Chicago Cougars (FABL)

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 24-17 (t-2nd, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 28 AB, 14 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.196 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .409 AVG, .962 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .357 AVG, .829 OPS

Schedule
5-18: Win vs Cannons (4-5): 10 innings
5-19: Win vs Cannons (1-3)
5-20: Win vs Wolves (2-9)
5-21: Win vs Wolves (0-7)
5-22: Loss at Saints (2-3): 11 innings
5-23: Loss at Saints (0-3)
5-24: Win at Saints (6-3): 11 innings

Recap
Despite back-to-back 5-2 weeks, we've now dropped a game and a half in the standings, and sit 7 games behind the New York Stars, who we get for a single game to start the week. We looked great at home, sweeping the Wolves and finishing off the sweep of the Cannons, but we struggled with the Saints in Montreal. They took two of three, including a shutout at the hands of Jake DeYoung.

Carlos Montes picked up right where he left off, leading the offense with an even 14-for-28 week. It felt Player of the Week worthy, more so then Fred Barrell who won it with 11 at bats (albeit, elite ones), and he added 2 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Montes is now hitting a Whitney Level .372/.419/.513 (168 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs. He's not the only one who hit well, as Skipper Schneider was 9-for-22 with a steal, 2 runs, 3 doubles, and 7 RBIs. Leo Mitchell kept things going, 10-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI with 6 more strikeouts. Mitchell dropped out of the top 3 for RBIs, but he's now leading the CA batting race with a .346 average as well as a league high .932 OPS. Dick Walker went 5-for-15 with a double, walk, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Freddie Jones was decent, 5-for-17 with 5 walks, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. His other half Clark Car didn't play too much, but was 3-for-9 with a double and triple. Harry Mead barely hit over .200, 5-for-24, but he added 2 homers and 4 runs scored and driven in. He's now on a 19 homer pace despite setting a career high for homers last year with just six. Unfortunately, John Lawson struggles again, just 6-for-25 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs. Him and Ray Ford, who was 5-for-24 with a triple, have really struggled this season, and we'll need to get more production from our slugging corner infielders. Now we're top three in all offensive categories except strikeouts, but it might not matter if New York keeps shooting for the Stars.

There was a great week of pitching, and a big moment for Donnie Jones, who tossed a shutout against the team that traded him. He allowed 9 hits and a walk with 7 strikeouts as we beat the Wolves 7-0. It's been an up-and-down season for the rookie, but "Mole Killer" is 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 15 walks, and 30 strikeouts. He's done a great job striking out hitters, and he's kept walks down, all while keeping runs off the board. His development this year has been excellent, and I'm really liking the poise our youngster has showed early on. Speaking of poise, that's something veteran Dick Lyons has in bulk. After getting humiliated against the Sailors, he put together two strong starts against the Cannons and Saints. He beat Cincy, going all nine with 5 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He got a no decision in Montreal, but went 7 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in our lone win north of the border. His potential replacement, Milt Fritz, looked alright, picking up a no decision with 8 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks in our 5-4 win over the Cannons. He also tossed a perfect inning of relief in our 11 inning win over the Saints, picking up career win #187.

Harry Parker had a rare non-complete game, and you can blame that on a 66 minute rain delay. He was well on his way to another complete game shutout, but left with 5 hits and 4 strikeouts in just 7 innings. Hooks Camp came in, allowing a run in each of the last two innings with 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks as we cruised past the Wolves 9-2. Jim Lonardo picked up an unlucky loss, 10.1 innings against the Saints where they walked us off 3-2. He allowed just 6 hits and 3 runs with 4 walks and a strikeout. Bill Greene walked him off with a homer, but Lonardo still owns an impressive 2.42 ERA (140 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP despite a 22-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Joe Brown picked up the other loss, 11 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 8 innings. He pitched well, but since we couldn't hit Jake DeYoung, he would have needed a shutout of his own. Ben Curtin had a pair of shaky 2 inning relief outings, picking up a win despite 7 hits and 2 walks. No runs and two strikeouts, but he wasn't as sharp as usual. Pug finally got an outing, pitching in our 6-3 extra inning game. He walked one in a scoreless frame, picking up the save. It took 41 games for him to pitch his first inning, but I'd be surprised if it takes that long for the second.

Looking Ahead
One of the weirdest, yet most important series we'll have is the one to start the week, a single game hosting the Stars. At 31-10, they're on a sweltering pace to start the season, and they may run away with the division before the trade deadline. Of course, we'll look to stop that, but already seven games back, we can't afford for that lead to go to eight. Good news is Chuck Cole (6-4, 2.20, 27) and Vern Hubbard (4-0, 3.14, 22) pitched yesterday, so they can't be used. And while Billy Riley (8-1, 2.53, 37) is rested, he pitched three days ago against Brooklyn and isn't likely to be used. Avoiding their top three is huge, and while Lou Robertson (4-2, 2.33, 20) is pitching well, I'll take my chances with the inconsistent righty. As a rookie, he had one of the best starts to a career, before finishing his year 10-6 with a 3.17 (127 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 58 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He then suffered the always frightening sophomore slump, before being moved to the pen where he was much better. In 12 starts and 22 relief outings he was 6-9 with 3 saves, a 4.26 ERA (94 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP with almost even walks (43) and strikeouts (42). This year he's started like his rookie year, with a 148 ERA+ and 1.19 WHIP, but again, with near even walks (21) and strikeouts (20). He's still a very good option as a back of the rotation arm, but with Harry Parker on the mound, we should be able to win this one. Of course, Parker on occasion struggles with homers, and considering reigning Whitney Winner Bill Barrett (.303, 3, 20) only has three this season, you can almost take it to the bank that he'll take Parker deep. In fact, Barrett has hit more homers off Parker (7) then he has against any player, and the kid can easily clear the high fences that protect our shorter left and right fields. He's not the only power threat, as Lew Seals (.239, 7, 33, 4) has hit more homers then any CA hitter not named Leo Mitchell, and Dave Trowbridge (.288, 4, 28) is more then a threat despite being 44 in August. That 2-3-4 is next to impossible to navigate, but of Parker can keep the ball in the park, the upset may be ours.

We're then off on Tuesday before a quick two game road trip out in Brooklyn. The Kings are in third, but at just 21-21, there are only two (us and the Stars) teams in the CA above .500. The thing holding the Kings back is their offense, as they cannot get runs on the board. They're 8th with 128, almost 100 (209) behind the Stars who lead the circuit. Nearly every King starter has a sub 100 OPS+, with Rats McGonigle's .269/.335/.400 (104 OPS+) easily the best on the team. Add in the 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 15 RBIs with more walks (16) then strikeouts (11) and you have a very productive table setter, but a team with Rats carrying the load is not one that will score much. Joe Herman (.262, 2, 13, 2) and Al Wheeler (.248, 5, 26) have slumped while Tiny Tim Hopkins (.238, 3, 11), Frank LeMieux (.265, 10), and Harry Barrell (.264, 1, 17) have been colder then an artic winter. It's tough because the Kings' brass is in a tough spot; a lot of talented players underperforming, so it's hard to upgrade to try to compete as the Stars seem to be blowing the competition out of the water. The top three in the staff has been elite, which has kept them in games, but they can't expect Bob Cummings to continue his production. The 29-year-old from Chicago is 6-1 with an FABL best 1.12 ERA (312 ERA+) to go with a 0.97 WHIP, 27 walks, and 33 strikeouts. With him, Art White (5-5, 2.40, 18), and a resurgent Jim Crawford (3-3, 2.76, 14), they do a great job keeping the team in games, which has allowed them to stay in the upper division. I like our chances in this one, as long as we are able to hit, we should be able to win the games.

Thinks get congested towards the end of the week and month, as we get five games in three days. They are all at home, with a single game on Friday and then double headers on Saturday and Sunday. The Sunday double header is against the Kings, while the first three games will be against the Saints. Montreal just bested us in Canada, and we better not let them do that to us on our home turf. Now 20-21, the Saints are in fourth place, and depending on how we play against the Kings, they may end the week in third. We allowed Bill Greene (.236, 1, 16, 3) to heat up a bit, while Red Bond (.225, 4, 16) was 5-for-13 with a homer against Cougar pitching, and this offense has to be taken seriously. Heinie Billings (..292, 1, 11) has cooled off a bit, but it's hard to keep Hughes (.336, 1, 13, 3), Lass (.333, 1, 23), and Woodbury (.295, 3, 9) off the bases. Even random catcher Mike Jones (.308, 1, 10), who sounds like an easy-to-see-through alias you would make up on the spot, has a 118 OPS+ with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and just 2 strikeouts in his first 70 PAs of the season. Their only "below average" hitters so far are Greene and Bond, but everyone knows they're not actually below average hitters. We already showed we can't hit Jake DeYoung (3-4, 2.24, 31) and Karl Weiss (1-2, 2.08, 7) has been surprisingly effective the past two seasons. I know we're the better team, but with Milt Fritz set for one of the games, I'm not as confident as I usually am when facing the Saints. This isn't their year, but if they can avoid losing too many productive players to the draft, the Saints may be a dark horse candidate for the pennant next year.

We're starting the draft today and it should finish over the weekend, so expect various draft pick posts in the coming days. Chances are some of these guys will be drafted again, into the military, but that should make it easier to not have to release players. Since stats were generated this sim, I will do an Amateur Report on both guys we've already selected at the end. Usually I am super excited for the draft, but for one reason or another, I am not as big a fan of this class. I still think we'll get some value, but this is the first class in a while where I wasn't targeting someone for my first, and I think the first season the Cougars have not made a selection in the first since I took over. You don't have to look much further back, as in 1923 the Cougars did not pick until the 3rd Round, where they grabbed William Sullivan 47th Overall out of Scranton HS. He did not pan out, hitting .143/.204/.222 (15 OPS+) in part of two seasons with the Lincoln Legislators (then lowest system) before being cut right before the AI lost control of the FABL teams. Since then, we've gone from Mack Deal to Otto Christian, with 17 other players between them, with a variety of hits and misses. You go from major fails like James Demastus (1930) and Harry Humphrey (1927), but the list also contains Bill Ashbaugh (1925), Fred Barrell (1926), Mike Murphy (1928), Tom Barrell (1929), Billy Hunter (1932), Carlos Montes (1934), Pete Papenfus (1936), and Skipper Schneider (1939), all how have been (and some still our) really good everyday players. We're approaching the 20 season anniversary of my first class, and since that's how long I like to wait before reviewing a draft class, we will start getting yearly Cougar draftee reviews to judge the picks made. Of course, come 1929, I can even quote myself, seeing which guys I got right, and the many more I got wrong.

Minor League Report
RHP Ken Matson (AA Mobile Commodores): He's on a roll! Sure, there was a start with 6 runs in 6 innings, but if you forget about that one, Ken Matson hasn't allowed a run in his last four starts. Matson had the strikeout pitch working against Memphis, striking out 9 with 5 hits and 2 walks as the Commodores shutout the Excelsiors 4-0. This was his second shutout of the season, and he's now 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA (242 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts in his first five starts as a Cougar prospect. One of the things I really like about Matson is how he's able to keep his walks under control. He has the stuff to rack up a ton of strikeouts as well, and in this facet, he reminds me a bit of Harry Parker. Matson doesn't nearly have the ceiling of Parker, Weinstock thinks spot starter and OSA has a similar prediction, but Matson is a very efficient pitcher, and he has shown the ability to go deep into games. Three of his four complete games he finished with fewer then 120 pitches, and he was able to toss in 145 as a Bill Graham error caused him a loss. Matson contributes to a lot of whiffs, by both blowing pitches by hitters and tricking them with the off-speed stuff. With a little more seasoning, I think we can develop him into a reliable starter, but he has the fallback of turning into a dominant late inning reliever who can come in the 7th and finish off the game.

Amateur Report
CF Henry Deveaux
School: Mississippi A&M
1942: .262/.344/.364, 241 PA, 9 2B, 5 3B, HR, 35 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .274/.353/.363, 723 PA, 24 2B, 13, 3B, 2 HR, 108 RBI, 101 SB

It wasn't a great junior season for Henry Deveaux, but the soon-to-be 22-year-old finished his college career with a .274/.353/.363 line against the toughest college league. Our 2nd Rounder was also a predicted 2nd Rounder in the Mock, expected to go two picks earlier to the Stars. The next in a long list of outfielders from Mississippi A&M, Deveaux did show some improvement, lowering his strikeouts, increasing his slugging, and hitting more extra base hits. He didn't walk as much and his average slumped a bit, but Deveaux did have a relatively consistent college career. This season he set personal bests for doubles and triples and matched his homer high, although just one this year and last, as well as steals. With his age and a potential need for players in the higher levels of the farm, Deveaux may breeze through our system with the blinding speed he shows on the field. He has impact baserunning skills, which I hope translates to outfield range. He has a good eye and could be one of those guys who has a few more walks then strikeouts. Carlos Montes is on another level this year, so there is no immediate need in center, but with his propensity to get injured, Deveaux could compete with Bunny Hufford as the injury replacement in a few seasons.

LHP Bill Chapman
School: Edina
Commit School: CC Los Angeles
1942: 5-0, 66.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10 BB, 94 K
Career: 18-2, 249 IP, 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 53 BB, 318 K

A strong senior season from Bill Chapman to end his four year high school career, as the southpaw was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He set career bests in both K/9 (12.8) and BB/9 (1.4) with many other positive stats second to his dominant 1940 season where he also went undefeated. Chapman announced he will sign, forgoing a trip to a JUCO as long we meet his $1,400 demand. It's more then worth paying, as Chapman is a young and athletic pitcher with nice stuff and a lot of room to grow. He has six different pitches, form an 89-91 mph fastball to a forkball, and while none of the six are dominant pitches, they are all effective and he mixes them well. No real issues with command yet, but he may be susceptible to home runs, something that is hard for pitchers to overcome at our park. To become a productive big league starter, Chapman will have to improve his stuff or keep the ball in the park, and if he does both we may have a nice future piece. He's a project arm for sure, but with regional picks the choices are slim, and Chapman is a guy I'd consider picking with one of my two fourth rounders.

[ayaghmour2]

4th Round, 62nd Overall: SS Dick Hamilton
School: Maryland State
1942: .296/.369/.457, 275 PA, 11 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 31 SB
Career: .300/.372/.454, 762 PA, 27 2B, 13 3B, 17 HR, 120 RBI, 93 SB

This was the pick we picked up along with Clark Car and a 7th Round Pick, and I grabbed another middle infielder in Dick Hamilton. They guy I really wanted went two picks ahead, but I can't complain about my consolation prize. A three year starter at the prestigious Maryland State, Hamilton had arguably the best season of his college career, setting bests in doubles and triples while matching career highs for homers, steals, walks, hits, and WAR. Hamilton was very consistent for the Bengals, with his average in the .296-.309 range, OBP between .367 and .384, and slugging between .440 and .468. Now with us, Hamilton will compete with Skipper for shortest Cougars, as both check in at 5'6''. If Hamilton, who has experience at both middle infield spots, plays with Skipper, it will easily be the smallest double play duo in the entire league. A hard worker from New York, Hamilton has great speed which I'm hoping means great range, and while he's not a top notch hitter, he should be able to hit around .300 in the big leagues and the speed will allow him to beat out grounders and take the extra base. He hits the ball all across the field, which could lead to a lot of nice gappers, but I'm not sure his power is going to translate to the big leagues. Hamilton projects more as a supplemental piece then a star, but I think he could impact a big league team in a few seasons. He also checks in on the mock, the projected 7th Pick in the 2nd Round.

4th Round, 64th Overall: RHP Babe Stinson
School: Louisville
Commit School: Topeka State
1942: 5-0, 67.1 IP, 0.94 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 8 BB, 85 K
Career: 5-0, 67.1 IP, 0.94 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 8 BB, 85 K

There were three pitchers I debated on taking with this pick, and while Stinson may have been available for the 5th Round, the other two did not. Still, I wanted to take the risk on Stinson, who started just one year in high school. Despite that, he was a perfect 5-0 with a really impressive 1.1 BB/9 and 11.4 K/9 in 9 starts and 6 relief appearances. Stinson is on the shorter side, just 5'8'', and is a bit of a soft tosser, but I lover his command and with more velocity, he could develop into a really impressive pitcher. Sure, his fastball is in the low-to-mid 80s, but his change up is a really great pitch. Every mile he adds on to his cutter will make his change that much better, and his splitter and forkball both have big league potential. Stinson does a great job keeping the ball in the park, generating a ton of groundballs as he is able to dominate the bottom of the zone. OSA likes Stinson a bit more then Weinstock, viewing him as a back end starter while Tom thinks he'd be much more of a spot starter/emergency type. I think he's one of those guys with a lot of potential, and with the right mentoring, he could learn to pitch effectively in the big leagues.

5th Round, 80th Overall: CF Ed Neal
School: St. Blaine College
1942: .283/.382/.410, 205 PA, 6 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 37 SB
Career: .281/.380/.405, 728 PA, 19 2B, 17 3B, 8 HR, 99 RBI, 104 SB

Another projected second rounder, Ed Neal was a bit higher then Hamilton, projected as the 18th Pick this season right behind fellow center fielder Elmer Wands, who I was hoping would fall to me at the end of the 4th. Neal and Hamilton may play different positions, but they are pretty similar players. Both were three year starters in a very competitive college conference, both have tons of speed, and both were very consistent during their time on campus. Neal does have a better eye, and I expect him to strike out less then he walks, but he didn't show the power Hamilton did. Neal had just 8 homers in college while Hamilton had two seasons with 6, and he had fewer extra base hits despite more triples. Neal looks to be faster, which bodes well for a center fielder, and he should be a top base stealer and defensive outfielder. His range looks to be good, projected to be at least solid in center, and he can handle the corners even better. At the plate he's very disciplined and a hard out, swinging at the pitches he should and taking the ones he shouldn't. OSA is a big fan, thinking he can be a frontrunner for a center field audition, but I'm leaning more towards Tom Weinstock's projection as more of a bubble player. I've taken three college hitters and two prep pitchers so far, as I want my hitters to be pushed up if needed while the pitchers can restock the lower levels. I haven't decided where Neal will start, it's more based on who else we pick, but he could probably fit at A, B, or C depending what we need most.

[ayaghmour2]

6th Round, 96th Overall: RHP Foster Smith
School: Henderson
Commit School: Coastal State
1942: 8-1, 90 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 22 BB, 102 K
Career: 23-3, 262.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 56 BB, 331 K

Did I take him purely on his nickname? Of course not! But did it make a difference? You betcha! "The Thin Man" is both an excellent pitcher and exciting prospect. His senior year was actually the worst of his three years, but an impressive season none the less. Smith's ERA, WHIP, HR/9 (0.2), BB/9 (2.2), K/9 (10.2), and WAR (3.9) were all career worse while he walked more batters (22) with less strikeouts (102), but this year was still better then a decent amount of some draftees best seasons or career marks. Last year was Smith's best, where he was a perfect 8-0 with a 0.87 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 13 walks, and 115 strikeouts in 12 outstanding starts. What helps Smith is his sinker, an outstanding pitch that can generate a ton of groundballs. That and his fastball sit in just the mid 80s, and his success will be determined on his change. Right now it's not a good enough pitch for him to start, but if he can throw it consistently for strikes, his prospect status will rise. As a tall and skinny arm, he has chance to add strength and velocity. If he keeps the ball in the zone, Smith could develop into a reliable starter, but at 17, he's got a lot of developing before he can get there. Out of the Park also was a little clever for him, noting how he "Fosters solidarity in any setting."

7th Round, 97th Overall: CF Ducky Cole
School: Long Beach
Commit School: Detroit City College
1942: .482/.520/.723, 126 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 20 SB
Career: .497/.549/.785, 499 PA, 66 2B, 19 3B, 7 HR, 126 RBI, 63 SB

I swear I'm not drafting based on names! Yes, his name is Ducky, but look at those stats! He rakes! It's impressive to hit .500 on any level, and Ducky has done it twice; 1939 and 1941, and hit just under .500 in just under 500 plate appearances. Cole burst on to the scene as a freshman, slashing an elite .515/.562/.874 with 18 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 13 steals, and 34 RBIs. It appeared the California native would be a first round selection, but he never matched the extra base total and didn't even rank on the Mock Draft. I'm not worried, and I think we may have gotten a bargain here with the first pick of the 7th Round, a pick we acquired along with a 10th and 11th from the Eagles as we helped restock their farm system a bit when they were running low on players last year. Cole could make it all worth it, as he projects to have a Leo Mitchell like contact tool, just without all the strikeouts. His walks dropped a bit as a senior, the only season he was in single digits, but he struck out (19) far less then he walked (49). The power was come and go, and I don't think that's something that will change. Tom and OSA don't say anything about his defense, which likely means it's not good, but he does have experience in all three outfield spots. My best guess would be he ends up in left, but I'll give him time at all three spots. An extremely hard worker, Ducky has a lot going on for him, and I think we'll be able to get the most of what could be an extremely talented hitter.

7th Round, 110th Overall: C Homer Guthrie
School: Maryland State
1942: .269/.380/.384, 263 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 44 RBI, 2 SB
Career: .274/.385/.367, 811 PA, 28 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 121 RBI, 8 SB

A teammate of our first 4th Rounder Dick Hamilton, Guthrie caught while Hamilton was at short in a talented Beaver lineup. It's hard to say which season was his best, as it felt like each year he did something best. As as freshman he hit for his best average and got on base most frequently, where as a junior he hit for more power instead. Then his sophomore year was almost the exact midpoint of the two, giving him a very consistent college career. I didn't necessarily need another catcher for the system, but Guthrie is an exciting prospect and I felt like he was the best bat available. He has the defensive capabilities to stick behind the plate, He is a very disciplined hitter who will get his way to first with frequency, but he does have some issues with his swing, which could compress his average. If he can learn to hit the ball with more consistency and velocity, he could be a force at the plate, as he's a tall and muscular 6'3'', 200 with some pop. With Eddie Howard in San Jose, I might try to send Guthrie up to Lincoln to start, but with Howard hitting .a respectable .301/.348/.417 (122 OPS+), Howard may take that spot instead. Guthrie doesn't have nearly the upside of him or Solly, but Guthrie could be a very good bench bat or injury replacement if a need came up.

7th Round, 122nd Overall: RHP Harry MacRae
School: Topeka State
1942: 9-5, 132 IP, 3.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 36 BB, 105 K
Career: 25-14, 369.2 IP, 3.36 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 140 BB, 274 K

Our last of three seventh rounders, the first two from Washington and New York, Harry MacRae could be our best or worst pick of the draft. A three year starter at Topeka State, MacRae made 56 starts in three seasons against talented college hitters like Deveaux, Neal, Hamilton, and Guthrie. His numbers look great and Tom Weinstock loves him, but he doesn't really pass the eye test. It's not because of talent or size, but the Wichita native has just two pitches. They're great pitches, a hard 89-91 mph fastball and a dangerous curve. Of course, without a third pitch, it'll be very hard to start him, but it's hard to ignore both his talent and and improvement. He's added five miles on his fastball in college, and he was best as a junior. He lowered his BB/9 each season, and while he did have his best ERA (3.10) and K/9 (7.9) as a freshman, his WHIP, strikeouts, wins, starts (20),innings, and WAR (3.4) were all career bests this year. MacRae has developed outstanding command and reliable stuff, and he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground. I really hope he can be a starter, but he has all the tools to be a dominant late inning arm. He's cool under pressure and can miss bats with consistency, plus he has the stamina to pitch multiple innings if needed. Relievers don't have much value in the game now, so I'm going to push him to start until he tells me he can't. I passed up on Harry Sharp because he didn't have three pitches at draft time, but he now has three and is projected as a borderline starter instead of just bullpen. We'll hope for more of the same here, but chances are he'll be more Joe Ferrara then Harry Parker.

[ayaghmour2]

8th Round, 128th Overall: SS Frank Beacham
School: Garden State
1942: .276/.344/.3456, 261 PA, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 40 SB
Career: .266/.344/.356, 827 PA, 26 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 114 RBI, 116 SB

A switch hitter for the Garden State Redbirds, Frank Beacham is yet another three year starter from the greatest competition at the collegiate level. The versatile Beacham spent most of his time at short, but also played a little third, second, and center, which means left, right, and first should be no trouble for him. He's a great athlete and excellent runner, which would suggest he could handle short (or even maybe center) at the highest level. He also had his best year as a senior, setting personal bests in hits (72), homers, steals, average, slugging, and OPS (.700). He did strike out a fair bit, but he does have a good eye and will be able to draw a similar number of walks. The issue there is he has some swing and miss tendencies, which may keep his average a bit lower then he'd like. But he'll get on from the walk and beat out some infield hits, and when he's on the bases, he can make a big difference. Tom Weinstock is a big fan, thinking he can force his way into a big lineup, and the mock listed him as a 4th Round Pick. I'm not yet sure what position Beacham will play, but it may be worth giving him starts at multiple positions, allowing us to give at bats to a variety of players while not taking reps away from him. Versatility is a huge boost in a stats only league, as it allows more flexibility with roster construction.

9th Round, 144th Overall: CF Don Jeppsen
School: Winder
Commit School: Mississippi Tech
1942: .438/.467/.615, 109 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 19 SB
Career: .454/.495/.615, 472 PA, 55 2B, 13, 3B, 6 HR, 116 RBI, 65 SB

The first of back-to-back picks, Don Jeppsen was the last pick of the 9th Round, and another young outfielder to add to our system. The Mock thought we should take him with the 4th Rounder we acquired from the Stars, but a down senior year made that a very unlikely occurrence. The now 17-year-old was best as a sophomore, hitting .482/.508/.759 with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 31 RBIs, and 14 steals. Those were career bests for average, slugging, doubles, triples, OPS (1.267), WAR (2.3), runs (51), and hits (54) while matching bests for homers. Jeppsen is one of those guys who puts the ball in play a lot, with a decent hit tool and he has the potential to make consistent hard contact. He'll rarely walk, in fact just 17 times after 13 as a freshman, but he'll strike out even less. Not much power and while he's not fast, he's certainly not slow and could steal a few bases or take the extra base. What I like most is his personality, as he's one of those guys where you consider him as an extra coach in the clubhouse. He's a bright young kid with a full ride to Mississippi Tech he seems likely to turn down, and his teammates respect him and hold him in the highest regard. He has a future as a manager if the playing career doesn't turn out, but he's got decent tools. He can play all thee outfield positions and has some experience at first, but I'm not sure he'll ever be a great defender. Jeppsen projects as a bench bat, but he's a bright young prospect who will likely make the most of his talent.

10th Round, 155th Overall: RHP Sam Hess
School: Athens
Commit School: Marquis College
1942: 8-2, 104.1 IP, 1.12 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 23 BB, 148 K
Career: 27-9, 359 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 74 BB, 466 K

Selected right after Jeppsen, Sam Hess was our first of two 10th Round selections. This was the second of three picks we got from the Eagles, the last an 11th that will set up back-to-back picks for the third time. Hess was a three year starter down in Alabama, and he really had his strikeout pitches working. Hess made 45 starts and struck out 466 batters, and he was dominant as a senior. He had an ERA near 1 with a sub 1 WHIP and an impressive 12.8 K/9 rate. Hess isn't a very hard thrower, just sitting in the mid 80s with his cutter, but he generates a lot of weak contact and groundballs, while all three pitches of his move very well. His change is a viable option and his curve just as good, and if he ends up throwing in the low 90s instead, his cutter will be very effective as well. His control has looked good, and he shouldn't have to worry about walks, but he does get a ton of groundballs and can erase runners he puts on. Hess projects as a spot starter/long reliever, but he doesn't do anything wrong, and that may be enough to earn him a big league opportunity as FABL clubs deal with the uncertainty of war.

10th Round, 160th Overall: 1B Billy Biggar
School: York Springs
Commit School: Alabama A&T
1942: .521/.541/.802, 133 PA, 22 2B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB
Career: .521/.541/.802, 133 PA, 22 2B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB

The last pick of the human portion of the draft, I was a little surprised that a guy like Billy Biggar was still around. Part of it was his talent, but the other is the Stars monopoly on players named Bill or Billy! But nonetheless, the Canadian 17-year-old Billy Biggar will call the Chicago Cougars organization home. Part of why he fell could have been the fact that he's a first basemen, or that he only played one year in high school, but when I see a guy who hit .500, it's always enticing. Not only did Biggar hit .500, he hit .521, 5th best this season and 5th best career numbers for any draft eligible player. Of the four that had a better average (in fact, two others are Billy's), Biggar had more PAs, at bats (121), homers, and RBIs, but he walked the fewest and struck out the most. He doesn't appear to have the best eye, but he still consistently puts the barrel on the ball. He has next to no defensive value as a slow first basemen, but we don't have many first basemen in our system, right now I have a 23-year-old catcher manning first down in La Crosse. Sometimes all it takes to make the majors is one plus tool, and with Biggar's contact ability, he may work his way to the big leagues. Of course, the more likely option is he's another Cuno Myer, but Biggar is pretty exciting for a Mr. Irrelevant.

We have about a month in game before the draft, so it will be a while before these guys join the system. We do have an extra 11th Round pick, and will get the first pick of the AI portion, as well as the last pick in each round. A lot of these guys will get drafted into the military, but we should have a nice crop of new prospects. I don't expect to have many new additions to the top prospect list, and chances are we'll give up the 2nd spot in the farm rankings. Still, I'm happy with what we got, and there should be a few quality big leaguers coming out of this class.

[Tiger Fan]

As you will find out tomorrow Biggar made the High School All-American team.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 29-20 (2nd, 6.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Rich Langton : 21 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .571 AVG, 1.410 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .419 AVG, .940 OPS
Ray Ford : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.067 OPS

Schedule
5-25: Loss vs Stars (12-5)
5-27: Loss at Kings (3-4)
5-28: Win at Kings (4-2)
5-29: Win vs Saints (1-6)
5-30: Win vs Saints (5-11)
5-30: Loss vs Saints (6-5)
5-31: Win vs Kings (3-8)
5-31: Win vs Kings (1-12)

Recap
Well, we made up some ground! Just half a game, but even though we lost to the Stars, we got a little bit closer to them. Harry Parker had no luck against the Stars, and as expected Bill Barrett homered off of him, but we split with the Kings the first time, took two of three from the Saints, and then swept the Kings in the double header. Us and the Stars are the only teams over .500 in the CA, and after a 25-6 month, with half the losses in the most recent week, it seems like they're going to have no trouble winning a pennant. We actually had a really good May ourselves, 20-12, but we still lost a lot of ground. Unless they have an awful week and we have a great one, we won't get close any time soon. There is some help on the way, as Billy Hunter can finally start rehab, as the star second basemen has been out since last August. Before this sim he was the #1 second basemen, now he's #2, but we'll have a little positional dilemma when he gets back. Second base is clearly the weakest position in the FABL, and if you change Hunter to a shortstop, the #3 rated second basemen is Clark Car, and with Car at short, even Freddie Jones ranks 11th. Car is going to still get some time, as Hunter will need to be eased back in slowly, and on rehab I'm going to give Hunter time at third as well. He'll give Lawson the occasional off day, and maybe even perhaps Skipper, but Car will still keep some time in the lineup. With a .308/.370/.462 (137 OPS+) batting line, it's something that can seriously help us, but a healthy Hunter should be even better.

Harry Parker had a really rough week, as the Stars teed off on him through 6.2 innings. He picked up the loss and allowed 12 hits and 8 runs with a walk and 5 strikeouts. Start two was much better, picking up a win against the Stars in a complete game with 12 more hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a strikeout. The loss ballooned his ERA to 3.16 (109 ERA+), but the 27-year-old is still on track for a 20+ win season with a sub 1 BB/9 and HR/9 with a near 4 K/9. Like Parker, Jim Lonardo split his two starts, losing and beating the Kings. The Kings walked us off first, and what was worse is we took the lead in the 9th just to give it back. Lonardo got all but one out, charged with 9 hits and 4 runs (3 earned), and a Freddie Jones error ended up making the difference. He was arguably worse in the win, 9 more hits with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in a complete game, but he allowed just one run in Chicago. Lonardo is also on track for a 20+ win season to go with a 2.35 ERA (137 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP.

We had four other pitchers start a single game, with Joe Brown impressive in our 6-1 win over the Saints. He allowed just 1 run in a complete game with 9 hits and 3 strikeouts. Since I complained about his starts, he's now 3-1 in 35 innings with 29 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 14 strikeouts. This equates to a 1.03 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, and if it wasn't for an awful first start, he'd have run away with the Pitcher of the Month in May. Donnie Jones tiptoed his way out of trouble in his start, 5 hits, 2 runs, and 8 walks with just a single strikeout in a complete game win over the Kings. He ended up being named Rookie of the Month for May, going 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts. For the season Jones is now 4-4 with a 2.94 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 8 starts. He's looked good for a 22-year-old, and he's taken great strides already this season. Dick Lyons went just seven, but picked up a win to improve to 3-2. He allowed 6 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with a single strikeout. Milt Fritz had some struggles in start two, 9 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 5 walks, and a strikeout. We lost the game 6-5, so the Ray Ford error in the 8th cost us the game. Another unlucky arm was Hooks Camp, who allowed 4 unearned runs in 2.1 innings against the Stars. He allowed 2 hits and 4 walks, but this time it was a Lawson error to cost us runs. He was better in his other outing, a hit, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 2 shutout games against Brooklyn. I can't see Harry Parker having another blow up, and I might have to hide him when the Stars come to town, but no complaints with the overall pitching results. We're now second in runs allowed, of course second to the Stars, just like we are for runs scored.

Huge offensive week from Rich Langton, who just like every Cougar, can't get a Player of the Week. A 5-for-5 against the Saints was followed with a 4-4, and he hit .571/.600/.810 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 steals, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 RBIs in 25 trips to the plate. The 30-year-old is doing the best to match his outstanding rookie numbers, slashing .363/.413/.487 (157 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 homers, and 17 RBIs. He wasn't the only Cougar with an outstanding week, as Ray Ford was outstanding as well. The struggling slugger went 10-for-23 with a double, homer, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. Harry Mead continued his strong season, 9-for-24 with 6 doubles and 7 RBIs to increase his season line to .293/.352/.460 (131 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs with an elite 14-to-2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Cliff Moss turned things around a bit, 5-for-16 with a double, homer, and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker looked good, 6-for-15 with a steal, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, and 5 runs scored. Freddie Jones hit well, even if he didn't field well, 6-for-17 with 4 runs and 5 RBIs. All these guys are part time players, or at least get off days weekly, who made the most of the time they were given.

Leo Mitchell continues to be the best hitter in the game, going 13-for-31 with 3 doubles, 5 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. Lew Seals' power surge took his home run lead, but he's still second there and his .358 batting average is over 10 points better then the second place Reginald Westfall. Mitchell is hitting an elite .358/.388/.545 (166 OPS+) with 9 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 28 RBIs despite his 28 walks and 113 strikeout pace. Another guy on the leaderboards is Skipper Schneider, who went 9-for-28 with a double, homer, and 6 RBIs. Skipper now ranks as the #1 shortstop in the league and his 2.7 WAR is tied for second with former Cougar Chink Stickels. We also have Carlos Montes, who's third in the batting race with a .340 average. This is after a rough week where he went just 7-for-31, although he scored 9 runs, walked 5 times, and stole a base. Clark Car cooled off, just 4-for-17 this week, but he stole two more bases and now ranks 3rd with 5 steals. Our offense is as good as it gets, and they really caught fire this week.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, and then we get to head to Philadelphia for a two game set with the Sailors. At 22-27, they dropped down to 6th and now sit 13.5 games out of first. Most of the offense has cooled off, but Marion Boismenu has continued to be an above average hitter. The Canadian first basemen is hitting .325/.369/.455 (126 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 14 RBIs. He needs some help, as gloveman Oscar King (.285, 16, 1) is the only other above average hitter and they only have a third with an OPS+ above 90. Woody Stone (.258, 2, 25) has really fallen off and Bob Smith's (.216, 15, 2) production has completely plummeted. Our staff should have no issues with the lineup, but their staff could cause problems. We should be able to avoid Chuck Murphy (4-5, 2.73, 21) and Karl Wallace (5-3, 2.22, 17), while Herb Flynn (4-3, 5.55, 15) and Doc Newell (4-6, 5.21, 23) have been very easy to hit. I'm hoping Al Duster (3.38, 5) will get some chances to start soon, but these two games are must wins for us.

Off again before four games in three days with the Cannons. Cincinnati is still in last, but had a much better week to improve to 20-31.Theya re 16.5 games out of first and just two behind the also struggling Wolves. Vic Carroll returned from a partially torn UCL just to leave with a sore back, but made a second start that didn't last just two outs. His second start against the Sailors was what you'd expect from a #1 pick, 8 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in a complete game win. They'll want more from that, as Rufus Barrell (8-2, 2.14, 67) needs some help in the rotation as the struggling Butch Smith (1-8, 4.16, 29) and Roger Perry (2-2, 4.78, 21) were moved to the pen. They're hoping veteran waiver claim Jake Smith (1-1, 0.79, 1) can regain his 1936-1939 form with the Wolves and Pioneers. They've also made some changes in the lineup, with another waiver claim Terry Cox (.211, 3, 30, 3) and the homegrown Bill Lewis (.222, 1) starting to get some starts. They're hoping the mixup can spark the offense, as Fred Galloway (.306, 1, 20) and Adam Mullins (.311, 1, 17) need all the help they can get. We're the better team, and should show everyone in Cincinnati why, and if we play as we should, a 6-0 week wouldn't be that surprising. The way I feel right now is that this is a two team league, with us and the Stars likely beating up on the rest of the pack. We've gave them far too much of a lead, and without a third team, potentially the Saints (24-25), stealing wins, we may have to focus on 1943 where Bill Barrett may not be a Star anymore.

Minor League Report
SS Eddie Curtis (AAA Milwaukee Blues): The 28th was a huge day for 24-year-old Eddie Curtis, as the Memphis native was 5-for-6 to raise his season line to .391/.422/.457. At the end of the week, it was down a bit to .366/.397/.427 (123 OPS+), a still extremely impressive line for the middle infielder. He hasn't walked too much and doesn't have many extra base hits, but he does have 4 triples and a pair of doubles with 4 steals and 18 RBIs. Curtis has scored 25 times and has walked (9) more then he's struck out (4). His defense hasn't been great at short, but for now he'll spend most of his time there. I might start moving him around the field a bit, as short may not be his final spot, but Ossie Grogan won't leave second and once Ollie Page is healthy again, I want him getting reps at third. Curtis may not be the most talented player, but he's an extremely hard worker who could help fill out a bench.

RHP Ken Matson (AA Mobile Commodores): He's been featured a few times already, but the 24-year-old was now named the best starter in the Dixie League. Matson finished the month 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 10 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 5 strong starts. He only made one start in April, so for the season he's 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA (219 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, 13 walks, and 31 strikeouts. His command is solid, he gets a lot of strikeouts, and he's done a great job keeping runs off the board. There is no need for a new arm in Milwaukee, but he's definitely ready for the promotion, and he may be able to pitch in the big leagues this year. All six of their starters there have an ERA+ above 100 and it's not worth sending one of them down when we don't have suitable arms to replace him in AA. We still have a few weeks before the draft, but as long as we aren't hammered by enlistments, Matson will not remain in Mobile much longer.

[StLee]

Steadily creeping up!

Great to see about your 10th-round steal. Go, Billy! Can he be known as Bigger Billy Biggar?

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by StLee

Steadily creeping up!

Great to see about your 10th-round steal. Go, Billy! Can he be known as Bigger Billy Biggar?

He will be now!

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 31-24 (2nd, 7.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 23 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.009 OPS
Harry Mead : 17 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .294 AVG, 1.017 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 AVG, .750 OPS

Schedule
6-2: Win at Sailors (6-2)
6-3: Loss at Sailors (2-8)
6-5: Loss at Cannons (3-4)
6-6: Loss at Cannons (3-4)
6-7: Win at Cannons (6-1)
6-7: Loss at Cannons (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Well, this week could have not gone much worse! I was extremely confident in a winning week, with the slight chance of a perfect week, but it could not have been further from that. We split with the Sailors, and then allowed the Cannons to take three out of four from us. To make matters worse, all three losses to the Cannons were 4-3 losses, which could have been wins if a few things went different. We dropped a game on the Stars, now 7.5 out of first, and we're starting to let them run away with things. To make matters worse, Billy Hunter is already injured again, spraining his knee and returning to the IL for a few more weeks. Both Car (122 OPS+) and Jones (126 OPS+) have hit really well this season, so we can at least continue to stay afloat, but Hunter is one of the most talented hitters in the league, and his bat would be very helpful for us.

It's hard to blame the pitching for our struggles this week, but both Joe Brown and Jim Lonardo did not have great starts. Brown's was really rough, 11 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), and 4 walks with 6 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Lonardo was tagged with 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts while being walked off with one out in the 9th. Our best starter was the vet Dick Lyons, who picked up the only win in Cincy, going 8 with 4 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts before a Milt Fritz 1-2-3 inning to finish off the Cannons. An error gave Harry Parker a loss, 8 innings with 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), a walk, and 4 strikeouts. He allowed two more homers in this start, now three consecutive starts with two homers allowed. Our two start starter this week was Donnie Jones, who beat the Sailors and then lost the extra inning affair against the Cannons. In the win Jones went all nine with 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. In the loss he was walked off with one gone in the 10th after allowing 11 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strike out. Losing close games always hurts, and this one was no different.

The offense really struggled this week, but we got another great week from Freddie Jones, who is probably the only guy happy about Billy Hunter getting hurt. The veteran went 5-for-12 with 3 doubles, 2 walks, and 3 runs scored to up his season split to .308/.387/.404 (126 OPS+). Harry Mead tied his season high with homer #6, going 5-for-17 with a triple, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs as he's really started to catch fire. Carlos Montes continues to hit, going 9-for-23 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 7 RBIs. Leo Mitchell had a bit of a down week by his new lofty standards, but was still productive, going 8-for-24 with 2 doubles and a walk. Ray Ford was just 3-for-12, but homered and drove in two. Still, a lot of guys left runners on, with Cliff Moss, Clark Car, John Lawson, and Dick Walker combining to go 9-for-58 with a Moss double and Lawson solo homer. Lawson has struggled all season, and Moss and Walker haven't looked great, but with Car, he's been so good it was a matter of time before a week like this. We'll need more consistent hitting next week, as we definitely cost ourselves a few games by not producing with any regularity.

Looking Ahead
Our rough road trip continues with three in Toronto against the Wolves. At 26-30, they're now in 6th and just two games out of second while three out of last. 3 through 8 are really tight, and the Saints are just 3.5 games behind us. The Wolves are coming off a nice 5-2 week while we've started to slump, which will make things more difficult for us. Both of us have an off day, and with Joe Hancock (7-6, 2.43, 45) and George Garrison (7-4, 2.69, 50) pitching in their double header, we may miss both. Bob Walls (3-7, 3.52, 6) and Chick Wirtz (2-3, 3.82, 12) are solid, but nowhere near as talented as their co-aces. I think we'll also see Juan Pomales (5-6, 4.13, 16; .272, 8, 3), but the two way star hasn't had much success on either side this year. It would be cool for him and Donnie Jones square off, as they were traded for each other, but Jones pitched in our double header and will not pitch in the Toronto series. The offense hasn't been great for the Wolves, but they've got Larry Vestal (.235, 2, 5) back, although he's nursing a minor injury that shouldn't cost him an IL trip. Mike Rollison (.310, 2, 22) has cooled a bit while Reginald Westfall (.320, 3, 32) continues to hit very well. Tom Frederick (.284, 1, 17, 3) has really picked things up, but they are looking for more from their slugger Walt Pack (.258, 2, 22) if they want to return to the upper division. I trust our staff, and the lineup against non-Hancock/Garrison pitchers, but after a rough week, it's hard to be too optimistic.

Our week and road trip then finishes in Cleveland with four games in three days against the Foresters. Now 23-31, they are between our most recent and next opponents in the standings. Cleveland suffered a major loss, with the always injured Earle Robinson (3-3, 2.91, 12) out for two or three months with elbow inflammation. He was their most productive starter, as Dave Rankin (2-4, 3.32, 14) allowed 8 runs in each of his last two starts, totaling just 8 innings with 15 hits and 8 walks. Rookie Dick Lamb (6-6, 3.07, 10) has flashed some signs of a top level starter, and while Jack Thornhill (0-3, 2.86, 7) has a nice ERA in three starts, he's walked 17 batters in 22 innings and owns a 1.86 WHIP. Our experienced offense should be able to put runs up against them, but even if we don't, chances are they won't do much scoring. No team has scored less runs then the Foresters, who have just two hitters with an OPS+ above 100. One is veteran Brooks Meeks, who hasn't had one since 1937, his last of three consecutive 27 double seasons. This year he has 7 and is hitting a productive .292/.354/.422 (112 OPS+) with 2 triples, 3 homers, 2 steals, and 16 RBIs. Second base is a really weak position in the league, and we actually have two top five second basemen with Billy Hunter (2nd) and Clark Car (5th), so Meeks could be a hot target. Hank Stratton (.306, 2, 19) has hit a bit, but they'll need more from Leon Blackridge (.240, 1, 13, 2), Eli Harkless (.276, 2, 15, 6), and Dan Fowler (.211, 2, 13, 2). The Foresters gave us trouble early on, but they're ice cold and we need to take advantage.

Minor League Report
LF Bill Rich (A Lincoln Legislators): Despite drastic struggles at Lincoln last season, Bill Rich has been nothing short of stupendous with the Legislators this year. This week in particular, Rich was impossible to pitch to, going 11-for-25 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. The former regional pick is now hitting .343/.387/.506 (149 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 homers, and 42 RBIs after hitting just .246/.301/.373 (87 OPS+) in about 100 more PAs last year. It's clear the Illinois native is seeing things much better this year, making hard contact with regularity while starting to get more comfortable out in left. He's also cut his strikeouts a bit, but with less walks, as Rich has been putting the ball in play more frequently. He's already doubled (11) more this year then last (9) and he's been one of our top run producers. Despite all these improvements, he's dropped in the prospect rankings, and OSA thinks he may be a second division starter at best. We have a full outfield in Mobile, but I'll make room for him there once our new draftees join. Rich is a good presence in the clubhouse, and is "clutch" so to say, and even if he doesn't do much in the majors, he seems to be a very useful minor league depth/quad-A type player which has value of its own.

2B Bob Griffen (C La Crosse Lions): If it wasn't for military callups, chances are Bob Griffen would not get a single start this year. But, with a lot of players unavailable, we needed a guy to replace Nick Bryan (who just became healthy) at second, and the 19-year-old has stepped in. A 16th Round Pick in 1940, Griffen has hit really well in La Crosse, and it was all on display in our 33-5 demolition of the Marshalltown Maples. Griffen drove in 9 in a 5-for-6 effort with 4 runs, 2 doubles, a triple, and a walk. Griffin is just 7 PAs shy of 100 for the season, and he's slashed .364/.452/.532 (138 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a homer, and 22 RBIs. He's almost tripled his PA count (39) from his first two seasons, and while not a top prospect of ours, Tom thinks he can at least compete for a bench role. He's not the greatest defender at second, which may mean he'll need time at first, but his future may lie as a career pinch hitter. He makes consistent contact and is very strong, plus his pitch recognition is improving and should be a plus tool. He may lose some time with the new draftees joining, but Griffen won't have to worry about losing a roster spot.

1B Lew Lord (C La Crosse Lions): A day after Griffen's five hit game, Lew Lord decided to get in on the fun. This time we won 21-7, and Lord was a perfect 5-for-5 with 4 doubles, 2 runs, 6 RBIs, and a base on balls. Lord ended up taking home Player of the Week, hitting .625/.688/.1.042 with 10 doubles, 7 walks, and 11 RBIs. Lord now has 23 doubles in 44 games, on pace for 72. His season line sits at .292/.452/.476 (125 OPS+) with 2 homers and 37 RBIs. A natural catcher, Lord has gotten a lot of time at first, and will now be on his way up to San Jose. With Bryan coming back, I'm moving Griffen to first, and we need an infielder up to replace the now injured Billy Hunter. An 8th Rounder back in 1940, Lord actually hit a stronger .288/.404/.471 (133 OPS+) in 312 PAs last season with the Lions, and the 23-year-old has shown that he has no issues with the bat. He's looked good at first, which is pretty helpful, as his defense behind the plate isn't the best. Despite his success so far, scouts don't really think he'll hit for a high average, but they like his discipline. Lord doesn't really have the power for a first basemen, but if he continues to hit like he does, we can make do with it.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 34-28 (2nd, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 13 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .406 AVG, .844 OPS
Harry Mead : 22 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.008 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .346 AVG, .854 OPS

Schedule
6-9: Win at Wolves (6-2)
6-10: Loss at Wolves (2-6)
6-11: Loss at Wolves (1-9)
6-12: Win at Foresters (3-0)
6-13: Loss at Foresters (4-8)
6-14: Loss at Foresters (5-8)
6-14: Win at Foresters (7-2)

Recap
Our road woes continue, as we put together another losing week away from home. We are now below .500, 18-19 away from North Side Park while a far more impressive 16-9 in Chicago. Lucky for us, the Stars slumped as well, so we're now six games out of first. Montreal is red hot, up to 33-29, and they sit just a single game behind us. We really threw away a chance to make up significant ground, as we couldn't spit with the Foresters and won just one against Wolves. We're back home for this week, and with a ton of off days coming up, we have a chance to turn things around.

We did not pitch well this week, mainly Harry Parker, who has really fallen into tough times. Parker lost both his starts this week, allowing 6 in 8 innings at Toronto and 6 more in just 6 at Cleveland. His record has dropped to 7-6, his ERA jumped to 3.78 (93 ERA+), and his WHIP to 1.25. We'll need Parker to turn things around if we want to compete, but he's dropped four of his last five starts after starting the year 6-2 with a 2.42 ERA. Our vets were also hit hard, with both Dick Lyons and Jim Lonardo getting hit hard. Lonardo is also now 7-6 after allowing 12 hits and 8 runs with 2 walks and a strikeout. Lyons was an out shy of completing six innings, 11 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks in a lost to the Foresters. Joe Brown was much better, picking up a pair of complete game wins. He allowed 2 runs in each, with 14 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts split between them. Donnie Jones, however, was the best of the staff, adding another shutout to his young career. He allowed just 3 walks and 4 hits with 7 strikeouts. Jones has been excellent in 11 starts, 6-5 with a 2.66 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 32 walks, and 46 strikeouts. He leads our staff in ERA and strikeouts and is a win behind Lonardo, Parker, and Brown. The pen struggled too, but Pug got some more times, 2 hits, a walk, and unearned in 2.1 innings split between two appearances. Curtin allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and a walk in two outings while Hooks allowed a run with 3 hits in a 2 inning outing.

The offense wasn't much better, but that didn't stop Harry Mead. He was 8-for-22 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs, a homer, and 5 RBIs. That's 7 homers now for Mead, a new career best, and his season line is now up to .302/.367/.487 (141 OPS+) as he's slowly developed into one of the top backstops in the league. We got a good week from Skipper too, but he finally struck out. For the first time in 218 plate appearances, Skipper was set down on strikes by Wolves co-ace George Garrison. Despite the punch out, he was 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Cliff Moss had a rare good week, 6-for-17 with a triple, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Both Ray Ford and Leo Mitchell hit over .400 for the week, with Ford 5-for-12 and Mitchell 13-for-32. The hits were almost all singles, just a double for Mitchell, who upped his batting line yet again to .362/.385/.519 (155 OPS+), and while he hasn't homered in nearly a month, he's still tied for second their and has hit over 20 points better then Bill Barrett. Barrett is also the only hitter with a higher OPS then him, while Mitchell and Mead round out the top three. More struggles for John Lawson, this week just 6-for-27, as his season line fell to .253/.286/.323 (73 OPS+). Things continue to get worse for him, and now the position rankings have Johnny McDowell (10th) ahead of him. I'm really not sure what to do with him, but he has to start hitting. Right??? Right...

Looking Ahead
We finally return home, ending our awful 5-8 road trip that feels even worse because the Stars had a rare slump. We'll look to get things back on track against the Cannons, with one game, an off day, and then the finale. At 29-35, the Cannons are now out of last and into 7th. They are 12 out and 6 behind us, and I am really worried about this series. They're hot, we're not, and we may have to deal with Rufus Barrell. Barrell is having the breakout we all know he could, 11-2 with a 2.29 ERA (156 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 16 walks, and 86 strikeouts. We should also get Roger Perry (3-2, 4.11, 23), who is much easier to hit, and potentially former #1 pick Vic Carroll (1-2, 2.28, 12). Our offense could handle these guys, but if we draw Barrell, we might as well mark it up as a loss. Offensively, Chuck Adams has started to really heat up, slashing .299/.352/.500 (135 OPS+) with 7 homers and 22 RBIs. They've been searching for offensive support, and the slugging first basemen may be the answer to some of their problems. With Galloway (.273, 1, 23) and Mullins (.310, 2, 20) starting to cool down, I'm hoping we can limit the damage, but until we start performing well, I'm keeping my hopes down.

We then have another weird series with the Wolves, who took two of three from us. We have a game, off day, a game, and then a double header, before an off day and the draft. Toronto is now just a game under .500 as they took series from both us and the Stars. We had to deal with George Garrison (9-4, 2.43, 56) who had no issues with us before shutting out the Stars. Chances are we'll get him again, as well as Joe Hancock (7-6, 2.45, 48), who we avoided the first time. Juan Pomales (6-6, 3.84, 18; .279, 10, 3) had no issues with us, and since we haven't hit much at all, it might not matter who they send out. The offense got a huge jolt from Larry Vestal's (.280, 2, 7) return, and other then the struggling Okie Holliday (.216, 13) and backstop Clarence Howerton (.217, 2, 20), there is no easy out in the order. These are must win games, and while we more comfortable at home, the Wolves have been underperforming over the season and have started to turn things around. As I was confident the past few weeks, I'm going to try something new, and just hope for a sub .500 week. Can't hurt, right? Right...

Minor League Report
RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (AA Mobile Commodores): He hasn't pitched the best in AA, but things may be starting to turn around for Danny Goff Jr. The 24-year-old was brilliant against the Memphis Excelsiors as he tossed a 4-hit shutout in our 7-0 win. He then made a second start against Atlanta, another complete game win with 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts in a 4-2 win. He's now won three consecutive starts while allowing 2 or less runs, dropping his ERA from 7.34 to 4.98 (94 ERA+). Goff has, however, hit very well, slashing .361/.429/.477 (131 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 16 RBIs with nearly four times as many walks (19) as strikeouts (5). I'd like to see better performance from him on the mound, but Goff has rejoined the top 100 list, and now checks in at 6th and 55th respectively. I really want him to develop into a quality big league pitcher, as he's got nice stuff but can be susceptible to free passes. That's holding him back now, as his 3.4 BB/9 this year is his highest since a 60.1 inning sample in his first pro year down in San Jose, and his minor league BB/9 is now 3.4; nearly a point higher then his 2.6 K/9. At least he has the bat to fall back on, as Goff has an elite contact tool and is developing into a really solid outfielder. I'm not sure center is his final spot, right seems like his future, and he'll be a really good one. Not much pop this year after 11 homers last year, but even the player he is now could be a good enough hitter for the big leagues. I may push Goff up to Milwaukee by season's end, with the chance of a late season promotion, but expect him to spend most of his time in the minors until he can either polish up is pitching, or pitch poorly enough that he converts to a full time outfielder.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 36-32 (2nd, 8 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 25 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .320 AVG, .786 OPS
Freddie Jones : 8 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.500 OPS
Dick Walker : 11 AB, 4 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.326 OPS

Schedule
6-15: Loss vs Cannons (4-2)
6-17: Win vs Cannons (1-2)
6-18: Loss vs Cannons (3-2)
6-20: Loss vs Wolves (4-2)
6-21: Loss vs Wolves (5-2)
6-21: Win vs Wolves (2-10)

Recap
I thought the draft was today, and unfortunately it's not, because our performance on the field was terrible, and it would be a night reprieve. The draft will be tomorrow, which will works better because I can write over the weekend and won't have to force two reports in one day. And for someone who loves the number two, I did not like all the twos we saw this week. Two wins is bad enough, but just two runs in five of the six games! Are you kidding me!?!? Everything has gone wrong, but we're undeservedly still in 2nd place despite now being 8 out. I think this is it, time to focus on next year, but it's hard throwing the towel in June. If things continue like this, I'll bring Johnnie Jones up to let him walk batters in the big leagues, as I have to imagine the experience will help. Billy Hunter will now restart rehab, and when he's bat, he'll take some starts at third from John Lawson. Lawson continues to scuffle at the plate, going just 1-for-16 this week. He is now hitting .241/.273/.306 (64 OPS+) with just 7 doubles, 3 homers, and 33 RBIs. Of course, is Hunter can't stay healthy, it won't really matter, but I'd love to have his bat back in the lineup.

We had little to no offense this week, and our top five performers all had 15 or less trips to the plate. Langton was the one with 15, 5-for-14 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored. Freddie Jones finished an even 4-for-8 with a double, homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Dick Walker was 4-for-11 with a walk and a pair of solo homers. Cliff Moss went 4-for-11 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Carlos Montes had a decent week, 8-for-25 with a double and triple. Skipper had another week without a strikeout, 6-for-18 with a steal, RBI, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Leo Mitchell had a rare bad week, but he did hit his 9th homer. Mitchell went 5-for-22 with 3 RBIs, and still leads the CA with a .351 batting average. We'll definitely have better weeks, but I'm not feeling so good about the rest of the season.

We pitched well, but had nothing really to show for it. We did get a gem from the red hot Donnie Jones, allowing just 2 hits, 2 walks, a run, and 3 strikeouts in a dominant complete game victory. Our other win came in one of Jim Lonardo's start, as he went all nine in the second game of our double header with the Wolves. The vet allowed 10 hits and 2 runs with a walk and 3 strikeouts. His first start wasn't bad, but the Cannons got the best of him. He went 8.1 innings with 10 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Joe Brown struggled a bit, allowing 12 hits and 5 runs (3 earned) with 2 strikeouts in a complete game loss. Harry Parker looked a bit better this time, 8 innings with 10 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went just 7, 7 hits with 3 runs (2 earned) and 3 walks. Ben Curtin got all the innings out of the pen, 3.2 innings with 3 hits, a run, and 3 strikeouts. We continue to do one thing right and the other thing wrong, and we're running out of opportunities.

Looking Ahead
Here's another weird series; an off day, single game with the Sailors, and then an off day. Philly is in 5th and just 32-35, now one of four teams below .500 as the Wolves are now a game over after taking three of four from us. They have a game before us, likely to give Doc Newell (5-8, 4.78, 30) the start, so we should see Herb Flynn (5-6, 5.90, 24) who may be what we need to power up the offense. The Sailors have Marion Boismenu (.320, 2, 14, 2) and Harvey Brown (.337, 14, 2) returning from the IL, but that shouldn't mean Eddie Heaton loses any playing time. A 4th Round Pick last year, Heaton has already debuted an is off to a sizzling start. Currently the 35th ranked prospect, Heaton has slashed .270/.427/.514 (156 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 homers, and 14 RBIs. In 20 starts he's already walked 20 times, but he does have 13 strikeouts in just shy of 100 trips to the plate. Heaton will turn 22 in a few days, and he has the potential to be a long time regular and fixture in the Sailors lineup. He has the chance to hit .300 and draw a ton of walks, but I'm not sure the power will stick. He had just 3 minor league homers in 80 games before his debut, but he did hit 10 as a junior and 26 in his three seasons at Amarillo Methodist. The Sailors always develop a lot of quality players, and Heaton is the next in a very long list of talented hitters.

The weird series continues with the Foresters. Off on Wednesday, a game, another off day, a game, and then a double header. If we don't beat Cleveland it's all over, as they are 27-41 and 17 games out of first. We're actually closer to the Stars then they are to us, but we'll find a way to drop three or four of them. They've been pitching well, getting good innings from Jack Thornhill (2-3, 3.19, 12) and even with Dick Lamb (6-8, 3.41, 12) cooling down a bit, both of these guys could be decent pieces for them. In the lineup, they've started to give more time to Walter Morgan (.297, 1, 15), a Rule-5 Pick from the Cannons. He's had a nice rookie season and may replace Brooks Meeks at the keystone indefinitely. Him and Eli Harkless (.299, 2, 21, 10) could be longterm pieces for them, as will Leon Blackridge (.247, 2, 20) if he can start to turn things around. It's still years before top prospect Hiram Steinberg can contribute to the big league roster, but they might have a nice group of players to surround him with.

Minor League Report
LHP Ed Wilkinson (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Chock up another dominant outing for Ed Wilkinson, who has now allowed 1 or fewer in runs in half of his ten starts. The most recent was a beaut, 6 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts in a 4-0 win over Kansas City. This was right after he picked up his first loss of the season, now 7-1 with a 2.62 ERA (151 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 14 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched. I mentioned earlier how I want to give Jones starts, but maybe they should go to Wilkinson instead. The 25-year-old has been near flawless, and in 21 AAA starts he now has a 5.3 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. These are impressive numbers at any level, and it might be worth giving the southpaw a shot. He has a decent low 90s fastball with four secondary picks, and while none are that great, he locates them well and does a good job mixing them up. He may be as good of a pitcher as he'll ever be right now, but I think he'd be a solid back end starter.

2B Hod Seagroves (AA Mobile Commodores): A big week in a big season for Hod Seagroves, who took home Dixie League Player of the Week. The 24-year-old from Chicago went 13-for-27 with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 walks, and 11 RBIs. Like Skipper, Seagroves almost never strikes out, and he's yet to be set down on strikes in 226 trips to the plate. He struck out just once in 501 PAs last year and has struck out just 6 times since the start of the 1940 season. A gifted contact hitter, Seagroves is hitting .340/.427/.404 (114 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, and 42 RBIs. He's shown no power this year, not really something you want to see in a first basemen, but Hod has started to spend more time at second this year. 20 of his 58 starts have been at second, and the tall right has a nice 2.1 zone rating and 1.067 efficiency there. It's nice to see that he can still defend there well despite a lot of time at first, and even if he can't play third or second, he might be able to hold his own in the outfield. We have a full infield right now in AAA, but I think I'd like for Hod to end his season either in Milwaukee or Chicago. He's a hardworking kid who deserves a shot in the majors, but I'm not sure there is a spot for him yet.

RHP Jimmy Ballard (B San Jose Cougars): It's not every week a pitcher takes home Pitcher of the Week, and it's even less likely without a shutout. But Jimmy Ballard managed to win it, going 2-0 with a 0.55 ERA, 5 walks, and 5 strikeouts. His first start was a complete game win over Vancouver, where he allowed just 2 hits and a single run, and then his second start was against Fresno where he had to leave with one out in the 8th in just his second start with more then 100 pitches. This is a slight concern, as he's thrown 97 pitches 4 times and 98 pitches 3 times, showing a likely ceiling for his pitch counts. This isn't too surprising for someone who tore their rotator cuff two years ago, but he has looked alright in his 10 starts this season. Ballard is an even 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 26 walks, and 28 strikeouts through 68.2 innings pitched. He made just 7 starts last year and the year before, and with 2 more he'll tie his career high of 12 back in his draft year of 1939. Weinstock actually really likes Ballard, thinking he could be a back of the rotation arm, but he thinks command may hold back the 6'4'' sidearmer. OSA agrees, but Ballard is not listed in the league's top 500 prospects. He's got a lot of work to do and is behind a little in his development due to the injury, so it may be a while before Ballard reaches the top levels of our system, let alone the big league club.

[ayaghmour2]

With the in-game draft now complete, FABL GMs have to deal with another slew of military callups. Below will be all players who have been serving their country or will begin serving their country. New enlistees denoted by a * next to their name. Newly drafted players have a ^ in front of their name instead. I will also have our weekly report out later today, and then a recap of the AI picks sometime before Monday. All dates subject to change, as I realized I put them in wrong initially, and may have done the calculation wrong as well.

Army
LHP Rusty Watts (March 31st, 1941-June 22nd, 1945)
RHP Ray McNeill (December 22nd, 1941-June 22nd, 1945)
SS Jimmy Bach (December 22nd, 1941-June 22nd, 1945)
2B Harry Avery (December 22nd, 1941-June 22nd, 1945)
CF Max Rucker (December 22nd, 1941-June 23rd, 1945)
RF Sammy Dillon (December 22nd, 1941-June 23rd, 1945)
RHP Bob Leonard (December 25th, 1941-June 25th, 1945)
RF Harry Harris (January 5th, 1942-July 5th, 1945)
RHP Charlie Everett (January 5th, 1942-July 5th, 1945)
RHP Pat Rhodes (January 5th, 1942-July 5th, 1945)
2B Stu Stasny (January 5th, 1942-July 5th, 1945)
CF Glenn Shepperd (January 6th, 1942-July 6th, 1945)
*2B Jim Nickerson (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
*1B Bobo Shafer (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
*CF Hugh Oubre (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
*LF Hippo Carney (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
^CF Phil Davis (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)

Navy
RHP Pete Papenfus (December 8th, 1941-June 8th, 1945)
RHP Harl Haines (December 8th, 1941-June 8th, 1945)
RF Alex Ingraham (December 8th, 1941-June 8th, 1945)
C Diego Bernal (December 22nd, 1941-June 22nd, 1945)
SS Connie Wright (December 27th, 1941-June 27th, 1945)
LHP Art Ramsey (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
RHP Walt Leonard (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
*LHP Jim Fetrow (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
*RHP Jim Bob Clark (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
*CF Johnny Kirtz (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)

Air Force
RF Fred Vargas (December 8th, 1941-June 8th, 1945)
RHP Tommy Wilcox (December 25th, 1941-June 25th, 1945)
RHP Harry Stewart (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
3B Wally Burnett (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
LHP Leo Hayden (January 7th, 1942-July 7th, 1945)
*C Butch Stone (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)
^SS Frank Beacham (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)

Marines Corp
RHP Duke Bybee (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
1B Joe Powers (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
^SS Dave Gilbert (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)

Coast Guard
LHP Joe Bement (December 31st, 1941-June 31st, 1945)
*LF Skinny O'Hanesian (June 22nd, 1942-December 22nd, 1946)

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 39-34 (3rd, 9.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 15 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.238 OPS
Jim Lonardo : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-23: Loss vs Sailors (1-0)
6-25: Win vs Foresters (0-2)
6-27: Win vs Foresters (0-4)
6-28: Win vs Foresters (4-5)
6-28: Loss vs Foresters (5-2)

Recap
We finally had a winning week, but the Stars were far better. So were the Saints, and we now fell to 3rd and 9.5 games out of first. We dropped to the lone contest to the Sailors, but quickly rebounded by taking three of four from the Foresters. The pitching was outstanding, back-to-back shutouts and just 10 runs allowed this week; half coming in the second game of the double header. But the best news was John Lawson! Our struggling start finally had a good week, going 6-for-15 with 2 homers and 4 RBIs. Of course, he's still enduring a dreadful season, hitting just .250/.282/.335 (75 OPS+), but he's finally showed some signs of life for the first time in what feels like months. No one else really hit, just Dick Walker (4-9, 2 RBI) and 1-for-3s from Johnny McDowell and Mike Taylor, which is why we didn't have a perfect 5-0 week. I'm hoping the return of Billy Hunter will help, as he'll rejoin the team, likely ending McDowell's tenure with the Cougars. The 34-year-old hit an average .311/.340/.356 (98 OPS+) this season and recorded a similar .291/.329/.369 (97 OPS+) in 316 games as a Cougar. He won't accept a demotion, so McDowell will either be claimed or released. (EDIT: We ended up getting two offers for him, as I made him available for 10th, within a minute. McDowell will be sent to the Miners for their 10th; With Hunter, most of his time will be spent at second, but he'll get some time at third. I don't want Hunter hitting the IL again this year, so I'm likely giving him two days on, one days off the rest of the way. Adding a .301/.356/.443 (122 OPS+) career hitter could jump start the now freezing offense, but my guess is Hunter will make his way back to the IL before the season ends.

The pitching was amazing, and Harry Parker turned things around in the biggest way possible. He allowed just 4 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts in a shutout win over the Foresters. Jim Lonardo tried to match him, 4 hits and 2 strikeouts in his shutout. Donnie Jones should have joined them, but a John Lawson error to start the 5th gave the Sailors their only run, and our offense couldn't support the young star. Jones allowed 5 hits, a walk, and unearned run with 4 strikeouts in a complete game loss. Jones has allowed just a single earned run in his last three starts, dropping his ERA all the way down to a team best 2.32 (150 ERA+). He's arguably been better then Papenfus was last season, so it's hard to blame our struggles on his absence, but I am very thrilled with Jones so far. Like Jones, Dick Lyons was hit with bad luck, as he lost the second game of the double header due to errors from our middle infield. 4 of Lyons' 5 runs were unearned, as he went 7 with 6 hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Joe Brown pitched worse, but got a win, 7 innings with 11 hits, 4 runs, and 6 strikeouts. Hard to complain about the staff, but yet again, we decide to do just one thing right instead of both. We continue to lose close games, now 7-13 in the one run contests, much worse then our 24-14 mark last regular season. Of course, we lost four in the playoffs, so we've now lost 17 of our last 24 one run games.

Looking Ahead
This is the last week of the first half, as the All Star game will take place on the 6th of July. We finish the first half with New York teams, a road game against the Stars, two home games against the Kings, and off day, a Saturday double header in New York with the Stars, and then finally a Sunday double header in Brooklyn with the Kings. Starting with the Stars, who are now 48-24 and have started to run away with the division. They are 9.5 games ahead of us, 8.5 games ahead of the Saints, and the early favorite for winning the championship this year. It's hard to find a hole this season for the Stars, but next year they will see both Bill Barrett (.357, 8, 34) and Joe Angevine (.313, 42, 8) enlist after the season. That's not to say they don't have any weaknesses, as former Cougar Rule-5 selection Cliff Ray (.240, 3, 31) and Mel Hancock (.254, 30) aren't great, but catcher is a position that lacks depth and second is one without much talent. Dave Trowbridge (.302, 8, 45) continues to rake and Lew Seals (.234, 12, 51, 5) is a huge power threat, and even if they aren't hitting, the staff can keep runs off the board. The "worst" arm is Vern Hubbard (8-2, 3.06, 36), who would be one of the bests on most other teams. Billy Riley (12-4, 2.25, 57) is a bonafide ace, Chuck Cole (10-7, 2.48, 45) is proving last year was no fluke, and Lou Robertson (7-4, 2.63, 35) and Jack Wood (3-4, 2.55, 34) have been outstanding. It's tough to score on them, and we're going to have to deal with Billy Riley to start the week, and I expect lots of losses against the Stars the rest of the year.

The Kings, however, should be a much easier opponent, as after a quick start to the season, they have dropped to 7th. At 35-43, they are five games out of the cellar, but 16 games behind the Stars. The Kings offense hasn't scored much, but the top three in their rotation have been outstanding. For Art White (9-8, 2.23, 37) and Bob Cummings (9-6, 2.82, 51), it's expected, but for Jim Crawford it's been a huge shock. The former Cougar is having his best season at 36, an even 7-7 with a 2.71 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 38 walks, and 28 strikeouts. When he debuted with us way back in 1930, he looked like a fixture in a big league rotation, but it was just one of now four (counting this year) above average seasons as a big leaguer. He was average last season, 12-11 with a 3.94 ERA (103 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 51 walks and 43 strikeouts, but he's really taken a huge step forward this year. The offense has let them down, but one interesting player now is Lee Shapiro, who has turned form part timer to starting third basemen. He's hitting an impressive .299/.351/.485 (129 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 homers, and 22 RBIs in just shy of 150 PAs. Joe Herman (.259, 2, 16) has really struggled, Al Wheeler (.241, 7, 42) has regressed to his 1939 form, and Rats McGonigle (.275, 4, 30, 6) is hurt yet again. They also lost top prospect Howard Rivers (.328, 10) to injury, and he was hitting well, but the Kings have really struggled lately and I can't see them finishing above seventh. We really need these wins, something I find myself saying far too often, but it's hard to have faith in the Cougars right now.

As I mentioned earlier, the draft has finished, and I'll have a report on the late round selections before our next sim. As always, some guys signed and some have not, and we need to sign our 2nd through 5th rounders, as well as 7th Rounder Ducky Cole, 10th Rounders Sam Hess and Billy Biggar, and 4 guys from the AI portion. Biggar, which is probably why he fell, and the 4 AI selections are impossible to sign, but I should have no issues with the rest. Biggar is saying he wants more then $23,000, and since I have a $50,000 draft budget and then about $350k of additional spending money, I'll give him $27,500 just in case. The other impossible I will sign is Jimmy Maness, who we got with the first pick of the 11th Round. My scout had him in his top 15 for pitchers, and since I traded for the pick, I don't really want to lose it. He wants $16,000, I'll give him an even 20. I'm hoping they all sign, but we have had a few who signed crack the top 500. 7th Rounder Harry McRae just misses the top 200, ranked 230th and 23rd in our system. He's the only one in our top 30, but fellow 7th Rounder Homer Guthrie (34th, 361st) and Foster Smith (48th, 494th) both are ranked. Our system is now 3rd, right behind the Stars, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we fell to 5th or lower as I don't expect many, if any, top 100 additions.

Minor League Report
LHP Johnnie Jones (AAA Milwaukee Blues): As he's watching his younger brother dominate FABL hitters, Johnnie Jones has had a little less success in the Century League. That was not the case, however, on a wonderful start against the Tornadoes on the 24th. Johnnie was effective in a 2-0 win, tossing a shutout with 8 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Recently turned 24, Johnnie is still underdeveloped for his age, but he continues to flash ace level potential. It's been an up-and-down season for the Patron Saint of Groundballs, 5-4 with a 3.86 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.63 WHIP, 41 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Johnnie just cannot get his walks down, and while he does get a lot of strikeouts, it's not enough to make up for it. I really want him to start games for us in Chicago, but I just don't think he's ready. His pitches move a lot, although sometimes too much, and besides his sinker, he doesn't really have a reliable pitch. Granted, the sinker is outstanding, sitting in the 93-95 range and he racks up a ton of strikeouts and double plays with it. As a lefty, his slider could be a devastating weapon to same side hitters, but he hasn't quite mastered it yet. If he can turn it into an outpitch, expect less walks and more strikeouts, but for now he's going to have to deal with a lot of congestion on the basepaths. I'm not ready to give up on Dick Lyons, who's been effective even at 42, but as mentioned before, if we start to slip even further, I'll let Johnnie take his knocks in Chicago. Now that Donnie graduated, he's our top prospect, with him and Duke Bybee closing out the top 10.

[ayaghmour2]

11th Round, 163rd Overall: RHP Jimmy Maness
School: Bellmore
Commit School: Cleveland
1942: 4-0, 70.2 IP, 1.91 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 25 BB, 89 K
Career: 18-3, 259 IP, 1.70 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 80 BB, 297 K

The first pick of the AI portion, we got stuck with a guy who was impossible to sign. This is who Tom Weinstock thinks was the best player left, so as mentioned before, I'll be sending him a lot of money to sign with us to forego his commitment to Cleveland. A four year starter, the Dominican-American was inconsistent at his time at Bellmore, a pair of sub 1.40 ERA seasons and a pair of ERAs above 1.90, including 2.25 as a sophomore. That was easily his worst season, with his worst BB/9 (3.3) and K/9 (8.4), as well as WAR (1.9) and WHIP (1.17). 18 in about a month, Maness is on the shorter side, just 5'9'' and weighing 140, and he throws just 85-87. Still, Maness does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground, which helps as he tends to load the bases up with walks. He does have nice stuff, with a viable curve that generates a ton of swings and misses. He doesn't have a great secondary pitch to go with it yet, hopefully that will be a faster fastball or a more polished forkball or changeup. I don't have a ton of faith in Maness yet, but a lot of good players come out of the AI round and I'm hoping he's one of them.

11th Round, 176th Overall: RF Elmer Scott
School: Eastern
1942: .475/.542/.616, 120 PA, 11 2B, HR, 27 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .461/.531/.642, 478 PA, 49 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 107 RBI, 21 SB

Our 11th Round Pick got us right fielder Elmer Scott, a towering 6'3'' lefty who turns 18 in August. Most corner bats need power, and with Scott's size you'd expect it, but he hit just one homer this year and none last year. Tom thinks he can be a bench player, liking his plate discipline and bat-to-ball ability which should lead him to produce a high enough average and OBP. He's not going to get much playing time this season, but the more players that get called away, the higher chance he has of earning some playing time.

12th Round, 192nd Overall: CF Billy Ray Williams
School: Shenandoah Valley State
1942: .274/.364/.363, 284 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 39 SB
Career: .276/.366/.357, 783 PA, 24 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 99 RBI, 111 SB

A three year starter at Shenandoah Valley State, Billy Ray Williams had a decent career, walking (93) more then he struck out (62) while swiping well over 100 bases. I'm hoping that speed means range, but Tom and OSA don't say much about his defense. Like Scott, he has a great eye at the plate, but he takes a lot of bad swings which will keep his average down. Our manager in La Crosse wants him to start in right field, so at least for this first week he'll get some time in the starting lineup. He's likely no more then a bubble player, but he can play all three outfield positions which should make him a functional depth piece.

13th Round, 208th Overall: LF Chet Norton
School: All Hallows
1942: .415/.508/.642, 128 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .412/.504/.603, 250 PA, 20 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 20 SB

A two year starter at All Hallows, Norton didn't have a very productive high school career. He hit a few homers, which is good, but he barely hit above .400. He's a corner outfielder only who Tom Weinstock thinks can be a top-tier minor leaguer. I'm not much of a fan, and if it wasn't for the fact he was a 13th Rounder, he'd probably be one of the first cuts. He'll likely survive this season, but I doubt he'll get many at bats.

14th Round, 224th Overall: LHP George Fitzmorris
School: Quincy
Commit School: Richmond State
1942: 8-1, 88.1 IP, 1.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 27 BB, 102 K
Career: 15-2, 177.1 IP, 2.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 54 BB, 179 K

Our second pitcher taken, unfortunately, just like Maness he's an impossible to sign guy. I'm letting him go to Richmond State, as he's a projected bullpen arm and his high school ERA was north of 2. College should do him well, and hopefully add some speed to his fastball and develop a third pitch. He's likely just future fodder, but a lot of guys like this make great strides in college, and show improvement next time they are eligible to be selected.

15th Round, 240th Overall: CF Tom Mills
School: Chesapeake State
1942: .275/.338/.343, 230 PA, 9 2B, 3B, HR, 33 RBI, 37 SB
Career: .269/.349/.326, 800 PA, 27 2B, 5 3B, HR, 100 RBI, 100 SB

A natural outfielder, we got far too many in the AI portion, so Tom Mills will spend most of his time as a second basemen, and hopefully get some time at third and short. He had experience at second, as well as the other three outfield positions, and this week he'll get a few starts at the keystone. A three year starter at Chesapeake State, he doesn't have very much power, just a single homer as a junior, but he has great speed and a knack for making hard contact. He could be a useful bench role, especially if he can handle short and third, but for now he'll just me an organizational filler.

16th Round, 256th Overall: LHP Mickey Johnson
School: Fox Lake
1942: 8-3, 109.1 IP, 2.22 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 58 BB, 133 K
Career: 32-10, 109.1 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 176 BB, 519 K

The first pitcher of ours to sign, the southpaw from Rockford had a very weird high school career. In his first two seasons, he was very effective, working to a 1.38 ERA and 0.93 WHIP as a freshman before a 1.58 and 1.01 as a sophomore. Everything fell apart as a junior, where Johnson had a 2.93 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 14 starts, worst measures then Donnie Jones' 13 starts in the big leagues (2.32, 1.04). He was a bit better as a senior, but it was quite clear that Johnson would fall to the AI portion as his career statline was not very impressive. Add in the fact that he's a projected reliever, and it's no surprise he lasted until the 16th Round, even with the scarcity of pitchers. That will help him keep a spot in our system for a little, as we need warm arms. He has a nice sinker and keeps the ball on the ground, but that's the extent of his talent.

17th Round, 272nd Overall: CF Phil Davis
School: Lockport
1942: .429/.464/.541, 110 PA, 9 2B, 3B, 21 RBI, 23 SB
Career: .447/.506/.605, 351 PA, 27 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 80 RBI, 53 SB

Another outfielder, Davis is really a corner only type, but we won't see him for a few years as he's been drafted to the US Army. A native of Chicago, he really looks like a below average hitter and fielder, and I don't know if he'll ever play a game in our system. I won't cut him while he's in service, but when he comes back, there's no guarantee he'll still have a roster spot.

18th Round, 288th Overall: RHP Thornton Cameron
School: Madill
1942: 8-3, 116.1 IP, 2.79 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 62 BB, 104 K
Career: 34-13, 507.1 IP, 2.59 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 199 BB, 464 K

What's with all these relievers... Another arm that's set for the pen only, Thornton Cameron was a four year starter at Madill, but the starts didn't go all that well. Sure, he surpassed the century mark for innings each year, but his 2.31 ERA as a freshman was his best, same with the 1.22 WHIP. He's a filler piece, and at least at 18 he could grow, but I don't expect him to get many innings.

19th Round, 304th Overall: CF Garland Dunlap
School: Blair
1942: .426/.469/.683, 114 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .437/.501/.665, 482 PA, 45 2B, 8 3B, 11 HR, 109 RBI, 70 SB

Pretty interesting for a 19th Rounder, Dunlap had a pair of 4 homer seasons and a sophomore and junior year that couldn't be further from each other. He was tremendous as a sophomore, hitting .490/.559/.714 with 4 homers and 32 RBIs. He then plummeted off a cliff, hitting just .395/.452/.570 with 23 RBIs and not a single homer. Which Dunlap is the real one? No clue... But I hope the 17-year-old has some pop and his speed translates to quality outfield range. He's just a bench guy, but a little more exciting then some of these other outfielders we got. He won't start any games, but I do think he'll hold an organizational spot for a bit.

20th Round, 320th Overall: SS Dave Gilbert
School: Texas Panhandle
1942: .245/.314/.281, 223 PA, 7 2B, 26 RBI, 15 SB
Career (HS): .404/.475/.558, 33 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 26 SB
Career (COL): .252/.321/.294, 21 2B, 2 HR, 91 RBI, 43 SB

Hey, an infielder! Oh wait... He's going to the Marines Corps? Yay... You may remember Gilbert, who was a 17th Round selection of ours out of high school in 1939. He dropped three rounds this year, and again, will have to wait three years after being drafted for a chance to play in an FABL organization. He's no longer "Gilbert doesn't have the bat or glove to make it to the majors." but instead "Gilbert grades as a below average hitter and fielder." We won't miss him much, but I did want a few spare infielders, and he could have helped with that.

21st Round, 336th Overall: RHP Speed Smith
School: Marion
1942: 5-1, 57.2 IP, 2.03 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 18 BB, 67 K
Career: 15-5, 244 IP, 2.07 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 72 BB, 252 K

Nicknamed "Phenom," I'm not too sure those who nicknamed him thought very hard. At least he's listed as a future starter, but Speed Smith doesn't look to have much stamina, or much speed. He throws just 85-87 with his fastball and cutter, but his change and forkball aren't too bad. His control deserts him at times, and he may develop homer problems. I did like how his strikeouts went up as a senior, but he had just one season with a sub 2.00 ERA. He'll stick around because he can start, but I don't think he'll develop into a phenom.

22nd Round, 352nd Overall: RHP Ollie Howard
School: Warren Central
1942: 5-4, 90 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 55 BB, 86 K
Career: 18-10, 283.1 IP, 2.95 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 117 BB, 239 K

Wow, these are some bad stats... His best season was as a sophomore, where he had a 2.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a 2.3 BB/9 and 7.6 K/9. He had two seasons with ERAs above 3, including the 3.60 this year. He doesn't look too exciting, but we need some arms to fill the La Crosse pen, and his right arm more or less works.

23rd Round, 368th Overall: CF Andy Dennis
School: Overbrook
Commit School: Eastern State
1942: 421/.456/.674, 103 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 20 SB
Career: .466/.520/.685, 431 PA, 42 2B, 9 3B, 7 HR, 102 RBI, 57 SB

A four year starter at Overbrook, Andy Dennis was great his first two year, and then awful the second two. He hit over .500 both of his first seasons, but then topped out at .430 as a junior. Committed to Eastern State, he's not going to sign with us, and I think college may get him back on track. He could develop into a decent 4th outfielder, and he could end up a human round pick.

24th Round, 384th Overall: CF Glenn Graham
School: Stafford
1942: .404/.480/.578, 125 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 11 SB
Career: .406/.490/.580, 344 PA, 30 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 44 SB

Low average outfielder? Sign me up! His teammates like him, but does he have any hitting talents? Not really... He does have a decent enough eye, but that's not enough for him to get starts. He may make it until the offseason, maybe not...

25th Round, 400th Overall: RHP George P. Anderson
School: Vinton
Commit School: Weston
1942: 6-3, 91.2 IP, 3.34 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 41 BB, 44 K
Career: 6-3, 91.2 IP, 3.34 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 41 BB, 44 K

Hello Mr. Irrelevant! He won't sign for us, and as another strictly bullpen arm, it may be for the best. He pitched just one season at Vinton, and he wasn't any good. He is a hard worker, which could help him develop at Weston, but I don't have my hopes up. It will be interesting to see if his college ERA is going to be better then his high school ERA, but I wouldn't bet on Anderson.

Another year, another draft! This is my 18th draft with the Cougars, and it may be one of our weaker ones. There could be a few gems, as with most classes, but this one feels more 1930 then 1932. I think Deveaux will be good, same with Hamilton, and Bill Chapman has the potential to surprise. Others like Babe Stinson, Ducky Cole, Homer Guthrie, Billy Biggar and Harry MacRae are exciting, but I don't think this class will have any Carlos Montes' or Leo Mitchell's.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-6
Seasonal Record:41-40 (3rd, 12 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .346 AVG, .798 OPS
Carlos Montes : 29 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .310 AVG, .757 OPS
Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 1 BB, 12 K, 2.50 ERA

Schedule
6-29: Loss at Stars (1-3)
6-30: Win vs Kings (1-3)
7-1: Loss vs Kings (9-7)
7-3: Loss at Stars (3-6)
7-4: Win at Stars (7-4)
7-4: Loss at Stars (0-5)
7-5: Loss at Kings (1-3)
7-5: Loss at Kings (2-4)

Recap
Well, the rails have completely fallen off... I can accept losing three of four to the Stars, they are extremely good and double digit games above everyone else. But three of four to the Kings!?!? Come on... Everything has gone wrong lately, losing seven of our last ten and finishing June 11-15. Even worse, we're 1-5 to start July. I'd love for this season to end now, and I'm really missing the unicorn known as Peter the Heater... Before complaining about how bad most of the team did, we have a few news items. The first is Ray Ford, who will miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring string. He hasn't hit all that well, just .281/.307/.406 (103 OPS+) with 6 homers and 23 RBIs through 202 PAs. Dick Walker will now get a lot of time at first, but I may give John Lawson some reps there as his defense is getting terrible. It would have been nice if I kept Billy Hunter on rehab, as he could have replaced the injured Ford, but instead Orlin Yates will return. All Star game rosters were announced as well, with four Cougars being selected to the game. Harry Mead (1st), Leo Mitchell (3rd), and Carlos Montes (1st) will start while Skipper Schneider (2nd) somehow did not beat Jake Hughes, despite ranking 2nd in the league in WAR and actually being capable with the glove at short. Lastly, we had a lot of draftees sign. The ones left are Henry DeVeaux (2nd), Babe Stinson (4th), and Ed Neal (5th). Dick Hamilton (4th) checks in at 106th in the top prospect list with Bill Chapman (3rd) at 216th, Sam Hess (10th) 252nd, Billy Biggar (10th) 327th, and Ducky Cole (7th) 431st.

Pretty much everything sucked, but hey! Harry Parker had a good week! He was responsible for both of our wins, picking up a pair of complete game victories. He was brilliant against the Kings, allowing just 5 hits and a run with 7 strikeouts in our 3-1 win. I couldn't avoid pitching him against Bill Barrett and the Stars, but the offense supported him more then enough for the win. He allowed 10 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with 5 strikeouts to improve to 10-7 on the season. Our other two start starters really struggled, as the consistent Donnie Jones and Jim Lonardo both ran into issues. Jones lost to the Stars twice, allowing 17 hits and 9 runs with 9 walks and 4 strikeouts in 15.1 innings pitched. This might have cost him an All-Star selection, as he's now lost three in a row with his ERA up from 2.32 to 2.67 (129 ERA+). Donnie was still Rookie of the Month for June, an unlucky 3-3 despite a 1.71 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 20 walks and 23 strikeouts. Lonardo was roughed up twice against the Kings, but he lost just one of the two starts. He allowed 18 hits and 10 runs with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in 12 rough innings. Our one start pitchers were much better, but Joe Brown and Dick Lyons both picked up losses. Brown went 7.1 with 9 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, and while errors did hurt him, Billy Riley shut us out, so it really didn't matter. Lyons allowed two homers for perhaps the first time in a decade, going 7 with 7 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and a strikeout. Pug Bryan was busy, pitching three innings with a loss, 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, and a walk. Ben Curtin struggled a bit too, 2.2 innings with 2 hits, a run, and 3 walks. The off days coming up better help the team, as we haven't had any success recently.

We didn't hit at all, with another bad week from John Lawson. This time 5-for-28 with a walk and run, now hitting just ..243/.275/.319 (70 OPS+) in a season that keeps on getting worse. We did have some good performances, with Dick Walker going 8-for-22 with a triple and 2 runs, walks, and RBIs. Walker hasn't had the best year, but he's hitting .283/.369/.372 (112 OPS+) now with 3 homers, 4 steals, and 22 RBIs, and will start to play closer to every day. Three of our All Stars also hit well, with good weeks from Mead, Montes, and Skipper. Skipper was the best of the bunch, 9-for-26 with 3 runs, 5 walks, 5 RBIs, and a steal. Mead was just 5-for-21, but with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBIs. Montes was 9-for-29 with a double, 5 walks, and 2 runs, RBIs, and steals. Billy Hunter had a rough return to the lineup, just 3-for-16, but with a pair of runs scored and driven in. The offense should start showing up soon, but this season seems lost, and I'm not sure why we've failed so badly.

Looking Ahead
The All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time, as we're hoping we come back to the second half as a brand new team. We'll start on the road, where we are a pathetic 19-24, with a game, off day, and finale against the Cleveland Foresters. Even at 31-48, I'd give them the edge in our series, as I don't think we'd even be able to beat the Milwaukee Blues right now. Cleveland is the only team without an All-Star, and the only player semi-worthy was Dick Lamb (6-9, 3.39, 13). Hank Stratton (.304, 2, 26) and Eli Harkless (.295, 2, 27, 10) are barely above average, and Leon Blackridge (.238, 2, 26) has endured an awful season. Walter Morgan (.309, 1, 15) has been a nice add to the lineup while Jack Thornhill (3-4, 3.33, 14) has had a decent time on the mound. Cleveland doesn't have any prospects in AAA, but some of their AA guys like Pete Sigmund (22nd) could make their way up to the big league roster, but he hasn't had the best season at the plate. In reality, these should be a pair of wins, especially with Lonardo and Parker on the mound, but I'm far more worried about this series then I should be.

We then finish the week with a double header in Philly, with a team that may pass us depending on the results. At 38-40, they are 13.5 games out of first and just a game and a half behind us. They have just one All-Star, former Cougar prospect Karl Wallace, who has broken out at 28. The righty is 9-4 with a 2.65 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 48 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 14 excellent starts. Him and Chuck Murphy (7-8, 2.63, 29), who really should have been an All Star instead of one of the relievers the game forces, have been nothing short of outstanding, and could end up being decent trade pieces if they decide to trim the roster a bit to make room in the rotation for top prospects David Molina (2-2, 3, 4.13, 37) and Al Duster (3.38, 6). Marion Boismenu (.316, 3, 15) has hit well and Bob Smith (.290, 2, 27) is starting to turn things around, but the offense hasn't been very great. Again, we should be winning these games, but I have next to no faith in the Cougars until they prove otherwise.

Minor League Report
RHP/CF Danny Goff Jr. (AA Mobile Commodores): It was a good start to the week for Danny Goff Jr., but the ending wasn't nearly as strong. He was brilliant in his first start against Chattanooga, but then awful in the second. He tossed a 7-hit shutout followed by an outing that lasted less then 5 innings with 11 hits and 6 runs. It seems like he takes one step forward, two steps back on the mound, with each good start followed by a rough one. The 24-year-old is now 7-3, but the rest of his stat line paints a much murkier pitcher. He has a 4.75 ERA (97 ERA+) and 1.62 WHIP with 38 walks and 30 strikeouts. Goff was also named Pitcher of the Month, a perfect 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 19 walks, and 17 strikeouts. I'm hoping he can keep things going, but the July start wasn't a good sign. He continues to hit well, slashing .355/.424/.486 (134 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 5 steals, and 25 RBIs with an impressive 26-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. A lot of new draftees have signed, but Goff still ranks in the top 100, up now to 62nd overall and 5th in our system. I'm leaning towards a late season callup to the big leagues for Goff, but I expect him to start next year in Milwaukee, not Chicago. I'm hoping Goff can keep improving his arm, as his bat is ready, but it wouldn't be terrible if he becomes an every day outfielder who can pitch out of the pen if needed.

LF Bill Rich (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a huge month for Bill Rich, who was named Heartland Batter of the Month. Rich was a huge run producer, slashing .366/.318/.643 with 5 doubles, 8 homers, 24 runs, and 32 RBIs. With Yates heading up to the big league club, Bill Rich is on his way up to Mobile. He is in the midst of an outstanding season, slashing .343/.393/.532 (155 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 12 homers, and 70 RBIs. Rich has done an excellent job with the bat, ready to set a new single season homer record and he's already set his career best for RBIs. He's looked good out in left and should be an above average defender there, and Rich is doing his absolute best to debut for his hometown team. We have a lot of outfield depth, which will make things harder for him, but if he keeps hitting like this, there is no way I won't make room for him.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-0
Seasonal Record:45-40 (2nd, 9.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
John Lawson : 13 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .615 AVG, 1.369 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, .976 OPS
Harry Parker : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
7-9: Win at Foresters (4-3)
7-11: Win at Foresters (6-1)
7-12: Win at Sailors (15-2)
7-12: Win at Sailors (10-4)

Recap
This team really is frustrating... A rested and rejuvenated Cougar squad decided it was time to start winning games, sweeping the Foresters and then the double header with the Sailors to start the second half. Sure, the first game was a one run win, but the rest were won pretty handily, as we outscored our opponents 35-10. We're back in second and within single digits, as the Stars stumbled out of the gate. Our Pythagorean is now 51-34, which would put us 3.5 games behind the Stars, so maybe things will even out a bit more as the season marches on. The Fed won the All Star game, scoring 5 in the 8th to take a 7-4 lead they'd take to the finish, as after shutting us out a few days before, Billy Riley couldn't get an out. Carlos Montes had a nice game, 1-for-2 with a 2-out, 2-run, 2nd inning double. One of the runs he drove in was Leo Mitchell, who was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Mead also scored on the Montes double, finishing 0-for-1 with a pair of walks. Skipper pinch hit in the 6th and finished the game at short, going 0-for-1 with a sac-fly. Cougar players drove in three of the CA's four runs as well as scored three of the four runs.

We actually didn't hit all that well as a team, but we scored a lot of runs. John Lawson had a rare breath of life, going 8-for-13 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored. It almost feels like he doubled his season hit total, but he did raise his OPS+ almost 10 points. Part timers Clark Car, Rich Langton, and Mike Taylor each got a single start, and combined to go 6-for-14 with 2 doubles, 7 runs, and 4 RBIs. Mitchell was 8-for-18 in a Cougar uniform with a double, 6 runs, and 5 RBIs while Montes was 4-for-15 with a triple, 2 steals, 4 walks, 4 runs, and 2 RBIs. Billy Hunter wasn't great, but looked much better, 4-for-13 with a double and 3 runs scored and driven in. I can live with little offense if we are winning games, but in all fairness, the offense has been really good this year despite it's inconsistencies.

All four starters this week picked up complete game victories. Harry Parker continued his stretch of dominance, just 6 hits, a strikeout, and an unearned run in a brilliant start. He's allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, with all four complete game victories. Joe Brown, who has managed to crack the top 20 pitchers list and check in at #14, allowed 8 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with a strikeout as he improved to 9-7. Jim Lonardo allowed just 6 hits, a walk, and 3 runs with 4 strikeouts to improve to 10-8. Donnie Jones had the worst start of the four, but was still effective, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs with 5 walks and strikeouts. We'll have a lot more winning weeks if we continue to pitch like this, and I may have to lean on these four as we try to claw our way back in the race.

All the draftees I wanted to sign have signed, and as expected, none of our class cracked the top 100. We did get Dick Hamilton (125th) inside the top 200, with various guys in the top 500. 4th Rounder Babe Stinson (227th) and Bill Chapman (230th) rank 20th and 21st in our system and 5th Rounder Ed Neal (247th) sneaks into the top 250, while Harry MacRae (274th), Sam Hess (277th), and 2nd Rounder Henry DeVeaux (284th) fill out the 200s. Stinson, Neal, and DeVeaux were the last remaining draftees, and we also have Billy Biggar (369th), Ducky Cole (410th), and Homer Guthrie (441st) inside the top 500. As expected, our system now ranks 5th, led by #12 prospect Johnnie Jones. He's one of three guys in the top 20, and we have 7 in the top 100, 24 in the top 250, and an even 50 in the top 500. Yes, every 10th ranked prospect is a Cougar farmhand, but the 6th ranked Sailors actually have two more prospects in the top 500 then us. Our farm depth continues to be a strength, and as usual, some of these lower ranked guys will develop into something much more.

Looking Ahead
Can we keep it up? I hope so! Off to start the week, but then we finish off the finale with the Sailors. They helped us by taking two of three from the Stars before dropping the double header against us. The dropped to six at 40-43, as the Cannons have surged to fourth and the Wolves have started to heat up as well. They are closer to last (8) then first (13.5) and we will hope to keep them down. Even with the off day, I expect them to go with Scotty Thomas (3-7, 4.00, 34), who shut us out the only time we faced him. It shouldn't happen again, and I like our chances here with Lonardo on the mound. The lineup isn't bad, but I am shocked to see their home run leader Eddie Heaton (.265, 4, 20) remain on the bench despite his 141 OPS+ in 125 PAs. He has a tremendous .392 OBP due to 21 walks, but the Sailors have gone with Joseph Mills (.276, 2, 14) out in right instead, who has been slightly below average. Even if they wanted to keep Mills in, he could play left or center, where Lou Williams (.257, 1, 26, 8) and Don Homer (.249, 1, 27, 3) are starting and not hitting much at all. Marion Boismenu (.316, 3, 15) is the only every day player with an OPS+ above 100, but they've still scored the fourth most runs in the CA. Losing here wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but we just started to build some momentum, and I don't want that to stop.

Speaking of momentum, we then have to play three games in Cincinnati, with the red hot Cannons. Winners of their last eight, the Cannons have gone from dead last to .500 and are 23-12 since June 1st. Former #1 Pick Vic Carroll has been nothing short of elite since returning from a major elbow injury, going 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP with 21 walks and 27 strikeouts. He allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of his seven starts, with the most recent one giving up 4 against the Kings despite allowing just 4 hits. One of those seven starts was in Chicago, where he scattered 9 hits and 3 walks with 7 strikeouts in a 4-2 complete game win. I'm hoping he pitches against the Saints, instead of us, and would love to draw Roger Perry (4-4, 3.79, 37) and Art Edwards (5-2, 1, 2.94, 26). These guys are still good, as is the rebounding Butch Smith (5-9, 1, 3.42, 57), but if we get Carroll and the automatic win that is Rufus Barrell (14-3, 2.30, 101), we might as well chalk this series up as lost. Lucky for us, they don't hit all that much, and our arms could keep runs off the board. They did get a reinforcement with Denny Andrews (.256, 4, 24), who has moved to the hot corner because of the CA homer leader Chuck Adams (.320, 13, 35), and first time All-Star Jim Hensley (.274, 6, 31) has done a good job proving he's more then just a glove. Moxie Pidgeon (.224, 3, 17) continues to slump and there are various holes in the lineup, but the Cannons lineup can occasionally surprise, and we'll need to make sure they only hit while Barrell shuts us out. We may have caught them at the wrong time, but hopefully we can cool them off a bit as we look to heat up ourselves.

Our week and road trip ends with two games in three days against the 42-44 Wolves. I'm hoping they can sweep the Stars before our series, and then let us sweep them, which could bring us right back into the playoff race. Unnecessary optimism? Perhaps... But, the Wolves have the pitching to stymie the Stars offense, and hopefully they can use Joe Hancock (10-7, 2.20, 64) and George Garrison (13-5, 2.22, 81) against them and not us. Bernie Johnson is still about a month away from returning, but Chick Wirtz has filled his shoes admirably. The 34-year-old was as consistent as it gets, putting up ERA+s of 93-98 in all seven of his seasons with the Wolves, before dominating this season. He's an unlucky 5-7, but with a 2.69 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. I'd wager he'll find a way back down to the 90s, but for now they'll continue to ride the vet. Their pitchers have been the most valuable in the CA according to WAR, and the top three is the reason for it. They don't always support them with runs, and Reginald Westfall (.286, 3, 41) and Mike Rollison (.304, 2, 32) have started to cool down. Walt Pack (.248, 4, 33) still hasn't gotten into gear, and if we pitch well, we should be able to win this series. Our staff should be able to navigate their lineup, and if we can finally win some one run games, we could be in really good shape after this week. But of course, that's a really big if...

[StLee]

I felt as though I am the one who jinxed your team after complimenting them on their stellar play! I am happy to see the undefeated week. The Stars look to be formidable and built to win, so I know it will be tough to come back in the division. Still, gain a game a week, and then . . .

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by StLee

I felt as though I am the one who jinxed your team after complimenting them on their stellar play! I am happy to see the undefeated week. The Stars look to be formidable and built to win, so I know it will be tough to come back in the division. Still, gain a game a week, and then . . .

Yep, we definitely have our work cut out for us. A few more winning weeks and who knows what could happen. Next year might be our year. If we avoid too many major losses, the Stars will be down two really good players. This is a make or break season for them, but for us, hopefully if we don't make it it's just a minor speed bump. We've been really unlucky, that could change, but our league is really deep this year despite the large gap in the standings.

[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 50-42 (2nd, 10 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 35 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .371 AVG, .971 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .400 AVG, .980 OPS
John Lawson : 29 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .345 AVG, .835 OPS

Schedule
7-14: Win at Sailors (13-0)
7-15: Loss at Cannons (11-12)
7-16: Win at Cannons (8-5)
7-17: Loss at Cannons (2-3)
7-18: Win at Wolves (6-4)
7-19: Win at Wolves (10-2)
7-19: Win at Wolves (6-4)

Recap
A 5-2 week is just what the doctor ordered, but since the Stars managed to go 6-2, we actually dropped half a game in the standings. We dominated the Sailors in the finale and swept the Wolves, but the surging Cannons took two of three from us. Of course, both are loses were of the one run variety, and the one against the Cannons was beyond frustrating and really sums up the season. Harry Parker took on Roger Perry, and after the Cougars went 1-2-3 in he first, everything fell apart. Parker needed just one pitch to retire Terry Cox. John Lawson then made a pair of errors before Chuck Adams singled. Cliff Moss tried to throw him out at home, but the throw was wide, a third error in just four plays. Denny Andrews then drew a walk on four pitches to load the bases and bring up Bill Lewis. Parker rolled up a double play ball to Lawson, who actually fielded it cleanly and threw to Freddie Jones, who dropped it, allowing all runners to reach safe. To add injury to insult, Harry Parker left after that pitch with an injury (it was minor, he started later that week), and Hooks Camp was forced into a bases loaded jam where we already should have four outs instead of one. Jim Hensley singled in a run then Bob Griffith walked, before Roger Perry bunted and the Cougars got out #5 at home. Terry Cox was back up, and yet again, John Lawson made an error. His third of the inning and fifth for the Cougars. Fred Galloway singled home two more to make it 7-0 before Adam Mullins grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. We then took the lead in the 2nd with 8 runs, also aided by a single Cannon error which caused just two of the runs to be earned. The Cannons reclaimed the lead in the 5th with three runs, we both got a run in the 6th, and then we cut the lead to 11-10 in the 8th. A run in the 9th tied it at 11, but Adam Mullins singled home Bob Griffith to send the Cannons fans home happy. A massive gut punch for us, as seemingly nothing can go right this season.

Otherwise, things are looking better after the break, as we've won 9 of 11, and Lawson is starting to look like John Lawson again. He finally reached 3,000 hits, something I expected to happen in mid May not mid June, and fresh off his three error inning, he hit a two-run shot off Roger Perry in the top of the 2nd. He added a pair of singles and Lawson finished the week 10-for-29 with 4 runs and 6 RBIs. This felt like a classic John Lawson week, who is now hitting a closer-to-average .267/.299/.348 (85 OPS+) in 359 PAs. He's on track for just 15 doubles, 10 homers, and 74 RBIs, all which would be career lows, and he's managed 29 or more doubles in each full season of his big league career. He's been great in July, however, slashing .349/.382/.429, and perhaps the bat has finally came to life. Too little too late, perhaps, but maybe Lawson can still finish with an OPS+ above 100!

The offense, minus Leo Mitchell and Billy Hunter, was outstanding. That duo went 11-for-42, although most of the at bats were Mitchell, while every other hitter with at least one at bat had an above average week. Cliff Moss had his best week of the season, going 4-for-13 with 2 homers, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 5 RBIs. Skipper had a big week, 10-for-25 with 2 doubles, 6 runs, 5 walks, and 4 RBIs. He has struck out in two straight weeks, but the young shortstop still owns a 32-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Fellow All Stars Carlos Montes and Harry Mead tried to match him, with Montes 13-for-35 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 runs, and 9 RBIs while Mead was 7-for-22 with a double, homer, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Clark Car was 6-for-14 with a triple, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Mike Taylor was 4-for-10 with a run and RBI. Rich Langton finished just 5-for-20, but with a double, triple, homer, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Dick Walker was 9-for-30 with 2 doubles, 4 walks, 3 RBIs, 9 runs, and a steal. If we can sustain an offensive week like this, we'll be in really good shape the rest of the way, but our fate is solely in the Stars hand.

The pitching was fine, as most of the runs allowed came off errors. Jim Lonardo picked up a pair of wins, including a 7-hit, 3-walk, 4-strikeout shutout in our 13-0 domination of the Sailors. His second start wasn't as great, 10 hits and 4 runs with a walk and strikeout in a complete game win, but our ace is now 12-8 with a 3.08 ERA (112 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP. I already touched on Harry Parker's unlucky start, but he was excellent against the Wolves. He took home another complete game win, this time with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Joe Brown added another complete game win, 4 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a walk with 6 strikeouts in our lone win against the Cannons. Donnie Jones picked up an unlucky loss, with an error ruining his night. In our 3-2 loss, one of the three runs was unearned, as Jones finished 8 innings with 8 hits and a walk. Dick Lyons had a shaky start, but came out with a win, despite allowing 13 hits and 4 runs (3 earned) with all 36 batters he faced putting the ball in play. Hooks Camp was hit hard in a mop up outing he didn't expect to pitch, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs (3 earned) with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched. Pug Bryan finished that game, allowing 3 hits, a run, and 3 walks in 1.1 innings. Ben Curtin made a pair of appearances, picking up a save in 3.1 innings with 3 hits, a run, 2 walks, and a strikeout. I can't imagine our defense will take another week off like this, as we still lead our league in efficiency (.716) and zone rating (33.8), and our arms kept us in every game this week.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, after a very successful 9-2 post-All Star road trip. Technically, our roadtrip started on the 3rd, so overall we were 10-6, which is still good. Our first guest is the Foresters, who are 33-57 and have 10 or fewer wins then every other CA team. They are 26 games out of first and 8 games behind the 7th place Kings. With the deadline coming up, they are one of the potential sellers, but I'd be surprised if they moved anyone. Dave Rankin (3-10, 4.19, 22) or Ben Turner (8-10, 3.99, 31) would make sense, but neither of the veteran hurlers have pitched all that well this year. Dan Fowler (.200, 3, 20, 3) got injured this week, but considering he is worth a full win below replacement, I can't see a team looking at him as an upgrade. Roy Bradley (.288, 1, 21, 3) has returned to the lineup, but he's not hitting very well either. So far the lone bright spot in the line up has been Wayne Morgan, who is hitting .316/.364/.456 (124 OPS+) in 175 trips to the plate. It's hard to consider the 26-year-old Rule-5 pick a building block, but he's looked good thusfar. Especially considering we will miss Dick Lamb (7-11, 3.27, 18), we absolutely must win both games against Cleveland.

We finish the week with three games in four days against the Sailors after another off day. Philly sits a game over .500 at 45-44, tied for 3rd with the 46-45 Saints and 47-46 Cannons. It's looking like we'll see Karl Wallace (11-4, 2.61, 42), who is showing no signs of slowing down this season. We may get to avoid his co-ace Chuck Murphy (9-9, 2.83, 36), but we'll at least get two of their back half, all with ERAs of 4.00 or higher. The pitching has really struggled as a unit, allowing more runs then all CA teams other then the Foresters. They did add Eddie Heaton (.268, 4, 21) back to the lineup, pushing Joseph Mills (.279, 2, 15) over to left, and the lefty will get most of the at bats against righties. He makes their lineup longer, and with a lot of lefties, they could matchup well against our front four of righties. Dick Lyons will probably get one of the games, which may help, as their only righties in their everyday lineup are Marion Boismenu (.316, 4, 21) and Jim Beard (.243, 3, 36, 7). We've been great at home, 22-16 so far, and I'm hoping we can grab three of these games.

Minor League Report
LF Bill Rich (AA Mobile Commodores): He just keeps on hitting! Promoted just two weeks ago, Bill Rich went 5-for-5 with 3 doubles, a run, walk, and 6 RBIs in just his 6 game with the Commodores. This helped Rich take home Player of the Week, as he finished 11-for-16 with 4 runs, 5 doubles, 7 RBIs, and a pair of walks. It's just a 38 PA sample, but he's hitting a superb .382/.421/.559 (151 OPS+) with 6 doubles and 8 RBIs. This is in line with his .343/.393/.532 (153 OPS+) line with the Legislators, as Rich continues to tear the cover off the ball. The prospect rankings have fully dropped Rich out, and dropped him to 50th in our system, but you just can't ignore that bat. He hits the ball hard and all around the field, and while he hasn't homered yet in Mobile, he's bound to hit a few more over the wall. If he stays healthy and avoid the draft, I can see Rich impacting the big league team, as it's impossible to ignore his offensive potential.

CF Tom Mills (C La Crosse Lions): Our 15th Round Pick in this most recent draft, Tom Mills has gotten the occasional start for La Crosse. He has more then taken advantage of the limited time, going 5-for-6 with 2 triples, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs in an 11-9 loss against the Burlington Bears. I've tried to give him time at multiple positions, so far second, third, short, left, and center, but he's been awful in limited time in the middle infield. I'm not ready to give up on that yet, but Mills is likely best suited for the outfield. He's hit really well, slashing .400/.459/.594 (158 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 RBIs through his first 38 PAs as a professional. Since he's not one of our more exciting prospects, this year may be the most time he gets, as we are low on lower level outfielders and we expect to lose more players as the year goes on. He's a very fast and excels on the basepaths, and he has a quick bat at the plate too. He needs to work on his barrel control and his defensive ability, but Mills does have decent tools and may end up filling a big league bench. I'm keeping my eye on him for now, but this may be the last entry for the New York native.

[ayaghmour2]

It isn't a big trade, but it involved a big name and well traveled player, Milt Fritz. He demanded to start, and since he wasn't going to start in our rotation, I decided to try and find him a new home. He'll head to our crosstown rival, the Chicago Chiefs, in exchange for an 8th Round Pick. Fritz has been a Cougar since 1935, when we acquired the struggling righty, Mel Leonard, and Orlin Yates for World Championship hero Tom Taylor. He spent the rest of the season in Milwaukee, but has since pitched 198 games in a Cougar uniform. He entered the rotation the next season, going 17-15 with a 4.82 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.53 WHIP, 104 walks, and 78 strikeouts. It was the first of five consecutive 200 inning seasons, capped off by a dominant 1940 season that could have ended in an Allen Award. Fritz was 18-7 with a league low 2.84 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 87 walks and 52 strikeouts. That came in 26 starts, which was at the time a career low, but despite just one injury of more then 5 days since he debuted at 19, he tore his rotator cuff and missed the rest of the season. When Fritz came back, he wasn't quite the same, and after a sore elbow delayed his start of the season, he went just 8-8 with a 4.01 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.60 WHIP with more then four times the walks (115) as strikeouts (25). Then over this offseason, his velocity dropped from 92-94 to 87-89, and he lost his rotation job to Donnie Jones and became expendable.

Fritz will now return to the team that drafted him in the 12th Round of the 1927 Draft, and then Fritz debuted after just one season in the minors. He was outstanding as a 19-year-old rookie, going 18-8 with a 3.22 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 87 walks, and 113 strikeouts. His ERA was the lowest in the Fed and his 4.4 K/9 the highest, and then followed it up with another strong season. Fritz went 16-9 with a 3.63 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 65 walks, and 117 strikeouts. That was all the time he spent with the Chiefs, and had stops at Brooklyn, Montreal, and the Gothams before joining the Cougars. He made his most starts with us, starting in 178 of his 198 appearances, while going 83-72 with a 3.83 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 635 walks, and 371 strikeouts across 1,435.1 innings pitched. When I traded for him, my goal was for him to win more games as a Cougar then any of the other teams combined, but he did manage to double his previous high 40 wins with the Kings.

The Chiefs will hope he can regain his form when he first pitched for them, or at least pitch closer to his career norms. Fritz owns a 3.70 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.41 WHIP in 3,053 FABL innings, and the Chiefs are in need of a boost to their rotation. Once seemingly a lock for 250 wins, he's now just 187-151, and due to recent walk problems, has now walked (1,147) more hitters then he struck out (1,044). The Chiefs have had success with various veteran pitchers such as Jack Beach and Les Zoller, and with Rabbit Day's (10-8, 3.93, 38) struggles and no consistent options behind Al Miller (11-8, 2, 3.45, 69), Fritz is definitely worth the risk. The Chiefs are 6 behind the Keystones besides being just a game over .500, and Fritz will get to pitch meaningful games in a pennant race again.

The trade opens up a spot in the pen for the #12 prospect in baseball Johnnie Jones. The Patron Saint of Groundballs will join his brother on the Cougars, and he'll get a chance to take his lumps with the big league club. Like Fritz, he has control issues, walking 51 batters in 100 innings. I'm hoping by easing him into things, he can get his walks down a bit, but with all the double headers I may decide to give him a few starts down the way. He wasn't great in Milwaukee, just 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.62 WHIP, 51 walks, and 45 strikeouts, but he's more or less ready for the big leagues and still has the potential to be an ace. The skinny 6'4'' southpaw features a hard mid 90s sinker, that as you'd expect, generates a ton of groundballs. Johnnie gets a ton of movement on his slider, change, and forkball as well, and his secondary offerings can pick up a lot of swings and misses. The sky truly is the limit for the 24-year-old, but he's still got a lot of developing to do before we'll get a glimpse of it.