months, as we dropped four of our six games this week. Two were to the Kings, as they cut out lead down to 5.5 games, and we also dropped a pair to both the Saints and the Stars. Bad weeks are expected, so that wasn't really the issue with this week. The big bad news was in regards to Billy Hunter, who's six knee injury of the year will end his season. The 26-year-old second basemen tore his posterior cruciate ligament, and not only will miss the rest of the season, but potentially Opening Day as well. He made just 191 trips to the plate this year, but when healthy, he was extremely effective. Hunter hit .330/.361/.473 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 16 RBIs. Losing his bat will really hurt, as he's been much better then his replacements Freddie Jones and Ollie Page. Jones will get about 2/3rds of the starts, but our captain is hitting a below average .283/.378/.340 (96 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. Page has been much worse, enduring the worst season of his career with a .191/.311/.270 (58 OPS+) line in just over 100 trips to the plate. We'll have to make due with what we have, but losing Hunter could make things more difficult.

Our offense really struggled this week, but we got a great week from backstop Harry Mead. Our catcher went 6-for-14 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker looked good too, 3-for-11 with a solo homer, 4 runs, and 5 walks. John Lawson went 5-for-18 with a double, homer, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and 8 walks. Skipper Schneider went 6-for-19 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 2 runs. We'll need better production from the rest of the lineup, especially with Hunter leaving, as Montes, Mitchell, and Ford all had their struggles this week. I'm thinking this week was just a bump in the road, and the return home should do us well.

Despite getting two starts from both Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus, our pitching was poor and they combined to go 0-3. Parker lost both his starts, allowing 18 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. Papenfus was a bit better, but left our 2-0 win over the Saints with a sore elbow. That limited him to 14.2 innings with 15 hits, 5 runs, 6 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win against the Kings, but he didn't pitch that well. He went all nine with 11 hits, 4 runs, and a strikeout. Milt Fritz had a really rough start, 6 hits, 6 runs, and 12 walks with 2 strikeouts in 8 innings. Ben Curtin looked good out of the pen, three shutout with 2 hits and a strikeout, and he picked up the win against Montreal.

Looking Ahead
We return home for the week, starting with a three game set hosting the Sailors. The once great Sailors are just 45-70 on the season, and we've done a good job beating them this year. With deadline trades, they have a few new faces, but a lot of the familiar ones are in the midst of rough seasons. Herb Flynn (6-14, 4.43, 36) and Doc Newell (9-11, 4.13, 57) have both struggled this season while Chuck Murphy (6-15, 5.29, 39) have completely tanked. We should be able to get a lot of runs off them, and their offense won't be too hard to stop. All eight starters have sub 100 OPS+, including second basemen Bob Smith, who's .286/.354/.401 (96 OPS+) season line is the best on the team, while worst of his career. Illinois Catcher Woody Stone (.266, 3, 54) has become ice cold, as has Marion Boismenu (.298, 1, 32, 10), and it will be interesting to see if they start replacing some of their vets with prospects from their deep system.

We then welcome the Cincinnati Cannons in for three, and they're coming off an excellent 7-1 week. Now 63-54, they are 14 games out of first, but not a team to be taken lightly. They did get some bad news, with Rufus Barrell (13-7, 3.40, 110) hitting the DL with a bone spur in his elbow, but they still have one of the better rotations to pair with a top quality offense. Ace Butch Smith is challenging for the ERA crown, 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 75 walks, and 96 strikeouts in 202.2 innings pitched. With Roger Perry (8-8, 2.95, 64) and Glenn Payne (11-10, 3.25, 86) behind him, it'll be tough to score against the Cannons, but with the injuries to top youngsters Vic Carroll and Bill Sohl, not much has gone right for them. At the plate, Moxie Pidgeon has hit just an average .273/.333/.420 (99 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 13 homers, and 78 RBIs, but the Cannons have been able to score a lot of runs. Adam Mullins (.335, , 31) has been excellent while Mike T. Taylor has developed into a very well rounded player. The talented 23-year-old is hitting .289/.360/.457 (115 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 triples, 9 homers, 18 steals, and 72 RBIs. Fred Galloway (.266, 4, 48) and Charley McCullough (.274, 1, 51, 11) have dropped off a bit, but the Cannons are a strong team that should give us a lot of trouble.

Our week then ends with a double header against the Wolves, the first half of a four game series. The Wolves have really struggled this year, but Joe Hancock has returned to his top notch form. The 28-year-old is fresh off a 5-hit, 5-strikeout shutout, improving to 10-9 with a 3.40 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 83 walks, and 87 strikeouts in just under 200 innings. He's doing the best of the starting five, yet all five sport above average ERA+s. George Garrison (10-8, 3.81, 95) has hit a rough patch, but his ERA+ is still 107 and Bernie Johnson (10-9, 3.65, 41), Chick Wirtz (10-8, 3.62, 35), and Jim Morrison (2-5, 3.59, 31) have been better. The offense has let them down, but Walt Pack has had a much better season then last. He's hitting a respectable .301/.361/.460 (112 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 16 homers, and 53 RBIs. He's had a bit of help from Larry Vestal (.309, 5, 53) and Reginald Westfall (.293, 3, 53), but both Tom Frederick (.277, 4, 60, 6) and Charlie Artuso (.258, 5, 44, 4) have both taken steps back at the plate. We'll need the bats to help us here, but we are the better team and should be able to show it at home.

Minor League Report
2B Eddie Curtis (AA Mobile Commodores): It was an outstanding day for Eddie Curtis, who was a perfect 5-for-5 in a 14-3 Mobile win over Atlanta. All five hits were singles, and he scored once while driving in two, and "Slick Eddie" used that game to take home Player of the Week. The 23-year-old hit .538/.571/.731 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 5 RBIs. This improved his season line to .315/.359/.433 (102 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 7 triples, 4 homers, 11 steals, and 58 RBIs. He's walked (26) more then he's struck out (16), and with the injury to Hunter, Curtis will make his move up to Milwaukee. He's on our 40 already, so there's a chance he debuts later in the season, as the 7th Rounder has taken a slow climb up our organizational ladder. He's versatile, able to play second, third, short, left, and right, but he's not a world beating defender. Still, hit will help him secure a bench role, as he has good speed and impressive contact tool to match it.

C Solly Skidmore (A Lincoln Legislators): It was an excellent week for our top offensive prospect, as Solly Skidmore went 14-for-24 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. The 21-year-old catcher has spent his entire season in Lincoln, hitting an impressive .342/.398/.470 (136 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, and 87 RBIs with a stellar 41-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's probably ready for AA, and a promotion is probably a little overdue, but with no green arrow, I've kept him down in A ball. I finally cracked, moving Skidmore up to AA, as he's getting closer and closer to making his debut. The former lottery pick is now up to 20th in the league, 11 spots above fellow catcher Eddie Howard. Skidmore is just an adequate defender, but his bat is truly impressive. He has a plus-plus contact tool with an outstanding eye, likely walking far more then he'll strikeout and maintaining high on base percentages throughout his career. He should be a well above average hitter, and with a little power, he could be one of, if not the best, catchers in the FABL. He did manage 17 homers last season, but I don't think he'll reach that total again. We already have Harry Mead, an above average catcher, but Skidmore may be able to pass him. One could eventually be moved for an upgrade at another position, and with how hard it is to get a top catcher, Solly probably has a lot of trade value should I decide to move on from him.

RF Dan Collins (B San Jose Cougars): Taken in the 7th Round of this year's draft, Dan Collins has gotten off to a wonderful start to his minor league career. This week was his best, as the 22-year-old went 13-for-23 with a homer and 11 RBIs. This bumped his season line up to .386/.449/.529 (159 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 homers, and 29 RBIs. A hard working corner outfielder, Collins has entered our top 30, and checks in at 329th in the league. He's an athletic prospect, but not a great defender, and an aggressive hitter who could eventually develop into a more patient one. His eye is keen, and his strikeouts should stay low, but he hasn't shown the power I like to see in corner bats. He's one of those prospects with a high floor and low ceiling, who could end up moving up the system quick.

LHP Duke Bybee (C La Crosse Lions): Another week, another Lions shutout! This time it was #3 prospect Duke Bybee, who allowed 4 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout win over the Waterloo Chiefs. This improved the 19-year-old to 10-6 on the season with an impressive 2.74 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 40 walks, and 84 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched. I've debated moving Bybee up to San Jose, but I think he'll finish out the year with the Lions. He's a great influence in the clubhouse, and despite being just 19, he's already a leader who has earned the respect of his teammates with his hark word and tendency to lead by example. He's also throwing harder again, sitting in the 91-93 range with his fastball and cutter. His change is developing into a wonderful pitch and his slider has nice depth, while his forkball and curve are respectable offerings too. He gets plenty of movement on his pitches, leading to few homers and a lot of weak contact. Bybee currently ranks inside the top 20 for prospects, checking in at 18, and the New Yorker projects to be a top of the rotation arm. After this season, Bybee may be able to progress fast up the system, and once the Jones brothers graduate, Bybee will spend time as our #1 prospect.

RF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): We had a lot of Player of the Week winners this week, with Harry Harris picking up the third in the system. Harris went 11-for-19 with 4 runs and 4 RBIs, as the switch hitter had his best week of the year. The 20-year-old hasn't done too great overall, hitting just .293/.399/.395 (109 OPS+), and I was hoping he'd be moving up to San Jose by now. He does have 21 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 61 RBIs, but as we have a lot of prospects ahead of him who have shown better results then him. He still doesn't really have a position, as he's not great at third, left, or right, but he does have decent upside. Harris has a smooth swing and quick hands with good pitch recognition. He has a tough road ahead of him, but I think we'll be able to unlock some of his untapped potential.

ayaghmour2 · 03-24-2022, 06:16 PM

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 80-41 (1st, 7.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Joe Brown : 3 Wins, 8.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA
Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .476 AVG, .998 OPS
Rich Langton : 19 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .368 AVG, 1.000 OPS

Schedule
8-18: Win vs Sailors (3-4)
8-19: Loss vs Sailors (12-2)
8-20: Loss vs Sailors (9-7): 11 innings
8-21: Loss vs Cannons (7-3)
8-22: Win vs Cannons (0-1): 12 innings
8-23: Win vs Cannons (1-6)
8-24: Win vs Wolves (1-5)
8-24: Win vs Wolves (2-7)

Recap
The week didn't start out very well, as our staff had a lot of issues with the Sailors. We managed to win the first of the series, but the Sailors managed to win the series with 21 runs in the final two in the series. We then dropped the first game against the Cannons, but then the pitching buckled down. We ran off four straight wins while allowing just one run a game. This increased our lead over the Kings back to 7.5 games, giving us a much nicer cushion then we entered the week with. Joe Brown was named Player of the Week, a selection that is very puzzling to me. Sure, Brown threw 8 scoreless innings with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, but is that really a Player of the Week worthy performance? The game liked his 3 wins, including the 5-1 win in our double header, where he relieved Milt Fritz in the 3rd and threw 5 strong innings to improve to 7-1 on the season. Brown is definitely good enough to start in the big leagues, but the 27-year-old has been use almost exclusively as a reliever for us. This year has arguably been his best, as he has a 2.61 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 12 walks and 17 strikeouts through 38 effective innings.

Peter the Heater was unlucky in his start, as he threw 11 scoreless innings with 7 hits, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts in a no decision. We managed to win that game in the 12th, but Papenfus is now 0-2 in his last five starts. He's now up to 187 strikeouts in 246.2 innings, and is on a 300 inning pace. Dick Lyons was effective in his two starts, picking up a win and a no decision. Lyons went 8 with 7 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout in his win, and 6.1 with 9 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout in the no decision. Lyons is now 10-7 on the season, and has won double digit games in 13 of his 15 seasons with 20 or more starts. Harry Parker continues his mini-skid, allowing 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and a walk with 4 strikeouts in 8 innings. Milt Fritz struggled in one start and left with a sore thumb in the other, 9 combined innings with 6 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 7 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo made two starts, a no decision and win. He went 15 innings with 17 hits, 8 runs, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Ben Curtin was active in the pen, going 7.1 innings with 4 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Eddie Quinn and Pug Bryan were not as lucky, combining to go 4.1 innings with 8 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks. The first half of the week, the pitching left a lot to be desired, but against a top offense like the Cannons, we were much better.

The offense had a lot of issues, with Lawson, Mitchell, Page, Mead, and Moss all hitting below .200 for the week. Lucky for us, we got some production from youngster Skipper Schneider, who was 10-for-21 with 2 walks and 3 RBIs. Rich Langton looked good as well, 7-for-19 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones hit well in his return to regular time, 5-for-20 with 2 triples, a homer, 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Carlos Montes was just 7-for-29, but with 2 doubles, 2 homers, a steal, 5 RBIs, 6 runs, and 4 walks. We'll need more support from our stars next week, as the chances, Mitchell, Lawson, Moss, Ford, and Walker all coordinate their bad week again are quite low.

Looking Ahead
Up 2-0 in the series already, we'll get two more with the Wolves in Chicago. Now 55-70, they are 6.5 games ahead of the Saints, who have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. We beat George Garrison (11-9, 3.72, 103) and Chick Wirtz (10-10, 4.20, 36) in the double header, but now we have to face two of their top three. We'll get Bernie Johnson (11-9, 3.48, 42) in the first game and Joe Hancock (10-10, 3.46, 91) in the second, which should make the games very difficult for us to win. I also wanted to take note of their stopper Lou Jayson, who has put together an interesting season. He's just 1-8 with 12 saves, but it's not because of poor performance, as he has a 2.54 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 21 walks, and 40 strikeouts. It will be hard for us to score on any of these three, so we'll want to make sure we keep their hitters off base. The hardest to do that to is Larry Vestal, who is slashing .309/.387/.436 (114 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, and 55 RBIs with a nice 58-to-37 walk-to-strikeout ratio. With Papenfus and Parker on the mound, we should be able to chalk these up as wins, but neither of the high touted duo have done much winning as of late.

We then get just a single game at home with the Foresters before an off day and start of a road trip. Cleveland is 48-74, and could very well be officially eliminated from the postseason before we meet. Cleveland moved a lot of vets, with Dean Astle, Bill Moore, Mel Carrol, and George Dawson all finding new homes at the deadline. One of the pieces they added in the Carrol deal, Leon Blackridge, has been red hot since joining the Foresters, slashing .348/.389/.561 (144 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 11 RBIs in 72 trips to the plate. He's been a nice add to the lineup that has only two other productive hitters, Lou Balk (.303, 10, 50) and Dan Fowler (.269, 17, 48). The pitching has been worse, as Astle's replacement Johnny Slaney (0-8, 7.11, 41) has really struggled while vets Ben Turner (7-13, 4.52, 44) and Dave Rankin (10-12, 4.57, 47) are enduring rough seasons. I wish we got more then just the single game, but we can't afford to let this one get away from us.

We then finish the week and month with four games in three days against the Saints. Montreal is just 47-75 on the season, and is currently leading the race for the 2nd pick in the draft. Bill Greene has really started to heat up for them, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting a remarkable .327/.424/.535 (149 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 6 steals, and 34 RBIs in 314 trips to the plate. Him and Bert Lass (.340, 6, 62) are both really dangerous at the plate, but the Saints have surprisingly seen a steep fall off for slugger Red Bond. The 28-year-old is hitting just an average .285/.360/.414 (102 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 13 homers, and 75 RBIs. This isn't close to last year's elite production, where Bond led the league in homers (30), RBIs (111), slugging (.550), and OPS (.945) with a .340 average and 153 OPS+. He should turn things around for next season, which could be the start of a change of fortune in Montreal. Youngster Wally Doyle (11-11, 4.42, 138) should be able to take a step forward, and they have a lot of talented young pitchers in A ball who could potentially debut towards the end of next year. Plus with the to farm system, they can speed up their rebuild a bit by moving a few of their young arms, and #10 prospect Otis Parker is hitting .306/.429/.495 (158 OPS+) in AAA. Parker is hurt now, but should debut either this season or early next year, and the Saints could have a top notch outfield with him, Greene, and Lass. Anything less then a sweep would be disappointing, but I don't see the Saints staying in the cellar for too long as they have too much young talent to become a mainstay at the bottom.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnny Ruby (AA Mobile Commodores): It hasn't been the best season so far, but I'm hoping Johnny Ruby can build off his last start. After losing 5-4 to Birmingham in his last time out, he allowed just 7 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts as the Commodores crushed the Ironmen 12-0. That improved the lefty to 8-11 on the season with a 4.84 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 100 walks, and 82 strikeouts. There are a lot of concerning figures for the former 8th Round selection, as his 6.1 BB/9 is the worst of his career and he's allowed far too many batters to reach base. His strikeout numbers are strong, as Ruby has always had the stuff to miss bats, but he's limiting his upside by allowing far too many free passes. He gets groundouts to help him out sometimes, but he'll always need a strong infield defense behind him. Ruby will be eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and so far he hasn't really helped his case, but a team may want to take a chance on his strikeout numbers.

C Solly Skidmore (AA Mobile Commodores): Fresh off a promotion from A ball, Solly Skidmore continued to hit at a high level. In just his second game with the Commodores, Skidmore went 5-for-6 with 4 runs, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs during Ruby's shutout. It's tough to match that production, but he finished the week with a solid .393/.433/.464 (129 OPS+) batting line. Solly now has 25 doubles and 90 RBIs between the two stops, and he already upped his walk-to-strikeout ratio to 43-to-9. The top catching prospect in baseball, BNN thinks he can make a big league debut next season, and if he keeps hitting like this, I can see him forcing himself in our catching tandem next year. Unfortunately, him and Mead are both righties, but with Mike Taylor getting older, Solly may be able to secure a part time role as early as next year.

RHP Bill Tuttle (A Lincoln Legislators): It wasn't the greatest starts this year for 22-year-old Bill Tuttle, who on July 5th dropped to 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA. He's quickly flipped his fortunes, using a 4-hit shutout to increase his win streak to 7. Now 12-6, Tuttle has a much more respectable 3.60 ERA (110 ERA+) with a 1.26 WHIP, 47 walks, and 73 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched. Tuttle was a late bloomer, selected in the 14th Round back in 1935 and he was released just two seasons later. He signed a minor league deal with us during the 1938 season, and has steadily improved each season. Tuttle now ranks just outside our top 30 and 343rd Overall, and he's now throwing consistently in the mid 90s. His stuff is just average, but he doesn't really have a go to pitch. His change, cutter, and splitter are all big league level pitches. Since he's still young, he can continue to develop, but for now he looks like more of a depth arm then rotation mate to build around.

RHP Jack Huston (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been the greatest set of starts for Jack Huston, who was recently promoted from La Crosse, but half of his starts have been tremendous. The first was in a 12-1 win over Vancouver, where he allowed 10 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. He then was chased out of his second start in the fourth, after allowing 10 hits, 8 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Huston was able to bounce right back, and the 21-year-old tossed a 2-hit shutout as the Cougars beat the Spokane Lumberjacks 4-0. He walked 4 and struck out 5 in the shutout, and is now 3-1 with a 4.13 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 14 walks, and 17 strikeouts. As you would expect, he was much more consistent in La Crosse then he has been so far, and we've gotten good results from our 5th Rounder this season. Huston currently ranks 16th and 166th respectively in the prospect rankings. He's a bit raw for a college arm, but he has a nice mid 80s fastball with a super slider and nice curve. His control hasn't looked good with the Cougars, but he had a much better 1.5 BB/9 in his four starts with the Lions. I think he'll end up somewhere in the middle, but if he masters his control he could end up in a big league rotation. OSA thinks he's a back end starter while Tom thinks more spot, but for now Huston has a lot of work in front of him.

RF Dan Collins (B San Jose Cougars): After going an even 14-for-24 with 4 homers and 11 RBIs, Dan Collins was named Player of the Week for the second straight week in the C-O-W League. I never planned on moving him up this season, but with Bunny Hufford getting injured this week and Collins' .402/.462/.610 (182 OPS+) line, I decided it was time to move the lefty up to Lincoln. In 45 games Collins recorded 14 doubles, 6 homers, and 40 RBIs with more walks (18) then strikeouts (13). He's an extremely hard working outfielder who is already a leader in the clubhouse, and he seems to be a very advanced hitter already. He ranks right inside our top 30 and 324th overall, a bit high for a player taken in the 7th Round this season. I think he'll always be a good organizational piece due to his makeup, but his value is more in his floor then his ceiling.

CF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): Collins wasn't the only outfielder to take home Player of the Week, as Leo Davis won it for the Lions. The 22-year-old went 14-for-30 with a homer, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Davis has done well in his season with the Lions, worth an impressive 5.6 wins above replacement, and he's hit .311/.383/.446 (118 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 11 triples, 6 homers, 29 steals, and 67 RBIs. He's done well defensively both in center and right, and should be a nice defender in either spot. He's a bit old for Class C, but we have a lot of older outfielders in his way and very few young outfielders to take at bats for the Lions. With that Davis likely stays in La Crosse the rest of the season, but I expect him to start next year in San Jose, and it should be a very short stay for him. Davis' value relies in his speed, versatility, hit tool, but until he shows better discipline at the plate, he'll limit his use. More advanced and experienced pitchers will likely get him to chase, but if he's on the base paths, he can make life difficult for the defense.

ayaghmour2 · 03-25-2022, 07:08 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 83-45 (1st, 7.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 24 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.247 OPS
John Lawson : 24 AB, 8 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.268 OPS
Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 14 K, 0.50 ERA

Schedule
8-25: Win vs Wolves (0-6)
8-26: Loss vs Wolves (8-4)
8-27: Loss vs Foresters (5-2)
8-29: Loss at Saints (2-6)
8-30: Win at Saints (14-1)
8-30: Loss at Saints (1-2)
8-31: Win at Saints (16-1)

Recap
August wasn't a great month for us, and we limped out in the last week 3-4. That dropped us to 16-13 in August, easily our worst month of the year, but still a decent month for most. We maintained our 7.5 game lead in the division as well, with the Stars now second. Our wins this week were much different then the losses, as we outscored our opponents 36-2 in our three wins. This brought us up to tie the second place Stars for most runs scored, while we continue to allow the fewest runs in the league.

Harry Parker righted the ship, snapping a three game losing streak with a pair of dominant starts. He started the week with a 7-hit, 7-strikeout shutout against the Wolves and finished it with 8 hits, a run, walk, and 7 strikeouts in our 14-1 win over the Saints. His now 17 wins are the most in the league, as is his 2.95 ERA (for those who aren't Chuck Cole and won't qualify at year end), and he also leads in both shutouts (5) and complete games (21). Pete Papenfus has a share of the win lead, splitting his two starts. He struggled against the Wolves, 8 inning with 8 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks, but he was excellent against the Saints, 5 hits, a run, and 3 walks. He struck out 11 more, now with 198 on the season and 50 more then the next best. Dick Lyons got a loss, but he went 7 with 10 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Fritz and Lonardo both struggled, with Fritz allowing 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 9 walks with a strikeout in 9 with Lonardo allowing 12 hits and 6 runs with 2 strikeouts in 8.

Despite all the runs, the offense as a whole wasn't very great. Most of the production came from the left side of our infield, with John Lawson and Skipper Schneider leading the charge. Lawson had a power surge, 8-for-24 with a double, 4 homers, 7 runs, and 10 RBIs. Lawson now has 25 homers and a league high 109 RBIs with an excellent .324/.378/.534 (145 OPS+) with 30 doubles and a 5.9 WAR. Skipper didn't hit any bombs, but he was an even 12-for-24 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell did have a nice week after a few rough ones, 8-for-20 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Same for Ray Ford, who went 6-for-22 with 3 doubles, a triple, homer, 5 runs, and 7 RBIs. There wasn't much help elsewhere, and we'll need better production for next week.

Looking Ahead
The first week of September may be our toughest week all season. It starts in Chicago, with three games in two days against the third place Kings. At 75-53, they are now half a game behind the Stars and eight games behind us. All season I've wondered how different things would be if I went after Al Wheeler instead of Cliff Moss, as I thought Wheeler was washed up at 32. Turns out I was wrong, as the 33-year-old from Decatur has hit a robust .310/.408/.526 (143 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 20 homers, and 63 RBIs through 413 plate appearances. If that line was in our lineup instead, our magic number may very well have been 10 instead of 20 as we start the final month of the season. We may get lucky and miss Joe Herman (.323, 7, 75, 7) who has missed some time with a sore elbow. Even without him, they have a lot of quality bats in Jim Lightbody (.336, 2, 48, 7), Rats McGonigle (.313, 6, 30, 5), and Frank LeMieux (.324, 4, 58), who will make life difficult for pitching staffs. Even worse, Parker and Papenfus can't pitch this series, and with three double headers in a week, I'm turning to Joe Brown for the one of the games in the double header to start the week. He'll likely have to face ace Art White (10-15, 4.00, 61), who's worth 5 WAR despite an average ERA, and the double header will likely see #2 and #3 Bob Cummings (13-6, 4.22, 91) and Jack Goff (11-10, 4.70, 57). This will be a very tough series, but it only gets worst.

We hit the road and have to deal with a double header in New York, again three games in two days. The Stars had a really rough August, 12-16, but they've won 5 of their last 7 and now sit 75-52 in their return to second. All world outfielder Bill Barrett has cooled off a bit, but his .363/.473/.650 (196 OPS+) batting line is still outstanding, and his 33 homers and 108 RBIs are first and second in the league. Barrett has already hit the 100 walk mark, with 102, and he's struck out just 21 times. I'm really scared about dealing with him a lot at the end of the season, but we can navigate the rest of the lineup. They have no other .300 hitters, and they only have three other above average hitters in Ray Cochran (.295, 4, 68, 12), Chink Stickels (.278, 7, 58, 9), and Lew Seals (.256, 17, 82), and they are all more Cliff Moss then John Lawson. They have announced former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall will join the club this week, with the young outfielder scheduled to make a few starts. He could be a nice add to their lineup, as the 24-year-old is one of the top prospects in the FABL. The staff is reliable, with Vern Hubbard's (16-5, 3.02, 64) breakout and another good season from Chris Clarke (10-8, 3.13, 70). Billy Riley (11-11, 3.83, 93) is their ace, but he's allowed five or more runs in four of his last five starts, and they've cut their rotation down to four. This means either a short rest arm or Lou Robertson (5-8, 3, 4.35, 31) will have to make a start. I'd be far more confident at home, but I have faith in my team, and if we can take two out of three in both of these series, I think we can prep some flagpoles at the spacious Cougars Park to hoist the first flag in our new stadium.

Our road trip is short, and we'll use an off day on Friday to return home. We then host the Saints for two before another off day. It's our second to last home series of the season, as we have sixteen road games before our final home series. Montreal bested us in Montreal, as even though we outscored them 38-10, we split the four game series. With rosters expanding today, the Saints may look a lot different. I mentioned Green last week, and he was as advertised, and with four top 100 prospects in AAA, some of his former teammates may join him in Montreal. I'm hoping they'll bring up former 7th Overall Pick Jimmy Mayse, as they have a lot of replaceable arms in their rotation. "Preacher Man" has held his own in 24 AAA starts, going 11-6 with a 3.63 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 76 walks, and 93 strikeouts. We scored a lot of runs on former Cougar farmhands Bill Ross (8-13, 2, 4.08, 67) and Karl Wallace (3-8, 4.15, 23). I'm hoping the off day helps rejuvenate us, and we quickly return to our winning ways.

I'll have a few Blues players join us for the double header, with the talented youngster Fred Vargas rejoining the team. He's been elite for Milwaukee, slashing .312/.450/.439 (148 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 homers, and 49 RBIs with an excellent 81-to-34 walks-to-strikeout ratio. He appeared in 11 games for us while Cliff Moss was hurt, going 10-for-19 with 6 walks, 6 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBIs. His corner outfielder Orlin Yates will come up too, giving us another option for center field as Carlos Montes has been forced to play a lot of games. Yates wasn't great, hitting just .253/.339/.349 (91 OPS+), but he he did have 21 doubles, 5 triples, 7 steals, 2 homers, and 33 RBIs. I debated bringing the Jones brothers up too, and even considered starting Donnie against the Kings, but I want them both to get and other two weeks of strikeouts. I did want another arm for the pen, so Grover Donahue will join the big league club. He made 8 starts in 42 appearances for the Blues, pitching well in 106.1 innings pitched. He owns a 2.45 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 34 walks and 24 strikeouts. He spent some time in the majors last year, but has yet to debut for us. Donahue has looked much better in the pen then the rotation, and he's become a leader out of the pen. The former 2nd Rounder hasn't lived up to his once lofty potential, but he may end up a decent pen arm who can soak up innings. The last piece is Ossie Grogan, our Rule-5-pick-turned-trade-acquisition, who will return to Chicago. I tried giving him time at short, but he's not nearly as good there as he is at second base. He did rake, hitting a solid .325/.379/.431 (125 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 10 triples, 7 steals, and 45 RBIs. He'll be on hand for infield depth, and may get a start or two at second. We have room for seven more, but they likely won't join until after the AAA season ends.

Minor League Report
RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a great month for Chick Browning, who hit .407/.510/.642 with 8 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs with a nice 18-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Of course, he hasn't hit like that all season, but he's been a very effective .305/.428/.490 hitter. The Chicago kid now has 20 doubles, 3 triples, 13 homers, and 82 RBIs with far more walks (79) then strikeouts (32). I'm not bringing up a lot of callups this first week, but because of the double headers, I grabbed a few pieces from Milwaukee so there was room in the Blues outfield for the 23-year-old slugger. Taken in the 8th Round back in 1936, Browning has now worked his way all the way up to the highest level of our system. He's now reached double digit homers in each season since 1938, and he could do the exact same in the big leagues. It may not be for us, as I can't see Browning getting much time, but as long as stays in our system, he's got a chance to make a big league debut. His bat is much more advanced then his glove, as his contact and eye are plus tools, and he's at least capable in the outfield.

RHP Joe Crosby (AA Mobile Commodores): "Boney Joe" got off to a great start this season, going 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA (202 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 23 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 12 starts for the Legislators. This earned him a promotion to Mobile, but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for him their. Things turned around, as he just put up the best start since, allowing just 6 hits and 3 walks in a 5-0 shutout win over the Knoxville Knights. The Knights are competing with the Commodores and New Orleans Showboats for the Dixie League title, with all three a game between them. This improved Crosby to 3-4 with a in need of improvement 4.72 ERA (93 ERA+) and 1.60 WHIP with 34 walks and 32 strikeouts. I'm hoping he can keep this up, but the former highly touted prospect has seen his stock drop a bit. He does have an unhittable curve with a respectable low 90s fastball, and when he has his command, he can be unhittable. It's shown this year, his 2.4 BB/9 in A ball is much better then his 4.5 here. He does still rank at the back of our top 30, but I think Crosby is really just a depth arm unless he masters his control.

RHP Bill Tuttle (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a near perfect month for Bill Tuttle, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 40 excellent innings. Tuttle is now 13-6 on the season with a 3.64 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 49 walks, and 75 strikeouts. A bit thick-headed, Tuttle has recently found his grove, and has been crucial as the Legislators look to cut the difference with Peoria. Tuttle's stuff is strong and his velocity is really nice, and he's been able to strike out a lot of hitters, but his command is shaky at times. He's got a lot of work to do, but the 22-year-old could eventually fill a big league pen.

LHP Bob Hobbs (A Lincoln Legislators): Bob Hobbs may have a red arrow, but he's not pitching like it! He's now put together a second shutout, this time besting the Evansville Hawks. He may have walked 5, but allowed just 4 hits and struck out 2 to improve to 3-2 on the season. Hobbs has a 2.66 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.41 WHIP, but with a concerning 21-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This may have something to do with the red arrow, as Hobbs stuff is still raw and his command isn't great. His change could be a good third pitch, but for now the pitch is hit or miss as he can't locate it that well. A bit of a soft tosser, adding some velocity on his fastball could help, but the 19-year-old has still managed to hold his own, leaving me to believe he does have very good movement as he gives up very few homers. He doesn't rate as one of our top prospects, but the former 8th Rounder may have some untapped potential we can work out of him.

CF Harry Carr (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a great week for the 21-year-old, who took home Heartland League Player of the Week. Carr went 9-for-19 with 6 RBIs and 7 runs scored. Carr has been tremendous since his promotion to Lincoln, slashing .330/.389/.514 (144 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 20 triples, a homer, 13 steals, and 51 RBIs. The former 10th Rounder has great speed, leading to a lot of extra base hits, and is a top notch baserunner, and as he continues to improve his pitch recognition skills, he will keep his average above .300. You would think this speed would translate to excellent range in the outfield, but he hasn't really been a top level defensive center fielder. I think he might end up in right, as he has a nice arm and would be a great defender in either corner. He's a hard worker at the park and should continue to improve as he ages, but I'll be happy if the former 10th Rounder just ends up as a 4th outfielder.

CF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): It's now back-to-back Player of the Weeks for Leo Davis, who was an outstanding 10-for-16 with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. I was shocked he didn't win Player of the Month, as Davis slashed .410/.479/.581 with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 12 steals, and 17 RBIs. He keeps upping his season line, now .322/.395/.459 (124 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 6 homers, 34 steals, and 72 RBIs. Davis has great speed and range and he managed to steal five bases last week. He has a lot of talent and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up next year when he's in San Jose.

LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): Hobbs isn't the only 19-year-old who threw a shutout, as Leo Hayden celebrating 19 allowed just 7 hits and a strike out in a 4-0 win over the Moline Pioneers. That improved him to 8-1 on the season with a 1.94 ERA (213 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP in 69.2 innings pitched. Hayden was named best pitcher in August, going 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Our second rounder this year now ranks 11th in our system and 131st overall, and if he keeps pitching like this, he'll crack the top 100 in no time. Hayden is a talented four pitch righty, featuring a sweeping curve, plus change, solid slider, and reliable high 80s fastball. He's trying to pitch his way into a backend rotation role, but with high upside arms Donnie Jones, Jonnie Jones, Duke Bybee, and Mel Haynes ahead of him, his development is going to be overshadowed a bit. This could work well for him, as he's a good quiet kid who I'm betting on to at least make a big league roster.

ayaghmour2 · 03-28-2022, 06:59 PM

Weekly Record: 4-4
Seasonal Record: 87-49 (1st, 7 GA)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 33 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, .890 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .360 AVG, .967 OPS
Jim Lonardo : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 0 BB, 9 K, 1.50 ERA

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

Recap
It wasn't our best of weeks, but considering more games then days, and most of them against the two teams closest to us, 4-4 isn't anything to complain about. Our lead shrunk by half a game to 7, but I was very worried about this week and we escaped it almost completely unscathed. We did well against Brooklyn, taking two of three from them before the Stars took two of three from us. Brooklyn took two of three from New York, so the three of us basically played rock-paper-scissors with each other, as the four series did nothing to change the standings. With 18 games remaining, we have a magic number of 12, and a .500 finish should be enough to make our return to the postseason. We did have to deal with an injury, as Carlos Montes suffered an oblique strain on the first, so he'll hit the DL for a week or two. This will give Orlin Yates some starts in center, but I might give Cliff Moss a game or two out there so I could use Langton, Vargas, Ford, or Walker a little more.

Even with the eight games, Papenfus and Parker only got to start a game a piece, as they both pitched in the weekend series before. Peter the Heater was as dominant as ever, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts in a 4-0 shutout win over the Stars. It was the only game we were able to beat them, and Papenfus now has sole possession of the triple crown categories. That's because the Stars got the better of Parker, scoring 4 runs off 9 hits and a walk in 8 innings. Parker did strikeout three, but we had no chance of winning as we got just one run off Billy Riley (12-11, 3.92, 101). One of our two start starters was excellent, as Jim Lonardo beat both the Kings and Saints to improve to 13-8 on the season. Lonardo pitched complete games in both, just 11 hits and 3 runs with 9 strikeouts. He's had a rough go of things, dealing with injury and poor performance, but lately is been completely in control. He hasn't walked any hitters in over the past three starts, and he's walked two or fewer in each August start as well. We'll need at least three starters in the playoffs, and Lonardo tends to pitch better down the stretch. A few more starts like these, and I'll continue to lean on him down the stretch. Milt Fritz had some struggles, going just 7 innings in each of his two starts. He allowed 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 8 walks against the Kings and 7 hits, 4 runs, and 7 walks against the Saints. Joe Brown struggled in what may be his last start of the season, 9 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in his only 6 innings of the week. Ben Curtin picked up a win, but struggled a bit in his 6 innings. He pitched in three games and allowed 3 runs and 6 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

John Lawson led the offense once again, going 11-for-33 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 9 RBIs. He now has 27 homers on the season, one away from a career high of 28 in 1930. Skipper Schneider continues to stay hot, going 9-for-25 with a triple and solo homer. He's developing into one of the top shortstops in the league, and has spent the past few weeks in the top 20 players list. He's now at 14, one behind Boston's shortstop Lew McClendon. The two have similar batting lines, with McClendon at .288/.388/.395 (106 OPS+) and Skipper at .303/.358/.396 (105 OPS+), but Skipper's 21.2 zone rating and 1.086 efficiency are far better then Lew's -6.6 and .964. Skipper is four years younger and still can't buy a beer at a baseball game, and I think he's easily the most valuable shortstop in the game. He hit .390/.485/.488 in August and has always been projected to be an elite shortstop. More time will be given to Orlin Yates with the Montes injury, and the veteran outfielder went 6-for-19 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 4 runs scored. Most of the lineup had their issues, but part-timers Mike Taylor (3-7, 2 RBI) and Ollie Page (3-9, 3B, SB, 2 RBI) made the most of their limited opportunities. Cliff Moss continues his slump, just 4-for-21 to drop his season line to .271/.338/.409 (102 OPS+).

Looking Ahead
We get a much needed off day to start the week, as we embark on a 16 day road trip to end the season. We are 36-25 (.590) on the road, which is a pace better then the Stars (80-56, .588) and Kings (79-56, .585) have on the season, and they both have a lot of road games themselves. We start in Cincinnati, with the fourth place Cannons. They are 71-65 on the season and technically still alive, 16 games behind us and the last team with a record above .500. Injuries have decimated the Cannons staff, but they still have an excellent top three. Butch Smith (14-10, 2.94, 109) continues to provide ace level production with Roger Perry (9-10, 3.19, 79) and Glenn Payne (12-11, 3.19, 95) giving well above average innings. We'll likely get to see Jesse Bowen in one of those two games, who has made two starts in his big league career. The 25-year-old has looked good, a pair of complete games where he is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA (160 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 6 walks and 10 strikeouts. The Cannons do have a nice offense too, with a tough 3-4-5 of Adam Mullins (.323, 5, 41), Mike Taylor (.293, 11, 81, 22), and Moxie Pidgeon (.271, 15, 87). They don't really have a hole in the lineup, but our pitchers have been great and we should be able to keep them in check.

Next stop is Toronto, for three with the 61-76 Wolves. Walt Pack is searching for his first 20 homer season, sitting at 17 with a .296/.359/.444 (109 OPS+) triple slash. He's added 18 doubles ad 58 RBIs and with Fred McCormick back in the lineup next season, I expect he'll break many of his personal bests. The rest of the lineup has suffered from Fred's absence, with down years throughout the lineup. The staff is still strong, with double digit winners Joe Hancock (13-10, 3.37, 103), George Garrison (13-10, 3.57, 115), and Bernie Johnson (11-12, 3.85, 45) all tough to get runs off, especially in Toronto. I like our chances against anyone, but we can't take their challenge lightly.

We then finish the week with the first of three against the Foresters. Cleveland has the fewest runs scored and allowed, but they are 56-79 and four and a half above the Saints. The Foresters have brought Earle Robinson (1-3, 3.40, 16) to the rotation, and he has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his four starts. They're also now without young outfielder Eli Harkless (.263, 5, 36, 15) for the rest of the season, and they've brought up "The Rock of Rochester" Si Crocker with expanded rosters. He was part of the deal with Boston that sent out Bill Moore and Dean Astle to the Minutemen. He hasn't done too well, just 1-for-16, but the 23-year-old has legit power and it might take him time to improve the rest of his offensive game. 22-year-old Wes Parks has also been brought up, and the current 63rd Ranked Prospect is 3-for-12 with a double, triple, and 2 RBIs. We've done well against the Foresters this year, and I'm hoping we can get off to a quick star in that series.

ayaghmour2 · 03-29-2022, 12:09 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 91-51 (1st, 8 GA)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .391 AVG, .945 OPS
John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .300 AVG, .767 OPS
Cliff Moss : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, .959 OPS

Schedule
9-9: Loss at Cannons (3-4): 12 innings
9-10: Win at Cannons (9-6)
9-11: Win at Cannons (4-0)
9-12: Loss at Wolves (4-6)
9-13: Win at Wolves (8-4)
9-14: Win at Foresters (12-10): 10 innings

Recap
We kept up the trend of four win weeks, and with just six games instead of eight, it was a productive record. Our lead grew to eight over the Stars while our magic number shrunk to 5, as we are now mere inches away from our first pennant since 1933. We did deal with another injury, as Ollie Page suffered an oblique strain, which likely ends his nightmare of a season. The 31-year-old hit a pitiful .184/.290/.256 (49 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, steal, and 14 RBIs in 147 trips to the plate. He was finally starting to get time with Billy Hunter hurt, but now he'll join him on the injured list.

The offense was productive, and we finally got a good week from veteran Cliff Moss. He went 8-for-21 with a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Skipper Schneider kept on hitting, 9-for-23 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 9 RBIs. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-21 with 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker was just 4-for-17, but with a double, triple, steal, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, and 6 walks. John Lawson was 9-for-30 with another homer, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. Some of our part-timers did well too, with another good week from Fred Vargas. He was 4-for-7 with a double, homer, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Aart MacDonald was 3-for-7 with a pair of runs scored. Ossie Grogan was 1-for-3 with a run, RBI, and 3 walks.

Jim Lonardo was outstanding in Toronto, allowing just 7 hits in a complete game shutout over the Wolves. The 37-year-old is now 14-8 with a respectable 3.99 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 30 walks and 57 strikeouts. Harry Parker was not as lucky, getting roughed up in both of his starts. He did get a win and a no decision, but he allowed 17 hits, 13 runs (11 earned), and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. Peter the Heater was much more reliable, a win and no decision for him as well, but with 13 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 4 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings. Dick Lyons made the last start, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 2 walks in 8 shaky innings. Joe Brown pitched well out of the pen, 4 shutout with a walk, 3 strikeouts, and a win in two outings. Ben Curtin had his first bad week, two outings for him with a loss, 7 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 5 walks in 3.2 innings. Grover Donahue made his debut against Cleveland, getting four outs without allowing a baserunner.

Looking Ahead
We get two more with Cleveland, who we topped in extra innings to drop them to 59-82. They will have to replace the injured yet again Earle Robinson (1-4, 3.56, 18), but as it stands, we'll get their pair of former Cougars atop the rotation. I expect to see Dave Rankin (13-13, 4.41, 50) regardless, but the 35-year-old has not been the most effective this year. We also may get Ben Turner (9-14, 4.41, 49) who has a matching ERA with a similar loss and strikeout total. Both have done a good job eating innings for a bottom of the league team, but neither have done much to improve their trade value. Same can be said of Dan Fowler (.260, 18, 54) and Lou Balk (.292, 13, 60), who have been just average at the plate. There is reason for optimism in the lineup, with 25-year-old Leon Blackridge hitting well since coming over at the deadline in the Mel Carrol trade. Blackridge has hit .323/.406/.481 (130 OPS+) with 7 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 4 steals, and 16 RBIs since joining the Foresters. He currently ranks as the 4th best third basemen in the league, and he should be a nice fixture in their lineup once their top young pitching prospects are ready to take over. I expect us to win both of these games, and would be disappointed with anything else.

Our road trip continues with two against the Sailors, who at 61-80 are just barely playing better then the Foresters. It's rare to see the Sailors record this poor, but they have a deep farm system and may not stay in the second division for very long. They haven't given many of their young guys time, but with ace Herb Flynn (10-16, 4.10, 48) out with an injury, 22-year-old Al Duster may get called on to make a few starts. The rotation needs it, as Flynn's 100 ERA+ is the best of qualified and remaining pitchers, as veterans Chuck Murphy (8-18, 5.22, 50) and Merritt Thomas (0-10, 14, 6.45, 13) have seen their production plummet. The offense hasn't been much better, as the consistent Bob Smith (.292, 2, 46) may have his first sub 100 OPS+ and talented young catcher Woody Stone (.263, 3, 62) has been well below replacement level since being name to the All Star game. Both are extremely talented players, but I could see Smith being moved if the Sailors decide to embark on a full scale rebuild. At 25, there is no reason to move Stone, but other vets like Jim Beard (.279, 2, 43), Lou Williams (.305, 21, 8), and Marion Boismenu (.299, 1, 48, 10) may be moved to make room for some of the younger guys. These are must win games as well, as our schedule gets harder after.

Off on Friday, but we'll head to New York to start a three game series with the Stars. They are the team eight back of us, 83-59, and I'm hoping we can have the pennant all but wrapped up for this series. New York has scored 731 runs, a few more then our 728, as William the Conqueror continues to take the league by storm. The 21-year-old is hitting an astronomical .353/.475/.620 (189 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 5 triples, 33 homers, and 113 RBIs. He's been worth a league high 9.9 wins above replacement, and he leads the CA in average and homers while behind just John Lawson for RBIs. With Lew Seals (.262, 18, 92) batting behind him and Chink Stickels (.278, 9, 66, 11) in front, he has decent protection, and they just got Dave Trowbridge (.327, 7, 79) back from injury. They can put up a ton of runs, so I'll be ensuring Papenfus and Parker pitch in this series, with Lonardo likely getting the third game. The Stars have pushed their starters, working a four man rotation, giving more starts to Vern Hubbard (18-6, 2.84, 73) and Chris Clarke (10-10, 3.33, 73). This will be a tough test of our talent, but even a few losses here should be nothing more then a minor setback.

Minor League Report
I'll cover the rest of my callups here:

RHP Donnie Jones: It's time! The 21-year-old spent all his season in Milwaukee, and will now make his major league debut this Thursday against the Sailors. "Mole Killer" made 24 starts for the Blues, finishing a decent 12-8 with a 3.16 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 57 walks, and 128 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched. Great numbers for the former lottery selection, who has shown time and time again that he's ready for a challenge at the big league level. Our #1 prospect and 11th overall, the 6'2'' righty looks like a legit ace, and he's even throwing harder now! He's sitting pretty at 95-97 with his fastball and sinker, and he can blow by even the best of big league hitters. His stuff overall is elite, and he mixes in a top notch curve and reliable change, which he does a good job locating. He cut his BB/9 from 4.7 last year to 2.9, while upping his K/9 from 4.6 to an impressive 6.3. Already a leader in the clubhouse, Jones has nearly unlimited upside on the mound, and just a few looks at this kid pitching and he'll leave you wanting more. Of course, he's still raw, and isn't a lock to make the rotation next year, but we're getting closer and closer to seeing him get a large chunk of starts right behind Peter the Heater.

LHP Johnnie Jones: If Donnie gets promoted, that means Johnnie will be right there with him! "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" hasn't had the best minor league career, but with him Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, there was no reason not to promote him. The groundballer went just 10-13 with a 3.93 ERA (95 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP with 89 walks and 84 strikeouts in 185.2 innings pitched. Like his brother, he also saw his BB/9 (5.1 to 4.3) and K/9 (2.9 to 4.1) trend in the right direction, but the lanky 6'4'' lefty still needs to improve his command before becoming a reliable big league hurler. He also added some speed, but he's just at 93-95, although if there is one thing he odes better then Donnie, it's generate a ton of grounders. It's next to impossible to hit the ball in the air against him, as he attacks with his sinker and all four of his pitches get tremendous movement. His stuff isn't at the same level as Donnie, but his sinker is arguably better while his secondary stuff isn't quite as developed as his brothers'. I'm not quite ready to give Johnnie a start, but if we have things clinched, I'd love for him to pitch Monday in New York against the team that took him 4th Overall back in 1936. It may be shocking that that was actually two picks before we took Papenfus, but Johnnie is a few months younger and far less developed. Ranked as the 13th best prospect, Johnnie also has ace upside, and if him and his brother reach their lofty ceiling, we are going to have a historically dominant 1-2-3 in our rotation, and when you add in Harry Parker and hopefully #15 prospect Duke Bybee, it may be the greatest rotation of all time.

LHP Harl Haines: I'm adding one more arm, with former 10th Rounder Harl Haines joining the big league club. Currently 19th in our system and 214th overall, he dropped a bit in the prospect ranks, but the submariner was extremely reliable in Milwaukee. He went 11-9 with a 3.29 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 37 walks, and 82 strikeouts through 177.2 innings. Another tall arm, Haines stands at 6'3'', and throws a 95-97 MPH fastball and cutter. He generates a ton of grounders and has a really tough to hit slider and screwball to go with the hard stuff. He'll almost never allow a homer, and his rotation is very deceptive, leading to a lot of strikeouts and very few runs allowed. His movement is great and his stuff just average, and he's shown great command in the farm. He could probably start for some teams, but with our pitching depth he'll hang around in the pen, and hopefully get a few innings of middle relief.

C Steve Mountain: I love having a third catcher, and since Steve Mountain was already on the 40, he was the obvious choice. The 24-year-old was taken a round before Haines, and will be set to make his big league debut after his first full season in Milwaukee. He didn't hit too good, just .239/.333/.313 (80 OPS+), but he's a tremendous defensive catcher. He's great at framing and handles the staff well, while also sporting a 64.1 caught stealing percentage. He's not awful at the plate either, as he did have 15 doubles, 6 homers, and 44 RBIs, but he's used more for his defense then his bat. With Mead getting most of the time with the occasional start from Mike Taylor, Mountain will spend most of his time on the bench or in the pen helping the pitchers. He'll likely get a start by seasons end, but I can see him making a few late game appearances as a defensive replacement.

3B Jocko Pollard: I was going to bring up Eddie Curtis, but he got hurt this week, which made room for Jocko Pollard's promotion. The 24-year-old slugger was our 4th Rounder back in 1935, and like Mountain, he was already on the 40. Pollard got his first taste of AAA, and hit a respectable .279/.333/.423 (109 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 80 RBIs. For his minor league career, he has 96 homers, and he hasn't had a below average offensive season since he was 18 and in C ball. He's basically an all bat no glove option who will be a big boost off the bench, as he has above average contact, power, and discipline. He hits a lot of flyballs, which plays well in Chicago, but I doubt he'll get a game at home. We have a much more exciting slugging third basemen in Otto Christian, but Pollard could be a stopgap between Lawson and Otto depending on Otto's development.

That gives us 31 of our 35 roster spots filled, but one will be eventually refilled by Montes and I'm leaving a spot in case Ollie gets healthy sooner. I may end up bringing up a pair of guys next week, but I haven't yet decided. One option is Ed Wilkinson, who finished his season with a 4-hit shutout against Fort Wayne, but I also have experienced arms in Dick Strunk and Cal Knight who already have a 40-man spot. There are also a lot of veteran bench bats, as well as the previously DFA'd Stu Johnson and Freddie Bennett.

02-27-2022, 12:31 PM	#741
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1941 Draft: Round 5-6 5th Round, 77th Overall: RHP Jack Huston School: Bay State 1941: 8-5, 118.1 IP, 3.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 54 BB, 111 K Career: 25-15, 355.1 IP, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 131 BB, 284 K The last round where we have only one pick, I continued to grab college players after I started with just prep pitchers. Potentially our only college pitcher I'll take in the first 10 rounds, Huston was a reliable arm, but most of his numbers have trended upwards. It's not all bad, more innings, higher WAR, strikeouts, and K/9, but his ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 all jumped as well. He lost five games each season, won eight the past two, and finished 10 games above .500 at 25-15. His command isn't that great, but I think Huston could end up a spot starter despite it. His stuff isn't great, but he does have a nice curve and slider. His fastball is a bit slow, just 86-88, but he has a deceptive sidearm windup. OSA Is a bigger fan then Tom and I, thinking he could end up as a back of the rotation arm. Unlike most college starters, he seems to be a bit raw, but I still think I'll push him to start in San Jose. I grabbed a lot of high school arms later on, and I expect them all to start in La Crosse. 6th Round, 91st Overall: RHP Bill Ballantine School: Bay State Commit School: Laclede 1941: 4-1, SV, 65.1 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 15 BB, 86 K Career: 20-3, SV, 271.2 IP, 1.46 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 68 BB, 345 K Was he the best player available at the time? Did he have the most upside available? Does he throw triple digits? Did he start more then 50% of his games as a senior? No to all of those? Well, then what's so special about him? HE HAS THE BEST NICKNAME FOR A CLOSER IN CHICAGO!!! THE WINDY CITY WHIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, the whole ride home after I drafted him, I kept commenting on how awesome his nickname is and how perfect it would be if he became a closer! Enough about my dreams of the Windy City Whip mowing down hitters in the 9th at North Side Park, let's talk about Bill Ballantine himself. The Chicagoan spent four seasons at Fenger, but was only a full time starter as a freshman. He had a great first season, a perfect 8-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 16 walks, and 123 strikeouts. Yes, that was a dominate season, but he never came anywhere close to that again. He started 13 games that season, but he didn't start double digit games since and only started half his game as a senior. Still, he finished with a nice 11.4 K/9 and a sub 1.00 WHIP. There is a lot to like about him, he has great stuff and a decent four pitch mix led with a low 90s fastball that should end up his best pitch. His ultimate upside isn't that great, but the Windy City Whip needs just one pitch; a super fast fastball! OSA actually thinks Ballentine could pitch his way into the back of a rotation, but I'll be more then happy if Ballentine ends up as a reliable pen arm. 6th Round, 93rd Overall: SS Joe Dackett School: Darnell State 1941: .282/.355/.368, 198 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 33 RBI, 27 SB Career: .283/.358/.351, 462 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 75 RBI, 63 SB A two year starter at Darnell State, Joe Dackett had experience at both middle infield spots, and he looks to be athletic enough for short. He's not the greatest hitter, but he did well against top level college pitching and consistently hits the ball up the middle. He does a good job drawing walks, but he does hit too many groundballs. The mock thinks he should have been a first rounder, I think I may have taken him a little too early in the 6th, but he does have some upside as a useful 5th infielder. I'm sure he can manage third if needed, and he does give good at bats at the plate. He could be a fast mover up the system, and with the threat of war looming in the FABL, he could end up a decent replacement player if we get hit hard by the not-so-fun draft. 6th Round, 96th Overall: C Lee Tiede School: Gates University 1941: .280/..337/.409, 280 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 5 SB Career (HS): .411/.476/.675, 461 PA, 48 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 111 RBI, 16 SB Career (COL): .286/.342/.423, 774 PA, 29 2B, 2 3B, 21 HR, 138 RBI, 12 SB A 16th Round Pick back in 1938 by the Dynamos, he decided to instead attend Gates University, and developed into a nice power hitting backstop. At Gates, he never hit below his junior year .280/.337/.409 and managed at least 6 homers, 9 doubles, and 40 RBIs. I love his power, and despite rather poor plate discipline, he should still end up hitting more then his share of homers if he ever makes the big leagues. His defense is adequate behind the plate, but he did get some time at first, where his power does work well. This will help him get extra at bats even if he isn't the #1 catching option when he starts, as we have a lot of catchers in the low minors around his age. I think he could be a decent backup catcher, OSA thinks injuries could force his way into the lineup, and the mock thinks he should have been taken before Otto Christian. I'm leaning towards starting him up in San Jose, but no matter where he starts, I expect it to be a part time role at the beginning. I'm a little behind on these reports, as I was out of the house most of yesterday, so the draft is almost complete. I expect to get separate reports on the 7th and 8th as well as the 9th and 10th out some time today, but we still have a few sims before our draftees will join the system. Our system keeps moving between 4th and 5th, but I'm thinking this class will not only keep us in the top 5, but move us up a bit higher. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 02-27-2022 at 03:06 PM.

02-27-2022, 03:33 PM	#742
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1941 Draft: Round 7-8 7th Round, 107th Overall: RHP Joe Swank School: Rhodes Commit School: American Atlantic 1941: 8-3, 114.1 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 18 BB, 126 K Career: 8-3, 114.1 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 18 BB, 126 K He only started one season at American Atlantic, and while it wasn't overall the greatest, there were a lot of signs of encouragement. His BB/9 was a nice 1.4 and despite an ERA near 2, his WHIP was just barely above 1. It looks like Swank can go deep into games, and despite throwing just 83-85, he he projects to have very good stuff. I'm hoping a few velocity boosts would aid his development, as the fastball is his weakest pitch. He does a great job commanding his pitches, and his curve and circle change should end up as very good offerings. Only thing holding him back right now is the fastball, and I'm hoping we can help him begin to throw harder. OSA thinks he could develop into a spot starter while Tom thinks he's more of an organizational piece, but we are running a little thin on pitchers in the upper parts of the system, and the auto draft portion seems to completely ignore grabbing arms. With a lot of new young arms joining the system, he may not get many innings at first, but there are a lot of arms ahead that are going to get passed up as the younger arms are pushed up. 7th Round, 109th Overall: RF Dan Collins School: Wisconsin State 1941: .277/.378/.382, 291 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 7 SB Career: .276/.376/.366, 551 PA, 19 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 71 RBI, 16 SB Back-to-back rounds, the Keystones grabbed the guy I wanted between my two picks, so I ended up adding Wisconsin State outfielder Dan Collins. He was Tom's highest ranked available hitter and OSA thinks he'll end up forcing his way into a lineup, but the mock is the highest on him. They view him as a potential 2nd Rounder, but the reason I grabbed him was his work ethic. He's a true student of the game, working on the fundamentals and he's a natural born leader on the field. He inspire his teammates to do better, and he sets a great example as well. It started to a show a bit between seasons, as he started hitting more homers, drew a few more walks, and based on his WAR increase, I'm thinking he improved his defense a bit as well. Collins is a tall lefty, 6'2'' 200, and he's a very strong and athletic outfielder. He projects to have an above average contact tool and strong plate discipline, taking a patient approach that works on all but the best pitchers. What will determine if he becomes a AAAA player or an every day player will be the power, and despite his groundball tendencies at the plate, I think he'll learn to start elevating the ball more frequently. He may end up just a lefty bench bat, but with the talent pool starting to thin out a bit, I was willing to take a flier on his makeup and bat. 8th Round, 123rd Overall: SS Skippy Ellis School: Northern Mississippi 1941: .272/.334/.331, 302 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 36 RBI, 36 SB Career: .281/.347/.343, 536 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 72 RBI, 67 SB He didn't have the best junior season, but I still took a chance on one of Tom Weinstock's favorite players in the pool. Recently 22, Skippy Ellis started two seasons at Northern Mississippi, but finished with exactly 0 wins above replacement. Still, Tom thinks he's a quality defensive shortstop with great speed and a decent contact tool. He doesn't have much pop, but I can't see him striking out too much either. He didn't play anywhere other then short in college, but with his speed I think he could be a decent outfielder if needed, and if you can handle short, second and third should be reasonable as well. He's a bit of a bubble type player, but with a name like Skippy and a decent set of tools, he seemed like a lottery ticket worth taking. 8th Round, 125th Overall: RHP George Oddo School: Pawtucket Commit School: Penn Catholic 1941: 10-0, 103.2 IP, 0.95 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 15 BB, 153 K Career: 19-3, 222.2 IP, 1.78 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 61 BB, 281 Before this season, the chances of George Oddo being taken in the first ten rounds would have been very low. He started pitching for Pawtucket as a junior, and was 9-3 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 46 walks, and 128 strikeouts in his 16 starts. Pretty uninspiring numbers, even for a skinny 6'4'' righty with a lot of projectability. Right before the season this year, he upped his velocity from 83-85 to 85-87, and he put together a dominant season. Oddo was a perfect 10-0, dropped his ERA below 1, his WHIP was cut nearly in half, and his BB/9 and K/9 went from 3.5 and 9.7 to 1.3 and 13.3. The only thing that didn't really change were his homers, and that's one thing that could end up giving him problems. His stuff is decent, and while the change is still coming around, he has a real nice curve and a solid fastball. His stuff should end up at least decent, and if he improves the change, he'll end up with three plus pitches. Of course, I'm also betting on the '41 version of Oddo being his true self, and he could end up regressing back towards his junior year numbers. He's a risky pick, but one with a lot of upside, and prep arms taken later have a chance making huge strides developmentally.

02-27-2022, 09:56 PM	#743
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1941 Draft: Round 9-10 9th Round, 139th Overall: RHP Joe Swank School: Bloomfield Commit School: Whitney College 1941: 3-1, 2 SV, 54.2 IP, 1.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 17 BB, 87 K Career: 20-3, 3 SV, 293.2 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 112 BB, 358 My pick was up, and I was in a pinch, so I decided to go with my scouts favorite pitcher who I kept passing on; Pinch Lenhart. A four year pitcher at Bloomfield, the now 19-year-old had arguably his best season as a senior, but he was used a lot out of the pen, with 8 of his 14 appearances coming in relief. Despite that, he had his first sub 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, and as you would expect, had his best BB/9 (2.8) and K/9s (14.3) of his career. The potential lack of stamina is a little concerning, but Tom thinks he has the pitches to start, and enough endurance to pitch well past the 5th. A skinny 6'2'' righty, he has an outstanding curve that pairs well with a high 80s sinker. He gets a lot of ground outs, and can mix in his slider and fastball. He does run into the occasional lapse in command, which can lead into a few balls flying out of the park, but I think that is something he could grow out of. I expect him missing a lot of bats, as well as the strike zone, and he's likely to be eased into a starting role. I'm leaning on using him as a stopper in La Crosse, and as some of our other arms get promoted, he'll end up moving into the rotation. His future is as a starter, but if he can't get his command down, his 1-2 of the curve and sinker should be enough to be an effective pen arm. 9th Round, 141st Overall: C Pat Brown Jr. School: Union City Commit School: Grafton University 1941: .408/.465/.578, 114 PA, 15 2B, HR, 25 RBI, 10 SB Career: .408/.496/.623, 466 PA, 56 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 98 RBI, 27 SB The son of Pat Brown, a career minor leaguer who was drafted in the 20th Round by the Foresters, Pat Brown Jr. has a very low bar to beat his father. He isn't a prospect full of talent, but he has the work ethic you look for in a young player paired with great size and a keen eye. Plus, we have a lot of replaceable catchers in our system, and I needed to bring in a lot of new faces, so Brown was worth a late pick. He can also paly a little first, but he doesn't have the requisite power to stick there. His contact tool isn't the greatest, but he should be able to get on base with frequently and his glove is capable behind the plate. The mock is much more of a fan then I am, thinking we should have made him our 3rd Round Pick, but I think Brown will be more of a part time player then a 3rd Round talent. 10th Round, 153rd Overall: RHP Russ Cushing School: Osgood Commit School: Marquis College 1941: 4-1, SV, 69 IP, 1.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 14 BB, 109 K Career: 8-2, SV, 125.1 IP, 1.58 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 32 BB, 164 K He may not be the most notable prospect in the pool, but Russ Cushing does have a unique distinction; he is the youngest eligible draftee. At 16 years and 242 days, he is one of just two 16-year-olds eligible to be selected, and will be the only 16-year-old after July finishes. Tom Weinstock was a bit of a fan of Cushing, he was his highest rated pitcher available here, but Cushing spent a lot of time split between the pen and the rotation. He wasn't great as a junior, but the Indiana native had a huge senior year. He dropped his ERA over a full point, his WHIP dropped over 30, and his WAR more then doubled. Before the season, he improved his velocity from 85-87 to 89-91, and added a fourth pitch to his repertoire. He leans on heavily on the fastball, which gets good life and should be a rather overpowering pitch. He managed to cut his walks in between seasons, but he'll need to continue to overcome control issues. He's got a ton of upside, but is very underdeveloped, and it may take him a while to advance from La Crosse. 10th Round, 155th Overall: CF Glenn Shepperd School: Calumet Catholic 1941: .285/.358/.344, 303 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 37 RBI, 36 SB Career: .271/.347/.360, 764 PA, 25 2B, 10 3B, 5 HR, 92 RBI, 113 SB A three year starter at Calumet Catholic, Glenn Shepperd competed against some of the top college prospects, and did a decent job holding his own. 1941 was the first season he hit above .280, but it was the first season he didn't homer twice. Tom loves his speed and thinks he can hold his own defensively out in center, with the chance to develop into one of the better outfielders. He's got a nice eye at the plate too, and could draw a ton of walks, but he has a better chance stretching a triple into an inside the parker then depositing one over the seats. He is able to hit from both sides of the plate, adding more to his value, and he profiles now as the perfect 4th outfielder. He'll be 22 in a month, and I'll be looking to get him some time out in center, even if he's not playing full time. His defense will help secure him a spot in the organization, and even if the bat never develops into something special, he'll still have a shot at fulfilling his dream as an FABL player. 10th Round, 157th Overall: C Stan Flanders School: New Haven Commit School: Eastern State 1941: .393/.455/.589, 124 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB Career: .406/.478/.597, 360 PA, 35 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 72 RBI, 15 SB Our last of 18 picks in the top 10, I added yet another catcher to our system. Well, not just a catcher, as I almost like Flanders more on the mound then behind the plate. As a hitter, he hit under .400 the past two seasons, despite just 9 total strikeouts in his three year career. The Indiana native has a quick bat and does make hard contact, but he isn't the most consistent hitter. On the mound, he has a nice curve and a decent mid 80s fastball, but his change is more of a slower fastball then a reliable offspeed pitch. Unless he improves his stuff or his control, he won't ever develop into much of a pitcher, but I think he has much more promise on the mound then behind the plate. He'll likely spend time in the pen and as a third catcher, but he could end up getting more starts as he continues to age.

02-28-2022, 08:01 PM	#744
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 7: May 26th-June 1st Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 30-17 (2nd, 0.5 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 33 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .424 AVG, .987 OPS Carlos Montes : 35 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .371 AVG, .891 OPS Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.053 OPS Schedule 5-26: Win vs Stars (3-4) 5-27: Win at Stars (9-0) 5-28: Loss at Stars (2-3) 5-30: Win at Saints (11-4) 5-30: Win at Saints (3-2) 5-31: Loss at Saints (3-7) 6-1: Win vs Wolves (6-16) Recap Another huge week for us, as we take two out of three from the Stars, and finish the week just half a game out of first. We swept the double header with Montreal, but dropped the finale, before blowing out the Wolves in Chicago. We are now two months into the season, and have won more games then any team in baseball. May was a nice month for us, as we finished 18-11, but in terms of win percentage (.620) it was a big lower then April (.647). The pitching has turned things around, the bats have started heating up, and things are looking good in Chicago as we're neck-and-neck in the two horse race with New York. Both Leo Mitchell and John Lawson struck out seven times this week, but they were extremely impressive at the plate. It was Mitchell's first good week of the year, going 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, 5 runs, a homer, and 6 RBIs. Lawson was just as good, just in a few more at bats, 14-for-33 with 4 doubles and 8 RBIs. We got a much needed big game from Carlos Montes, who was 5-for-6 in our 11-4 win over the Saints. Montes had a nice overall week, 13-for-35 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 steals, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. A few part time players did well too, with Ollie Page, Rich Langton, and Harry Mead combining to go 13-for-37 and a double a piece. Langton hit his first homer of the season well, and is batting .319/.372/.472 (128 OPS+) after a down season in 1940. We didn't get much from our middle infield, with Hunter, Skipper, and Jones all having poor weeks. We still managed to win 5 games this week, even without their production, so I'm hoping they can turn things around as we try to maintain our record. With the double header, both Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus had to make two starts. Papenfus was elite in New York, allowing just two players to reach base as he flirted with perfection. We won 9-0 and Papenfus struck out 7 with just a single walk and strikeout. He wasn't as great against the Wolves, but with 16 runs of a support, he picked up another complete game win. He threw 168 pitches, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 7 walks with 6 more strikeouts. He's now up to 82 in 93 innings, with no other FABL pitcher past 60. Parker also beat the Stars, 5 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Unfortunately, he really struggled against the Saints, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks with a pair of strikeouts and homers. He's still been arguably our best pitcher of the season, 6-4 with a 3.20 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 26 walks, and 31 strikeouts. Milt Fritz had a nice start, picking up a complete game victory with 7 hits, 2 runs, and 7 walks. It was better then Eddie Quinn's first start in almost a month, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with a strikeout in 8 innings. Dick Lyons got the loss against the Stars, but the cool part was Lyons allowed Dave Trowbridge's 2,500th hit. The 42-year-old was 3-for-4 with a 1st inning two-run shot off the 40-year-old, probably the highest combined age for any 2,500th hit, or maybe even hit overall. Unlike Trowbridge, Lyons has shown some signs of age, just 3-4 with a 4.35 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 15 walks, and 8 strikeouts in 8 starts. He may end up moving to the pen with Lonardo gets here, but Eddie Quinn hasn't been too good either. Lonardo's injury return is now unknown, and if he's not healthy soon, I may end up giving him a rehab start. The sooner he's back the better, as he's one of our best pitchers and he'll be crucial for the playoff run. Looking Ahead We've already won the first of three with the Wolves, and I'm hoping for more of the same as we won the opener 16-6. The defending champs have really fallen apart, somehow just 19-27 and 11 games out of first. The loss of Fred McCormick has really crippled them, although they weren't doing much better with him. Add in Joe Hancock's struggles, and they are basically without their two best players. Hancock has really struggled in his 10 starts, 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.65 WHIP, 24 walks, and 24 strikeouts. To make matters worse, we managed to inflate Bernie Johnson's ERA, putting up 8 runs on him before the fifth ended. The start dropped him to 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 21 walks, and 19 strikeouts. George Garrison is getting back on track, but I hope we miss him. He most recently tossed a 5-hit shutout with 7 strikeouts in an 8-0 win over the Foresters. Ockie Holliday has tried his best to replace McCormick's absence, hitting .324/.342/.471 (111 OPS+) with a double, 3 triples, a homer, steal, and 12 RBIs. Reginald Westfall has put together a nice season, hitting .322/.400/.492 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs with a nice 25-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Hitting above Walt Pack seems to help, as he's slashing .314/.387/.500 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 22 RBIs. We can't take this game lightly, but I'm hoping we can continue their misery a bit more. We then finish our long run of games with two hosting the Cannons. We may get our first look as former #1 Overall Pick Bill Sohl. He hasn't had the best start, but he's 1-0 with a 6.19 ERA (64 ERA+), 1.75 WHIP, 8 walks, and 5 strikeouts in his first 16 FABL innings. Rufus Barrell had a nice May, and he's now 6-3 with a 4.60 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 21 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 10 starts. Roger Perry has been their best pitcher, 3-3 with a 2.80 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 17 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Despite their 23-24 record, the Cannons have scored more runs then every other CA team. Adam Mullins is back in the lineup, and the star catcher went 5-for-16 with a double, 5 walks, and 2 RBIs. The rest of their lineup is pretty balanced, but our old friend Doc Love has really started to cool off. He's now hitting just .299/.333/.379 (89 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, steal, and 8 RBIs. Same goes for Moxie, who is hitting just .264/.323/.382 (87 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 homers, and 28 RBIs. They are the 3-4 hitters, but every other member of the lineup has an above average OPS+. They have a lot of talent, and with a hot streak from them and a cold week from us and the Stars, they could move their way right back into the race. We get a much needed off day on Friday, before starting a three game series with the Foresters. They're out of the cellar, 19-27 and tied for 6th with the struggling Wolves. They haven't scored many runs and are allowing a lot. Vet Dean Astle has had a rough start to his season, 3-6 with a 5.52 ERA (73 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 27 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Dave Rankin has put together a decent season, 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 27 walks, and 21 strikeouts in his 10 starts. He could be a decent trade piece for them, but Astle has really hurt his value. They survived the Mel Carrol scare, but the 29-year-old his having a down year by his standards. He's hitting just .304/.339/.462 (107 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 18 RBIs. In his place, Dan Fowler has led the offense, hitting a productive .304/.392/.528 (138 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 20 RBIs. Fowler has had back-to-back poor seasons, and he's done his best to show that those two seasons may have been a fluke and not the cliff. Lou Balk is back in the lineup, and is hitting .301/.379/.455 (117 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 15 RBIs, and 33 strikeouts. He's not close to Mitchell, but is also on pace for an 100 strikeout season. These two games are absolute must wins, as we need to beat the bad teams if we want to stay on top of the league. Minor League Report 1B Hod Seagroves (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a big month for 23-year-old Chicagoan Hod Seagroves, who was named the Heartland League Batter of the Month. Seagroves hit .442/.500/.686 in 100 trips to the plate in May, adding 13 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 walks and RBIs to his season totals. He has now yet to strikeout in 36 games and is hitting .363/.432/.578 (174 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, and 18 walks and RBIs. Once the draftees join the system, Seagroves will be moving up to Mobile, as we have room in the Mobile infield but no one to replace him in Lincoln without creating a hole somewhere else. I'm looking to give him time at both first and second, as he should end up a great defenders at both spots. At the plate, he won't ever hit many homers, but he almost never strikes out, draws a ton of walks, and should hit above .300 in the big leagues. The lack of power will kill him at first, but if he can keep playing quality defense at the keystone, he could become either a high OBP guy above the 3-4-5 in the lineup or an extra leadoff hitter in the 8 spot. He's eligible for the Rule- 5 draft this offseason, so I'd love for him to put up great numbers at Mobile the second half of the season, as I expect to give him a 40-man spot in the offseason. He's dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, down to 20th and 258th respectively, but I think he could end up as a bottom 5 starter if not just a very useful part-timer in the weak side of a platoon. RHP Joe Crosby (A Lincoln Legislators): We swept the awards in the Heartland League, as Joe Crosby took homer Pitcher of the Month. The 22-year-old was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. For the season, Crosby is now 5-2 with a 1.76 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 13 walks, and 27 strikeouts, as his two April starts weren't all that great. Still, he's really turned things around, and Boney Joe is making a case for a midseason promotion to Mobile. Our 4th Rounder in 1937, he is eligible for the Rule-5 draft in the offseason as well. He's a borderline case for protection right now, but if he pitches half as good as he has so far to finish the season, he may even get a late callup to Milwaukee or even Chicago. He throws a nice low 90s fastball and plus curve, but his slider is just an average pitch. He has dealt with command problems in the past, frequently sporting BB/9s above 3, but it's down to a more respectable 2.3 this season. His stuff is still good without the command, but it will be hard for him to be anything more then a spot starter if he struggles to find the zone with regularity. CF Don Lee (C La Crosse Lions): It was a big month for last year's 2nd Rounder Don Lee, who hit .379/.529/.612 with a double, 4 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 22 RBIs in 30 May games. The 19-year-old is now hitting .360/.483/.596 (184 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 10 steals, and 34 RBIs. It took a little maneuvering, but I move backup catcher Lew Lord to first, Danny Richardson to third, Steve Rosko to left, Harry Harris to right, and Leo Davis to center, so Lee could make the jump to San Jose before the new draftees join the club. Lee will continue to patrol center, as he's looked really good out there. He can flat out fly on the field, ranging far and wide to make plays while also picking up a lot of extra bases on the dirt. He can hold his own at the plate, racking up a ton of extra base hits while maintaining a high average. He has time to develop his power, but he's likely to reach double digit homers in his first full pro season. Currently ranked 12th in our system and 126th overall, Lee profiles as a reliable every day center fielder, with the upside of an All Star. He's got a long way to go before reaching his lofty potential, so there is a chance he won't make it, but there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the youngster. Attached Images Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-01-2022 at 01:10 PM.

03-01-2022, 07:47 PM	#745
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 8: June 2nd-June 8th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 33-20 (2nd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 26 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .385 AVG, 1.179 OPS Leo Mitchell : 22 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .409 AVG, 1.117 OPS Ray Ford : 16 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.221 OPS Schedule 6-2: Loss vs Wolves (6-3) 6-3: Loss vs Wolves (8-7): 11 innings 6-4: Win vs Cannons (7-8) 6-5: Loss vs Cannons (6-1) 6-7: Win vs Foresters (5-7) 6-8: Win vs Foresters (0-10) Recap The worst part of this week wasn't the fact that we went 3-3. Sure, it sucked losing both games to the Wolves in Chicago, and losing a half game on the Stars, but that isn't even close to an issue. We got the awful (for us) news, that superstar in the making Pete Papenfus announced he will not look for deferment if he was drafted, and he would enlist if we were at war. He could be set to report as early as late August, which would leave us without our best pitcher in a potential pennant race. It gets even worse, as Milt Fritz has shown a lot of issues in his return. During a dominant 1940, there were talks of Milt Fritz potentially winning 300 games, approaching 200 at just 30, but now winning even 200 may be in doubt. His injury last season seems to have really taken a lot out of his arm. Fritz used to be able to throw 92-94 with consistency, but his fastball has barely hit 90 this season, and to the average eye, his stuff is starting to become less and less impressive. Fritz seems to be copying his former teammate in Brooklyn Tommy Wilcox, as both were extremely durable until one major arm injury seemed to derail their career. It's still a small sample, but Fritz hasn't located his pitches in his 4 starts with the Cougars, walking 20 and striking out just 3 in 30.2 innings. Fritz has generally been wild, with a career 3.2 BB/9 in nearly 3,000 big league innings, but that mark has swelled to 5.9 this year and his 4.11 ERA and 1.66 WHIP are far worse then his career norms. This is why it's always good to have extra depth, as hanging on to Eddie Quinn and Joe Brown may end up really helping us. We could be down two starters in the late season, and Jim Lonardo is still not healthy. I didn't think we'd have to use them, but Donnie and Johnnie Jones may have to join the rotation if we deal with any more players having to leave. Still, we are in a great spot, and every teams depth is going to be tested. Looking at the actual performances, the pitching was inconsistent, and best explained by Dick Lyons. He was our two start starter, tossing a gem and a stinker. The first start was a stinker, 6 innings with 8 hits and 6 runs with 2 walks and a strikeout in one of our two losses with the Wolves. The gem came in a game where that stinker would have been enough, as he threw 8 scoreless against the Foresters, allowing 8 hits and 3 walks with a pair of punch outs. Lyons has looked 40 this season, but his 10 starts haven't been that bad. Considering he was supposed to be the 5, 4-5 with a 4.26 ERA (90 ERA+), 1,38 WHIP, 20 walks, and 11 strikeouts isn't bad by any means, and we certainly could be doing worse. I mentioned Fritz's command issues, as he gave up 6 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with just a single strikeout in 6 frames. Harry Parker had his second consecutive rough outing, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks despite 8 strikeouts in 8 innings. Eddie Quinn was a bit unlucky in our 8-7 loss, as five of the eight runs he allowed were unearned. He was charged with 9 hits and 4 walks with a single strikeout in 6 innings against his former team. Peter the Heater picked up another complete game win, this time 8 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts on the ledger. We'll miss those starts, but hopefully we wither have the pennant rapped up by September, or he waits until after the season before leaving us to serve his country. Surprisingly, all four pen pitchers got innings, and none of them gave up a run. Brown, Curtin, and Purvis all had four shutout innings while Pug added an inning of his own. The quartet combined to allow just 11 hits and 4 walks with 7 strikeouts. The bats were good, but we dealt with a pair of day-to-day injuries. We're hoping they need just two days off, as Ray Ford bruised his heel and Billy Hunter sprained his knee, again... On the few days he's been healthy, Ray Ford has been the best hitter in baseball, going 7-for-16 this week with a triple, homer, steal, 3 runs, and 7 RBIs. It's just 132 PAs, so he's not a qualified hitter, but his .426/.470/.664 (207 OPS+) line is otherworldly. The soon-to-be 30-year-old already has 12 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs with 10 walks and 2 strikeouts. Lucky for us, our other first basemen is just as hot. Dick Walker went 5-for-15 with a double, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. In 57 PAs with us, the 34-year-old vet is hitting .275/.351/.608 (158 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 10 RBIs. Those two had a lot of support, as John Lawson, Leo Mitchell, and Cliff Moss all ripped the cover off the ball. Any of the five could have taken home Player of the Week if it wasn't for Bill Barrett. Lawson went 10-for-26 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs, and is now on pace to break 9 WAR for the first time in his career. Jack the Ripper is ripping .360/.410/.542 (159 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 7 homers, and 41 RBIs, but I don't think he'll be repeating as a Whitney Winner. Mitchell managed to up his OPS+ to 100, going 9-for-22 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Cliff Moss homered just once, but went 8-for-21 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. The left handed trio have made up a really dangerous 3-4-5 lately, and if Mitchell has truly shaken off the poor start, pitchers everywhere will start to sweat. Looking Ahead One more with the Foresters, who we dropped to 20-32, and could sweep out of town with a win in the finale. It's looking like we'll face Ben Turner, who is 2-5 with a 4.74 ERA (84 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 22 walks, and 18 strikeouts. I like our chances here, as Turner has really struggled this season and the Foresters have not been able to put up many runs. They were hoping to get some more production out of their youngsters, but three of their former top prospects have seen their production drop. Ken Vance is still undergoing a significant slump, hitting just .248/.280/.306 (54 OPS+) with 9 doubles and 16 RBIs. Jake Creel has taken George Dawson's spot at short, but the former 1st Rounder is hitting just .239/.282/.313 (56 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBIs with a -1.4 zone rating and .936 efficiency in 44 games. Another former 1st Rounder, Eli Harkless, is in the midst of his first below average offensive season, hitting just .268/.333/.366 (83 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 6 steals, and 18 RBIs. The power is nice, as he's on pace for his first double digit homer season and needs just two more for a new career high, but the talented 23-year-old is leaving a lot to be desired. This is a must win game, as not only do we need to keep pace with the Stars, but the Kings are now just 4 out of first and quickly rising. Our homestand then ends with two against the Sailors before a midweek off day. Philadelphia is trying to reach .500, now 25-27 and 8.5 games behind New York. They replaced Dick Walker in the lineup with Marion Boismenu, who has respond with a surge in production at the plate. He's hitting a robust .397/.467/.496 (153 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 4 steals, and 15 RBIs in 141 trips to the plate. He was superb in May, slashing .424/.495/.541 and he's carried some of that production into June. Star outfielder Joe Watson has also caught fire, and is mashing to the tune of a .342/.383/.540 (140 OPS+) line with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, and 32 RBIs. Another Sailor really helping the offense has been the reliable Bob Smith, who is hitting .340/.402/.455 (125 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 20 RBIs. These three are very tough hitters, especially as of late, but there are enough weaknesses in the lineup we can exploit. The pitching has had it's issues, with four of the five starters having ERA over 4. This even includes Herb Flynn and Walt Wells, who have shockingly high ERAs of 5.06 (79 ERA+) and 4.76 (84 ERA+). The star of the staff has been Ray McCarthy, who is 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 26 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 6 starts and 5 relief outings. With the way our offense has been scoring runs, I think we have a huge opportunity here, but it looks like we're going to be stuck facing McCarthy in one of the two games. These are must win games, and with the off day after, I can play around with the pitching a bit. We'll use the off day to travel up to Toronto, for four games in three days with the Wolves. The double header won't hurt too much, as we're off before and after the series, so I can try to lean on our better pitchers. The Wolves stole two from us this week, so we'll really need to get our revenge out in Toronto. We've been much better at home then on the road, so I wouldn't be too surprised if we have some struggles in this one. Their offense has cooled a bit, but Tom Frederick has had a complete 180 from his early season struggles. The versatile 25-year-old is now hitting a respectable .294/.380/.398 (105 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 31 RBIs. He's split time between second and center with zone ratings of 3.2 and 1.2 with efficiencies of 1.078 and 1.016. Their corner outfielders have done well, with Larry Vestal and Reginald Westfall both putting together solid seasons. Vestal has appeared in all 54 of the Wolves games, hitting .295/.391/.443 (119 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 34 RBIs, and 35 walks. Westfall has also gotten in all 54, hitting .306/.386/.469 (124 OPS+) with 23 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 25 RBIs, and 29 walks. They make up the 1-2-3 in front of Walt Pack, who is slashing .292/.363/.459 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, 24 RBIs, and 24 walks. Those four have been very dangerous, but the lineup drops off after that. The bottom four all have sub-100 OPS+, with the rookie Ockie Holliday the only one above 70. The pitching has had it's issues, but George Garrison has really heated up, tossing a pair of shutouts in his last three starts. The 23-year-old is now 4-3 with a 3.96 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 20 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Chick Wirtz has been a reliable option with Joe Hancock's struggles and Bernie Johnson's rough trio of starts, 5-3 with a 3.53 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 24 walks, and 14 strikeouts. This is a huge series for us, as we really struggled with the Wolves in Chicago, and the division race is starting to heat up with Brooklyn trying to put themselves in the mix. Minor League Report RHP Ray McNeill (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Another shutout for Ray McNeill, who now has two in six starts for the Blues. This one was against Fort Wayne, as he allowed just 2 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts in our 5-0 win. McNeill is now 4-1 on the season, and he's allowed 3 or fewer runs in all but one of his starts. The 25-year-old sports a 1.98 ERA (185 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, 6 walks, and 21 strikeouts in his 50 innings, as he looks to force his way into the big league pitching plan. The 6-pitch pitcher has managed to flash greatness this season, keeping walks down and runs off the board. He's not one of our top prospects, but he does rank inside the top 30 at 26, and appears ready to fill in for the big league club if needed. I'd say he's the second man up for temporary innings, behind just Harl Haines, as I wouldn't want to bring up Donnie or Johnnie just to option them down. He's not on the 40, but we do have two openings plus an eventual third when Allen Purvis gets re-DFA'd. The value of depth arms has rose tremendously, and McNeill may force his way into a big league role. RF Fred Vargas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was a huge week for the 22-year-old, who took home Century Player of the Week. The former first rounder was an impressive 12-for-20 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs. The current 65th overall prospect is now hitting an impressive .289/.427/.428 (140 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 27 RBIs with a nice 39-to-19 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He was off to a slow start this season, hitting just .205/.392/.385 in April, but he's slashing .500/.600/.917 in his first 8 June games. This is nice, as Vargas will hopefully be ready in a few seasons once Cliff Moss is ready to call it quits. Vargas features an elite eye, potentially one of the best in the game, and he has the chance to put up a few full seasons with 100+ walks. Add in the above average contact tool, and it's really hard to keep Vargas off base. He won't homer very much, but he more then makes up for it with his on-base percentage, and could end up a rare hitter who has a higher OBP then slugging. Defensively, he's still getting used to right, but I can't see him ever becoming more then just adequate defensively. The bat (or more specifically, the eye) will determine his big league success, but I'm pretty excited for the type of hitter he'll turn into. RHP King Price (A Lincoln Legislators): A 9th Round selection back in 1939, King Price has done a good job pushing his way up our prospect ladder. Now ranked 28th in the system and 338th overall, Price had a week to remember. It started on the 2nd, where he tossed a 7-hit, 7-strikeout shutout of the Gary Steelman, as the Legislators won 6-0. He was just as good in their 10-1 domination of the Springfield Hustlers, allowing just 5 hits, a run, and walk with 4 strikeouts in another complete game victory. This was impressive enough to earn Player of the Week as a pitcher, something that almost never happens. Price has now won six consecutive starts with 8 or more innings pitched, improving to 7-2 on the season. He's got a tiny 1.89 ERA (205 ERA+) with a 1.01 WHIP, 17 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 76.1 very effective innings. This is much better then his 10 starts with the Legislators last year, where he was 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA (81 ERA+) and 1.57 WHIP with 23 walks and 29 strikeouts. I think Price is now ready for the next step, and while I initially wanted to wait until the in-game draft, we now have Ron Sexton and Jimmy Ballard returning from injuries they suffered last season, pushing a few pitchers up. Price has very well developed stuff, and should continue to fool batters with Mobile, as his sidearm delivery really helps him record outs. He's not a hard thrower, his cutter is just 86-88, but he gets a lot of movement on it, as well as his change and knuckle curve. All three look like quality pitches, and he's done a good job lowering his walks this year. Price doesn't have the highest upside, but with the war looming large, arms like him who are well developed could find more important roles, while I try not to risk some of our youngsters with higher upside. LHP John Johnson (A Lincoln Legislators): He hasn't been in the rotation all season, but his four starts have gone well so far. The most recent was the best, as Johnson allowed just 4 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts in a complete game victory. It was his third start with 2 or fewer runs allowed, now 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA (156 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 12 walks, and 13 strikeouts across 36.1 innings pitched. The 22-year-old Chicagoan isn't very highly regarded among our prospects, but he tends to pitch well when on the mound. He has yet to have a sub 100 ERA+ at a minor league stint, and that looks to be continuing this season as well. Johnson has a nice three pitch mix, featuring an 88-90 mile per hour fastball, decent change, and reliable curve. Occasionally, he has issues hitting the zone, and this could lead to high pitch counts. If he continues to struggle with control, he's likely set to be just a spot starter, as tougher hitters will be able to wait him out, and punish his mistakes. C Walter Loera (B San Jose Cougars): June 2nd was a huge day for 22-year-old Walter Loera, as he was 5-for-6 in San Jose's extra inning win. He flied out in the first, but singled in each of his next five at bats, including a walk-off once in the 12th. An 11th Rounder from 1936, he's had a great season, slashing .362/.413/.468 (138 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, homer, 7 steals, and 35 RBIs. He's definitely ready for Lincoln, but with Solly Skidmore there, he wouldn't get much time. In fact, I actually plan on having him skip Lincoln, as once some our new catchers from the draft fill the lower minors, Loera will leapfrog Skidmore and take every day at bats from the Commodores. Loera hasn't always gotten a share of starts, with just 16 games played last season, but guys who were previously above him like William Rollins, Gidge Sumpter, and Charlie Hawkins start falling off, Loera has managed to seize more time. He's a good contact hitter and above average defender, but his homer this season was the first since he was a junior in high school. He has, however, shown great discipline, 17 walks to 5 strikeouts this year and he had 49 and 14 in a 361 PA sample two seasons ago. I don't see him as anything more then a backup, but he's a great presence in the staff and he'll always work harder on his craft.

03-02-2022, 06:34 PM	#746
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 9: June 9th-June 15th Weekly Record: 6-1 Seasonal Record: 39-21 (t-1st, 4.5 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.152 OPS Billy Hunter : 7 AB, 5 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .714 AVG, 2.143 OPS Eddie Quinn : 2 Wins, 16.0 IP, 7 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA Schedule 6-9: Win vs Foresters (0-4) 6-10: Win vs Sailors (5-10) 6-11: Win vs Sailors (1-2) 6-13: Win at Wolves (7-2) 6-14: Loss at Wolves (1-5) 6-15: Win at Wolves (9-6) 6-15: Win at Wolves (6-1) Recap Now this is what I'm talking about! We had a huge week where we both hit well and pitched well, and took a share of first place with a 6-1 week. We hit well and pitched well, with very few mistakes overall. The Stars were very lucky this week, not just because they had two off days, but because all four of their wins were by a single run. That luck obviously can't continue, and perhaps this is the week we finally separate ourselves from the pack. We got another injury scare, as Billy Hunter sprained his knee yet again, and will now miss most of the week. Worst part was his week was amazing, 5-for-7 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 4 RBIs. Lucky for us, Jim Lonardo is back healthy, finally, and he can rejoin the staff. I'm planning on going to a six man rotation, as we have a double header on Sunday, so at least for this week, no one has to worry about losing a rotation spot. One of the guys who might have been worried about their rotation spot was Eddie Quinn, but he had a pair of productive starts against two of his former teams. The first was a beaut, 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game shutout as we beat the Foresters 4-0. The second wasn't as great, but he picked up the win, 7 innings with 12 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks. That improved Quinn to 5-2 on the season, but his 4.43 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP leave a lot to be desired, and his 32-to-14 walk-to-strikeout ratio is definitely a bit concerning. Like Milt Fritz, his control seems to have disappeared this season, and unless he has another shutout up his sleeve, he may have to get used to pitching out of the pen. Speaking of Fritz, he continues to make baffling starts, picking up a complete game win with 6 hits, 4 walks, and a single run allowed. Harry Parker threw a pair of complete game victories, but he was much better against the Wolves then the Sailors. In Toronto, he allowed just one run with 11 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, while the Sailors got 10 hits, 5 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Peter the Heather threw another gem, a complete game victory with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Dick Lyons got the lone loss, 8 innings with 10 hits, 5 runs, and a strikeout. Can't really complain about the pitchers this week, as they kept us in each game, and unless Lyons didn't allow a run, we still would have lost in Toronto. Other then the one day we lost, the bats were really clicking. Leo Mitchell has started to catch fire, going 10-for-23 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 2 RBIs. Less then a month ago he was hitting just .257/.312/.304 and he's brought his season line way back up to .309/.360/.420 (113 OPS+), again looking like the top left fielder in the game. Dick Walker's power explosion continues, 2 more homers as he was 5-for-21 with a double, triple, 4 walks, 5 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Mike Taylor and Harry Mead both had good weeks, the pair combining to hit 7-for-23 with Taylor tripling, hitting two homers, and driving in 5. Freddie Jones was 3-for-11 with a double and 5 walks. John Lawson was 7-for-26 with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. Overall, the trio of Montes, Moss, and Schneider had some struggles, but each doubled twice and neither were so awful it hurt. Ray Ford, however, finally had a bad week, just 2-for-14 to drop him below .400 to .397/.438/.610 (184 OPS+). Pretty much everything went right for the Cougars, and we're hoping it continues as our road trip drags on. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, as we head to Cincinnati for a three game set with the Cannons. The Cannons haven't had much luck, just 28-31 on the season, but they are second in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed. Adam Mullins has been a huge help since returning to the lineup, slashing .420/.494/.551 (179 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a homer, and 9 RBIs with a nice 11-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. They've also gotten some production from third basemen Frank Covarrubias, who is hitting .311/.370/.429 (113 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs in a nice bounce back season. Fred Galloway is continuing his nice season, hitting .315/.389/.437 (120 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 29 RBIs. On the mound, Rufus Barrell has started to pitch a bit better, now 7-3 with a 4.39 ERA (90 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 23 walks, and 45 strikeouts. Butch Smith is now on a five game winning streak, increasing to 7-3 with a 3.22 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 38 walks, and 51 strikeouts. Unfortunately for them, William Jones has started showing his age, just 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA (72 ERA+), 1.69 WHIP, 35 walks, and 14 strikeouts. It will be a tough series for us, but we'll be ready and rested, and hopefully finish it in first. We stay in Ohio for the rest of the week, getting four games in three days with the Foresters. We've done well beating the Foresters, and they sit at just 22-37 and 16.5 games behind us. Dean Astle looked like he turned the corner after a 6-hit shutout, but has now allowed 5 or more runs in the past two starts, dropping to 4-7 with a 5.10 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 34 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Dave Rankin has also started to cool off, now 4-8 with a 4.62 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 38 walks, and 25 strikeouts in just under 100 innings. They have gotten a lot of help from the El Dorado Kid, who could end up as a late developing rookie. The 27-year-old is 2-4, but with a 3.18 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 32 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Hale is also the only rotation member to not appear in the Cougars organization (although I wanted to draft him in 1935, but instead too Doc Smith since I didn't realize he was available), as their 5 spot is held by our 1937 Rule-5 Pick (who was later returned) Jonah Brown. He's tossed 21 innings this year, the first FABL action since the '37 season. At the plate, they have a nice 2-3-4, with Dan Fowler, Bill Moore, and Mel Carrol. Neither are having the best seasons, but all three are dangerous hitters who should be taken seriously. Carrol is the best of the bunch, and while he may no longer be a top 3 third basemen, his .313/.356/.475 (116 OPS+) line is very effective. He's added 4 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 29 RBIs, but his 59 strikeouts are somehow 11 more then Leo Mitchell has. Since coming to Cleveland, Moore has been one of the top hitters in the game, and he's arguably the best college hitter. Still, his performance has started to decline, with his Cleveland OPS+ (146, 132, 131, 122) dropping each season. This year has been his worst, as he's hitting just .270/.358/.442 (108 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 30 RBIs, but with a 30-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Dan Fowler has cooled from his hot start, but is still slashing .274/.360/.451 (111 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 7 homers, and 21 RBIs. Despite that, they've scored the fewest runs and allowed the most, so I really hope we can take all four, but 3-1 would be fine too.

03-03-2022, 12:31 PM	#747
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 10: June 16th-June 22nd Weekly Record: 6-1 Seasonal Record: 45-22 (1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .625 AVG, 1.575 OPS Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 7 BB, 13 K, 1.00 ERA Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .346 AVG, .982 OPS Schedule 6-18: Loss at Cannons (8-9) 6-19: Win at Cannons (3-2) 6-20: Win at Cannons (6-5) 6-21: Win at Foresters (6-5) 6-21: Win at Foresters (13-2) 6-22: Win at Foresters (11-5) 6-22: Win at Foresters (7-0) Recap I can get used to this! We dropped the opener against the Cannons, but then ran up six straight victories to seize first place form the Stars. We have been elite in June, now 16-5 for the month, but the Stars have been almost as hot (14-7) so we haven't made any separation. Just a game above them, but seven above the Kings and the rest of the bunch. Still, no week is perfect, and guess was Billy Hunter did? He sprained his knee! his time Hunter will miss three weeks, the fifth time he's suffered this injury and six DTD injury of the season. On the off chance that he's healthy, he's been extremely productive, slashing .333/.368/.459 (123 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 RBIs. He'll head to the DL, with the career minor leaguer Tip Harrison joining the big league squad. It was either him or Stu Johnson, but both are really struggling in AAA and Harrison can fill in the outfield if needed. His .222/.284/.285 (58 OPS+) line leaves a lot to be inspired, but he's a great defender and probably won't he too much time anyways. Leo Mitchell has continued his conquest of CA pitching, absolutely tearing the cover off the ball yet again. Mitchell took home CA Player of the Week, going 15-for-24 with 3 doubles, a homer, 9 RBIs, 12 runs, and 6 walks with just 2 strikeouts. 2 strikeouts! Leo Mitchell! His OPS+ is back over 130, slashing .342/.400/.468 (135 OPS+) and on pace for 25 doubles, 14 homers, and 92 RBIs. Everyone but Freddie was outstanding this week, including Skipper Schneider, who hasn't been very good this season. This week was different, as Skipper went 9-for-26 with a double, 4 runs, 9 RBIs, and his first 2 homers of he season. Dick Walker continues to crush in a Cougar uniform, 9-for-22 with a double, homer, 5 RBIs, 3 steals, 7 walks, 7 runs, and the 6 strikeouts I expected Leo Mitchell to have. Harry Mead had a nice week, 2-for-9 with a pair of doubles, 3 runs, and 5 walks. Cliff Moss was 7-for-21 with a double, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Ray Ford was 7-for-20 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Carlos Montes was 8-for-26 with a triple, 2 steals, 2 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. John Lawson actually had one of the worst weeks on the squad, but he was still 10-for-32 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. The offense was great, little-to-no-weaknesses, and not only do we lead the league in runs scored, but we are first in second in each offensive category except steals, where we are tied for 6th, and strikeouts, where we have the most in the league. Peter the Heater continues to dominate the league, tossing a pair of complete game victories. He's now riding a six game win streak, with the sixth a 6-hit, 2-walk, 8-strikeout shutout of the Foresters. He also helped us edge the Cannons 3-2, allowing 10 hits, 2 runs, and 5 walks with 5 strikeouts. Papenfus is pushing for a triple crown, leading all of baseball in wins (11) and strikeouts (108) while third in the CA in ERA (2.93). It's so sad that right when he starts hitting his stride, he'll eventually enlist to fight in the war and leave us with a 101 mile per hour hole in our roster. On the other side, Jim Lonardo didn't have a great return to the lineup, allowing 14 hits, 9 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Milt Fritz didn't pitch too well either, 10 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and6 walks with a strikeout in 7 frames. Harry Parker pitched up a complete game win, and despite the 5 runs (4 earned), he was actually very effective. He allowed just 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Dick Lyons was a bit unlucky, 7 innings with 9 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 2 walks. Eddie Quinn actually pitched well, 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks in a complete game win. The offense bailed us out a few times, but the pitching has been good enough to win games, and that's all we can ask for. Looking Ahead The draft happens during this sim, so there is about to be a huge increase of players in our organization. I expect we have to sign a lot of these guys, so it won't happen all at once, but we'll get the expanded rosters down in C ball to help gradually make cuts and refresh the lower levels. Our road trip then ends in Philly, with three against the Sailors. At 31-33, they sit in fourth place and 12.5 games behind us. They've been a bit lucky to be in fourth, 6th in runs scored and 5th in runs allowed. Walt Wells isn't pitching like the ace he is, but the 20-game-winner is now 7-3 with a 4.07 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 33 walks, and 26 strikeouts. Ray McCarthy has hit a bit of a rough patch, allowing 6 earned runs in two of his last four starts, dropping to 6-2 with a 3.82 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. Not all of their starts have struggled, however, as Joe Watson is on pace for his third 140+ OPS+ in the past four seasons. He's slashing .353/.402/.562 (149 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, and 39 RBIs. He's getting some help from Rule-5 Pick Joseph Mills, who is hitting a decent .317/.384/.446 (115 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs. Besides those two, really just Marion Boismenu has been helpful, slashing a slightly lower, but still strong .381/.441/.470 (138 OPS+) line with 6 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. The Sailors have brought up top prospect Johnny Zeidman, but the 23-year-old has been off to a slow start to his pro career. The former 1st Rounder is hitting just .194/.242/.290 (38 OPS+) with a double, triple, and 4 RBIs. We are red hot right now, and I hope we can keep it up, but the Sailors are a talented team who can steal games in his series. We then have a weird one game series with the Kings, before an off day. This game will be at home, but then after the off day, we get two in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is the third team over .500 in the CA, but they dropped to 37-28, mainly because they couldn't beat the Foresters in Cleveland. The Kings have been a weird team, but they've done a good job winning games. Al Wheeler is starting to look like himself again, and is hitting .273/.397/.467 (126 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 27 RBIs. The big star of the Kings has been Joe Herman, who's slashed an elite .355/.408/.568 (154 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, and 38 RBIs with 21 walks to just 6 strikeouts. Besides those two, he only hitter really doing much is Frank LeMieux. He's been productive for them since Frank Vance left, and this Frank is hitting .333/.378/.476 (123 OPS+) with 19 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 30 RBIs with a nice 14-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The biggest surprise in Brooklyn, however, has been Art White, who is in the midst of his worst season as a full time starter. White is just 5-9 with a 4.58 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 36 walks, and 28 strikeouts. In his place, Chicagoan Bob Cummings has taken over as ace, 8-4 with a 3.53 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 55 walks, and 54 strikeouts. The rest of the staff hasn't been great, but they've gotten good innings from former Cougar prospect Stumpy Beaman. The tiny 27-year-old is 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 31 walks, and 16 strikeouts. This will be a big test for us, and these are must win games as we start next week against the Stars, and I want to still be in first for this series. Minor League Report RF Cy Howard (B San Jose Cougars): It's been a tough season for the versatile Cy Howard, but I hope his last two games are a sign of what to come. It started with a 5-for-5 as we beat Spokane 6-1, and then he followed it up with a 3-for-4. In those two games he combined for a double, triple, walk, and 2 RBIs, but he's still hitting just .265/.329/.333 (78 OPS+). The 23-year-old was in the top 500 after being drafted in the 6th Round last season, but he has since completely dropped out. The Chicagoan can play all across the diamond, but so far he's spent almost all his time out in right. He's looked good there, a 3.7 zone rating and 1.063 efficiency, but last season he also got double digit games at second, third, and short and put up above average marks there too. He's in jeopardy of losing some playing time once some of our new draftees join the system, but even if he loses an every day role, he's likely to work as a utility guy, getting time at a few positions each week. He's fast, has above average bat speed at he plate, and he'll end up a threat on the bases. He's got everything you look for in a fourth outfielder, with he added bonus of being able to fill in on the dirt too. I'm not sure Howard will ever be a starter in the big leagues, but I find it hard to imagine he doesn't debut. RHP Roscoe Brown (C La Crosse Lions): It's been an up and down season for teen Roscoe Brown, but the 19-year-old was firing on all cylinders against the Rock Island Steamboats. Brown allowed just 5 hits with 4 strikeouts in a shutout win to improve to 5-3. In his last five starts, he now has two with no runs and two with 6, and currently owns a 3.62 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP with 23 walks and 39 strikeouts. Brown was excellent in 10 starts last year with La Crosse, but he's seen his K/9 drop with his BB/9, ERA, and WHIP all rising. It's not overly concerning, but I'm hoping once the season finishes he'll have those numbers improved. Brown is one of our top prospects, ranked 17th and 225th respectively. He features a nice low 90s fastball and sinker with his third pitch a curve with nice movement. His stuff has the potential to be electric, leading to high strikeout totals, but his command will need to improve as he continues to develop. Right now he profiles more as a filler arm then a top one, but his stuff could end up carrying him much higher.

03-04-2022, 06:58 PM	#748
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 11: June 23rd-June 29th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 49-24 (1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 25 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.066 OPS Harry Mead : 13 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.231 OPS Harry Parker : 1 Win, 11.1 IP, 4 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 6-23: Win at Sailors (4-1) 6-24: Win at Sailors (5-0) 6-25: Win at Sailors (9-1) 6-26: Win vs Kings (3-7) 6-28: Loss at Kings (2-8) 6-29: Loss at Kings (3-4) Recap We pushed our win streak up to ten, sweeping the Sailors in Philly before winning our home game against the Kings. The off day seemed to cool us right off, and the Kings won both of the games in Brooklyn. Still, a strong 4-2 week, and I can't expect to win every game, even if we are playing at a top level. The Stars had a nice week, but they still sit a game behind us, and we continue to lead the CA. Eddie Quinn pitched himself back into the bullpen, allowing 12 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), a walk and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The poor guy seems to have been really effected by his partially torn UCL, and despite being 6-3, he has a 4.64 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 36 walks, and 16 strikeouts in his 11 starts. What makes matters worse, is Del Burnes has really blossomed this year. I doubt he would have been this good with us, or even really had a rotation spot, but he's done well in Washington. Sure, 3-7 isn't very good, but he has a 2.97 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 63 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 124.1 innings so far. Of course, if Quinn never got hurt, he could have pitched as good or better, but now it seems like we can mark the trade as a loss. We had better news from the rest of the staff, as Harry Parker has really started to heat up. The 26-year-old was wonderful against the Sailors, tossing a 5-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts to improve to 10-5. He also pitched a game out of the pen, as with the six man I was allowing starters to relieve, throwing 2.1 hitless innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts. He's won his last four starts, improved his record to 10-5, and dropped his ERA and WHIP to 3.16 (125 ERA+) and 1.18 with 38 walks and 58 strikeouts. Dick Lyons has also really started to heat up, allowing 8 hits, 3 walks, and an unearned run with 2 punch-outs in his complete game win. He's really turned things around, now 5-6 with a 3.95 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 25 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo was much better in his second start, scattering 13 hits and a run in a compete game victory. Peter the Heater tossed his seventh consecutive complete game win, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks while striking out 9. Milt Fritz picked up a loss, but he looked fine, 6 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks in 8 innings against one of his former teams. The offense as a whole really struggled, but when that happens, it usually means John Lawson picked up the slack. That's exactly what he did, going 8-for-25 with a double, 3 homers, and 8 RBIs. Lawson becomes our first hitter to reach double digits for homers, now with 11 in 72 games. Harry Mead had a nice week, 6-for-13 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes was 6-for-19 with a double, triple, 3 walks, 5 runs, and an RBI. Both Ray Ford and Skipper Schneider had average weeks, with Ford 6-for-22 with a homer and 4 RBIs while Skipper was 8-for-23 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Freddie Jones had a tough week in his return as a full time starter, just 4-for-19 with 2 walks and runs scored and his OPS+ on the season dropped below 100. His rough couple of weeks will likely see Ray Ford get some more time at second, allowing me to keep him and Dick Walker in the lineup. Walker himself had a tough week, 2-for-12 with a triple, run, and RBI, but he's still hitting a superb .283/.392/.585 (162 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 3 steals, and 21 RBIs as a Cougar. The draft is now complete, and with a simless weekend, I'll get a draft recap of the 11th to 25th rounds tomorrow. A decent amount of picks still need to be signed, with our 1st through 5th Rounders needing bonuses as well as pitchers Bill Ballantine (6th) and George Oddo (8th). All will have their demands met. We also have a trio of impossibles that I will let attend college. We do have some early entrants to the top 500, and also our system got a nice boost to second. I expect changes as the new draftees get assigned, but we have 10 top 101 prospects (Ossie Grogan is right outside the top 100) and a lot of our youngsters are moving up. Of the new draftees, 6th Rounder Joe Dackett (291st), 7th Rounder Dan Collins (293rd), 7th Rounder Joe Swank (391st), 8th Rounder Skipper Ellis (395th), and 9th Rounder Pinch Lenhart (465th) all checking in. Some will likely drop out and a few will most definitely slide down a bit, but I'm hoping we have a few top 100 guys. I'd love to see Otto Christian and Ed Howard ranked highly, and I think them and maybe Huck Hanes or Jim Dickinson could join the top 100. Our system is looking really strong, and while I doubt we'll end up with the #1 farm, it would be awesome to be the top team in both record and farm system. There is also the All Star game coming up, with teams announced next sim and the game next Tuesday. There is a day off before and after, giving us much needed off days in a season that has seen very few. Looking Ahead We'll need the bats working against the Stars, as their pitching is top notch, but we'll be at home where we should have the advantage. We've now allowed the fewest runs, passing them, but they now passed us in runs scored. Both teams have scored over 100 more runs then allowed, and both of us are clearly the class of the CA, if not the entire FABL. At 46-23, we have 3 more wins and one more loss then they do, but both teams have been truly remarkable. And while Peter the Heater may be the FABL's pitcher, it's pretty clear that Bill Barrett is the FABL's best hitter. Almost three months into the season, and Barrett is hitting .405/.483/.725 (217 OPS+) and on pace for 40 doubles, 45 homers, 165 RBIs, 96 walks, and 13.4 WAR. William the Conqueror is even younger then Papenfus, just 21-years-old, but is in the midst of what could be the most dominant offensive season ever. Compared to him, every other hitter looks like a little leaguer, but there are very few holes on this team. You can't forget about "Father Time", as Dave Trowbridge keeps chugging along, slashing .335/.395/.436 (120 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 43 RBIs in his 19 season with FABL time. The Stars have magically got something out of former Cougar Rule-5 Pick Cliff Ray, who at 32 is hitting .272/.391/.396 (110 OPS+) after a .167/.283/.241 (47 OPS+) season. Both teams have their 1-2-3 going, with Billy Riley, Chuck Cole, and Vern Hubbard the projected starters for New York. Riley is coming off a rough start against the Foresters where he allowed 10 hits and 9 runs (8 earned) while failing to exit the 6th, dropping to 7-3 with a 3.66 ERA (110 ERA+), .137 WHIP, 27 walks, and 48 strikeouts. Cole has managed to improve on a stellar 1940 campaign, 10-4 with a 2.73 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 48 walks, and 46 strikeouts. Hubbard meanwhile has completely 180ed after last year's struggles, going from 3-6 with a 5.03 ERA (80 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 43 walks, and 37 strikeouts to 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA (146 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 47 walks, and 42 strikeouts in practically the same amount of innings. This series may arguably be the best of the regular season, and I can only imagine the buzz of our simulated fanbases around this crucial set, with potentially 30,000 people showing out to North Side Grounds. The fans usually leave happy, as we're 25-8 in Chicago, winning more then 75% of our home contests. We then get a day to recover, and will remain home to prep for a double header against the Saints. Montreal is just 29-44, and has been hit very hard with injuries, as currently three players are out for more then three months. One is the soon-to-be 36-year-old Ed Baker, who's torn flexor tendon may have ended his career. He was having a rough, yet unlucky season, 2-9 with a 5.07 ERA (81 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 28 walks, and 29 strikeouts, but his FIP (3.19) and FIP- (78) paint a much prettier story. With him out, former Cougar prospect Karl Wallace has stepped into the rotation. He has 5 starts and 6 relief outings, going 2-5 with a 4.01 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 17 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Wally Doyle has been hit hard, allowing 6 or more runs in three of his last four starts, with the other a 4 run affair. The youngster is immensely talented, but is now 9-7 with a 4.68 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 58 walks, and 86 strikeouts after a June to forget. The offense is much better then the pitching, and despite being 4th in runs scored, they lead the league in both average and on-base percentage. They have six hitters batting over .300 and another at .298, and they are a hard team to get out. Despite his rough defense at short, Jake Hughes as developed into a potential long term cornerstone, hitting .349/.391/.456 (120 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 triples, 6 steals, and 41 RBIs. Bert Lass has put together another great season at the plate, slashing .366/.402/.491 (132 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 41 RBIs. It does help that he bats ahead of Red Bond, who's hitting an effective .322/.400/.460 (124 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 9 homers, and 52 RBIs as he adjusts to first base. They've also watched Mark Burns start to blossom, as the 26-year-old third basemen is hitting a strong .312/.396/.457 (122 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 5 steals, and 33 RBIs. We've had our struggles against Montreal, dropping far more games to them then we should, but I expect nothing less then a sweep here, as our pitching is significantly better then theirs. We then finish the week hosting the Kings for a quick two game stop. We'll look to get revenge, as they beat us both times in Brooklyn, and are now 39-31 and 8.5 games out of first. I already mentioned Art White's struggles, but another arm having trouble is Jack Goff. The 25-year-old was reliable the past two seasons, but has really struggled in 1941, 5-6 with a 5.38 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 36 walks, and 36 strikeouts. I'm hoping we catch him and Jim Crawford, as Art White should eventually turn things around, Bob Cummings is an excellent young arm, and Stumpy Beaman had his way with us. The 27-year-old tossed a complete game victory to improve to 8-3, allowing just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in our 8-2 loss. The offense has had it's issues, in part to the two remaining Barrell's Harry and Fred. Harry is hitting just .272/.325/.375 (83 OPS+) and has been moved to the 7 spot, right above his older brother. Of course, he's still arguably the best defender in the sport, with a 12.0 zone rating and 1.114 efficiency at short, and he's added 16 doubles, 5 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 28 RBIs. Fred's offense has really fallen since 1936, but he's hitting a poor .242/.293/.303 (56 OPS+) with 10 doubles and 21 RBIs in a really poor season. Now 35, the former Cougar first rounder may be reaching the end of his career. I expect a hard fought series, but with how good we are at home and Brooklyn's 14-22 road record, I really like our chances here. This will be a tough week, but if we can win the series against New York, I think we may be able to pull away a bit. Minor League Report LHP Duke Bybee (C La Crosse Lions): He may be 18 (although, only for a few more days), but Duke Bybee doesn't pitch like it. In his last five starts, he allowed 1 or fewer runs in all but one, pitching a total of 44.2 innings. This week he was at his best, picking up a pair of complete game victories with zero earned runs. His first start was best, 4 hits and 6 strikeouts with a lone unearned run, but he tossed a 9-hit shutout with a walk and 3 strikeouts just a few days later. He needed just 92 and 114 pitches, but Bybee has shown the ability to throw far more if needed. passing 130 twice, including a 10.2 inning win. Already one of the top prospects in the game, the 1st pick of last year's June Draft ranks 3rd in our system and 17th overall. He is an extremely talented youngster who has a deep six pitch mix, led by a strong low 90s fastball he is able to get a ton of swings and misses on. He reminds me a lot of Harry Parker, both finesse pitchers who throw in the low 90s and have six reliable pitches. The big difference is Parker has a reliable off speed pitch, his strong changeup, while Bybee has yet to develop one. Bybee also doesn't deal with Harry Parker's home run issues or laziness, as Duke is extremely hard working and not a flyball pitcher. His work ethic is already showing, as he's made huge strides since joining the organization. His numbers this year are just as good as last year, 5-4 with a 3.24 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 23 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched. He has improved a few things, with his BB/9 dropping a full point while his WAR has more then doubled. I was really excited when I drafted Bybee, and that excitement has only heightened, and he may end up developing into an ace. I already loved our potential 1-2-3 of Papenfus and the Jones brothers, but add Duke Bybee into the mix and I don't think there is a team that can do better then that. LHP Art Ramsey (C La Crosse Lions): Art Ramsey has been red hot lately, allowing just 3 runs in his last 3 starts, with the third a 3-hit shutout of the Waterloo Chiefs. He walked just one and struck out four as the Lions beat the Chiefs by a touchdown. Ramsey strained his back in April, and missed a little less then a month, but has been dominant this season. The former 11th Rounder is a perfect 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA (204 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 8 walks, and 28 strikeouts. Ramsey has also started to climb our prospect list, ranking 28th and 298th after starting the season outside the top 500. He's done a good job boosting velocity, adding a mile in the Spring and another this month. His fastball now sits in the 88-90 range, and he pairs it well with his curve. His change and screwball aren't great, but he does an excellent job locating them, allowing to create weak contact and limit walks. His BB/9 is down from 3.3 last year to 1.5, and his K/9 is up over a point at 5.2. His stuff is still raw, and has a chance to become better, but he's more of finesse then overpower. OSA is a big fan, thinking he could end up a back of the rotation arm, but I'm a bit less optimistic. He's got a ton of development ahead of him and he looks more staff filler then rotation arm. Still, he's received some nice talent boosts already, and a decent future ahead of him.

03-05-2022, 07:12 PM	#749
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1941 Draft: Round 11-25 11th Round, 174th Overall: CF Alex Horning School: Amarillo Methodist 1941: .286/.378/.393, 196 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 36 SB Career: .286/.378/.393, 196 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 36 SB He was just a one year starter at Amarillo Methodist, but he was actually on my draft list, so it's kind of nice that my scouts first pick was someone I debated selecting. Horning has a great eye at the plate and he projects to be a strong defender out in center. He's got experience in both corners too, as well as first, and his versatility should help him be a decent bench player until a starting role opens up. Tom is a big fan, thinking he can be a reliable supplemental player, but I'm not sure his future is starting in the FABL. Still, the 11th Round is huge because as good as us humans are at drafting, there are always guys we miss each year, and Horning could potentially be a diamond in the rough. 12th Round, 190th Overall: RHP Charlie Everett School: Shenandoah Valley State 1941: 2-5, 72.2 IP, 4.58 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 46 BB, 60 K Career: 10-11, 226 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 119 BB, 185 K This draft didn't have many good college pitchers, and even fewer starters who are currently considered a "Starter," and most that were are pretty bad pitchers. Charlie Everett is one of them. He had a nice freshman season, 4-3 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 38 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 11 starts and 3 pen outings, but his performance got worse over time. Each season his ERA rose, his WHIP never went down, and his final season he had a way too high 5.7 BB/9. At least the strikeouts went up, going from 6.9 to 7.3 to 7.9, but that's about all that went better. He didn't throw many innings, never passing 80 despite 11 starts each season. Still, we need a lot of depth in the lower minors, and Everett can do just that. He can soak up innings out of the pen, likely moving up quickly, and if we are desperate for arms he can start a few games. His stuff is good, with a decent slider, mid 80s fastball, and promising change, with an average curve. Everett is a pedestrian arm now, and there is a reason that no one took the tiny righty in the first ten rounds. 13th Round, 206th Overall: C Butch Stone School: Gratz 1941: .383/.435/.592, 132 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 6 SB Career: .417/.485/.680, 489 PA, 49 2B, 4 3B, 18 HR, 121 RBI, 26 SB A four year starter in high school, Butch Stone had a great freshman season, hitting .466/.546/.989 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs. Unfortunately for Stone, he never hit better then .425/.505/.610, with his entire triple slash dropping each season, and he hit just 7 total homers after that power packed season. I doubt he'll ever come close to his freshman year, but he does hit the ball hard and he has to have some sort of power to hit double digit homers in high school. He does have a coolish nickname, "Firecracker," but I can't see him ever starting more the a handful of games in the minors. 14th Round, 222nd Overall: 3B Israel Holmes School: New Roads 1941: .431/.530/.578, 134 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 26 RBI, 9 SB Career: .420/.523/.597, 349 PA, 27 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 18 SB Another prep bat, Israel Holmes was a three year starter at New Roads, but unlike most of the late round picks, he got better each season. Still, he never really hit that great, but he is a consistent defender at the hot corner. His eye is strong, but he doesn't really make enough contact to be a reliable hitter. If everything breaks right, he could end up a bench player, but he'll need a lot of luck for that to happen. 15th Round, 239th Overall: CF John Baker Jr. School: Baker Commit School: Portland Tech 1941: .385/.461/.716, 128 PA, 14 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 SB Career: .392/.484/.730, 505 PA, 56 2B, 20 3B, 14 HR, 103 RBI, 115 SB Son of career minor leaguer John Baker, who's career lasted from 1905-1910 and then 5 games between 1914 and 1915, with 399 of his 474 minor league games coming in his first three seasons. The brilliant Baker Jr. may not even be as successful, as his highest career average in four years at Baker was .400. Lucky for him, he's committed to Portland Tech on an academic scholarship and has a future in a white collar role if baseball doesn't pan out. I have no plan in stopping him from his commitment, and while players can improve in college, I don't think he's going to be the next Tucker Ness or Bill Rich. 16th Round, 254th Overall: C Frank Bradberry School: Lincoln College 1941: .231/.300/.300, 307 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 33 SB Career (HS): 410/.497/.629, 373 PA, 41 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 79 RBI, 22 SB Career (COL): .247/.316/.323, 779 PA, 26 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 105 RBI, 91 SB I didn't even think we had undrafted players, but turns out no one selected Frank Bradberry in the 1938 Draft. College didn't really help him out, as he hit just .247/.316/.323 at Lincoln, and he struck out (118) almost twice as much as he walks (63). He also had a negative WAR each season, including -1.1 this season. I'm not releasing any of my picks yet, but I would not be surprised if he's one of the first to go. His best asset is his speed, something that doesn't age well for a catcher, so I think Bradberry may need to be looking for a job a year from now. 17th Round, 270th Overall: LHP Jim Fetrow School: Barton 1941: 10-2, 121.1 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 46 BB, 135 K Career: 33-11, 447.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 160 BB, 513 K A four year starter at Barton, Jim Fetrow only had one season with a sub 2 ERA, but he did manage a 3.5 or higher WAR each season with 100 or more strikeouts. The lefty has a nice three pitch mix, a high 80s fastball and decent curve and change, and all three pitches could end up being plus offerings. I think he's one of the better guys we got in the later rounds, and he has managed to rack up strikeouts already. I'm not saying he's going to be a future rotation pitcher, but he could be a reliable pen arm with the upside to fill a rotation. Each year there's a Danny Hern, and perhaps Fetrow could be him. 18th Round, 286th Overall: LHP Vince Liberatore School: Florence Commit School: Daniel Boone College 1941: 7-4, 102.1 IP, 3.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 68 BB, 98 K Career: 18-10, 277.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 252 K A high school pitcher with a 3.00 ERA? Yeah, he should get his degree... Lucky for him, he's committed to Daniel Boone College, and I won't stop him from attending. He's just 17, but he's a flyball pitcher and projected to be a "strictly bullpen" arm, so my guess is Liberatore may never pitch in the minors, let alone the majors. 19th Round, 302nd Overall: LHP Eddie Needham School: Taft 1941: 7-3, 103 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 44 BB, 86 K Career: 19-8, 3 SV, 2.80 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 123 BB, 256 K Yet another high school arm, at least Eddie Needham didn't have a 3.00 ERA! He just never had one below 2.60... A four pitch lefty, none of his pitches are any good, and like Liberatore, he's projected to be strictly a bullpen arm. He does keep the ball on the ground and sits in the mid 80s range, but he'll just be pen fodder until better options show up. 20th Round, 318th Overall: CF Dave Bryant School: Eastern Oklahoma 1941: .269/.296/.331, 277 PA, 11 2B, 3B, HR, 36 RBI, 14 SB Career (HS): .419/.473/.604, 489 PA, 55 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 112 RBI, 22 SB Career (COL): .270/.297/.341, 33 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 113 RBI, 38 SB Like Frank Bradberry, Dave Bryant was undrafted out of high school, but he was a decent bat in college. Sure, he also had negative WAR seasons each time, but he has good speed and could end up hitting for a high average. He should be a decent outfielder, and can man all three positions, but my guess is he won't stay in the organization very long. 21st Round, 334th Overall: C Tommy Knecht School: Ursuline Commit School: Opelika State 1941: .383/.415/.591, 125 PA, 12 2B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 9 SB Career: .392/.429/.589, 472 PA, 45 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 111 RBI, 29 SB The last of our three impossibles, the 6'4'' Tommy Knecht will be on his way to Opelika State. He's at least had a .400 season, .402 as a sophomore, but he failed to reach .400 in the other three seasons. He does have a good build, which could lead to power later on, but right now, there really isn't much talent. 22nd Round, 350th Overall: 1B Norm Anderson School: Emmaus 1941: .400/.448/.533, 116 PA, 9 2B, 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 10 SB Career: .420/.523/.597, 349 PA, 27 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 18 SB A four year starter at Emmaus, Norm Anderson was outstanding as a Freshman, slashing .500/.575/.740 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 28 RBIs, but unfortunately he never lived up to that. He was okay as a sophomore, but he barely hit over .400 his past two seasons. He doesn't have the power you need for a first basemen, but we don't have many first basemen in our system, and he will likely hand out in La Crosse for a few seasons until a younger, hopefully better version, takes his place. 23rd Round, 366th Overall: CF John Martinez School: Meriden 1941: .439/.468/.561, 109 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 26 RBI, 4 SB Career: .464/.502/.660, 333 PA, 38 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 82 RBI, 8 SB He'll turn 18 in a few days, so he has his age on his side. Great as a sophomore, he hit over .500, slashing .516/.571/.736, so there should be some sort of talent there. He doesn't have too much offensive or defensive talent, but he can play all three outfield positions and has a lot of time to grow. It's a long shot, but he could have a decent future. 24th Round, 382nd Overall: 2B Jim Nickerson School: Coal Grove 1941: .416/.449/.525, 107 PA, 11 2B, 21 RBI, 8 SB Career: .444/.494/.632, 448 PA, 48 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 102 RBI, 21 SB A four year starter at Coal Grove, Nickerson was actually very effective his first two seasons, hitting .495/.557/.653 as a freshman and .468/.532/.766 as a sophomore. The second half of his high school career didn't go so well, and as a senior he had his first sub 1.000 OPS. He can only play second, which limits his value, and I doubt he'll be a Lion for much longer. 25th Round, 398th Overall: 2B Mike Dimery School: High Point 1941: .375/.423/.491, 125 PA, 13 2B, 23 RBI, 10 SB Career: .374/.446/.528, 483 PA, 45 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 100 RBI, 21 SB We finished out the AI portion of the draft with yet another high schooler, with 11 of the 15 picks coming from a high school. Unlike Nickerson, he can play third and short as well, adding a little value, but also unlike Nickerson, he never hit over .400 in any of his four seasons. He has a poor glove and poor bat, and like a lot of these other guys, seems to have very little chance of developing into a useful piece, but his versatility could allow him to outlast some of the guys taken before him. Nothing too exciting from this group past the first three, but with all the late picks in the human portion, we really didn't need to get much talent here. As mentioned, no one will be released yet, but as the better draftees sign and the La Crosse roster eventually goes down to 35, I expect to see a decent amount of these guys looking for another job.

03-07-2022, 06:47 PM	#750
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 12: June 30th-July 6th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 53-27 (1st, 3 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.054 OPS Ray Ford : 26 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .308 AVG, .729 OPS Carlos Montes : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .286 AVG, .655 OPS Schedule 6-30: Win vs Stars (2-4) 7-1: Win vs Stars (2-3): 10 innings 7-2: Loss vs Stars (7-1) 7-4: Win vs Saints (2-7) 7-4: Win vs Saints (2-4) 7-5: Loss vs Kings (5-3) 7-6: Loss vs Kings (8-5): 14 innings Recap And the lead expands to three! It all honesty, it should have been more, but we just cannot beat the Kings. They won our last two games of the second half, and have now beat us in four consecutive games. They're now just six games out of first, and we're helping them get back in the playoff race. We did take two out of three from the Stars, which helped give us the separation, and we finished June an elite 21-7, winning 75% of the games we played. At 53-27, we are the only FABL team with 50 or more wins at the break, and obviously, we hold the best record. We did get a little bit of bad news, with Cliff Moss out for about three weeks with a herniated disc in his back. It's a tough loss, as Moss was hitting .282/.354/.464 (120 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, and 39 RBIs in his first 285 PAs as a Cougar. Lucky for us, Rich Langton is still a Cougar, and he's hitting like the pre-1940 Rich Langton. In his 121 PAs he's slashing .321/.364/.491 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 25 RBIs. It will also give more time for Dick Walker and Ray Ford, as Ford can play a little in left with Mitchell moving to right. We had five Cougars heading to the All Star game, led by who should have been the unanimous starter at third John Lawson, and the unanimous starter for the CA Pete Papenfus. Lawson is in the midst of another excellent season, slashing .328/.383/.518 (142 OPS+) with 21 doubles, a triple, 13 homers, and 63 RBIs. He won't repeat as the Whitney Winner, but Lawson has been excellent yet again. Papenfus is having his best season, 12-4 with a 2.95 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 76 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 18 stellar starts. He also won June Pitcher of the Month, finishing 6-0 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 24 walks, and 41 strikeouts. We had there others; Leo Mitchell, Skipper Schneider, and Harry Parker, but none of them will be starting. In May, if you told me Leo Mitchell would be an All-Star, I'd laugh it off, but after a .455/.522/.644 June, Mitchell blazed his way to the All Star game. His season line now is .341/.394/.477 (135 OPS+) and he's added 12 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 53 RBIs. Skipper only got in because there were next to zero quality shortstops in the CA, and the 20-year-old has hit .287/.330/.366 (88 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 37 RBIs with a 20-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Add in the 12.2 zone rating and 1.089 efficiency, and he is the third most productive shortstop in the CA. I was upset Harry Parker wasn't one of the choices for the All Star game, I would have voted for him, but he still got in. It's the first trip for the 26-year-old, who is 10-6 with a 3.38 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 42 walks, and 60 strikeouts. I missed it initially, but Ray Ford was also elected to the All Star game. He has made just 224 trips to the plate, but has an outstanding .368/.417/.544 (159 OPS+) triple slash with 16 doubles, 6 homers, and 31 RBIs. Like Parker, Ford wasn't on the ballot, so even if I wanted to vote for him (I still would've voted Trowbridge), I couldn't have. We led the way with six All Stars, and I can see all of these guys repeating in the future, and for Parker, Papenfus, and Skipper, it should be the first of many. Looking back at the week, we had a lot of good pitching outings. One pitcher who didn't was new All-Star Harry Parker, who allowed 14 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Pug Bryan also struggled out of the pen, 4 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 4.1 innings across two outings. Peter the Heater was stuck with two no decisions, but went 17.2 innings with 17 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and 11 walks with 9 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win and a loss, but allowed just two earned runs in each start. Sure, his loss had three that were unearned, but he allowed 17 hits and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a pair of complete games. Dick Lyons has continued to heat up, 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. Milt Fritz had a nice start himself, 4 hits, 2 runs, and 6 walks with a strikeout in 8 good enough innings. Our pitching continues to be the best in the league, and we finished the first half allowing the fewest runs in baseball, despite four more games then the Stars, who are second. Leo Mitchell continues his tear, 8-for-24 with a double, triple, 2 homers, 4 runs, and 9 RBIs. He didn't have too much help, but Mike Taylor had a big partial week, 4-for-8 with a double, run, and 2 walks. Same for Dick Walker, who was 4-for-13, and Rich Langton, who was 3-for-9. Both doubled and drove in a run, while Langton scored twice and Walker scored just once. Mitchell was the only full time player with an above average week, while our other two All-Star bats Skipper and Lawson both hit below .200. They combined to go just 9-for-54, although most of their hits were of the extra base variety. Lawson doubled and homered twice while Skipper tripled and homered. We're lucky to win as many games as we did this week, but the offense has been great most of the time, as we finished the first half with the second most runs scored. Lastly, all our draftees I plan on signing have signed, so not only do we now have the best record in the FABL, but now also have the top farm system! I was very shocked, but we have jumped over the Saints, as our 183 points are just above their 175. Leading the way is Donnie Jones, who checks in at 6th on the midseason rank. He's one of four in the top 25, followed by Johnnie Jones (13th), Duke Bybee (17th), and Solly Skidmore (22nd). Our first two picks Otto Christian (41st) and Eddie Howard (27th) join them in the top 50, giving us 8 top 100 prospects. We also have 21 in the top 250 and 44 in the top 500. Only the Sailors (51) have more ranked prospects then us, but even with 11 in the top 100 they rank 4th overall. Of the 1941 class, 2nd Rounder Leo Hayden (119th), 5th Rounder Jack Houston (123rd), 3rd Rounder Jim Dickinson (155th), 7th Rounder Dan Collins (306th), 6th Rounder Joe Dackett (341st), 4th Rounder Huck Hanes (407th), 8th Rounder Skippy Ellis (441st), 7th Rounder Joe Swank (459th), and 6th Rounder Bill Ballantine (483rd) all rank in the top 500. Looking Ahead The All-Star games is on Tuesday, and we don't play until Thursday, but I couldn't be happier with our start to the second half. We start at home, hosting the Foresters for three games. Cleveland is 29-51, and 24 games behind us, so we should be able to start the second half on the right foot. They've scored the fewest runs and allowed the most, and haven't gotten any consistency from their starting. Four of their five starters have ERAs in the 4s, and the 5th isn't in the 3s, it's Johnny Slaney's 6.59 (62 ERA+). The 25-year-old is having a very rough season, 0-5 with a 1.84 ERA, 33 walks, and 23 strikeouts in 8 starts and 4 relief outings. Dean Astle's ERA is close to 5, and he's 4-9 with a 4.95 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 44 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Rankin and Turner both have 9 losses as well, and I don't think we'll have trouble scoring on them. Strikeout machine Lou Balk is probably their most dangerous hitter right now, and he's slashing .306/.366/.491 (121 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 35 RBIs. He was the closest they had to an All Star, but no Foresters will be at the game. These should be easy wins for us, but you can't count your chickens before they hatch. We finish the week with two of four against the 40-38 Canons. We'll have a double header in Chicago on Sunday, and while we may not get him this week, we'll likely have to face second time All Star Butch Smith. The 29-year-old is having another great season, 9-4 with a 2.96 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 56 walks, and 67 strikeouts. He'll be joined on the team by Roger Perry, who is 6-5 with a 3.09 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 27 walks, and 41 strikeouts in a breakout at 34. They had a few other All Stars, including second basemen Charley McCullough, who hit .322/.422/.371 (112 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a homer, triple, 9 steals, and 45 RBIs. He'll be joined with Fred Galloway, who is making his third consecutive appearance. The Mouse is just 25, and with a bit of a down month, he's hitting .291/.372/.403 (105 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs. Their 5th All Star is a bit of shock, not because of performance, but because he played just 35 games. It's his 5th selection, and it's star catcher Adam Mullins. The 28-year-old represented Montreal the first four times, and has hit .385/.475/.526 (165 OPS+) as a Cannon with 13 doubles, 2 homers, and 19 RBIs. I expect a tough series, but we are unbeatable at home when we don't play Brooklyn, and the Cannons are basically the Foresters on the road. Minor League Report RF Fred Vargas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I was all ready to call Orlin Yates up from AAA to replace Cliff Moss, but after the month Fred Vargas had, I couldn't leave him in Milwaukee. He won't be an every day player for us, as Langton is set to get most of the games, but I will give Vargas the start against some right handed pitchers. The 22-year-old got on base in over half of his plate appearances, slashing .360/.521/.517 with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 16 RBIs, and 30 walks. For the season, he's hitting an outstanding .298/.452/.421 (143 OPS+) with 18 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 36 RBIs with an outstanding 67-to-27 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His prospect rank dropped a bit with the new draftees, but he still checks in at 8th in our system and 73rd overall. He's slowly becoming a better defender in right, and while not great, his .977 efficiency and -3.4 zone rating are at least passable for a productive hitter. His eye is elite, and while he does strike out at times, he is arguably the best walk drawer in baseball, projecting to potentially hit triple digits in a full season. He's already done that in the minors with 129 in 1939, and if the rest of his offensive game reaches his potential, 100 shouldn't be out of the question. He doesn't have the power you like to see in a corner bat, but getting on base every other trip is better then 20 or so homers in a season. Vargas has the potential to develop into an impact big leaguer, and at just 22, he's already looking like a mature hitter wise beyond his years. CF Don Lee (B San Jose Cougars): I was a little worried that Class B may be a little too tough for a teenager, but Don Lee has erased any doubt. He won't turn 20 until January, and he managed to hit over .700 in a week. Lee was 10-for-14 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs and is now hitting .407/.510/.651 (208 OPS+) in just over 100 plate appearances. Combined with his time in La Cross, the former 2nd Rounder has 13 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 53 RBIs with 59 walks and just 18 strikeouts. The hardworking center fielder has great speed, leading to excellent outfield range and a knack for stealing bases. He makes a lot of hard contact, as he lays off bad pitches, and any time he puts the ball in play he has a chance to wreck havoc on the bases. I can't check if any of his homers are inside the parkers, but it wouldn't be surprising with his speed. He won't be a reliable double digit homer hitter in the majors, but he should end up with a lot of extra base hits. Lee now ranks 15th and 141st in the prospect rankings, but OSA and Tom Weinstock thinks he'll be a big league starter, with Tom having a more glowing report of "penciled in for a lion's share of starts". I think he has the future to be a great big league outfielder, and when you consider his stellar work ethic, he can push past his current peaks. RHP Ron Sexton (C La Crosse Lions): On the one year anniversary of his torn UCL, Ron Sexton threw a 4-hit shutout of the Dubuque Dukes. It was his fifth start back, and he walked just one and struck out two to improve to 2-2 in five starts. The 20-year-old has a 2.95 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 8 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched, and with all the new arms joining from the draft, I'm going to be moving him up to San Jose. He still ranks in the top 500, but he dropped down to 382nd in the league and out of our top 30 to 382. The 6'2'' righty is throwing a bit harder this year, with his fastball sitting at 91-93, so he didn't lose any speed with the early career injury. It will affect his stuff long term, as it looks to be just average now, but he's managed to maintain his 4.8 K/9 from last season. He has, however, seen his BB/9 plummet, but it is a little to early to claim his walk issues are gone. I'm excited to see how he does against tough competition, and even if he does perform well, I'm not sure I want to rush him up. He'll likely spend the rest of the season with San Jose, as we have a lot of capable starters in the upper minors. C Lew Lord (C La Crosse Lions): One of the guys at risk of losing playing time, Lew Lord has been spending time at first. It's helped, as now that Eddie Howard has signed, there wouldn't have been any room at catcher anyways for Lord. Lord had a great week for the Lions, going 9-for-17 with 4 doubles, 4 runs, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Last year's 8th Rounder is now hitting .350/.456/.650 (188 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs. He's probably still best suited for catching duties, but he's 6'2'', which makes him at least passable for first. He's shown a bit of power this year, but his poor discipline holds him backs at time. With all the new young catchers, I may be moving him up to San Jose, but for now he'll likely see more time at first then behind the plate. Attached Images Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-08-2022 at 10:09 AM.

03-08-2022, 12:22 PM	#751
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 13: July 7th-July 13th Weekly Record: 4-1 Seasonal Record: 57-28 (1st, 2.5 GA) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .667 AVG, 1.429 OPS Fred Vargas : 9 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .556 AVG, 1.711 OPS John Lawson : 27 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .296 AVG, .803 OPS Schedule 7-10: Loss vs Foresters (9-2) 7-11: Win vs Foresters (4-5): 12 innings 7-12: Win vs Foresters (2-6) 7-13: Win vs Cannons (3-8) 7-13: Win vs Cannons (1-2) Recap Fresh off the break, we put together an impressive 4-1 week, dropping the opener against the Foresters before winning the next four, but we still lost a half game in the standings as the Stars were perfect. The loss was bad, as Cleveland socked five homers off our pitchers, but we managed to recover after. Our league also took home the All Star win, with Peter the Heater given the victory. He pitched the third, allowing two hits with a strikeout. Harry Parker struggled in the second, allowing 2 hits, including a Mahlon Strong two run homer. John Lawson played all game, 1-for-5 with a run, RBI, and error. Skipper pinch hit for Parker and then stayed the rest of the game at second, going 1-for-4 with an RBI triple. Leo Mitchell pinch hit in the 5th, and finished 2-for-3 with a double, run, and 2 RBIs. Ray Ford pinch hit for Papenfus in the 3rd, but finished 0-for-3. The break was helpful for the rest of team, especially Billy Hunter, who will return to the lineup. He's already been hurt six times on the season, and I know it's just a matter of time before #7. His power has disappeared, but his .333/.368/.459 (123 OPS+) line is impressive, and with Freddie Jones hitting a bit worse then average, it's a huge upgrade. Leo Mitchell continues his war against pitchers, and the sweltering southpaw finished his week 14-for-21 with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and just a single strikeout! That earned him Player of the Week, and his .462/.450/.692 triple slash is very similar to his mark last month. That's not a typo either, his OBP is lower then his average in July, as he has a sac-fly and hasn't walked. He carried the offense this week, but rookie Fred Vargas had a great return to the big leagues. The 22-year-old was 5-for-9 with 2 doubles, a homer, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Harry Mead looked good after the rest, 3-for-11 with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. I'm hoping the break will help him regain his 1940 form, but he's now hitting a more respectable .261/.332/.372 (90 OPS+) after 54 games. All Stars Skipper Schneider and John Lawson had nice weeks, with the left side of our infield going 14-for-47 with 5 runs and 7 RBIs. Both doubled twice with Skipper tripling and Lawson homering. A lot of our bats were cold, however, with Walker, Ford, Langton, and Montes all struggling. As mentioned earlier, Jim Lonardo had a tough start, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs (5 earned) with 3 strikeouts in 6 shaky innings. Dick Lyons had another great start, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. That's three consecutive starts now with 2 or fewer runs, which improved him to 7-6 with a 3.59 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 27 walks, and 19 strikeouts. Milt Fritz looked okay in his start, picking up a complete game victory with 7 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, and a strikeout. Papenfus got an 11 inning no decision, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts. Harry Parker was much better for us then the All Star team, as he allowed just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with a single strikeout in a 6-2 complete game win. The pitching continues to keep us in games, and should help us continue to win. Looking Ahead Two more with the Cannons, who are now 42-41. They are having a tough year after a surprise breakthrough last season, but have made a few changes other then just adding Mullins. Last month they picked up former top 10 prospect Chuck Adams, and he's taken over at first base. The 24-year-old has done okay, hitting .247/.295/.438 (92 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 19 RBIs. This has moved Moxie Pidgeon back to left, and his down year has really hurt the Cannons. He does still have 12 homers and 58 RBIs, but his .267/.318/.423 (95 OPS+) batting line is much lower then his .340/.386/.523 (148 OPS+) form last season. I expect to see Butch Smith, who started the All Star game, and is 9-5 with a 3.23 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 walks, and 69 strikeouts. We'll also get a chance to face former #2 overall pick Bill Sohl, who is now 2-3 with a 4.58 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.79 WHIP, 34 walks, and 17 strikeouts in his first 53 big league innings. These will be a tough two games, but I always like our chances when we play at home. We then have a weird two game series with the Wolves, a game, off day, and then finale. They are just 36-49, and get two more in New York after losing a double header to end the week. Walt Pack is not Fred McCormick, but he's hitting a decent .300/.366/.466 (115 OPS+) with 14 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 35 RBIs in his place. Larry Vestal has taken advantage hitting above him, and is slashing an excellent .328/.414/.470 (130 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 10 triples, 3 homers, and 39 RBIs. Those two don't have much protection, and there pitching is having a rough season. Of their dominant top three, George Garrison is having the best season, but it's still a bit of a down year for him. He's just 7-6 with a 3.72 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 33 walks, and 70 strikeouts. Bernie Johnson was elite in April and May, but has been awful in June and July. He's now just 6-7 with a 3.95 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 33 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 17 starts. We should be winning these two games, but I really hope they can steal one from the Stars before letting us sweep them. We then finish the week with two of three with the Sailors. At 36-46, things haven't gone as planned for them, and they've shopped around a few of veterans. I would love to pick up Walt Wells, but there really is no spot for him in the rotation. Wells is having just an average season, 9-5 with a 4.03 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 40 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 18 starts. He's having the best season for the rotation members, after Ray McCarthy endures yet another injury. This one is serious, a partially torn UCL which ended his season at the end of June. They've brought up 25-year-old lefty Tom Cipolla to fill his spot, and in his first career start he got a loss in 8 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. The offense hasn't helped much, but Joe Watson is having yet another great season. The 32-year-old was selected to his second All Star game and is hitting .337/.383/.517 (132 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, and 46 RBIs. If we can keep him in check, we should be able to pick up some wins, but the supporting cast of Marion Boismenu, Woody Stone, Bob Smith, and Joseph Mills can cause their share of trouble. Minor League Report LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): What a start to his pro career! Our 2nd Rounder this season, Leo Hayden was dominate in a 5-0 win over Moline, allowing just 8 hits and 2 walks in 3 strikeouts as Hayden picked up a complete game shutout. With a lot more top picked signs, Hayden dropped a little on the prospect ranks, but still sits at 140th in the league. I'm a big fan of the young lefty, who has a nice high 80s fastball with a sweeping curve, plus curve, and solid slider. He's already shown that at times he can be unhittable, but at times his command can desert him and he'll give up a homer or two. OSA is a big fan, thinking all of his skills are plus or better, but they think he may not have the stamina to go deep into games. He did manage 124 pitches, but it's far too early to worry about how deep he can pitch into games. Tom thinks he could end up a backend arm, and while I'm a little higher on him, that's probably a fair assumption. We've done well replenishing the system, and Hayden is another exciting young arm we have in our system. EDIT: I ended up making a minor trade that wasn't really worth a standalone post. The Eagles have very little pitching in their minor league system, so I helped them out, sending five arms and outfielder John Johnson their way for a 7th, 10th, and 11th Round Pick. The five arms are Bill Seabolt, Newt Jackson, Ray Wilcox, Corky Welch, and the other John Johnson. I have an excess of arms that I will eventually need to trim, and instead of releasing some, this gives me a little bit of return for nothing. Jackson is really the only guy who was a disappointment, as the former 2nd Rounder dealt with a lot of injuries, and never quite lived up to expectations. They are all serviceable arms, but I have other guys I rather give innings to. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-08-2022 at 06:27 PM.

03-09-2022, 06:45 PM	#752
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 14: July 14th-July 20th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 61-30 (1st, 4 GA) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 23 AB, 6 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .261 AVG, 1.003 OPS Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 12 K, 2.00 ERA Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, .840 OPS Schedule 7-14: Loss vs Cannons (9-5) 7-15: Win vs Cannons (3-7) 7-16: Win vs Wolves (2-6) 7-18: Loss vs Wolves (5-2) 7-19: Win vs Sailors (1-3) 7-20: Win vs Sailors (1-6) Recap Another four win week for the Cougars, as we surpassed the 60 win mark while also expanding our lead over the Stars to four. We continued our nice run of games, now 11-6 in July and 32-13 since the start of June, as we look to separate from the rest of the league. We have been a little lucky this season, 7-1 in extra inning games and 17-6 in one run games, but considering the past few seasons we've been well under .500 in those, it looks like things are finally evening out a bit. Our Pythagorean record is just 57-34, although that would still be good enough for a one game lead. Still, it's far too early to celebrate. New York is still playing over .600 ball, and the Kings have refused to go away. They are now just 6.5 games out of first and own a .600 winning percentage. There is still a lot of time left in the season, and as we approach the deadline, someone behind us can try to make a push to knock us out of first. Pete Papenfus continues to dominate the league, picking up two more complete game victories. The first came against the Cannons, where he allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts. The second was against the Sailors, where he was charged with just 4 hits, 1 run, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. His 14 wins are the most in the CA, as are his 146 strikeouts, and the only pitcher with a lower ERA then his 2.88 (138 ERA+) is the Stars' Chuck Cole, but he ruptured a tendon in his finger, likely ending his season with 140.2 innings pitched, not enough to qualify for the ERA crown. I think Papenfus is a lock for the Allen Award, but a triple crown would be a huge accomplishment for the talented 23-year-old. Our other talented youngster, Harry Parker, added another complete game win, improving to 12-6 with a 6 hits, 2 run, 1 walk and 4 strikeout victory. Milt Fritz flirted with a shutout, just 3 hits, 2 walks, and an unearned run with a strikeout in a complete game win. Vets Dick Lyons and Jim Lonardo had rough starts, with Lyons allowing 10 hits and 5 runs with 2 strikeouts in 8, while Lonardo was shelled for 11 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strikeout in 5.2 innings. Lonardo has not looked the same since returning form injury, and the 37-year-old as allowed 5 or more runs in each of his last three starts. He's our only starter with an ERA north of 4, now 7-7 with a 4.36 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 22 walks, and 37 strikeouts. I expect him to shake it off, but lucky for us, we have enough depth in the rotation that we can survive his inconsistency. The bats were booming this week, with most of our hitters putting together really solid numbers. Harry Mead had a huge week, 4-for-13 with a homer, 4 RBIs, and 5 walks as his season line climbs closer to average. John Lawson was just 6-for-23, but the power was huge, adding a double, three homers, and nine RBIs. Lawson now has 17 homers and 75 RBIs, second to just Bill Barrett who will not be caught for either lead. Leo Mitchell continues to chug along, 9-for-24 with a double, steal, and 3 more RBIs. Rich Langton looked good in his four starts, 6-for-15 with a double, steal, and two runs, RBIs, and walks. Carlos Montes was just 6-for-24, but with a pair of steals and triples. Montes is now tied with Mike Taylor (not ours, the Cannons one) for the CA steal lead at 15, and after going 16-for-32 last season, he's been caught just twice. Freddie Jones looked much better in limited time, 3-for-7 with 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and his first homer of the season. Fred Vargas continues to be a hard out, and was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. It's hard to take time away from Langton, but with how great Vargas has been in limited action, I'm going to have to find a way to put him in the lineup. Looking Ahead We'll look to finish the sweep of the Sailors, who we have dropped to 38-51, and have now began to shop Joe Watson and Jim Beard. Despite being a corner outfielder, Watson should be an enticing option for teams, as his .327/.371/.503 (125 OPS+) line is strong, and the 32-year-old has hit 22 doubles, 9 triples, and 5 homers with 48 RBIs. Beard has had a rough season, hitting just .278/.345/.348 (81 OPS+) this season, but he is a career .303/.367/.398 (103 OPS+) hitter with nice speed and a good glove. Another interesting candidate to be moved would be Doc Newell, who is 6-8 with a 4.26 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 39 walks, and 41 strikeouts. He hasn't been the same pitcher he used to be, and since 1938 he's had ERA+ of 98, 95, and 90, but he's a durable innings eater who won 20 games in 1937 and has thrown three no-hitters, including a perfect game back in 1935. We're scheduled to face the struggling Herb Flynn, who is just 6-10 with a 4.63 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 46 walks, and 27 strikeouts, who I think we should be able to put up a lot of runs on. This is the last game of what has been a rather long homestand, with our last road game on the 29th of June where we've won 12 of 18. We also finish the week with the Sailors, but those three games will be in Philly. Between the two Sailors series we have two in Cleveland before an off day on Thursday. The Foresters are 34-57 and 27 games out of first place, and have officially placed Mel Carrol, George Dawson, Bill Moore, Lou Balk, and Dean Astle on the block. Dan Fowler and Dave Rankin weren't specifically listed, but I imagine they too would be available. Dawson was once a player I would trade anything for, but he's really struggled the past two seasons. This season the bat and glove both disappeared, with the formerly elite shortstop sporting just a 0.5 zone rating and .976 efficiency, with a pitcher-like .202/.227/.250 (24 OPS+) line at the plate. Before 1940, his rookie season was the only year he had an OPS+ below 90, and he started his career with six seasons with a double digit zone rating, including two seasons above 35. He's a leader in the clubhouse and just 30, so perhaps a change of scenery could help, as he his angry about losing his job to Jake Creel. I was going to suggest Dean Astle could be moved as well, but before I posted, he was sent to Boston with Bill Moore. Astle could also use a change of scenery, as the former Cougar draftee is 6-10 with a 4.36 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 50 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Moore is on pace for another season with 9 or more homers and a 110 or higher OPS+, slashing .293/.375/.57 (115 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 9 homers, and 49 RBIs in his sixth big league season. The 29-year-old first basemen joined the Foresters from the Dynamos in the 1936 offseason in a package for Leon Drake and Max Morris. Cleveland will in return receive a first, two outfield prospects, and a replacement first basemen in Ed Lockwood. He's struggled in limited time for the Minutemen this season, but is a career .333/.380/.427 (113 OPS+) hitter. He's just a throw in, as one of the outfielders, Pete Sigmund, is a top 50 prospect, and they will also add a late first for the Winter draft. And while the present outlook isn't great, the future sure is, as they gave #1 Overall Pick Hiram Steinberg $20,000 to join the system. Currently ranked as the #2 prospect in baseball, I think "The Undertaker" will develop into the best pitcher in baseball. Sure, Peter the Heater is the most dominant, but Steinberg has a lot more talent. He doesn't have any sort of control issues, and his stuff is impressive. He's very raw, and has a lot of developing to do, but I can see Steinberg re-writing records just like he did in High School. We should be able to pick up two more wins, but the Foresters took one in Chicago and anything is possible in baseball. Minor League Report LHP Johnnie Jones (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Johnnie Jones had a great start to his season, but before his most recent start, he lost five consecutive starts with 5 or more runs allowed, including 11 runs (10 earned) in 6 innings in his last start against St. Paul. He then completed a full 180 against Minneapolis, allowing just 3 hits and 4 walks in a 3-strikeout shutout as the Blues waltzed to a 9-0 victory. This improved him to 6-8 with a 4.03 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 63 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 114 innings. He's done a great job pitching deep into games, effortless throwing over 125 pitches in eight of his fifteen starts. Johnnie still ranks as our #2 prospect, but with the new draftees, he's dropped to 17th in the league. He still projects to be a #1 starter, and he recently boosted his average sinker velocity to 93-95. That's his best pitch, and has helped earn him his nickname, but he also has a really nice forkball. His change and slider are both plus pitches, and Johnnie has superb stuff. Still at 23 I wish his other tools were further developed, as his control isn't great. He makes up for it with excellent movement on his pitches, but he can't dominate hitters like Peter the Heater does. If Johnnie hits his ceiling, we'll have another ace on our hands, but despite being older then Donnie, he's far less developed. That won't stop him from debuting his September, but I don't think he'll be a full time starter for a season or two. RHP John Little (AA Mobile Commodores): Make it four in a row, as John Little has one each of his last four starts with complete game wins. This one was a remarkable outing, as despite no strikeouts, he allowed just 2 walks and 4 hits in a 2-0 win over the Memphis Excelsior. Little has now won his last five starts, improving to 10-4 in 15 starts. The former 5th Rounder as worked to a nice 3.86 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 1.49 WHIP, 38 walks, and 35 strikeouts through 123.2 innings pitched. He had very similar numbers last season in Lincoln, with a 3.48 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 33 walks, and 46 strikeouts, but in five fewer starts he has just 30 less innings. He's shown he can pitch deep into games, and soak up multiple innings when needed. I just cleaned out a lot of pitchers in the upper levels, thinning out his competition for a 40-man spot once the season ends. He'll be Rule-5 eligible, so I will have to decide if I'm willing to take a risk and leave him unprotected. I'll be looking to have him finish his season in Milwaukee, but for now he'll continue starting games for the Commodores. RHP Roscoe Brown (B San Jose Cougars): I was a little concerned Roscoe Brown would have some struggles in San Jose, but he has quickly alleviated those. It's just three starts, but he's allowed just three runs, with all coming in his first start. Brown bested Everett this week, tossing a 4-hit shutout as the Cougars hung on to win 2-0. He's now 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA (353 ERA+) and 0.76 WHIP with a walk and four strikeouts through 22.1 innings pitched. The 19-year-old now ranks 22nd in our system and 280th overall, and seems to be much more developed then most pitchers his age. His stuff is still very raw, and that has shown in his drop in strikeouts, but he does a good job generating week contact with his sinker and he's able to locate his fastball well. His curve has a lot of work, but projects to be a very devastating offering. OSA and Tom Weinstock both view him as a spot starter/long reliever, but pitching depth is crucial right now as we patiently wait for the eventual draft to raid FABL teams.

03-10-2022, 01:42 PM	#753
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 15: July 21st-July 27th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 65-32 (1st, 3.5 GA) Stars of the Week None generated this week Schedule 7-21: Win vs Sailors (0-1): 10 innings 7-22: Loss at Foresters (6-7): 15 innings 7-23: Win at Foresters (4-2) 7-25: Win at Sailors (4-0) 7-26: Win at Sailors (6-2) 7-27: Loss at Sailors (3-4) Recap Another productive 4-2 week, but since the Stars played (and won) an extra game, they made up half a game on us. They also played the Sailors and Foresters, but swept a double header in Cleveland to finish their week. Both our runs were of the one loss variety, but the one that strung was the 15 inning loss to the Foresters. Jim Lonardo wasn't great, but 5 of his 6 runs allowed came in the 3rd, and we tried to come back and win that game. Ben Curtin matched Lonardo's 6 innings, pitching from the 9th to the end before Dan Fowler's solo homer started and ended the 15th. Cliff Moss is healthy, just as Carlos Montes gets hurt. Montes just has a dead arm which will cost him 5 days, so he won't head to the DL, and poor Fred Vargas is headed back to Milwaukee. The now 23-year-old has been better then Bill Barrett, slashing .526/.640/1.053 (353 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 6 walks, and 5 RBIs in 25 trips to the plate. If he could play center he would've stayed up, but I need Aart MacDonald in Chicago as he's a great center fielder, and I can't rely on Cliff Moss very frequently out there. Rich Langton has hit well, but Moss' .282/.354/.464 (121 OPS+) line is a bit better, and the slugger also has 12 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, and 39 RBIs. Our 1-2 of Pete Papenfus and Harry Parker continues to dominate hitters, with both youngsters throwing complete game shutouts. They each now have three on the season, although Harry Parker deserved a fourth. Parker made two starts, starting with a 4-hit, 3-strikeout shutout that lasted 10 innings because we just could not score. In his second, he allowed a pair of unearned runs due to John Lawson errors in the 3rd and 8th, finishing with 12 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. This improved Parker to 14-6 on the season, and he now owns a 2.87 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 48 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 172.2 excellent innings pitched. Papenfus' dominance has been well documented, and this time he allowed 8 hits and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in his 16th complete game in 22 starts. Peter the Heater is now 15-4 with a 2.74 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 88 walks, and 153 strikeouts. Our star also now ranks as the #1 pitcher in the FABL, surpassing George Garrison who has held it for most of the past few seasons. He's still leading the league in wins, one above Parker, with a nice cushion in strikeouts. His ERA is second, with Vern Hubbard (2.86) and Parker a close third and fourth. These two have been crucial in our pennant push, and it's nice to see them both hitting their stride at the same time. The vets didn't let themselves get outdone, however, as even with Lonardo's rough start, Dick Lyons and Milt Fritz were excellent. Lyons bounced back from a rough start last week, and allowed 12 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout in a complete game win. Fritz got the loss, but when 8 decent innings with 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Lonardo's six were worse then Curtin's, but Curtin got the loss. He allowed 6 hits, a run, a walk, and struck out 2 while Lonardo was charged with 9 hits and 6 runs with a single walk and strikeout. The offense wasn't great, but it's hard to get mad when they do well enough for a 4-2 week. Leo Mitchell had his first below average week in what seems like months, just 5-for-20, but he did hit his 9th homer of the season. No homers for John Lawson after the three last week, but he hit a much better 10-for-27 with a double, triple, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Dick Walker had a nice week, 5-for-14 with a homer, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He's our second player to hit double digit homers, with 9 of his 10 this year coming with us. Pre-injury Carlos Montes did well, 7-for-23 with a double, triple, RBI, 3 runs scored, and 2 more steals, before Aart MacDonald filled in well. He's hitting just .175/.250/.193 (22 OPS+) on the season, but the Aruban native was an even 4-for-8 with a walk, run, and RBI. He'll get a couple of starts this week while Montes rests, and even if the bat is an icicle, the 1.087 efficiency out in center can keep runs off the board. I'm hoping for more offense next week, especially when we play the highest run producing team, the Cincinnati Canons. Looking Ahead Our commish is heading on vacation, so sadly no sim tomorrow, and it may be a bit before the Cougars are back on the field. When we return to action, it's actually an off day, followed by two in Toronto and another off day. This is huge for us, as it's less games without Carlos Montes healthy. It's hard to call the Wolves struggles surprising, as that's what losing Fred McCormick will do to a team, and 42-57 isn't too bad all things considered. Joe Hancock has really turned things around, and he's been one of the best pitchers in July. He's 2-2 despite a 2.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 19 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. For the season, he's now 7-7 with a 3.77 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 66 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 155 innings pitched. Now all five of their starters have ERA+ above 100, including Jim Morrison, who has been a recent add after starting the year in Buffalo. The 26-year-old has done well in 6 starts, 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.64 WHIP, 18 walks, and 22 strikeouts. Despite all this good pitching, the Wolves have lost a lot of games because their offense doesn't do much scoring. A huge part of that is McCormick, but another has been Charlie Artuso's regression at the plate. After leading the CA in War and hitting .303/.364/.448 (118 OPS+), Artuso has hit just .254/.328/.335 (73 OPS+) in just over 400 plate appearances. He's still an elite defender, but the talented 25-year-old is a much better hitter then he's shown. Same goes for Mr. Versatility Tom Frederick, who is hitting .285/.354/.388 (93 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, and 54 RBIs. Wolves fans can't complain too much, as they won their first pennant and world series in what probably felt like forever, but once McCormick returns from the war, the Wolves should return to the first division. There pitching is far too good, and their offense has enough weapons to supplement McCormick, even if they don't have another who can carry the load. We spend our weekend in Cincinnati with three against the Cannons. They are back over .500, and sit at 50-46 which is a whopping 14.5 games out of first. Injuries to their young pitching have really put a damper on their season, and I think if Mullins never gets hurt, the Cannons would have at least had a shot to compete. They have a lot of talented players, such as former #1 pick Rufus Barrell II, who is having another nice season at 24. He's now 12-5 with a 3.70 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 36 walks, and 87 strikeouts. Him and Butch Smith make up a strong 1-2 with Roger Perry's late career breakout giving them a lot of reliable hurlers. Both were All Stars, and Smith is now 10-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 67 walks, and 82 strikeouts, while Perry has been a bit more unlucky. He's somehow just 6-7 despite a 3.10 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 33 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Glenn Payne has been a reliable four, 8-8 with a 3.57 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 52 walks, and 68 strikeouts, making up a very strong rotation. Looking to the lineup, they made an interesting change in the lineup, with former Cougar Pete Asher replacing Charlie McCullough at the keystone. Asher has hit surprisingly well, slashing .412/.423/.510 (147 OPS+) in a 53 PA sample. Moxie Pidgeon has started to turn things around, hitting .284/.337/.437 (104 OPS+) with 15 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 63 RBIs. This will be a tough series, and we both have a lot of talent.

03-21-2022, 11:16 AM	#754
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 16: July 28th-August 3rd Weekly Record: 4-1 Seasonal Record: 69-33 (1st, 5.5 GA) Stars of the Week Harry Mead : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .421 AVG, .976 OPS Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA John Lawson : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .364 AVG, .773 OPS Schedule 7-29: Win at Wolves (8-5) 7-30: Win at Wolves (7-5) 8-1: Win at Cannons (1-0) 8-2: Win at Cannons (5-3) 8-3: Loss at Cannons (4-5): 10 innings Recap After what felt like the longest week in recent memory, as our commish was on vacation and sims were on hold, the Cougars were back in action! And since no time passed in-game, there was absolutely no rust, and the Cougars put together yet another strong week. We won the first four before dropping an extra inning game to the Cannons, but the Stars had a rough week so we expanded our league to 5.5 games. It's now August and we're just a win away from 70, and with one more week like this, we may be able to cruise to the finish line. Harry Parker was dominant in his start, and he needed to be, as we couldn't provide him with any run support. It didn't matter, as he was near perfect, just 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts in his second shutout in three weeks. Parker has now won five starts in a row, all complete games, all with two or fewer runs allowed. In his last three starts, he's thrown 28 innings without allowing a single earned run. He was 4-1 in July, working to a 2.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 10 walks, and 16 strikeouts. It's been a wonderous breakout for the 26-year-old, now 15-6 with a 2.72 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 51 walks, and 77 strikeouts in 181.2 innings. The other starters weren't quite on his level, but they did enough to win. Jim Lonardo was effective, 10 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in a complete game win. Dick Lyons, however, was not, allowing 12 hits and 5 runs in a complete game win. Peter the Heater made a pair of starts, the first a shaky complete game win over Toronto. He allowed 13 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with just 4 strikeouts. His second was a no decision in our extra inning loss, going 9.2 innings with 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. We were up 4-3 when he left, as he walked Mike Taylor with two outs. I wish he stayed in, as Joe Brown allowed Moxie Pidgeon to hit a two run homer to end the game. Billy Hunter finally hit his first homer of the season, and went 5-for-17 with a pair of doubles and RBIs. Harry Mead was 8-for-19 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Leo Mitchell hit homer #10 and went 6-for-18 with a steal, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. John Lawson went 8-for-22 with a double and 3 RBIs. Those few did good, but the rest of the lineup had issues. The trio of Skipper Schneider, Cliff Moss, and Ray Ford really struggled, hitting just 8-for-50 with a double each for Skipper and Ford while Moss hit his 9th homer of the year. We'll need more offensive production next week, but the bats were good enough to win games as we continue to push for a pennant. Looking Ahead Our next week is a weird one, as we get one in Chicago with the Saints, an off day, one in Montreal, and then another off day. Montreal currently shares the position of last place with the Foresters, now 39-64 and 30.5 games behind us. Part of their struggles have been Red Bond's fall from grace, as he's hitting an average .296/.374/.428 (108 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 homers, and 64 RBIs. It's not all bad, however, as the Saints have seen the emergence of former 3rd Overall Pick Bill Greene, who is hitting a productive .297/.404/.467 (126 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, and 24 RBIs. They have a lot of hitters in the 100-115 OPS+ range, including Bert Lass (.340, 3, 47), Pete Wood (.300, 3, 24, 2), and Ben Richardson (.284, 7, 36), but despite being 2nd in average and 3rd in OBP, they are just 5th in runs scored. The pitching has been their downfall, but they have been getting good innings from 28-year-old Bill Ross. The former Cougar 3rd Rounder has made 21 starts and 5 relief appearances, going 6-9 with 2 saves, a 3.74 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 26 walks, and 51 strikeouts. Wally Doyle (10-10, 4.58, 117) has racked up the strikeouts, but he's allowed far too many walks and hits, which has limited his effectiveness. At 22, he's got a lot of time to grow, but these should be two easy wins for our superior team. We then finish the week hosting the Kings for a three game weekend set. We've had trouble with the Kings, who are 63-41 and 7 games behind us. They're third in both the division, runs scored, and runs allowed, and have gotten a nice return to form from Al Wheeler. The 33-year-old slashed an impressive .304/.405/.525 (142 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs with 46 walks and even 3 steals. Joe Herman is having a nice second season as well, hitting .322/.379/.488 (125 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 6 steals, and 69 RBIs with more then triple the walks (34) to strikeouts (10). Jim Lightbody (.347, 1, 42, 6) has looked good in a part time role, Rats McGonigle (.301, 1, 13, 13) has done well when healthy, and Frank LeMieux (.324, 4, 47, 2) has done well lengthening the lineup. The lineup will be hard to contain, and the pitching has been a bit above average. Stumpy Beaman has been effective, 11-5 with a 3.71 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 49 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 14 starts and 5 pen appearances. Art White has been turning things around, now 9-13 with a 4.11 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 61 walks, and 52 strikeouts, in line with Bob Cummings (12-5, 4.11, 81) has had a rough go of late. The star of the staff, however, is former Cougar Jim Crawford, who managed to win Pitcher of the Month in the CA, going a perfect 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Crawford hasn't had an above average season since we won the 1931 World Series, with a lot of it having to do with him, but he's now 9-6 with a 3.75 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 28 walks, and 35 strikeouts. We've got to be at our best against Brooklyn, who we're just 5-5 against them and the only team we don't have a winning record against this season. Minor League Report LHP Bob Hobbs (A Lincoln Legislators): Fresh off a promotion to Lincoln, 19-year-old Bob Hobbs had a jewel of a start. He allowed 8 hits and 5 walks with just one strikeout, but he kept Peoria off the scoreboard all day long. He made 9 starts in La Crosse and 6 in San Jose, so combined with the two now, he's 11-5 in his 17 starts. His ERA+ have increased in each season, but it hasn't been all great. His BB/9 is raising and his K/9 is falling, but most 19-year-olds wouldn't be able to hold their own in A ball. Hobbs is a decent three pitch pitcher with a mid 80s fastball, with a plus change and average curve. His command needs to improve, but even so he may not develop into much more then a spot starter. RHP Mel Haynes (B San Jose Cougars): Righty before July started, I moved 19-year-old Mel Haynes to Class B, hoping he could build off his 12 starts down in Lincoln. I thought he'd be able to hold his own, but I could not have predicted his month of dominance. He was a perfect 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA (188 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 6 walks, and 22 strikeouts as he took home C-O-W Pitcher of the Month. This has helped Haynes work his way up the prospect ladder, now inside the top 50 and ranked 43rd in the league. The large 6'2'' righty has done a good job boosting his velocity each offseason, sitting in the 89-91 range with his go to sinker. He's able to roll up a ton of groundballs, and he's done a great job limit walks with the Cougars. He's filled to the brim with talent, projecting to be a #2 or #3 starter in the big leagues, and he has a reliable four pitch mix. He can lean heavily on his change, which gets a lot of swings and misses, while his slider and forkball can be mixed in as well to keep hitters off balance. I don't have any plans of moving Haynes up any farther, but I'm very excited with how are young hurler has developed. LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): He's made just four professional starts, but Leo Hayden has already pitched his second shutout. He was brilliant yet again, allowing 5 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. He's won all four of his starts, working to a 2.30 ERA (182 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 12 walks and strikeouts. You might also expect with the pair of shutouts he was named Pitcher of the Month, hopefully the first of many for the imposing righty. At just 18, he's done rather well, but he will need to work on lowering both his walks and hits allowed. He's given up more hits (36) then innings (31.1), which is a little cause for concern, especially when you factor in the 3.4 BB/9. Ranked 12th in our system and 133rd overall, Hayden projects to be a reliable back end starter with a lot of room to grow. He has a nice high 80s fastball, with a sweeping curveball, plus change, and solid slider. When he's on he's unhittable, which he's already shown, but his control allows him to get into some trouble. Still, the lefty has a lot of promising tools and at 6'6'' is an intimidating force on the mound, and I'm hoping he can develop into a Harry Parker type pitcher. His stuff isn't quite Parker level, but he doesn't have nearly as detrimental flyball tendencies and he should be able to fool a ton of hitters as he continues to mature. He'll be 19 at the end of the month, and I may try to push him up to San Jose later in the season or at least before next draft. RHP Jack Huston (C La Crosse Lions): Another recent draftee, Jack Huston followed up Hayden's shutout of Ottumwa with a shutout of his own. He allowed 6 hits and a walk with 7 strikeouts as the Lions edged the Owls 1-0. Huston has now won his last three starts, working to a 2.83 ERA (148 ERA+) and 0.91 WHIP with 6 walks and 22 strikeouts. After just four starts in La Crosse, I'm ready to move the 21-year-old up to San Jose to replace the once again injured Jimmy Ballard. Our 5th Rounder this June, Huston ranks four spots below Hayden in our organization and 159th overall. He's a sidearmer with stuff a little less developed then I usually look for in a college arm, but he has far more upside then most non-top college starters. He has a nifty slider and curve and he locates his mid 80s fastball well. He's put up strong strikeout numbers so far, and that should continue as he matures, but his command is a bit shaky. Five of his six walks came in one start, but he's already improved in each of his four starts. Huston also projects to be a back end starter, and while he doesn't have the upside of Hayden, he could be a quick riser and eventual inning eater. RHP Pinch Lenhart (C La Crosse Lions): It seems like every Lion had a shutout this weak, and while Pinch Lenhart didn't do it Ottumwa, he kept Rock Island in check as we topped the Steamboats 4-0. Pinch allowed 9 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts, improving to 5-0 with a save on the season. He's made 5 starts and 2 relief outings, working to a 3.70 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 9 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Our 9th Rounder in the most recent draft, he ranks just outside the top 500 now, but he's made a few appearances inside it. The 19-year-old has a nice four pitch mix, with a plus curve and high 80s sinker that can generate a ton of groundballs. His overall stuff is average, as his fastball and slider aren't the most reliable offerings yet, but he has to iron out his control issues if he wants to make a career for himself in the majors. His upside isn't overly high now, but young pitchers can surprise and our depth will be tested. Attached Images

03-22-2022, 11:13 AM	#755
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 17: August 4th-August 10th Weekly Record: 4-1 Seasonal Record: 73-34 (1st, 8 GA) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 25 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.060 OPS Billy Hunter : 20 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.200 OPS Cliff Moss : 19 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.000 OPS Schedule 8-4: Win vs Saints (3-9) 8-6: Win at Saints (9-7): 11 innings 8-8: Loss vs Kings (8-4) 8-9: Win vs Kings (2-7) 8-10: Win vs Kings (6-7) Recap The Cougars keep on chugging, winning four games in each of the last seven weeks, and we extended our lead to eight. It's not over the Stars, they went 1-4 and dropped to third, but over the Kings, who we took two of three from this week. I'm not a fan of counting chickens, but it's looking more and more likely that the Cougars will return to the postseason for the first time since 1933. We also got a little good news on the draft front, as it's very unlikely Pete Papenfus will be able to enlist before the season ends. Speaking of Papenfus, he actually had a rough start, getting our lone loss to the Kings this week. He allowed 12 hits, 8 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched. Seven of the eight runs he allowed came in the 7th or later, which is a bit of a concern, but considering he hasn't lost a game since May, I can't really spend too much time being angry with the young fireballer. Milt Fritz was a Dick Walker and Billy Hunter error away from a shutout, allowing 5 hits, 3 unearned runs, and 7 walks with 4 strikeouts, which is surprisingly almost a third of his season total in nearly 100 innings. Jim Lonardo again looked like Jim Lonardo, 9 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in a complete game win. Parker and Lyons both struggled, and both let Ben Curtin pick up their wins. Parker went 7 with 9 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts while Lyons went 6 with 10 hits, 5 runs, and 2 walks and strikeouts. Curtin went 4 innings in two games, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with a strikeout. Joe Brown made two appearances too, just a hit, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 3 scoreless frames. The offense was really good this week, as we got a ton of production all around the lineup. Our first base duo was effective, with Walker and Ford combining to go 10-for-22 with 3 doubles, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. Walker added two more homers and a steal, and the former Sailor is hitting a superb .274/.380/.543 (148 OPS+) in a Cougar uniform. Billy Hunter started to heat up, an even 10-for-20 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. John Lawson had a John Lawson type week, 12-for-25 with 2 doubles, 4 runs, and an RBI. Cliff Moss was 9-for-19 with a double, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Skipper Schneider had his first good week in what feels like months, 4-for-11 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 7 walks. Mike Taylor made just seven trips to the plate, but was an even 3-for-6 with a solo homer. All seven hitters had weekly OPS+ above 165, and we managed to put up a ton of runs throughout the week. Looking Ahead Our homestand continues this week with two against the Saints. It looks like we'll see Karl Weiss, who has spent most of his season in AAA Minneapolis. He's made just one start and five relief outings, working to a 2.60 ERA (158 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 3 walks and strikeouts. We'll also get ace Wally Doyle (10-10, 4.72, 122), who has struck out more batters then everyone but Papenfus. We should be able to get a lot of runs off them, and we won both games against them last week. They do have a good offense, but Jake Hughes (.298, 49, 7) has been ice cold, hitting .224/.267/.299 in August while dropping even further down to .200/.259/.240 in 7 August games. I like our chances in this one, but with how lucky we've been recently, I wouldn't be too surprised if we dropped one of these games. We then get just a single game with the Stars before an off day on Thursday. The Stars have been ice cold, going just 2-7 in August and dropping to third at 65-43. Bill Barrett won't hit 50 homers this year, but the 21-year-old slugger has hit a robust .378/.480/.671 (202 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 29 homers, and 97 RBIs with over four times as many walks (83) as strikeouts (20). He's also already worth 8.5 wins above replacement, and seems like a lock to hit double digits on the season. His 1.151 OPS seems almost comical, and there is no one near as productive as Barrett has been this season. He's a big reason the Stars have scored the most runs in the league, but they do have a lot of talent in the lineup. Lew Seals (.251, 13, 70) has provided power and versatility and Ray Cochran (.304, 3, 60, 9) is coming off a Player of the Week. Neither can matchup to the ageless Dave Trowbridge, who's .331/.403/.450 (126 OPS+) line is about 43 times better then the average 43-year-old, and he has 23 doubles, 7 homers, and 67 RBIs in 102 games this year. The pitching is good too, but the injury to Chuck Cole (12-4, 2.30, 61) has really set them back. We only have to face one of their pitchers, and I'm hoping it's Lou Robertson (5-7, 3, 4.30, 29) and not Vern Hubbard (12-5, 2.99, 56), who is right behind Harry Parker in the ERA lead chase. It's just one game, which bodes much better for us then them, as even if we lose the series, it won't really effect our hold in the standings. We hit the road after the off day, taking a trip to Brooklyn for three with the now second place Kings. At 66-43, they are half a game above the Stars, and we now have a winning record against them as well as every other team in the league. They just lost Vince D'Alessandro, who tore his quadriceps and should miss most of the rest of the season. The 25-year-old from Springfield hit just .275/.359/.371 (91 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 5 steals, and 37 RBIs. Al Wheeler continues his return to form, hitting two more homers in Chicago to increase his season total to 16. He's hitting a remarkable .313/.418/.541 (149 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 51 RBIs, and 52 walks. 24-year-old Jim Lightbody has really started to heat up himself, upping his batting line to .333/.423/.503 (142 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 7 steals, and 44 RBIs. The weakest member of the rotation got some good news, with Jack Goff (9-9, 4.71, 51) announcing he is having a kid, which makes our farmhand Danny Goff Jr. a new uncle. I'd love to give him a nice welcoming in the form of a classic Cougar crushing, as he's the weak link in a relatively reliable rotation. This will be a tough series, and a few losses could allow the Kings to assert themselves right back into the race. Minor League Report RHP Joe Swank (C La Crosse Lions): The teens in the Lions rotation continue to dominate, with Joe Swank tossing a shutout in his third career start. It's back-to-back starts without an earned run for our 7th Round selection. He's now 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA (363 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP, but the 9 walks to just 1 strikeout are a little concerning. Swank ranks outside our top 30, but sits at 36th in the system and 399th overall. He's a soft tosser, sitting in the 83-85 range with his fastball, which might be the worst of his three pitches. His circle change is good and his curve is average, but OSA thinks his future is as a spot starter. Tom isn't as excited about him, but he's still very young and with a harder fastball, he can be a much more effective pitcher. RHP Pinch Lenhart (C La Crosse Lions): Back-to-back shutouts now for Pinch Lenhart, who was much better in part two, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with a strikeout to improve to 6-0 on the season. Lenhart now owns a nice 3.04 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 10 walks and 15 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched.

03-23-2022, 11:34 AM	#756
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 18: August 11th-August 17th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 75-38 (1st, 5.5 GA) Stars of the Week Harry Mead : 14 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.143 OPS John Lawson : 18 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .278 AVG, 1.000 OPS Ben Curtin : 1 Win, 3.0 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 8-11: Loss vs Saints (6-2) 8-12: Win vs Saints (0-2) 8-13: Loss vs Stars (6-3) 8-15: Win vs Kings (13-4) 8-16: Loss vs Kings (2-5) 8-17: Loss vs Kings (1-5) Recap It was our first bad week in nearly two months, as we dropped four of our six games this week. Two were to the Kings, as they cut out lead down to 5.5 games, and we also dropped a pair to both the Saints and the Stars. Bad weeks are expected, so that wasn't really the issue with this week. The big bad news was in regards to Billy Hunter, who's six knee injury of the year will end his season. The 26-year-old second basemen tore his posterior cruciate ligament, and not only will miss the rest of the season, but potentially Opening Day as well. He made just 191 trips to the plate this year, but when healthy, he was extremely effective. Hunter hit .330/.361/.473 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 16 RBIs. Losing his bat will really hurt, as he's been much better then his replacements Freddie Jones and Ollie Page. Jones will get about 2/3rds of the starts, but our captain is hitting a below average .283/.378/.340 (96 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 22 RBIs. Page has been much worse, enduring the worst season of his career with a .191/.311/.270 (58 OPS+) line in just over 100 trips to the plate. We'll have to make due with what we have, but losing Hunter could make things more difficult. Our offense really struggled this week, but we got a great week from backstop Harry Mead. Our catcher went 6-for-14 with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker looked good too, 3-for-11 with a solo homer, 4 runs, and 5 walks. John Lawson went 5-for-18 with a double, homer, 4 RBIs, 5 runs, and 8 walks. Skipper Schneider went 6-for-19 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 2 runs. We'll need better production from the rest of the lineup, especially with Hunter leaving, as Montes, Mitchell, and Ford all had their struggles this week. I'm thinking this week was just a bump in the road, and the return home should do us well. Despite getting two starts from both Harry Parker and Pete Papenfus, our pitching was poor and they combined to go 0-3. Parker lost both his starts, allowing 18 hits, 11 runs (9 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. Papenfus was a bit better, but left our 2-0 win over the Saints with a sore elbow. That limited him to 14.2 innings with 15 hits, 5 runs, 6 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo picked up a win against the Kings, but he didn't pitch that well. He went all nine with 11 hits, 4 runs, and a strikeout. Milt Fritz had a really rough start, 6 hits, 6 runs, and 12 walks with 2 strikeouts in 8 innings. Ben Curtin looked good out of the pen, three shutout with 2 hits and a strikeout, and he picked up the win against Montreal. Looking Ahead We return home for the week, starting with a three game set hosting the Sailors. The once great Sailors are just 45-70 on the season, and we've done a good job beating them this year. With deadline trades, they have a few new faces, but a lot of the familiar ones are in the midst of rough seasons. Herb Flynn (6-14, 4.43, 36) and Doc Newell (9-11, 4.13, 57) have both struggled this season while Chuck Murphy (6-15, 5.29, 39) have completely tanked. We should be able to get a lot of runs off them, and their offense won't be too hard to stop. All eight starters have sub 100 OPS+, including second basemen Bob Smith, who's .286/.354/.401 (96 OPS+) season line is the best on the team, while worst of his career. Illinois Catcher Woody Stone (.266, 3, 54) has become ice cold, as has Marion Boismenu (.298, 1, 32, 10), and it will be interesting to see if they start replacing some of their vets with prospects from their deep system. We then welcome the Cincinnati Cannons in for three, and they're coming off an excellent 7-1 week. Now 63-54, they are 14 games out of first, but not a team to be taken lightly. They did get some bad news, with Rufus Barrell (13-7, 3.40, 110) hitting the DL with a bone spur in his elbow, but they still have one of the better rotations to pair with a top quality offense. Ace Butch Smith is challenging for the ERA crown, 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 75 walks, and 96 strikeouts in 202.2 innings pitched. With Roger Perry (8-8, 2.95, 64) and Glenn Payne (11-10, 3.25, 86) behind him, it'll be tough to score against the Cannons, but with the injuries to top youngsters Vic Carroll and Bill Sohl, not much has gone right for them. At the plate, Moxie Pidgeon has hit just an average .273/.333/.420 (99 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 13 homers, and 78 RBIs, but the Cannons have been able to score a lot of runs. Adam Mullins (.335, , 31) has been excellent while Mike T. Taylor has developed into a very well rounded player. The talented 23-year-old is hitting .289/.360/.457 (115 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 triples, 9 homers, 18 steals, and 72 RBIs. Fred Galloway (.266, 4, 48) and Charley McCullough (.274, 1, 51, 11) have dropped off a bit, but the Cannons are a strong team that should give us a lot of trouble. Our week then ends with a double header against the Wolves, the first half of a four game series. The Wolves have really struggled this year, but Joe Hancock has returned to his top notch form. The 28-year-old is fresh off a 5-hit, 5-strikeout shutout, improving to 10-9 with a 3.40 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 83 walks, and 87 strikeouts in just under 200 innings. He's doing the best of the starting five, yet all five sport above average ERA+s. George Garrison (10-8, 3.81, 95) has hit a rough patch, but his ERA+ is still 107 and Bernie Johnson (10-9, 3.65, 41), Chick Wirtz (10-8, 3.62, 35), and Jim Morrison (2-5, 3.59, 31) have been better. The offense has let them down, but Walt Pack has had a much better season then last. He's hitting a respectable .301/.361/.460 (112 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 16 homers, and 53 RBIs. He's had a bit of help from Larry Vestal (.309, 5, 53) and Reginald Westfall (.293, 3, 53), but both Tom Frederick (.277, 4, 60, 6) and Charlie Artuso (.258, 5, 44, 4) have both taken steps back at the plate. We'll need the bats to help us here, but we are the better team and should be able to show it at home. Minor League Report 2B Eddie Curtis (AA Mobile Commodores): It was an outstanding day for Eddie Curtis, who was a perfect 5-for-5 in a 14-3 Mobile win over Atlanta. All five hits were singles, and he scored once while driving in two, and "Slick Eddie" used that game to take home Player of the Week. The 23-year-old hit .538/.571/.731 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 5 RBIs. This improved his season line to .315/.359/.433 (102 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 7 triples, 4 homers, 11 steals, and 58 RBIs. He's walked (26) more then he's struck out (16), and with the injury to Hunter, Curtis will make his move up to Milwaukee. He's on our 40 already, so there's a chance he debuts later in the season, as the 7th Rounder has taken a slow climb up our organizational ladder. He's versatile, able to play second, third, short, left, and right, but he's not a world beating defender. Still, hit will help him secure a bench role, as he has good speed and impressive contact tool to match it. C Solly Skidmore (A Lincoln Legislators): It was an excellent week for our top offensive prospect, as Solly Skidmore went 14-for-24 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. The 21-year-old catcher has spent his entire season in Lincoln, hitting an impressive .342/.398/.470 (136 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, and 87 RBIs with a stellar 41-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's probably ready for AA, and a promotion is probably a little overdue, but with no green arrow, I've kept him down in A ball. I finally cracked, moving Skidmore up to AA, as he's getting closer and closer to making his debut. The former lottery pick is now up to 20th in the league, 11 spots above fellow catcher Eddie Howard. Skidmore is just an adequate defender, but his bat is truly impressive. He has a plus-plus contact tool with an outstanding eye, likely walking far more then he'll strikeout and maintaining high on base percentages throughout his career. He should be a well above average hitter, and with a little power, he could be one of, if not the best, catchers in the FABL. He did manage 17 homers last season, but I don't think he'll reach that total again. We already have Harry Mead, an above average catcher, but Skidmore may be able to pass him. One could eventually be moved for an upgrade at another position, and with how hard it is to get a top catcher, Solly probably has a lot of trade value should I decide to move on from him. RF Dan Collins (B San Jose Cougars): Taken in the 7th Round of this year's draft, Dan Collins has gotten off to a wonderful start to his minor league career. This week was his best, as the 22-year-old went 13-for-23 with a homer and 11 RBIs. This bumped his season line up to .386/.449/.529 (159 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 2 homers, and 29 RBIs. A hard working corner outfielder, Collins has entered our top 30, and checks in at 329th in the league. He's an athletic prospect, but not a great defender, and an aggressive hitter who could eventually develop into a more patient one. His eye is keen, and his strikeouts should stay low, but he hasn't shown the power I like to see in corner bats. He's one of those prospects with a high floor and low ceiling, who could end up moving up the system quick. LHP Duke Bybee (C La Crosse Lions): Another week, another Lions shutout! This time it was #3 prospect Duke Bybee, who allowed 4 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout win over the Waterloo Chiefs. This improved the 19-year-old to 10-6 on the season with an impressive 2.74 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 40 walks, and 84 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched. I've debated moving Bybee up to San Jose, but I think he'll finish out the year with the Lions. He's a great influence in the clubhouse, and despite being just 19, he's already a leader who has earned the respect of his teammates with his hark word and tendency to lead by example. He's also throwing harder again, sitting in the 91-93 range with his fastball and cutter. His change is developing into a wonderful pitch and his slider has nice depth, while his forkball and curve are respectable offerings too. He gets plenty of movement on his pitches, leading to few homers and a lot of weak contact. Bybee currently ranks inside the top 20 for prospects, checking in at 18, and the New Yorker projects to be a top of the rotation arm. After this season, Bybee may be able to progress fast up the system, and once the Jones brothers graduate, Bybee will spend time as our #1 prospect. RF Harry Harris (C La Crosse Lions): We had a lot of Player of the Week winners this week, with Harry Harris picking up the third in the system. Harris went 11-for-19 with 4 runs and 4 RBIs, as the switch hitter had his best week of the year. The 20-year-old hasn't done too great overall, hitting just .293/.399/.395 (109 OPS+), and I was hoping he'd be moving up to San Jose by now. He does have 21 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 4 steals, and 61 RBIs, but as we have a lot of prospects ahead of him who have shown better results then him. He still doesn't really have a position, as he's not great at third, left, or right, but he does have decent upside. Harris has a smooth swing and quick hands with good pitch recognition. He has a tough road ahead of him, but I think we'll be able to unlock some of his untapped potential.

03-24-2022, 06:16 PM	#757
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 19: August 18th-August 24th Weekly Record: 5-3 Seasonal Record: 80-41 (1st, 7.5 GA) Stars of the Week Joe Brown : 3 Wins, 8.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA Skipper Schneider : 21 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .476 AVG, .998 OPS Rich Langton : 19 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .368 AVG, 1.000 OPS Schedule 8-18: Win vs Sailors (3-4) 8-19: Loss vs Sailors (12-2) 8-20: Loss vs Sailors (9-7): 11 innings 8-21: Loss vs Cannons (7-3) 8-22: Win vs Cannons (0-1): 12 innings 8-23: Win vs Cannons (1-6) 8-24: Win vs Wolves (1-5) 8-24: Win vs Wolves (2-7) Recap The week didn't start out very well, as our staff had a lot of issues with the Sailors. We managed to win the first of the series, but the Sailors managed to win the series with 21 runs in the final two in the series. We then dropped the first game against the Cannons, but then the pitching buckled down. We ran off four straight wins while allowing just one run a game. This increased our lead over the Kings back to 7.5 games, giving us a much nicer cushion then we entered the week with. Joe Brown was named Player of the Week, a selection that is very puzzling to me. Sure, Brown threw 8 scoreless innings with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, but is that really a Player of the Week worthy performance? The game liked his 3 wins, including the 5-1 win in our double header, where he relieved Milt Fritz in the 3rd and threw 5 strong innings to improve to 7-1 on the season. Brown is definitely good enough to start in the big leagues, but the 27-year-old has been use almost exclusively as a reliever for us. This year has arguably been his best, as he has a 2.61 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 12 walks and 17 strikeouts through 38 effective innings. Peter the Heater was unlucky in his start, as he threw 11 scoreless innings with 7 hits, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts in a no decision. We managed to win that game in the 12th, but Papenfus is now 0-2 in his last five starts. He's now up to 187 strikeouts in 246.2 innings, and is on a 300 inning pace. Dick Lyons was effective in his two starts, picking up a win and a no decision. Lyons went 8 with 7 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout in his win, and 6.1 with 9 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and a strikeout in the no decision. Lyons is now 10-7 on the season, and has won double digit games in 13 of his 15 seasons with 20 or more starts. Harry Parker continues his mini-skid, allowing 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), and a walk with 4 strikeouts in 8 innings. Milt Fritz struggled in one start and left with a sore thumb in the other, 9 combined innings with 6 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 7 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo made two starts, a no decision and win. He went 15 innings with 17 hits, 8 runs, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Ben Curtin was active in the pen, going 7.1 innings with 4 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Eddie Quinn and Pug Bryan were not as lucky, combining to go 4.1 innings with 8 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks. The first half of the week, the pitching left a lot to be desired, but against a top offense like the Cannons, we were much better. The offense had a lot of issues, with Lawson, Mitchell, Page, Mead, and Moss all hitting below .200 for the week. Lucky for us, we got some production from youngster Skipper Schneider, who was 10-for-21 with 2 walks and 3 RBIs. Rich Langton looked good as well, 7-for-19 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, and 4 RBIs. Freddie Jones hit well in his return to regular time, 5-for-20 with 2 triples, a homer, 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Carlos Montes was just 7-for-29, but with 2 doubles, 2 homers, a steal, 5 RBIs, 6 runs, and 4 walks. We'll need more support from our stars next week, as the chances, Mitchell, Lawson, Moss, Ford, and Walker all coordinate their bad week again are quite low. Looking Ahead Up 2-0 in the series already, we'll get two more with the Wolves in Chicago. Now 55-70, they are 6.5 games ahead of the Saints, who have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. We beat George Garrison (11-9, 3.72, 103) and Chick Wirtz (10-10, 4.20, 36) in the double header, but now we have to face two of their top three. We'll get Bernie Johnson (11-9, 3.48, 42) in the first game and Joe Hancock (10-10, 3.46, 91) in the second, which should make the games very difficult for us to win. I also wanted to take note of their stopper Lou Jayson, who has put together an interesting season. He's just 1-8 with 12 saves, but it's not because of poor performance, as he has a 2.54 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 21 walks, and 40 strikeouts. It will be hard for us to score on any of these three, so we'll want to make sure we keep their hitters off base. The hardest to do that to is Larry Vestal, who is slashing .309/.387/.436 (114 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, and 55 RBIs with a nice 58-to-37 walk-to-strikeout ratio. With Papenfus and Parker on the mound, we should be able to chalk these up as wins, but neither of the high touted duo have done much winning as of late. We then get just a single game at home with the Foresters before an off day and start of a road trip. Cleveland is 48-74, and could very well be officially eliminated from the postseason before we meet. Cleveland moved a lot of vets, with Dean Astle, Bill Moore, Mel Carrol, and George Dawson all finding new homes at the deadline. One of the pieces they added in the Carrol deal, Leon Blackridge, has been red hot since joining the Foresters, slashing .348/.389/.561 (144 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 11 RBIs in 72 trips to the plate. He's been a nice add to the lineup that has only two other productive hitters, Lou Balk (.303, 10, 50) and Dan Fowler (.269, 17, 48). The pitching has been worse, as Astle's replacement Johnny Slaney (0-8, 7.11, 41) has really struggled while vets Ben Turner (7-13, 4.52, 44) and Dave Rankin (10-12, 4.57, 47) are enduring rough seasons. I wish we got more then just the single game, but we can't afford to let this one get away from us. We then finish the week and month with four games in three days against the Saints. Montreal is just 47-75 on the season, and is currently leading the race for the 2nd pick in the draft. Bill Greene has really started to heat up for them, and the talented 24-year-old is hitting a remarkable .327/.424/.535 (149 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 6 steals, and 34 RBIs in 314 trips to the plate. Him and Bert Lass (.340, 6, 62) are both really dangerous at the plate, but the Saints have surprisingly seen a steep fall off for slugger Red Bond. The 28-year-old is hitting just an average .285/.360/.414 (102 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 13 homers, and 75 RBIs. This isn't close to last year's elite production, where Bond led the league in homers (30), RBIs (111), slugging (.550), and OPS (.945) with a .340 average and 153 OPS+. He should turn things around for next season, which could be the start of a change of fortune in Montreal. Youngster Wally Doyle (11-11, 4.42, 138) should be able to take a step forward, and they have a lot of talented young pitchers in A ball who could potentially debut towards the end of next year. Plus with the to farm system, they can speed up their rebuild a bit by moving a few of their young arms, and #10 prospect Otis Parker is hitting .306/.429/.495 (158 OPS+) in AAA. Parker is hurt now, but should debut either this season or early next year, and the Saints could have a top notch outfield with him, Greene, and Lass. Anything less then a sweep would be disappointing, but I don't see the Saints staying in the cellar for too long as they have too much young talent to become a mainstay at the bottom. Minor League Report LHP Johnny Ruby (AA Mobile Commodores): It hasn't been the best season so far, but I'm hoping Johnny Ruby can build off his last start. After losing 5-4 to Birmingham in his last time out, he allowed just 7 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts as the Commodores crushed the Ironmen 12-0. That improved the lefty to 8-11 on the season with a 4.84 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 100 walks, and 82 strikeouts. There are a lot of concerning figures for the former 8th Round selection, as his 6.1 BB/9 is the worst of his career and he's allowed far too many batters to reach base. His strikeout numbers are strong, as Ruby has always had the stuff to miss bats, but he's limiting his upside by allowing far too many free passes. He gets groundouts to help him out sometimes, but he'll always need a strong infield defense behind him. Ruby will be eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and so far he hasn't really helped his case, but a team may want to take a chance on his strikeout numbers. C Solly Skidmore (AA Mobile Commodores): Fresh off a promotion from A ball, Solly Skidmore continued to hit at a high level. In just his second game with the Commodores, Skidmore went 5-for-6 with 4 runs, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs during Ruby's shutout. It's tough to match that production, but he finished the week with a solid .393/.433/.464 (129 OPS+) batting line. Solly now has 25 doubles and 90 RBIs between the two stops, and he already upped his walk-to-strikeout ratio to 43-to-9. The top catching prospect in baseball, BNN thinks he can make a big league debut next season, and if he keeps hitting like this, I can see him forcing himself in our catching tandem next year. Unfortunately, him and Mead are both righties, but with Mike Taylor getting older, Solly may be able to secure a part time role as early as next year. RHP Bill Tuttle (A Lincoln Legislators): It wasn't the greatest starts this year for 22-year-old Bill Tuttle, who on July 5th dropped to 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA. He's quickly flipped his fortunes, using a 4-hit shutout to increase his win streak to 7. Now 12-6, Tuttle has a much more respectable 3.60 ERA (110 ERA+) with a 1.26 WHIP, 47 walks, and 73 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched. Tuttle was a late bloomer, selected in the 14th Round back in 1935 and he was released just two seasons later. He signed a minor league deal with us during the 1938 season, and has steadily improved each season. Tuttle now ranks just outside our top 30 and 343rd Overall, and he's now throwing consistently in the mid 90s. His stuff is just average, but he doesn't really have a go to pitch. His change, cutter, and splitter are all big league level pitches. Since he's still young, he can continue to develop, but for now he looks like more of a depth arm then rotation mate to build around. RHP Jack Huston (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been the greatest set of starts for Jack Huston, who was recently promoted from La Crosse, but half of his starts have been tremendous. The first was in a 12-1 win over Vancouver, where he allowed 10 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. He then was chased out of his second start in the fourth, after allowing 10 hits, 8 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Huston was able to bounce right back, and the 21-year-old tossed a 2-hit shutout as the Cougars beat the Spokane Lumberjacks 4-0. He walked 4 and struck out 5 in the shutout, and is now 3-1 with a 4.13 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 14 walks, and 17 strikeouts. As you would expect, he was much more consistent in La Crosse then he has been so far, and we've gotten good results from our 5th Rounder this season. Huston currently ranks 16th and 166th respectively in the prospect rankings. He's a bit raw for a college arm, but he has a nice mid 80s fastball with a super slider and nice curve. His control hasn't looked good with the Cougars, but he had a much better 1.5 BB/9 in his four starts with the Lions. I think he'll end up somewhere in the middle, but if he masters his control he could end up in a big league rotation. OSA thinks he's a back end starter while Tom thinks more spot, but for now Huston has a lot of work in front of him. RF Dan Collins (B San Jose Cougars): After going an even 14-for-24 with 4 homers and 11 RBIs, Dan Collins was named Player of the Week for the second straight week in the C-O-W League. I never planned on moving him up this season, but with Bunny Hufford getting injured this week and Collins' .402/.462/.610 (182 OPS+) line, I decided it was time to move the lefty up to Lincoln. In 45 games Collins recorded 14 doubles, 6 homers, and 40 RBIs with more walks (18) then strikeouts (13). He's an extremely hard working outfielder who is already a leader in the clubhouse, and he seems to be a very advanced hitter already. He ranks right inside our top 30 and 324th overall, a bit high for a player taken in the 7th Round this season. I think he'll always be a good organizational piece due to his makeup, but his value is more in his floor then his ceiling. CF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): Collins wasn't the only outfielder to take home Player of the Week, as Leo Davis won it for the Lions. The 22-year-old went 14-for-30 with a homer, 6 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Davis has done well in his season with the Lions, worth an impressive 5.6 wins above replacement, and he's hit .311/.383/.446 (118 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 11 triples, 6 homers, 29 steals, and 67 RBIs. He's done well defensively both in center and right, and should be a nice defender in either spot. He's a bit old for Class C, but we have a lot of older outfielders in his way and very few young outfielders to take at bats for the Lions. With that Davis likely stays in La Crosse the rest of the season, but I expect him to start next year in San Jose, and it should be a very short stay for him. Davis' value relies in his speed, versatility, hit tool, but until he shows better discipline at the plate, he'll limit his use. More advanced and experienced pitchers will likely get him to chase, but if he's on the base paths, he can make life difficult for the defense.

03-25-2022, 07:08 PM	#758
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 20: August 25th-August 31st Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 83-45 (1st, 7.5 GA) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 24 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.247 OPS John Lawson : 24 AB, 8 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.268 OPS Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 14 K, 0.50 ERA Schedule 8-25: Win vs Wolves (0-6) 8-26: Loss vs Wolves (8-4) 8-27: Loss vs Foresters (5-2) 8-29: Loss at Saints (2-6) 8-30: Win at Saints (14-1) 8-30: Loss at Saints (1-2) 8-31: Win at Saints (16-1) Recap August wasn't a great month for us, and we limped out in the last week 3-4. That dropped us to 16-13 in August, easily our worst month of the year, but still a decent month for most. We maintained our 7.5 game lead in the division as well, with the Stars now second. Our wins this week were much different then the losses, as we outscored our opponents 36-2 in our three wins. This brought us up to tie the second place Stars for most runs scored, while we continue to allow the fewest runs in the league. Harry Parker righted the ship, snapping a three game losing streak with a pair of dominant starts. He started the week with a 7-hit, 7-strikeout shutout against the Wolves and finished it with 8 hits, a run, walk, and 7 strikeouts in our 14-1 win over the Saints. His now 17 wins are the most in the league, as is his 2.95 ERA (for those who aren't Chuck Cole and won't qualify at year end), and he also leads in both shutouts (5) and complete games (21). Pete Papenfus has a share of the win lead, splitting his two starts. He struggled against the Wolves, 8 inning with 8 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks, but he was excellent against the Saints, 5 hits, a run, and 3 walks. He struck out 11 more, now with 198 on the season and 50 more then the next best. Dick Lyons got a loss, but he went 7 with 10 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Fritz and Lonardo both struggled, with Fritz allowing 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 9 walks with a strikeout in 9 with Lonardo allowing 12 hits and 6 runs with 2 strikeouts in 8. Despite all the runs, the offense as a whole wasn't very great. Most of the production came from the left side of our infield, with John Lawson and Skipper Schneider leading the charge. Lawson had a power surge, 8-for-24 with a double, 4 homers, 7 runs, and 10 RBIs. Lawson now has 25 homers and a league high 109 RBIs with an excellent .324/.378/.534 (145 OPS+) with 30 doubles and a 5.9 WAR. Skipper didn't hit any bombs, but he was an even 12-for-24 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. Leo Mitchell did have a nice week after a few rough ones, 8-for-20 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Same for Ray Ford, who went 6-for-22 with 3 doubles, a triple, homer, 5 runs, and 7 RBIs. There wasn't much help elsewhere, and we'll need better production for next week. Looking Ahead The first week of September may be our toughest week all season. It starts in Chicago, with three games in two days against the third place Kings. At 75-53, they are now half a game behind the Stars and eight games behind us. All season I've wondered how different things would be if I went after Al Wheeler instead of Cliff Moss, as I thought Wheeler was washed up at 32. Turns out I was wrong, as the 33-year-old from Decatur has hit a robust .310/.408/.526 (143 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 20 homers, and 63 RBIs through 413 plate appearances. If that line was in our lineup instead, our magic number may very well have been 10 instead of 20 as we start the final month of the season. We may get lucky and miss Joe Herman (.323, 7, 75, 7) who has missed some time with a sore elbow. Even without him, they have a lot of quality bats in Jim Lightbody (.336, 2, 48, 7), Rats McGonigle (.313, 6, 30, 5), and Frank LeMieux (.324, 4, 58), who will make life difficult for pitching staffs. Even worse, Parker and Papenfus can't pitch this series, and with three double headers in a week, I'm turning to Joe Brown for the one of the games in the double header to start the week. He'll likely have to face ace Art White (10-15, 4.00, 61), who's worth 5 WAR despite an average ERA, and the double header will likely see #2 and #3 Bob Cummings (13-6, 4.22, 91) and Jack Goff (11-10, 4.70, 57). This will be a very tough series, but it only gets worst. We hit the road and have to deal with a double header in New York, again three games in two days. The Stars had a really rough August, 12-16, but they've won 5 of their last 7 and now sit 75-52 in their return to second. All world outfielder Bill Barrett has cooled off a bit, but his .363/.473/.650 (196 OPS+) batting line is still outstanding, and his 33 homers and 108 RBIs are first and second in the league. Barrett has already hit the 100 walk mark, with 102, and he's struck out just 21 times. I'm really scared about dealing with him a lot at the end of the season, but we can navigate the rest of the lineup. They have no other .300 hitters, and they only have three other above average hitters in Ray Cochran (.295, 4, 68, 12), Chink Stickels (.278, 7, 58, 9), and Lew Seals (.256, 17, 82), and they are all more Cliff Moss then John Lawson. They have announced former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall will join the club this week, with the young outfielder scheduled to make a few starts. He could be a nice add to their lineup, as the 24-year-old is one of the top prospects in the FABL. The staff is reliable, with Vern Hubbard's (16-5, 3.02, 64) breakout and another good season from Chris Clarke (10-8, 3.13, 70). Billy Riley (11-11, 3.83, 93) is their ace, but he's allowed five or more runs in four of his last five starts, and they've cut their rotation down to four. This means either a short rest arm or Lou Robertson (5-8, 3, 4.35, 31) will have to make a start. I'd be far more confident at home, but I have faith in my team, and if we can take two out of three in both of these series, I think we can prep some flagpoles at the spacious Cougars Park to hoist the first flag in our new stadium. Our road trip is short, and we'll use an off day on Friday to return home. We then host the Saints for two before another off day. It's our second to last home series of the season, as we have sixteen road games before our final home series. Montreal bested us in Montreal, as even though we outscored them 38-10, we split the four game series. With rosters expanding today, the Saints may look a lot different. I mentioned Green last week, and he was as advertised, and with four top 100 prospects in AAA, some of his former teammates may join him in Montreal. I'm hoping they'll bring up former 7th Overall Pick Jimmy Mayse, as they have a lot of replaceable arms in their rotation. "Preacher Man" has held his own in 24 AAA starts, going 11-6 with a 3.63 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 76 walks, and 93 strikeouts. We scored a lot of runs on former Cougar farmhands Bill Ross (8-13, 2, 4.08, 67) and Karl Wallace (3-8, 4.15, 23). I'm hoping the off day helps rejuvenate us, and we quickly return to our winning ways. I'll have a few Blues players join us for the double header, with the talented youngster Fred Vargas rejoining the team. He's been elite for Milwaukee, slashing .312/.450/.439 (148 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 homers, and 49 RBIs with an excellent 81-to-34 walks-to-strikeout ratio. He appeared in 11 games for us while Cliff Moss was hurt, going 10-for-19 with 6 walks, 6 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBIs. His corner outfielder Orlin Yates will come up too, giving us another option for center field as Carlos Montes has been forced to play a lot of games. Yates wasn't great, hitting just .253/.339/.349 (91 OPS+), but he he did have 21 doubles, 5 triples, 7 steals, 2 homers, and 33 RBIs. I debated bringing the Jones brothers up too, and even considered starting Donnie against the Kings, but I want them both to get and other two weeks of strikeouts. I did want another arm for the pen, so Grover Donahue will join the big league club. He made 8 starts in 42 appearances for the Blues, pitching well in 106.1 innings pitched. He owns a 2.45 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 34 walks and 24 strikeouts. He spent some time in the majors last year, but has yet to debut for us. Donahue has looked much better in the pen then the rotation, and he's become a leader out of the pen. The former 2nd Rounder hasn't lived up to his once lofty potential, but he may end up a decent pen arm who can soak up innings. The last piece is Ossie Grogan, our Rule-5-pick-turned-trade-acquisition, who will return to Chicago. I tried giving him time at short, but he's not nearly as good there as he is at second base. He did rake, hitting a solid .325/.379/.431 (125 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 10 triples, 7 steals, and 45 RBIs. He'll be on hand for infield depth, and may get a start or two at second. We have room for seven more, but they likely won't join until after the AAA season ends. Minor League Report RF Chick Browning (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a great month for Chick Browning, who hit .407/.510/.642 with 8 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs with a nice 18-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Of course, he hasn't hit like that all season, but he's been a very effective .305/.428/.490 hitter. The Chicago kid now has 20 doubles, 3 triples, 13 homers, and 82 RBIs with far more walks (79) then strikeouts (32). I'm not bringing up a lot of callups this first week, but because of the double headers, I grabbed a few pieces from Milwaukee so there was room in the Blues outfield for the 23-year-old slugger. Taken in the 8th Round back in 1936, Browning has now worked his way all the way up to the highest level of our system. He's now reached double digit homers in each season since 1938, and he could do the exact same in the big leagues. It may not be for us, as I can't see Browning getting much time, but as long as stays in our system, he's got a chance to make a big league debut. His bat is much more advanced then his glove, as his contact and eye are plus tools, and he's at least capable in the outfield. RHP Joe Crosby (AA Mobile Commodores): "Boney Joe" got off to a great start this season, going 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA (202 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 23 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 12 starts for the Legislators. This earned him a promotion to Mobile, but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for him their. Things turned around, as he just put up the best start since, allowing just 6 hits and 3 walks in a 5-0 shutout win over the Knoxville Knights. The Knights are competing with the Commodores and New Orleans Showboats for the Dixie League title, with all three a game between them. This improved Crosby to 3-4 with a in need of improvement 4.72 ERA (93 ERA+) and 1.60 WHIP with 34 walks and 32 strikeouts. I'm hoping he can keep this up, but the former highly touted prospect has seen his stock drop a bit. He does have an unhittable curve with a respectable low 90s fastball, and when he has his command, he can be unhittable. It's shown this year, his 2.4 BB/9 in A ball is much better then his 4.5 here. He does still rank at the back of our top 30, but I think Crosby is really just a depth arm unless he masters his control. RHP Bill Tuttle (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a near perfect month for Bill Tuttle, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 40 excellent innings. Tuttle is now 13-6 on the season with a 3.64 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 49 walks, and 75 strikeouts. A bit thick-headed, Tuttle has recently found his grove, and has been crucial as the Legislators look to cut the difference with Peoria. Tuttle's stuff is strong and his velocity is really nice, and he's been able to strike out a lot of hitters, but his command is shaky at times. He's got a lot of work to do, but the 22-year-old could eventually fill a big league pen. LHP Bob Hobbs (A Lincoln Legislators): Bob Hobbs may have a red arrow, but he's not pitching like it! He's now put together a second shutout, this time besting the Evansville Hawks. He may have walked 5, but allowed just 4 hits and struck out 2 to improve to 3-2 on the season. Hobbs has a 2.66 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.41 WHIP, but with a concerning 21-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This may have something to do with the red arrow, as Hobbs stuff is still raw and his command isn't great. His change could be a good third pitch, but for now the pitch is hit or miss as he can't locate it that well. A bit of a soft tosser, adding some velocity on his fastball could help, but the 19-year-old has still managed to hold his own, leaving me to believe he does have very good movement as he gives up very few homers. He doesn't rate as one of our top prospects, but the former 8th Rounder may have some untapped potential we can work out of him. CF Harry Carr (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a great week for the 21-year-old, who took home Heartland League Player of the Week. Carr went 9-for-19 with 6 RBIs and 7 runs scored. Carr has been tremendous since his promotion to Lincoln, slashing .330/.389/.514 (144 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 20 triples, a homer, 13 steals, and 51 RBIs. The former 10th Rounder has great speed, leading to a lot of extra base hits, and is a top notch baserunner, and as he continues to improve his pitch recognition skills, he will keep his average above .300. You would think this speed would translate to excellent range in the outfield, but he hasn't really been a top level defensive center fielder. I think he might end up in right, as he has a nice arm and would be a great defender in either corner. He's a hard worker at the park and should continue to improve as he ages, but I'll be happy if the former 10th Rounder just ends up as a 4th outfielder. CF Leo Davis (C La Crosse Lions): It's now back-to-back Player of the Weeks for Leo Davis, who was an outstanding 10-for-16 with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. I was shocked he didn't win Player of the Month, as Davis slashed .410/.479/.581 with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 12 steals, and 17 RBIs. He keeps upping his season line, now .322/.395/.459 (124 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 6 homers, 34 steals, and 72 RBIs. Davis has great speed and range and he managed to steal five bases last week. He has a lot of talent and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up next year when he's in San Jose. LHP Leo Hayden (C La Crosse Lions): Hobbs isn't the only 19-year-old who threw a shutout, as Leo Hayden celebrating 19 allowed just 7 hits and a strike out in a 4-0 win over the Moline Pioneers. That improved him to 8-1 on the season with a 1.94 ERA (213 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP in 69.2 innings pitched. Hayden was named best pitcher in August, going 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Our second rounder this year now ranks 11th in our system and 131st overall, and if he keeps pitching like this, he'll crack the top 100 in no time. Hayden is a talented four pitch righty, featuring a sweeping curve, plus change, solid slider, and reliable high 80s fastball. He's trying to pitch his way into a backend rotation role, but with high upside arms Donnie Jones, Jonnie Jones, Duke Bybee, and Mel Haynes ahead of him, his development is going to be overshadowed a bit. This could work well for him, as he's a good quiet kid who I'm betting on to at least make a big league roster.

03-28-2022, 06:59 PM	#759
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 21: September 1st-September 6th Weekly Record: 4-4 Seasonal Record: 87-49 (1st, 7 GA) Stars of the Week John Lawson : 33 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, .890 OPS Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .360 AVG, .967 OPS Jim Lonardo : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 0 BB, 9 K, 1.50 ERA Schedule 9-1: Loss vs Kings (7-5) 9-1: Win vs Kings (6-7) 9-2: Win vs Kings (2-4) 9-3: Loss at Stars (2-4) 9-3: Loss at Stars (0-5) 9-4: Win at Stars (4-0) 9-6: Loss vs Saints (7-2) 9-7: Win vs Saints (1-4) Recap It wasn't our best of weeks, but considering more games then days, and most of them against the two teams closest to us, 4-4 isn't anything to complain about. Our lead shrunk by half a game to 7, but I was very worried about this week and we escaped it almost completely unscathed. We did well against Brooklyn, taking two of three from them before the Stars took two of three from us. Brooklyn took two of three from New York, so the three of us basically played rock-paper-scissors with each other, as the four series did nothing to change the standings. With 18 games remaining, we have a magic number of 12, and a .500 finish should be enough to make our return to the postseason. We did have to deal with an injury, as Carlos Montes suffered an oblique strain on the first, so he'll hit the DL for a week or two. This will give Orlin Yates some starts in center, but I might give Cliff Moss a game or two out there so I could use Langton, Vargas, Ford, or Walker a little more. Even with the eight games, Papenfus and Parker only got to start a game a piece, as they both pitched in the weekend series before. Peter the Heater was as dominant as ever, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts in a 4-0 shutout win over the Stars. It was the only game we were able to beat them, and Papenfus now has sole possession of the triple crown categories. That's because the Stars got the better of Parker, scoring 4 runs off 9 hits and a walk in 8 innings. Parker did strikeout three, but we had no chance of winning as we got just one run off Billy Riley (12-11, 3.92, 101). One of our two start starters was excellent, as Jim Lonardo beat both the Kings and Saints to improve to 13-8 on the season. Lonardo pitched complete games in both, just 11 hits and 3 runs with 9 strikeouts. He's had a rough go of things, dealing with injury and poor performance, but lately is been completely in control. He hasn't walked any hitters in over the past three starts, and he's walked two or fewer in each August start as well. We'll need at least three starters in the playoffs, and Lonardo tends to pitch better down the stretch. A few more starts like these, and I'll continue to lean on him down the stretch. Milt Fritz had some struggles, going just 7 innings in each of his two starts. He allowed 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 8 walks against the Kings and 7 hits, 4 runs, and 7 walks against the Saints. Joe Brown struggled in what may be his last start of the season, 9 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in his only 6 innings of the week. Ben Curtin picked up a win, but struggled a bit in his 6 innings. He pitched in three games and allowed 3 runs and 6 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. John Lawson led the offense once again, going 11-for-33 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 9 RBIs. He now has 27 homers on the season, one away from a career high of 28 in 1930. Skipper Schneider continues to stay hot, going 9-for-25 with a triple and solo homer. He's developing into one of the top shortstops in the league, and has spent the past few weeks in the top 20 players list. He's now at 14, one behind Boston's shortstop Lew McClendon. The two have similar batting lines, with McClendon at .288/.388/.395 (106 OPS+) and Skipper at .303/.358/.396 (105 OPS+), but Skipper's 21.2 zone rating and 1.086 efficiency are far better then Lew's -6.6 and .964. Skipper is four years younger and still can't buy a beer at a baseball game, and I think he's easily the most valuable shortstop in the game. He hit .390/.485/.488 in August and has always been projected to be an elite shortstop. More time will be given to Orlin Yates with the Montes injury, and the veteran outfielder went 6-for-19 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 4 runs scored. Most of the lineup had their issues, but part-timers Mike Taylor (3-7, 2 RBI) and Ollie Page (3-9, 3B, SB, 2 RBI) made the most of their limited opportunities. Cliff Moss continues his slump, just 4-for-21 to drop his season line to .271/.338/.409 (102 OPS+). Looking Ahead We get a much needed off day to start the week, as we embark on a 16 day road trip to end the season. We are 36-25 (.590) on the road, which is a pace better then the Stars (80-56, .588) and Kings (79-56, .585) have on the season, and they both have a lot of road games themselves. We start in Cincinnati, with the fourth place Cannons. They are 71-65 on the season and technically still alive, 16 games behind us and the last team with a record above .500. Injuries have decimated the Cannons staff, but they still have an excellent top three. Butch Smith (14-10, 2.94, 109) continues to provide ace level production with Roger Perry (9-10, 3.19, 79) and Glenn Payne (12-11, 3.19, 95) giving well above average innings. We'll likely get to see Jesse Bowen in one of those two games, who has made two starts in his big league career. The 25-year-old has looked good, a pair of complete games where he is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA (160 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 6 walks and 10 strikeouts. The Cannons do have a nice offense too, with a tough 3-4-5 of Adam Mullins (.323, 5, 41), Mike Taylor (.293, 11, 81, 22), and Moxie Pidgeon (.271, 15, 87). They don't really have a hole in the lineup, but our pitchers have been great and we should be able to keep them in check. Next stop is Toronto, for three with the 61-76 Wolves. Walt Pack is searching for his first 20 homer season, sitting at 17 with a .296/.359/.444 (109 OPS+) triple slash. He's added 18 doubles ad 58 RBIs and with Fred McCormick back in the lineup next season, I expect he'll break many of his personal bests. The rest of the lineup has suffered from Fred's absence, with down years throughout the lineup. The staff is still strong, with double digit winners Joe Hancock (13-10, 3.37, 103), George Garrison (13-10, 3.57, 115), and Bernie Johnson (11-12, 3.85, 45) all tough to get runs off, especially in Toronto. I like our chances against anyone, but we can't take their challenge lightly. We then finish the week with the first of three against the Foresters. Cleveland has the fewest runs scored and allowed, but they are 56-79 and four and a half above the Saints. The Foresters have brought Earle Robinson (1-3, 3.40, 16) to the rotation, and he has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his four starts. They're also now without young outfielder Eli Harkless (.263, 5, 36, 15) for the rest of the season, and they've brought up "The Rock of Rochester" Si Crocker with expanded rosters. He was part of the deal with Boston that sent out Bill Moore and Dean Astle to the Minutemen. He hasn't done too well, just 1-for-16, but the 23-year-old has legit power and it might take him time to improve the rest of his offensive game. 22-year-old Wes Parks has also been brought up, and the current 63rd Ranked Prospect is 3-for-12 with a double, triple, and 2 RBIs. We've done well against the Foresters this year, and I'm hoping we can get off to a quick star in that series.

03-29-2022, 12:09 PM	#760
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Week 22: September 8th-September 14th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 91-51 (1st, 8 GA) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .391 AVG, .945 OPS John Lawson : 30 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .300 AVG, .767 OPS Cliff Moss : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .381 AVG, .959 OPS Schedule 9-9: Loss at Cannons (3-4): 12 innings 9-10: Win at Cannons (9-6) 9-11: Win at Cannons (4-0) 9-12: Loss at Wolves (4-6) 9-13: Win at Wolves (8-4) 9-14: Win at Foresters (12-10): 10 innings Recap We kept up the trend of four win weeks, and with just six games instead of eight, it was a productive record. Our lead grew to eight over the Stars while our magic number shrunk to 5, as we are now mere inches away from our first pennant since 1933. We did deal with another injury, as Ollie Page suffered an oblique strain, which likely ends his nightmare of a season. The 31-year-old hit a pitiful .184/.290/.256 (49 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, steal, and 14 RBIs in 147 trips to the plate. He was finally starting to get time with Billy Hunter hurt, but now he'll join him on the injured list. The offense was productive, and we finally got a good week from veteran Cliff Moss. He went 8-for-21 with a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Skipper Schneider kept on hitting, 9-for-23 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, and 9 RBIs. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-21 with 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker was just 4-for-17, but with a double, triple, steal, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, and 6 walks. John Lawson was 9-for-30 with another homer, 4 runs, and 7 RBIs. Some of our part-timers did well too, with another good week from Fred Vargas. He was 4-for-7 with a double, homer, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Aart MacDonald was 3-for-7 with a pair of runs scored. Ossie Grogan was 1-for-3 with a run, RBI, and 3 walks. Jim Lonardo was outstanding in Toronto, allowing just 7 hits in a complete game shutout over the Wolves. The 37-year-old is now 14-8 with a respectable 3.99 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 30 walks and 57 strikeouts. Harry Parker was not as lucky, getting roughed up in both of his starts. He did get a win and a no decision, but he allowed 17 hits, 13 runs (11 earned), and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. Peter the Heater was much more reliable, a win and no decision for him as well, but with 13 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 4 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings. Dick Lyons made the last start, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 2 walks in 8 shaky innings. Joe Brown pitched well out of the pen, 4 shutout with a walk, 3 strikeouts, and a win in two outings. Ben Curtin had his first bad week, two outings for him with a loss, 7 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 5 walks in 3.2 innings. Grover Donahue made his debut against Cleveland, getting four outs without allowing a baserunner. Looking Ahead We get two more with Cleveland, who we topped in extra innings to drop them to 59-82. They will have to replace the injured yet again Earle Robinson (1-4, 3.56, 18), but as it stands, we'll get their pair of former Cougars atop the rotation. I expect to see Dave Rankin (13-13, 4.41, 50) regardless, but the 35-year-old has not been the most effective this year. We also may get Ben Turner (9-14, 4.41, 49) who has a matching ERA with a similar loss and strikeout total. Both have done a good job eating innings for a bottom of the league team, but neither have done much to improve their trade value. Same can be said of Dan Fowler (.260, 18, 54) and Lou Balk (.292, 13, 60), who have been just average at the plate. There is reason for optimism in the lineup, with 25-year-old Leon Blackridge hitting well since coming over at the deadline in the Mel Carrol trade. Blackridge has hit .323/.406/.481 (130 OPS+) with 7 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 4 steals, and 16 RBIs since joining the Foresters. He currently ranks as the 4th best third basemen in the league, and he should be a nice fixture in their lineup once their top young pitching prospects are ready to take over. I expect us to win both of these games, and would be disappointed with anything else. Our road trip continues with two against the Sailors, who at 61-80 are just barely playing better then the Foresters. It's rare to see the Sailors record this poor, but they have a deep farm system and may not stay in the second division for very long. They haven't given many of their young guys time, but with ace Herb Flynn (10-16, 4.10, 48) out with an injury, 22-year-old Al Duster may get called on to make a few starts. The rotation needs it, as Flynn's 100 ERA+ is the best of qualified and remaining pitchers, as veterans Chuck Murphy (8-18, 5.22, 50) and Merritt Thomas (0-10, 14, 6.45, 13) have seen their production plummet. The offense hasn't been much better, as the consistent Bob Smith (.292, 2, 46) may have his first sub 100 OPS+ and talented young catcher Woody Stone (.263, 3, 62) has been well below replacement level since being name to the All Star game. Both are extremely talented players, but I could see Smith being moved if the Sailors decide to embark on a full scale rebuild. At 25, there is no reason to move Stone, but other vets like Jim Beard (.279, 2, 43), Lou Williams (.305, 21, 8), and Marion Boismenu (.299, 1, 48, 10) may be moved to make room for some of the younger guys. These are must win games as well, as our schedule gets harder after. Off on Friday, but we'll head to New York to start a three game series with the Stars. They are the team eight back of us, 83-59, and I'm hoping we can have the pennant all but wrapped up for this series. New York has scored 731 runs, a few more then our 728, as William the Conqueror continues to take the league by storm. The 21-year-old is hitting an astronomical .353/.475/.620 (189 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 5 triples, 33 homers, and 113 RBIs. He's been worth a league high 9.9 wins above replacement, and he leads the CA in average and homers while behind just John Lawson for RBIs. With Lew Seals (.262, 18, 92) batting behind him and Chink Stickels (.278, 9, 66, 11) in front, he has decent protection, and they just got Dave Trowbridge (.327, 7, 79) back from injury. They can put up a ton of runs, so I'll be ensuring Papenfus and Parker pitch in this series, with Lonardo likely getting the third game. The Stars have pushed their starters, working a four man rotation, giving more starts to Vern Hubbard (18-6, 2.84, 73) and Chris Clarke (10-10, 3.33, 73). This will be a tough test of our talent, but even a few losses here should be nothing more then a minor setback. Minor League Report I'll cover the rest of my callups here: RHP Donnie Jones: It's time! The 21-year-old spent all his season in Milwaukee, and will now make his major league debut this Thursday against the Sailors. "Mole Killer" made 24 starts for the Blues, finishing a decent 12-8 with a 3.16 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 57 walks, and 128 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched. Great numbers for the former lottery selection, who has shown time and time again that he's ready for a challenge at the big league level. Our #1 prospect and 11th overall, the 6'2'' righty looks like a legit ace, and he's even throwing harder now! He's sitting pretty at 95-97 with his fastball and sinker, and he can blow by even the best of big league hitters. His stuff overall is elite, and he mixes in a top notch curve and reliable change, which he does a good job locating. He cut his BB/9 from 4.7 last year to 2.9, while upping his K/9 from 4.6 to an impressive 6.3. Already a leader in the clubhouse, Jones has nearly unlimited upside on the mound, and just a few looks at this kid pitching and he'll leave you wanting more. Of course, he's still raw, and isn't a lock to make the rotation next year, but we're getting closer and closer to seeing him get a large chunk of starts right behind Peter the Heater. LHP Johnnie Jones: If Donnie gets promoted, that means Johnnie will be right there with him! "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" hasn't had the best minor league career, but with him Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, there was no reason not to promote him. The groundballer went just 10-13 with a 3.93 ERA (95 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP with 89 walks and 84 strikeouts in 185.2 innings pitched. Like his brother, he also saw his BB/9 (5.1 to 4.3) and K/9 (2.9 to 4.1) trend in the right direction, but the lanky 6'4'' lefty still needs to improve his command before becoming a reliable big league hurler. He also added some speed, but he's just at 93-95, although if there is one thing he odes better then Donnie, it's generate a ton of grounders. It's next to impossible to hit the ball in the air against him, as he attacks with his sinker and all four of his pitches get tremendous movement. His stuff isn't at the same level as Donnie, but his sinker is arguably better while his secondary stuff isn't quite as developed as his brothers'. I'm not quite ready to give Johnnie a start, but if we have things clinched, I'd love for him to pitch Monday in New York against the team that took him 4th Overall back in 1936. It may be shocking that that was actually two picks before we took Papenfus, but Johnnie is a few months younger and far less developed. Ranked as the 13th best prospect, Johnnie also has ace upside, and if him and his brother reach their lofty ceiling, we are going to have a historically dominant 1-2-3 in our rotation, and when you add in Harry Parker and hopefully #15 prospect Duke Bybee, it may be the greatest rotation of all time. LHP Harl Haines: I'm adding one more arm, with former 10th Rounder Harl Haines joining the big league club. Currently 19th in our system and 214th overall, he dropped a bit in the prospect ranks, but the submariner was extremely reliable in Milwaukee. He went 11-9 with a 3.29 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 37 walks, and 82 strikeouts through 177.2 innings. Another tall arm, Haines stands at 6'3'', and throws a 95-97 MPH fastball and cutter. He generates a ton of grounders and has a really tough to hit slider and screwball to go with the hard stuff. He'll almost never allow a homer, and his rotation is very deceptive, leading to a lot of strikeouts and very few runs allowed. His movement is great and his stuff just average, and he's shown great command in the farm. He could probably start for some teams, but with our pitching depth he'll hang around in the pen, and hopefully get a few innings of middle relief. C Steve Mountain: I love having a third catcher, and since Steve Mountain was already on the 40, he was the obvious choice. The 24-year-old was taken a round before Haines, and will be set to make his big league debut after his first full season in Milwaukee. He didn't hit too good, just .239/.333/.313 (80 OPS+), but he's a tremendous defensive catcher. He's great at framing and handles the staff well, while also sporting a 64.1 caught stealing percentage. He's not awful at the plate either, as he did have 15 doubles, 6 homers, and 44 RBIs, but he's used more for his defense then his bat. With Mead getting most of the time with the occasional start from Mike Taylor, Mountain will spend most of his time on the bench or in the pen helping the pitchers. He'll likely get a start by seasons end, but I can see him making a few late game appearances as a defensive replacement. 3B Jocko Pollard: I was going to bring up Eddie Curtis, but he got hurt this week, which made room for Jocko Pollard's promotion. The 24-year-old slugger was our 4th Rounder back in 1935, and like Mountain, he was already on the 40. Pollard got his first taste of AAA, and hit a respectable .279/.333/.423 (109 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 80 RBIs. For his minor league career, he has 96 homers, and he hasn't had a below average offensive season since he was 18 and in C ball. He's basically an all bat no glove option who will be a big boost off the bench, as he has above average contact, power, and discipline. He hits a lot of flyballs, which plays well in Chicago, but I doubt he'll get a game at home. We have a much more exciting slugging third basemen in Otto Christian, but Pollard could be a stopgap between Lawson and Otto depending on Otto's development. That gives us 31 of our 35 roster spots filled, but one will be eventually refilled by Montes and I'm leaving a spot in case Ollie gets healthy sooner. I may end up bringing up a pair of guys next week, but I haven't yet decided. One option is Ed Wilkinson, who finished his season with a 4-hit shutout against Fort Wayne, but I also have experienced arms in Dick Strunk and Cal Knight who already have a 40-man spot. There are also a lot of veteran bench bats, as well as the previously DFA'd Stu Johnson and Freddie Bennett.