Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 53

ayaghmour2 · 03-15-2023, 09:08 PM

Weekly Record: 4-1
Seasonal Record: 4-1 (t-3rd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Hank Barnett : 18 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.222 OPS
Billy Riley : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 9 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.222 OPS

Schedule
4-16: Win at Kings (5-2)
4-17: Win at Kings (4-1)
4-18: Win vs Saints (2-6)
4-20: Loss vs Saints (3-1)
4-21: Win vs Saints (0-4)

Recap
What a week! I knew our pitching was dominant, but this was just absurd! We allowed just eight runs in five games, with three of them coming in our lone loss. Montreal was the only CA team to allow fewer then twice as many runs, and we were responsible for 11 of the 15. The next closest team come from the Fed, with both the Chiefs and Minutemen allowing 11 runs. The Minutemen have an extra game on both Chicago sides, but we have still allowed fewer runs per game. The Kings, however, have allowed a whopping 35 runs, aided by five Leo Hayden homers. In fact, we scored more runs (9) in our two games against them then we allowed for the week!

This was clearly a week worthy of a first place team--

*Checks Notes*

Third? And we're tied! Come on...

Scheduling quirks in the early season will do that, as we trail the 6-1 Sailors and 5-1 Stars, because, well, they've played more games!

I'm very excited by our start, as I've really missed this level of production from a Cougars team. Billy Riley followed up a fabulous spring with a dominant debut, tossing a 4-hit shutout in our 4-0 win over the Saints. He struck out five and didn't allow a free pass in the finale, kicking off his season with a bang. Donnie Jones had a sparkling return to FABL, allowing just 6 hits, a run, and walk with 7 strikeouts in a complete game win over the Kings. It's exactly what you'd expect from the #1 ranked pitcher and 26-year-old superstar who was robbed of three years of his prime. Joe Brown's return wasn't quite as dominant, but he also picked up an impressive complete game win over the Saints. Brown allowed just 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) with a strikeout and no walks. Both pitchers haven't pitched in three seasons, but you wouldn't be able to tell from their performance. Just imagine if we had one of them last year...

We did have Harry Parker, but the vet got the only loss. There was still a lot to like about his start, as he threw 111 pitches and came an out away from a complete game. We couldn't score for him, as 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts should be good enough for a win most times out. We did get eight hits of talented youngster Bert Cupid, but he struck out six and stranded plenty of Cougars on the basepaths. The only inning from the pen went to Rusty Petrick, who walked Bill Greene and then struck out Vic Crawford. Peter the Heater won the season opener, a complete game victory with 4 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Sure, these aren't the best two offenses in the league, but our rotation was picturesque. With a double header in the coming week, Johnnie Jones will make his season debut to start the week, but he'll be available in the pen in weeks like this where he doesn't start. I'd love to not need any relief this coming week as well, and besides Parker, I think any of these guys can go deep any given day. It will be fun watching these hurlers work, and I'm very jealous of the simulated fans that get to watch them day in and day out.

The offense wasn't explosive, but it was still about a thousand times better then last season. Hank Barnett showed no signs of rust, going 7-for-18 with a double, triple, homer, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. Leo Mitchell went 3-for-5 with a two run homer off former Cougar Mel Haynes, but woke up the next day with gout. He missed the next four games, but then went 1-for-4 in Riley's shutout of the Saints. Clark Car may have been caught stealing three times, but he was a solid 5-for-17 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Billy Hunter got a steal (forgot to tell him not to very often), but was just 2-for-10 with a double, two walks, a run, and RBI. Hal Sharp looked good in his first four games as a Cougar, 4-for-11 with a run, RBI, and three walks. Even better, he successfully fielded all seven balls hit to him in right, six routine and one even. Carlos Montes didn't carry over any of his spring training pop, just 4-for-19 with a double, steal, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. One of the lone starters from last year, Skipper Schneider, had a great week, 6-for-18 with a double, steal, RBI, two runs, and two walks. Dick Walker, Harry Mead, and Don Lee were not as lucky, with the trio combining to go just 8-for-37. They each contributed in other ways, with Mead adding a double, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs, Walker doubling for both his hits and picking up three walks and runs, and Lee swiping in a pair of bags while driving in two. With 20 runs scored, we have an impressive +12 run differential already. I'd like to see even more runs, and I know our lineup has the pieces to do just that.

Looking Ahead
After starting the season with two in Brooklyn, we start this week with two hosting the Kings. At 0-6, former Cougar #1 Pick Tom Barrell is looking for his first career win as a Manager, as the pitching has struggled and the hitting hasn't done much better. Leo Hayden has allowed 4 homers with 10 walks in just 15 innings, as the Stars really gave him trouble at Dyckman Stadium. Instead, we'll face their co-ERA leaders at 1.12 in Wally Graves and former Cougar draftee Harry Stewart. We already beat Graves in his debut, tagged for four runs (three earned), seven hits, and six walks in eight innings pitched. Stewart had a no decision in New York, with 4 hits, 7 walks, and 3 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Both pitchers struggled with command in their debut, and our experienced lineup should take advantage of that. Rats McGonigle is off to a 6-for-21 start, adding a triple, homer and two RBIs in his first game since '42. Last year's double and OBP leader Vernon Ruch (.319, 11, 78), young outfielder Orie Martinez, and slugging first basemen Tim Hopkins are all going to be relied on this season, but the trio got off to a tough start with each member hitting below .200. Orie and Tiny Tim both have above average WRC+ with a below average OPS+, but the rest of the lineup sport a combined value less then 100. Yes, small sample and all that, but the Kings couldn't have started much worse, and I hope we can pile it on in front of our home fans.

Quickly back to the road, as we'll deal with the second place Stars for two. Bill Barrett made sure no one forgot he's the best hitter in baseball, and took home the first Player of the Week by slashing .364/.517/.1.000 (317 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 7 walks, 2 steals, and 9 RBIs. Bob Riggins (.301, 6, 2) had a strong week too, 8-for-22 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 RBIs, and 5 walks. Bill Barnett had an outstanding debut, going 5-for-17 with 7 walks and a solo homer. Joe Angevine had a tough return from overseas, just 4-for-29, but with 2 doubles, a triple, steal, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs. On the mound, Vern Hubbard made two solid starts, going 14.1 innings with 17 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 6 walks, and 4 strikeouts, with the Stars winning both his starts. We should avoid him, likely facing Paul Grell in the opener and Jack Wood in the finale. Grell made one start in 1941 with the Dynamos, but spent the last four seasons in the Air Force. He won his return, allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts in a complete game win. Jack Wood had a great season back in 1942 with the Stars, going 10-7 with a 2.70 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 63 walks, and 92 strikeouts. Now 33, he spent the past three seasons in the Navy, and did not have much luck despite picking up the win against the Kings. He went 7.2 innings with 6 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts. Neither are pushovers, but I've got plenty of faith that we can take both games here if we can keep William the Conqueror off the bases.

We then finish the week in Montreal, playing four more against the Saints. This includes our first double header of the season, with two games to finish the week on the 28th. Montreal split with the Saints to start the season, and we'll now have to deal with most of their rotation. I'd love to miss Wally Doyle or Pat Weakly (13-9, 3.13, 136), but other then veteran Karl Weiss (17-7, 3.11, 55), all their starters have plenty of upside. Bert Cupid is their four, but he's the only pitcher to beat us so far this season. The lineup, generally the strength, had an awful week, scoring just 9 runs in 5 games. Veteran Vic Crawford (.317, 14, 95) went just 1-for-16 with Gordie Perkins (.289, 5, 54) only 3-for-20. Bill Greene (.280, 18, 99, 17) picked off right where he left off, and Bert Lass was 6-for-21 with a pair of doubles in his first week back. Still, I trust our pitching against anyone, and if things happen how I anticipate, we should finish this week in first place. Right where we belong!

Former Cougars in the GWL
Not sure if this is going to be a regular column, but I think I want to cover some former Cougars and their endeavors in the Great Western League. The upstart league began play a day before the FABL, doing anything they can to establish themselves as legitimate. Whether it can survive even a full season is yet to be determined, but there are plenty of interesting players who are looking to have their career revived or started up.

RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): A member of the Detroit Dynamos staff for the past three seasons, Ira Hawker went 9-13 with 3 saves, a 3.69 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 68 walks, and 64 strikeouts. Now 27, Hawker was out of options, and the new regime didn't feel like committing a roster spot to a player they did not acquire. A four pitch righty, Hawker caught on with Dallas, who currently list him as their ace. His first GWL start was as good as it gets, a 4-hitter with a walk and strikeout as Dallas beat their Texas rival Houston 4-0. He has plenty of former Cougar teammates, with Rube Finnegan and Mac Watters in the rotation, Joe Foote in the pen, and Billy Marshall in the lineup. I think Hawker will have plenty of success in the GWL, as there aren't many headline worthy arms, a strong showing could earn him another audition for an FABL team.

RHP Stumpy Beaman (Houston Bulls): It was an interesting week for Stumpy Beaman, who felt the highest highs and lowest lows. An Air Force vet who hasn't pitched since 1942, Beaman took the mound on day two of the GWL, and kept the Dallas Centurions in check. Beaman allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout in a 5-0 shutout victory. Unfortunately for Beaman, the consensus favorite Oakland Grays and their high power offense pounded him for 7 hits, 8 runs, and 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. 32 next Monday, Beaman has been traded with and for many notable players, including fellow GWL pitcher Karl Wallace, potential Hall of Famer Frank Vance, and big leaguers Juan Pomales, Del Burns, Ike O'Donnell, Joe Shaffner, and Frank LeMieux. The Bulls pitching staff has plenty of former Cougars, with Pug Bryan and Johnny Ruby in the rotation and, Billy Seawood in the pen, with the lineup featuring Johnny Bunce and the bench George Bond and Larry Robison.

ayaghmour2 · 03-16-2023, 06:04 PM

Weekly Record: 6-2
Seasonal Record: 10-3 (1st, 1.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 30 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.200 OPS
Hank Barnett : 30 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .300 AVG, 1.017 OPS
Dick Walker : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.125 OPS

Schedule
4-22: Win vs Kings (2-9)
4-23: Win vs Kings (1-8)
4-24: Win at Stars (8-5)
4-25: Loss at Stars (2-7)
4-26: Win at Saints (4-0)
4-27: Win at Saints (13-0)
4-28: Loss at Saints (2-3): 12 innings
4-28: Win at Saints (5-1)

Recap
Hey, this Cougars team is pretty good! We just ran right through the Kings, Stars, and Saints, dropping just one game in regulation and a second by a single run in extras. In our six wins, two of them were shutouts, three were by seven or more runs, and for the week we allowed more then five runs just once, with all but two games having our opponent score three or less. Our run differential is up to +44 in 13 games, already surpassing our +38 from last year. Pretty much everything is going right, and we've got a nice 1.5 game lead in the CA.

Billy Riley is on a mission, following up his 4-hitter hosting the Saints with a 3-hitter in Montreal. Once again, no walks allowed for the veteran, who struck out 2 to improve to a perfect 2-0 on the season. Five of his six appearances this season have been scoreless, and in 18 regular season innings he has struck out (7) just as many hitters as he's allowed hits to. Harry Parker came close to matching Riley's shutout, allowing 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks in 8 impressive innings. Johnnie Jones made his first two starts of the season, picking up a win and a no decision. He was an out away from a complete game victory against Brooklyn, but after 158 pitches Clyde Meyer decided to pull the plug while up 9-2. He allowed 8 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 6 walks with 2 strikeouts. He then threw 143 pitches in 10 innings in our double header loss, but definitely deserved a win. He gave up just 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick finished both of his starts, walking Jim Lightbody before getting Gary Carmichael to fly out to end the game. He had less success in Montreal, as Petrick allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with a strikeout in a shaky 11th.

The lone starter to get a loss was Joe Brown, who had no fun in New York. Some errors caused him trouble, as he finished just 6 innings with 10 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Donnie Jones had a rough second start, but still earned himself a complete game victory. He was charged with 9 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with a pair of strikeouts. Our last two starts went to Peter the Heater, who threw nearly 300 pitches in 17 innings. He allowed 9 hits and a run to both the Kings and Saints, going the distance in Chicago and just 8 in Montreal. He struck out 16 and walked just 6 to improve to a perfect 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (223 ERA+) and 24 strikeouts in 26 innings. Ken Matson and Rusty Watts both got into games this week after none last week, throwing two innings a piece. Matson's came in one game, and he allowed just one walk with two strikeouts. Watts had identical outings against the Saints, an inning and a hit in both. Our pitching staff has been beyond elite, allowing just 27 runs in 13 games, while every other CA team has allowed less then 46, with the Kings 72 runs almost triple our tally. Yes, yes, it's early... But best staff ever? I think so!

The offense exploded this week, with nine players putting together weeks with an OPS+ over 100. Skipper led the way, 14-for-30 with 5 doubles, a triple, 2 walks, 7 RBIs, and 8 runs. Dick Walker tried to match him, 9-for-24 with a double, triple, homer, 2 steals, 6 walks, 5 RBIs, and 8 runs. Harry Mead looked like even year Harry Mead, 9-for-25 with 3 doubles, a triple, homer, walk, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Hank Barnett launched three homers and finished 9-for-30 with 5 runs, 6 walks, and 8 RBIs. Hal Sharp hit two homers, 8-for-22 with 2 walks, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 7-forf-19 with a triple, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Carlos Montes went 9-for-26 with a double, triple, steal, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Clark Car was 8-for-24 with a steal, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was just 8-for-32, but with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 6 runs. The only two players with more then 10 PAs that struggled were Ray Ford and Homer Guthrie, and with Guthrie, you can excuse it as he made his first two big league starts. He went 2-for-8 with a walk and two runs scored. Ray Ford was much worse, 2-for-15 with a walk, run, and RBI. With all the runs coming this week, we now lead the Conti with 71, and I'd love for us to maintain first in runs scored and allowed the rest of the way.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, but our road trip continues with three against the defending pennant winning Cannons. They're off to a solid start, 8-4 and just a game and a half behind us. They score plenty of runs, but haven't had much success preventing them. The early returns on Butch Smith (2-0, 1.50, 9) have gone well, who had a terrible season last year and was banished to the pen. With #1 Rufus Barrell (3-0, 3.38, 7) and #2 Red Hampton (1-1, 3.18, 4) used in their double header split against the Wolves, we'll get the back three, with Smith, former Eagle Les Bradshaw (1-1, 3.00, 9), and Glenn Payne (0-1, 12.19, 4), which could lead to plenty of Cougars crossing home plate. I don't expect perfection from the staff, as their lineup is very deep. Al Wheeler (.386, 2, 11) is off to a blazing start with Denny Andrews (.294, 7), Chuck Adams (.283, 3, 12) and Sam Brown (.441, 9) picking up right where they left off. Adam Mullins (.357, 6) hasn't had issues since returning stateside, same goes for Charley McCullough (.273, 1), as 1-through-6 is going to be very tough to navigate. Expect Fred Galloway (.239, 1, 6) to raise his average, but he's still produced a 127 WRC+ due to 7 walks and 5 extra base hits. The only "weakness" is Jim Hensley (.242, 2), but the 29-year-old is a Skipper Schneider level defender. The pitching may hold the Cannons back, but this team is dangerous and we may struggle on the road against such a talented team.

It doesn't get any easier, as we then head to Toronto for two with last year's second place team. They got off to an awful start, dropping six straight, but have since won six of their last seven. Joe Hancock (1-1, 2.95, 5) hasn't quite looked himself, failing to reach triple digits in pitch count in each of his first three starts. Whether the Wolves are being cautious with their talented vet or fatigue from three years off is unknown, but we are likely to face the former Allen Winner in one of the two games. I'd love to avoid George Garrison (1-1, 5.40, 8), despite his early season struggles, and he's currently lined up to start one of the three games against the Saints. They have an off day on Monday just like us, so their rotation order could change. Bob Walls (1-1, 3.79, 2) or Jimmy Gibbs (0-0, 2.25, 2) seem likely, and our offense should have our way with either. Reigning Whitney Winner Walt Pack (.234, 2, 9) has gotten off to a slow start, but the rest of the lineup has more then made up for it. Charlie Artuso has gone berserk, hitting .440/.525/.740 (247 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 12 RBIs, and 9 walks. He's on an absurd 17.2 WAR pace, easily surpassing the even 10 he put up last year. Fred McCormick (.295, 1, 8), Chink Stickels (.260, 1, 7), and Juan Pomales (.261, 1, 5, 1) all have WRC+ above 135. If Tom Frederick (.176, 1) or Hank Giordano (.227, 8) can shake off the service rust and Artuso can maintain some of his stellar production, the Wolves lineup will be able to match any opponent.

It's not the end of our road trip, but we finish off a span of seven games in three cities and six days with a double header in Philly. The Sailors are sitting in fourth at 8-6, just 2.5 games behind us. 26-year-old southpaw Slick Wesolowski has gotten off to a tremendous start to his big league career, going 2-1 with a 1.46 ERA (220 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP with 6 walks and 14 strikeouts through 24.2 innings. Had the former 5th Rounder not joined the Navy after the 1942 season, he would have already debuted, but it's no surprise the Sailors have another very quality arm they can rely on to start games. 23-year-old Charlie Gordon (2-1, 2.83, 11) has been impressive as well, and the now 25-year-old Win Lewis (2-1, 2.35, 7) has built off an excellent rookie season. These three will be toeing the rubber for the Sailors for the foreseeable future, as Lewis has already established himself as a dependable FABL starter and the two rookies rank inside the league's top 25 prospects. It will be up to the offense if they want to finish in the first division, but they lack a bonafide star. Sure, Marion Boismenu (.244, 6) stole a Whitney and Ed Reyes (.333, 1, 7, 1) has a batting title, but these two are better served as complementary pieces. Last year's breakout Addie Aleman (.204, 3) has struggled in a small sample and Woody Stone (.231, 1, 8) and Rip Lee (.216, 1, 3) might have left their bats overseas. They do have a potential budding star, as there best player may be young infielder Les Cunha. The 23-year-old shortstop had a 103 WRC+ in 84 games last year, and has hit .333/.368/.481 (133 OPS+) to start 1946. With Lee's return, he's moved over to second base, and the early returns have been very good. OSA thinks he's their top player, and I would not be surprised if he makes multiple trips to the All Star Game. The Sailors are an interesting team to watch this season, as they're always competitive, and have plenty of young talent that could mesh well together.

Minor League Report
RHP Roscoe Brown (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite just 78.1 innings at A ball, I decided to start Roscoe Brown in Mobile after his year in the Army. 24 in May, Brown showed a lot of encouraging signs before enlisting, as his 3.70 FIP (83 FIP-) was remarkable and he struck out 60 hitters in less then 80 innings. He rewarded my faith instantly, tossing the first shutout for a Cougar minor leaguer this season. Brown scattered 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 in a 2-0 win over the Chattanooga Reliables. The former 8th Rounder has started to get some love on the prospect front, currently ranked 31st in our system and 366th overall. It's all to do with his stuff, as he hits 97 with his fastball and has a worm-burning sinker that can get him out of a jam. His curveball can be counted on when he's ahead in the count, but plenty of his strikeouts come from overpowering hitters. He seemed to harness his command during the '44 season, and if he can keep walks down he could pitch his way into a big league rotation. If not, he's got all the traits of a dominant reliever, as it can be hard to catch up with high 90s late in games. A big season from him will cause some roster problems for us, as he'd need to be protected in the Rule-5 Draft. It's early, but I'm leaning towards protecting him, and I imagine we'll free up plenty of 40 Man spots with trades between now and then. I'm excited to see how he does the rest of the way, and may end up in Milwaukee once injuries inevitably strike.

RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): Maybe Chattanooga isn't all that Reliable... After dropping Opening Day to the Commodores 8-7, I already mentioned how Roscoe shut them out 2-0. Crazy enough, we did that not once, but two more times, starting with Jimmy Ballard's 8-hitter. Ballard didn't walk anyone and struck out two to improve the defending champs to 3-0 on the season. Now 24, Ballard spent all of last season with Mobile, going 15-12 with a 3.83 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.47 WHIP with 108 walks and 106 strikeouts. The fact that he didn't walk anyone today is huge, as his command has never been that great. Despite being a side armer, he doesn't do terrible against lefties due to his excellent change up. His fastball is lively in the low 90s, and his slider has plenty of run. The stuff would really play well in the pen, as I don't see him overcoming his command issues and entering a rotation. He has plenty of stamina and went deep in 20 of his 28 starts last season, so he could make a name for himself eating innings out of the pen.

RHP Bill Ballantine (AA Mobile Commodores): Finishing things off for the Commodores was The Windy City Whip, who allowed just 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. The 23-year-old was firing on all cylinders, as his fastball was really working. It's the best of his four pitches, and it's not a very deep arsenal. He doesn't quite trust his off-speed stuff, which could keep him from starting every game. Of course, with the nickname and his Chicago roots, he seems destined to be our stopper anyways. I think he'll continue to start games this year, but the AAA rotation is full and he's not the next man up.

Former Cougars in the GWL
RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): He did it again! It wasn't back-to-back, as Hawker had some trouble against Portland, but he bounced back quickly against the excellent lineup of the Oakland Grays. Hawker allowed just 7 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts in the Centurions 4-0 victory. In his first three GWL starts, Hawker is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (191 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The rest of the Centurions rotation has struggled, with each other member sporting an ERA+ below 100. Hawker currently ranks as the 19th best GWL pitcher, and could continue to rise with more performances like this.

C Cliff Ray (San Francisco Hawks): Two weeks in the San Francisco Hawks are the best team in the GWL. And a big reason for that is former Cougar Rule-5 Pick Cliff Ross. The 37-year-old spent last season with the Stars, hitting .232/.358/.332 (99 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 37 RBIs with more then twice as many walks (61) as strikeouts (29). In their youth movement, Ray was let go by New York, and has caught on with the Hawks. The veteran catcher is hitting .324/.422/.595 (197 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 11 RBIs. Bob Land (.431, 10), John Wood (.367, 7, 3), and former Cougar Orlin Yates (.295, 1, 5, 1) are all hitting well too, and Jack Henderson (2-0, 1.67, 22) has been dominant on the mound. I expect a hard fought battle for the first GWL pennant, and the Hawks will be up there throughout the season.

ayaghmour2 · 03-18-2023, 02:26 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 13-7 (2nd, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dick Walker : 29 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.307 OPS
Hal Sharp : 24 AB, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .542 AVG, 1.268 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .387 AVG, .973 OPS

Schedule
4-30: Win at Cannons (6-4)
5-1: Win at Cannons (9-3)
5-2: Loss at Cannons (4-6)
5-3: Loss at Wolves (3-4)
5-4: Loss at Wolves (4-5): 10 innings
5-5: Loss at Sailors (5-6)
5-5: Win at Sailors (10-1)

Recap
On the surface, it wasn't a great week, as we went just 3-4 and dropped out of first, but in all honesty, it was just bad luck. We took the first two in Cincy before they ran off fifth straight, and then the Wolves stole two games in Toronto before we split the double header. Three of the four losses were by a single run, the fourth by two, and we still outscored our opponents by 12 runs and have scored twice (112) as many runs as we've allowed (56). This is the recipe for success, and I am not phased by going 3-4 on the road against the first, second, and fourth place teams from last season.

The loss to the Sailors hurt the most, as we were up 5-0 and Donnie Jones was cruising, throwing eight scoreless with 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He then completely fell apart in the ninth, walking Rip Lee on four pitches, hitting Addie Aleman, and then walking Les Cunha on five pitches to load the bases. He got a flyout, but then Harvey Brown drove in the first run with a single. He then looked to be out of trouble, as he rolled up a tailor made double play to Skipper. He did everything right, but Billy Hunter dropped the throw, allowing Aleman to score and keeping the bases jacked. Yes, can't assume a double play, but it was a 91.9 MPH grounder and Skipper is a god when it comes to anything fielding, so there would have been plenty of time for someone with a strong arm like Hunter to get it to Walker at first. And yes, Donnie could have just not sucked the rest of the way, as he allowed Ed Reyes to drive home another with a single, walked Cotton Dillon on four pitches, and then forcing in another with Woody Stone walking on 3-2. Don Lee's better Rip came up and sent Sailors fans home happy with another single, completing our total collapse. Donnie did when his first start, however, tossing what was his third consecutive complete game win with 10 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

Brother Johnnie had no trouble in the second game of the double header, allowing just 3 hits, a walk, and a run with a pair of punchouts. Jones now leads the CA in ERA, a miniscule 0.98 (341 ERA+) as he's allowed just a single earned run in each of his three starts. The reason he took the lead is Billy Riley didn't throw a third shutout, instead losing 4-3 in Toronto. He wasn't bad by any means, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks in 8 innings pitched. With a little offense, he would have improved to 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (240 ERA+), but Bob Walls (2-1, 3.76, 4) managed to keep us in check, scattering five hits with the only real blow Hank Barnett's fifth home run. Harry Parker had trouble with the Cannons wealth of sluggers, allowing homers to Adam Mullins (.341, 1, 7), Al Wheeler (.333, 3, 15), and Denny Andrews (.286, 2, 13). The fourth hit was Fred Galloway's (.250, 2, 10) RBI triple, as the Cannons produced a run with all four of their hits off him. Parker did walk and strike out leaving the game tied at four in the 7th with nobody on. Rusty Petrick quickly blew that lead, allowing a single to the first batter he faced before Andrew's second homer of the game. Petrick finished things off with two hits and strikeouts. It was his first of two losses on the week, as the Wolves walked him off quickly in the 10th.

We were actually up 4-2 headed to the ninth, but like Donnie Jones, Peter the Heater had a rough ninth. He at least finished his, but got the Wolves to their final out before pinch hitter Wayne Henderson got his first hit of the season, annoyingly of the infield variety. This brought the top of the order back up, meaning a fifth plate appearance for star shortstop Charlie Artuso (.397, 4, 16, 1). He was 0-for-2 with a pair of walks, and despite being down 0-2, managed to sneak one into left. The pressure was on with All-Star Center Fielder Chink Stickels (.278, 2, 11, 1) up with the winning run at the plate. Pap again got him to two strikes, but after fouling off a pair of heaters he finally connected with a double to left. Artuso was able to score from first, bringing up Gus Hall (.240, 3) who had a chance to win the game with a runner in scoring position. Stickles got to third on a 1-0 wild pitch, but was left stranded when Gus Hull tried to end things with a homer instead of just a single. In the end it didn't matter, as Petrick walked two which set up a Mike Rollinson (.178, 3) walk off single.

Our last start of the week went to Joe Brown, who bounced back after a rough start in New York. He kept the Cannons in kept, tossing a complete game victory with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Brown got up to 137 pitches in the 9-3 victory, as the team leader is able to go the extra mile to save the bullpen. This improved him to 2-1 on the season with a 3.00 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP through four starts. And because of starts like his, we didn't need an inning from Rusty Watts or Ken Matson. Despite the losses, we've still allowed the fewest runs (56) and ranked #1 in every category except WAR (3rd, 3.3), homers allowed (3rd, 7th), walks (2nd, 66), and the rather meaningless Bullpen ERA (4.70, 8th). I mean, it's just 5.2 innings! If this week was replayed at home, I think the breaks would have gone our way, as we never really got a chance to make a comeback. Sure, we should have capitalized early on, but losing games started by Walls, Les Bradshaw (2-1, 3.46, 12), and Jimmy Gibbs (0-0, 1.86, 4) really hurt. Road games against top teams are tough, and we've played just five games in Chicago, and the road trip still isn't over.

Despite the poor team performance, Dick Walker reminded people that he's still really good, going 12-for-29 with a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 6 runs, 8 RBIs, and a steal. This earned him the leagues third Player of the Week, and the first in our organization to win the honor. The 39-year-old is off to a hot start, slashing .365/.487/.667 (227 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, 13 RBIs, and 15 walks. Hal Sharp had an equally impressive week, going 13-for-24 with a double, homer, walk, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Sharp has been blistering hot to start the season, slashing an astronomical .439/.492/.614 (215 OPS+) with 3 homers and 12 RBIs. He's leading the batting title race by just four points over the Cannons' Sam Brown (.435, 10). What I'm more impressed with is his defense, as he's nabbed his only unlikely ball and one of his six remotes. Small sample sizes are especially tough for fielding stats, but he hasn't cost us much and the production at the plate has been a true masterpiece.

There were plenty of struggles, with Hank Barnett and Skipper Schneider coming back to earth a bit. Barnett had the homer, but finished just 7-for-31 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Skipper picked up a steal, but went just 4-for-23 with a double, 2 runs, and 6 walks. The walks were a nice addition for a guy who doesn't usually walk, at least putting him on the bases where he can really do damage. His 77 walk pace would be a career high, easily surpassing his 57 in a career high 672 PAs last year. We didn't face many lefties, so Ray Ford didn't get much action, just 0-for-2 to drop to 3-for-24 on the season. Leo Mitchell had some success, going 12-for-31 with 2 doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 walks. Clark Car homered as well, going 7-for-22 with a triple, walk, two steals, 7 runs, and 4 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a homer and pair of steals as well, hitting 6-for-22 with a double, 2 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs. These were overall stats of a team who had a good week, but we just didn't any of the 50-50 plays. We rank top three in all offensive categories, while leading ten of them, including the always important runs scored (112).

Looking Ahead
We get a much needed day of rest after the double header, but we'll stay in Philadelphia for one more with the Sailors. They are three games out of first and just a game over .500 (11-10), good for fifth in the association. With the double header neither team can skip a start, so veteran Doc Newell (1-1, 4.07, 8) will take on Joe Brown. His command will do well against a disciplined lineup, but other then Ed Reyes (.315, 1, 9, 1) it's coming from rather unexpected spots. Harvey Brown (.333, 10, 5) has excelled in his return to the lineup, having not played since 1943. The now 30-year-old hit .288/.330/.396 (117 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 19 triples, a homer, 16 steals, and 64 RBIs. I'm not saying Brown's not a quality player, he certainly is one, but Marion Boismenu (.246, 9) has not looked like a Whitney Winner and Addie Aleman (.238, 6) looks like a guy who debuted at 28. This is a must win game where we have the edge at arguably every position, and the pitching matchup is one favorable to our side.

Our road trip then ends at 16 with two against the Foresters. We're 7-6 so far, and have the same amount of road wins (9) as the Foresters have total wins. They're looking better then last season, as they returned plenty of talented youngsters. One of those debuted last season, as Chicagoan Richie Hughes (4-1, 3.05, 16) owns a share of the wins lead after putting up a strong 3.19 FIP (84 FIP-) in 130 innings last season. Hiram Steinberg (0-3, 2.91, 17) had a similar 3.24 FIP (86 FIP-) in just shy of 60 innings, but "The Undertaker" hasn't gotten any love from his offense. Cleveland has scored just seven runs in his four starts, and the kid isn't anywhere near his ceiling. Another Chicagoan Bill Martino (1-3, 4.25, 30) returned after four years in the Air Force, and the former top 25 prospects has been somewhat effectively wild in his first five starts. The staff has plenty of upside, as Ducky Davis (1-2, 2.76, 12) is just 25 and already has two big league seasons under his belt. They're not quite there yet, but Cleveland teams of the past have had really good rotations, and for the first time there's plenty to get excited about the guys taking the mound.

The offense doesn't have the same star power yet, but Jim Adams Jr. is a really good hitter. Sure, he's more of a second basemen then a shortstop, but he hit .251/.369/.381 (117 OPS+) last year and is off to a .313/.385/.482 (136 OPS+) start through 22 games. He's walked (10) just as often as he has struck out (10), and has totaled 5 doubles, 3 triples, 12 runs, 20 RBIs, and a homer. There's not much protection in the lineup, but former 6th Rounder Paul Porter (.341, 1, 11, 4) gas gotten off to a great start for his professional career. His last affiliated action came at Class A Wilmington in 1942, slashing .317/.350/.453 (116 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, a homer, 12 steals, and 61 RBIs. He ranks 11th in the Foresters system, and has a chance to claim a spot in a very open outfield. Another new face is a familiar one, with Leon Blackridge (.282, 4, 1) returning after serving with Porter the past two seasons. Blackridge hit .279/.359/.416 (132 OPS+), and production like that could make him very appealing for a contender if the Foresters decide he's outside their contention window. Now 30, he's not too old that he's a must move, and his leadership could prove valuable for the younger kids. They have a pair of top 100 offensive prospects who are just a few seasons away, including 22-year-old third basemen Bob Miller. Blackridge could be a strong mentor to the former 2nd Rounder, who tends to let his mind drift. If you recognize that game, that's because his dad played baseball, pitching 12 seasons for the Cannons. He didn't pitch much until 1928, but we faced the longtime starter numerous times. For now, Cleveland should be easy wins, but young teams can never be underestimated, as you never know when everything is going to click.

We then return home for a rather awkward one game series with the Kings. We've beat them all four times we've faced them, holding the team to one or two runs in each match. The young team has really struggled, going 4-16 and 4 games behind the seventh place Saints. Leo Hayden (1-2, 2.70, 10) had a rough first week, but has allowed just one run in his last 15 innings pitched. He's the only pitcher I don't want to face, but I think we wouldn't struggle too much against him. He walks too many hitters and still has ways to go, but he's closer then the rest of his counterparts. The offense hasn't done too much, but Tiny Tim (.286, 3, 8) has produced a 155 WRC+. He hasn't gotten much help from Rats McGonigle (.229, 2, 4, 1), Orie Martinez (.179, 2, 6), or Vernon Ruch (.222, 1, 9), but Rule-5 Pick from the Sailors Phil Gratz has looked good. The young shortstop is hitting .279/.364/.368 (102 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 RBIs, 3 steals, 9 walks, and a 123 WRC+. We should be able to keep them in check for the game, giving us a nice start to the homestand.

We then finish the week with the first two of a three game series against the Stars. New York is 11-9 so far, sitting two games behind us for second. Vineland's Finest Bill Barrett has been as good as it gets, slashing .275/.474/.667 (216 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 8 homers, 23 RBIs, 26 walks, and 4 steals. Rookie Bill Barnett (.333, 3, 11) has 18 walks and 8 extra base hits while last year's #1 pick Bob Riggins (.325, 4, 3) is healthy and raking. "Jersey Jack" Welch (.283, 1, 10, 1) is off to a good start in his young career, and veteran Rabbit Mudd (.300, 3) was hitting well before dealing with a sore elbow. Still, Joe Angevine (.207, 4, 4) hasn't looked like himself and Chick MacKnight (.095, 4) has been ice cold. On the mound, #5 Jack Wood (2-1, 2.28, 11) is off to a great start, and Vern Hubbard (3-1, 3.28, 13) was dominant before allowing 9 hits and 7 runs against the Cannons in start five. Eli Panneton (0-2, 4.36, 15) is off to a tough start, but once the 24-year-old is back on track, runs will be tough to get against them. Right now they are middle of the pack in both runs scored and allowed, but once the youth movement is finished, we can go back to calling them the Stars, and not just the Star.

Former Cougars in the GWL
RHP King Price (Los Angeles Knights): A 9th Round Pick of ours back in 1939, Price spent three seasons in the Air Force, but when he came back, there was no room in the system for the 28-year-old righty. He left at 24, splitting his starts between the Commodores (16) and Blues (8), and he would have been an option for a 40-man spot. Instead, he was able to catch on in the GWL with the Knights, and he's been nothing short of dominant. He was named the first Rookie of the Month in the GWL, going 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA (223 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 7 walks, and 14 strikeouts. His first May start was solid as well, as he improved to 3-0 with 8 innings, 11 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 7 strikeouts. He's pitched well with the #1 offense behind him, and ranks as the 4th best pitcher in the GWL, a spot above former Cougar Pug Bryan (1-1, 1.38, 16), who has also had plenty of success. The lack of pitching depth in the GWL shows, with guys like this putting up crazy numbers, but this is a good chance for him to establish himself as a major league pitcher.

Oh yeah, and it's not worth going three-for-three, but Ira Hawker through another shutout! This time, a 5-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the first place Hawks. Hawker is now 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA (263 ERA+) and 0.93 WHIP. What a stud!

ayaghmour2 · 03-20-2023, 11:19 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 15-11 (t-3rd, 1.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .417 AVG, .920 OPS
Dick Walker : 15 AB, 4 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .267 AVG, 1.020 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.00 ERA

Schedule
5-7: Loss at Sailors (2-5)
5-8: Loss at Foresters (0-2)
5-9: Win at Foresters (3-1)
5-10: Win vs Kings (1-5)
5-11: Loss vs Stars (8-1)
5-12: Loss vs Stars (4-0)

Recap
Alright now, this isn't much fun...

The non-stop run of games has been very tough on us, and we're starting to run out of energy. Sure, we did have an off day to start the week, but it came after a double header, and we're stuck in the middle of stretch where we play 42 games in 41 days. Not sure what was going on in Cleveland, as we couldn't score, but it got even worse when the Stars came to town. We scored just a single run in two games, and we have now dropped 8 of our last 11 after starting the season 12-3. Cleary, it's not a winning formula, but in our defense, eight of the games were on the road, and just three of the games were against teams worse then .500. The top of the CA is crowded, with five teams within 2.5 games of first, and us tied in third with the Wolves. There is plenty of time left, but it won't get any easier. We played the first six games of a stretch of 25 games in 24 days, and we won't be off again until May 31st. Having a strong and reliable six man rotation will help keep the arms fresh, but we have to stop losing close games. We're 0-4 in one run games and 0-2 in extras, and we already our -3 on our expected record. Panic time? Not yet... But we can't let our slump spiral out of control.

Guess who had their first career home run this week? Peter the Heater! It took 134 games, but the Cougars co-Ace took Chicagoan Richie Hughes deep in a 3-1 win over the Foresters. A longtime Cougar fan, Hughes was 16 when he debuted in 1938, and even attended a Papenfus start as a high schooler. After watching Harry Parker get shut out by Ducky Davis the 1941 Allen Winner took things into his own hands, breaking the tie with a two-run homer. He came through again in the ninth, and delivered an eight pitch single off veteran Frank Phillips, who was pitching in his 491st career game. That scored Billy Hunter, who was the third and final run of the game. Papenfus is now hitting .438 with a 1.125 OPS that trails only Dick Walker. A career .256/.269/.291 (55 OPS+) hitter, Papenfus will surely be derailed from his torrid pace, as just a 0-for-8 stretch will drop his average below .300, but that lack of production at the plate will be offset by his pitching.

Papenfus picked up his third complete game victory, allowing just five hits, the lone run, and two walks with five more strikeouts. His 38 in 44 innings are tied with Bill Martino (2-3, 4.41, 38) for the CA lead, but the Foresters #1 has completed five more innings. Pap led the league in strikeouts his last two full seasons, and we can expect more of that this season. What is most impressive, however, is the command, as he's walked just 18 so far. His 2.1 K/BB would be a career best, and he's done exceptional in his first 5 starts. A perfect 4-0, Peter the Heater has flashed a 1.84 ERA (186 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP. That ERA is good for third in the CA, and our co-ace's next start will be a big one. It comes Tuesday against the Wolves, which kicks off a huge two game series. Both teams enter the week tied for third, but that tie will be broken as we look to avoid a sweep against the Stars and the Wolves will head south on a rest day.

With pitchers like Pap and Donnie Jones, you always have a chance to win, and I strategically started them to face the Wolves on normal rest. Donnie shook off three rough (by his standards, at least) starts, twirling a 4-hit complete game victory with just 1 run and 4 strikeouts. The current ERA leader Johnnie Jones didn't get any run support, as the offense thought they could take another day off. He pitched in our 4-0 loss to the Stars, going the distance with 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Harry Parker was even more unlucky, as he was the pitcher of record in our 2-0 shutout at the hands of Ducky Davis (2-2, 2.16, 14). Parker allowed just 4 hits and 2 runs with a strikeout in 8 innings pitched. I was a bit worried he may fair poorly this season, and while the 4 homers in 31 inning hurts, he has a beautiful 2.61 ERA (131 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP with 6 walks and 14 strikeouts.

Billy Riley has done a complete 180, as after dominating the Saints, he's really struggled with the Wolves and now the Stars. New York hit their former hurler hard, tagging him for 7 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He was the only Cougar not to finish his start, as Ken Matson got the final five outs. He did allow two hits, but no walks and Matson struck out a pair. Joe Brown struggled against the Sailors, and while he also didn't walk a batter, he finished with 12 hits, 5 runs, and 6 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Brown's 3.66 ERA (93 ERA+) is the only one that corresponds to a below average ERA+, but his 3.23 FIP (94 FIP-) paints a nicer picture. His numbers are still more then respectable overall, with a 1.25 WHIP, 5 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 32 innings, and we can always rely on him to pitch deep into games. I'll never worry about this staff, but sometimes they aren't perfect, and that's something I'll have to accept. We're not the only team that can score a lot of runs, so it makes sense that other teams can best even the top arms in the league at times.

The offense really struggled, with many of our mashers not producing at the plate. The biggest exception was Dick Walker, who is somehow knocking everyone out of the park with a 1.130 OPS. Walker went just 4-for-15, but hit a pair of solo shots and walked twice to up his season line to an absurd .346/.453/.667 (217 OPS+). His 218 WRC+ also leads either circuit, and the 39-year-old has tallied 4 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 3 steals, 15 RBIs, and 17 walks in 95 trips to the plate. He got some support from the ever reliable Leo Mitchell, who went 10-for-24 with a double, walk, and run. His .354/.398/.500 (153 OPS+) line looks very similar to his .357/.392/.474 (148 OPS+) from two years ago, and he should be in the mix again this season. Right now, Hal Sharp leads the way, as after going just 5-for-17, he's still hitting an elite .405/.450/.541 (179 OPS+) with 3 homers and 13 RBIs. I won't got too in-depth into all our struggles at the plate, but what might paint the picture is the 16-for-84 (.190) that Harry Mead, Hank Barnett, Skipper Schneider, and Clark Car combined for. Even after this rough week, all four have WRC+ above 100, and it just sucks that so many of our players (Montes, Sharp, and Hunter too) decided to take a week off. I have faith in every single one of our guys, as we had to deal with a lot of really talented pitchers, and can't score 10 runs a game day in and day out.

Looking Ahead
We've got one more against the Stars, and will look to avoid our first sweep of the season. New York is now 13-11, moving two games up from .500 and withing a game of us since the series has started. This is a must win, but we'll get there weakest starter Henry Shaffer (2-3, 3.93, 18), a Rule-5 Pick from the Keystones organization that OSA is enamored with. Earlier in the season he was ranked as a top 20 pitcher despite no FABL innings since 1942, and being removed from the Keystones 40. He's not bad by any means, but we'll counter with Joe Brown (2-2, 3.66, 13), who has pitched far better then the numbers show. Even if we score runs, it's next to impossible to keep Bill Barrett (.286, 8, 23, 5), Bill Barnett (.318, 3, 13), Bob Riggins (.286, 4, 3), and Jack Welch (279, 1, 11, 1) quiet. I'd love to see more then a single run in this game, but a tight 1-0 victory works just as well!

It won't get any easier, as we get the Wolves for two following the Stars departure. Currently tied, we could remain tied for the start and finish of the series, but with Donnie and Pap lined up (8-1 combined!), you can almost check these off for the win column. No Garrison (2-2, 3.35, 15) or Hancock (3-2, 3.02, 10) is huge in all caps, but the Wolves will be rested with no Monday game. We'll get Bob Walls (3-1, 4.31, 6) and Jimmy Gibbs (1-0, 1.59, 7) on an extra days rest, but I'd be quaking in my boots if I were them. Due to our offensive struggles, the Wolves now score the most runs in the CA. The lineup is deep, but in reality it's Charlie Artuso (.349, 5, 19, 1) tearing the cover off the ball and doing pretty much everything. Okay, that's a bit unfair, as all eight members (even Clarence Howerton!) have a WRC+ above 100, making me feel a little less special for doing the same thing. Chink Stickels (.305, 2, 13, 2), Fred McCormick (.282, 2, 12, 1), and Juan Pomales (.302, 1, 10, 2) are on rampages of their own, Tom Frederick (.300, 7, 2) has re-seized a lineup spot and produced, and while not Whitney Winner level, Walt Pack (.293, 3, 17) continues to hit. If it wasn't for Pap and Donnie I'd wager these two games would be shootouts, but it will be much see baseball as the #1 and #2 pitchers in the CA take on the circuit's best offense.

More home games follow, with three against the second place Sailors. At 16-11, they're a game up on us and the Wolves and one behind the Cannons, and have done a good job in the early goings. They are overperforming their expected record by two games, which may average out, but there is plenty of talent on the team. The pitching has been really good, as Slick Wesolowski (5-1, 2.62, 31) is making Sailor fans wish what could have been had he not enlisted, while fellow 1946 debutee Charlie Gordon (3-2, 2.45, 18) has flashed brilliance of his own. Win Lewis (3-1, 3.00, 17) picked off right where he left off, and Al Duster (2-2, 2.75, 22) has taken advantage of his first fulltime rotation spot. With young arms, you never know if they can keep it up, but having a storied vet like Doc Newell (1-1, 5.19, 8) rounding out the rotation could be a huge help to the youngsters. The lineup is on the older side, but 23-year-old Les Cunha (.352, 15) is reigning Player of the Week (9-18, 3 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 BB) and has produced a whopping 183 WRC+ in exactly 100 plate appearances. He's the only lineup member younger then 27 on a team filled with veterans, and is developing into one of the best players in the league. Ed Reyes (.304, 2, 13, 1) has been surprisingly effective at the plate, as has Harvey Brown (.324, 13, 7), but they'll need more from Marion Boismenu (.264, 15, 1) if they want to compete. Addie Aleman (.267, 1, 13) has started to turn things around, Woody Stone (.269, 2, 16) and Rip Lee (.272, 1, 6, 2) are starting to heat up, and don't let Cotton Dillon's (.227, 1, 4, 1) uninspiring average fool you, he's always on base and more the half his hits have gone for extra bases. The Sailors are always competitive, and with three straight 80+ 4th place finishes, they've got their sights on the crown.

We'll then start the series with the Foresters on Sunday, making it four opponents for a full week. Cleveland is actually closer to first (5 GB) then last (6 GA), and their 13 wins match the Stars. They have lost five more games, with 16 in total, but early on they haven't been a gimmie. I'll cover them more later, but Ducky Davis shut us out this week and has allowed one or fewer runs in three of his first five starts. Richie Hughes (4-3, 3.14, 30) deserved the win on another day, but Pap took things into his own hands. Hiram Steinberg (0-4, 2.70, 20) is even more unlucky, as his defense and offense both let him down. He has three starts with two or fewer earned runs, but four total starts with three or more totals runs. The Foresters have produced just 10 runs when he starts the game, something that will someday change. With all their good young pitchers, they just have to fill out the lineup, as Jim Adams Jr. (.314, 1, 23, 1) needs a little help. They have plenty of young players to audition, but their system ranks just 11th in the league. Part of that is due to guys like Hughes, Steinberg, and Adams graduating, as there is no shortage of potential talent on the big league roster.

Minor League Report
3B Israel Holmes (A Lincoln Legislators): I'll admit, I'm a bit surprised there was room for Israel Holmes to get every day at bats, as I thought for sure he'd get passed up. Instead, he just went down a level, returning to Lincoln after hitting .271/.385/.379 (110 OPS+) in AA. Holmes is off to a sizzling start, and capped it off with a thrashing of the Hawks pitching. Going into a tied ninth, Holmes was looking to make it 5-for-5 and possibly advance Art Goins, who was 3-for-5 himself. Holmes instead decided to break the tie, launching a go-ahead home run to give the Legislators a 9-7 lead they would hold. He's spent most of his time at first base, hitting an excellent .286/.400/.444 (144 OPS+) with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. Now 23, the former 14th Rounder has stuck along much longer then I would have expected, hitting at pretty much every level. He doesn't profile as more then a bench player, but he has one of the keenest eyes in our system and a really solid hit tool. His versatility is limited, but I've developed a soft spot for him, and I think he'll eventually be rewarded with a big league debut.

ayaghmour2 · 03-22-2023, 12:00 AM

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 17-16 (5th, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.245 OPS
Billy Riley : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Harry Mead : 22 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .739 OPS

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

Recap
It is taking all my willpower to not start screaming... Why are we so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, a +34 run differential is fun and all, but we've dropped 13 of 18, including 7 of 10 games in our current homestand. Before an extra inning squeaker, we were an even .500, and sit 3.5 games out of first a bit over a month in. It was our first one run game in seven attempts, a huge part of the reason we've gotten off to such a slow start. Even the Kings (2) have won more one run games then us, but at least our seven one run games is tied for the fewest. It was our first walk-off win as well (we've been walked off plenty), as we allowed just eight runs in our first five home games, and have recently decided that our fans deserved to watch us lose. Our run differential is best in the league, trailing only the Minutemen (+67) and defending champion Keystones (+35) of the Fed. You would think things would start evening out, but with our history of failure in close games, you never quite know.

Our offense continues its ineptitude, but as usual, Leo Mitchell is immune to the daily struggles of an FABL hitter. Yet again, Mitchell was robbed of a Player of the Week, as for some reason 12-for-29 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs is worse then 14-for-31 with 4 doubles and 9 RBIs. I mean, is it his fault no one can get on base for him? He's also riding a 21 game hit streak, and now up to #2 in the batting race as Hal Sharp has started to slump. His 193 WRC+ trails only Dick Walker in the CA, who himself had a decent week. The veteran went just 5-for-24, but he contributed with a double, triple, homer, a steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs. Harry Mead produced some too, 7-for-22 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Skipper has seen his bat freeze, going 4-for-26 with a triple and RBI, dropping him to a .141/.222/.172 (13 OPS+) line for May. His 89 WRC+ is the only one below 100 in our usual eight, and even his 1.100 efficiency is a bit lower then usual. I'll blame Harry Barrell's return from the war, giving yet another elite defensive shortstop a lot of innings. Something has to wake this lineup up, but despite the awful month of May we still rank 1st in average, slugging, hits, steals, and baserunning, as well as top three in everything excluding extra base hits (4th), walks (4th), and strikeouts (6th). I thought the return home would help, but we still have nine home games in the month and can move back into first if we pretend its April again.

Peter the Heater had a 295 pitch 22 inning week, beating the Foresters and losing to the Wolves. A mix of bad defense and bad offense cost him in Toronto, as we scored just one run on Bob Walls (5-1, 3.19, 9) and Chick Wirtz (3-1, 2, 7.45, 2), who the Kings got five runs on two days later. Two of the Wolves four runs came from a Skipper Schneider error, as Pap allowed just 6 hits and 4 walks with 6 strikeouts in the complete game loss. The Foresters got to Pap early, but we gave him a run in each of the first five innings. We were up 5-2 after five, but the Foresters rallied in the sixth. Brooks Meeks (.172, 1, 8) delivered his first homer of the season, launching a rather meek 98 mile per hour fastball 409 feet. Angered by the homer to the 8th hitter, Pap showed know mercy on Ducky Davis (3-2, 2.45, 18), striking him out on four pitches, and vowed to keep his team in the game. After plenty of success scoring early on, the teams were at a standstill, with both pitchers finishing eight innings. Pap delivered a scoreless ninth, but the Foresters opted to hand the ball to Dick Lamb (2-0, 2.13, 4). He got 8-9-1 to go 1-2-3. Some fans may have wondered why Papenfus was allowed to hit for himself, but Clyde Meyer trusts his veteran righty. He put up four zeros in extras, with his 151st pitch clocking in at 101. He was in the on deck circle when the game ended, as Harry Mead (.280, 1, 14) decided 14 innings would be too much to catch. He lined a slider to the right-center gap, scoring Hal Sharp (.371, 4, 16) to end it. This improved Papenfus to 5-1 with a 2.18 ERA (155 ERA+), third best in the CA.

Billy Riley didn't face the Saints, but he pitched like he did, tossing a 7-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Sailors. That's three shutouts in five starts, and all three of them have been walk-less. Granted, the other two starts were awful, as he allowed 17 hits and 12 runs with 6 walks in 15.1 innings pitched. That all equates to a still impressive 2.55 ERA (132 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP. He has yet to allow a home run and has a stellar 2.20 FIP (65 FIP-). We got good starts from the Jones brothers, but neither picked up the victory. Johnnie was the victim of Slick Wesolowski's (6-1, 2.21, 35) 2-hut shutout. He allowed just 4 hits, 4 walks, and 2 runs (1 earned) with 4 strikeouts in the complete game loss. Despite a league leading 1.38 ERA (245 ERA+) he is just 2-2 in his 5 starts. He's allowed earned run in four of the five starts, but has walked (18) one more batter then he's struck out (17). Donnie also got his second loss, going all nine with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts in a one-run loss to the Wolves. This was remarkably one of his better starts, as the young righty has allowed a fair amount of runs despite not many baserunners. He has a great 1.12 WHIP and has struck out (32) twice as many hitters, but that's not all that makes him valuable. Just like Papenfus, he can go deep into games, recording all but two outs of the potential 54 innings in his starts. He's surpassed the 140 pitch mark twice, but has gotten the job done in 130 or fewer for the other four.

Harry Parker and Joe Brown didn't fair well, with Brown in particular getting hit hard. He lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing 9 hits, 9 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strikeout as the Stars had their way with him. After a nice start to the season, he's allowed 21 hits and 16 runs in his last two starts. This has inflated his ERA to 5.60 (60 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.47, but he's walked just 8 and struck out 14 in 35.1 innings pitched. Ken Matson mopped up most of the game, but left after finishing the 8th. He finished with 4 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick got the ninth, allowing a hit, run, and two walks with two strikeouts. He pitched better Harry Parker's loss, striking out one in two perfect innings. Parker didn't walk anyone, but he was tagged for 13 hits and 5 runs in 6.2 innings against the Sailors. Even though him and Brown didn't pitch well, the other five starts were winnable games, and we only came away with two of them. Don't get me wrong, our pitching is unmatched, but I thought our lineup would be good enough to win games when we allow five or fewer runs.

Looking Ahead
Two more against the Foresters, who have dropped to seventh in the Continental Association. At 15-20, they aren't much further from first (6.5 GB) then last (5.5 GA), but we need to push them further down. They can adjust their rotation, but I imagine it will be Hiram Steinberg (0-5, 3.26, 24) followed by Bill Martino (2-4, 4.42, 40). With our luck, Steinberg will get his first win and the wild Martino will find his control. They'll get Donnie Jones (4-2, 3.21, 32) and Harry Parker (1-3, 3.35, 19), which will be a tough task for the Foresters lineup. They don't have much pop, with all eight of their homers coming from different players. One of those eight is budding superstar Jim Adams Jr., who is slashing .305/.381/.500 (139 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 2 steals, 16 walks, and 24 RBIs. His double play partner Glenn White (.366, 9, 1) has posted a 152 WRC+ in 18 games, but the defense at short has been neither good nor plenty. Leon Blackridge (.287, 1, 11, 1) suffered an oblique strain, so he'll missed both of the games in our series. Him or Hank Stratton (.291, 13) could be attractive trade pieces for a contender, which could bring more youth up to the big leagues. They have a top 100 prospect in first basemen Ivey Henley waiting in AAA, and by July top 50 prospect Bob Miller could be worth getting a longer look at third. While the rotation won't change much, the lineup may see plenty of new faces, as the staff will decide on who to keep when they're ready to compete.

Our homestand then finishes with a huge two game series against the Cannons. At 20-12, they are 1.5 games ahead of the Wolves for first, as they look for their fourth consecutive pennant. They have the number one scoring offense, led by All-Stars Sam Brown (.330, 1, 12, 1), Denny Andrews (.276, 4, 19), Al Wheeler (.284, 5, 17), Adam Mullins (.306, 1, 11), Chuck Adams (.315, 6, 29), and Fred Galloway (..269, 2, 15, 2). Even Charlie Rivera (.311, 4, 2), Gail Gifford (.239, 2, 5), and Mike Taylor (.333, 2, 9, 3) off the bench can produce, making the Cannons a real tough team to best in nine innings. As things stand, we'll miss Rufus Barrell (5-0, 2.56, 21), and he's really the only pitcher I'm worried about. Sure, Red Hampton (4-2, 3.27, 9) and Les Bradshaw (4-2, 2.94, 25) have decent looking numbers, but the Cannons defense is second to none. One arm that might be a factor in the future is Bob Arman (0-3, 6.91, 14), but the former 1st Overall Pick does not look like he can hack it yet. If he figures out his command, he could be an excellent #2 to Rufus, but with the run support Cannons pitchers get, he could end up winning some games he doesn't look his sharpest in.

We finish the week in New York for a quick three game road trip. The Stars are tied with the Sailors for third, but up slightly on win percentage due to their 18-14 record compared to Philly's 19-15. The Stars got Chuck Cole (0-3, 6.33, 10) back, who fractured his shoulder blade in the spring, but he has not looked any good. He last pitched in 1942, where he went 18-14 and tossed a league high 291 innings. His 2.29 ERA (144 ERA+) was elite, and he produced a 1.25 WHIP with 103 walks and 106 strikeouts. They'll need him to return to that form, but at 36, he may not be the same pitcher he once was. Henry Shaffer (4-3, 3.24, 32) impressed against the Wolves, which brought his ERA+ back above 100. Vern Hubbard (5-2, 3.16, 17) and Eli Panneton (2-2, 3.18, 23) haven't quite dominated, but both our excellent pitchers. Despite all this, they have still allowed the second fewest runs, and do a good job keeping their lineup in each game. Bill Barrett (.261, 8, 24, 5) and Bill Barnett (.319, 4, 19) continue to mash and even Rabbit Mudd (.310, 9) has a 137 WRC+. Bob Riggins (.272, 1, 5, 3) and Jack Welch (.329, 3, 19, 1) have been as good as advertised. It's going to be scary when all these guys reach their peak, and the most talented of all Ralph Hanson is still in C ball. The #1 prospect will be an elite shortstop, one of many talented youngsters in the fold. I have zero faith in winning this series, but they'll have to beat Pete Papenfus (5-1, 2.18, 50) and Donnie Jones (4-2, 3.21, 32) for a sweep. Joe Brown (2-3, 5.60, 14) will get a chance to redeem himself as well, making for a very interesting series in the Big Apple.

ayaghmour2 · 03-22-2023, 08:24 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 21-19 (4th, 2.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 12 K, 0.50 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .370 AVG, .948 OPS
Hank Barnett : 24 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.048 OPS

Schedule
5-20: Win vs Foresters (0-4)
5-21: Loss vs Foresters (2-0)
5-22: Win vs Cannons (2-10)
5-23: Loss vs Cannons (4-3)
5-24: Win at Stars (6-5)
5-25: Win at Stars (2-1)
5-26: Loss at Stars (5-6)

Recap
The stuttering continues! We lost one game to each team we faced this week, but hey! It's a winning week! Too many one run games for my liking, as we played four in a row to end the week, including all three in New York. Lucky for us, we won two of the games against the Stars, but we're 2.5 games out of first. There's a four way tie between the Cannons (23-16), Wolves (23-16), and Sailors (24-17), but since no one has separate, we're still hanging out in the race. Our run differential still paces the circuit, and we have plenty of categories where we rank #1.

Oh yeah, and remember how I said Hiram Steinberg would get his first win? It was a 5-hit shutout in a 2-0 loss, the third time we lost 2-0 in the past three weeks (including another against the Foresters). Our luck can't get any better!

Donnie Jones did what Leo Mitchell couldn't, and won Player of the Week! Our brilliant co-ace, who threw his seventh and eighth complete game of the season. The first was a dominating performance against the Foresters, spinning a 3-hit shutout with 4 strikeouts. He then was a run away from a second shutout, allowing 4 hits and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts in our tight 2-1 victory. Jones improved to 6-2 on the season with a sparkly 2.52 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 21 walks, and 44 strikeouts. His 2.50 FIP (74 FIP-) is in line with his ERA, and his 5.6 K/9, 2.1 K/BB, and 2.0 WAR are all outstanding. Billy Riley has been great too, and while it wasn't a fourth walk-less shutout, it was a fourth start with no walks or earned run. He allowed just 3 hits and 2 unearned runs with 5 strikeouts. 32 next week, Riley is now 4-2 with a 2.10 ERA (160 ERA+), 0.78 WHIP, 6 walks, and 19 strikeouts. His 2.00 FIP (59 FIP-) is even lower, his WHIP and BB/9 (1.1) are best in the game, as our his BABIP (.207) and opponent average (.187). He's the only CA pitcher with more then one shutout, and he's exceeded all expectations. Just imagine if he did this the season we traded for him and collapsed! Wouldn't that have been fun!

Joe Brown is doing all he can to lose his rotation spot, this time allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7 innings. This dropped him to 2-4 with a 5.95 ERA (57 ERA+), which is just shy of the combined tally of Johnnie Jones, Riley, and Peter the Heater (6.10). We have an off day to start next week, which will allow me to reshape the rotation, but I'm not ready to banish the team captain to the pen yet. What's making things tougher is Duke Bybee has been elite in Milwaukee, 3-1 in 6 starts with a 1.98 ERA (215 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 14 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick finished Brown's start, walking and striking out one in a scoreless 8th. He also pitched in our 2-0 loss to the Foresters, striking out one in a perfect frame. His 8.2 innings out of the pen lead the team, and we've only had 20.1 innings thrown by him, Ken Matson, and Rusty Watts. Watts tried his best to blow Pap's start, as he followed up 8 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts with 3 hits and 3 runs. Our pen ERA (5.31) is worst in the CA, but due to excellent starting pitching (2.78) the team ERA (2.93) is the only one in the CA below 3.

Harry Parker had a nice start, but dropped to 1-4 on the season. He went 8, allowing just 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. His 3.15 ERA (107 ERA+) is still above average and he's walked just 8 hitters in 45.2 innings. He's allowed four homers, but three came in one game and in four of his starts he didn't allow a single one. His 1.03 WHIP is superb, and he's still struck out 23 hitters in 45.2 innings pitched. Johnnie Jones also got a loss, but his start wasn't as impressive, and it caused him to lose his ERA lead. Jones allowed 8 hits, 4 runs, and 7 walks with just 4 strikeouts in his complete game loss. It was his first poor start of the season, but like Parker he hasn't had much luck winning games. He's just 2-3, with his only no decision one he pitched 10 innings in. The staff is elite, but I expect we'll continue to under perform our run differential the rest of the way.

Leo Mitchell continues to hit, this week 10-for-27 to raise his average to a now-Continental best .368 despite his hit streak being snapped at 22. Mitchell added a walk, steal, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 5 runs and his 7th homer. It quickly gave him the team lead, but both Hank Barnett and Dick Walker managed to tie it quickly after. Walker went 8-for-25 with the homer, steal, double, run, and 5 RBIs. Barnett had two homers, one on the 22nd and one one the 23rd, going 9-for-24 with 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Those three had the best weeks, but the struggling Ray Ford and Don Lee did well in limited time. Ford went 2-for-2, which rose his season line to .222/.275/.267 (55 OPS+) in 51 trips to the plate. Lee had two hits as well, but in six at bats with a steal, RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. His .225/.319/.225 (57 OPS+) line in 49 trips is equally unimpressive. The lack of extra base hits is surprising, as Lee hit 48 of them in 140 games last year. Harry Mead and Carlos Montes both had five hits, including a homer, 4 RBIs, and 4 walks, but Montes did it in one extra PA (26). Mead scored four times, while Montes scored twice and picked up a steal. We have plenty of pop in the lineup to go with the best average in our association, but the timely hitting. Just can't seem to get that down...

Looking Ahead
Back home after the quick road series, hosting the Saints for three. They're just a game under .500, but much closer to first (4 GB) then last (8 GA). We'll miss Doyle (4-3, 2.66, 46) and Weakley (4-4, 3.11, 51), but are stuck facing #7 prospect Bert Cupid. The former 4th Overall Pick has dominated in his 8 starts, going 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA (152 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 14 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. I expect him to have no trouble shutting us down, but I'm very confident in taking out Jake DeYoung (0-0, 8.44) and Bill Ross (2-5, 4.31, 18). The offense hasn't produced much, and even though he was off to a terrible start, Jake Hughes (.269, 11, 5) is now dealing with a strained rib cage muscle which may take him out of our series. This could open up a spot for the highly touted Luke Weaver (.235, 1), who debuted earlier this year, or veteran leader Mark Burns (.154, 1). They'll need to provide a spark, as Bill Greene (.243, 6, 18, 4) can't do it all by himself. They're hoping Ernie McCoy (.250) can regain some of his shine from when he was taken second. Fellow youngster Gordie Perkins (.246, 8, 1) has started a sophomore slump, and Bert Lass (.316, 24) is really the only guy other then Greene who is tough to get out. These are big games for us, and I'm hoping we can end this miserable month better then it started.

We don't play on the final day of May, as our last two games for the month are a double header against the Kings in Chicago on the 30th. We've beat them all five times we've faced them, and I'm hoping we'll avoid young ace Leo Hayden. After a rough start to the season, Hayden is 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP. The 23-year-old is the lone bright spot on a team with just seven other wins, and while the walks have started to slow down, he's allowed 34 free passes with 32 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched. They recently shuffled their rotation, with both Bob Crowley (0-1, 27.00, 2) and Larry Smith (0-0, 6.00, 5) both making their debuts last week. I'd love to get a go at either (or both) of them, but Clarence Barton (3-3, 5.00, 29) and Wally Graves (0-5, 4.35, 32) shouldn't be too big of a challenge. They've allowed the most runs and scored the fewest, and none of their qualifying hitters are batting above .250. Tiny Tim (.246, 7, 17) still has a 120 WRC+, but star center fielder Rats McGonigle (.229, 2, 9, 2) is angry and off to a slow start. He was their best trade piece, but his rough return may limit his market. Last year's star Vernon Ruch (.201, 1, 13, 1) seems to have fallen back to minor league journeyman status and third year outfielder Orie Martinez (.200, 4, 13) is off to a really slow start. It will be a rough few seasons for Kings fans, but they have a lot of young talent, and can patiently wait for their top end talent to show it.

The off day is nice, but we're still stuck playing three games in two days over the weekend. They will be in Cleveland, who will look to get revenge after we took the series in Chicago. Now 18-23, they are both six games out of first and above the last place Kings, and I expect them to make their way down as we progress. The Foresters pitching has kept us in check, as both Steinberg and Ducky Davis (4-2, 2.53, 23) have already shut us out. Richie Hughes (6-3, 3.05, 39) is a tough guy to score off as well, and our power won't play as well in Cleveland. Crazy enough, their home run leader is Si Crocker, who hit three homers in his only start of the season. He's 3-for-5 on the season and hit 9 homers in 24 AAA games. He may have earned himself some starts, as just Leon Blackridge (.264, 2, 13, 1), Jim Adams Jr. (.296, 1, 27, 2), and Glenn White (.344, 11, 1) have been effective at the plate. We need to win both games, and since we've done rather well on the road (12-9), I think we have a really good shot.

Minor League Report
SS George Sutterfield (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Unlike the big league club, George Sutterfield got off to a terrible start to the season before really starting to heat up. This all came together on the 20th, going a perfect 5-for-5 with a double, run, and 2 RBIs. He's hitting .364/.417/.436 (124 OPS+) in May, bringing up his season line to an adjusted league average .326/.371/.391 in 153 trips to the plate. Believe it or not, Tom Weinstock thinks the talented 24-year-old will be even better then Skipper Schneider, which is pretty high praise considering the talent our tiny shortstops has already shown. Sutterfield lost prospect status after spending 77 days in Chicago, but his .212/.261/.275 (55 OPS+) line proved he had much more developing to go. Like Skipper, he's already an elite defender, as his 10.5 zone rating and 1.266 efficiency are stupendous. At the plate he's not overly imposing, but he's quick and makes solid contact. He won't hit many homers, but he should record plenty of doubles and triples. He's stuck in Milwaukee right now, but he'll get a September callup for sure, and I imagine he'll fight for a starting job next season. As good as Hank Barnett is, he'll eventually start to decline, and Car and Hunter are both on the wrong side of 30. It may take a season or two, but I know Sutterfield is going to be a really good big leaguer, and him and Skipper will make our pitchers the happiest staff in the league.

2B Johnny Carlisle (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a monster week for Johnny Carlisle, who gave himself an early birthday present with a Player of the Week award. Turning 24 on the 4th, Carlisle went 14-for-29 with 9 runs, 2 doubles, 2 steals, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBIs. It's along time coming, as the former 8th Round Pick is hitting .358/.431/.504 (171 OPS+) on the season with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 20 RBIs, 18 walks, and 4 steals. Carlisle has plenty of positional flexibility, playing most of his games at third this season. It took him a few games to get used to the hot corner, as before this season he had more games at second, short, center, and right. A natural outfielder, he's spent more time in the infield as our outfield prospect depth is much deeper. I'm not sure where he'll end up, but I absolutely love the bat. He hits the ball often and hard, and his speed is downright dangerous. Homers won't be a regularity, but he'll have plenty of doubles, triples, and steals to make up for it. The prospect pickers aren't a big fan of him, but he's a high floor guy who the potential to make setting an Opening Day roster a much more enjoyable experience.

RHP Jim N Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): Despite all the returning players, "Noodles" started the season a level higher then he finished. Our 6th Rounder had a strong 13 debut, pitching better then his 4-5 record would have you believe. His 2.44 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP were outstanding. What's most impressive was the 75 strikeouts in 84.2 innings, and a 2.4 K/BB ratio to go with it. Tougher hitters in A ball have been able to draw walks off him, but in his fifth start he put everything together. Smith tossed a 6-hit shutout with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts as the Legislators beat the Dusters 3-0. This evened his record at 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 22 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched. The command issues are clear, and that's the one thing that will determine if he starts in the big leagues. A soft tosser who knows how to miss bats, Smith uses all five of his pitches, from his mid 80s cutter to his hopefully excellent change up, to strike out more then his share of batters. If he can keep his opponents on their toes, he could register plenty of called third strikes. But an 87 mile per hour mistake is a lot easier to catch up to then, say, one that flashes 102. As a college guy he has a pretty high floor, as the stuff is good enough for some every day players already, but without command he'll earn nothing more then a spot start. Good lineups will eventually catch onto his tricks, but if he can throw a bit harder, the cutter-change combo could become effectively wild.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Cy Sullivan (Oakland Grays): One of the more established pitchers in the GWL, Cy Sullivan has gotten off to an excellent start. Start #7 was the best of them, tossing a 6-hit shutout with a walk and strikeout to improve to 4-2. He has a nice 2.51 ERA (134 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with 11 walks and 20 strikeouts. The Grays have caught steam in May, going 15-9 to move within a game and a half of first. And while Cy has been great, most of the pitching hasn't, with the winning a cause of an outstanding offense. Led by Clyde Zimmerman (.306, 6, 27, 7), who might be the best player in the GWL, and even an All-Star in FABL, the Grays lead most offensive categories, and the 24-year-old himself has included 10 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, 7 steals, and 27 RBIs with a strong 19-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's worth 3.2 WAR with a 176 WRC+ through 39 games, and with the quality of pitching he could be able to sustain at least some of it. Having guys like him, Frankie Cohen (.385, 1, 14) Joe Loyd (.384, 2, 27, 1), Larry Colaianni (.331, 2, 20), and Hank Grant (.318, 1, 15, 2) providing run support, Cy has been able to sit back and enjoy the show. This is the perfect environment for a lazy guy like him, and he may not ever want to leave Oakland.

1B Jim Hatfield (Los Angeles Knights): Though Hatfield never played a game for us, he was our 6th Round Pick back in 1929. He spent four seasons with us before being dealt to the then Baltimore Cannons, along with John Barnard and current Stars catcher Joe Rainbow, for former Whitney Winner Lou Kelly and a 5th Round Pick. About a month later he was named the 97th best prospect in the FABL, and spent almost his entire first season up in Baltimore. The speedy first basemen swiped 10 bags and hit .294/.310/.386 (89 OPS+) in 316 trips to the plate. Hatfield hit just one homer, but provided 15 doubles, 5 triples, and 34 RBIs. He did strike out (64) way more then he walked (8), and was just barely (0.1) worth more then a replacement player. The Cannons never really gave him a shot, getting in just 14 games in 1935 and 28 the following year. The then 24-year-old was released by the Cannons on May 3rd, 1937, and then signed with the San Antonio Gunslingers one day later.

From that point forward, he became a crucial part of the Gunslingers lineup, hitting .348/.392/.537 (136 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 9 triples, 18 homers, 81 RBIs, and 61 steals. The next four seasons were as good if not better, and Hatfield hit an elite .356/.402/.490 with 94 doubles, 45 triples, 53 homers, 203 steals, and 358 RBIs in 661 games. His .356 average has a good chance to remain the team's best for a career, and he also leads in WAR (21.4) and steals. "The Bandit" decided to leave the Gunslingers, and was one of the first professional players to enlist into the Army. When the GWL formed, the Gunslingers affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings, which meant they got the rights to Hatfield. He was initially undecided on making a return to the diamond, but the now 34-year-old has been a welcomed addition for the first place Knights. The hardworking lefty is hitting fifth and slashing a strong .318/.350/.421 (128 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a homer, 4 steals, and 21 RBIs through 35 games. Even in his advanced age, he can steal plenty of bases and put the ball in play, which makes it interesting to think what he could have done had an FABL team had a chance to sign him. This cost him his prime, but a strong showing in the GWL could make him decent money for the first time in his career.

ayaghmour2 · 03-23-2023, 11:59 PM

Weekly Record: 3-5
Seasonal Record: 24-24 (6th, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.415 OPS
Hal Sharp : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .867 OPS
Clark Car : 34 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .206 AVG, .670 OPS

Schedule
5-27: Loss vs Saints (7-6): 12 innings
5-28: Loss vs Saints (7-2)
5-29: Win vs Saints (2-7)
5-30: Loss vs Kings (2-1)
5-30: Win vs Kings (2-4)
6-1: Loss at Foresters (3-4)
6-2: Win at Foresters (7-1)
6-2: Loss at Foresters (3-4)

Recap
I think I hate this team...

We scored four more runs then our opponents this week, but still managed to lose five of eight games to the teams that were in 6th, 7th, and 8th place. The Saints are no longer, as they're a game over .500 (25-24) and a half a game above us.

Yes, we're in sixth place...

So how did this happen? More one run losses! There were four (!!) of them, including a 12 inning loss to start the week. We are somehow 3-12 in games decided by a single run. Yes, we have lost exactly half of our games by a single run. How can this be happening! We are vastly underperforming our +48 run differential, which would place us in a first place tie with the Cannons. At this point I'm not sure what to do, as we don't really have a position to upgrade, and you would think that our luck would have to change. Right? Please... I don't think I can take four more months of this...

Leo Mitchell has absolutely exploded, now leading two of the three triple crown categories, and second in the third. Mitchell became the second Cougar in as many weeks to take home Player of the Week, going 14-for-30 with a double, 3 walks, 4 homers, and 9 RBIs. Mitchell was also rightfully named Batter of the Month, slashing an astronomical .411/.451/.637 (209 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 7 homers, 8 walks, and 23 RBIs. This rose his season line to an absurd .385/.426/.621 (197 OPS+) in just shy of 200 trips to the plate. He's produced a 216 WRC+ and been worth 2.6 wins above replacement. No CA hitter has a higher OPS+ or WRC+, and Mitchell also leads in average, homers, slugging, OPS (1.047), hits (70), total bases (113), and wOBA (.477). While the rest of the world seems to be crashing down on us, Mitchell continues to be the most reliable hitter I've ever seen, and I'd be scared to know what we'd do without him. He seems like a lock for his 6th All Star appearance, and perhaps he can get the Whitney Award that was stolen from him in 1944.

Most of the offense continued to disappoint, but Hal Sharp produced after a stretch of poor play. He went 7-for-21 with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Same for Ray Ford, who was 5-for-14 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Platoon partner Dick Walker wasn't great, but compared to the rest of the bunch, 4-for-19 with a homer, steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs looks like star production. Hank Barnett had a similar week, 6-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Both corner infielders have 8 homers on the season, while Walker's .982 OPS is still second best in the league. Our middle of the field had plenty of struggles, with bad weeks from Skipper, Carlos Montes, Billy Hunter, Harry Mead, and Clark Car. The up the middle players went 25-for-123 (.203), with the only Brightside being Car providing two doubles and homers. Otherwise, the production from the All-Stars were nearly non-existent, and just a little bit of timely hitting could have made this a 6-2 week instead.

Donnie Jones has really started to heat up, picking up another complete game win in our 4-2 win over the Kings. He allowed just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 7-2 on the season. Peter the Heater picked up his seventh win as well, but it wasn't one of his finer starts. Yes, he went all nine and allowed just three hits, but he walked and struck out six. He also allowed an earned and unearned run, dropping his ERA to a team best 2.06 ERA (163 ERA+). The last win of the week went to Johnnie Jones, coming in his second of two starts. He allowed 5 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a 98 pitch complete game win over the Foresters. The Saints had plenty of success with him, rallying for 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks while striking out just once. These three will be making plenty of starts for us this season, and all three have ERAs and WHIPs below 2.50 and 1.20. Eventually our luck will shift, as these guys give us a chance to win day in and day out.

Billy Riley made two starts, a no-decision against the Saints and a loss to the Foresters. He was arguably better against Cleveland, going 8 with 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Against Montreal he ran out of gas, allowing his fourth and fifth run in the 8th and 9th. He left with two out and a runner on first, charged with 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick got a quick third out, but then walked three and allowed a run in the tenth. The last two innings went to Rusty Watts, who got the loss after 2 hits, 3 walks, and a run. Harry Parker had a rare lapse in command, walking 5 with 4 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Both runs came in his last inning, the 6th, and since we couldn't touch Pitcher and Rookie of the Month Leo Hayden (6-3, 2.11, 36), he got the loss. Petrick and Watts actually pitched good in this one, each striking out one, while Petrick's walk of Joe Bell (.270, 1, 11, 1) was the only blemish in the final three innings. The last start went to Joe Brown, who pitched better then he has. It still wasn't great, but I can live with 8 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts. What I can't live with is the way it happened, as he completely fell apart in the ninth. Hal Burres (.268, 2, 7) singled to start the inning, former Cougar draftee Hank Stratton (.325, 16) followed it with a double, and then Jim Adams Jr. (.284, 1, 31, 2) tied things up with a double. He did bounce back with a groundout and got Cal Howe (0-2), but Brown left a knuckle-curve in the zone, allowing him to bloop it to right and end the game.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, which I'm hoping will help us right the ship. We'll use the day to travel to Philadelphia to face the 25-23 Sailors. They're a game ahead of us and five out of first, as they're middle of the pack in most things. One person who isn't middle of the pack is Slick Wesolowski, who not only dominates us, but is 8-1 on the season with a 2.57 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 25 walks, and 43 strikeouts. We're stuck facing him, Win Lewis (5-1, 3.07, 31), and Charlie Gordon (4-4, 3.18, 31), making things very difficult on us. The lineup can score some runs, as even with Les Cunha (.294, 2, 26) coming down to earth a bit, they have plenty of valuable hitters. Ed Reyes (.326, 2, 20, 1) has a strong 130 WRC+ and Harvey Brown's (.323, 19, 10) is even higher at 140. That matches Cotton Dillon's (.261, 2, 17, 1) mark as well, and Woody Stone (.289, 3, 24) and Rip Lee (.279, 2, 9, 3) aren't showing much rust. This will be annoyingly tough series, so expect three more one run losses.

There will be three more after, as we're stuck with three in Cincinnati afterwards. The Cannons are 30-18 and 3.5 games above the Wolves, matching our expected record with their actual performance. Adam Mullins (.349, 3, 22) is hitting like a Whitney Winner, as are Al Wheeler (.289, 7, 27) and Denny Andrews (.287, 6, 26). Andrews is the only one of those who doesn't have one, but he's on an insane 11.2 WAR pace. His 8.1 zone rating in 48 starts at the hot corner is already a career high, and his 159 WRC+ is easily a personal best. Add in Chuck Adams (.273, 7, 38), Fred Galloway (.274, 3, 21, 2), and Sam Brown (.286, 2, 16, 1) and it's easy to see why they're in first. The pitching isn't great, but with Rufus Barrell (8-0, 1.97, 35) pitching like he is and all the run support, it might not matter. Les Bradshaw (6-3, 2.84, 42) has somehow decided to be a good pitcher, but even he doesn't have an above average FIP-. Other then Barrell, just Butch Smith (5-5, 3.42, 30) can say that, and his 98 is almost in line with his 100 ERA+. Regardless, they'll find a way to allow one fewer run then whoever toes the rubber for us, and we may find ourselves in 7th place for the weekend.

Minor League Report
RHP Joe Swank (AAA Milwaukee Blues): While Duke Bybee may be the star of the Blues staff, Joe Swank was the one who came home with the hardware. The former 7th Rounder had a superb month, going 4-1 with a 0.98 ERA (411 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts. His April start was impressive as well, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 earned runs and 6 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched, making him 5-1 on the 26-11 first place Blues. Our 14th ranked prospect, Swank was added to the 40 this offseason, and while he's not the first man up, he may be the second. Sure, Mike Thorpe and George Oddo are big league quality pitchers, but I want to see what the Cleveland native can do against big league hitters. A solid three pitch pitcher, he locates his pitches well and has a tendency to miss bats. He keeps the ball on the ground, so having Skipper Schneider at short would really benefit him. There's no obvious spot in our rotation, but he has the goods to start and could still improve. I expect him to start every day the rest of the season, but if the playoff race is decided after the minor league season ends, I'll give him a start or two. The minor league numbers are impressive, as he's put up back-to-back sub-80 FIP- while on pace to set a personal best at 67. Our AAA rotation could probably compete with most FABL lineups, and all six members are 24 or younger.

RHP Harry MacRae (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's been pitching strictly out of the pen this season, and while that may initially have felt like an insult, it could work in his favor. The 24-year-old righty has put himself in a position to claim a spot on the big league pen, as none of our relivers are doing very much. MacRae is a more traditional reliever, and ranks #1 in current ratings for relievers, right ahead of the hard throwing Rusty Watts. Watts has an option, and has allowed 11 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. Before enlisting, Watts had a dominant season at 25, going 3-3 with a 1.72 ERA (232 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. That has earned him a bit of a leash, but MacRae is making things tough.

The former 7th Round Pick spent last season as a starter for the Commodores, but with our logjam of starters I thought he would be better served stopping in the Century League, as relievers tend to get a lot of innings. A two pitch pitcher, MacRae has appeared in 17 games, going 3-9 with 7 saves, a 0.38 ERA (1,076 ERA+), 0.79 WHIP, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. His curveball is lights out and his low 90s fastball is commanded well. In a small sample, it will be very tough to follow his pitches with all the extra spin. He'll be able to pitch nearly every game, as he's topped 200 innings in each of the past two seasons, including 38 complete games. Reliever prospects aren't much to get excited about, especially considering our relievers haven't been in a single save situation this season, but he could be a stabilizing force in the late innings, something we have severely lacked.

RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): Jimmy Ballard must have felt snubbed when the didn't win Pitcher of the Month, and he took it out on the New Orleans Showboats. They may have cost him the award, as they got 10 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), and 5 walks on him in 7 innings. The rematch on the road was much different, as the former 6th Rounder tossed a 6-hit shutout with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts. This is already his second shutout in seven starts, going 5-2 with a 1.35 ERA (260 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 29 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The walks will always be an issue for Ballard, but the sidearmer is tough to square up and it's very easy to beat one of his pitches into the ground. If this was modern day, I think Ballard would be an awesome high leverage reliever, but he's a bit too early. Instead, he could be an interesting Rule-5 pick for a team in need of pitching. He has the stuff to start, but big leaguers will be able to run his pitch count up.

2B Johnny Carlisle (A Lincoln Legislators): When I saw the email that Johnny Carlisle won Player of the Month, I wasn't the least bit surprised. The 23-year-old hit .361/.434/.513 (174 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 17 RBIs. He walked (16) more the he struck out (12), and is hitting .354/.425/.493 (165 OPS+) in 37 games this season. I wrote a bit about him yesterday, so I'll keep it short, but Carlisle has a good chance of receiving a promotion if we need an injury replacement. His versatility means it could be an infielder or outfielder, but we've been bringing a lot of guys back so guys have been going down. He may hit his way up to Mobile anyways, as there are a few Commodores I'd move to the bench in favor of him if I really had to.

One last thing, I am just loving Bob Allen and uber anxious to see his senior year season. Tom Weinstock finished scouting him, and has about as glowing of a report as it gets! "Allen is an ace. If he develops as expected he could leave a trail of disappointed, over-matched hitters in the wake of his talent." I'm pretty sure Peter the Heater had this exact same final thought when he was a prospect.

Maybe not getting Yank Taylor was a good thing...

I don't March 2nd me would have taken too kindly to that suggestion!

But hey, this kid is good!

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Rube Finegan (Dallas Centurions): Believe it or not, Ira Hawker (6-4, 1.92, 30) isn't the only former Cougar farmhand having a great season in Dallas. Former 11th Rounder Rube Finegan didn't start a single game in our minor league system, but the Centurions have been rewarded for placing him in the fifth spot. Finegan doesn't go deep into games, just 44 innings in his 9 starts, but the results have been good. He's 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA (143 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Now 29, Finegan would have been in contention for a bullpen spot for us, but he's just not a great guy. His ego managed to outweigh his production, as he was very effective for the Blues last season. Finegan saved 14 games and finished 8-6 with a 2.85 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 32 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Dallas has been unlucky just like us, just 22-24 despite being 3rd in both runs scored and allowed. Billy Marshall (.288, 1, 13, 7) has started to heat up, and he's helping lead a lineup that wants to crack the first division.

RHP Luis Sandoval (San Diego Conquistadors): I wouldn't be surprised if you don't recognize Luis Sandoval's name. His time as a Cougar was short, spanning just April 19th, 1937 to October 15th, 1937. We got him for another short stint Cougar, 1934 Allen Winner Hardin Bates, in a trade with the Dynamos. Getting Bates in the first place was a trainwreck, as he cost us Charlie Wheeler and a pick, and gave us 13 awful starts. While injuries did slow down Wheeler, he put up five really good big league seasons.

Sandoval, on the other hand, has pitched in the majors recently, actually making 26 starts for the 1944 Chiefs. In his one season with us, he was used primarily as a reliever, going 3-3 with 6 saves, a 3.46 ERA (117 ERA+), 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. That offseason we sent him to the Miners, acquiring a 4th Round Pick. This was back in the lottery years when a 4th was sort of a 2nd, that turned into Sammy Dillon, who is actually still in the organization and the Commodores team captain. Sandoval pitched for four teams in the big leagues, with most of his innings coming with the Chiefs. He appeared in 152 games across five seasons, going 17-40 with 16 saves, a 4.17 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP. He's had much more success in the GWL, going 6-2 with a 2.32 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 14 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He's thrown 66 innings in front of the worst defense in the league, and is the only member of the staff to succeed. Former first pick Curly Jones (3-5, 3.75, 32) is his ace, but Sandoval has outperformed him in nearly every metric. There are a few other Cougars in the pen, with Bill Anderson (0-0, 3.81, 8) and 1937 1st Rounder Preacher Pietsch (1-0, 3, 1.00, 5), but with all the struggles, there may be some roster churning as the Conquistadors try to get back on their feet.

ayaghmour2 · 03-26-2023, 01:10 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 27-27 (6th, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.037 OPS
Clark Car : 17 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .529 AVG, 1.497 OPS
Ray Ford : 10 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .700 AVG, 1.567 OPS

Schedule
6-4: Loss at Sailors (3-5)
6-5: Win at Sailors (6-5)
6-6: Loss at Sailors (2-6)
6-7: Win at Cannons (9-2)
6-8: Win at Cannons (3-0)
6-9: Loss at Cannons (2-3)

Recap
Honestly, this was way better then expected! I expected us to drop two of three to the Sailors top three, but I did not expect us to come a one-run loss away from a sweep of the Cannons. This brought us a game closer to first, still in sixth, but just five games out. Close games continue to kill us, dropping two more, but at least this time we also won a one-run game! It's utterly insane, but our record in games decided by two or fewer runs is the exact inverse (8-19) of our record in games decided by three or more (19-8). Our +52 run differential is best in the association, so you have to believe that eventually our luck will change. Sooner or later things will even out, either we start winning or stop winning by so much. At this point, I'm not sure which is more likely.

Leo Mitchell just doesn't slow down, and while no Player of the Week came his way, he still went 12-for-27 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Mitchell owns a share of two of the triple crown categories with his .392 the lone leader and his 12 homers even with Bill Barrett, who has a 3 RBI lead in the final category. Mitchell doesn't want to make things difficult for Whitney Voters this year, leading the pack in slugging (.617), OPS (1.045), hits (82), total bases (129), OPS+ (195), WRC+ (216), and wOBA (.477). Plenty could happen in the final four months, but he's already a lock for a well deserved All-Star selection.

Interesting enough, Mitchell didn't have the best week at the plate, with three other players with double digit plate appearances producing higher WRC+ for the week. Ray Ford had the smallest amount of time, but was an impressive 7-for-10 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. Clark Car was impressive as well, as the 32-year-old second basemen is starting to really heat up. He was 9-for-17 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs, propping his monthly stat line to .400/.438/.767 (238 OPS+). Hal Sharp made up a little ground in the batting race, going 9-for-18 with 2 doubles and runs scored, increasing his average to .352, which ranks second only to Mitchell. Even Billy Hunter got in on the fun, 6-for-17 with a steal, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker maintained second in the OPS race (.968), 5-for-18 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and an RBI. With all these guys doing so well, it's weird we split our games, but one of our biggest starts didn't come up when it counted. Hank Barnett was just 3-for-21 with a walk, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs. Skipper struggled as well, just 4-for-22 with a steal, run, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Timely hitting continues to allude us, but we just have to trust in the process.

Johnnie Jones reclaimed the ERA lead in the CA, tossing a 3-hit shutout of the first place Cannons. He struck out 3 and worked around 6 walks to improve to 4-4 on the season. Brother Donnie picked up a win, but he did not look like his normal self. Errors contributed to it, as three of his six runs were unearned, but the Sailors still got 12 hits and 2 walks on 4 strikeouts. Donnie has tossed four consecutive complete game victories, improving to a team best 8-2 on the season. Billy Riley won his start, so that meant nine innings and no walks. He struck out 5 Cannons while allowing just 10 hits and 2 runs. Riley has a near 3 (2.9) K/BB in 77 innings, now 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA (126 ERA+) and 0.97 WHIP. His 2.30 FIP (67 FIP-) is elite, and he's on pace for his third consecutive 100 win season.

Harry Parker struggled against the Sailors, as they piled on 14 hits and 6 runs in 8 innings. He walked just one and struck out three, dropping to 1-6 on the season. He's been unlucky, as his 3.62 ERA (93 ERA+) is a fair amount higher then his 3.28 FIP (96 FIP-), and it feels weird that our ace from last season has been moved down to the five spot. With no double headers int he near future, Joe Brown is transitioning to the pen, so Parker will still get to start every five games. I really didn't want to move Brown to the pen, but we have an off day in each of the next two weeks, so there really wouldn't be starts for him anyways. We have four double headers in July, so he's not done starting games. I'm hoping he can figure things out, as it would be really sad if the war absence derailed his promising career. Peter the Heater had a rare rough week, as not only did he not throw a complete game, but he lost both of his starts. The first was bad, as the Sailors got 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. The second wasn't great either, but with some run support, he probably would've got a complete game victory. Since we lost in Cincinnati, he went just 8, leaving with 11 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts. The small amount of strikeouts is a huge surprise, especially because the Cannons do strikeout more then most (6th, 209). It's not the biggest blow, as his 71 punchouts still lead the FABL, and the former Allen Winner will be in the conversation for the award again this season. He dealt with two good teams, and just got five total runs of support, so it's hard to blame him for the losses even if he wasn't his sharpest.

Looking Ahead
It won't get any easier, as we head to Toronto for three with the Wolves. Toronto has scored the most runs in the CA, but just 29-25 and three games out of first. It's surprising, as I would have thought there pitching would be one (well, two) and the runs tied for fifth, but instead its the opposite. Despite some relative pitching struggles, Jimmy Gibbs has been outstanding. The 30-year-old is 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA (177 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 20 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. He's outpitched Bob Walls (7-2, 3.24, 11), Joe Hancock (4-5, 2.59, 24), and even George Garrison (4-4, 2.97, 31), but that trio has been extremely effective. The offense gives them plenty of run support, with Charlie Artuso's breakout continuing. He's on a 10 WAR pace, slashing .293/.362/.472 (127 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 3 steals, and 35 RBIs. He has an excellent 149 WRC+ and 1.092 efficiency while starting all 54 of Toronto's games. He leads a dangerous lineup, followed by Chink Stickels (.277, 3, 25, 3), Walt Pack (.248, 4, 24), Fred McCormick (.276, 8, 30, 3), and generally Juan Pomales (.281, 1, 15, 2), but he's been dealing with a strained oblique. Former 1st Rounder Hank Giordano is red hot, mashing .325/.358/.518 (138 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 11 triples, 2 homers, 6 steals, and 36 RBIs. It's not like the Wolves needed another top player, as they keep extending their window. Like us, they've been stuck behind the Cannons for the past three seasons, but they have a long competitive window, and should have no trouble with us, already winning the first four matches this season.

The day of the finale, the draft pool is officially published, so we'll learn how all our draftees did in their final amateur season. It will also give me two weeks to determine who goes first in the 9th Round, and construct the rest of our draft list for the AI portions. Allen aside, I'm not sure we did too well in the first portion of the draft, so this pick could help recoup some of the value we may have lost. That's not to say we didn't add plenty of talented youngsters, but after Frank Reece in the second, we may not have acquired many future big leaguers.

Back to baseball, we get an off day to retreat home. We're stuck dealing with the Cannons again, who lead the Stars by a game and a half and sit 32-22. That's a win lower then our expected record, so perhaps we'll be able to improve that a bit against the best. We did manage two of three, but that's because we didn't have to face Rufus Barrell (8-0, 2.02, 40). Granted, we couldn't beat Bob Arman (4-4, 5.48, 32), instead topping Red Hampton (5-4, 3.86, 21) and Butch Smith (5-6, 3.45, 37). The lineup helps any pitcher win, as Charlie McCullough (.216, 1, 9, 1) is the only one struggling, and to be honest, that's just the average, as he's walked 40 times in 41 games, good for a 114 WRC+. Every hitter in the lineup has a WRC+ above 100, making it next to impossible to beat them. We're going to need to be at our best this week, but I'm really worried that this is the one that eliminates us from the pennant race once and for all.

ayaghmour2 · 03-27-2023, 08:03 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 30-30 (6th, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 6 BB, 10 K, 2.00 ERA
Clark Car : 16 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.099 OPS
Dick Walker : 22 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, .885 OPS

Schedule
6-10: Win at Wolves (3-2)
6-11: Loss at Wolves (1-6)
6-12: Win at Wolves (8-2)
6-14: Loss vs Cannons (3-2)
6-15: Loss vs Cannons (2-0): 10 Innings
6-16: Win vs Cannons (4-5)

Recap
Yes, I could spend time talking about how mediocre we are, or how we lost two more one or two run games, or how Clyde Meyer has two weeks to turn things around. But no! This is all about Bob Allen! Taken with the 10th pick of the draft, I was initially devastated when it was him instead of Yank Taylor, but like they say, "time heals all wounds!" The draft pool was officially released today, which means stats were generated for all current and future draft eligible player. No pitcher had a better season then Allen, who was a perfect 10-0 with a miniscule 0.36 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 214 strikeouts and just 13 walks. He allowed just four earned runs, including a single homer, with an absurd 19.0 K/9 and 16/5 K/BB, leading to an 8.5 WAR and perfect 0.00 FIP. It really doesn't get any better then that, and I don't think any high school pitcher ever has dominated like Allen. Recently 18, the four pitch pitcher finished his prep career 28-3 with a 0.92 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 304.1 innings pitched. He walked just 58 hitters while striking out 506, leading to an elite 0.79 FIP (19 FIP-), 20.3 WAR, 15.0 K/9, and 8.7 K/BB. Tom Weinstock absolutely loves the tiny righty, keeping him as the 1B to John Stallings while OSA's initial mock has him at 16. Allen is a future Allen award winner who generates an elite amount of groundballs with a filthy slider and elite command. He'll miss the bats of even the best hitters, and while he's young and raw, it's hard not to get giddy when thinking of his future potential. Since Duke Bybee is still a prospect, Allen may not be our #1 guy, but that's just because Bybee is the top pitcher and #4 overall. I cannot wait until he is officially a Cougar, and I haven't been this excited about someone I drafted since, well... A fireballer known as Peter the Heater!

I'll cover a few of our other recent draftees at the end, and then more the rest of the week, but first I have to get to what actually happened. And let me tell ya, far less exciting then Bob Allen!

To be fair, Donnie Jones is about as exciting as it gets, and the CA win leader added two more victories to his total. It started with a victory over his former team, as "Mole Killer" allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 5 strikeouts. The Cannons got to him a bit more, but he still allowed just 5 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 5 walks with 5 more strikeouts. Donnie has won six straight starts, now 10-2 with a 2.43 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 31 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched. Billy Riley got the third win, finally allowing a walk in a start he picked up the win. Two Wolves reached base in his 8 innings, as he left with 7 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Not sure why Meyer didn't let him get the ninth as we were up six, but Ken Matson needed just seven pitches for a perfect ninth.

Peter the Heater had some bad luck, as the struggling Bob Arman kept our lineup in check, so nine shutout innings wasn't good enough. He struggled in the 10th, allowing three hits, a walk, and two runs. In total, Pap allowed 11 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts, dropping to 7-4 and losing his last three starts. This is despite a 2.42 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with a league high 79 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched. A Hank Barnett and Skipper Schneider error ruined Harry Parker's start, as he dropped to 1-7 after allowing 6 hits, 6 runs (1 earned), and a walk with 2 strikeouts in 7 innings. Granted, we only got one run on the Wolves anyways, so he wouldn't have gotten the win, but last year's ace has been crazy unlucky. He hasn't been great, with just a 3.37 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP, but even on a .500 team you'd expect his record to be a bit better. Same for Johnnie Jones, who dropped to 4-5 despite another really good start. He allowed just 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game loss. The ERA leader sits at 2.01 (170 ERA+) with a 1.14 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 89.2 innings pitched. Considering all six of our starts this week were worthy of wins, you can tell that the issue is with the offense.

This week that meant Leo Mitchell, who went just 3-for-24 with 2 doubles and an RBI, dropping his average from .392 to .365. Clark Car on the other hand had a huge week, going 6-for-16 with a triple, homer, walk, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. The veteran second basemen has shook off an awful May, slashing .391/.429/.739 (227 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs in 11 June games. Dick Walker continued his assault on CA pitchers, 6-for-22 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Walker is slashing a Whitney Worthy .296/.410/.548 (170 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 6 steals, and 28 RBIs. Skipper had a nice week, 6-for-21 with 2 doubles, a homer, a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Hank Barnett has started to really slump, 4-for-20 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. The 7-Time All Star is hitting just .256/.329/.425 (113 OPS+), including .189/.250/.245 (41 OPS+) in the month of June. We need him to return to form, as our offense just isn't the same without a talented third basemen in the middle of the order.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, as hopefully we can turn things around. Despite spending the whole week in Chicago, I'm not too confident in the upcoming results. We haven't had our usual home field advantage, going 12-15 in games at Cougars Park. The Sailors have stumbled a bit, going 7-10 in June to drop to 32-30 on the season. Adding onto that is a sprained ankle for Slick Wesolowski (9-2, 2.69, 53), keeping the talented rookie out for the next two months. This is a big blow to their pennant aspirations, but closer David Molina (2-6, 14, 3.18, 40) could be a decent option to replace the ace. The injury and a double header the previous game make their pitching situation murky, but I expect to see Al Duster (4-6, 3.44, 48) in one of the three games. Charlie Gordon (7-4, 3.00, 40) is dealing with some forearm soreness himself, leaving after six strong innings against the Stars in a double header the day before. He could be headed to the IL as well, potentially opening up two spots on the staff for callups. They still have eight active pitchers, so they may bring up a hitter or just keep Gordon active. Down in San Francisco they have five pitchers on the 40, giving the Sailors plenty of flexibility to cover starts in our series.

The offense is solid scoring two more runs then we have, albeit, in two more games, featuring a well balanced attack. Harvey Brown (.325, 22, 15) has produced a 141 WRC+ and 2.6 WAR from the leadoff spot, and if it wasn't for Leo Mitchell, he'd be in the running for the starting left field job at the All-Star game. Ed Reyes (.335, 3, 28) is going to at least make an attempt at the batting title. Les Cunha (.300, 3, 32) won't come close, but he's been their best hitter, while Cotton Dillon (.280, 3, 23), Woody Stone (.283, 4, 30), and Rip Lee (.289, 2, 16, 3) are all having very productive seasons. Their lineup will be tough to navigate, but with our edge in the pitching matchups, things might actually go our way. They are really good (16-7) on the road, but the only top pitcher we may see is Win Lewis (6-2, 3.53, 37), who while still a talented hurler, wouldn't crack our rotation. This is a great chance to change our fortunes, as the Sailors (6-12) are one of the few teams who can share our one-run (6-14) struggles.

Struggles are brewing in Toronto, as they've dropped 10 of their last 12, and sit just a half game ahead of us in the standings. I would have figured that would be the case, just at the top of the standings, but things have been tough for both perennial runner ups. Their pitching has been surprisingly porous, allowing the third most runs in the league. That hasn't affected Jimmy Gibbs (6-2, 2.15, 26), but Jim Morrison (2-3, 4.14, 25), Jim Laurita (0-3, 1, 5.82, 8), and Chick Wirtz (3-1, 2, 7.48, 4) have all been beat up. Unfortunately for us, we're likely stuck facing their top two in George Garrison (5-5, 2.84, 38) and Joe Hancock (4-6, 2.86, 27). And when you give pitchers of that caliber the highest scoring offense, it makes for a real tough game. Charlie Artuso (.300, 7, 37, 4) is staking his case to win his first Whitney, with past winners Walt Pack (.248, 4, 26) and Fred McCormick (.274, 8, 32, 3) behind him. Juan Pomales (.281, 1, 15, 2) is still on the mend, breaking up one of the top outfields in the game. Chink Stickels (.270, 4, 33, 4) is off to his regular thing, while Hank Giordano (.341, 4, 42, 11) has the highest batting average for a non-Cougar in the CA. We already got lucky with Toronto this week, but four games in Brooklyn may help them right the ship.

Minor League Report
CF Dick Pace (A Lincoln Legislators): After a middling start in San Jose, Dick Pace got an injury promotion to A ball and has fully taken advantage of it. Pace was named Player of the Week, going 13-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 4 walks, and a steal. That upped his line to .315/.390/.507 (158 OPS+) in 20 games for the Legislators. Between his time here and with San Jose, Pace as accumulated 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 19 RBIs with 20 walks and 30 runs scored. The former 6th Rounder has spent most of his time in right, putting up well above average numbers in the small sample. The more experience he gets at each outfield spot the better, as I never really envisioned him as anything more then a 4th outfielder. His speed an defensive capabilities are evident, but he's go a strong hit tool as well, as he won't chase often and he puts the ball in play. Despite his recent promotion, he's probably the outfielder most likely to get the call, but things will be interesting when all the new draftees join the organization. Most of them are on the younger side, but I might have to force some of them up higher to make sure everyone has enough at bats. Guys like Clyde Parker and Carl Clark are already in the La Crosse lineup, but probably aren't quite ready for San Jose. With Pace's versatility, he could get at bats in a timeshare role, giving plenty of rest to some of our other outfielders.

Amateur Report
2nd Round, 20th Overall: CF Frank Reece
School: Villisca Bluejays
Commit School: Springfield State
1946: .490/.553/.917, 115 PA, 16 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .488/.558/.958, 349 PA, 46 2B, 13 3B, 19 HR, 91 RBI, 102 SB

While I have clearly grown ecstatic when it comes to Bob Allen, I do also really like Frank Reece. He didn't match his 8 homer season as a sophomore, but Reece did match the .490 from that impressive season. Reece did manage to set a personal best for doubles and runs scored (47). A bit on the older side for a prep prospect, Reece turned 18 last October, and could see some time in San Jose at some point this season. I don't want to rush him, as both Tom Weinstock and OSA are very fond of the youngster. Reece ranks 25th on the mock draft, and Weinstock thinks he has the potential to develop into a big league regular. He has excellent speed and plays good center field, with plenty of potential at the plate. He has a great hit tool and quadrupled his strikeout (11) total with walks (44). There's some power too, as the five homers he hit were a career low, totaling 19 in 69 high school games. He was still tied for 8th for prep prospects, with first rounders Dick Steel and Yank Taylor leading the way with 12. Center field is not a position of need, with two talented starters in Carlos Montes and Don Lee in Chicago and top 100 prospects Johnny Peters and the previously mentioned Clark, but any of these guys could end up moving to a corner, or be used to fill other needs. Reece has plenty of upside, and could be a key piece for Cougars teams in the 50s.

4th Round, 51th Overall: SS Tony Scuccinello
School: Redding Hornets
Commit School: Red River State
1946: .435/.504/.759, 130 PA, 15 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 25 SB
Career: .434/.504/.722, 238 PA, 26 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 48 SB

I was hoping for a huge breakout for "Scooch," but the Red River State commit produced a similar triple slash to his junior year in 5 more games. There was one huge difference that leads to some optimism, as the slick fielding shortstop hit four homers compared to just one the season before. I'm not sure the pop is legit, but Scuccinello does provide excellent value at the plate without it. He has an excellent eye, which will lead to a very high on-base percentage, and when paired with his speed and hit tool he could be on the bases a lot. He was named captain of his varsity team as a senior, and he won the approval of his teammates. Like Reece, he's on the older side for a prep prospect, and he already plays the game like an experienced veteran. The prospect people have taken note of his talent, labeling him as the last pick in their mock third round. It was a lot higher then I expected, but Tom Weinstock has warmed up on him as the weathers gotten better. We have a ton of infield prospects in La Crosse, but I'll find away to make sure he plays every day. He's no Skipper or George Sutterfield, more of a Jim Mako or Al Clement, but with the intangibles and natural athleticism he displays, don't be surprised if this guy becomes a productive big leaguer.

4th Round, 59th Overall: 2B Roxy Hilts
School: Cedarburg Bulldogs
Commit School: Red River State
1946: .486/.540/.695, 125 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 20 SB
Career: .467/.529/.756, 478 PA, 52 2B, 15 3B, 11 HR, 116 RBI, 67 SB

Another guy who has started to get more love, I was surprised to see Roxy Hilts' name as the 1st pick in the 5th round. Tom Weinstock has even upgraded his scouting report after Hilts hit a personal best .486 in his fourth and final season with the Cedarburg Bulldogs. Him and Scooch are both committed to Red River State, so they were almost destined to form a double play combo. 18 on the 8th of the month, Hilts had a productive four year prep career, tallying 186 and 154 runs in just 95 games. It was sad to see the power drop, with just 1 of his 11 homers coming this season, but he stole more bases and drew more walks then the year before. Hilts hasn't played anywhere other then second, and while he's adequate there, we may work him out some at first. He's just 5'8'', so his height isn't ideal there, and his speed is best served elsewhere. That could lead to some reps in the outfield, but right now I'd like to see what he can do at the keystone. Like our prior picks, he's got a strong hit tool and great eye, but I was really pulling for some power here. That might come as he fills out, and could propel him into a big league job. He has the skills to warrant an extra look, but I'm unsure if he can be anything more then someone you're okay starting, but always looking to upgrade over.

4th Round, 60th Overall: RHP Kid Moore
School: Bellmore Cougars
Commit School: Bardney
1946: 6-3, 91 IP, 1.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 35 BB, 141 K
Career: 23-7, 305 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 107 BB, 476 K

The first of our picks to be absent from the initial mock (a few later guys you won't hear about today are on it), Kid Moore took a step back as a senior, setting a career worst in wins, losses, ERA, FIP (1.50), innings, strikeouts, WHIP, K/9 (13.9), and WAR (4.8). Granted, these aren't terrible numbers for a high school pitcher, but after he dazzled last season I was a little underwhelmed. Moore went 10-2 with a 1.03 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 122 innings, all personal bests. So were the 190 strikeouts, 5.3 K/BB, and 1.10 WHIP (27 FIP-), with a 7.4 WAR that was over two full wins higher then the next best. While disappointed, I'm not angry, as he was a projectable pick from the beginning. A towering 6'5'' righty, he only throws 85-87 now, and I think a minor league staff should be able to add both strength and gas for the young righty. They'll also have to hone in his command a bit, but the stuff is very exciting. He struck out plenty of hitters, 11th in both season and career K/9 for draft eligible prep pitchers. He's a tough project, but one we can afford to embark with our wealth of pitchers in the pipeline already.

ayaghmour2 · 03-29-2023, 12:34 AM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 35-31 (4th, 3.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 20 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .350 AVG, 1.135 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 19 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .421 AVG, .871 OPS
Hank Barnett : 18 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .924 OPS

Schedule
6-18: Win vs Sailors (1-5)
6-19: Win vs Sailors (1-3)
6-20: Win vs Sailors (2-3)
6-21: Win vs Wolves (1-4)
6-22: Win vs Wolves (2-7)
6-23: Loss vs Wolves (2-1)

Recap
Are we back?!?!?!?! ARE WE BACK!?!?!?! PLEASE, SOMEONE TELL ME WE'RE BACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now this was the type of week I expected to see all year long, but it's really our first good week since, I guess April? May was a nightmare, and June started the same, but we may have started to find things. Guess I should have put Clyde on thin ice earlier!

The pitching was downright dominant, not that it hasn't been nearly all season, but we had another week where we allowed two or fewer runs in each game. Of course, that means the loss was of the one-run variety, but we did pick up one against the Sailors to even the scales. It was also our first walk-off win of the year, as Hal Sharp (.351, 5, 27), who sat against a lefty. Sharp came came in for Harry Mead (.241, 3, 23) to face Sailors closer David Molina (2-7, 15, 3.18, 46), a righty, who just entered the game for the lefty Frank Satori (0-2, 1.67, 14), who did not look like someone who had yet to start a game above C ball. Sharp was acquired strictly for this, to mash righties, and he wasted no time, lining Molina's first offering past Ed Reyes (.352, 3, 30) at first, scoring pinch hitter Rich Langton (.250, 1) from second. After the excellent week, we're now 12-9 for the month, and upped our run differential to +66, now trailing just the Boston Minutemen (+72). Still stuck at -6, as our 41-25 record would be clear of the now league leading Stars (38-27) who have matching actual and expected records.

The pitching may have been dominant, but I think Star of the Week should go to Carlos Montes. One of the players frustrated for his performance spoke out about the potential firing of Meyer, and did his best to support his manager. Montes went 7-for-20 with 4 doubles, a homer, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, and 2 walks to up his season line to a more respectable .247/.333/.361 (97 OPS+). He had a brutal May, hitting just .216/.302/.265 (62 OPS+), but he's hit a much stronger .250/.346/.441 (123 OPS+) in 80 trips to the plate. For the season, Montes has produced a 109 WRC+ and 2.3 WAR with 11 doubles, 4 homers, 12 steals, and 27 RBIs. Normally an elite defender, is 6.1 zone rating and 1.028 efficiency are lower then expected, as he's been nearly 50% better then the average center fielder in his big league career. Montes does have the zone rating lead for the position and ranks 3rd in efficiency, so it could be more about having a deeper crop of defensive center fielders then in usual years.

The rest of the offense pulled their weight, with yet another great week for Dick Walker. The next "age is just a number guy" to start in the FABL, The 18th year vet went 5-for-17 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 2 steals, and 3 runs. Walker is in the midst of a career year, slashing an elite .296/.407/.552 (171 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 10 homers, 30 RBIs, 37 walks, and 8 steals. He's now surpassed Leo Mitchell in OPS, leading the top rung with a .958 OPS in 58 games. Mitchell had, by his standards, a down week, but it was still effective for the average hitter. The batting title leader went 5-for-19 with a triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Hank Barnett had a vintage showing, 6-for-18 with a double, homer, walk, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs. Skipper Schneider stayed hot, 8-for-19 with a pair of runs scored and driven in. Along with the late inning heroics, Hal Sharp finished his week 7-for-18 with 2 walks, 3 runs, and a second RBI. Clark Car stayed hot, 7-for-19 with a steal, double, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. As you might expect in a 5-1 week, there wasn't much going wrong for us, and we need the offense to put together weeks like this with more frequency. We rank top three in average (1st, .273), OBP (3rd, .337), slugging (1st, .404), OPS (2nd, .741), WAR (2nd, 15.7), wOBA (2nd, .331), hits (1st, 69), homers (2nd, 51), and steals (1st, 37), but still find ourselves fourth in runs (275). It is very close at the top, with six teams scoring between 270 and 310 runs, but the real gap is in runs allowed. The Stars (+49) are the only team within 50 runs of us, while the poor Kings staff has allowed 150 more runs then we have.

The pitching was beyond dominant, as the Jones brothers are really starting to heat up. Ranked 1 and 2 in the CA ERA race, the talented duo both picked up complete games with a single run allowed. In Donnie's case, it was an unearned run, stretching his win streak to seven consecutive starts. Jones' 2.24 ERA (152 ERA+) trails just older brother Johnnie in the CA, while his 13 complete games are best in either circuit. His 11 wins top the CA, tied with Lloyd Stevens of the Keystones, although Jones has a higher win percentage (.846), which also leads either association. Johnnie dropped his ERA to 1.92 (178 ERA+), allowing 8 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in his complete game win. Pap got one of those too, pitching in our walk-off win. He allowed 5 hits, 4 walks, and 2 runs with 4 strikeouts. His 83 strikeouts still pace both leagues, but his 6.4 K/9 is third in FABL and a would be career low. Granted, his 3.8 BB/9 matches his rate from his Allen Winning season and his 2.38 ERA (143 ERA+) and 2.64 FIP (77 FIP-) would all be personal bests. There's still half a season left, but this front three is looking like the best staff the game has seen in a long time.

Harry Parker picked up a win, going 6.2 innings with 8 hits, 2 walks, an unearned run, and 6 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick didn't do well relieving, allowing 3 hits and a run with a strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched. Ken Matson got the final inning, getting a hit and strikeout to finish the game. The lone loss went to Billy Riley, who split his two starts. He was arguably better then the loss that helped the Wolves avoid the sweep, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. In his win over the Sailors, he allowed just a single run, but it came with 9 hits, 2 walks, and just a single strikeout. Riley's been the unsung hero of the staff, as his 71 FIP- is best on the team, and his 2.45 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, and 2.3 K/BB are elite. We won't have any pitching problems for the foreseeable future, and weeks like this are what we should be getting used to.

Looking Ahead
This week is going to be huge for us if we want to be taken seriously, as we get to host the two worst teams in the league. We start with the seventh place Foresters, who actually have a really solid 30-38 record. They don't really score any runs, but they have some really exciting young pitchers. Richie Hughes seems likely to represent the Foresters at the All-Star game, going 10-5 with a 2.58 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 41 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. The Chicago kid won't be 24 until the season ends, and already looks like one of the leagues best pitchers. Fellow rookie Hiram Steinberg (3-7, 3.76, 40) has started to slump while Bill Martino (2-10, 5.77, 73) has been shelled for 8 or more runs in each of his last three starts, including one where he failed to get out of the first. Unfortunately, Martino and Augie Hayes Jr. (4-6, 4.31, 29) got shelled by the Stars yesterday, which means we're stuck with Hughes, Steinberg, and Ducky Davis (7-3, 3.02, 37). That will be tough, but as long as we keep Jim Adams Jr. (.287, 1, 41, 3) in check I like our chances. Glenn White (.297, 17) has really cooled down. The top three in the lineup can still do damage, with Leon Blackridge (.259, 2, 19), Hal Burres (.281, 2, 11), and Hank Stratton (.305, 20) having WRC+ above 100. At 30, 29, and 31, they could be appealing trade candidates, as it's almost July and both races are very tight. These are must win games, and we can really save our season if we stay hot.

Before the next series, the draft will take place. The first eight round have already taken place, and we will get three picks in the ninth round. From then on we'll have every 12 pick from the 10th to 25th rounds. What is really nice about this year is draft pick signing is turned on for all picks, so instead of having to either release late round picks or add "Impossible" to sign guys to my lists, I can just let guys either fulfil their college commitment or return for a senior season. I'll sign any college senior, but if any of the other guys show little to no exciting qualities, I'll let them work things out before getting another chance at a selection. We also have a full C ball roster, so we don't have a need for warm bodies. What's nice is if injuries hit, we can always go back and sign someone I thought I wouldn't as long as the signing deadline hasn't past. What's somewhat worrisome is that no player is demanding more then the $27,000 Bob Allen wants, which eats up more then half of our $50,000 budget for draftees. I'm glad I set this before all the new contracts kicked in, as we're still a little over budget. We're making plenty of money this season, which is a huge relief, so our money problems may end despite huge projected raises for guys like Pap, Mitchell, and Riley.

We then finish the week with four hosting the Kings, who are 26-44 and 14.5 games out of first. They've made plenty of changes, with the most recent one optioning Orie Martinez (.231, 6, 19, 2) to AAA in favor of the #48th ranked prospect Joe Rutherford. He was clobbering everything in sight down in Jersey City, with a Barrett-esque .359/.482/.728 (209 OPS+) line with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 8 steals, 18 homers, and 41 RBIs. It's not a debut for Rutherford, who appeared in 21 games with the Chiefs in 1942, but he was just 19 and then spent the next two plus seasons in the Navy. He joins a lineup that needs some help, with not much production from anyone other then Tiny Tim Hopkins (.242, 10, 25). Because of that, they moved a lot of guys who were doing well in limited time to the lineup. That includes a personal favorite of mine Spud Bent (.269, 2, 8), as well as Rule-5 Pick and top 100 prospect John Beaver (.303, 9), and Bill Downs (.368, 11). All three have done really well so far, which could help them get closer to the rest of the pack.

The pitching will have its struggles, but Leo Hayden has been close to immune to it. In his 15 starts he's 8-6 with a 2.90 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 54 walks, and 49 strikeouts. I think we're lucky enough to miss him, but with the injury to former Cougar Merritt Thomas (2-1, 3.58, 8), their rotation will be adjusted, and that could push Hayden from the Cannons series to ours. Most of their pen is struggling, and while I'm not surprised 39-year-old Roger Perry (1-3, 5.25, 4) has been hit hard, I'm stunned with how bad Jim Kenny (2-5, 1, 7.18, 9) has been. He was great as recently as two seasons ago, going 18-14 with a 2.99 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 88 walks, and 74 strikeouts. His 3.18 FIP (88 FIP-) backed up his results, so it's hard to believe the 25-year-old just started to be bad. Bob Crowley made the Opening Day roster, but after allowing 9 runs in 3 innings, they sent him down. He'll replace Thomas, after 10 strong starts with Jersey City. Crowley went 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA (146 ERA+) and 1.46 WHIP, so he could work his way back into the picture. There's plenty of spots available, as other then Hayden, no one has seized a long-term spot. On paper, this has a high potential to be a 7-0 week, but very little has happened as I would have expected.

Minor League Report
RHP Ron Sexton (AA Mobile Commodores): Somewhat of an enigma, the 25-year-old Ron Sexton has had a down arrow to A ball all season despite solid overall performance. He may have had his best start of the season this week, tossing a 7-hit shutout with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts as the Commodores topped the visiting Ironmen 4-0. This pushed his record above .500 to 5-4, as Sexton has worked to a 3.12 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 78 innings pitched. He's walked (25) about as many hitters as he's struck out (29), but what's really been nice is his ability to keep the ball in the park. He's never really had a home run issue, but Sexton has allowed just 2 longballs in his 9 starts. 26 in August, the former 6th Round selection of the Miners hasn't developed as anticipated, with two major elbow surgeries in 1940 and 1943. It's looking like Sexton may not get a shot at the big leagues, as he's dropping in the pecking order for minor league starts. He's lucky we don't have many guys who can handle AA, or he'd likely be pitching out of the pen. Even with strong numbers this season, he may get past up in 1947, and I have no intention of protecting him in the Rule-5 Draft. If taken, he's likely best suited for the pen, but he has the stuff to start games. His slider is the best of his four pitches, with none of the other three really standing out. I actually cut Sexton when we needed to trim rosters in the offseason, but as no one else grabbed him, he came back around the start of Spring Training. If we need to keep roster limits low again in the offseason, he may be at risk again, but if he can keep pitching well, he'll hang around as a useful depth piece.

RHP Bill Ballantine (AA Mobile Commodores): Luck has not been on the side of Bill Ballantine, who started the season 1-5 despite an above average 3.45 ERA. The "Windy City Whip" was not phased, winning back-to-back starts with just a single earned run before twirling a 7-hits shutout against the first place Nashville Chieftains. Destined to be our closer, Ballantine has been a surprisingly effective starter, posting an above average ERA+ and FIP- in each stint as a starter. He's impressed in his return to Mobile, sporting an impressive 2.59 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP in his first ten starts. I'm going to let the hometown kid start until he proves to be overmatched, as the 23-year-old has been one of the best pitchers on the Commodores staff. What will prevent him from starting with us would be his lack of a third pitch, as his fastball-slider mix is good enough for minor leaguers, but not guys like a Mitchell or Walker. The stuff is superb, and in short samples he will strike out a crazy number of batters. That will help counteract the walks, which he'll likely never get over. In a single inning, stuff like his could be overpowering, and as long as guys don't make good contact, he ball will bounce off the walls down the line. Despite his lack of prospect consideration, he's been a favorite of mine, and I'm very excited for the future when relievers become more valuable. Our guys don't start, but eventually Pap and the Jones Brothers won't be able to go all nine. Not many guys can hit 95, and at 23 he could still bulk up a bit. He's eligible for the Rule-5 draft, and with three spots open already, he's guaranteed to be protected. I expect all three options to be burned, but as long as he stays healthy, he'll be a Ben Curtin type stopper who can pitch a lot more often. Let's just say Bill Mendine's 137 save record could be in jeopardy, as long as the righty continues to come up in the clutch.

LHP Ron Berry (B San Jose Cougars): This offseason, I tried almost everything I could to include southpaw Ron Berry in trade talks. A former 7th Rounder, Berry spent '45 in the Air Force, and while I did like his potential, we have a myriad of pitchers for the low minors and he's one who's I thought would be somewhat interesting to one of the other 15 teams. Turns out sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make, as Berry has lunged up the prospect rankings, going from unranked in the offseason to 124th as of June 24th. He's our highest ranked non-top 100 prospect and 9th in the system, and is poised to keep climbing higher. The 20-year-old had a great may, upping his fastball to 85-87 while learning a slider from six-pitch teammate Steve Davis. Berry has done a lot of learning on the fly this season, as the youngster was pushed up to San Jose despite being best suited for C ball. On the surface, 1-2 with a 4.96 ERA (83 ERA+) and 1.61 WHIP don't look to exciting, but he has a slightly above average 4.06 FIP (98 FIP-) in 45.1 innings pitched. He hasn't been going deep into games yet, passing 100 pitches in just three of his nine starts, but he completed seven innings for the first time in a 4-3 loss to the Salem Warriors. He didn't get a decision, but pitched well enough for the victory, with just 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks allowed. I'm very interested to see how he finishes out his season, as we may have another big league arm to add to the collection. His change is a really good pitch, and the early returns on the slider have impressed, with a reliable mid 80s fastball. His curve is a bit of an after thought, but even his mistakes don't get hit hard, as he has plenty of downward movement that keeps the ball in the park. Berry brings plenty of risk, but with no immediate pitching needs on the horizon, he'll have all the time he needs to work through his stuff.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP King Price (Los Angeles Knights: I don't think there is a single player I am more happy for then King Price. The war cost Price a big league callup, as he was pretty much next man up in 1943. Instead, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving his country instead of making his dream as a big leaguer come true. The Kentucky native has now gotten a second chance, leading the rotation of the first place Los Angeles Knights. Price is a big reason LA is 39-24, as our 9th Rounder is 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA (129 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP. He's struck out 62 in 115 innings and ranks behind just Jack Henderson (7-3, 2.85, 72) and teammate Bob Cummings (8-1, 1.60, 59) in the top GWL pitchers list. The results should continue for Price, who has an impressive 2.1 K/BB ratio and can keep his team in the game with quality innings. He's got plenty of complete games, even reaching 10 innings and 135 pitches in a no decision. He had no shot of a rotation spot with us, and he wasn't the most appealing trade candidate, so it's wonderful to see him succeed with a solid paycheck. Price will be crucial to help hold a 3 game lead over the Oakland Grays, who many expected to take the division. The Knights have plenty of former Cougars, as Price plays with Jim Hatfield (.333, 5, 29, 7) and Karl Wallace (7-3, 3.13, 47) both crucial pieces of the roster.

RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): In case you were wondering, Ira Hawker is still one of the best pitchers in the GWL. Not much has gone right for the Centurions, but Hawker has stood out against the rest. In 14 starts the 27-year-old is 9-5, working to a 2.50 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 34 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 115.1 innings pitched. At 30-34, his team sits 9.5 games out of first, tied with Houston Bulls for fifth. Fellow Cougar farmhand Rube Finegan has had success starting, going 3-4 with a 2.65 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP in his 12 starts. Hawker currently ranks as the 11th best pitcher in the GWL, and while I don't expect him to be available in trade, he will be a strong building block for the Centurions.

Amateur Report
5th Round, 76th Overall: CF Phil Boyes
School: Benton Zephyrs
Commit School: Springfield State
1946: .490/.558/.857, 120 PA, 12 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 26 SB
Career: .477/.551/.795, 491 PA, 52 2B, 22 3B, 10 HR, 120 RBI, 74 SB

A four year starter at Benton, Phil Boyes saved his best season for last, hitting a career high .490 with 20 extra base hits, 26 steals, and 34 RBIs. The `18-year-old is demanding $3,700 to forego his commitment to Springfield State, and I am more then happy to pay that. Boyes has an impressive hit tool, projected to maintain averages above .300 in the majors. He hit a career high four homers as a senior, and I'd love to see an increase in power from him. Double digit power brings him close to a Leo Mitchell type, and we know how good Mitchell is. One difference is the ability to avoid strikeouts, as Boyes was set down just 23 times in 491 trips to the plate. His discipline is impressive for someone his age, as he drew 70 walks in 97 games. With his speed any way on base is a plus, as he can wreck havoc when on. I want to get him plenty of reps in center, as I'm curious if his defense is good enough. Class C ball starts tomorrow, so Carl Clark will get some time with the Lions before Boyes is eligible to sign. Regardless of who ends up where, both will get plenty of playing time, giving them time in both center an the corners to increase versatility. Boyes has the tools to be an average big leaguer, but he carries plenty of risk as a high school draftee.

6th Round, 92nd Overall: SS Bob Stout
School: Eastern Virginia Dukes
1946: .277/.384/.418, 264 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 33 SB
Career: .287/.394/.422, 26 2B, 14 3B, 14 HR, 134 RBI, 110 SB

One of the few college picks from the January draft, Bob Stout was a three year starter at East Virginia, Stout set every record at Eastern Virginia, and became the first player from the Norfolk school to be selected from the school. He does have a teammate, pitcher Cloyd East (3-3, 3.80, 76) who is eligible for the 1947 draft and seems likely to be selected. Stout hit .287 in 169 games for the Dukes, tallying 54 extra baes hits and 82 steals. Known for his cannon of an arm, Stout plays a stellar shortstop, and has excelled at third and second as when needed. He has a good eye at the plate, drawing 118 walks with just 82 strikeouts, and he could maintain a high on-base percentage in the big leagues. I doubt he'll hit for much power, so he'll need to put the ball in play to provide offensive value. His versatility makes a utility role an easy fallback, and with plenty of youngsters needing playing time, chances are he'll end up in San Jose.

7th Round, 99th Overall: RHP Bill Sweet
School: Catholic Central Crusaders
Commit School: Tallmadge State
1946: 8-2, 100.1 IP, 1.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 22 BB, 102 K
Career: 36-5, 429 IP, 1.34 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 84 BB, 527 K

On the other hand, Bill Sweet saved the worst for last, setting career worsts in ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, K/9 (9.1), BB/9 (2.0), K/BB (4.6), and WAR (4.4). The four year starter still finished with a respectable 1.34 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 429 innings, and has the tools to at least pick up a start or two in the majors. The sidearmer has some good stuff, but needs to shape up his control to continue starting games. His sinker can tough 89, and as a groundballer he will get plenty of help from Skipper Schneider. With better control, he could be a decent enough back-end starter, but I like his stuff out of the pen. He's really tough on righties, and his sinker bails him out of trouble all the time. He'll start for now, but my bet is he ends up a reliever if he isn't eventually traded or cut.

7th Round, 108th Overall: C Ernie Frost
School: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy Bulldogs
Commit School: Central Illinois
1946: .443/.532/.670, 128 PA, 13 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .447/.533/.670, 249 PA, 23 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 60 RBI, 14 SB

A favorite of Tom Weinstock's, Ernie Frost didn't take the step forward I was hoping for. He hit a few less homers with more doubles and triples, but for each improvement there was a matching regression. 18 in August, Frost may not get too much time behind the plate, but I won't let him attend Central Illinois. Tom Weinstock thinks he can start in the big leagues, noting his above average power potential and good plate discipline. His defense isn't great yet, but we turned Eddie Howard, Harry Mead, and even guys like Homer Guthrie, Gene Lee, and Steve Mountain into solid defenders. There's plenty of competition for time behind the plate in the lower levels, but there are spots to claim in the upper minors. This could lead to a rotation between La Crosse and San Jose for Frost, Alex O'Dailey, and Bill Martin, with whoever performs the best against the tougher competition getting a head start on a Chicago callup. You can never have too many good catchers, and I'm excited to add him to the system.

8th Round, 124th Overall: CF Joe Austin
School: Chesapeake State Clippers
1946: .285/.344/.432, 214 PA, 12 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 38 SB
Career: .280/.344/.432, 484 PA, 23 2B, 14 3B, 5 HR, 66 RBI, 72 SB

Joe Austin had a nice junior season, and found himself listed as the 5th Pick in the 4th Round of the current OSA Mock Draft. He improved most of his tallies from the following season, most importantly each triple slash category. The Montreal continued to play all around the diamond for Chesapeake State, and I expect him to pick up a utility role early on in his minor league career. He'll get time all around the diamond, as we look to see what positions he excels at. With his speed, center field is most likely, and Tom Weinstock calls him a "natural defender." He's useful at the plate too, putting the ball in play frequently while always looking to take an extra base. His floor is extremely high, as he's got the perfect build for a super utility guy, but I like his bat enough to give him the shot to hit his way up. At bats will be easy to come for him, but the downside is his level will likely be determined by those around him. Prolonged hot streaks will help him move up, but a poor timed slump and he might stall out. He'll be easy to sign, and potentially one of the first players to join the team after the draft.

ayaghmour2 · 03-29-2023, 08:05 PM

With the draft taken place and Bob Allen demanding over half of our $50,000 draft bonus, we needed to come up with some cash fast. I shipped two pitchers out of the organization, picking up $6,000 in cash and two draft picks, which netted us about $12,000. This will ever so slightly get us in the green, and after I experiment with offers to guys I don't care about signing, I'll know exactly how much I'll need to sign all my picks. Hopefully two of our guys sign tomorrow, as I want to quickly replace the pitchers I shipped out, but the rest will trickle in as I make cuts in the organization. Some of our depth veterans are at the risk of being cut loose, but most of the cuts will likely come from the lower levels.

One of the deals I may end up regretting, as talented youngster Joe Swank will be heading to the Dynamos for $5,000 and a 5th Round Pick. The 23-year-old has been dominant in 11 starts with the Blues, going 9-2 with a 1.40 ERA (281 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP. He's struck out 40 and walked 23 in 83.2 innings, and all he's done is shown that he's ready for the majors. We don't have any innings for him to get, and now instead of debuting with us, the former 7th Rounder seems likely to appear in a Dynamos game some time this season. He won't start in Detroit, but he's expected to be their next man up in case of injury. Another way up could be if Jim Lonardo reaches 300 wins, as the new brass have given the vet the chance to reach the historic milestone. At 4-5 and just three away, Swank could be up before rosters expand. It hurts losing a quality young pitcher like Swank, but I'm happy for him to get an opportunity elsewhere. It also opens up another rotation spot on the farm, as we'll need to get innings for all our promising pitchers.

Less then an hour later we then sent Rusty Petrick to the Kings for an 8th Round pick and $1,000. Petrick was coming off a nice season, going 16-12 with a 3.18 ERA (114 ERA+) in 41 appearances (22 starts). With the return of all the military vets, he had a much more limited role with just 16 innings compared to 220.2 last year. After a rough stretch where he lost three consecutive decisions, Petrick has looked a bit better, working to a 3.94 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP, but with equal walks and strikeouts (15). With the Kings in need of guys to eat innings, Petrick may get a chance to start a few games, or at least give them a reliable vet to soak up innings. With trades happening post-sim, we won't make a callup until tomorrow, but I'd wager Harry MacRae will get the call. He's been dominant in 27 outings, going 4-0 with 12 saves and a 0.75 ERA (524 ERA+). There's also Charlie Kelsey (4-1, 2.67, 42) or Mike Thorpe (4-5, 4.37, 7), and of course Duke Bybee (5-2, 1.65, 47), but I'd prefer they continue to make regular starts. More moves may be on the way, but at least now we have some breathing room.

ayaghmour2 · 03-29-2023, 09:29 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 39-34 (t-3rd, 3 GB)
Stars of the Week
Clark Car : 30 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .367 AVG, .858 OPS
Harry Sharp : 14 AB, 4 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .286 AVG, 1.340 OPS
Ken Matson : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 6.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-24: Win vs Foresters (2-3): 12 innings
6-25: Loss vs Foresters (6-4)
6-26: Loss vs Foresters (3-0)
6-27: Win vs Kings (1-4)
6-28: Win vs Kings (1-8)
6-29: Win vs Kings (3-4)
6-30: Loss vs Kings (2-1)

Recap
After the total domination last week, my expectations were sky high, but we stumbled a bit, dropping two of three to the Foresters before rebounding to take three of four with the Kings. Still, we shaved half a game off the Stars lead and sit tied for third with the 40-35 Saints. Well welcome the Stars to town for a huge two game series, with the strategically rested Pete Papenfus (8-5, 2.61, 85) and Donnie Jones (11-3, 2.23, 68). They'll have their hands full with the #1 scoring offense, but with the guests top three all tired, things seem to tip in our favor. With a lot more runs scored then allowed this week, our expected record dropped to -7, and our +72 run differential is now best in either association. It feels like we're about to pounce, but for now, the Windy City Kitties aren't getting much more then a purr out.

We've got our first injury of the season, with reserve Rich Langton fracturing his hand. I'm not sure how it happened, but the 34-year-old vet will miss the next two months. We're still having some money issues, so signing all our draftees is going to be really tough. This means Langton may have played his last game as a Cougar, as while I'd prefer trading prospects for cash, I could release someone like Langton to free up some cash. He hasn't hit very well, just .238/.273/.238 (46 OPS+) in 31 games off the bench. This will likely be the first season in his 11-year career he won't make at least 45 starts, though he'd be lucky to make even one. I debated bringing up George Sutterfield, who has hit .325/.371/.405 (109 OPS+) with the Blues, but I'd prefer him to get regular playing time. Instead, it will be the soon-to-be 28-year-old Fred Vargas, who was in Milwaukee just because he had options while others didn't. Vargas had been overseas since the 1941 offseason, and has appeared in 50 games for the Blues thusfar. He's hit well, .271/.426/.386 (119 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 29 RBIs. He'll function as a lefty bat off the bench, as I don't think he'll get many starts himself.

It took us 70 games, but we finally had and converted a save opportunity! Ken Matson got the job done, relieving Harry Parker after seven innings against the Kings. Parker scattered 8 hits and 3 walks, allowing just a single run with a strikeout to improve to 3-7 on the season. Matson tossed a pair of hitless innings, finishing with two walks and a strikeout. Matson was very busy this week, appearing in four of our six games. He got his first win of the season as well, pitching the 12th in our extra inning win over the Foresters. In total, he threw 6 innings with 3 hits, walks, and strikeouts. Despite leading the pen with 16.1 innings and a 1.65 ERA (207 ERA+), he's the only one of our relivers I can't vote for the All-Star game. He hasn't needed to pitch much, but when he has he's been really good, and with Joe Brown making a start this week, he did an excellent job filling in as the stopper.

Brown lost his start, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. We mustered just one run off Bob Crowley (1-1, 7.16, 10), who allowed 7 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts. The lone run was a Carlos Montes (.240, 5, 28, 13) solo homer, so Brown was tagged with his 6th loss despite going 8 with 4 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. We have two double headers this week, and with how they are positioned, we will need Brown to make another start against the Kings. There are two more after the All-Star break, but with plenty of off days he may not be needed there either. That being said, he could be used like he was this week to ensure we have Pap and Donnie to face the teams we absolutely must beat. That could be the case with the struggling Wolves and Cannons, but with how the Foresters have played us, we might use Brown to let those two start in Cleveland later in July. Our co-aces lost both of their starts, with Papenfus struggling against those pesky Foresters. He struck out just 2 in 7 innings, leaving with 11 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks. Donnie had much better luck, but 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts was not enough with Richie Hughes' (11-5, 2.41, 75) 3-hit, 8-strikeout shutout proving impossible to overcome.

Johnnie Jones had some bad luck of his own, as 11 effective innings against Cleveland wasn't good enough. He gave us 154 pitches, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in the no decision. He hit 154 again on the 29th, pitching a complete game victory against the Kings. He actually faired worse here, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and 8 walks with 3 strikeouts in the win. Despite leading the CA with his 1.97 ERA (173 ERA+), Johnnie is not listed on the All-Star ballot, but I'm hoping the 1943 All-Star will be one of the pitchers selected by Cannons manager Ad Doria to fill out the staff. His 6-5 record may prevent that, but he has an excellent 1.19 WHIP with 39 strikeouts in 118.2 innings pitched. He now checks in as the 20th best pitcher in the FABL, giving us four of the leagues top 20. Donnie and Pap are 2 and 3, with Billy Riley checking in at 12. He's the third (with Donnie and Pap) Cougar on the ballot, as he improved to 8-4 after a win over the Kings. The six walks were a surprise, which brought his pitch count up to 130, and Rusty Petrick had to get the final two outs for him. He left with the bases empty, finishing his night with 4 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. Petrick wasn't anywhere close to lockdown, allowing a pair of hits and flyouts, but it was more then good enough to win. That really has been the theme for the staff, as we rank 1st or 2nd in every category except bullpen ERA, but even that we brought down to a not-as-terrible 3.63, which happens to be second highest in the CA. With so few innings, it doesn't matter too much, but what's impressive is being 2nd in homers despite flyball pitchers like Parker and Riley.

Hal Sharp had himself a big week, hitting three homers in fourteen at bats, while walking three times, scoring four times, and driving in eight. He's still third in the batting title race at .347, but just a point below Ed Reyes (.348, 3, 30) and two behind Mitchell. Mitchell had another down week, just 7-for-26 with a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Same for Skipper, who really cooled down, just 5-for-25 with 2 runs and an RBI. We did get production from Clark Car, who cracked the leagues top 20 after going 11-for-30 with a steal, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. While Billy Hunter (1-for-11 this week) has really struggled in his return, Car has been just as good as when he left, now hitting .300/.340/.464 (127 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 7 steals, and 23 RBIs. With the quality of pitching we faced, I expected plenty more from the lineup, but we're scoring more runs and starting to gel more at the plate.

Looking Ahead
In what could be the biggest series of the season, we welcome the first place Stars to town for two to finish what's been a nice and successful homestand. At 42-29, they are 3 games up on the struggling Cannons, and feature one of the most potent lineups in the game. Lucky for us, the staff has some weakness, and we'll get their worst two (albeit, still solid) starting pitchers in Henry Shaffer (6-7, 3.59, 52) and Jack Wood (7-3, 3.52, 41). There are some rumors from the Stars staff that ace Vern Hubbard (9-6, 3.60, 30) could make a start on three days rest, but with a double header yesterday and another on the 4th, I don't see that as a likely outcome. We should be able to score plenty off whoever they put on the mound, but stopping them from matching will be tough. Chubby Hall (.331, 3, 20) is the best fourth outfielder in FABL, stuck behind the talented 2-3-4 of Bob Riggins (.277, 5, 30, 8), Bill Barrett (.239, 14, 43, 7), and Jack Welch (.284, 8, 38). Add in first basemen Bill Barnett (.296, 10, 43), catcher Joe Rainbow (.264, 6, 26), and the surprise breakout third basemen Mike Roberson (.339, 4, 34), and the Stars can really mash. Joe Angevine (.215, 2, 19, 10) is the only member of the offense with a below average WRC+, but he walks with consistency and plays a really fine shortstop. A split seems likely, but if we can take both games here, we are really doing ourselves a favor as we attempt to claw back to first place.

We'll use our off day to hit the road, traveling to Montreal for two games in three days. The Saints are off to start the week and on Wednesday, so regardless of game outcomes, our tie for third with them will be broken. Montreal has been inconsistent at times, but they have plenty of exciting young pitchers. Bert Cupid (9-3, 2.98, 63) deserves a spot on the All-Star roster while Wally Reif (4-1, 1.63, 20) has exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately Pat Weakley (7-8, 3.74, 76) has had a lot of command issues, just seven free passes away from matching his 79 in nearly 240 innings last season. Wally Doyle (8-6, 3.38, 76) has been effective, but is still walking just as many guys as he strikes out. Still, both are very talented pitchers, with the only real weakness in the rotation Jake DeYoung (2-3, 4.84, 11). The lineup has far more, and they have another hole to fill with Ernie McCoy straining his forearm. The former 2nd Pick was in the midst of a solid debut season, slashing .315/.390/.461 with 2 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 12 RBIs in his first 26 games. He was helping to support fellow outfielders Bill Greene (.247, 10, 41, 8) and Bert Lass (.311, 37), who have both started to cool down. Word out of Saints camp is former top 10 prospect Otis Parker (.118, 3) will get a second chance after hitting an impressive .296/.437/.473 (147 OPS+) in 215 trips to the plate. The 27-year-old added 12 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs, and looks to make up for the four plus seasons he missed while in the Army. The Saints were are kryptonite last year, and I have a sneaking suspicion they'll dispatch us quite easily at the Parc Cartier here.

Our weekend will be spent in Brooklyn, finishing the first half with two games in three days against the Kings. It is a nice way to end things, as we have a good chance to pick up much needed wins. Joe Rutherford (.174, 3) didn't have the greatest debut week, but the young outfielder was stuck facing ours and the Cannons pitching staff. Rats McGonigle (.245, 3, 18, 8) hasn't looked like the star he was pre-war, with OPS+ above 130 as a 22 and 23-year-old. Even Tiny Tim (.243, 10, 26) has started to cool off, dropping his OPS+ below 100 to 93, and Vernon Ruch (.221, 4, 24) has been demoted to the bench. Most of the pieces the Kings could have moved at the deadline have underperformed, but with a very active GM on the trade front there is plenty of opportunity for a surprise. I'd love to avoid Leo Hayden (8-6, 2.84, 52) again, but even if he gets one of the games we still get two against pitchers with ERAs above 4. If we can finish off strong, I really like our chances the rest of the way, but a stumble into the break could prove costly if we end up falling short once more.

Minor League Report
RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): With our two trades earlier in the day, Jimmy Ballard is now a week away from a promotion. The 24-year-old was recently named Pitcher of the Month for the Commodores, going 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 20 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He should have at least a 12th start with the Commodores, currently 8-3 with a 1.95 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 42 walks, and 48 strikeouts. The former 6th Round Pick has enjoyed a mini-breakout this season, and even ranks 27th in our system and 297th overall. I might now have to protect him in the Rule-5 draft, as Ballard is looking to make a push to the big leagues. Ballard's control isn't great, but his stuff is tough to follow due to his side-armed delivery. His fastball hits 93 and his slider has plenty of sweep, making strong contact tough to come by. I'm not convinced he can start in the big leagues, but if he continues to get results with the Blues, he'll be worth a look.

RHP Bill Holloway (A Lincoln Legislators): A level below Ballard, Bill Holloway was having himself a month as well, taking home the award in the Heartland League. In all honesty his May (3-1, 2.51, 12) was arguably a bit better, but the perfect 5-0 helped the Chicagoan claim the award. His 3.03 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP were nonetheless impressive, and he struck out 22 while walking 18. This improved him to 8-2 on the season with a 3.41 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP. His 3.17 FIP (88 FIP-) is pretty impressive, but he's struck out just two more hitters then he's walked. 38 in 68.2 innings is something you could see from Donnie Jones, but the command needs plenty of work. If he can go back to what he did in San Jose, where he walked just 2.7 per nine, he could pitch his way into a big league rotation. As a hometown kid, he's a good bet for a big league callup, but at 24 he may be near his peak. He doesn't profile as much more then an emergency starter, and we won't have any need for that.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Pug Bryan (Houston Bulls): One of my absolute favorite draftees, its a shame Pug Bryan never followed up his impressive rookie season, and with our financial troubles during the war years, his salary was an unfortunate cost. Pug didn't survive the regime change in Detroit, but caught on with the Huston Bulls in the Great West League. He was having a rough June, but finished the month strong, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the San Francisco Hawks. Pug walked just 1 and struck out 5 while improving to 3-6 on the season. His defense has let him down a bit, as his 2.64 FIP (81-) is far better then his 3.10 ERA (104 ERA+). The former 2nd Rounder has struck out 50 batters in 87 innings, and is on pace to set a new career best. He's on pace for 107 in 186 innings, which would shatter his previous best of 68 when he threw a career high 158.2 innings as a rookie. Pug has gotten a lot of help from former Cougar farmhand Johnny Bunce (.270, 11), who has posted a 5.1 zone rating and 1.120 efficiency in 33 games at the hot corner. As a groundball pitcher, plus defenders like Bunce are crucial, and if Pug stays in the Bulls organization, he'll be hoping Hal Landrum can live up to his potential. Tom Weinstock is a fan of the 23-year-old, who was originally a 16th Round Pick of the Sailors back in 1941. He spent just two months with them, and has been in the independent leagues every since. Landrum is in his first season with the Bulls, producing a 112 WRC+ with a .259/.363/.329 (105 OPS+) batting line. He's hit 12 doubles and 2 homers while driving in 15 runs, and has a strong 45-to-23 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's already shown a tremendous eye, but Weinstock is a fan of his swing and glove. Even if he doesn't stick at short, he's got experience at second, third, left, and center, so he can help the Bulls work around him. They may lack current talent, but with him, Bob Montgomery (.257, 4, 23, 5), and Bill McGraw (9-7, 3.17, 80) who were all 25 or younger on Opening Day. Vets like Bryan and fellow Cougar draftee Johnny Ruby (7-8, 2.84, 72) can help them get the most of their talents as they continue their time in the GWL.

ayaghmour2 · 03-30-2023, 12:29 AM

9th Round, 129th Overall: RF Zeke Johnson
School: Crown Point Bulldogs
Commit School: Baton Rouge State
1946: .518/.576/.754, 133 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB
Career: .513/.578/.753, 358 PA, 37 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 100 RBI, 16 SB

I think part of me knew that Zeke Johnson would survive the human portion, so I kept putting off drafting him in the human portion. It worked out well, as with the first pick in the round, I was able to secure him. A three year starter at Crown Point, he surpassed .500 in each season, with his .518 as a senior a career best. I love the hit tool, as the lefty can hit to all fields, and has the potential to challenge for batting titles. Tom Weinstock also feels he'll hit for above average power, but I'm not too sold yet. I can see him hitting double digits occasionally, but anything more then that seems unlikely. Despite the bat-first profile, he has some versatility, playing all three outfield spots and a little first base. While it seems like there's very little wrong with this guy, he does have a potential personality issue. He's not the brightest, nor a hard worker, so all this potential I'm writing about may be for naught. I have faith in our coaching staff and leadership core that we can keep him somewhat interested in his and the teams success. This may be an AI pick, but this has my stamp all on it, and despite his high demand, I will do whatever I need to help him break his commitment to Baton Rouge State.

9th Round, 134th Overall: CF Franklin Thomas
School: President's College Prairie Stars
1946: .303/.369/.472, 315 PA, 12 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 34 SB
Career: .311/.375/.486, 603 PA, 23 2B, 12 3B, 16 HR, 108 RBI, 65 SB

Our middle of three third rounders, Franklin Thomas had a decent career nearby in Springfield, batting .311 with 16 homers and 108 RBIs in 120 games. He didn't play in one of the tougher conferences, but one thing competition doesn't really affect is your defense. Thomas is an excellent defender, offering above average defense in center due to his speed and reads off the bat. That gives him the fallback option of being a fourth outfielder, which is likely his ceiling as well. His hit tool is decent, and he may draw his share of walks, but none of his offensive tools are overly exciting. Thomas is a guy I was watching during the draft as he could be a useful organization piece, with some upside to play every day. He's likely set for San Jose and I imagine he'll get starts at all three outfield positions. Most levels will have a four outfield tandem, with only guys like Johnny Peters immune to regular days off.

9th Round, 140th Overall: SS John Price
School: Holy Cross Tigers
Commit School: Alabama A&T
1946: .469/.526/.704, 116 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .456/.517/.697, 231 PA, 20 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 32 SB

I'm a bit undecided on what to do with John Price. On one hand, you can never have too many shortstops, but on the other, he wants over $2k to break his commitment to Alabama A&T. This is money that may need to be spent elsewhere, but I think he could be a solid investment. 18 in just a few days, Price showed decent pop, and flashed his above average contact potential. He struck out just 11 times, half as often as he walked, and saw an increase to his doubles (8 to 12) and runs scored (38 to 44), If he can play good defense he'll spend a fair amount of time in our organization, but I don't anticipate many starts for him.

10th Round, 156th Overall: RHP Harry Beardsley
School: Arkansas A&T Badgers
1946: 8-4, 118.1 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 42 BB, 119 K
Career: 18-17, 341.2 IP, 4.06 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 178 BB, 290 K

It took ten rounds, but we finally selected a college pitcher! That lucky righty is Harry Beardsley, who Tom Weinstock has grown fond of since finishing his junior year. He looked much better then in his first two seasons, setting bests in wins, ERA, FIP (3.10), FIP- (77), walks, strikeouts, BB/9 (3.2), K/9 (9.1), and K/BB (2.8). A four pitch pitcher, he upped his fastball and sinker to 85-87 this year, with the latter his best offering. His slider and change, like his fastball, need plenty of work, but he has done a good job increase whiffs without losing command. If he can stop nibbling, Beardsley could find plenty of success, but for now he profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter. His stuff is still a bit raw for a college arm, so he may start in La Crosse instead of San Jose. He'll get some starts, but may have to pitch a bit out of the pen, as we have plenty of guys we need to get innings.

11th Round, 172nd Overall: LF Charlie Harvey
School: La Salle Cavaliers
Commit School: Northern Mississippi
1946: .466/.542/.699, 120 PA, 9 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .471/.542/.683, 262 PA, 21 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 63 RBI, 12 SB

As a Chicago kid, Charlie Harvey was already on our radar, but with 5 homers as a senior, he jumped up most draft boards. We were able to get him in the 11th Round, and based on his bat, it could be a very strong selection. He doesn't have a record setting swing by any means, but he's a solid contact hitter who can really drive a mistake. As a corner outfielder he'll have to continue to punish hitters, as he won't offer much out in the field. The bat is good enough to force him into a lineup, but at bats may be hard to come by this season. If we can sign him I'd be happy, but it may be in his best interest to head to Northern Mississippi, where he can compete against some of the best players his age.

12th Round, 188th Overall: LF Jake Hewitt
School: McKinley Tech Trainers
Commit School: Cumberland University
1946: .448/.520/.667, 128 PA, 15 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .443/.522/.663, 497 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 117 RBI, 47 SB

Nothing against Jake Hewitt personally, but I'm going to spend the next few sims trying to lowball him to see how hard I can push an "Extremely Hard" to sign guy. We got Harvey the round before, so the McKinley Tech graduate is a bit redundant. The $1,500 he wants is best allocated elsewhere, and I'm going to see if a below slot $200 will tick him off enough to stop negotiating. If he signs for that, or even somewhere around slot if we have extra cash, I won't be upset, but you can only make the most of so many corner guys. Compared to Harvey he has a better eye and is quicker, but it comes at the expense of a weaker hit tool and limited power. A four year starter, he tallied just 10 homers in 98 games, but had an impressive 71-to-22 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Cumberland University has a good baseball program, so spending three years there could help mold him into a more well-rounded hitter.

13th Round, 204th Overall: RHP Ken Rasmussen
School: Frankford Pioneers
Commit School: Strub College
1946: 10-1, 115.2 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 38 BB, 154 K
Career: 32-10, 426.2 IP, 1.75 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 134 BB, 537 K

A four year starter at Frankford, Ken Rasmussen had his best season as a senior, going a career best 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Along with those three metrics, he set bests in starts (14), innings (115.2), hits (77), strikeouts, K/9 (12.0), and WAR (5.8). Rasmussen is a projectable pick, as he's a towering 6'4'' righty who sits in the mid-to-high 80s. His size and work ethic make it likely to believe he'll add some heat to his fastball, and if he can sit comfortably in the 90s it can be a strong pitch. Currently the heater is the obvious sidekick to his curve, which gets plenty of swings and misses. Rasmussen does a good job keeping the ball on the ground, and has the command to keep the ball in the park. Right now, we have plenty of more exciting options to start games, but he's a decent guy to have stick around and learn. His work ethic should rub off on his teammates, and I bet he'll be hitting the weight room on days he isn't scheduled to throw. He's demanding $1,500, and if I have to meet that I will. We didn't get many pitchers in the later rounds, and I think he's one of the ones that can contribute.

14th Round, 220th Overall: CF Al Lucas
School: Collins Tigers
Commit School: St. Ignatius
1946: .465/.517/.707, 119 PA, 11 2B, 5 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 31 SB
Career: .469/.523/.739, 246 PA, 24 2B, 13 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 62 SB

A two year starter at Collins, Al Lucas is now the highest selected draftee from Collins in Mississippi, but whether he signs or not is the question. Working in his favor is his speed, as he was one of the fastest draft eligible players. The bat needs some work, as his pitch recognition skills need work and he's not going to offer much power. His ability to make contact is his best tool, but it might not end up being anything better then average. His value lies in his defense, as not only does his speed translate to range on the grass, he has a cannon for an arm. He's a good guy too, which paired with his versatility and speed will make him an organizational favorite.

15th Round, 236th Overall: RHP Lee Parker
School: Marysville Monarchs
Commit School: Central Kentucky
1946: 8-1, 94 IP, 1.63 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 25 BB, 133 K
Career: 34-7, 416 IP, 2.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 133 BB, 511 K

A four year starter, Lee Parker put up mediocre numbers his first three seasons, before taking a big step forward as a senior. This attracted scouts from Central Kentucky, but the Ohio native is interested in signing with us. Parker dropped his ERA by 70 points and his WHIP by 17, setting personal bests in K/9 (12.7), BB/9 (2.4), and K/BB (5.3). While some draftees are demanding more then four times their slot value, Lee Parker is demanding a more reasonable $450, just $120 more then its corresponding value. That makes him a low cost depth option to fill a pen spot, as I'm sure I can convince him to signing at slot. A five pitch pitcher, he's one of those guys who is a user of all, but master of none. Starting in the pen could be a benefit for Parker, as he could work on finding which of his five pitches can get good hitters out. He showed improved command this year, potentially shoring up a past issue of his. There's enough in his way to prevent him from being a good starter, but he could earn a spot after crafting his game in the pen.

16th Round, 252nd Overall: SS Ike Cartwright
School: White Haven Bears
Commit School: Miami State
1946: .440/.518/.637, 115 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 12 SB
Career: .445/.528/.630, 505 PA, 39 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 59 SB

A four year starter at the power house West Haven, Ike Cartwright's teammate Bert Heath was taken by the Cannons four rounds later, with teammates Frank Mark and Frank Kings eligible for next year's draft. White Haven had a graduate selected during Ike's sophomore season, with 6'5'' righty John Rosse going to the Kings in the 20th Round. He plays for the Marshalltown Maples, so if Cartwright signs, he may get to face his former teammate in a UMVA game. Tom Weinstock thinks Ike is a big league quality player, not someone you want to guarantee time to, but someone good enough to produce when counted on. He has a strong hit tool paired with good pitch recognition, and with his speed he can do damage on the basepaths. A natural shortstop, Cartwright started his career at third base, and that may be his final spot. I am interested in convincing him to forego his Miami State commitment, but a $1,500 bonus is a reasonably large chunk of cash.

17th Round, 268th Overall: LHP Joe Ament
School: Huntington State Miners
1946: 5-9, 125 IP, 5.47 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 95 BB, 96 K
Career: 10-16, 229.1 IP, 5.61 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 168 BB, 162 K

Joe Ament will be fun, as he's listed as easy to sign while demanding just the $290 his draft position corresponds with. I'm going to try to save some money there, offering him just $100 to see how he reacts. A hardworking southpaw, Ament struggled in a tough college conference, with an ERA higher then his win total in both of his seasons as a Miner. While not an overly exciting pitcher, he has a really good knuckle curve, and he best exemplifies a student of the game. He's not satisfied with his pitching, and he'll work his tail off until no one offers him a job. I like him as pen depth, as we'll need warm bodies in the lower minors.

18th Round, 284th Overall: SS Frankie Moore
School: Pittsburgh State
1946: .268/.337/.350, 208 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 40 SB
Career: .276/.344/.372, 459 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 73 SB

A two year starter at Pittsburgh State, Frankie Moore's best asset is his speed. He swiped 40 bases as a junior, and can run down any groundball hit near him. His defense makes him an asset to us, and not only is he great at short, but he's already gotten time at second and third, as well as left and right. A glove only prospect, he likely won't hit a lick, but for a utility guy you can definitely live with it. He's going to be tough to sign, but I do want him to be a Cougar. I'm starting off with a $500 offer to counter his $800 demand, but I'll move money around to get him in. I'm hoping he'll accept a lower amount, which could help me save some bucks on some of our better guys without worrying about them breaking things off.

19th Round, 310th Overall: LF Tommy Burt
School: Virginia Beach Marlins
Commit School: Darnell State
1946: .421/.492/.553, 133 PA, 8 2B, 2 3B, HR, 30 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .419/.495/.569, 490 PA, 35 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 105 RBI, 33 SB

A four year starter in high school, Burt didn't really do much, hitting under .430 in each season. He topped out at 2 homers, 10 steals, and 17 walks, but he at least managed to strike out five times or less in three of his seasons. We don't really need someone like him, so I fully expect him to enroll at Darnell State. I'm going to slip him a 20, see what he says, and then likely wish him best of luck.

20th Round, 316th Overall: RHP Pat Burnett
School: West Philadelphia Speedboys
Commit School: Chesapeake State
1946: 6-3, 89.1 IP, 2.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 30 BB, 92 K
Career: 13-6, 186.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 68 BB, 212 K

A two year starter at West Philadelphia, Pat Burnett couldn't keep his ERA below 2, but each season he struck out three times as many hitters as he walked. He's a three pitch pitcher, but the change isn't really a pitch. This destines him to a bullpen role, but there's one thing that could work out for him; he's 6'10''! Yes, almost a seven footer! It's the only reason I'm not offering him a dollar, He's very low priority to sign, as he's not much of a pitcher. But 6'10''!!! You don't see that everyday!

21st Round, 332nd Overall: CF Leo Anderson
School: Chester Clippers
Commit School: Baton Rouge State
1946: .455/.508/.682, 126 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 23 SB
Career: .450/.508/.674, 372 PA, 36 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 90 RBI, 54 SB

Another high school outfielder, Leo Anderson has a pretty nice bat, hitting the ball hard and often. Off-speed stuff can still give him trouble, but he mashes fastballs and can catch up to most pitches. He's got great speed as well, so when he puts it in play he has the chance to pick up extra bases. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but if he can continue to hit the ball hard, he could be a fringe starter. His defensive ability makes him an option to fill as a fourth outfielder, and his speed is worthy of late game pinch running. He's going to be tough to sign with money an issue, but he's not someone I'm going to intentionally piss off. Guys like him are very useful for filling out a bench, but three seasons at Baton Rouge State could propel him into the human rounds.

22nd Round, 348h Overall: RHP Matt Stinson
School: Western Florida Wolves
1946: 5-8, 256.1 IP, 6.20 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 90 BB, 54 K
Career: 10-18, 256.1 IP, 6.11 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 187 BB, 109 K

The college numbers aren't pretty, so I'm offering Matt Stinson half of what his slot. He said he's easy to sign, so that might be enough for him. If not, no biggie, as he could go back for his senior year. If not, he could eat innings for San Jose or La Crosse, holding a spot until someone more interesting comes around.

23rd Round, 364th Overall: 1B Bill Bloom
School: West Chester Golden Rams
Commit School: Maryland State
1946: .430/.508/.590, 118 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 SB
Career: .442/.519/.640, 236 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 56 RBI, 9 SB

The only first basemen in the class, Bill Bloom hit just .430 as a senior, which is not enough for a first basemen. Sometimes the ball goes far when he connects, but the frequency of those connections vary. He's always watching better hitters in a way to improve his own game, but he's starting very far from the finish line. He's extremely hard to sign, so I'm going to give him just $50 to see how he takes it. College should treat him well, and Maryland State has a real good team.

24th Round, 380th Overall: 3B Ron Cooper
School: Waverly Knights
Commit School: Oklahoma Bible College
1946: .416/.491/.589, 108 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .416/.494/.589, 470 PA, 37 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 98 RBI, 23 SB

A four year starter at Waverly, Ron Cooper didn't hit too much, with just one season hitting above .420. That was his sophomore year, where he slashed .426/.500/.532 with 7 doubles, a homer, and 24 RBIs. That's not much of a best year, but he's not really that exciting. He could end up with a good eye, but that's not going to be enough. I'm offering him $25, and chances are that offer won't improve much.

25th Round, 396th Overall: CF Aanand Adani
School: Spokane
Commit School: Fremont State
1946: .404/.454/.523, 122 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 23 RBI, 14 SB
Career: .415/.481/.563, 489 PA, 41 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 99 RBI, 29 SB

Would you believe me if I told you that Aanand Adani is not the first Aanand Adani to try to reach the FABL. The former Kings trainer also shares that name, and he spent there seasons in college before retiring without appearing in a minor league game. This Adani won't appear for us, as he hit just .388 last year and has no discernable skillset. In fact, his whole scouting report is "Originally drafted out of Spokane in 1946, Aanand Adani is a 6-foor-0, 165-pound center fielder. Adani will struggle to ever improve his below average hitting and fielding skills." Yep, feels like a 25th Round Pick! I slipped him a $5 bill post draft, but odds are the 17-year-old will spend his next three years at Fremont State.

As the weeks go by, I'll give updates on which guys sign, and which decide to hit the books instead. With all my current offers, we have $20,000 to spread between at least 18 other players. That means all the guys wanting $1,500 aren't going to get it, and about $7,000 will have to go to Frank Reece alone. Bob Allen is going to milk every penny out of us, but I think we'll be able to survive our little financial woe.

ayaghmour2 · 03-30-2023, 08:07 PM

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 44-37 (3rd, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .344 AVG, 1.025 OPS
Harry Sharp : 12 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.533 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 11 K, 1.50 ERA

Schedule
7-1: Win vs Stars (0-11)
7-2: Loss vs Stars (8-3)
7-4: Loss at Saints (3-6)
7-4: Win at Saints (5-4)
7-5: Loss at Saints (0-6)
7-6: Win at Kings (8-0)
7-7: Win at Kings (10-4)
7-7: Win at Kings (7-3)

Recap
This week went about as I expected, as we split with the Stars, lost two of three in Montreal, and then swept the Kings. There were also no one-run losses, and with some improved play, we're now a more respectable, albeit still awful, 10-16 in games decided by a single run. While still a let down, finishing 44-37 in the first half isn't too bad, and four games is far from an insurmountable deficit. Our +88 run differential is tops in either association, 18 runs better then the first place Stars. We're underperforming our expected record by seven, but at least we're starting to make strides in the win column. With 73 games remaining on the schedule, there is plenty of time for normalization, and I still feel very good about our pennant chances.

We'll have six players representing us at the All-Star game, including four of the six starting pitchers on the roster. Donnie Jones was named the starter for the CA, but after beating the Kings in game two of the double header, it's highly unlikely he'll pitch. Donnie is the only of the six in his first All-Star game, as the 26-year-old was snubbed as a rookie in 1942. This time around, he was on 9 of the 11 ballots, four more then any other pitcher in our league. His 14-game complete game streak was snapped, but Jones finished his first half 12-4 with a 2.50 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 40 walks, and 78 strikeouts. Him and Johnnie (6-6, 2.06, 44) make up the fourth brother combo at the All-Star game, with fellow starters Pete Papenfus (10-5, 2.47, 96) and Billy Riley (9-4, 2.47, 46) selected. It will be their second, as well as Johnnie's, which is surprising considering how good both veterans have been. We have two starters in the lineup, but Skipper's (.261, 1, 20, 4) 5-year streak of selection was snapped, and Hank Barnett (.256, 10, 33) will not make his 8th trip. Harry Sharp (.355, 10, 43) and his 165 WRC+ was a serious snub, and Clark Car (.297, 5, 32, 7) was more then deserving. Instead, vets Dick Walker (.276, 10, 33, 10) and Leo Mitchell (.348, 14, 51) will make their fifth and sixth trips respectively. Both are more then deserving, with Mitchell (180) producing the highest WRC+ and Walker (160) the third most. As mentioned, the second most, Harry Sharp's 165, will not be participating, in one of the many, many egregious snubs this time around.

The gem of the draft Bob Allen showed up to Lions camp $27,000 richer. That wasn't the only moniker Allen wears now, as not only is the highest ranked draftee from 1946, but also the highest ranked minor league pitcher. He pushed Duke Bybee one spot down to 5th, ranking behind just the New York Ralph's Hanson (Stars) and Johnson (Kings), as well as recent Dynamo debutee Edwin Hackberry (.208, 1). His time at the top may be short, as #1 pick John Stallings has yet to sign, but at this point in time, we have the #1 farm system. The craziest thing is Allen ranks with even higher potential then All-Star starter Donnie Jones, with just good ol' Peter the Heater listed with higher potential. It will be a long time before he reaches that, as OSA thinks he'll be ready for the 1949 season. I'd be surprised if he debuts before 1950, and he may need 30-40 starts before moving on up. Allen leads a group of 8 top 100 prospects (Jimmy Hairston is at 101...), giving us one more point (191) then the first place Stars, who dropped a bit after graduating rookie All-Star Bill Barnett (.297, 12, 47) and slugging outfielder Jack Welch (.280, 9, 42). We could add a few points as well, as besides Allen, just 4th Rounder Kid Moore (365th) has inked their first contract. Not all the guys responded to my lowball offers, but of the ones that did, none have broken off negotiations. This should help me save a few bucks on my over slot guys, as we look to restock the lower levels.

Looking back on the week, Joe Brown finally looked like Joe Brown, and while it was the Kings, it was nice to see him look like a pitcher again. He didn't get any strikeouts, but walked just one in a 5-hit shutout in a commanding 8-0 victory. With six games in five days each of the next two weeks, Brown will continue to get starts to help manage workload of our talented hurlers. His 3.56 FIP (103 FIP-) is almost average, and his 1.27 WHIP is just two points higher then Johnnie's and Harry Parker's. Those two pitched in losses, with Johnnie tagged with the loss. He struggled in Montreal, allowing 11 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The errors didn't matter, as Wally Doyle (9-6, 3.17, 79) was near flawless, tossing a 2-hit shutout with a single walk and three punchouts. Jones' ERA is back above two, but the 2.06 (166 ERA+) still paces the league. Parker faired a little better against the Saints, but left after just five innings of a tied game. He allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. After a rough start to the season, Parker is still 3-7 despite a 2.95 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP. He's struck out 40 and walked just 22 in 85.1 innings pitched split between 12 starts. He's on pace for just 162.1 innings, which would be the first full season of his since 1939 when he didn't throw 250 or more innings. The 31-year-old is a reliable middle rotation arm, but eventually Duke Bybee will be up, and his low stamina could find him moving to the pen. If he never hurt his elbow, this would have never been considered, but the years of 20+ complete games are behind him.

With how good the pitching has been, it's easy to forget that Peter the Heater is really good. He made that clear this week, picking up a pair of complete game victories to end his first half. He neutralized the best offense in the lead, spinning a 2-hit shutout with no walks and 7 strikeouts in our 11-0 massacre of the Stars. The Kings managed to do more damage, hitting two of his six allowed homers in our 10-4 win. Pap allowed 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 5 walks, setting down 4 to end is second half 10-5. He's now four strikeouts away from 100, but his 6.1 K/9 remains to be significantly lower then any of his previous season. The good news is the 3.6 BB/9 would also be a low, as his 1.7 K/BB is still in line with his Allen winning season. Donnie Jones made two starts, but for the first time all season, they weren't complete games. He went 8+ against the Stars, charged with 4 hits, 8 runs (5 earned), and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The ninth was tough for him, as he allowed four runs off two walks and two hits. He then went just seven on short rest against the Kings, but came away with his 12th win of the season. Donnie allowed 9 hits and 3 runs with 5 strikeouts, finishing his second half with a 2.50 ERA (137 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP. With the All-Star game two days away, I doubt he'll get an appearance, but it's none-the-less a great accolade for an even greater pitcher. The two have been must watch baseball all season long, and they really deserve to be showcased on the brightest stage.

Billy Hunter finally had a good week, but guess what? He got injured! He was 3-for-8 with a double, triple, run, and RBI before spraining his knee yet again. No IL stint needed, but we'll keep the 31-year-old utility man out of the lineup until healthy. Despite relative health, it's been a disastrous season for Hunter, who has hit just .218/.284/.324 (73 OPS+). If there's any consolation, his second base defense has been elite, and he does have 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 12 RBIs in 155 trips to the plate. Don Lee also had a much needed offensive explosion, going 4-for-11 with a homer, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. With Hunter out, he may get a start or two in right, and after a .176/.263/.176 (27 OPS+) April, he's brought his season line up to .274/.405/.323 (109 OPS+) in 81 trips to the plate. Even when he wasn't producing, his leadership is huge in the clubhouse, and his speed and versatility have been crucial. For someone who produced a 137 WRC+ as a 23-year-old, it's weird that he has just 81 PAs this year, but he's proved everything in the minors already, and he's helped Carlos Montes stay healthy.

Leo Mitchell may have lost his lead in the batting title, but it wasn't because he didn't hit. Mitchell went 11-for-32 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 2 walks, 6 runs, and 10 RBIs. He's hit pretty much everything all the time, slashing .348/.389/.542 (164 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 14 homers, and 51 RBIs. His home run total matches his output from 1944, and he's one away from tying his previous best set in 1940. If the season ended today, Mitchell would be a unanimous Whitney Winner, with the toughest competition coming from his teammates, Walker and Sharp. Sharp leapfrogged Mitchell in the batting race, hitting an even 6-for-12 with 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. Sharp's .355 average is 7 points higher then Mitchell's, and he hasn't really killed us with his defense. His insertion into the lineup has been huge, and while it's only half a season, that trade is looking really good for us. I think this will start the Hal Sharp revenge tour. I don't think he's just going for Mitchell's batting title, the arrogant and self-important masher wants the Whitney too. The third of the WRC+ trio, Dick Walker, had a good week himself, but 3-for-12 with a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 steals, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs seems ordinary compared to what Mitchell and Sharp posted. The 39-year-old finishes his second half with a .276/.387/.522 (158 OPS+) batting line, and is half way to a 20/20 season, something he hasn't accomplished since 1930. He's been everything we could have asked for at the top of the order, and he single handedly won us games when the rest of the team was still getting warmed up.

Lastly, we had some transactional moves to make, starting with the recall of Harry MacRae from AAA to replace Rusty Petrick. MacRae has been nothing short of elite for the Blues, going 4-0 with 14 saves, a 0.70 ERA (563 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 9 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He's thrown 38.2 innings in 29 appearances, and has been worth a full win above replacement out of the pen. His 2.69 FIP (69 FIP-) is absolutely elite, and I think MacRae could be a lockdown stopper, even if we don't really need one. 25 in August, MacRae dominates with a fastball-curve mix, as he excels at both hitting the zone and keeping the ball on the ground. Even as a starter last season, MacRae had a 1.9 BB/9 last season, a bit better then his 2.1 this season. He ranks as our best reliever according to Tom Weinstock, and I expect him to put together a Ben Curtin like career in terms of longevity. I also went ahead and cut Rich Langton, which puts us at $1,821 in the green. Year 11 hasn't gone well, and since he's dealing with a fractured hand, it's not worth paying his salary. I did offer him a minor league deal, but he could catch on in the GWL instead. A career .291/.349/.434 (117 OPS+) hitter, Langton appeared in 1,240 games, accumulating 211 doubles, 83 triples, 76 homers, 64 steals, 620 runs, and 584 RBIs. Our 3rd Rounder back in 1932, Langton was one of the more productive big leaguers when he first came up, producing WRC+ above 100 in eight of his first nine seasons. Even if this marks the end of his FABL career, he was extremely successful, and worth 21.1 WAR. It was hard to let him go, but we have about $24k to distribute to our draftees, many of who are far more exciting and useful to our future.

Looking Ahead
Just a three day All-Star break this year, so we'll be right back in action on Thursday. We finished and will now start on the row, with a tough first series in Cincinnati. The Cannons sit two games above us and two behind the Stars, still in reach of a fourth consecutive pennant. They are where they are because of their offense, led by surprising WAR Lord (4.8) Denny Andrews. Andrews was an obvious unanimous selection for third base, now representing the Cannons in the past two games. He slumped a bit towards the end, but his .282/.398/.405 (125 OPS+) batting line is well above average. His 147 WRC+ is one of the best in the league, and he's provided 19 doubles, 6 homers, 40 RBIs, 58 walks, and a whopping 11.4 zone rating at the hot corner. He leads all third basemen in that and efficiency (1.084), and is having his best season at 30. He's not their only All-Star, although Adam Mullins (.303, 5, 32) is the only catcher. Mullins and Andrews are one of six representatives, equal to ours as the most sent by a Continental Association team. As expected, Rufus Barrell (10-4, 2.66, 66) will make his fifth trip, Chuck Adams (.278, 16, 59) is making his first trip, and Fred Galloway's (.283, 4, 39, 2) first since 1943. That may seem like a long time, but it really is six consecutive selections for Galloway, as 1943 was his last full season. Galloway has deserved every selection, as he's the class of the association. Since his first All-Star selection in 1939, he's produced a WRC+ of 120 or better to go with a positive defensive efficiency. Last season was the only season he didn't put up at least +5 ZR, but that's because he spent the first few months finishing his time with the Coast Guard.

As good as their lineup is, I'm confident in our chances to start the second half with a series win. Don't get me wrong, Rufus Barrell (10-4, 2.66, 66) will be tough, but he's going to be facing Pete Papenfus in a highly anticipated ace-off. The thing is, Rufus doesn't have a Donnie, or a Johnnie, or even a Parker or Riley. Their #2 is Red Hampton, who is 9-5 with a 3.94 ERA (89 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP in his aged 39 season. Their projected third starter is Les Bradshaw (7-8, 3.35, 68), who they signed this offseason after was let loose by the Eagles. In the pen they have "All-Star" Art Edwards (3-2, 9, 2.39, 21) who has looked good in his just under 40 innings as the Cannons stopper. They're middle of the pack in runs allowed, and I think our lineup will do a very good job putting runners on base. Whether we can capitalize is the question, but a rested and healthy lineup will be ready to go.

Sunday is one of the previously mentioned double headers, as we'll face a struggling Wolves team. They've lost seven of their last eight games, and are just 38-43. Walt Pack's production has absolutely cratered, as the reigning Whitney Winner is hitting just .220/.277/.296 (57 OPS+) with just 8 doubles, 4 homers, and 27 RBIs. Pack has produced a 110 WRC+ or higher in each of his last five seasons, and put up totals of 156 and 146, but he's at just 65 through 76 games. I have no idea why he's struggled so heavily, but in all honesty it's kept the Wolves out of a pennant race. Charlie Artuso (.266, 8, 44, 4) has started to cool off, but he's still putting up great numbers, while major snub Fred McCormick (.273, 9, 40, 3) has a 154 WRC+ in his first full season since 1940. The 36-year-old deserved an 8th selection, but perhaps the Wolves struggles contributed to it. Same goes for George Garrison (6-8, 2.61, 55), Joe Hancock (5-8, 3.11, 41), and Jimmy Gibbs (7-4, 3.10, 36). Juan Pomales' (.298, 1, 17, 2) strained oblique has healed up, but he's now dealing with a quadriceps soreness. When he's hurt they've really struggled, even with the production from first time All-Star Hank Giordano (.322, 4, 48, 13) and former Cougar farmhands Hal Wood (.332, 1, 22) and Chink Stickels (.258, 4, 33, 6). Don't count them out yet, this team has a ton of talent, but I hope we can extend their struggles a bit longer. We need to get off on the right foot if we want to catch the Stars, who we will deal with plenty in the final two months of the season.

Minor League Report
C Eddie Howard (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Knocking very loudly on the door is Eddie Howard, who was named the Century League Player of the Week. Howard went 15-for-23 with 5 doubles, 7 runs, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and zero strikeouts. Despite just 7 games in A ball back in 1942, Howard has been up to the challenge in AAA, slashing .342/.398/.450 (128 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 31 runs, 24 RBIs, and 22 walks. His 136 WRC+ is impressive, even as Howard has yet to hit one out of the park. He's still yet to hit a minor league home run in over 200 games, but that hasn't taken away from his value. His hit tool is elite, and while he won't homer, he's got the chance to lead the league in doubles with regularity. He's decent behind the plate too, but if he just had a little pop, he could be the best catcher in the game. Recently turned 23, there is a slight chance he can pick it up, but its not easy to teach power. Prospect evaluators are unphased, as he ranks as the 37th best prospect and fourth best catcher. Howard is on the 40, so it's only a matter of time before he debuts, and he'll every chance to earn a roster spot next spring. He's ready for the big leagues, and with Harry Mead 32 and hitting just .237/.324/.343 (90 OPS+), it may not be much longer before he starts starting games with a Cougar uniform.

LHP Ed Fisler (AA Mobile Commodores): The season didn't start all that great for Ed Fisler, who on June 14th allowed 9 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks, dropping to 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA. Since that misstep Fisler has been excellent, and topped off a three game complete game victory streak with a 6-hit shutout. He walked 3 and struck out 2 in a 2-0 win over the Memphis Excelsiors. This improved the southpaw to 8-3 on the season with a 3.27 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 37 walks, and 39 strikeouts. The 24-year-old is no longer on the 40-man roster, but we were able to keep him in the organization even after releasing him. He's going to keep starting this season, but he'll need to show us more if he wants to hold a rotation spot. These next three months will be huge for Fisler, who can think of it as an extended audition. He does have the stuff to start in the big leagues, but I think he's best suited for a pen role. He throws hard and could strike out plenty of hitters, but his command isn't good enough to take him deep into games. Fisler is currently the ace of the Commodores staffs, but that's because all the highly touted youngsters like Bybee and Thorpe are in Milwaukee. Still, he checks in at 391st in the league, and should remain in the top 500 even after all the new draftees sign.

ayaghmour2 · 03-31-2023, 09:32 PM

Weekly Record: 5-0
Seasonal Record: 49-37 (2nd, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.143 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 19 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .526 AVG, 1.182 OPS
Carlos Montes : 16 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.162 OPS

Schedule
7-11: Win at Cannons (8-7)
7-12: Win at Cannons (5-2)
7-13: Win at Cannons (3-1)
7-14: Win at Wolves (8-2)
7-14: Win at Wolves (8-0)

Recap
Back. So back. Oh, so, so, so, so, SO! BACK!!!!!!!!!

The Cougars came roaring out of the gates, winning five straight to up our win streak to eight, with all eight victories coming on the road. We followed up the sweep of the Kings with a sweep in Cincy, while capping it off with a double header sweep in Toronto. Surprisingly, we've been far more effective away from home, now 27-17 on the road compared to a middling 22-20. We added another one run win, increased our run differential over the century mark, and cut the Stars deficit in half to just two games. We also sport the top four pitchers in the CA in ERA, with Johnnie Jones (2.06) leading Donnie Jones (2.41), Pete Papenfus (2.44), and Billy Riley (2.47). Even Harry Parker (9th, 2.92) isn't too far back, cracking the top ten for our association.

The All-Star game went well for the CA, escaping with a 2-1 victory to snap the Feds win streak. With Donnie unavailable, brother Johnnie got the start, twirling a pair of hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout. Billy Riley struggled a bit, allowing 3 hits, a walk, and the only run, but he still managed to hold the lead. No luck for Mitchell or Walker, with both finishing 0-for-3. Walker at least walked, but they at least saved their production for the week.

We'll have to delay the Harry Sharp Revenge Tour a week, as his 2-for-20 was one of the few blemishes on the perfect week. Leo Mitchell went on a tear, an even 11-for-22 with 4 doubles, a homer, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. He reclaimed the batting title lead, now slashing .358/.394/.560 (170 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 15 homers, and 56 RBIs. He's still in the triple crown race, a homer and three RBIs behind Chuck Adams, while leading Harvey Brown (.336, 1, 34, 24) by 22 points. Walker also faired much better in our games, 6-for-16 with a triple, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Skipper Schneider continued to heat up, going an absurd 10-for-19 with 2 doubles, a walk, and 3 runs scored. He followed up a .258/.301/.340 (83 OPS+) June, which was actually better then May, with a .388/.423/.429 (143 OPS+) July. Carlos Montes was productive as well, 6-for-16 with a walk, pair of solo homers, and 3 runs. Harry Mead provided some pop too, 5-for-16 with a homer, double, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. The offensive explosion pushed us up to 3rd in runs with 378, just 19 away from the league leading Stars. Obviously, my excitement is through he roof right now, and for the first time since April, I'd put the odds above 50% of the Cougars topping the association.

Despite pitching in the All-Star game, Billy Riley did not make a start this week, as I didn't know if things would be all wonky with at least four starting pitchers missing the All-Star game. With six games in five days, that meant either doubling him up with one of our other starters, but I took this as an opportunity to reset our rotation. Harry Parker was the only guy who wasn't at the All-Star game, and the only guy guaranteed to rested. That meant he pitched the opener, and I don't trust him on short rest. As our five, I could then start Pap game two, with Donnie following, Johnnie in game one, and Joe Brown in game two. Our captain was brilliant in our 8-0 crushing, throwing another 5-hit, 1-walk shutout, but this time it came with 5 strikeouts. He's now allowed just 2 runs in his last 26 innings, with just 14 hits, 7 walks, and 13 strikeouts. His 3.99 ERA (86 ERA+) still isn't great, but that 3.34 FIP (97 FIP-) is back above average. If we can get good innings from him, things will really start working in our favor.

After one save in the first half, it took just one game for our second, after a very weird game in Cincinnati. Harry Parker made the start, tossing 7 excellent innings with 5 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. We were down 2-1 heading into the 8th, but piled on 7 runs (3 earned) to put Parker in line for the win. Rusty Watts threw a scoreless 8th, but he collapsed in the ninth. He allowed four hits and two walks, leaving with one out, bases loaded, and a two run lead. That made for a very tough debut for Harry MacRae, who threw a 0-1 curve in the dirt, advancing all runners and bringing the Cannons within one. Thankfully, he got Denny Andrews to send a weak pop to left for out two, and then got Chuck Adams to swing under a 3-1 curve to finish things off. Hopefully the first of many saves for MacRae, who is already just 11 saves away from Allen Purvis for 10th most in a Cougar uniform. In fact, the top five are the only pitchers with more then 20, and Bill Mendine's 137 the only Cougar with more then 60.

The last three starts went to the All-Stars, with Pap and the Jones brothers all coming away with complete game victories. It started in Cincinnati with Pap, who allowed 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Donnie then followed that up with one of this best starts of his season, just 4 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 7 strikeouts for his league best 13th win. It's his 6th start already allowing one or fewer earned runs, as he looks to make a case for his first Allen Award. He may have to compete with his brother, who allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts in a win over the Wolves. His 7-6 record may lose him votes, but his league best 2.06 ERA (166 ERA+) is something to be proud of. Having Skipper at short has been huge for "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" and excellent defense from Clark Car and Billy Hunter have helped erase a lot of his 66 walks. The off day tomorrow means Pap will be fully rested to start the week, allowing us to give our best starters more starts.

In draft news, none of our guys I offered contracts signed, as "Extremely Hard" does really mean extremely hard. None of the guys will take discounts at the increment I offered, and a second bad offer has caused our 23rd and 24th rounders to break off negotiations. The lowest pick to sign will be 22nd Rounder Matt Stinson, who is "Normal" and demanding slot. Even if we run out of money, we can always offer slot. He's likely to be one of the last guys to sign, but as a bullpen only guy who owns a 6.11 ERA, his time on the roster might be short. The more exciting Bob Allen had a scare, as he left his first pro start after seven batters. He allowed a hit and a walk, setting down two of his five outs with a strikeout. He was diagnosed with back stiffness, so we'll play it safe and IL him so it doesn't get worse. This gives Wally Eversole a chance to make what could be his only start of the season, as I'm hoping Bill Sweet (7th) and Harry Beardsley (10th) sign quickly, as I want them getting as many starts as possible this season. With all my offers out, we have a bit more then $4,000 remaining, so I sent Howie Sharp to the Gothams for $2,500. An 11th Rounder from 1944, Sharp was having a solid season in AA, 6-4 with a 2.97 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP in 12 starts. Through 88 innings, the 23-year-old struck out 48, exactly twice as many batters as he walked. We have a logjam of pitching in the minors, and with the cash brought in we can potentially sign two draft picks we wouldn't have been able to otherwise. There are still a few guys I could release to save some cash, but I prefer that as a last resort. We don't have many bad salaries, other then the salary retained of Rabbit Mudd. When that trade was made, I thought I had a lot more money, but minor league financials didn't kick in. It will be interesting if Mudd can make the difference in a tight pennant race, so it may be a deal I end up greatly regretting.

Looking Ahead
Can we make it nine? We'll have to beat Toronto, who could either go with Joe Hancock (5-9, 3.26, 43) on four days rest or rookie 28-year-old Red More (0-0, 3, 1.74, 7), their fully rested sixth starter who has yet to start a big league game. It won't be easy for either one of them to win, as they'll have to best Billy Riley, who went 9-4 with a 2.47 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.03 WHIP in his 14 starts. Our lineup has now scored (378) more runs then their's (360) and we'll hold the advantage in either pitching matchup. Juan Pomales (.288, 1, 18, 3) is healthy again, and him and Hal Wood (.332, 1, 22) have hit well. Those two were part of the Donnie Jones trade, and were plenty productive during the war years, so it's interesting to see the perspective of the trade start to shift a bit. Some in the media think the Wolves window is closing (I don't, for whatever it's worth), and if it truly is, these two could be enticing trade candidates if they embark on a rebuild. There's always rumors once anyone passes 30, but the Wolves have some intriguing youngsters who could make a difference this year or next. Our momentum gives us a huge edge, and I think we'll continue commanding road trip with yet another complete game win.

If we lose, the off day will be nice, but I'd hate to give the guys time to think before going for ten straight. We'll be facing the Foresters, who got swept in a double header against the Stars to start the week, and will host them for two more before we come to town. They'll have a big role in the pennant race, as skewed results can really benefit one of us. We're stuck getting Richie Hughes, the 23-year-old star who got the victory in the All-Star game. A top ten prospect entering the season, the Chicago kid will enter his start 12-7 with a 2.54 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 53 walks, and 91 strikeouts. He's gotten the decision in each of his starts, and has the lowest ERA of any non-Cougar pitcher in the Continental Association. We'll hope to raise that up plenty, and are expected to draw Hiram Steinberg (4-8, 3.38, 38) and Augie Hayes Jr. (4-9, 5.15, 45). With a double header, they could move Bill Martino (2-10, 5.77, 73) back into the rotation, but I like our chances against any of the non-Hughes options. The lineup has scored the fewest (291) runs in the association, and I like our odds in any sort of pitcher's duel. Jim Adams Jr. (.261, 2, 46, 3) has cooled down and Leon Blackridge (.263, 2, 24) and Hank Stratton (.292, 23) aren't too scary. The Foresters have bested us in six of our eleven meetings, but we'll still be considered the favorites to win.

We finish our week in Philly, with three games over the weekend. The Sailors have also given us some trouble, as we've split our twelve contests. They sit tied for fourth with the Saints, six games behind the Stars. In what could be a cost saving move, the Sailors waived Doc Newell (2-8, 4.63, 36), the franchise leader in wins (194), strikeouts (1,312), starts (433), and innings pitched (3,441.1). The remainder of his nearly $40,000 salary will be paid by the Kings, who could either insert him in the rotation with former Cougars Rusty Petrick (1-3, 2.89, 16) and Leo Hayden (9-8, 3.34, 65). The Kings are a good environment for a struggling vet to get back on track pitching in low stress situations. His knowledge could be invaluable for the young staff, and I'd love guys like Hayden, Mel Haynes (1-6, 1, 6.75, 24), Harry Stewart (1-5, 5.23, 19), and Pinch Lenhart to learn a thing or two from the old vet.

The Sailors felt comfortable letting him go, as the pitching factory in Philadelphia always has someone good ready to go. As they set their sights on the pennant, they've started using former 11th Rounder Frank Sartori. His success has been ridiculous, allowing just two earned runs in his first three starts. He followed that up with a 1-hitter in Toronto, walking four and striking out two. He followed it up with four hits, walks, and strikeouts in eight shutout innings. The hard throwing 23-year-old now owns a 1.37 ERA (260 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP in 59.1 innings split between the rotation and pen. His strikeout (32) numbers have been good, but he's walking (28) nearly as many batters. They've had to make up for Slick Wesolowski's absence (9-2, 2.69, 53), and Win Lewis (7-4, 3.91, 42) has not been himself. Part of it is bad luck, his 3.18 FIP (89 FIP-) is in line with his value from his excellent season last year. His 1.8 K/BB is impressive and he's actually walking a few less batters per inning. If he can turn things around and Wesolowski returns to form, they could be a tough team to beat in September.

There's also the breakout of Harvey Brown, who's slashing .336/.413/.450 (136 OPS+) in 405 trips to the plate. The 30-year-old represented the Sailors at the All-Star game, and his 152 WRC+ ranks fourth in the CA. He leads the circuit with 24 steals, and has crushed 11 doubles and 13 triples with a homer, 40 walks, and 4.7 WAR. Ed Reyes (.336, 6, 46) is showing that last year was no fluke, posting a 139 WRC+ that is just two points lower then his mark in his breakout last season. 1944 Whitney Winner Marion Boismenu (.296, 1, 31, 7) has started to heat up, and rookies Cotton Dillon (.250, 3, 34) and Les Cunha (.296, 4, 45) look like legitimate long-term building blocks. Don's brother Rip Lee (.293, 5, 33, 4) even took home the recent Player of the Week, 9-for-19 with with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. These games will be tough, but without Slick we'll have each pitching advantage. Don't get me wrong, Charlie Gordon (8-6, 2.94, 56) is really good, but the way things line up, he shouldn't be rested for the series. This ends an 18 games road trip that we've started 9-2. A big week here and we might actually be in first place, as the Stars will be on the road against the Foresters, Wolves, and Cannons. They've also faired very well on the road (26-16), so movement may be minimal as we approach the trade deadline.

Minor League Report
LF Bill Rich (AAA Milwaukee Blues): One of the guys at risk of release, Bill Rich just had a great week, going 12-for-27 with a homer and ten RBIs. He was voted the Player of the Week in the Century League, but he's hit just .291/.352/.370 (94 OPS+) in the 74 games he's played. Since he debuted last season, Rich has a $7,000 salary, so if we release him it frees up the remaining balance. That would be a tough end for the 3rd Round Pick, who hit .312/.371/.391 (120 OPS+) in 70 trips to the plate last season. Now 27, he doesn't have much upside, and his only real role is as a bench bat. That makes him expendable, and we're going to have a lot of young outfielders joining the roster. As a corner bat who can help us sign more guys, Rich might be nearing the end of his time here. If I release him, I will try to get him back on a minor league deal, but a GWL offer may be more enticing.

ayaghmour2 · 04-02-2023, 06:51 PM

Okay, I think we're finally done acquiring cash! We freed up about $6,000 by sending Mike Thorpe to the Kings for $3,000 and their 9th Round selection. Currently 31-57, that 9th Round selection could be the first pick, giving us back-to-back seasons with the first pick in the June draft. This wasn't my intention when acquiring the pick, but this deal should make it so we can sign all our draft picks that I want. This includes pricey 9th Rounder John Price, who I thought I'd be forced to let go to Alabama A&T. We should have plenty of guys signing tomorrow, but the rest will trickle in. Pretty much everyone from the 12th on will stay unsigned for awhile, and I bet many will break negotiations off in the coming weeks.

Losing Thorpe hurts, but we have plenty of pitching depth and a few more talented arms coming in. Our 4th Rounder from 1944 debuted last season, going 1-4 with 2 saves, a 4.26 ERA (85 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP. He wasn't having the best luck in Milwaukee this season, just 4-5 with a 4.08 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP in 68.1 innings. He's walking an uncharacteristically high 36 hitters compared to 11 strikeouts. While never a big strikeout arm, his K/9 in AAA is a full point lower then in 38 innings in Chicago. Recently turned 24, Thorpe is already a decent back-end starter, and may join Rusty Petrick and Leo Hayden in the Kings rotation. If not, he's likely to get an audition in the Spring, as after recently moving Rats McGonigle (.242, 6, 23, 8) to the Eagles for righty Chet Reed and a pair of draft picks. With their eyes set on the future, former top 10 prospect and cousin of Cliff Moss, John Moss, will take over in center. At 24, he'll be the oldest member of the outfield, as Brooklyn already had 23-year-olds John Beaver (.270, 10) and Joe Rutherford (.188, 1, 8, 2) in the corners. More trades could be on the way, as Tim Hopkins (.255, 11, 30) could be a very enticing piece for a contender.

ayaghmour2 · 04-03-2023, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

This one is coming out late as we are stuck with night sims while our commissioner is out of town. If I finish up too late I will post it first thing the next morning.

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 53-40 (2nd, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 29 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .379 AVG, .883 OPS
Billy Riley : 2 Wins, 16.2 IP, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.62 ERA
Hal Sharp : 26 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .385 AVG, .890 OPS

Schedule
7-15: Win at Wolves (3-2)
7-17: Win at Foresters (2-1)
7-18: Loss at Foresters (3-9)
7-19: Loss at Foresters (0-1)
7-20: Win at Sailors (2-1)
7-21: Loss at Sailors (4-8)
7-21: Win at Sailors (3-1)

Recap
Well, it wasn't a great week by any means, but we did the most important thing we could. We gained ground. And plenty of it. The Stars scuffled, dropping five of eight on their road trip, while we extended our win streak to ten, before dropping three of the next five. It was an anti-Cougar week, as we won the close ones and actually got blown out a bit. Sure, there was another close game Forester shutout, this time courtesy of Ducky Davis (10-4, 3.13, 48), but they also piled on eight runs against Donnie Jones (13-5, 2.79, 87), chasing him out with two outs in the sixth. Now in pouncing distance of first, we'll have a nice homestand to look forward to.

That homestand will be without Joe Brown, who was just starting to get things figured out. Brown left in the fifth inning of his start with a strained tendon in his triceps, and he'll miss the next three weeks. Brown had a dreadful start to the season, but was on a 28.2 inning scoreless streak that brought his ERA down to 3.76 ERA (90 ERA+)_and his WHIP to 1.17. Lucky for us, we're down with the double headers for a bit, as none are scheduled until August 11th where we'll play two in New York. If we needed someone to make starts, I'd have called up Duke Bybee (8-2, 1.81, 64), so instead Charlie Kelsey will get a shot to make his big league debut. It won't happen for a few days, as he just finished his 13 start of the season, improving to 5-2 on the season. The former 9th Round Pick has worked to a 2.89 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP with 31 walks and 50 strikeouts. This opens up another rotation spot in the minors, as we have more guys then spots to cover.

Our farm system got a huge boost, as 2nd Rounder Frank Reece inked his $7,500 signing bonus. The 18-year-old will make his debut this week down in La Crosse as the league's 23rd best prospect. That's two slots higher then last year's 3rd Pick Johnny Peters, who's ranked 25 and hitting .258/.355/.390 (107 OPS+) with the Commodores. He's one of four top 25 prospects, led by Bob Allen who moved up to third. He now trails just John Stallings (1-0, 1.17, 5), who had a stellar debut for the Chiefs, and last year's #2 pick Ralph Hanson. Allen has a legitimate shot to end the season as the #1 prospect, as I'm sure Stallings will graduate. Our system ranks #1 with 193 points, as we hold 4 top 25 prospects, 8 top 100 prospects, 19 top 250 prospects, and 38 top 500 prospects. We still have more draftees to sign, but 5th Rounder Phil Boyes ranks 141st. The only other prospect to sign this week was 7th Rounder Bill Sweet, but since he signed the last day of the sim, he won't be ranked until tomorrow.

Huge week for Billy Riley, who picked up two more wins to improve to an impressive 11-4 record in 16 starts. He went 7.2 innings against the Wolves, allowing 9 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. He followed that up with a better start against the Sailors, just 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Peter the Heater was brilliant in his start, picking up a complete game victory with 7 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones had very bad luck in his start, as he drew Davis in the 1-0 shutout. He finished with 4 hits, a run, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts, with a Ken Vance sac-fly sending the home fans home happy. Despite a league low 2.00 ERA (170 ERA+), he's just 7-7 in his 16 starts. I already touched on Donnie Jones' brutal start, but Harry Parker's wasn't much better. He went 6 with 12 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks while failing to strike out a single Sailor. This dropped him to 4-8 with a 3.39 ERA (100 ERA+). I'm not ready to give up on Parker, but with a few more rough starts I may turn to Bybee. Once he's up, I don't want to send him down again, and I don't think he's better then Parker yet. It'll be tough to keep Bybee down, but for now, I think it's best to keep the youngster in the farm where he can pitch every five games instead of being the guy skipped when Pap and the Jones Brothers are ready to go.

This officially marks the start of the Hal Sharp revenge tour, as the All-Star snub hit like he did in the first half of the season. He went 10-for-26 with two doubles, two walks, a run and RBI. While Sharp didn't provide much pop, Carlos Montes did, contributing a 8-for-26 with four doubles and a homer. He added 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs as well, upping his season line to .253/.336/.400 (110 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 15 steals, 36 RBIs, and 39 walks. He's been one of the best batters in July, slashing .297/.376/.500 (150 OPS+) in 19 games. He'll have Batter of the Month competition from Skipper Schneider, who is hitting .385/.415/.449 (147 OPS+) after going 11-for-29 with a double, triple, run walk, and 3 RBIs. Those three carried the lineup this week, as most of the rest struggled. Hank Barnett has stayed ice cold, going just 3-for-27 with a walk, run, and RBI. His 100 WRC+ would be a career low, as the year off has taken something out of his bat. Dick Walker and Leo Mitchell had down weeks too, as the consistent veterans went just 7-for-46. Mitchell did hit his 16th homer, which ties him with Chuck Adams (.267, 16, 64) for the CA lead. He still trails Adams by 5 RBIs, but his .345 average still leads the league. I know Mitchell, he'll be putting up Player of the Week numbers next time tomorrow.

Looking Ahead
We'll head home to prep for a three game set with the Cannons, who sit third and two games behind us. Slugger Al Wheeler (.233, 12, 41) hasn't been himself this season, but he hit his 500th career homer of Jake DeYoung (3-5, 4.75, 15) and 501 off Bill Ross (3-7, 3.93, 29) five innings later. It was his fourth homer in three days, and if he starts heating up, it could push the Cannons back in the playoff race. They score plenty of runs, but Rufus Barrell (11-5, 2.77, 73), who we are stuck facing, is their only reliable starting pitcher. There may not be many on the market either, so the Cannons may have to hope that Butch Smith (7-11, 3.60, 55) can regain his form, or Bob Arman (9-4, 4.48, 60) can look like a #1 pick against teams that aren't us. Those are the three we'll face, and they'll have to deal with our three best. Even with our struggles at home, I like our chances here, but we'll have to keep runs off the board. I brought up Adams earlier, but they have plenty of firepower around him with Adam Mullins (.291, 5, 33), Sam Brown (.328, 3, 33), Fred Galloway (.273, 4, 43, 2) and Denny Andrews (.280, 7, 45). This will be tough, but if we're the team I think we are, it could be enough to push us to first.

After that its three with the Sailors (50-44), who will be swapping places with the Cannons. They start there week in New York with the Stars, who will then host the Cannons (although for four), once we are done with them. Ed Reyes is keeping pace with Leo Mitchell in the batting race, making for an interesting competition. Reyes, who's hitting .341/.395/.461 (135 OPS+), was taken a round before Mitchell, but the two never played together in Chicago. I sent him to the Chiefs in the blockbuster for Joe Masters and Dave Rankin (spoiler: it did not work out...), and he debuted the following season with the Chiefs. He was involved in another major deal almost exactly two years to the date, part of the blockbuster that brought Rabbit Day to the Gothams.

The former first rounder continued to bounce around, going back to the Chiefs before a stint with he Dynamos. He has seemed to find a home with the Sailors, as after hitting .387/.414/.509 (165 OPS+) strictly as a bench bat, they penciled him into the starting lineup the next season. He's trying to defend his batting title, where he hit .344/.392/.451 (143 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, and 73 RBIs. To my surprise, he's followed that up with another good year, already matching his 7 homers from last season. He does have some help in the lineup, with Harvey Brown's (.334, 1, 35, 24) breakout and strong seasons from Cotton Dillon (.256, 3, 34, 3), Rip Lee (.294, 6, 37, 5), and Les Cunha (.301, 5, 51). Marion Boismenu (.301, 5, 51) is starting to show signs of life again and if they decide to add to their rotation they could push themselves up the standings. Charlie Gordon (9-6, 2.90, 59) needs some help, and while Frank Sartori (4-2, 1.76, 35) has looked good, I'm not sure it will be sustainable. Slick Wesolowski (9-2, 2.69, 53) suffered a setback, and may not pitch again for two more months, but they may decide to rely on in-house option John Thomas Johnson (2-2, 1, 2.89, 8). This will be another tough week, but I'm hoping we can get revenge for the two of three they just pulled on us on their turf.

ayaghmour2 · 04-05-2023, 12:05 AM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 57-42 (2nd, 1 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 20 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.029 OPS
Donnie Jones : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .286 AVG, .776 OPS

Schedule
7-23: Win vs Cannons (2-4)
7-24: Win vs Cannons (0-3)
7-25: Win vs Cannons (2-3)
7-26: Loss vs Sailors (1-0)
7-27: Win vs Sailors (3-8)
7-28: Loss vs Sailors (3-2)

Recap
It was a great week for us, winning four of six, but the Stars were a bit better, winning their extra game to retake a one game lead. They did much better against the Sailors then we did, as both Henry Shaffer (8-9, 3.96, 63) and Vern Hubbard (14-7, 3.15, 56) tossed shutouts in their sweep. We had far less success, as the Sailors took two of three from us yet again as we played classic Cougar baseball. We outscored them 10-7 in the series, but dropped a pair of one run games, including a 3-hit, 8-strikeout shutout by one of my personal favorites Al Duster (8-8, 3.25, 83). The Stars then split with the Cannons while we swept them to start the week. I expected plenty of runs in the series, but the teams combined for just 14 runs. We capped off the sweep with yet another Harry Mead walk-off. He's been the guy to come up clutch, helping his pitchers a few times this season. The veteran backstop wasn't a one game wonder this week, going 9-for-20 with a homer, three runs, and six RBIs. This moved his batting line to an adjusted league average .253/.324/.372 (100 OPS+) for his first 87 games. Mead struggled last season, and has already passed his homer (5) total while he's approaching his double (16 to 18), RBI (42 to 50), and WAR (2.1 to 2.5) totals from last season. If Mead can heat up, we will be in excellent shape, as I know that bat can still put up a third WRC+ above 140 in the past five seasons. This season may be lost, as he would need to mash the final two months, to even get close to that.

As expected, Dick Walker bounced back from his rough week, going 5-for-15 with a run, RBI, double, and pair of walks and triples. Leo Mitchell did the same, 6-for-21 with a homer, two walks, and two RBIs. Ed Reyes (.340, 7, 48) is just a point behind him in the batting race, as Reyes had a big three hit game against the Stars and finished 7-for-21. Hank Barnett didn't quite bounce back, just 5-for-18 with. He did walk twice and score five runs, so even without much production at the plate, he made the most of his time on base. With the low run total, we didn't score many runs. We faced some really good pitchers and won some close games.

Donnie Jones proved exactly why he's one of the game's brightest talents, rebounding form a shelling in Cleveland with a 2-hit shutout of the Cannons. Jones walked three and struck out four to improve to 14-5 on the season. He's in a three way tie with Vern Hubbard and Richie Hughes for the most wins in the CA while his 1.01 WHIP is the association's best. His 2.63 ERA (128 ERA+) is fifth while ranking fourth in strikeouts (91) and sixth (5.0) in K/9. He's the two start starter of the week, drawing the team that traded him and the lineup that just bested him. It can be considered a revenge week for Jones, as he continues his quest to capture his first Allen Award. Brother Johnnie was the pitcher of record in Mead's walk-off, as he scattered 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks in the complete game victory. That kept his ERA at 2.00 (169 ERA+), but the best part was the season high seven strikeouts.

Billy Riley was tagged with one of the most unfortunate losses all season, allowing just 6 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. He drew the shutout by the "Prince of the Prairie," which snapped a four start win streak. Peter the Heater split his starts, but both complete games were worthy of the win. He allowed just 3 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 10 strikeouts in our 4-2 win over the Cannons. The Sailors then bested him 3-2, getting 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks with 9 strikeouts. It's hard to get mad at Skipper for an error, as it was his that cost the run, with all the ones he makes that no one else can. Pap is now 13-6 in his 20 starts with a 2.33 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and a league high 126 strikeouts. Harry Parker managed to rebound against the Sailors, turning 12 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks into a complete game victory. He allowed 6 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in one of his best starts on the season. It's his third complete game on the season, and he's now just one away from his total last year. Pitching with an extra day of rest has been very helpful for him to go deeper into games. If the race gets tight, his innings may shrink, but a tight race in September could instead turn to a Duke Bybee gambit. We didn't need the pen all week, so even if Parker moves their, he might not pitch much. More starts like this will keep his spot held and the veteran has earned the longer leash.

Plenty of draftees signed, and we have some new entrants into the league's top 500 list. Harry Beardsley joined Bob Allen (3rd), Frank Reece (25th), and Phil Boyes (140th) in the top 200, checking in at 175. The 11th Rounder was one of the guys I targeted in the AI portion, and his bonus ($1,500) was paid out with a portion of the money freed up from our many deals for cash. As a college guy, he'll be sent straight to San Jose, but that's more because of a logjam in La Crosse Other new entrants include 4th Rounder Roxy Hilts (202nd), 6th Rounder Bob Stout (201st), 7th Rounders Bill Sweet (315th) and Ernie Frost (352nd), 9th Rounder Franklin Thomas (310th), and 11th Rounder Charlie Harvey (399th). With the offers out now, we've used up all but $694 of free space. Four more draftees will join the system, but I might sign a few more of the guys left over. Since you can always offer at least slot, 17th Rounder Joe Ament and 22nd Rounder Matt Stinson will join once we use up the rest of the money to try to convince one of the remaining guys to lower their demand. Money could also free up in another way, either through release or trade, but I think we'll have double digit guys enrolling at a university.

Oh yeah, and I scouted Bob Allen again. "The talent is off the charts. Allen may be in the conversations for best pitcher in the game someday." Too bad he was shelled for 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 4 walks in his return to the mound.

But someday...

Looking Ahead
With two more left in July we have the chance for a 20-win month, and our opponent will be the struggling Wolves. They'll limp into town after being swept in a two-game sweep in Brooklyn. It will be tough, as the Jones brothers will duel George Garrison (7-9, 3.00, 63) and Joe Hancock (6-10, 3.60, 44). Neither have looked like their authentic self, but you can blame plenty of that on the Wolves defense. Garrison has a 2.70 FIP (77 FIP-) while Hancock's is 2.80 (80 FIP-). Both are well above average, and in line with Riley (2.82, 83), and Pap and Donnie (2.77, 82). Now that Charlie Artuso (.258, 8, 51, 4) has cooled down, Walt Pack's (.219, 6, 38) struggles are really being amplified. The Wolves have even begun to shop a few players, taking offers on Hal Wood (.320, 1, 28) and potentially Pack or Tom Frederick (.253, 26, 7). I don't think a big move will come from Toronto, as this team is definitely better then they are playing, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason they could be right back to a pennant contender.

The first game of August will also be against the Wolves, with our homestand finishing with three against the Foresters. Cleveland is just 45-55 on the season, but they're 8-6 against us. With arms like Richie Hughes (14-8, 2.84, 106) and Ducky Davis (10-6, 3.44, 50) they can temper even the best of lineups. It's looking like we'll face both, which makes things very difficult if we want to move into first place. The third is likely Hiram Steinberg (4-10, 3.51, 58), who shut us out for his first win of the season. The pitching matchups will be exciting for a neutral fan, but not for the offenses. Ours holds a large edge, but reigning Player of the Week Paul Porter (.291, 3, 38, 11) is heating up and Jim Adams Jr. (.274, 2, 51, 4) continues to be one of the more exciting youngsters in the game. The rest of the lineup doesn't offer much support, and with the deadline upon us, vets like Leon Blackridge (.258, 3, 31, 2), Hank Stratton (.286, 3, 35), and Bob Mullins (.289, 1, 16) may be on the move. With Glenn White (.279, 21) on the mend, Brooks Meeks (.179, 1, 13, 2) had a change to showcase himself, but it has not gone well. The Foresters have faced us well, but we really need these wins, and the #1 pitching staff should be able to beat the #8 offense three games at home. Right?

Minor League Report
1B Lou Thomas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After spending last season in the Army, Lou Thomas got the starting first basemen job in Milwaukee despite just 33 games in AA. Thomas has mashed all season long, and put up one of the best performances of the season against the Minneapolis Lumberjacks. The 24-year-old went 5-for-5 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. The former 9th Rounder has produced a 136 WRC+ in 84 games, slashing .312/.414/.413 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 5 homers, and 45 RBIs. As a lefty swinger, there's no room for at bats while Dick Walker is playing at an All-Star level, so Thomas may stall out in Milwaukee for a bit. We don't have many first basemen prospects, but Otto Christian is in AA, and he could play every day at either corner. Thomas is still young, which will work to his advantage, but he doesn't have the upside that 19-year-old Cal Rice has shown. If Thomas keeps hitting, he could get some starts against righties over Ray Ford, but it's one thing to produce in the minors, and another to keep it up against the best of the best.

LHP Bob Hobbs (AA Mobile Commodores): On the same day that Donnie Jones shutout the Cannons, Bob Hobbs twirled a 4-hit shutout against the first place Nashville Chieftains. Hobbs was recently sent down to AA after 62.1 innings with a bloated 5.92 ERA (66 ERA+). His three starts here have been better, 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA (172 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP. After more walks (42) then strike outs (40), he's punched out 14 with just 9 walks in his 27 innings. The former 8th Round Pick is Rule-5 eligible, but not doing much to help his cause for protection or selection. Ranked as the 348th prospect, Hobbs has always had great stuff, but AAA batters were really seeing him well. Sure, he was still getting the strikeouts, but he allowed more then a hit per inning with a personal high (0.6) in HR/9. Hobbs projects as no more then a spot starter, so he may have to find a job as a reliever where he can lean on his excellent fastball.

RHP Dick Garcia (A Lincoln Legislators): After starting the season 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA, Dick Garcia has started to turn things around. He came an out away from a shutout against the Evansville Hawks, and then followed that up with two strong seven inning starts. His most recent start was the best, tossing a 4-hit shutout with 5 strikeouts to bring his record over .500 to 6-5. He dropped his ERA to a nice 3.08 (114 ERA+) with a 1.38 WHIP, 38 walks, and 43 strikeouts. A regional pick back in 1943, Garcia is repeating A ball, where he made seven starts as a 20-year-old last year. He's improved in nearly every category, and could potentially work his way into a late season promotion. He's second among current Legislators for ERA while leading in wins and strikeouts. Him or Babe Stinson (5-3, 2.82, 44) would be the next man up, as we moved up a few guys last week when the new draftees joined. More changes could be on the way, but I think it's best for both to finish the season here.

Cougars in the GWL
RHP Cy Sullivan (Oakland Grays): The Oakland Grays have moved to first place in the Great Western League, and they can thank the rubber arm of Cy Sullivan for it. The former Cougar 4th Rounder has thrown 9 or more innings in ten straight starts. The reason I say that, is he's gone 11 and 12 innings, topping 140 pitches five times. Sullivan's 2.30 ERA (144 ERA+) ranks third in the GWL, as he's gone 12-4 with a 1.13 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 172 innings pitched. He's not the only starter on the Grays to win double digit games, but he leads FABL vets Johnny Cook (11-6, 2.31, 67) and Bud Hastings (11-6, 3.04, 79). The Grays also have a 25-year-old Garland Zimmerman (10-4, 3.64, 50), but his 91 ERA+ and 121 FIP- suggest the record is due to the offense. Clyde Zimmerman (.297, 8, 52, 7) is a guy you might trade the farm for, and the 24-year-olds 152 WRC+ is fifth in the league. Former Montreal 9th Rounder Joe Loyd (.328, 4, 62) is another interesting bat, as the 26-year-old has produce a 148 WRC+ at the plate while providing a plus framing (0.5) rate. Add in vets like Frankie Cohen (.355, 2, 33), Larry Colaianni (.323, 4, 47), and Hank Grant (.288, 1, 25, 5), and it's not surprise the preseason favorites are leading the pack.

ayaghmour2 · 04-05-2023, 10:52 PM

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 59-46 (2nd, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.067 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA
Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .381 AVG, .810 OPS

Schedule
7-30: Loss vs Wolves (3-0)
7-31: Loss vs Wolves (7-0)
8-1: Loss vs Wolves (4-1)
8-2: Win vs Foresters (5-7)
8-3: Win vs Foresters (0-3)
8-4: Loss vs Foresters (6-4)

Recap
An absolute nightmare of a week, as not only did the Stars make huge acquisitions with Freddie Jones (.301, 1, 36) and Mack Sutton (.240, 20, 58), with the latter being someone I was looking to trade for but decided on it a bit late, but we got swept by the Wolves, who then let the Stars sweep them. We rebounded against the Foresters, but the Stars won all seven contests, to pull out to a huge 5.5 game lead that could be too tough to overcome. Is this another failed year for the Cougars?

Let's hope not!

We still continue to hold that -6 expected record, as 65-40 would give us a half game lead over the 65-41 Stars, who are outperforming their run differential by three games. There's still plenty of time, but my confidence level went from sky-high to barely-above-the-gutter in a heartbeat.

Man, I really don't want to write about this week...

Good thing we have Peter the Heater and Leo Mitchell! Can't keep those two down!

The league awarded his excellence for July as, he netted the award for best pitcher. Pap went 5-1 with a 1.67 ERA (202 ERA+), 0.91 WHIP, 17 walks, and 41 strikeouts in six complete games. He celebrated that with
a 4-hit shutout allowing just one walk with seven strikeouts to earn a share of the CA win lead with 14. His 2.21 ERA (152 ERA+) is now best in the league, as Johnnie Jones (more on those Jones' later...) was not good. Pap's brought his strikeouts up to 133 in 187 innings, upping the K/9 to 6.4. If he can separate from the pack in wins, Pap has a legit chance for the triple crown, and he has to be favorite for the Allen Award. Not only does he lead six pitching categories, but he ranks top three in five more. It absolutely kills me that we missed out on four seasons of an All-Time great, who should end up owning numerous records for the team and the league.

Mitchell no longer leads the batting race, as Ed Reyes is slashing .362/.417/.474 (145 OPS+), but Mitchell was an impressive 10-for-23 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He has a 178 WRC+ with 18 homers and 65 RBIs in 102 games, slashing .347/.384/.539 (163 OPS+) in 433 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, plenty went wrong, and I'm still stunned with some of what went on.

The biggest stunner was Donnie Jones, who dropped both his starts. He didn't do bad against the Wolves, but 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts wasn't quite the dominant Jones we've seen. What was crazier was what the Foresters and their lineup of noodle bats did. They entered Jones' start with 26 home runs, one more then Keystones third basemen Hank Koblenz (.259, 25, 72) has in 375 trips to the plate. But somehow, someway, they took "Mole Killer" and his 54% groundball rate (third in the CA by the way) deep not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!!! THREE!!! Bob Mullins and Brooks Meeks both doubled their homer count for the season! Like... WHAT!?!?!?! HOWWWWWW!!!!!!

And Johnnie wasn't any better, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched. This was easily his worst start of the season, and the first one where an offense put more then five runs up on him. His 2.28 ERA (148 ERA+) is now second in the CA, 7 points behind Pap and ten ahead of Billy Riley, and almost matched his earned run total from his previous four starts. Riley had a tough start too, allowing 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts as the Wolves finished off the sweep. We mustered one run against the Wolves staff, as Garrison (8-10, 3.00, 67) and Hancock (7-10, 3.66, 52) didn't allow a single one. All we got was a Dick Walker (.272, 10, 37, 12) RBI double off Cookie Myers (5-2, 2.31, 10), who didn't use a strikeout for any of his 27 outs on the night.

Other then Mitchell, Clark Car was one of the few productive members of the lineup, going 5-for-15 with 3 doubles, a homer, a steal, 2 runs and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes and Hal Sharp were solid as well, but most of that came against the Foresters. Montes was 8-for-21 with a double, steal, and two runs scored. With the struggles of Hank Barnett and another competent leadoff hitter in Dick Walker, the longtime leadoff man has been named Clyde Meyer's third hitter against righties. Montes hit the 100 game mark in the 6-4 loss against Cleveland, lowering his season line to .260/.339/.399 (111 OPS+). His 120 WRC+ would be a career best, and he's hit 20 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 16 steals, and 39 RBIs with almost equal walks (42) and strikeouts (46). While for some that may not be impressive, Montes has never walked more then he struck out, with his lowest differential the six extra strikeouts back in his rookie season. Sharp went 6-for-18 with a double and 2 RBIs, moving his average up to .327, good for third in the CA. I expected a big second half from Sharp, but his average has dropped 23 points since the break. The offense dropped to 5th in runs scored, but our park can be tough to score at, and the road trip may get more balls to fall.

It has to get better, right?

We did sign three more draftees, including another surprising addition to the top 200. 9th Rounder Zeke Johnson checks in at 176th, good for 15th in our system. He's just 18, so a trip to La Crosse will start his career, but he projects to compete for batting titles due to his excellent hit tool. Not quite Leo Mitchell level, but it's up there, although Zeke doesn't offer much else. I liked him enough to take him in the human portion, but I'm still shocked with how highly ranked he is. He'll play every day, and with four positions, it may be a bit of everywhere. 4th Rounder Tony Scuccinello checks in at 30 and 305th and fellow shortstop John Price, who was one of the three ninth rounders, is twelve spots lower. The only player in the first ten rounds yet to sign is Joe Austin, who I'm still waiting to hear back from. I sent the last $690 of our budget to Frankie Moore, who was demanding $800 to forego his senior season at Pittsburgh State. I like his versatility, and he's got one of the more reasonable demands.

Looking Ahead
It's annoying start to the road trip, as we have to make a one day stop in Brooklyn before making our way to Montreal. The Kings have been playing better ball with their youth movement, and we'll see a lot of guys we haven't faced much this season. One of the more interesting new faces is John Moss, who replaced Rats McGonigle out in center. At 24, he's the veteran of the outfield, and has hit .268/.325/.451 (114 OPS+) in 80 trips to the plate. "Johnny Reb" was the 4th Pick in 1940, and he was a top 10 prospect until he lost eligibility. He has plenty of pop, with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 14 RBIs, and his defense has been stellar. He's already accumulated a +6.9 zone rating after putting up a 10.3 (1.058 EFF) in 74 games. Him, John Beaver (.276, 2, 15), and Joe Rutherford (.194, 3, 14, 3) all need to make good impressions, as #4 prospect Ralph Johnson is in AAA and ready to start a potential star level career.

They made a few moves at the deadline, shipping off Tiny Tim Hopkins (.278, 13, 39) to the crosstown Chiefs while adding Bunny Edwards (1-0, 3.38, 11) and Mule Monier (.266, 1, 14, 1) from the Gothams. Monier joins a lineup that includes Spud Bent (.225, 3, 16) and new first basemen Jim Lightbody (.292, 14, 3), with either potentially losing time with Monier's addition. That could affect shortstop Tom Landowski (.247, 27) as well, as Mule played some short before the war. With Edwards, it gives them another arm in a staff that already added vets Merritt Thomas (3-3, 3.43, 11), Doc Newell (6-8, 4.24, 45) and Rusty Petrick (3-4, 2.89, 26) to supplement their inexperienced arms. Leo Hayden (11-9, 3.23, 76) won't have to worry about his spot, but Bob Crowley (2-4, 5.61, 26) may join Clarence Barton (9-4, 3, 4.14, 65) and Jack Brown (0-1, 1, 4.14, 39) in the pen, or potentially even to AAA with almost Cougar Jim Kenney (0-1, 4.05, 4), or Cougar draftees Mel Haynes (1-6, 1, 6.75, 24), Pinch Lenhart, and Harry Stewart. From Wally Graves (2-12, 5.52, 66) to Larry Smith (0-0, 6.00, 5), if Bunny makes a start he'll be the 13th King to do so. With one game, there's no way to know what to expect, but if I was a betting man I'd say they'll get the best of us.

Montreal will be tough too, as the Saints are 53-53 and Red Bond has turned the clock back to 1940. The 2-Time All Star is raking to the tune of .311/.382/.476 (138 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 homers, and 43 RBIs. He's never walked more often then he's struck out in a full season, but he's kept those (33 to 37) numbers really close, while producing an impressive 148 WRC+ in 94 games. Bert Lass (.305, 50) has upped his WRC+ to 122 with Bond's protection, as Bill Greene (.229, 14, 48, 12) and Gordie Perkins (.288, 1, 28) continue impressive seasons. The lineup could still use some help, but Bond's performance is really lengthening it, and a healthy Ernie McCoy (.315, 1, 12) could help them score some more. The staff is a bit inconsistent, but 23-year-old rookie Bert Cupid (11-5, 3.11, 93) has an elite 2.37 FIP (67 FIP-) and gives them a shot to win night in and night out. The struggles of Pat Weakly (9-11, 3.84, 100) have hut, instead getting elite outings from Wally Reif (6-3, 2.52, 48). And then there's Wally Doyle (10-9, 3.32, 93) who always shows flashes of greatness before walking the bases loaded. They're off, so can do plenty with their rotation, and the skeptic in me thinks that we'll be lucky to come away with a win.

We're off on Thursday, and let me tell you, we'll need it. All day will be spent in the school library, finding any material on how to deal with the Big Bad from the Big Apple. After a perfect week, the New York Stars curb stomped us to the underworld, opening a gigantic and potentially insurmountable lead, all before adding some serious artillery.

That comes in the form of "The Arkansas Artillerymen" Mack Sutton, who produced a 130 WRC+ in 97 games for the Dynamos. Mack's 20 homers would be the highest in the CA, and he's added 19 doubles, 36 walks, and 58 RBIs to compliment his .240/.310/.463 (117 OPS+) triple slash. The Stars already had the best lineup in the league, as all there rookies were more then up to the challenge. Bill Barnett (.274, 15, 56) represented the Stars at the All-Star game, and Jack Welch (.272, 10, 48) and Bob Riggins (.262, 7, 40, 10) would have been worthy options to join him. William the Conqueror (.233, 18, 66, 8) still goes out conquering, and Joe Rainbow (.266, 7, 41) is doing his best to keep the team that drafted him out of the playoffs. The pitching is beatable, but all five guys can keep them in the game, and it's a dice roll if we can force them out early. I said early on in the season that the Stars could surprise and compete, but they've even surprised me. The farm system is still deep, tied for third (136th) with the Saints after shipping out and graduating serious talent. This series is quite literally life and death, as if they sweep us or take three of four, I think you can mark the time of death of the 1946 Chicago Cougars' playoff aspirations.

Minor League Report
RF Bob Rogers (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been the greatest season for former 6th Rounder Bob Rogers, but most of the San Jose roster has struggled. Despite that Rogers, was a crucial part of their 15-9 win against Bakersfield, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. He then followed that up with 3-for-6s in each of his next two starts. This propelled him into Player of the Week, finishing 14-for-22. Rogers now owns a .285/.354/.357 (96 OPS+) line for the season with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs. Even with all the movement up, Rogers will likely finish his season in San Jose. Just 21, it's okay that he has dominated, as "Snoot" is far from a finished product. He's a bat first prospect who makes plenty of contact. The only downside is it doesn't always go that far, but that could come with age. He didn't hit a single home run as a 19-year-old in La Crosse, so 3 this season in 43 less games is a huge improvement. Another downside is his personality, as he's too cocky for someone that isn't a star yet. He loves the personal attention, but if he can end up backing it up, his antics can be tolerated.

progen · 04-06-2023, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Weekly Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 59-46 (2nd, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.067 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA
Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .381 AVG, .810 OPS

Schedule
7-30: Loss vs Wolves (3-0)
7-31: Loss vs Wolves (7-0)
8-1: Loss vs Wolves (4-1)
8-2: Win vs Foresters (5-7)
8-3: Win vs Foresters (0-3)
8-4: Loss vs Foresters (6-4)

Recap
An absolute nightmare of a week, as not only did the Stars make huge acquisitions with Freddie Jones (.301, 1, 36) and Mack Sutton (.240, 20, 58), with the latter being someone I was looking to trade for but decided on it a bit late, but we got swept by the Wolves, who then let the Stars sweep them. We rebounded against the Foresters, but the Stars won all seven contests, to pull out to a huge 5.5 game lead that could be too tough to overcome. Is this another failed year for the Cougars?

Let's hope not!

We still continue to hold that -6 expected record, as 65-40 would give us a half game lead over the 65-41 Stars, who are outperforming their run differential by three games. There's still plenty of time, but my confidence level went from sky-high to barely-above-the-gutter in a heartbeat.

Man, I really don't want to write about this week...

Good thing we have Peter the Heater and Leo Mitchell! Can't keep those two down!

The league awarded his excellence for July as, he netted the award for best pitcher. Pap went 5-1 with a 1.67 ERA (202 ERA+), 0.91 WHIP, 17 walks, and 41 strikeouts in six complete games. He celebrated that with
a 4-hit shutout allowing just one walk with seven strikeouts to earn a share of the CA win lead with 14. His 2.21 ERA (152 ERA+) is now best in the league, as Johnnie Jones (more on those Jones' later...) was not good. Pap's brought his strikeouts up to 133 in 187 innings, upping the K/9 to 6.4. If he can separate from the pack in wins, Pap has a legit chance for the triple crown, and he has to be favorite for the Allen Award. Not only does he lead six pitching categories, but he ranks top three in five more. It absolutely kills me that we missed out on four seasons of an All-Time great, who should end up owning numerous records for the team and the league.

Mitchell no longer leads the batting race, as Ed Reyes is slashing .362/.417/.474 (145 OPS+), but Mitchell was an impressive 10-for-23 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He has a 178 WRC+ with 18 homers and 65 RBIs in 102 games, slashing .347/.384/.539 (163 OPS+) in 433 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, plenty went wrong, and I'm still stunned with some of what went on.

The biggest stunner was Donnie Jones, who dropped both his starts. He didn't do bad against the Wolves, but 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts wasn't quite the dominant Jones we've seen. What was crazier was what the Foresters and their lineup of noodle bats did. They entered Jones' start with 26 home runs, one more then Keystones third basemen Hank Koblenz (.259, 25, 72) has in 375 trips to the plate. But somehow, someway, they took "Mole Killer" and his 54% groundball rate (third in the CA by the way) deep not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!!! THREE!!! Bob Mullins and Brooks Meeks both doubled their homer count for the season! Like... WHAT!?!?!?! HOWWWWWW!!!!!!

And Johnnie wasn't any better, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched. This was easily his worst start of the season, and the first one where an offense put more then five runs up on him. His 2.28 ERA (148 ERA+) is now second in the CA, 7 points behind Pap and ten ahead of Billy Riley, and almost matched his earned run total from his previous four starts. Riley had a tough start too, allowing 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts as the Wolves finished off the sweep. We mustered one run against the Wolves staff, as Garrison (8-10, 3.00, 67) and Hancock (7-10, 3.66, 52) didn't allow a single one. All we got was a Dick Walker (.272, 10, 37, 12) RBI double off Cookie Myers (5-2, 2.31, 10), who didn't use a strikeout for any of his 27 outs on the night.

Other then Mitchell, Clark Car was one of the few productive members of the lineup, going 5-for-15 with 3 doubles, a homer, a steal, 2 runs and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes and Hal Sharp were solid as well, but most of that came against the Foresters. Montes was 8-for-21 with a double, steal, and two runs scored. With the struggles of Hank Barnett and another competent leadoff hitter in Dick Walker, the longtime leadoff man has been named Clyde Meyer's third hitter against righties. Montes hit the 100 game mark in the 6-4 loss against Cleveland, lowering his season line to .260/.339/.399 (111 OPS+). His 120 WRC+ would be a career best, and he's hit 20 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 16 steals, and 39 RBIs with almost equal walks (42) and strikeouts (46). While for some that may not be impressive, Montes has never walked more then he struck out, with his lowest differential the six extra strikeouts back in his rookie season. Sharp went 6-for-18 with a double and 2 RBIs, moving his average up to .327, good for third in the CA. I expected a big second half from Sharp, but his average has dropped 23 points since the break. The offense dropped to 5th in runs scored, but our park can be tough to score at, and the road trip may get more balls to fall.

It has to get better, right?

We did sign three more draftees, including another surprising addition to the top 200. 9th Rounder Zeke Johnson checks in at 176th, good for 15th in our system. He's just 18, so a trip to La Crosse will start his career, but he projects to compete for batting titles due to his excellent hit tool. Not quite Leo Mitchell level, but it's up there, although Zeke doesn't offer much else. I liked him enough to take him in the human portion, but I'm still shocked with how highly ranked he is. He'll play every day, and with four positions, it may be a bit of everywhere. 4th Rounder Tony Scuccinello checks in at 30 and 305th and fellow shortstop John Price, who was one of the three ninth rounders, is twelve spots lower. The only player in the first ten rounds yet to sign is Joe Austin, who I'm still waiting to hear back from. I sent the last $690 of our budget to Frankie Moore, who was demanding $800 to forego his senior season at Pittsburgh State. I like his versatility, and he's got one of the more reasonable demands.

Looking Ahead
It's annoying start to the road trip, as we have to make a one day stop in Brooklyn before making our way to Montreal. The Kings have been playing better ball with their youth movement, and we'll see a lot of guys we haven't faced much this season. One of the more interesting new faces is John Moss, who replaced Rats McGonigle out in center. At 24, he's the veteran of the outfield, and has hit .268/.325/.451 (114 OPS+) in 80 trips to the plate. "Johnny Reb" was the 4th Pick in 1940, and he was a top 10 prospect until he lost eligibility. He has plenty of pop, with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 14 RBIs, and his defense has been stellar. He's already accumulated a +6.9 zone rating after putting up a 10.3 (1.058 EFF) in 74 games. Him, John Beaver (.276, 2, 15), and Joe Rutherford (.194, 3, 14, 3) all need to make good impressions, as #4 prospect Ralph Johnson is in AAA and ready to start a potential star level career.

They made a few moves at the deadline, shipping off Tiny Tim Hopkins (.278, 13, 39) to the crosstown Chiefs while adding Bunny Edwards (1-0, 3.38, 11) and Mule Monier (.266, 1, 14, 1) from the Gothams. Monier joins a lineup that includes Spud Bent (.225, 3, 16) and new first basemen Jim Lightbody (.292, 14, 3), with either potentially losing time with Monier's addition. That could affect shortstop Tom Landowski (.247, 27) as well, as Mule played some short before the war. With Edwards, it gives them another arm in a staff that already added vets Merritt Thomas (3-3, 3.43, 11), Doc Newell (6-8, 4.24, 45) and Rusty Petrick (3-4, 2.89, 26) to supplement their inexperienced arms. Leo Hayden (11-9, 3.23, 76) won't have to worry about his spot, but Bob Crowley (2-4, 5.61, 26) may join Clarence Barton (9-4, 3, 4.14, 65) and Jack Brown (0-1, 1, 4.14, 39) in the pen, or potentially even to AAA with almost Cougar Jim Kenney (0-1, 4.05, 4), or Cougar draftees Mel Haynes (1-6, 1, 6.75, 24), Pinch Lenhart, and Harry Stewart. From Wally Graves (2-12, 5.52, 66) to Larry Smith (0-0, 6.00, 5), if Bunny makes a start he'll be the 13th King to do so. With one game, there's no way to know what to expect, but if I was a betting man I'd say they'll get the best of us.

Montreal will be tough too, as the Saints are 53-53 and Red Bond has turned the clock back to 1940. The 2-Time All Star is raking to the tune of .311/.382/.476 (138 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 homers, and 43 RBIs. He's never walked more often then he's struck out in a full season, but he's kept those (33 to 37) numbers really close, while producing an impressive 148 WRC+ in 94 games. Bert Lass (.305, 50) has upped his WRC+ to 122 with Bond's protection, as Bill Greene (.229, 14, 48, 12) and Gordie Perkins (.288, 1, 28) continue impressive seasons. The lineup could still use some help, but Bond's performance is really lengthening it, and a healthy Ernie McCoy (.315, 1, 12) could help them score some more. The staff is a bit inconsistent, but 23-year-old rookie Bert Cupid (11-5, 3.11, 93) has an elite 2.37 FIP (67 FIP-) and gives them a shot to win night in and night out. The struggles of Pat Weakly (9-11, 3.84, 100) have hut, instead getting elite outings from Wally Reif (6-3, 2.52, 48). And then there's Wally Doyle (10-9, 3.32, 93) who always shows flashes of greatness before walking the bases loaded. They're off, so can do plenty with their rotation, and the skeptic in me thinks that we'll be lucky to come away with a win.

We're off on Thursday, and let me tell you, we'll need it. All day will be spent in the school library, finding any material on how to deal with the Big Bad from the Big Apple. After a perfect week, the New York Stars curb stomped us to the underworld, opening a gigantic and potentially insurmountable lead, all before adding some serious artillery.

That comes in the form of "The Arkansas Artillerymen" Mack Sutton, who produced a 130 WRC+ in 97 games for the Dynamos. Mack's 20 homers would be the highest in the CA, and he's added 19 doubles, 36 walks, and 58 RBIs to compliment his .240/.310/.463 (117 OPS+) triple slash. The Stars already had the best lineup in the league, as all there rookies were more then up to the challenge. Bill Barnett (.274, 15, 56) represented the Stars at the All-Star game, and Jack Welch (.272, 10, 48) and Bob Riggins (.262, 7, 40, 10) would have been worthy options to join him. William the Conqueror (.233, 18, 66, 8) still goes out conquering, and Joe Rainbow (.266, 7, 41) is doing his best to keep the team that drafted him out of the playoffs. The pitching is beatable, but all five guys can keep them in the game, and it's a dice roll if we can force them out early. I said early on in the season that the Stars could surprise and compete, but they've even surprised me. The farm system is still deep, tied for third (136th) with the Saints after shipping out and graduating serious talent. This series is quite literally life and death, as if they sweep us or take three of four, I think you can mark the time of death of the 1946 Chicago Cougars' playoff aspirations.

Minor League Report
RF Bob Rogers (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been the greatest season for former 6th Rounder Bob Rogers, but most of the San Jose roster has struggled. Despite that Rogers, was a crucial part of their 15-9 win against Bakersfield, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. He then followed that up with 3-for-6s in each of his next two starts. This propelled him into Player of the Week, finishing 14-for-22. Rogers now owns a .285/.354/.357 (96 OPS+) line for the season with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs. Even with all the movement up, Rogers will likely finish his season in San Jose. Just 21, it's okay that he has dominated, as "Snoot" is far from a finished product. He's a bat first prospect who makes plenty of contact. The only downside is it doesn't always go that far, but that could come with age. He didn't hit a single home run as a 19-year-old in La Crosse, so 3 this season in 43 less games is a huge improvement. Another downside is his personality, as he's too cocky for someone that isn't a star yet. He loves the personal attention, but if he can end up backing it up, his antics can be tolerated.

Good read. Always interested in seeing how other people go about building their team. Helps me out

03-15-2023, 09:08 PM	#1041
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 1: April 16th-April 21st Weekly Record: 4-1 Seasonal Record: 4-1 (t-3rd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week Hank Barnett : 18 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.222 OPS Billy Riley : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA Leo Mitchell : 9 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.222 OPS Schedule 4-16: Win at Kings (5-2) 4-17: Win at Kings (4-1) 4-18: Win vs Saints (2-6) 4-20: Loss vs Saints (3-1) 4-21: Win vs Saints (0-4) Recap What a week! I knew our pitching was dominant, but this was just absurd! We allowed just eight runs in five games, with three of them coming in our lone loss. Montreal was the only CA team to allow fewer then twice as many runs, and we were responsible for 11 of the 15. The next closest team come from the Fed, with both the Chiefs and Minutemen allowing 11 runs. The Minutemen have an extra game on both Chicago sides, but we have still allowed fewer runs per game. The Kings, however, have allowed a whopping 35 runs, aided by five Leo Hayden homers. In fact, we scored more runs (9) in our two games against them then we allowed for the week! This was clearly a week worthy of a first place team-- Checks Notes Third? And we're tied! Come on... Scheduling quirks in the early season will do that, as we trail the 6-1 Sailors and 5-1 Stars, because, well, they've played more games! I'm very excited by our start, as I've really missed this level of production from a Cougars team. Billy Riley followed up a fabulous spring with a dominant debut, tossing a 4-hit shutout in our 4-0 win over the Saints. He struck out five and didn't allow a free pass in the finale, kicking off his season with a bang. Donnie Jones had a sparkling return to FABL, allowing just 6 hits, a run, and walk with 7 strikeouts in a complete game win over the Kings. It's exactly what you'd expect from the #1 ranked pitcher and 26-year-old superstar who was robbed of three years of his prime. Joe Brown's return wasn't quite as dominant, but he also picked up an impressive complete game win over the Saints. Brown allowed just 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) with a strikeout and no walks. Both pitchers haven't pitched in three seasons, but you wouldn't be able to tell from their performance. Just imagine if we had one of them last year... We did have Harry Parker, but the vet got the only loss. There was still a lot to like about his start, as he threw 111 pitches and came an out away from a complete game. We couldn't score for him, as 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts should be good enough for a win most times out. We did get eight hits of talented youngster Bert Cupid, but he struck out six and stranded plenty of Cougars on the basepaths. The only inning from the pen went to Rusty Petrick, who walked Bill Greene and then struck out Vic Crawford. Peter the Heater won the season opener, a complete game victory with 4 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Sure, these aren't the best two offenses in the league, but our rotation was picturesque. With a double header in the coming week, Johnnie Jones will make his season debut to start the week, but he'll be available in the pen in weeks like this where he doesn't start. I'd love to not need any relief this coming week as well, and besides Parker, I think any of these guys can go deep any given day. It will be fun watching these hurlers work, and I'm very jealous of the simulated fans that get to watch them day in and day out. The offense wasn't explosive, but it was still about a thousand times better then last season. Hank Barnett showed no signs of rust, going 7-for-18 with a double, triple, homer, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. Leo Mitchell went 3-for-5 with a two run homer off former Cougar Mel Haynes, but woke up the next day with gout. He missed the next four games, but then went 1-for-4 in Riley's shutout of the Saints. Clark Car may have been caught stealing three times, but he was a solid 5-for-17 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Billy Hunter got a steal (forgot to tell him not to very often), but was just 2-for-10 with a double, two walks, a run, and RBI. Hal Sharp looked good in his first four games as a Cougar, 4-for-11 with a run, RBI, and three walks. Even better, he successfully fielded all seven balls hit to him in right, six routine and one even. Carlos Montes didn't carry over any of his spring training pop, just 4-for-19 with a double, steal, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. One of the lone starters from last year, Skipper Schneider, had a great week, 6-for-18 with a double, steal, RBI, two runs, and two walks. Dick Walker, Harry Mead, and Don Lee were not as lucky, with the trio combining to go just 8-for-37. They each contributed in other ways, with Mead adding a double, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs, Walker doubling for both his hits and picking up three walks and runs, and Lee swiping in a pair of bags while driving in two. With 20 runs scored, we have an impressive +12 run differential already. I'd like to see even more runs, and I know our lineup has the pieces to do just that. Looking Ahead After starting the season with two in Brooklyn, we start this week with two hosting the Kings. At 0-6, former Cougar #1 Pick Tom Barrell is looking for his first career win as a Manager, as the pitching has struggled and the hitting hasn't done much better. Leo Hayden has allowed 4 homers with 10 walks in just 15 innings, as the Stars really gave him trouble at Dyckman Stadium. Instead, we'll face their co-ERA leaders at 1.12 in Wally Graves and former Cougar draftee Harry Stewart. We already beat Graves in his debut, tagged for four runs (three earned), seven hits, and six walks in eight innings pitched. Stewart had a no decision in New York, with 4 hits, 7 walks, and 3 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Both pitchers struggled with command in their debut, and our experienced lineup should take advantage of that. Rats McGonigle is off to a 6-for-21 start, adding a triple, homer and two RBIs in his first game since '42. Last year's double and OBP leader Vernon Ruch (.319, 11, 78), young outfielder Orie Martinez, and slugging first basemen Tim Hopkins are all going to be relied on this season, but the trio got off to a tough start with each member hitting below .200. Orie and Tiny Tim both have above average WRC+ with a below average OPS+, but the rest of the lineup sport a combined value less then 100. Yes, small sample and all that, but the Kings couldn't have started much worse, and I hope we can pile it on in front of our home fans. Quickly back to the road, as we'll deal with the second place Stars for two. Bill Barrett made sure no one forgot he's the best hitter in baseball, and took home the first Player of the Week by slashing .364/.517/.1.000 (317 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 7 walks, 2 steals, and 9 RBIs. Bob Riggins (.301, 6, 2) had a strong week too, 8-for-22 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 RBIs, and 5 walks. Bill Barnett had an outstanding debut, going 5-for-17 with 7 walks and a solo homer. Joe Angevine had a tough return from overseas, just 4-for-29, but with 2 doubles, a triple, steal, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs. On the mound, Vern Hubbard made two solid starts, going 14.1 innings with 17 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 6 walks, and 4 strikeouts, with the Stars winning both his starts. We should avoid him, likely facing Paul Grell in the opener and Jack Wood in the finale. Grell made one start in 1941 with the Dynamos, but spent the last four seasons in the Air Force. He won his return, allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts in a complete game win. Jack Wood had a great season back in 1942 with the Stars, going 10-7 with a 2.70 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 63 walks, and 92 strikeouts. Now 33, he spent the past three seasons in the Navy, and did not have much luck despite picking up the win against the Kings. He went 7.2 innings with 6 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts. Neither are pushovers, but I've got plenty of faith that we can take both games here if we can keep William the Conqueror off the bases. We then finish the week in Montreal, playing four more against the Saints. This includes our first double header of the season, with two games to finish the week on the 28th. Montreal split with the Saints to start the season, and we'll now have to deal with most of their rotation. I'd love to miss Wally Doyle or Pat Weakly (13-9, 3.13, 136), but other then veteran Karl Weiss (17-7, 3.11, 55), all their starters have plenty of upside. Bert Cupid is their four, but he's the only pitcher to beat us so far this season. The lineup, generally the strength, had an awful week, scoring just 9 runs in 5 games. Veteran Vic Crawford (.317, 14, 95) went just 1-for-16 with Gordie Perkins (.289, 5, 54) only 3-for-20. Bill Greene (.280, 18, 99, 17) picked off right where he left off, and Bert Lass was 6-for-21 with a pair of doubles in his first week back. Still, I trust our pitching against anyone, and if things happen how I anticipate, we should finish this week in first place. Right where we belong! Former Cougars in the GWL Not sure if this is going to be a regular column, but I think I want to cover some former Cougars and their endeavors in the Great Western League. The upstart league began play a day before the FABL, doing anything they can to establish themselves as legitimate. Whether it can survive even a full season is yet to be determined, but there are plenty of interesting players who are looking to have their career revived or started up. RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): A member of the Detroit Dynamos staff for the past three seasons, Ira Hawker went 9-13 with 3 saves, a 3.69 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 68 walks, and 64 strikeouts. Now 27, Hawker was out of options, and the new regime didn't feel like committing a roster spot to a player they did not acquire. A four pitch righty, Hawker caught on with Dallas, who currently list him as their ace. His first GWL start was as good as it gets, a 4-hitter with a walk and strikeout as Dallas beat their Texas rival Houston 4-0. He has plenty of former Cougar teammates, with Rube Finnegan and Mac Watters in the rotation, Joe Foote in the pen, and Billy Marshall in the lineup. I think Hawker will have plenty of success in the GWL, as there aren't many headline worthy arms, a strong showing could earn him another audition for an FABL team. RHP Stumpy Beaman (Houston Bulls): It was an interesting week for Stumpy Beaman, who felt the highest highs and lowest lows. An Air Force vet who hasn't pitched since 1942, Beaman took the mound on day two of the GWL, and kept the Dallas Centurions in check. Beaman allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout in a 5-0 shutout victory. Unfortunately for Beaman, the consensus favorite Oakland Grays and their high power offense pounded him for 7 hits, 8 runs, and 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. 32 next Monday, Beaman has been traded with and for many notable players, including fellow GWL pitcher Karl Wallace, potential Hall of Famer Frank Vance, and big leaguers Juan Pomales, Del Burns, Ike O'Donnell, Joe Shaffner, and Frank LeMieux. The Bulls pitching staff has plenty of former Cougars, with Pug Bryan and Johnny Ruby in the rotation and, Billy Seawood in the pen, with the lineup featuring Johnny Bunce and the bench George Bond and Larry Robison. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-16-2023, 06:04 PM	#1042
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 2: April 22nd-April 28th Weekly Record: 6-2 Seasonal Record: 10-3 (1st, 1.5 GA) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 30 AB, 14 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.200 OPS Hank Barnett : 30 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .300 AVG, 1.017 OPS Dick Walker : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.125 OPS Schedule 4-22: Win vs Kings (2-9) 4-23: Win vs Kings (1-8) 4-24: Win at Stars (8-5) 4-25: Loss at Stars (2-7) 4-26: Win at Saints (4-0) 4-27: Win at Saints (13-0) 4-28: Loss at Saints (2-3): 12 innings 4-28: Win at Saints (5-1) Recap Hey, this Cougars team is pretty good! We just ran right through the Kings, Stars, and Saints, dropping just one game in regulation and a second by a single run in extras. In our six wins, two of them were shutouts, three were by seven or more runs, and for the week we allowed more then five runs just once, with all but two games having our opponent score three or less. Our run differential is up to +44 in 13 games, already surpassing our +38 from last year. Pretty much everything is going right, and we've got a nice 1.5 game lead in the CA. Billy Riley is on a mission, following up his 4-hitter hosting the Saints with a 3-hitter in Montreal. Once again, no walks allowed for the veteran, who struck out 2 to improve to a perfect 2-0 on the season. Five of his six appearances this season have been scoreless, and in 18 regular season innings he has struck out (7) just as many hitters as he's allowed hits to. Harry Parker came close to matching Riley's shutout, allowing 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks in 8 impressive innings. Johnnie Jones made his first two starts of the season, picking up a win and a no decision. He was an out away from a complete game victory against Brooklyn, but after 158 pitches Clyde Meyer decided to pull the plug while up 9-2. He allowed 8 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 6 walks with 2 strikeouts. He then threw 143 pitches in 10 innings in our double header loss, but definitely deserved a win. He gave up just 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick finished both of his starts, walking Jim Lightbody before getting Gary Carmichael to fly out to end the game. He had less success in Montreal, as Petrick allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with a strikeout in a shaky 11th. The lone starter to get a loss was Joe Brown, who had no fun in New York. Some errors caused him trouble, as he finished just 6 innings with 10 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Donnie Jones had a rough second start, but still earned himself a complete game victory. He was charged with 9 hits, 5 runs, and 5 walks with a pair of strikeouts. Our last two starts went to Peter the Heater, who threw nearly 300 pitches in 17 innings. He allowed 9 hits and a run to both the Kings and Saints, going the distance in Chicago and just 8 in Montreal. He struck out 16 and walked just 6 to improve to a perfect 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (223 ERA+) and 24 strikeouts in 26 innings. Ken Matson and Rusty Watts both got into games this week after none last week, throwing two innings a piece. Matson's came in one game, and he allowed just one walk with two strikeouts. Watts had identical outings against the Saints, an inning and a hit in both. Our pitching staff has been beyond elite, allowing just 27 runs in 13 games, while every other CA team has allowed less then 46, with the Kings 72 runs almost triple our tally. Yes, yes, it's early... But best staff ever? I think so! The offense exploded this week, with nine players putting together weeks with an OPS+ over 100. Skipper led the way, 14-for-30 with 5 doubles, a triple, 2 walks, 7 RBIs, and 8 runs. Dick Walker tried to match him, 9-for-24 with a double, triple, homer, 2 steals, 6 walks, 5 RBIs, and 8 runs. Harry Mead looked like even year Harry Mead, 9-for-25 with 3 doubles, a triple, homer, walk, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Hank Barnett launched three homers and finished 9-for-30 with 5 runs, 6 walks, and 8 RBIs. Hal Sharp hit two homers, 8-for-22 with 2 walks, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 7-forf-19 with a triple, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Carlos Montes went 9-for-26 with a double, triple, steal, 2 walks, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Clark Car was 8-for-24 with a steal, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was just 8-for-32, but with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 6 runs. The only two players with more then 10 PAs that struggled were Ray Ford and Homer Guthrie, and with Guthrie, you can excuse it as he made his first two big league starts. He went 2-for-8 with a walk and two runs scored. Ray Ford was much worse, 2-for-15 with a walk, run, and RBI. With all the runs coming this week, we now lead the Conti with 71, and I'd love for us to maintain first in runs scored and allowed the rest of the way. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, but our road trip continues with three against the defending pennant winning Cannons. They're off to a solid start, 8-4 and just a game and a half behind us. They score plenty of runs, but haven't had much success preventing them. The early returns on Butch Smith (2-0, 1.50, 9) have gone well, who had a terrible season last year and was banished to the pen. With #1 Rufus Barrell (3-0, 3.38, 7) and #2 Red Hampton (1-1, 3.18, 4) used in their double header split against the Wolves, we'll get the back three, with Smith, former Eagle Les Bradshaw (1-1, 3.00, 9), and Glenn Payne (0-1, 12.19, 4), which could lead to plenty of Cougars crossing home plate. I don't expect perfection from the staff, as their lineup is very deep. Al Wheeler (.386, 2, 11) is off to a blazing start with Denny Andrews (.294, 7), Chuck Adams (.283, 3, 12) and Sam Brown (.441, 9) picking up right where they left off. Adam Mullins (.357, 6) hasn't had issues since returning stateside, same goes for Charley McCullough (.273, 1), as 1-through-6 is going to be very tough to navigate. Expect Fred Galloway (.239, 1, 6) to raise his average, but he's still produced a 127 WRC+ due to 7 walks and 5 extra base hits. The only "weakness" is Jim Hensley (.242, 2), but the 29-year-old is a Skipper Schneider level defender. The pitching may hold the Cannons back, but this team is dangerous and we may struggle on the road against such a talented team. It doesn't get any easier, as we then head to Toronto for two with last year's second place team. They got off to an awful start, dropping six straight, but have since won six of their last seven. Joe Hancock (1-1, 2.95, 5) hasn't quite looked himself, failing to reach triple digits in pitch count in each of his first three starts. Whether the Wolves are being cautious with their talented vet or fatigue from three years off is unknown, but we are likely to face the former Allen Winner in one of the two games. I'd love to avoid George Garrison (1-1, 5.40, 8), despite his early season struggles, and he's currently lined up to start one of the three games against the Saints. They have an off day on Monday just like us, so their rotation order could change. Bob Walls (1-1, 3.79, 2) or Jimmy Gibbs (0-0, 2.25, 2) seem likely, and our offense should have our way with either. Reigning Whitney Winner Walt Pack (.234, 2, 9) has gotten off to a slow start, but the rest of the lineup has more then made up for it. Charlie Artuso has gone berserk, hitting .440/.525/.740 (247 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 12 RBIs, and 9 walks. He's on an absurd 17.2 WAR pace, easily surpassing the even 10 he put up last year. Fred McCormick (.295, 1, 8), Chink Stickels (.260, 1, 7), and Juan Pomales (.261, 1, 5, 1) all have WRC+ above 135. If Tom Frederick (.176, 1) or Hank Giordano (.227, 8) can shake off the service rust and Artuso can maintain some of his stellar production, the Wolves lineup will be able to match any opponent. It's not the end of our road trip, but we finish off a span of seven games in three cities and six days with a double header in Philly. The Sailors are sitting in fourth at 8-6, just 2.5 games behind us. 26-year-old southpaw Slick Wesolowski has gotten off to a tremendous start to his big league career, going 2-1 with a 1.46 ERA (220 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP with 6 walks and 14 strikeouts through 24.2 innings. Had the former 5th Rounder not joined the Navy after the 1942 season, he would have already debuted, but it's no surprise the Sailors have another very quality arm they can rely on to start games. 23-year-old Charlie Gordon (2-1, 2.83, 11) has been impressive as well, and the now 25-year-old Win Lewis (2-1, 2.35, 7) has built off an excellent rookie season. These three will be toeing the rubber for the Sailors for the foreseeable future, as Lewis has already established himself as a dependable FABL starter and the two rookies rank inside the league's top 25 prospects. It will be up to the offense if they want to finish in the first division, but they lack a bonafide star. Sure, Marion Boismenu (.244, 6) stole a Whitney and Ed Reyes (.333, 1, 7, 1) has a batting title, but these two are better served as complementary pieces. Last year's breakout Addie Aleman (.204, 3) has struggled in a small sample and Woody Stone (.231, 1, 8) and Rip Lee (.216, 1, 3) might have left their bats overseas. They do have a potential budding star, as there best player may be young infielder Les Cunha. The 23-year-old shortstop had a 103 WRC+ in 84 games last year, and has hit .333/.368/.481 (133 OPS+) to start 1946. With Lee's return, he's moved over to second base, and the early returns have been very good. OSA thinks he's their top player, and I would not be surprised if he makes multiple trips to the All Star Game. The Sailors are an interesting team to watch this season, as they're always competitive, and have plenty of young talent that could mesh well together. Minor League Report RHP Roscoe Brown (AA Mobile Commodores): Despite just 78.1 innings at A ball, I decided to start Roscoe Brown in Mobile after his year in the Army. 24 in May, Brown showed a lot of encouraging signs before enlisting, as his 3.70 FIP (83 FIP-) was remarkable and he struck out 60 hitters in less then 80 innings. He rewarded my faith instantly, tossing the first shutout for a Cougar minor leaguer this season. Brown scattered 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 in a 2-0 win over the Chattanooga Reliables. The former 8th Rounder has started to get some love on the prospect front, currently ranked 31st in our system and 366th overall. It's all to do with his stuff, as he hits 97 with his fastball and has a worm-burning sinker that can get him out of a jam. His curveball can be counted on when he's ahead in the count, but plenty of his strikeouts come from overpowering hitters. He seemed to harness his command during the '44 season, and if he can keep walks down he could pitch his way into a big league rotation. If not, he's got all the traits of a dominant reliever, as it can be hard to catch up with high 90s late in games. A big season from him will cause some roster problems for us, as he'd need to be protected in the Rule-5 Draft. It's early, but I'm leaning towards protecting him, and I imagine we'll free up plenty of 40 Man spots with trades between now and then. I'm excited to see how he does the rest of the way, and may end up in Milwaukee once injuries inevitably strike. RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): Maybe Chattanooga isn't all that Reliable... After dropping Opening Day to the Commodores 8-7, I already mentioned how Roscoe shut them out 2-0. Crazy enough, we did that not once, but two more times, starting with Jimmy Ballard's 8-hitter. Ballard didn't walk anyone and struck out two to improve the defending champs to 3-0 on the season. Now 24, Ballard spent all of last season with Mobile, going 15-12 with a 3.83 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.47 WHIP with 108 walks and 106 strikeouts. The fact that he didn't walk anyone today is huge, as his command has never been that great. Despite being a side armer, he doesn't do terrible against lefties due to his excellent change up. His fastball is lively in the low 90s, and his slider has plenty of run. The stuff would really play well in the pen, as I don't see him overcoming his command issues and entering a rotation. He has plenty of stamina and went deep in 20 of his 28 starts last season, so he could make a name for himself eating innings out of the pen. RHP Bill Ballantine (AA Mobile Commodores): Finishing things off for the Commodores was The Windy City Whip, who allowed just 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. The 23-year-old was firing on all cylinders, as his fastball was really working. It's the best of his four pitches, and it's not a very deep arsenal. He doesn't quite trust his off-speed stuff, which could keep him from starting every game. Of course, with the nickname and his Chicago roots, he seems destined to be our stopper anyways. I think he'll continue to start games this year, but the AAA rotation is full and he's not the next man up. Former Cougars in the GWL RHP Ira Hawker (Dallas Centurions): He did it again! It wasn't back-to-back, as Hawker had some trouble against Portland, but he bounced back quickly against the excellent lineup of the Oakland Grays. Hawker allowed just 7 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts in the Centurions 4-0 victory. In his first three GWL starts, Hawker is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (191 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The rest of the Centurions rotation has struggled, with each other member sporting an ERA+ below 100. Hawker currently ranks as the 19th best GWL pitcher, and could continue to rise with more performances like this. C Cliff Ray (San Francisco Hawks): Two weeks in the San Francisco Hawks are the best team in the GWL. And a big reason for that is former Cougar Rule-5 Pick Cliff Ross. The 37-year-old spent last season with the Stars, hitting .232/.358/.332 (99 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 37 RBIs with more then twice as many walks (61) as strikeouts (29). In their youth movement, Ray was let go by New York, and has caught on with the Hawks. The veteran catcher is hitting .324/.422/.595 (197 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 11 RBIs. Bob Land (.431, 10), John Wood (.367, 7, 3), and former Cougar Orlin Yates (.295, 1, 5, 1) are all hitting well too, and Jack Henderson (2-0, 1.67, 22) has been dominant on the mound. I expect a hard fought battle for the first GWL pennant, and the Hawks will be up there throughout the season. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-18-2023, 02:26 PM	#1043
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 3: April 29th-May 5th Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 13-7 (2nd, 0.5 GB) Stars of the Week Dick Walker : 29 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.307 OPS Hal Sharp : 24 AB, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .542 AVG, 1.268 OPS Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .387 AVG, .973 OPS Schedule 4-30: Win at Cannons (6-4) 5-1: Win at Cannons (9-3) 5-2: Loss at Cannons (4-6) 5-3: Loss at Wolves (3-4) 5-4: Loss at Wolves (4-5): 10 innings 5-5: Loss at Sailors (5-6) 5-5: Win at Sailors (10-1) Recap On the surface, it wasn't a great week, as we went just 3-4 and dropped out of first, but in all honesty, it was just bad luck. We took the first two in Cincy before they ran off fifth straight, and then the Wolves stole two games in Toronto before we split the double header. Three of the four losses were by a single run, the fourth by two, and we still outscored our opponents by 12 runs and have scored twice (112) as many runs as we've allowed (56). This is the recipe for success, and I am not phased by going 3-4 on the road against the first, second, and fourth place teams from last season. The loss to the Sailors hurt the most, as we were up 5-0 and Donnie Jones was cruising, throwing eight scoreless with 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He then completely fell apart in the ninth, walking Rip Lee on four pitches, hitting Addie Aleman, and then walking Les Cunha on five pitches to load the bases. He got a flyout, but then Harvey Brown drove in the first run with a single. He then looked to be out of trouble, as he rolled up a tailor made double play to Skipper. He did everything right, but Billy Hunter dropped the throw, allowing Aleman to score and keeping the bases jacked. Yes, can't assume a double play, but it was a 91.9 MPH grounder and Skipper is a god when it comes to anything fielding, so there would have been plenty of time for someone with a strong arm like Hunter to get it to Walker at first. And yes, Donnie could have just not sucked the rest of the way, as he allowed Ed Reyes to drive home another with a single, walked Cotton Dillon on four pitches, and then forcing in another with Woody Stone walking on 3-2. Don Lee's better Rip came up and sent Sailors fans home happy with another single, completing our total collapse. Donnie did when his first start, however, tossing what was his third consecutive complete game win with 10 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Brother Johnnie had no trouble in the second game of the double header, allowing just 3 hits, a walk, and a run with a pair of punchouts. Jones now leads the CA in ERA, a miniscule 0.98 (341 ERA+) as he's allowed just a single earned run in each of his three starts. The reason he took the lead is Billy Riley didn't throw a third shutout, instead losing 4-3 in Toronto. He wasn't bad by any means, allowing 10 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks in 8 innings pitched. With a little offense, he would have improved to 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (240 ERA+), but Bob Walls (2-1, 3.76, 4) managed to keep us in check, scattering five hits with the only real blow Hank Barnett's fifth home run. Harry Parker had trouble with the Cannons wealth of sluggers, allowing homers to Adam Mullins (.341, 1, 7), Al Wheeler (.333, 3, 15), and Denny Andrews (.286, 2, 13). The fourth hit was Fred Galloway's (.250, 2, 10) RBI triple, as the Cannons produced a run with all four of their hits off him. Parker did walk and strike out leaving the game tied at four in the 7th with nobody on. Rusty Petrick quickly blew that lead, allowing a single to the first batter he faced before Andrew's second homer of the game. Petrick finished things off with two hits and strikeouts. It was his first of two losses on the week, as the Wolves walked him off quickly in the 10th. We were actually up 4-2 headed to the ninth, but like Donnie Jones, Peter the Heater had a rough ninth. He at least finished his, but got the Wolves to their final out before pinch hitter Wayne Henderson got his first hit of the season, annoyingly of the infield variety. This brought the top of the order back up, meaning a fifth plate appearance for star shortstop Charlie Artuso (.397, 4, 16, 1). He was 0-for-2 with a pair of walks, and despite being down 0-2, managed to sneak one into left. The pressure was on with All-Star Center Fielder Chink Stickels (.278, 2, 11, 1) up with the winning run at the plate. Pap again got him to two strikes, but after fouling off a pair of heaters he finally connected with a double to left. Artuso was able to score from first, bringing up Gus Hall (.240, 3) who had a chance to win the game with a runner in scoring position. Stickles got to third on a 1-0 wild pitch, but was left stranded when Gus Hull tried to end things with a homer instead of just a single. In the end it didn't matter, as Petrick walked two which set up a Mike Rollinson (.178, 3) walk off single. Our last start of the week went to Joe Brown, who bounced back after a rough start in New York. He kept the Cannons in kept, tossing a complete game victory with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Brown got up to 137 pitches in the 9-3 victory, as the team leader is able to go the extra mile to save the bullpen. This improved him to 2-1 on the season with a 3.00 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP through four starts. And because of starts like his, we didn't need an inning from Rusty Watts or Ken Matson. Despite the losses, we've still allowed the fewest runs (56) and ranked #1 in every category except WAR (3rd, 3.3), homers allowed (3rd, 7th), walks (2nd, 66), and the rather meaningless Bullpen ERA (4.70, 8th). I mean, it's just 5.2 innings! If this week was replayed at home, I think the breaks would have gone our way, as we never really got a chance to make a comeback. Sure, we should have capitalized early on, but losing games started by Walls, Les Bradshaw (2-1, 3.46, 12), and Jimmy Gibbs (0-0, 1.86, 4) really hurt. Road games against top teams are tough, and we've played just five games in Chicago, and the road trip still isn't over. Despite the poor team performance, Dick Walker reminded people that he's still really good, going 12-for-29 with a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 6 runs, 8 RBIs, and a steal. This earned him the leagues third Player of the Week, and the first in our organization to win the honor. The 39-year-old is off to a hot start, slashing .365/.487/.667 (227 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 3 steals, 13 RBIs, and 15 walks. Hal Sharp had an equally impressive week, going 13-for-24 with a double, homer, walk, 5 runs, and 5 RBIs. Sharp has been blistering hot to start the season, slashing an astronomical .439/.492/.614 (215 OPS+) with 3 homers and 12 RBIs. He's leading the batting title race by just four points over the Cannons' Sam Brown (.435, 10). What I'm more impressed with is his defense, as he's nabbed his only unlikely ball and one of his six remotes. Small sample sizes are especially tough for fielding stats, but he hasn't cost us much and the production at the plate has been a true masterpiece. There were plenty of struggles, with Hank Barnett and Skipper Schneider coming back to earth a bit. Barnett had the homer, but finished just 7-for-31 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Skipper picked up a steal, but went just 4-for-23 with a double, 2 runs, and 6 walks. The walks were a nice addition for a guy who doesn't usually walk, at least putting him on the bases where he can really do damage. His 77 walk pace would be a career high, easily surpassing his 57 in a career high 672 PAs last year. We didn't face many lefties, so Ray Ford didn't get much action, just 0-for-2 to drop to 3-for-24 on the season. Leo Mitchell had some success, going 12-for-31 with 2 doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 walks. Clark Car homered as well, going 7-for-22 with a triple, walk, two steals, 7 runs, and 4 RBIs. Carlos Montes had a homer and pair of steals as well, hitting 6-for-22 with a double, 2 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs. These were overall stats of a team who had a good week, but we just didn't any of the 50-50 plays. We rank top three in all offensive categories, while leading ten of them, including the always important runs scored (112). Looking Ahead We get a much needed day of rest after the double header, but we'll stay in Philadelphia for one more with the Sailors. They are three games out of first and just a game over .500 (11-10), good for fifth in the association. With the double header neither team can skip a start, so veteran Doc Newell (1-1, 4.07, 8) will take on Joe Brown. His command will do well against a disciplined lineup, but other then Ed Reyes (.315, 1, 9, 1) it's coming from rather unexpected spots. Harvey Brown (.333, 10, 5) has excelled in his return to the lineup, having not played since 1943. The now 30-year-old hit .288/.330/.396 (117 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 19 triples, a homer, 16 steals, and 64 RBIs. I'm not saying Brown's not a quality player, he certainly is one, but Marion Boismenu (.246, 9) has not looked like a Whitney Winner and Addie Aleman (.238, 6) looks like a guy who debuted at 28. This is a must win game where we have the edge at arguably every position, and the pitching matchup is one favorable to our side. Our road trip then ends at 16 with two against the Foresters. We're 7-6 so far, and have the same amount of road wins (9) as the Foresters have total wins. They're looking better then last season, as they returned plenty of talented youngsters. One of those debuted last season, as Chicagoan Richie Hughes (4-1, 3.05, 16) owns a share of the wins lead after putting up a strong 3.19 FIP (84 FIP-) in 130 innings last season. Hiram Steinberg (0-3, 2.91, 17) had a similar 3.24 FIP (86 FIP-) in just shy of 60 innings, but "The Undertaker" hasn't gotten any love from his offense. Cleveland has scored just seven runs in his four starts, and the kid isn't anywhere near his ceiling. Another Chicagoan Bill Martino (1-3, 4.25, 30) returned after four years in the Air Force, and the former top 25 prospects has been somewhat effectively wild in his first five starts. The staff has plenty of upside, as Ducky Davis (1-2, 2.76, 12) is just 25 and already has two big league seasons under his belt. They're not quite there yet, but Cleveland teams of the past have had really good rotations, and for the first time there's plenty to get excited about the guys taking the mound. The offense doesn't have the same star power yet, but Jim Adams Jr. is a really good hitter. Sure, he's more of a second basemen then a shortstop, but he hit .251/.369/.381 (117 OPS+) last year and is off to a .313/.385/.482 (136 OPS+) start through 22 games. He's walked (10) just as often as he has struck out (10), and has totaled 5 doubles, 3 triples, 12 runs, 20 RBIs, and a homer. There's not much protection in the lineup, but former 6th Rounder Paul Porter (.341, 1, 11, 4) gas gotten off to a great start for his professional career. His last affiliated action came at Class A Wilmington in 1942, slashing .317/.350/.453 (116 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 14 triples, a homer, 12 steals, and 61 RBIs. He ranks 11th in the Foresters system, and has a chance to claim a spot in a very open outfield. Another new face is a familiar one, with Leon Blackridge (.282, 4, 1) returning after serving with Porter the past two seasons. Blackridge hit .279/.359/.416 (132 OPS+), and production like that could make him very appealing for a contender if the Foresters decide he's outside their contention window. Now 30, he's not too old that he's a must move, and his leadership could prove valuable for the younger kids. They have a pair of top 100 offensive prospects who are just a few seasons away, including 22-year-old third basemen Bob Miller. Blackridge could be a strong mentor to the former 2nd Rounder, who tends to let his mind drift. If you recognize that game, that's because his dad played baseball, pitching 12 seasons for the Cannons. He didn't pitch much until 1928, but we faced the longtime starter numerous times. For now, Cleveland should be easy wins, but young teams can never be underestimated, as you never know when everything is going to click. We then return home for a rather awkward one game series with the Kings. We've beat them all four times we've faced them, holding the team to one or two runs in each match. The young team has really struggled, going 4-16 and 4 games behind the seventh place Saints. Leo Hayden (1-2, 2.70, 10) had a rough first week, but has allowed just one run in his last 15 innings pitched. He's the only pitcher I don't want to face, but I think we wouldn't struggle too much against him. He walks too many hitters and still has ways to go, but he's closer then the rest of his counterparts. The offense hasn't done too much, but Tiny Tim (.286, 3, 8) has produced a 155 WRC+. He hasn't gotten much help from Rats McGonigle (.229, 2, 4, 1), Orie Martinez (.179, 2, 6), or Vernon Ruch (.222, 1, 9), but Rule-5 Pick from the Sailors Phil Gratz has looked good. The young shortstop is hitting .279/.364/.368 (102 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 RBIs, 3 steals, 9 walks, and a 123 WRC+. We should be able to keep them in check for the game, giving us a nice start to the homestand. We then finish the week with the first two of a three game series against the Stars. New York is 11-9 so far, sitting two games behind us for second. Vineland's Finest Bill Barrett has been as good as it gets, slashing .275/.474/.667 (216 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 8 homers, 23 RBIs, 26 walks, and 4 steals. Rookie Bill Barnett (.333, 3, 11) has 18 walks and 8 extra base hits while last year's #1 pick Bob Riggins (.325, 4, 3) is healthy and raking. "Jersey Jack" Welch (.283, 1, 10, 1) is off to a good start in his young career, and veteran Rabbit Mudd (.300, 3) was hitting well before dealing with a sore elbow. Still, Joe Angevine (.207, 4, 4) hasn't looked like himself and Chick MacKnight (.095, 4) has been ice cold. On the mound, #5 Jack Wood (2-1, 2.28, 11) is off to a great start, and Vern Hubbard (3-1, 3.28, 13) was dominant before allowing 9 hits and 7 runs against the Cannons in start five. Eli Panneton (0-2, 4.36, 15) is off to a tough start, but once the 24-year-old is back on track, runs will be tough to get against them. Right now they are middle of the pack in both runs scored and allowed, but once the youth movement is finished, we can go back to calling them the Stars, and not just the Star. Former Cougars in the GWL RHP King Price (Los Angeles Knights): A 9th Round Pick of ours back in 1939, Price spent three seasons in the Air Force, but when he came back, there was no room in the system for the 28-year-old righty. He left at 24, splitting his starts between the Commodores (16) and Blues (8), and he would have been an option for a 40-man spot. Instead, he was able to catch on in the GWL with the Knights, and he's been nothing short of dominant. He was named the first Rookie of the Month in the GWL, going 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA (223 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 7 walks, and 14 strikeouts. His first May start was solid as well, as he improved to 3-0 with 8 innings, 11 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 7 strikeouts. He's pitched well with the #1 offense behind him, and ranks as the 4th best pitcher in the GWL, a spot above former Cougar Pug Bryan (1-1, 1.38, 16), who has also had plenty of success. The lack of pitching depth in the GWL shows, with guys like this putting up crazy numbers, but this is a good chance for him to establish himself as a major league pitcher. Oh yeah, and it's not worth going three-for-three, but Ira Hawker through another shutout! This time, a 5-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the first place Hawks. Hawker is now 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA (263 ERA+) and 0.93 WHIP. What a stud! Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-20-2023, 11:19 PM	#1044
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 4: May 6th-May 12th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 15-11 (t-3rd, 1.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .417 AVG, .920 OPS Dick Walker : 15 AB, 4 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .267 AVG, 1.020 OPS Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.00 ERA Schedule 5-7: Loss at Sailors (2-5) 5-8: Loss at Foresters (0-2) 5-9: Win at Foresters (3-1) 5-10: Win vs Kings (1-5) 5-11: Loss vs Stars (8-1) 5-12: Loss vs Stars (4-0) Recap Alright now, this isn't much fun... The non-stop run of games has been very tough on us, and we're starting to run out of energy. Sure, we did have an off day to start the week, but it came after a double header, and we're stuck in the middle of stretch where we play 42 games in 41 days. Not sure what was going on in Cleveland, as we couldn't score, but it got even worse when the Stars came to town. We scored just a single run in two games, and we have now dropped 8 of our last 11 after starting the season 12-3. Cleary, it's not a winning formula, but in our defense, eight of the games were on the road, and just three of the games were against teams worse then .500. The top of the CA is crowded, with five teams within 2.5 games of first, and us tied in third with the Wolves. There is plenty of time left, but it won't get any easier. We played the first six games of a stretch of 25 games in 24 days, and we won't be off again until May 31st. Having a strong and reliable six man rotation will help keep the arms fresh, but we have to stop losing close games. We're 0-4 in one run games and 0-2 in extras, and we already our -3 on our expected record. Panic time? Not yet... But we can't let our slump spiral out of control. Guess who had their first career home run this week? Peter the Heater! It took 134 games, but the Cougars co-Ace took Chicagoan Richie Hughes deep in a 3-1 win over the Foresters. A longtime Cougar fan, Hughes was 16 when he debuted in 1938, and even attended a Papenfus start as a high schooler. After watching Harry Parker get shut out by Ducky Davis the 1941 Allen Winner took things into his own hands, breaking the tie with a two-run homer. He came through again in the ninth, and delivered an eight pitch single off veteran Frank Phillips, who was pitching in his 491st career game. That scored Billy Hunter, who was the third and final run of the game. Papenfus is now hitting .438 with a 1.125 OPS that trails only Dick Walker. A career .256/.269/.291 (55 OPS+) hitter, Papenfus will surely be derailed from his torrid pace, as just a 0-for-8 stretch will drop his average below .300, but that lack of production at the plate will be offset by his pitching. Papenfus picked up his third complete game victory, allowing just five hits, the lone run, and two walks with five more strikeouts. His 38 in 44 innings are tied with Bill Martino (2-3, 4.41, 38) for the CA lead, but the Foresters #1 has completed five more innings. Pap led the league in strikeouts his last two full seasons, and we can expect more of that this season. What is most impressive, however, is the command, as he's walked just 18 so far. His 2.1 K/BB would be a career best, and he's done exceptional in his first 5 starts. A perfect 4-0, Peter the Heater has flashed a 1.84 ERA (186 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP. That ERA is good for third in the CA, and our co-ace's next start will be a big one. It comes Tuesday against the Wolves, which kicks off a huge two game series. Both teams enter the week tied for third, but that tie will be broken as we look to avoid a sweep against the Stars and the Wolves will head south on a rest day. With pitchers like Pap and Donnie Jones, you always have a chance to win, and I strategically started them to face the Wolves on normal rest. Donnie shook off three rough (by his standards, at least) starts, twirling a 4-hit complete game victory with just 1 run and 4 strikeouts. The current ERA leader Johnnie Jones didn't get any run support, as the offense thought they could take another day off. He pitched in our 4-0 loss to the Stars, going the distance with 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Harry Parker was even more unlucky, as he was the pitcher of record in our 2-0 shutout at the hands of Ducky Davis (2-2, 2.16, 14). Parker allowed just 4 hits and 2 runs with a strikeout in 8 innings pitched. I was a bit worried he may fair poorly this season, and while the 4 homers in 31 inning hurts, he has a beautiful 2.61 ERA (131 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP with 6 walks and 14 strikeouts. Billy Riley has done a complete 180, as after dominating the Saints, he's really struggled with the Wolves and now the Stars. New York hit their former hurler hard, tagging him for 7 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He was the only Cougar not to finish his start, as Ken Matson got the final five outs. He did allow two hits, but no walks and Matson struck out a pair. Joe Brown struggled against the Sailors, and while he also didn't walk a batter, he finished with 12 hits, 5 runs, and 6 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Brown's 3.66 ERA (93 ERA+) is the only one that corresponds to a below average ERA+, but his 3.23 FIP (94 FIP-) paints a nicer picture. His numbers are still more then respectable overall, with a 1.25 WHIP, 5 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 32 innings, and we can always rely on him to pitch deep into games. I'll never worry about this staff, but sometimes they aren't perfect, and that's something I'll have to accept. We're not the only team that can score a lot of runs, so it makes sense that other teams can best even the top arms in the league at times. The offense really struggled, with many of our mashers not producing at the plate. The biggest exception was Dick Walker, who is somehow knocking everyone out of the park with a 1.130 OPS. Walker went just 4-for-15, but hit a pair of solo shots and walked twice to up his season line to an absurd .346/.453/.667 (217 OPS+). His 218 WRC+ also leads either circuit, and the 39-year-old has tallied 4 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 3 steals, 15 RBIs, and 17 walks in 95 trips to the plate. He got some support from the ever reliable Leo Mitchell, who went 10-for-24 with a double, walk, and run. His .354/.398/.500 (153 OPS+) line looks very similar to his .357/.392/.474 (148 OPS+) from two years ago, and he should be in the mix again this season. Right now, Hal Sharp leads the way, as after going just 5-for-17, he's still hitting an elite .405/.450/.541 (179 OPS+) with 3 homers and 13 RBIs. I won't got too in-depth into all our struggles at the plate, but what might paint the picture is the 16-for-84 (.190) that Harry Mead, Hank Barnett, Skipper Schneider, and Clark Car combined for. Even after this rough week, all four have WRC+ above 100, and it just sucks that so many of our players (Montes, Sharp, and Hunter too) decided to take a week off. I have faith in every single one of our guys, as we had to deal with a lot of really talented pitchers, and can't score 10 runs a game day in and day out. Looking Ahead We've got one more against the Stars, and will look to avoid our first sweep of the season. New York is now 13-11, moving two games up from .500 and withing a game of us since the series has started. This is a must win, but we'll get there weakest starter Henry Shaffer (2-3, 3.93, 18), a Rule-5 Pick from the Keystones organization that OSA is enamored with. Earlier in the season he was ranked as a top 20 pitcher despite no FABL innings since 1942, and being removed from the Keystones 40. He's not bad by any means, but we'll counter with Joe Brown (2-2, 3.66, 13), who has pitched far better then the numbers show. Even if we score runs, it's next to impossible to keep Bill Barrett (.286, 8, 23, 5), Bill Barnett (.318, 3, 13), Bob Riggins (.286, 4, 3), and Jack Welch (279, 1, 11, 1) quiet. I'd love to see more then a single run in this game, but a tight 1-0 victory works just as well! It won't get any easier, as we get the Wolves for two following the Stars departure. Currently tied, we could remain tied for the start and finish of the series, but with Donnie and Pap lined up (8-1 combined!), you can almost check these off for the win column. No Garrison (2-2, 3.35, 15) or Hancock (3-2, 3.02, 10) is huge in all caps, but the Wolves will be rested with no Monday game. We'll get Bob Walls (3-1, 4.31, 6) and Jimmy Gibbs (1-0, 1.59, 7) on an extra days rest, but I'd be quaking in my boots if I were them. Due to our offensive struggles, the Wolves now score the most runs in the CA. The lineup is deep, but in reality it's Charlie Artuso (.349, 5, 19, 1) tearing the cover off the ball and doing pretty much everything. Okay, that's a bit unfair, as all eight members (even Clarence Howerton!) have a WRC+ above 100, making me feel a little less special for doing the same thing. Chink Stickels (.305, 2, 13, 2), Fred McCormick (.282, 2, 12, 1), and Juan Pomales (.302, 1, 10, 2) are on rampages of their own, Tom Frederick (.300, 7, 2) has re-seized a lineup spot and produced, and while not Whitney Winner level, Walt Pack (.293, 3, 17) continues to hit. If it wasn't for Pap and Donnie I'd wager these two games would be shootouts, but it will be much see baseball as the #1 and #2 pitchers in the CA take on the circuit's best offense. More home games follow, with three against the second place Sailors. At 16-11, they're a game up on us and the Wolves and one behind the Cannons, and have done a good job in the early goings. They are overperforming their expected record by two games, which may average out, but there is plenty of talent on the team. The pitching has been really good, as Slick Wesolowski (5-1, 2.62, 31) is making Sailor fans wish what could have been had he not enlisted, while fellow 1946 debutee Charlie Gordon (3-2, 2.45, 18) has flashed brilliance of his own. Win Lewis (3-1, 3.00, 17) picked off right where he left off, and Al Duster (2-2, 2.75, 22) has taken advantage of his first fulltime rotation spot. With young arms, you never know if they can keep it up, but having a storied vet like Doc Newell (1-1, 5.19, 8) rounding out the rotation could be a huge help to the youngsters. The lineup is on the older side, but 23-year-old Les Cunha (.352, 15) is reigning Player of the Week (9-18, 3 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 BB) and has produced a whopping 183 WRC+ in exactly 100 plate appearances. He's the only lineup member younger then 27 on a team filled with veterans, and is developing into one of the best players in the league. Ed Reyes (.304, 2, 13, 1) has been surprisingly effective at the plate, as has Harvey Brown (.324, 13, 7), but they'll need more from Marion Boismenu (.264, 15, 1) if they want to compete. Addie Aleman (.267, 1, 13) has started to turn things around, Woody Stone (.269, 2, 16) and Rip Lee (.272, 1, 6, 2) are starting to heat up, and don't let Cotton Dillon's (.227, 1, 4, 1) uninspiring average fool you, he's always on base and more the half his hits have gone for extra bases. The Sailors are always competitive, and with three straight 80+ 4th place finishes, they've got their sights on the crown. We'll then start the series with the Foresters on Sunday, making it four opponents for a full week. Cleveland is actually closer to first (5 GB) then last (6 GA), and their 13 wins match the Stars. They have lost five more games, with 16 in total, but early on they haven't been a gimmie. I'll cover them more later, but Ducky Davis shut us out this week and has allowed one or fewer runs in three of his first five starts. Richie Hughes (4-3, 3.14, 30) deserved the win on another day, but Pap took things into his own hands. Hiram Steinberg (0-4, 2.70, 20) is even more unlucky, as his defense and offense both let him down. He has three starts with two or fewer earned runs, but four total starts with three or more totals runs. The Foresters have produced just 10 runs when he starts the game, something that will someday change. With all their good young pitchers, they just have to fill out the lineup, as Jim Adams Jr. (.314, 1, 23, 1) needs a little help. They have plenty of young players to audition, but their system ranks just 11th in the league. Part of that is due to guys like Hughes, Steinberg, and Adams graduating, as there is no shortage of potential talent on the big league roster. Minor League Report 3B Israel Holmes (A Lincoln Legislators): I'll admit, I'm a bit surprised there was room for Israel Holmes to get every day at bats, as I thought for sure he'd get passed up. Instead, he just went down a level, returning to Lincoln after hitting .271/.385/.379 (110 OPS+) in AA. Holmes is off to a sizzling start, and capped it off with a thrashing of the Hawks pitching. Going into a tied ninth, Holmes was looking to make it 5-for-5 and possibly advance Art Goins, who was 3-for-5 himself. Holmes instead decided to break the tie, launching a go-ahead home run to give the Legislators a 9-7 lead they would hold. He's spent most of his time at first base, hitting an excellent .286/.400/.444 (144 OPS+) with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. Now 23, the former 14th Rounder has stuck along much longer then I would have expected, hitting at pretty much every level. He doesn't profile as more then a bench player, but he has one of the keenest eyes in our system and a really solid hit tool. His versatility is limited, but I've developed a soft spot for him, and I think he'll eventually be rewarded with a big league debut. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-22-2023, 12:00 AM	#1045
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 5: May 13th-May 19th Weekly Record: 2-5 Seasonal Record: 17-16 (5th, 3.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.245 OPS Billy Riley : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA Harry Mead : 22 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .739 OPS Schedule 5-13: Loss vs Stars (13-5) 5-14: Loss vs Wolves (4-1) 5-15: Loss vs Wolves (3-2) 5-16: Loss vs Sailors (6-5) 5-17: Win vs Sailors (0-2) 5-18: Loss vs Sailors (2-0) 5-19: Win vs Foresters (5-6): 13 innings Recap It is taking all my willpower to not start screaming... Why are we so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, a +34 run differential is fun and all, but we've dropped 13 of 18, including 7 of 10 games in our current homestand. Before an extra inning squeaker, we were an even .500, and sit 3.5 games out of first a bit over a month in. It was our first one run game in seven attempts, a huge part of the reason we've gotten off to such a slow start. Even the Kings (2) have won more one run games then us, but at least our seven one run games is tied for the fewest. It was our first walk-off win as well (we've been walked off plenty), as we allowed just eight runs in our first five home games, and have recently decided that our fans deserved to watch us lose. Our run differential is best in the league, trailing only the Minutemen (+67) and defending champion Keystones (+35) of the Fed. You would think things would start evening out, but with our history of failure in close games, you never quite know. Our offense continues its ineptitude, but as usual, Leo Mitchell is immune to the daily struggles of an FABL hitter. Yet again, Mitchell was robbed of a Player of the Week, as for some reason 12-for-29 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs is worse then 14-for-31 with 4 doubles and 9 RBIs. I mean, is it his fault no one can get on base for him? He's also riding a 21 game hit streak, and now up to #2 in the batting race as Hal Sharp has started to slump. His 193 WRC+ trails only Dick Walker in the CA, who himself had a decent week. The veteran went just 5-for-24, but he contributed with a double, triple, homer, a steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs. Harry Mead produced some too, 7-for-22 with a double, run, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Skipper has seen his bat freeze, going 4-for-26 with a triple and RBI, dropping him to a .141/.222/.172 (13 OPS+) line for May. His 89 WRC+ is the only one below 100 in our usual eight, and even his 1.100 efficiency is a bit lower then usual. I'll blame Harry Barrell's return from the war, giving yet another elite defensive shortstop a lot of innings. Something has to wake this lineup up, but despite the awful month of May we still rank 1st in average, slugging, hits, steals, and baserunning, as well as top three in everything excluding extra base hits (4th), walks (4th), and strikeouts (6th). I thought the return home would help, but we still have nine home games in the month and can move back into first if we pretend its April again. Peter the Heater had a 295 pitch 22 inning week, beating the Foresters and losing to the Wolves. A mix of bad defense and bad offense cost him in Toronto, as we scored just one run on Bob Walls (5-1, 3.19, 9) and Chick Wirtz (3-1, 2, 7.45, 2), who the Kings got five runs on two days later. Two of the Wolves four runs came from a Skipper Schneider error, as Pap allowed just 6 hits and 4 walks with 6 strikeouts in the complete game loss. The Foresters got to Pap early, but we gave him a run in each of the first five innings. We were up 5-2 after five, but the Foresters rallied in the sixth. Brooks Meeks (.172, 1, 8) delivered his first homer of the season, launching a rather meek 98 mile per hour fastball 409 feet. Angered by the homer to the 8th hitter, Pap showed know mercy on Ducky Davis (3-2, 2.45, 18), striking him out on four pitches, and vowed to keep his team in the game. After plenty of success scoring early on, the teams were at a standstill, with both pitchers finishing eight innings. Pap delivered a scoreless ninth, but the Foresters opted to hand the ball to Dick Lamb (2-0, 2.13, 4). He got 8-9-1 to go 1-2-3. Some fans may have wondered why Papenfus was allowed to hit for himself, but Clyde Meyer trusts his veteran righty. He put up four zeros in extras, with his 151st pitch clocking in at 101. He was in the on deck circle when the game ended, as Harry Mead (.280, 1, 14) decided 14 innings would be too much to catch. He lined a slider to the right-center gap, scoring Hal Sharp (.371, 4, 16) to end it. This improved Papenfus to 5-1 with a 2.18 ERA (155 ERA+), third best in the CA. Billy Riley didn't face the Saints, but he pitched like he did, tossing a 7-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Sailors. That's three shutouts in five starts, and all three of them have been walk-less. Granted, the other two starts were awful, as he allowed 17 hits and 12 runs with 6 walks in 15.1 innings pitched. That all equates to a still impressive 2.55 ERA (132 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP. He has yet to allow a home run and has a stellar 2.20 FIP (65 FIP-). We got good starts from the Jones brothers, but neither picked up the victory. Johnnie was the victim of Slick Wesolowski's (6-1, 2.21, 35) 2-hut shutout. He allowed just 4 hits, 4 walks, and 2 runs (1 earned) with 4 strikeouts in the complete game loss. Despite a league leading 1.38 ERA (245 ERA+) he is just 2-2 in his 5 starts. He's allowed earned run in four of the five starts, but has walked (18) one more batter then he's struck out (17). Donnie also got his second loss, going all nine with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts in a one-run loss to the Wolves. This was remarkably one of his better starts, as the young righty has allowed a fair amount of runs despite not many baserunners. He has a great 1.12 WHIP and has struck out (32) twice as many hitters, but that's not all that makes him valuable. Just like Papenfus, he can go deep into games, recording all but two outs of the potential 54 innings in his starts. He's surpassed the 140 pitch mark twice, but has gotten the job done in 130 or fewer for the other four. Harry Parker and Joe Brown didn't fair well, with Brown in particular getting hit hard. He lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing 9 hits, 9 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strikeout as the Stars had their way with him. After a nice start to the season, he's allowed 21 hits and 16 runs in his last two starts. This has inflated his ERA to 5.60 (60 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.47, but he's walked just 8 and struck out 14 in 35.1 innings pitched. Ken Matson mopped up most of the game, but left after finishing the 8th. He finished with 4 hits, 3 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick got the ninth, allowing a hit, run, and two walks with two strikeouts. He pitched better Harry Parker's loss, striking out one in two perfect innings. Parker didn't walk anyone, but he was tagged for 13 hits and 5 runs in 6.2 innings against the Sailors. Even though him and Brown didn't pitch well, the other five starts were winnable games, and we only came away with two of them. Don't get me wrong, our pitching is unmatched, but I thought our lineup would be good enough to win games when we allow five or fewer runs. Looking Ahead Two more against the Foresters, who have dropped to seventh in the Continental Association. At 15-20, they aren't much further from first (6.5 GB) then last (5.5 GA), but we need to push them further down. They can adjust their rotation, but I imagine it will be Hiram Steinberg (0-5, 3.26, 24) followed by Bill Martino (2-4, 4.42, 40). With our luck, Steinberg will get his first win and the wild Martino will find his control. They'll get Donnie Jones (4-2, 3.21, 32) and Harry Parker (1-3, 3.35, 19), which will be a tough task for the Foresters lineup. They don't have much pop, with all eight of their homers coming from different players. One of those eight is budding superstar Jim Adams Jr., who is slashing .305/.381/.500 (139 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 2 steals, 16 walks, and 24 RBIs. His double play partner Glenn White (.366, 9, 1) has posted a 152 WRC+ in 18 games, but the defense at short has been neither good nor plenty. Leon Blackridge (.287, 1, 11, 1) suffered an oblique strain, so he'll missed both of the games in our series. Him or Hank Stratton (.291, 13) could be attractive trade pieces for a contender, which could bring more youth up to the big leagues. They have a top 100 prospect in first basemen Ivey Henley waiting in AAA, and by July top 50 prospect Bob Miller could be worth getting a longer look at third. While the rotation won't change much, the lineup may see plenty of new faces, as the staff will decide on who to keep when they're ready to compete. Our homestand then finishes with a huge two game series against the Cannons. At 20-12, they are 1.5 games ahead of the Wolves for first, as they look for their fourth consecutive pennant. They have the number one scoring offense, led by All-Stars Sam Brown (.330, 1, 12, 1), Denny Andrews (.276, 4, 19), Al Wheeler (.284, 5, 17), Adam Mullins (.306, 1, 11), Chuck Adams (.315, 6, 29), and Fred Galloway (..269, 2, 15, 2). Even Charlie Rivera (.311, 4, 2), Gail Gifford (.239, 2, 5), and Mike Taylor (.333, 2, 9, 3) off the bench can produce, making the Cannons a real tough team to best in nine innings. As things stand, we'll miss Rufus Barrell (5-0, 2.56, 21), and he's really the only pitcher I'm worried about. Sure, Red Hampton (4-2, 3.27, 9) and Les Bradshaw (4-2, 2.94, 25) have decent looking numbers, but the Cannons defense is second to none. One arm that might be a factor in the future is Bob Arman (0-3, 6.91, 14), but the former 1st Overall Pick does not look like he can hack it yet. If he figures out his command, he could be an excellent #2 to Rufus, but with the run support Cannons pitchers get, he could end up winning some games he doesn't look his sharpest in. We finish the week in New York for a quick three game road trip. The Stars are tied with the Sailors for third, but up slightly on win percentage due to their 18-14 record compared to Philly's 19-15. The Stars got Chuck Cole (0-3, 6.33, 10) back, who fractured his shoulder blade in the spring, but he has not looked any good. He last pitched in 1942, where he went 18-14 and tossed a league high 291 innings. His 2.29 ERA (144 ERA+) was elite, and he produced a 1.25 WHIP with 103 walks and 106 strikeouts. They'll need him to return to that form, but at 36, he may not be the same pitcher he once was. Henry Shaffer (4-3, 3.24, 32) impressed against the Wolves, which brought his ERA+ back above 100. Vern Hubbard (5-2, 3.16, 17) and Eli Panneton (2-2, 3.18, 23) haven't quite dominated, but both our excellent pitchers. Despite all this, they have still allowed the second fewest runs, and do a good job keeping their lineup in each game. Bill Barrett (.261, 8, 24, 5) and Bill Barnett (.319, 4, 19) continue to mash and even Rabbit Mudd (.310, 9) has a 137 WRC+. Bob Riggins (.272, 1, 5, 3) and Jack Welch (.329, 3, 19, 1) have been as good as advertised. It's going to be scary when all these guys reach their peak, and the most talented of all Ralph Hanson is still in C ball. The #1 prospect will be an elite shortstop, one of many talented youngsters in the fold. I have zero faith in winning this series, but they'll have to beat Pete Papenfus (5-1, 2.18, 50) and Donnie Jones (4-2, 3.21, 32) for a sweep. Joe Brown (2-3, 5.60, 14) will get a chance to redeem himself as well, making for a very interesting series in the Big Apple. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-22-2023, 08:24 PM	#1046
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 6: May 20th-May 26th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 21-19 (4th, 2.5 GB) Stars of the Week Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 12 K, 0.50 ERA Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .370 AVG, .948 OPS Hank Barnett : 24 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.048 OPS Schedule 5-20: Win vs Foresters (0-4) 5-21: Loss vs Foresters (2-0) 5-22: Win vs Cannons (2-10) 5-23: Loss vs Cannons (4-3) 5-24: Win at Stars (6-5) 5-25: Win at Stars (2-1) 5-26: Loss at Stars (5-6) Recap The stuttering continues! We lost one game to each team we faced this week, but hey! It's a winning week! Too many one run games for my liking, as we played four in a row to end the week, including all three in New York. Lucky for us, we won two of the games against the Stars, but we're 2.5 games out of first. There's a four way tie between the Cannons (23-16), Wolves (23-16), and Sailors (24-17), but since no one has separate, we're still hanging out in the race. Our run differential still paces the circuit, and we have plenty of categories where we rank #1. Oh yeah, and remember how I said Hiram Steinberg would get his first win? It was a 5-hit shutout in a 2-0 loss, the third time we lost 2-0 in the past three weeks (including another against the Foresters). Our luck can't get any better! Donnie Jones did what Leo Mitchell couldn't, and won Player of the Week! Our brilliant co-ace, who threw his seventh and eighth complete game of the season. The first was a dominating performance against the Foresters, spinning a 3-hit shutout with 4 strikeouts. He then was a run away from a second shutout, allowing 4 hits and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts in our tight 2-1 victory. Jones improved to 6-2 on the season with a sparkly 2.52 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 21 walks, and 44 strikeouts. His 2.50 FIP (74 FIP-) is in line with his ERA, and his 5.6 K/9, 2.1 K/BB, and 2.0 WAR are all outstanding. Billy Riley has been great too, and while it wasn't a fourth walk-less shutout, it was a fourth start with no walks or earned run. He allowed just 3 hits and 2 unearned runs with 5 strikeouts. 32 next week, Riley is now 4-2 with a 2.10 ERA (160 ERA+), 0.78 WHIP, 6 walks, and 19 strikeouts. His 2.00 FIP (59 FIP-) is even lower, his WHIP and BB/9 (1.1) are best in the game, as our his BABIP (.207) and opponent average (.187). He's the only CA pitcher with more then one shutout, and he's exceeded all expectations. Just imagine if he did this the season we traded for him and collapsed! Wouldn't that have been fun! Joe Brown is doing all he can to lose his rotation spot, this time allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7 innings. This dropped him to 2-4 with a 5.95 ERA (57 ERA+), which is just shy of the combined tally of Johnnie Jones, Riley, and Peter the Heater (6.10). We have an off day to start next week, which will allow me to reshape the rotation, but I'm not ready to banish the team captain to the pen yet. What's making things tougher is Duke Bybee has been elite in Milwaukee, 3-1 in 6 starts with a 1.98 ERA (215 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 14 walks, and 27 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick finished Brown's start, walking and striking out one in a scoreless 8th. He also pitched in our 2-0 loss to the Foresters, striking out one in a perfect frame. His 8.2 innings out of the pen lead the team, and we've only had 20.1 innings thrown by him, Ken Matson, and Rusty Watts. Watts tried his best to blow Pap's start, as he followed up 8 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts with 3 hits and 3 runs. Our pen ERA (5.31) is worst in the CA, but due to excellent starting pitching (2.78) the team ERA (2.93) is the only one in the CA below 3. Harry Parker had a nice start, but dropped to 1-4 on the season. He went 8, allowing just 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. His 3.15 ERA (107 ERA+) is still above average and he's walked just 8 hitters in 45.2 innings. He's allowed four homers, but three came in one game and in four of his starts he didn't allow a single one. His 1.03 WHIP is superb, and he's still struck out 23 hitters in 45.2 innings pitched. Johnnie Jones also got a loss, but his start wasn't as impressive, and it caused him to lose his ERA lead. Jones allowed 8 hits, 4 runs, and 7 walks with just 4 strikeouts in his complete game loss. It was his first poor start of the season, but like Parker he hasn't had much luck winning games. He's just 2-3, with his only no decision one he pitched 10 innings in. The staff is elite, but I expect we'll continue to under perform our run differential the rest of the way. Leo Mitchell continues to hit, this week 10-for-27 to raise his average to a now-Continental best .368 despite his hit streak being snapped at 22. Mitchell added a walk, steal, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 5 runs and his 7th homer. It quickly gave him the team lead, but both Hank Barnett and Dick Walker managed to tie it quickly after. Walker went 8-for-25 with the homer, steal, double, run, and 5 RBIs. Barnett had two homers, one on the 22nd and one one the 23rd, going 9-for-24 with 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Those three had the best weeks, but the struggling Ray Ford and Don Lee did well in limited time. Ford went 2-for-2, which rose his season line to .222/.275/.267 (55 OPS+) in 51 trips to the plate. Lee had two hits as well, but in six at bats with a steal, RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. His .225/.319/.225 (57 OPS+) line in 49 trips is equally unimpressive. The lack of extra base hits is surprising, as Lee hit 48 of them in 140 games last year. Harry Mead and Carlos Montes both had five hits, including a homer, 4 RBIs, and 4 walks, but Montes did it in one extra PA (26). Mead scored four times, while Montes scored twice and picked up a steal. We have plenty of pop in the lineup to go with the best average in our association, but the timely hitting. Just can't seem to get that down... Looking Ahead Back home after the quick road series, hosting the Saints for three. They're just a game under .500, but much closer to first (4 GB) then last (8 GA). We'll miss Doyle (4-3, 2.66, 46) and Weakley (4-4, 3.11, 51), but are stuck facing #7 prospect Bert Cupid. The former 4th Overall Pick has dominated in his 8 starts, going 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA (152 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 14 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. I expect him to have no trouble shutting us down, but I'm very confident in taking out Jake DeYoung (0-0, 8.44) and Bill Ross (2-5, 4.31, 18). The offense hasn't produced much, and even though he was off to a terrible start, Jake Hughes (.269, 11, 5) is now dealing with a strained rib cage muscle which may take him out of our series. This could open up a spot for the highly touted Luke Weaver (.235, 1), who debuted earlier this year, or veteran leader Mark Burns (.154, 1). They'll need to provide a spark, as Bill Greene (.243, 6, 18, 4) can't do it all by himself. They're hoping Ernie McCoy (.250) can regain some of his shine from when he was taken second. Fellow youngster Gordie Perkins (.246, 8, 1) has started a sophomore slump, and Bert Lass (.316, 24) is really the only guy other then Greene who is tough to get out. These are big games for us, and I'm hoping we can end this miserable month better then it started. We don't play on the final day of May, as our last two games for the month are a double header against the Kings in Chicago on the 30th. We've beat them all five times we've faced them, and I'm hoping we'll avoid young ace Leo Hayden. After a rough start to the season, Hayden is 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP. The 23-year-old is the lone bright spot on a team with just seven other wins, and while the walks have started to slow down, he's allowed 34 free passes with 32 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched. They recently shuffled their rotation, with both Bob Crowley (0-1, 27.00, 2) and Larry Smith (0-0, 6.00, 5) both making their debuts last week. I'd love to get a go at either (or both) of them, but Clarence Barton (3-3, 5.00, 29) and Wally Graves (0-5, 4.35, 32) shouldn't be too big of a challenge. They've allowed the most runs and scored the fewest, and none of their qualifying hitters are batting above .250. Tiny Tim (.246, 7, 17) still has a 120 WRC+, but star center fielder Rats McGonigle (.229, 2, 9, 2) is angry and off to a slow start. He was their best trade piece, but his rough return may limit his market. Last year's star Vernon Ruch (.201, 1, 13, 1) seems to have fallen back to minor league journeyman status and third year outfielder Orie Martinez (.200, 4, 13) is off to a really slow start. It will be a rough few seasons for Kings fans, but they have a lot of young talent, and can patiently wait for their top end talent to show it. The off day is nice, but we're still stuck playing three games in two days over the weekend. They will be in Cleveland, who will look to get revenge after we took the series in Chicago. Now 18-23, they are both six games out of first and above the last place Kings, and I expect them to make their way down as we progress. The Foresters pitching has kept us in check, as both Steinberg and Ducky Davis (4-2, 2.53, 23) have already shut us out. Richie Hughes (6-3, 3.05, 39) is a tough guy to score off as well, and our power won't play as well in Cleveland. Crazy enough, their home run leader is Si Crocker, who hit three homers in his only start of the season. He's 3-for-5 on the season and hit 9 homers in 24 AAA games. He may have earned himself some starts, as just Leon Blackridge (.264, 2, 13, 1), Jim Adams Jr. (.296, 1, 27, 2), and Glenn White (.344, 11, 1) have been effective at the plate. We need to win both games, and since we've done rather well on the road (12-9), I think we have a really good shot. Minor League Report SS George Sutterfield (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Unlike the big league club, George Sutterfield got off to a terrible start to the season before really starting to heat up. This all came together on the 20th, going a perfect 5-for-5 with a double, run, and 2 RBIs. He's hitting .364/.417/.436 (124 OPS+) in May, bringing up his season line to an adjusted league average .326/.371/.391 in 153 trips to the plate. Believe it or not, Tom Weinstock thinks the talented 24-year-old will be even better then Skipper Schneider, which is pretty high praise considering the talent our tiny shortstops has already shown. Sutterfield lost prospect status after spending 77 days in Chicago, but his .212/.261/.275 (55 OPS+) line proved he had much more developing to go. Like Skipper, he's already an elite defender, as his 10.5 zone rating and 1.266 efficiency are stupendous. At the plate he's not overly imposing, but he's quick and makes solid contact. He won't hit many homers, but he should record plenty of doubles and triples. He's stuck in Milwaukee right now, but he'll get a September callup for sure, and I imagine he'll fight for a starting job next season. As good as Hank Barnett is, he'll eventually start to decline, and Car and Hunter are both on the wrong side of 30. It may take a season or two, but I know Sutterfield is going to be a really good big leaguer, and him and Skipper will make our pitchers the happiest staff in the league. 2B Johnny Carlisle (A Lincoln Legislators): It was a monster week for Johnny Carlisle, who gave himself an early birthday present with a Player of the Week award. Turning 24 on the 4th, Carlisle went 14-for-29 with 9 runs, 2 doubles, 2 steals, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBIs. It's along time coming, as the former 8th Round Pick is hitting .358/.431/.504 (171 OPS+) on the season with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 20 RBIs, 18 walks, and 4 steals. Carlisle has plenty of positional flexibility, playing most of his games at third this season. It took him a few games to get used to the hot corner, as before this season he had more games at second, short, center, and right. A natural outfielder, he's spent more time in the infield as our outfield prospect depth is much deeper. I'm not sure where he'll end up, but I absolutely love the bat. He hits the ball often and hard, and his speed is downright dangerous. Homers won't be a regularity, but he'll have plenty of doubles, triples, and steals to make up for it. The prospect pickers aren't a big fan of him, but he's a high floor guy who the potential to make setting an Opening Day roster a much more enjoyable experience. RHP Jim N Smith (A Lincoln Legislators): Despite all the returning players, "Noodles" started the season a level higher then he finished. Our 6th Rounder had a strong 13 debut, pitching better then his 4-5 record would have you believe. His 2.44 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP were outstanding. What's most impressive was the 75 strikeouts in 84.2 innings, and a 2.4 K/BB ratio to go with it. Tougher hitters in A ball have been able to draw walks off him, but in his fifth start he put everything together. Smith tossed a 6-hit shutout with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts as the Legislators beat the Dusters 3-0. This evened his record at 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 22 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched. The command issues are clear, and that's the one thing that will determine if he starts in the big leagues. A soft tosser who knows how to miss bats, Smith uses all five of his pitches, from his mid 80s cutter to his hopefully excellent change up, to strike out more then his share of batters. If he can keep his opponents on their toes, he could register plenty of called third strikes. But an 87 mile per hour mistake is a lot easier to catch up to then, say, one that flashes 102. As a college guy he has a pretty high floor, as the stuff is good enough for some every day players already, but without command he'll earn nothing more then a spot start. Good lineups will eventually catch onto his tricks, but if he can throw a bit harder, the cutter-change combo could become effectively wild. Cougars in the GWL RHP Cy Sullivan (Oakland Grays): One of the more established pitchers in the GWL, Cy Sullivan has gotten off to an excellent start. Start #7 was the best of them, tossing a 6-hit shutout with a walk and strikeout to improve to 4-2. He has a nice 2.51 ERA (134 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with 11 walks and 20 strikeouts. The Grays have caught steam in May, going 15-9 to move within a game and a half of first. And while Cy has been great, most of the pitching hasn't, with the winning a cause of an outstanding offense. Led by Clyde Zimmerman (.306, 6, 27, 7), who might be the best player in the GWL, and even an All-Star in FABL, the Grays lead most offensive categories, and the 24-year-old himself has included 10 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, 7 steals, and 27 RBIs with a strong 19-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's worth 3.2 WAR with a 176 WRC+ through 39 games, and with the quality of pitching he could be able to sustain at least some of it. Having guys like him, Frankie Cohen (.385, 1, 14) Joe Loyd (.384, 2, 27, 1), Larry Colaianni (.331, 2, 20), and Hank Grant (.318, 1, 15, 2) providing run support, Cy has been able to sit back and enjoy the show. This is the perfect environment for a lazy guy like him, and he may not ever want to leave Oakland. 1B Jim Hatfield (Los Angeles Knights): Though Hatfield never played a game for us, he was our 6th Round Pick back in 1929. He spent four seasons with us before being dealt to the then Baltimore Cannons, along with John Barnard and current Stars catcher Joe Rainbow, for former Whitney Winner Lou Kelly and a 5th Round Pick. About a month later he was named the 97th best prospect in the FABL, and spent almost his entire first season up in Baltimore. The speedy first basemen swiped 10 bags and hit .294/.310/.386 (89 OPS+) in 316 trips to the plate. Hatfield hit just one homer, but provided 15 doubles, 5 triples, and 34 RBIs. He did strike out (64) way more then he walked (8), and was just barely (0.1) worth more then a replacement player. The Cannons never really gave him a shot, getting in just 14 games in 1935 and 28 the following year. The then 24-year-old was released by the Cannons on May 3rd, 1937, and then signed with the San Antonio Gunslingers one day later. From that point forward, he became a crucial part of the Gunslingers lineup, hitting .348/.392/.537 (136 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 9 triples, 18 homers, 81 RBIs, and 61 steals. The next four seasons were as good if not better, and Hatfield hit an elite .356/.402/.490 with 94 doubles, 45 triples, 53 homers, 203 steals, and 358 RBIs in 661 games. His .356 average has a good chance to remain the team's best for a career, and he also leads in WAR (21.4) and steals. "The Bandit" decided to leave the Gunslingers, and was one of the first professional players to enlist into the Army. When the GWL formed, the Gunslingers affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings, which meant they got the rights to Hatfield. He was initially undecided on making a return to the diamond, but the now 34-year-old has been a welcomed addition for the first place Knights. The hardworking lefty is hitting fifth and slashing a strong .318/.350/.421 (128 OPS+) with 8 doubles, a homer, 4 steals, and 21 RBIs through 35 games. Even in his advanced age, he can steal plenty of bases and put the ball in play, which makes it interesting to think what he could have done had an FABL team had a chance to sign him. This cost him his prime, but a strong showing in the GWL could make him decent money for the first time in his career. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-23-2023 at 12:45 PM. Reason: Note: The linked 1929 draft recap was the end of the very first one on this thread. It's a three part set way back on page 3!

03-23-2023, 11:59 PM	#1047
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 7: May 27th-June 2nd Weekly Record: 3-5 Seasonal Record: 24-24 (6th, 6 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 14 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .467 AVG, 1.415 OPS Hal Sharp : 21 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .867 OPS Clark Car : 34 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .206 AVG, .670 OPS Schedule 5-27: Loss vs Saints (7-6): 12 innings 5-28: Loss vs Saints (7-2) 5-29: Win vs Saints (2-7) 5-30: Loss vs Kings (2-1) 5-30: Win vs Kings (2-4) 6-1: Loss at Foresters (3-4) 6-2: Win at Foresters (7-1) 6-2: Loss at Foresters (3-4) Recap I think I hate this team... We scored four more runs then our opponents this week, but still managed to lose five of eight games to the teams that were in 6th, 7th, and 8th place. The Saints are no longer, as they're a game over .500 (25-24) and a half a game above us. Yes, we're in sixth place... So how did this happen? More one run losses! There were four (!!) of them, including a 12 inning loss to start the week. We are somehow 3-12 in games decided by a single run. Yes, we have lost exactly half of our games by a single run. How can this be happening! We are vastly underperforming our +48 run differential, which would place us in a first place tie with the Cannons. At this point I'm not sure what to do, as we don't really have a position to upgrade, and you would think that our luck would have to change. Right? Please... I don't think I can take four more months of this... Leo Mitchell has absolutely exploded, now leading two of the three triple crown categories, and second in the third. Mitchell became the second Cougar in as many weeks to take home Player of the Week, going 14-for-30 with a double, 3 walks, 4 homers, and 9 RBIs. Mitchell was also rightfully named Batter of the Month, slashing an astronomical .411/.451/.637 (209 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 7 homers, 8 walks, and 23 RBIs. This rose his season line to an absurd .385/.426/.621 (197 OPS+) in just shy of 200 trips to the plate. He's produced a 216 WRC+ and been worth 2.6 wins above replacement. No CA hitter has a higher OPS+ or WRC+, and Mitchell also leads in average, homers, slugging, OPS (1.047), hits (70), total bases (113), and wOBA (.477). While the rest of the world seems to be crashing down on us, Mitchell continues to be the most reliable hitter I've ever seen, and I'd be scared to know what we'd do without him. He seems like a lock for his 6th All Star appearance, and perhaps he can get the Whitney Award that was stolen from him in 1944. Most of the offense continued to disappoint, but Hal Sharp produced after a stretch of poor play. He went 7-for-21 with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Same for Ray Ford, who was 5-for-14 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Platoon partner Dick Walker wasn't great, but compared to the rest of the bunch, 4-for-19 with a homer, steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 runs looks like star production. Hank Barnett had a similar week, 6-for-25 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Both corner infielders have 8 homers on the season, while Walker's .982 OPS is still second best in the league. Our middle of the field had plenty of struggles, with bad weeks from Skipper, Carlos Montes, Billy Hunter, Harry Mead, and Clark Car. The up the middle players went 25-for-123 (.203), with the only Brightside being Car providing two doubles and homers. Otherwise, the production from the All-Stars were nearly non-existent, and just a little bit of timely hitting could have made this a 6-2 week instead. Donnie Jones has really started to heat up, picking up another complete game win in our 4-2 win over the Kings. He allowed just 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts to improve to 7-2 on the season. Peter the Heater picked up his seventh win as well, but it wasn't one of his finer starts. Yes, he went all nine and allowed just three hits, but he walked and struck out six. He also allowed an earned and unearned run, dropping his ERA to a team best 2.06 ERA (163 ERA+). The last win of the week went to Johnnie Jones, coming in his second of two starts. He allowed 5 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in a 98 pitch complete game win over the Foresters. The Saints had plenty of success with him, rallying for 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks while striking out just once. These three will be making plenty of starts for us this season, and all three have ERAs and WHIPs below 2.50 and 1.20. Eventually our luck will shift, as these guys give us a chance to win day in and day out. Billy Riley made two starts, a no-decision against the Saints and a loss to the Foresters. He was arguably better against Cleveland, going 8 with 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Against Montreal he ran out of gas, allowing his fourth and fifth run in the 8th and 9th. He left with two out and a runner on first, charged with 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Rusty Petrick got a quick third out, but then walked three and allowed a run in the tenth. The last two innings went to Rusty Watts, who got the loss after 2 hits, 3 walks, and a run. Harry Parker had a rare lapse in command, walking 5 with 4 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Both runs came in his last inning, the 6th, and since we couldn't touch Pitcher and Rookie of the Month Leo Hayden (6-3, 2.11, 36), he got the loss. Petrick and Watts actually pitched good in this one, each striking out one, while Petrick's walk of Joe Bell (.270, 1, 11, 1) was the only blemish in the final three innings. The last start went to Joe Brown, who pitched better then he has. It still wasn't great, but I can live with 8 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts. What I can't live with is the way it happened, as he completely fell apart in the ninth. Hal Burres (.268, 2, 7) singled to start the inning, former Cougar draftee Hank Stratton (.325, 16) followed it with a double, and then Jim Adams Jr. (.284, 1, 31, 2) tied things up with a double. He did bounce back with a groundout and got Cal Howe (0-2), but Brown left a knuckle-curve in the zone, allowing him to bloop it to right and end the game. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, which I'm hoping will help us right the ship. We'll use the day to travel to Philadelphia to face the 25-23 Sailors. They're a game ahead of us and five out of first, as they're middle of the pack in most things. One person who isn't middle of the pack is Slick Wesolowski, who not only dominates us, but is 8-1 on the season with a 2.57 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 25 walks, and 43 strikeouts. We're stuck facing him, Win Lewis (5-1, 3.07, 31), and Charlie Gordon (4-4, 3.18, 31), making things very difficult on us. The lineup can score some runs, as even with Les Cunha (.294, 2, 26) coming down to earth a bit, they have plenty of valuable hitters. Ed Reyes (.326, 2, 20, 1) has a strong 130 WRC+ and Harvey Brown's (.323, 19, 10) is even higher at 140. That matches Cotton Dillon's (.261, 2, 17, 1) mark as well, and Woody Stone (.289, 3, 24) and Rip Lee (.279, 2, 9, 3) aren't showing much rust. This will be annoyingly tough series, so expect three more one run losses. There will be three more after, as we're stuck with three in Cincinnati afterwards. The Cannons are 30-18 and 3.5 games above the Wolves, matching our expected record with their actual performance. Adam Mullins (.349, 3, 22) is hitting like a Whitney Winner, as are Al Wheeler (.289, 7, 27) and Denny Andrews (.287, 6, 26). Andrews is the only one of those who doesn't have one, but he's on an insane 11.2 WAR pace. His 8.1 zone rating in 48 starts at the hot corner is already a career high, and his 159 WRC+ is easily a personal best. Add in Chuck Adams (.273, 7, 38), Fred Galloway (.274, 3, 21, 2), and Sam Brown (.286, 2, 16, 1) and it's easy to see why they're in first. The pitching isn't great, but with Rufus Barrell (8-0, 1.97, 35) pitching like he is and all the run support, it might not matter. Les Bradshaw (6-3, 2.84, 42) has somehow decided to be a good pitcher, but even he doesn't have an above average FIP-. Other then Barrell, just Butch Smith (5-5, 3.42, 30) can say that, and his 98 is almost in line with his 100 ERA+. Regardless, they'll find a way to allow one fewer run then whoever toes the rubber for us, and we may find ourselves in 7th place for the weekend. Minor League Report RHP Joe Swank (AAA Milwaukee Blues): While Duke Bybee may be the star of the Blues staff, Joe Swank was the one who came home with the hardware. The former 7th Rounder had a superb month, going 4-1 with a 0.98 ERA (411 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts. His April start was impressive as well, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 earned runs and 6 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched, making him 5-1 on the 26-11 first place Blues. Our 14th ranked prospect, Swank was added to the 40 this offseason, and while he's not the first man up, he may be the second. Sure, Mike Thorpe and George Oddo are big league quality pitchers, but I want to see what the Cleveland native can do against big league hitters. A solid three pitch pitcher, he locates his pitches well and has a tendency to miss bats. He keeps the ball on the ground, so having Skipper Schneider at short would really benefit him. There's no obvious spot in our rotation, but he has the goods to start and could still improve. I expect him to start every day the rest of the season, but if the playoff race is decided after the minor league season ends, I'll give him a start or two. The minor league numbers are impressive, as he's put up back-to-back sub-80 FIP- while on pace to set a personal best at 67. Our AAA rotation could probably compete with most FABL lineups, and all six members are 24 or younger. RHP Harry MacRae (AAA Milwaukee Blues): He's been pitching strictly out of the pen this season, and while that may initially have felt like an insult, it could work in his favor. The 24-year-old righty has put himself in a position to claim a spot on the big league pen, as none of our relivers are doing very much. MacRae is a more traditional reliever, and ranks #1 in current ratings for relievers, right ahead of the hard throwing Rusty Watts. Watts has an option, and has allowed 11 hits, 6 runs, and 3 walks with just 2 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. Before enlisting, Watts had a dominant season at 25, going 3-3 with a 1.72 ERA (232 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. That has earned him a bit of a leash, but MacRae is making things tough. The former 7th Round Pick spent last season as a starter for the Commodores, but with our logjam of starters I thought he would be better served stopping in the Century League, as relievers tend to get a lot of innings. A two pitch pitcher, MacRae has appeared in 17 games, going 3-9 with 7 saves, a 0.38 ERA (1,076 ERA+), 0.79 WHIP, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. His curveball is lights out and his low 90s fastball is commanded well. In a small sample, it will be very tough to follow his pitches with all the extra spin. He'll be able to pitch nearly every game, as he's topped 200 innings in each of the past two seasons, including 38 complete games. Reliever prospects aren't much to get excited about, especially considering our relievers haven't been in a single save situation this season, but he could be a stabilizing force in the late innings, something we have severely lacked. RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): Jimmy Ballard must have felt snubbed when the didn't win Pitcher of the Month, and he took it out on the New Orleans Showboats. They may have cost him the award, as they got 10 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), and 5 walks on him in 7 innings. The rematch on the road was much different, as the former 6th Rounder tossed a 6-hit shutout with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts. This is already his second shutout in seven starts, going 5-2 with a 1.35 ERA (260 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 29 walks, and 27 strikeouts. The walks will always be an issue for Ballard, but the sidearmer is tough to square up and it's very easy to beat one of his pitches into the ground. If this was modern day, I think Ballard would be an awesome high leverage reliever, but he's a bit too early. Instead, he could be an interesting Rule-5 pick for a team in need of pitching. He has the stuff to start, but big leaguers will be able to run his pitch count up. 2B Johnny Carlisle (A Lincoln Legislators): When I saw the email that Johnny Carlisle won Player of the Month, I wasn't the least bit surprised. The 23-year-old hit .361/.434/.513 (174 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 17 RBIs. He walked (16) more the he struck out (12), and is hitting .354/.425/.493 (165 OPS+) in 37 games this season. I wrote a bit about him yesterday, so I'll keep it short, but Carlisle has a good chance of receiving a promotion if we need an injury replacement. His versatility means it could be an infielder or outfielder, but we've been bringing a lot of guys back so guys have been going down. He may hit his way up to Mobile anyways, as there are a few Commodores I'd move to the bench in favor of him if I really had to. One last thing, I am just loving Bob Allen and uber anxious to see his senior year season. Tom Weinstock finished scouting him, and has about as glowing of a report as it gets! "Allen is an ace. If he develops as expected he could leave a trail of disappointed, over-matched hitters in the wake of his talent." I'm pretty sure Peter the Heater had this exact same final thought when he was a prospect. Maybe not getting Yank Taylor was a good thing... I don't March 2nd me would have taken too kindly to that suggestion! But hey, this kid is good! Cougars in the GWL RHP Rube Finegan (Dallas Centurions): Believe it or not, Ira Hawker (6-4, 1.92, 30) isn't the only former Cougar farmhand having a great season in Dallas. Former 11th Rounder Rube Finegan didn't start a single game in our minor league system, but the Centurions have been rewarded for placing him in the fifth spot. Finegan doesn't go deep into games, just 44 innings in his 9 starts, but the results have been good. He's 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA (143 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts. Now 29, Finegan would have been in contention for a bullpen spot for us, but he's just not a great guy. His ego managed to outweigh his production, as he was very effective for the Blues last season. Finegan saved 14 games and finished 8-6 with a 2.85 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 32 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Dallas has been unlucky just like us, just 22-24 despite being 3rd in both runs scored and allowed. Billy Marshall (.288, 1, 13, 7) has started to heat up, and he's helping lead a lineup that wants to crack the first division. RHP Luis Sandoval (San Diego Conquistadors): I wouldn't be surprised if you don't recognize Luis Sandoval's name. His time as a Cougar was short, spanning just April 19th, 1937 to October 15th, 1937. We got him for another short stint Cougar, 1934 Allen Winner Hardin Bates, in a trade with the Dynamos. Getting Bates in the first place was a trainwreck, as he cost us Charlie Wheeler and a pick, and gave us 13 awful starts. While injuries did slow down Wheeler, he put up five really good big league seasons. Sandoval, on the other hand, has pitched in the majors recently, actually making 26 starts for the 1944 Chiefs. In his one season with us, he was used primarily as a reliever, going 3-3 with 6 saves, a 3.46 ERA (117 ERA+), 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. That offseason we sent him to the Miners, acquiring a 4th Round Pick. This was back in the lottery years when a 4th was sort of a 2nd, that turned into Sammy Dillon, who is actually still in the organization and the Commodores team captain. Sandoval pitched for four teams in the big leagues, with most of his innings coming with the Chiefs. He appeared in 152 games across five seasons, going 17-40 with 16 saves, a 4.17 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP. He's had much more success in the GWL, going 6-2 with a 2.32 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 14 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He's thrown 66 innings in front of the worst defense in the league, and is the only member of the staff to succeed. Former first pick Curly Jones (3-5, 3.75, 32) is his ace, but Sandoval has outperformed him in nearly every metric. There are a few other Cougars in the pen, with Bill Anderson (0-0, 3.81, 8) and 1937 1st Rounder Preacher Pietsch (1-0, 3, 1.00, 5), but with all the struggles, there may be some roster churning as the Conquistadors try to get back on their feet. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-26-2023, 01:10 PM	#1048
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 8: June 3rd-June 9th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 27-27 (6th, 5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 27 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.037 OPS Clark Car : 17 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .529 AVG, 1.497 OPS Ray Ford : 10 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .700 AVG, 1.567 OPS Schedule 6-4: Loss at Sailors (3-5) 6-5: Win at Sailors (6-5) 6-6: Loss at Sailors (2-6) 6-7: Win at Cannons (9-2) 6-8: Win at Cannons (3-0) 6-9: Loss at Cannons (2-3) Recap Honestly, this was way better then expected! I expected us to drop two of three to the Sailors top three, but I did not expect us to come a one-run loss away from a sweep of the Cannons. This brought us a game closer to first, still in sixth, but just five games out. Close games continue to kill us, dropping two more, but at least this time we also won a one-run game! It's utterly insane, but our record in games decided by two or fewer runs is the exact inverse (8-19) of our record in games decided by three or more (19-8). Our +52 run differential is best in the association, so you have to believe that eventually our luck will change. Sooner or later things will even out, either we start winning or stop winning by so much. At this point, I'm not sure which is more likely. Leo Mitchell just doesn't slow down, and while no Player of the Week came his way, he still went 12-for-27 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Mitchell owns a share of two of the triple crown categories with his .392 the lone leader and his 12 homers even with Bill Barrett, who has a 3 RBI lead in the final category. Mitchell doesn't want to make things difficult for Whitney Voters this year, leading the pack in slugging (.617), OPS (1.045), hits (82), total bases (129), OPS+ (195), WRC+ (216), and wOBA (.477). Plenty could happen in the final four months, but he's already a lock for a well deserved All-Star selection. Interesting enough, Mitchell didn't have the best week at the plate, with three other players with double digit plate appearances producing higher WRC+ for the week. Ray Ford had the smallest amount of time, but was an impressive 7-for-10 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. Clark Car was impressive as well, as the 32-year-old second basemen is starting to really heat up. He was 9-for-17 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs, propping his monthly stat line to .400/.438/.767 (238 OPS+). Hal Sharp made up a little ground in the batting race, going 9-for-18 with 2 doubles and runs scored, increasing his average to .352, which ranks second only to Mitchell. Even Billy Hunter got in on the fun, 6-for-17 with a steal, homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dick Walker maintained second in the OPS race (.968), 5-for-18 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and an RBI. With all these guys doing so well, it's weird we split our games, but one of our biggest starts didn't come up when it counted. Hank Barnett was just 3-for-21 with a walk, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs. Skipper struggled as well, just 4-for-22 with a steal, run, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Timely hitting continues to allude us, but we just have to trust in the process. Johnnie Jones reclaimed the ERA lead in the CA, tossing a 3-hit shutout of the first place Cannons. He struck out 3 and worked around 6 walks to improve to 4-4 on the season. Brother Donnie picked up a win, but he did not look like his normal self. Errors contributed to it, as three of his six runs were unearned, but the Sailors still got 12 hits and 2 walks on 4 strikeouts. Donnie has tossed four consecutive complete game victories, improving to a team best 8-2 on the season. Billy Riley won his start, so that meant nine innings and no walks. He struck out 5 Cannons while allowing just 10 hits and 2 runs. Riley has a near 3 (2.9) K/BB in 77 innings, now 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA (126 ERA+) and 0.97 WHIP. His 2.30 FIP (67 FIP-) is elite, and he's on pace for his third consecutive 100 win season. Harry Parker struggled against the Sailors, as they piled on 14 hits and 6 runs in 8 innings. He walked just one and struck out three, dropping to 1-6 on the season. He's been unlucky, as his 3.62 ERA (93 ERA+) is a fair amount higher then his 3.28 FIP (96 FIP-), and it feels weird that our ace from last season has been moved down to the five spot. With no double headers int he near future, Joe Brown is transitioning to the pen, so Parker will still get to start every five games. I really didn't want to move Brown to the pen, but we have an off day in each of the next two weeks, so there really wouldn't be starts for him anyways. We have four double headers in July, so he's not done starting games. I'm hoping he can figure things out, as it would be really sad if the war absence derailed his promising career. Peter the Heater had a rare rough week, as not only did he not throw a complete game, but he lost both of his starts. The first was bad, as the Sailors got 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. The second wasn't great either, but with some run support, he probably would've got a complete game victory. Since we lost in Cincinnati, he went just 8, leaving with 11 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts. The small amount of strikeouts is a huge surprise, especially because the Cannons do strikeout more then most (6th, 209). It's not the biggest blow, as his 71 punchouts still lead the FABL, and the former Allen Winner will be in the conversation for the award again this season. He dealt with two good teams, and just got five total runs of support, so it's hard to blame him for the losses even if he wasn't his sharpest. Looking Ahead It won't get any easier, as we head to Toronto for three with the Wolves. Toronto has scored the most runs in the CA, but just 29-25 and three games out of first. It's surprising, as I would have thought there pitching would be one (well, two) and the runs tied for fifth, but instead its the opposite. Despite some relative pitching struggles, Jimmy Gibbs has been outstanding. The 30-year-old is 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA (177 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 20 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. He's outpitched Bob Walls (7-2, 3.24, 11), Joe Hancock (4-5, 2.59, 24), and even George Garrison (4-4, 2.97, 31), but that trio has been extremely effective. The offense gives them plenty of run support, with Charlie Artuso's breakout continuing. He's on a 10 WAR pace, slashing .293/.362/.472 (127 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 3 steals, and 35 RBIs. He has an excellent 149 WRC+ and 1.092 efficiency while starting all 54 of Toronto's games. He leads a dangerous lineup, followed by Chink Stickels (.277, 3, 25, 3), Walt Pack (.248, 4, 24), Fred McCormick (.276, 8, 30, 3), and generally Juan Pomales (.281, 1, 15, 2), but he's been dealing with a strained oblique. Former 1st Rounder Hank Giordano is red hot, mashing .325/.358/.518 (138 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 11 triples, 2 homers, 6 steals, and 36 RBIs. It's not like the Wolves needed another top player, as they keep extending their window. Like us, they've been stuck behind the Cannons for the past three seasons, but they have a long competitive window, and should have no trouble with us, already winning the first four matches this season. The day of the finale, the draft pool is officially published, so we'll learn how all our draftees did in their final amateur season. It will also give me two weeks to determine who goes first in the 9th Round, and construct the rest of our draft list for the AI portions. Allen aside, I'm not sure we did too well in the first portion of the draft, so this pick could help recoup some of the value we may have lost. That's not to say we didn't add plenty of talented youngsters, but after Frank Reece in the second, we may not have acquired many future big leaguers. Back to baseball, we get an off day to retreat home. We're stuck dealing with the Cannons again, who lead the Stars by a game and a half and sit 32-22. That's a win lower then our expected record, so perhaps we'll be able to improve that a bit against the best. We did manage two of three, but that's because we didn't have to face Rufus Barrell (8-0, 2.02, 40). Granted, we couldn't beat Bob Arman (4-4, 5.48, 32), instead topping Red Hampton (5-4, 3.86, 21) and Butch Smith (5-6, 3.45, 37). The lineup helps any pitcher win, as Charlie McCullough (.216, 1, 9, 1) is the only one struggling, and to be honest, that's just the average, as he's walked 40 times in 41 games, good for a 114 WRC+. Every hitter in the lineup has a WRC+ above 100, making it next to impossible to beat them. We're going to need to be at our best this week, but I'm really worried that this is the one that eliminates us from the pennant race once and for all. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-27-2023, 08:03 PM	#1049
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 7: June 10th-June 16th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 30-30 (6th, 5 GB) Stars of the Week Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 6 BB, 10 K, 2.00 ERA Clark Car : 16 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.099 OPS Dick Walker : 22 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, .885 OPS Schedule 6-10: Win at Wolves (3-2) 6-11: Loss at Wolves (1-6) 6-12: Win at Wolves (8-2) 6-14: Loss vs Cannons (3-2) 6-15: Loss vs Cannons (2-0): 10 Innings 6-16: Win vs Cannons (4-5) Recap Yes, I could spend time talking about how mediocre we are, or how we lost two more one or two run games, or how Clyde Meyer has two weeks to turn things around. But no! This is all about Bob Allen! Taken with the 10th pick of the draft, I was initially devastated when it was him instead of Yank Taylor, but like they say, "time heals all wounds!" The draft pool was officially released today, which means stats were generated for all current and future draft eligible player. No pitcher had a better season then Allen, who was a perfect 10-0 with a miniscule 0.36 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 214 strikeouts and just 13 walks. He allowed just four earned runs, including a single homer, with an absurd 19.0 K/9 and 16/5 K/BB, leading to an 8.5 WAR and perfect 0.00 FIP. It really doesn't get any better then that, and I don't think any high school pitcher ever has dominated like Allen. Recently 18, the four pitch pitcher finished his prep career 28-3 with a 0.92 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 304.1 innings pitched. He walked just 58 hitters while striking out 506, leading to an elite 0.79 FIP (19 FIP-), 20.3 WAR, 15.0 K/9, and 8.7 K/BB. Tom Weinstock absolutely loves the tiny righty, keeping him as the 1B to John Stallings while OSA's initial mock has him at 16. Allen is a future Allen award winner who generates an elite amount of groundballs with a filthy slider and elite command. He'll miss the bats of even the best hitters, and while he's young and raw, it's hard not to get giddy when thinking of his future potential. Since Duke Bybee is still a prospect, Allen may not be our #1 guy, but that's just because Bybee is the top pitcher and #4 overall. I cannot wait until he is officially a Cougar, and I haven't been this excited about someone I drafted since, well... A fireballer known as Peter the Heater! I'll cover a few of our other recent draftees at the end, and then more the rest of the week, but first I have to get to what actually happened. And let me tell ya, far less exciting then Bob Allen! To be fair, Donnie Jones is about as exciting as it gets, and the CA win leader added two more victories to his total. It started with a victory over his former team, as "Mole Killer" allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 5 strikeouts. The Cannons got to him a bit more, but he still allowed just 5 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), and 5 walks with 5 more strikeouts. Donnie has won six straight starts, now 10-2 with a 2.43 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 31 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched. Billy Riley got the third win, finally allowing a walk in a start he picked up the win. Two Wolves reached base in his 8 innings, as he left with 7 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. Not sure why Meyer didn't let him get the ninth as we were up six, but Ken Matson needed just seven pitches for a perfect ninth. Peter the Heater had some bad luck, as the struggling Bob Arman kept our lineup in check, so nine shutout innings wasn't good enough. He struggled in the 10th, allowing three hits, a walk, and two runs. In total, Pap allowed 11 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts, dropping to 7-4 and losing his last three starts. This is despite a 2.42 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with a league high 79 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched. A Hank Barnett and Skipper Schneider error ruined Harry Parker's start, as he dropped to 1-7 after allowing 6 hits, 6 runs (1 earned), and a walk with 2 strikeouts in 7 innings. Granted, we only got one run on the Wolves anyways, so he wouldn't have gotten the win, but last year's ace has been crazy unlucky. He hasn't been great, with just a 3.37 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP, but even on a .500 team you'd expect his record to be a bit better. Same for Johnnie Jones, who dropped to 4-5 despite another really good start. He allowed just 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game loss. The ERA leader sits at 2.01 (170 ERA+) with a 1.14 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 89.2 innings pitched. Considering all six of our starts this week were worthy of wins, you can tell that the issue is with the offense. This week that meant Leo Mitchell, who went just 3-for-24 with 2 doubles and an RBI, dropping his average from .392 to .365. Clark Car on the other hand had a huge week, going 6-for-16 with a triple, homer, walk, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. The veteran second basemen has shook off an awful May, slashing .391/.429/.739 (227 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 7 RBIs in 11 June games. Dick Walker continued his assault on CA pitchers, 6-for-22 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. Walker is slashing a Whitney Worthy .296/.410/.548 (170 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 6 steals, and 28 RBIs. Skipper had a nice week, 6-for-21 with 2 doubles, a homer, a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Hank Barnett has started to really slump, 4-for-20 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. The 7-Time All Star is hitting just .256/.329/.425 (113 OPS+), including .189/.250/.245 (41 OPS+) in the month of June. We need him to return to form, as our offense just isn't the same without a talented third basemen in the middle of the order. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, as hopefully we can turn things around. Despite spending the whole week in Chicago, I'm not too confident in the upcoming results. We haven't had our usual home field advantage, going 12-15 in games at Cougars Park. The Sailors have stumbled a bit, going 7-10 in June to drop to 32-30 on the season. Adding onto that is a sprained ankle for Slick Wesolowski (9-2, 2.69, 53), keeping the talented rookie out for the next two months. This is a big blow to their pennant aspirations, but closer David Molina (2-6, 14, 3.18, 40) could be a decent option to replace the ace. The injury and a double header the previous game make their pitching situation murky, but I expect to see Al Duster (4-6, 3.44, 48) in one of the three games. Charlie Gordon (7-4, 3.00, 40) is dealing with some forearm soreness himself, leaving after six strong innings against the Stars in a double header the day before. He could be headed to the IL as well, potentially opening up two spots on the staff for callups. They still have eight active pitchers, so they may bring up a hitter or just keep Gordon active. Down in San Francisco they have five pitchers on the 40, giving the Sailors plenty of flexibility to cover starts in our series. The offense is solid scoring two more runs then we have, albeit, in two more games, featuring a well balanced attack. Harvey Brown (.325, 22, 15) has produced a 141 WRC+ and 2.6 WAR from the leadoff spot, and if it wasn't for Leo Mitchell, he'd be in the running for the starting left field job at the All-Star game. Ed Reyes (.335, 3, 28) is going to at least make an attempt at the batting title. Les Cunha (.300, 3, 32) won't come close, but he's been their best hitter, while Cotton Dillon (.280, 3, 23), Woody Stone (.283, 4, 30), and Rip Lee (.289, 2, 16, 3) are all having very productive seasons. Their lineup will be tough to navigate, but with our edge in the pitching matchups, things might actually go our way. They are really good (16-7) on the road, but the only top pitcher we may see is Win Lewis (6-2, 3.53, 37), who while still a talented hurler, wouldn't crack our rotation. This is a great chance to change our fortunes, as the Sailors (6-12) are one of the few teams who can share our one-run (6-14) struggles. Struggles are brewing in Toronto, as they've dropped 10 of their last 12, and sit just a half game ahead of us in the standings. I would have figured that would be the case, just at the top of the standings, but things have been tough for both perennial runner ups. Their pitching has been surprisingly porous, allowing the third most runs in the league. That hasn't affected Jimmy Gibbs (6-2, 2.15, 26), but Jim Morrison (2-3, 4.14, 25), Jim Laurita (0-3, 1, 5.82, 8), and Chick Wirtz (3-1, 2, 7.48, 4) have all been beat up. Unfortunately for us, we're likely stuck facing their top two in George Garrison (5-5, 2.84, 38) and Joe Hancock (4-6, 2.86, 27). And when you give pitchers of that caliber the highest scoring offense, it makes for a real tough game. Charlie Artuso (.300, 7, 37, 4) is staking his case to win his first Whitney, with past winners Walt Pack (.248, 4, 26) and Fred McCormick (.274, 8, 32, 3) behind him. Juan Pomales (.281, 1, 15, 2) is still on the mend, breaking up one of the top outfields in the game. Chink Stickels (.270, 4, 33, 4) is off to his regular thing, while Hank Giordano (.341, 4, 42, 11) has the highest batting average for a non-Cougar in the CA. We already got lucky with Toronto this week, but four games in Brooklyn may help them right the ship. Minor League Report CF Dick Pace (A Lincoln Legislators): After a middling start in San Jose, Dick Pace got an injury promotion to A ball and has fully taken advantage of it. Pace was named Player of the Week, going 13-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 4 walks, and a steal. That upped his line to .315/.390/.507 (158 OPS+) in 20 games for the Legislators. Between his time here and with San Jose, Pace as accumulated 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 19 RBIs with 20 walks and 30 runs scored. The former 6th Rounder has spent most of his time in right, putting up well above average numbers in the small sample. The more experience he gets at each outfield spot the better, as I never really envisioned him as anything more then a 4th outfielder. His speed an defensive capabilities are evident, but he's go a strong hit tool as well, as he won't chase often and he puts the ball in play. Despite his recent promotion, he's probably the outfielder most likely to get the call, but things will be interesting when all the new draftees join the organization. Most of them are on the younger side, but I might have to force some of them up higher to make sure everyone has enough at bats. Guys like Clyde Parker and Carl Clark are already in the La Crosse lineup, but probably aren't quite ready for San Jose. With Pace's versatility, he could get at bats in a timeshare role, giving plenty of rest to some of our other outfielders. Amateur Report 2nd Round, 20th Overall: CF Frank Reece School: Villisca Bluejays Commit School: Springfield State 1946: .490/.553/.917, 115 PA, 16 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 35 SB Career: .488/.558/.958, 349 PA, 46 2B, 13 3B, 19 HR, 91 RBI, 102 SB While I have clearly grown ecstatic when it comes to Bob Allen, I do also really like Frank Reece. He didn't match his 8 homer season as a sophomore, but Reece did match the .490 from that impressive season. Reece did manage to set a personal best for doubles and runs scored (47). A bit on the older side for a prep prospect, Reece turned 18 last October, and could see some time in San Jose at some point this season. I don't want to rush him, as both Tom Weinstock and OSA are very fond of the youngster. Reece ranks 25th on the mock draft, and Weinstock thinks he has the potential to develop into a big league regular. He has excellent speed and plays good center field, with plenty of potential at the plate. He has a great hit tool and quadrupled his strikeout (11) total with walks (44). There's some power too, as the five homers he hit were a career low, totaling 19 in 69 high school games. He was still tied for 8th for prep prospects, with first rounders Dick Steel and Yank Taylor leading the way with 12. Center field is not a position of need, with two talented starters in Carlos Montes and Don Lee in Chicago and top 100 prospects Johnny Peters and the previously mentioned Clark, but any of these guys could end up moving to a corner, or be used to fill other needs. Reece has plenty of upside, and could be a key piece for Cougars teams in the 50s. 4th Round, 51th Overall: SS Tony Scuccinello School: Redding Hornets Commit School: Red River State 1946: .435/.504/.759, 130 PA, 15 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 25 SB Career: .434/.504/.722, 238 PA, 26 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 48 SB I was hoping for a huge breakout for "Scooch," but the Red River State commit produced a similar triple slash to his junior year in 5 more games. There was one huge difference that leads to some optimism, as the slick fielding shortstop hit four homers compared to just one the season before. I'm not sure the pop is legit, but Scuccinello does provide excellent value at the plate without it. He has an excellent eye, which will lead to a very high on-base percentage, and when paired with his speed and hit tool he could be on the bases a lot. He was named captain of his varsity team as a senior, and he won the approval of his teammates. Like Reece, he's on the older side for a prep prospect, and he already plays the game like an experienced veteran. The prospect people have taken note of his talent, labeling him as the last pick in their mock third round. It was a lot higher then I expected, but Tom Weinstock has warmed up on him as the weathers gotten better. We have a ton of infield prospects in La Crosse, but I'll find away to make sure he plays every day. He's no Skipper or George Sutterfield, more of a Jim Mako or Al Clement, but with the intangibles and natural athleticism he displays, don't be surprised if this guy becomes a productive big leaguer. 4th Round, 59th Overall: 2B Roxy Hilts School: Cedarburg Bulldogs Commit School: Red River State 1946: .486/.540/.695, 125 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 20 SB Career: .467/.529/.756, 478 PA, 52 2B, 15 3B, 11 HR, 116 RBI, 67 SB Another guy who has started to get more love, I was surprised to see Roxy Hilts' name as the 1st pick in the 5th round. Tom Weinstock has even upgraded his scouting report after Hilts hit a personal best .486 in his fourth and final season with the Cedarburg Bulldogs. Him and Scooch are both committed to Red River State, so they were almost destined to form a double play combo. 18 on the 8th of the month, Hilts had a productive four year prep career, tallying 186 and 154 runs in just 95 games. It was sad to see the power drop, with just 1 of his 11 homers coming this season, but he stole more bases and drew more walks then the year before. Hilts hasn't played anywhere other then second, and while he's adequate there, we may work him out some at first. He's just 5'8'', so his height isn't ideal there, and his speed is best served elsewhere. That could lead to some reps in the outfield, but right now I'd like to see what he can do at the keystone. Like our prior picks, he's got a strong hit tool and great eye, but I was really pulling for some power here. That might come as he fills out, and could propel him into a big league job. He has the skills to warrant an extra look, but I'm unsure if he can be anything more then someone you're okay starting, but always looking to upgrade over. 4th Round, 60th Overall: RHP Kid Moore School: Bellmore Cougars Commit School: Bardney 1946: 6-3, 91 IP, 1.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 35 BB, 141 K Career: 23-7, 305 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 107 BB, 476 K The first of our picks to be absent from the initial mock (a few later guys you won't hear about today are on it), Kid Moore took a step back as a senior, setting a career worst in wins, losses, ERA, FIP (1.50), innings, strikeouts, WHIP, K/9 (13.9), and WAR (4.8). Granted, these aren't terrible numbers for a high school pitcher, but after he dazzled last season I was a little underwhelmed. Moore went 10-2 with a 1.03 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 122 innings, all personal bests. So were the 190 strikeouts, 5.3 K/BB, and 1.10 WHIP (27 FIP-), with a 7.4 WAR that was over two full wins higher then the next best. While disappointed, I'm not angry, as he was a projectable pick from the beginning. A towering 6'5'' righty, he only throws 85-87 now, and I think a minor league staff should be able to add both strength and gas for the young righty. They'll also have to hone in his command a bit, but the stuff is very exciting. He struck out plenty of hitters, 11th in both season and career K/9 for draft eligible prep pitchers. He's a tough project, but one we can afford to embark with our wealth of pitchers in the pipeline already. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-29-2023, 08:05 PM	#1051
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Trade News! With the draft taken place and Bob Allen demanding over half of our $50,000 draft bonus, we needed to come up with some cash fast. I shipped two pitchers out of the organization, picking up $6,000 in cash and two draft picks, which netted us about $12,000. This will ever so slightly get us in the green, and after I experiment with offers to guys I don't care about signing, I'll know exactly how much I'll need to sign all my picks. Hopefully two of our guys sign tomorrow, as I want to quickly replace the pitchers I shipped out, but the rest will trickle in as I make cuts in the organization. Some of our depth veterans are at the risk of being cut loose, but most of the cuts will likely come from the lower levels. One of the deals I may end up regretting, as talented youngster Joe Swank will be heading to the Dynamos for $5,000 and a 5th Round Pick. The 23-year-old has been dominant in 11 starts with the Blues, going 9-2 with a 1.40 ERA (281 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP. He's struck out 40 and walked 23 in 83.2 innings, and all he's done is shown that he's ready for the majors. We don't have any innings for him to get, and now instead of debuting with us, the former 7th Rounder seems likely to appear in a Dynamos game some time this season. He won't start in Detroit, but he's expected to be their next man up in case of injury. Another way up could be if Jim Lonardo reaches 300 wins, as the new brass have given the vet the chance to reach the historic milestone. At 4-5 and just three away, Swank could be up before rosters expand. It hurts losing a quality young pitcher like Swank, but I'm happy for him to get an opportunity elsewhere. It also opens up another rotation spot on the farm, as we'll need to get innings for all our promising pitchers. Less then an hour later we then sent Rusty Petrick to the Kings for an 8th Round pick and $1,000. Petrick was coming off a nice season, going 16-12 with a 3.18 ERA (114 ERA+) in 41 appearances (22 starts). With the return of all the military vets, he had a much more limited role with just 16 innings compared to 220.2 last year. After a rough stretch where he lost three consecutive decisions, Petrick has looked a bit better, working to a 3.94 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP, but with equal walks and strikeouts (15). With the Kings in need of guys to eat innings, Petrick may get a chance to start a few games, or at least give them a reliable vet to soak up innings. With trades happening post-sim, we won't make a callup until tomorrow, but I'd wager Harry MacRae will get the call. He's been dominant in 27 outings, going 4-0 with 12 saves and a 0.75 ERA (524 ERA+). There's also Charlie Kelsey (4-1, 2.67, 42) or Mike Thorpe (4-5, 4.37, 7), and of course Duke Bybee (5-2, 1.65, 47), but I'd prefer they continue to make regular starts. More moves may be on the way, but at least now we have some breathing room. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-29-2023, 09:29 PM	#1052
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 11: June 24th-June 30th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 39-34 (t-3rd, 3 GB) Stars of the Week Clark Car : 30 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .367 AVG, .858 OPS Harry Sharp : 14 AB, 4 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .286 AVG, 1.340 OPS Ken Matson : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 6.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 6-24: Win vs Foresters (2-3): 12 innings 6-25: Loss vs Foresters (6-4) 6-26: Loss vs Foresters (3-0) 6-27: Win vs Kings (1-4) 6-28: Win vs Kings (1-8) 6-29: Win vs Kings (3-4) 6-30: Loss vs Kings (2-1) Recap After the total domination last week, my expectations were sky high, but we stumbled a bit, dropping two of three to the Foresters before rebounding to take three of four with the Kings. Still, we shaved half a game off the Stars lead and sit tied for third with the 40-35 Saints. Well welcome the Stars to town for a huge two game series, with the strategically rested Pete Papenfus (8-5, 2.61, 85) and Donnie Jones (11-3, 2.23, 68). They'll have their hands full with the #1 scoring offense, but with the guests top three all tired, things seem to tip in our favor. With a lot more runs scored then allowed this week, our expected record dropped to -7, and our +72 run differential is now best in either association. It feels like we're about to pounce, but for now, the Windy City Kitties aren't getting much more then a purr out. We've got our first injury of the season, with reserve Rich Langton fracturing his hand. I'm not sure how it happened, but the 34-year-old vet will miss the next two months. We're still having some money issues, so signing all our draftees is going to be really tough. This means Langton may have played his last game as a Cougar, as while I'd prefer trading prospects for cash, I could release someone like Langton to free up some cash. He hasn't hit very well, just .238/.273/.238 (46 OPS+) in 31 games off the bench. This will likely be the first season in his 11-year career he won't make at least 45 starts, though he'd be lucky to make even one. I debated bringing up George Sutterfield, who has hit .325/.371/.405 (109 OPS+) with the Blues, but I'd prefer him to get regular playing time. Instead, it will be the soon-to-be 28-year-old Fred Vargas, who was in Milwaukee just because he had options while others didn't. Vargas had been overseas since the 1941 offseason, and has appeared in 50 games for the Blues thusfar. He's hit well, .271/.426/.386 (119 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 29 RBIs. He'll function as a lefty bat off the bench, as I don't think he'll get many starts himself. It took us 70 games, but we finally had and converted a save opportunity! Ken Matson got the job done, relieving Harry Parker after seven innings against the Kings. Parker scattered 8 hits and 3 walks, allowing just a single run with a strikeout to improve to 3-7 on the season. Matson tossed a pair of hitless innings, finishing with two walks and a strikeout. Matson was very busy this week, appearing in four of our six games. He got his first win of the season as well, pitching the 12th in our extra inning win over the Foresters. In total, he threw 6 innings with 3 hits, walks, and strikeouts. Despite leading the pen with 16.1 innings and a 1.65 ERA (207 ERA+), he's the only one of our relivers I can't vote for the All-Star game. He hasn't needed to pitch much, but when he has he's been really good, and with Joe Brown making a start this week, he did an excellent job filling in as the stopper. Brown lost his start, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. We mustered just one run off Bob Crowley (1-1, 7.16, 10), who allowed 7 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts. The lone run was a Carlos Montes (.240, 5, 28, 13) solo homer, so Brown was tagged with his 6th loss despite going 8 with 4 hits, 2 runs, 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. We have two double headers this week, and with how they are positioned, we will need Brown to make another start against the Kings. There are two more after the All-Star break, but with plenty of off days he may not be needed there either. That being said, he could be used like he was this week to ensure we have Pap and Donnie to face the teams we absolutely must beat. That could be the case with the struggling Wolves and Cannons, but with how the Foresters have played us, we might use Brown to let those two start in Cleveland later in July. Our co-aces lost both of their starts, with Papenfus struggling against those pesky Foresters. He struck out just 2 in 7 innings, leaving with 11 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 3 walks. Donnie had much better luck, but 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts was not enough with Richie Hughes' (11-5, 2.41, 75) 3-hit, 8-strikeout shutout proving impossible to overcome. Johnnie Jones had some bad luck of his own, as 11 effective innings against Cleveland wasn't good enough. He gave us 154 pitches, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in the no decision. He hit 154 again on the 29th, pitching a complete game victory against the Kings. He actually faired worse here, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and 8 walks with 3 strikeouts in the win. Despite leading the CA with his 1.97 ERA (173 ERA+), Johnnie is not listed on the All-Star ballot, but I'm hoping the 1943 All-Star will be one of the pitchers selected by Cannons manager Ad Doria to fill out the staff. His 6-5 record may prevent that, but he has an excellent 1.19 WHIP with 39 strikeouts in 118.2 innings pitched. He now checks in as the 20th best pitcher in the FABL, giving us four of the leagues top 20. Donnie and Pap are 2 and 3, with Billy Riley checking in at 12. He's the third (with Donnie and Pap) Cougar on the ballot, as he improved to 8-4 after a win over the Kings. The six walks were a surprise, which brought his pitch count up to 130, and Rusty Petrick had to get the final two outs for him. He left with the bases empty, finishing his night with 4 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. Petrick wasn't anywhere close to lockdown, allowing a pair of hits and flyouts, but it was more then good enough to win. That really has been the theme for the staff, as we rank 1st or 2nd in every category except bullpen ERA, but even that we brought down to a not-as-terrible 3.63, which happens to be second highest in the CA. With so few innings, it doesn't matter too much, but what's impressive is being 2nd in homers despite flyball pitchers like Parker and Riley. Hal Sharp had himself a big week, hitting three homers in fourteen at bats, while walking three times, scoring four times, and driving in eight. He's still third in the batting title race at .347, but just a point below Ed Reyes (.348, 3, 30) and two behind Mitchell. Mitchell had another down week, just 7-for-26 with a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Same for Skipper, who really cooled down, just 5-for-25 with 2 runs and an RBI. We did get production from Clark Car, who cracked the leagues top 20 after going 11-for-30 with a steal, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. While Billy Hunter (1-for-11 this week) has really struggled in his return, Car has been just as good as when he left, now hitting .300/.340/.464 (127 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 7 steals, and 23 RBIs. With the quality of pitching we faced, I expected plenty more from the lineup, but we're scoring more runs and starting to gel more at the plate. Looking Ahead In what could be the biggest series of the season, we welcome the first place Stars to town for two to finish what's been a nice and successful homestand. At 42-29, they are 3 games up on the struggling Cannons, and feature one of the most potent lineups in the game. Lucky for us, the staff has some weakness, and we'll get their worst two (albeit, still solid) starting pitchers in Henry Shaffer (6-7, 3.59, 52) and Jack Wood (7-3, 3.52, 41). There are some rumors from the Stars staff that ace Vern Hubbard (9-6, 3.60, 30) could make a start on three days rest, but with a double header yesterday and another on the 4th, I don't see that as a likely outcome. We should be able to score plenty off whoever they put on the mound, but stopping them from matching will be tough. Chubby Hall (.331, 3, 20) is the best fourth outfielder in FABL, stuck behind the talented 2-3-4 of Bob Riggins (.277, 5, 30, 8), Bill Barrett (.239, 14, 43, 7), and Jack Welch (.284, 8, 38). Add in first basemen Bill Barnett (.296, 10, 43), catcher Joe Rainbow (.264, 6, 26), and the surprise breakout third basemen Mike Roberson (.339, 4, 34), and the Stars can really mash. Joe Angevine (.215, 2, 19, 10) is the only member of the offense with a below average WRC+, but he walks with consistency and plays a really fine shortstop. A split seems likely, but if we can take both games here, we are really doing ourselves a favor as we attempt to claw back to first place. We'll use our off day to hit the road, traveling to Montreal for two games in three days. The Saints are off to start the week and on Wednesday, so regardless of game outcomes, our tie for third with them will be broken. Montreal has been inconsistent at times, but they have plenty of exciting young pitchers. Bert Cupid (9-3, 2.98, 63) deserves a spot on the All-Star roster while Wally Reif (4-1, 1.63, 20) has exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately Pat Weakley (7-8, 3.74, 76) has had a lot of command issues, just seven free passes away from matching his 79 in nearly 240 innings last season. Wally Doyle (8-6, 3.38, 76) has been effective, but is still walking just as many guys as he strikes out. Still, both are very talented pitchers, with the only real weakness in the rotation Jake DeYoung (2-3, 4.84, 11). The lineup has far more, and they have another hole to fill with Ernie McCoy straining his forearm. The former 2nd Pick was in the midst of a solid debut season, slashing .315/.390/.461 with 2 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 12 RBIs in his first 26 games. He was helping to support fellow outfielders Bill Greene (.247, 10, 41, 8) and Bert Lass (.311, 37), who have both started to cool down. Word out of Saints camp is former top 10 prospect Otis Parker (.118, 3) will get a second chance after hitting an impressive .296/.437/.473 (147 OPS+) in 215 trips to the plate. The 27-year-old added 12 doubles, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs, and looks to make up for the four plus seasons he missed while in the Army. The Saints were are kryptonite last year, and I have a sneaking suspicion they'll dispatch us quite easily at the Parc Cartier here. Our weekend will be spent in Brooklyn, finishing the first half with two games in three days against the Kings. It is a nice way to end things, as we have a good chance to pick up much needed wins. Joe Rutherford (.174, 3) didn't have the greatest debut week, but the young outfielder was stuck facing ours and the Cannons pitching staff. Rats McGonigle (.245, 3, 18, 8) hasn't looked like the star he was pre-war, with OPS+ above 130 as a 22 and 23-year-old. Even Tiny Tim (.243, 10, 26) has started to cool off, dropping his OPS+ below 100 to 93, and Vernon Ruch (.221, 4, 24) has been demoted to the bench. Most of the pieces the Kings could have moved at the deadline have underperformed, but with a very active GM on the trade front there is plenty of opportunity for a surprise. I'd love to avoid Leo Hayden (8-6, 2.84, 52) again, but even if he gets one of the games we still get two against pitchers with ERAs above 4. If we can finish off strong, I really like our chances the rest of the way, but a stumble into the break could prove costly if we end up falling short once more. Minor League Report RHP Jimmy Ballard (AA Mobile Commodores): With our two trades earlier in the day, Jimmy Ballard is now a week away from a promotion. The 24-year-old was recently named Pitcher of the Month for the Commodores, going 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 20 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He should have at least a 12th start with the Commodores, currently 8-3 with a 1.95 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 42 walks, and 48 strikeouts. The former 6th Round Pick has enjoyed a mini-breakout this season, and even ranks 27th in our system and 297th overall. I might now have to protect him in the Rule-5 draft, as Ballard is looking to make a push to the big leagues. Ballard's control isn't great, but his stuff is tough to follow due to his side-armed delivery. His fastball hits 93 and his slider has plenty of sweep, making strong contact tough to come by. I'm not convinced he can start in the big leagues, but if he continues to get results with the Blues, he'll be worth a look. RHP Bill Holloway (A Lincoln Legislators): A level below Ballard, Bill Holloway was having himself a month as well, taking home the award in the Heartland League. In all honesty his May (3-1, 2.51, 12) was arguably a bit better, but the perfect 5-0 helped the Chicagoan claim the award. His 3.03 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP were nonetheless impressive, and he struck out 22 while walking 18. This improved him to 8-2 on the season with a 3.41 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP. His 3.17 FIP (88 FIP-) is pretty impressive, but he's struck out just two more hitters then he's walked. 38 in 68.2 innings is something you could see from Donnie Jones, but the command needs plenty of work. If he can go back to what he did in San Jose, where he walked just 2.7 per nine, he could pitch his way into a big league rotation. As a hometown kid, he's a good bet for a big league callup, but at 24 he may be near his peak. He doesn't profile as much more then an emergency starter, and we won't have any need for that. Cougars in the GWL RHP Pug Bryan (Houston Bulls): One of my absolute favorite draftees, its a shame Pug Bryan never followed up his impressive rookie season, and with our financial troubles during the war years, his salary was an unfortunate cost. Pug didn't survive the regime change in Detroit, but caught on with the Huston Bulls in the Great West League. He was having a rough June, but finished the month strong, tossing a 4-hit shutout against the San Francisco Hawks. Pug walked just 1 and struck out 5 while improving to 3-6 on the season. His defense has let him down a bit, as his 2.64 FIP (81-) is far better then his 3.10 ERA (104 ERA+). The former 2nd Rounder has struck out 50 batters in 87 innings, and is on pace to set a new career best. He's on pace for 107 in 186 innings, which would shatter his previous best of 68 when he threw a career high 158.2 innings as a rookie. Pug has gotten a lot of help from former Cougar farmhand Johnny Bunce (.270, 11), who has posted a 5.1 zone rating and 1.120 efficiency in 33 games at the hot corner. As a groundball pitcher, plus defenders like Bunce are crucial, and if Pug stays in the Bulls organization, he'll be hoping Hal Landrum can live up to his potential. Tom Weinstock is a fan of the 23-year-old, who was originally a 16th Round Pick of the Sailors back in 1941. He spent just two months with them, and has been in the independent leagues every since. Landrum is in his first season with the Bulls, producing a 112 WRC+ with a .259/.363/.329 (105 OPS+) batting line. He's hit 12 doubles and 2 homers while driving in 15 runs, and has a strong 45-to-23 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's already shown a tremendous eye, but Weinstock is a fan of his swing and glove. Even if he doesn't stick at short, he's got experience at second, third, left, and center, so he can help the Bulls work around him. They may lack current talent, but with him, Bob Montgomery (.257, 4, 23, 5), and Bill McGraw (9-7, 3.17, 80) who were all 25 or younger on Opening Day. Vets like Bryan and fellow Cougar draftee Johnny Ruby (7-8, 2.84, 72) can help them get the most of their talents as they continue their time in the GWL. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-30-2023 at 12:20 AM.

03-30-2023, 12:29 AM	#1053
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	1946 Draft: Rounds 9-25 9th Round, 129th Overall: RF Zeke Johnson School: Crown Point Bulldogs Commit School: Baton Rouge State 1946: .518/.576/.754, 133 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB Career: .513/.578/.753, 358 PA, 37 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 100 RBI, 16 SB I think part of me knew that Zeke Johnson would survive the human portion, so I kept putting off drafting him in the human portion. It worked out well, as with the first pick in the round, I was able to secure him. A three year starter at Crown Point, he surpassed .500 in each season, with his .518 as a senior a career best. I love the hit tool, as the lefty can hit to all fields, and has the potential to challenge for batting titles. Tom Weinstock also feels he'll hit for above average power, but I'm not too sold yet. I can see him hitting double digits occasionally, but anything more then that seems unlikely. Despite the bat-first profile, he has some versatility, playing all three outfield spots and a little first base. While it seems like there's very little wrong with this guy, he does have a potential personality issue. He's not the brightest, nor a hard worker, so all this potential I'm writing about may be for naught. I have faith in our coaching staff and leadership core that we can keep him somewhat interested in his and the teams success. This may be an AI pick, but this has my stamp all on it, and despite his high demand, I will do whatever I need to help him break his commitment to Baton Rouge State. 9th Round, 134th Overall: CF Franklin Thomas School: President's College Prairie Stars 1946: .303/.369/.472, 315 PA, 12 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 34 SB Career: .311/.375/.486, 603 PA, 23 2B, 12 3B, 16 HR, 108 RBI, 65 SB Our middle of three third rounders, Franklin Thomas had a decent career nearby in Springfield, batting .311 with 16 homers and 108 RBIs in 120 games. He didn't play in one of the tougher conferences, but one thing competition doesn't really affect is your defense. Thomas is an excellent defender, offering above average defense in center due to his speed and reads off the bat. That gives him the fallback option of being a fourth outfielder, which is likely his ceiling as well. His hit tool is decent, and he may draw his share of walks, but none of his offensive tools are overly exciting. Thomas is a guy I was watching during the draft as he could be a useful organization piece, with some upside to play every day. He's likely set for San Jose and I imagine he'll get starts at all three outfield positions. Most levels will have a four outfield tandem, with only guys like Johnny Peters immune to regular days off. 9th Round, 140th Overall: SS John Price School: Holy Cross Tigers Commit School: Alabama A&T 1946: .469/.526/.704, 116 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 15 SB Career: .456/.517/.697, 231 PA, 20 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 32 SB I'm a bit undecided on what to do with John Price. On one hand, you can never have too many shortstops, but on the other, he wants over $2k to break his commitment to Alabama A&T. This is money that may need to be spent elsewhere, but I think he could be a solid investment. 18 in just a few days, Price showed decent pop, and flashed his above average contact potential. He struck out just 11 times, half as often as he walked, and saw an increase to his doubles (8 to 12) and runs scored (38 to 44), If he can play good defense he'll spend a fair amount of time in our organization, but I don't anticipate many starts for him. 10th Round, 156th Overall: RHP Harry Beardsley School: Arkansas A&T Badgers 1946: 8-4, 118.1 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 42 BB, 119 K Career: 18-17, 341.2 IP, 4.06 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 178 BB, 290 K It took ten rounds, but we finally selected a college pitcher! That lucky righty is Harry Beardsley, who Tom Weinstock has grown fond of since finishing his junior year. He looked much better then in his first two seasons, setting bests in wins, ERA, FIP (3.10), FIP- (77), walks, strikeouts, BB/9 (3.2), K/9 (9.1), and K/BB (2.8). A four pitch pitcher, he upped his fastball and sinker to 85-87 this year, with the latter his best offering. His slider and change, like his fastball, need plenty of work, but he has done a good job increase whiffs without losing command. If he can stop nibbling, Beardsley could find plenty of success, but for now he profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter. His stuff is still a bit raw for a college arm, so he may start in La Crosse instead of San Jose. He'll get some starts, but may have to pitch a bit out of the pen, as we have plenty of guys we need to get innings. 11th Round, 172nd Overall: LF Charlie Harvey School: La Salle Cavaliers Commit School: Northern Mississippi 1946: .466/.542/.699, 120 PA, 9 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB Career: .471/.542/.683, 262 PA, 21 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 63 RBI, 12 SB As a Chicago kid, Charlie Harvey was already on our radar, but with 5 homers as a senior, he jumped up most draft boards. We were able to get him in the 11th Round, and based on his bat, it could be a very strong selection. He doesn't have a record setting swing by any means, but he's a solid contact hitter who can really drive a mistake. As a corner outfielder he'll have to continue to punish hitters, as he won't offer much out in the field. The bat is good enough to force him into a lineup, but at bats may be hard to come by this season. If we can sign him I'd be happy, but it may be in his best interest to head to Northern Mississippi, where he can compete against some of the best players his age. 12th Round, 188th Overall: LF Jake Hewitt School: McKinley Tech Trainers Commit School: Cumberland University 1946: .448/.520/.667, 128 PA, 15 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 15 SB Career: .443/.522/.663, 497 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 117 RBI, 47 SB Nothing against Jake Hewitt personally, but I'm going to spend the next few sims trying to lowball him to see how hard I can push an "Extremely Hard" to sign guy. We got Harvey the round before, so the McKinley Tech graduate is a bit redundant. The $1,500 he wants is best allocated elsewhere, and I'm going to see if a below slot $200 will tick him off enough to stop negotiating. If he signs for that, or even somewhere around slot if we have extra cash, I won't be upset, but you can only make the most of so many corner guys. Compared to Harvey he has a better eye and is quicker, but it comes at the expense of a weaker hit tool and limited power. A four year starter, he tallied just 10 homers in 98 games, but had an impressive 71-to-22 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Cumberland University has a good baseball program, so spending three years there could help mold him into a more well-rounded hitter. 13th Round, 204th Overall: RHP Ken Rasmussen School: Frankford Pioneers Commit School: Strub College 1946: 10-1, 115.2 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 38 BB, 154 K Career: 32-10, 426.2 IP, 1.75 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 134 BB, 537 K A four year starter at Frankford, Ken Rasmussen had his best season as a senior, going a career best 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Along with those three metrics, he set bests in starts (14), innings (115.2), hits (77), strikeouts, K/9 (12.0), and WAR (5.8). Rasmussen is a projectable pick, as he's a towering 6'4'' righty who sits in the mid-to-high 80s. His size and work ethic make it likely to believe he'll add some heat to his fastball, and if he can sit comfortably in the 90s it can be a strong pitch. Currently the heater is the obvious sidekick to his curve, which gets plenty of swings and misses. Rasmussen does a good job keeping the ball on the ground, and has the command to keep the ball in the park. Right now, we have plenty of more exciting options to start games, but he's a decent guy to have stick around and learn. His work ethic should rub off on his teammates, and I bet he'll be hitting the weight room on days he isn't scheduled to throw. He's demanding $1,500, and if I have to meet that I will. We didn't get many pitchers in the later rounds, and I think he's one of the ones that can contribute. 14th Round, 220th Overall: CF Al Lucas School: Collins Tigers Commit School: St. Ignatius 1946: .465/.517/.707, 119 PA, 11 2B, 5 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 31 SB Career: .469/.523/.739, 246 PA, 24 2B, 13 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 62 SB A two year starter at Collins, Al Lucas is now the highest selected draftee from Collins in Mississippi, but whether he signs or not is the question. Working in his favor is his speed, as he was one of the fastest draft eligible players. The bat needs some work, as his pitch recognition skills need work and he's not going to offer much power. His ability to make contact is his best tool, but it might not end up being anything better then average. His value lies in his defense, as not only does his speed translate to range on the grass, he has a cannon for an arm. He's a good guy too, which paired with his versatility and speed will make him an organizational favorite. 15th Round, 236th Overall: RHP Lee Parker School: Marysville Monarchs Commit School: Central Kentucky 1946: 8-1, 94 IP, 1.63 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 25 BB, 133 K Career: 34-7, 416 IP, 2.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 133 BB, 511 K A four year starter, Lee Parker put up mediocre numbers his first three seasons, before taking a big step forward as a senior. This attracted scouts from Central Kentucky, but the Ohio native is interested in signing with us. Parker dropped his ERA by 70 points and his WHIP by 17, setting personal bests in K/9 (12.7), BB/9 (2.4), and K/BB (5.3). While some draftees are demanding more then four times their slot value, Lee Parker is demanding a more reasonable $450, just $120 more then its corresponding value. That makes him a low cost depth option to fill a pen spot, as I'm sure I can convince him to signing at slot. A five pitch pitcher, he's one of those guys who is a user of all, but master of none. Starting in the pen could be a benefit for Parker, as he could work on finding which of his five pitches can get good hitters out. He showed improved command this year, potentially shoring up a past issue of his. There's enough in his way to prevent him from being a good starter, but he could earn a spot after crafting his game in the pen. 16th Round, 252nd Overall: SS Ike Cartwright School: White Haven Bears Commit School: Miami State 1946: .440/.518/.637, 115 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 12 SB Career: .445/.528/.630, 505 PA, 39 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 59 SB A four year starter at the power house West Haven, Ike Cartwright's teammate Bert Heath was taken by the Cannons four rounds later, with teammates Frank Mark and Frank Kings eligible for next year's draft. White Haven had a graduate selected during Ike's sophomore season, with 6'5'' righty John Rosse going to the Kings in the 20th Round. He plays for the Marshalltown Maples, so if Cartwright signs, he may get to face his former teammate in a UMVA game. Tom Weinstock thinks Ike is a big league quality player, not someone you want to guarantee time to, but someone good enough to produce when counted on. He has a strong hit tool paired with good pitch recognition, and with his speed he can do damage on the basepaths. A natural shortstop, Cartwright started his career at third base, and that may be his final spot. I am interested in convincing him to forego his Miami State commitment, but a $1,500 bonus is a reasonably large chunk of cash. 17th Round, 268th Overall: LHP Joe Ament School: Huntington State Miners 1946: 5-9, 125 IP, 5.47 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 95 BB, 96 K Career: 10-16, 229.1 IP, 5.61 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 168 BB, 162 K Joe Ament will be fun, as he's listed as easy to sign while demanding just the $290 his draft position corresponds with. I'm going to try to save some money there, offering him just $100 to see how he reacts. A hardworking southpaw, Ament struggled in a tough college conference, with an ERA higher then his win total in both of his seasons as a Miner. While not an overly exciting pitcher, he has a really good knuckle curve, and he best exemplifies a student of the game. He's not satisfied with his pitching, and he'll work his tail off until no one offers him a job. I like him as pen depth, as we'll need warm bodies in the lower minors. 18th Round, 284th Overall: SS Frankie Moore School: Pittsburgh State 1946: .268/.337/.350, 208 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 40 SB Career: .276/.344/.372, 459 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 73 SB A two year starter at Pittsburgh State, Frankie Moore's best asset is his speed. He swiped 40 bases as a junior, and can run down any groundball hit near him. His defense makes him an asset to us, and not only is he great at short, but he's already gotten time at second and third, as well as left and right. A glove only prospect, he likely won't hit a lick, but for a utility guy you can definitely live with it. He's going to be tough to sign, but I do want him to be a Cougar. I'm starting off with a $500 offer to counter his $800 demand, but I'll move money around to get him in. I'm hoping he'll accept a lower amount, which could help me save some bucks on some of our better guys without worrying about them breaking things off. 19th Round, 310th Overall: LF Tommy Burt School: Virginia Beach Marlins Commit School: Darnell State 1946: .421/.492/.553, 133 PA, 8 2B, 2 3B, HR, 30 RBI, 7 SB Career: .419/.495/.569, 490 PA, 35 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 105 RBI, 33 SB A four year starter in high school, Burt didn't really do much, hitting under .430 in each season. He topped out at 2 homers, 10 steals, and 17 walks, but he at least managed to strike out five times or less in three of his seasons. We don't really need someone like him, so I fully expect him to enroll at Darnell State. I'm going to slip him a 20, see what he says, and then likely wish him best of luck. 20th Round, 316th Overall: RHP Pat Burnett School: West Philadelphia Speedboys Commit School: Chesapeake State 1946: 6-3, 89.1 IP, 2.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 30 BB, 92 K Career: 13-6, 186.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 68 BB, 212 K A two year starter at West Philadelphia, Pat Burnett couldn't keep his ERA below 2, but each season he struck out three times as many hitters as he walked. He's a three pitch pitcher, but the change isn't really a pitch. This destines him to a bullpen role, but there's one thing that could work out for him; he's 6'10''! Yes, almost a seven footer! It's the only reason I'm not offering him a dollar, He's very low priority to sign, as he's not much of a pitcher. But 6'10''!!! You don't see that everyday! 21st Round, 332nd Overall: CF Leo Anderson School: Chester Clippers Commit School: Baton Rouge State 1946: .455/.508/.682, 126 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 23 SB Career: .450/.508/.674, 372 PA, 36 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 90 RBI, 54 SB Another high school outfielder, Leo Anderson has a pretty nice bat, hitting the ball hard and often. Off-speed stuff can still give him trouble, but he mashes fastballs and can catch up to most pitches. He's got great speed as well, so when he puts it in play he has the chance to pick up extra bases. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but if he can continue to hit the ball hard, he could be a fringe starter. His defensive ability makes him an option to fill as a fourth outfielder, and his speed is worthy of late game pinch running. He's going to be tough to sign with money an issue, but he's not someone I'm going to intentionally piss off. Guys like him are very useful for filling out a bench, but three seasons at Baton Rouge State could propel him into the human rounds. 22nd Round, 348h Overall: RHP Matt Stinson School: Western Florida Wolves 1946: 5-8, 256.1 IP, 6.20 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 90 BB, 54 K Career: 10-18, 256.1 IP, 6.11 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 187 BB, 109 K The college numbers aren't pretty, so I'm offering Matt Stinson half of what his slot. He said he's easy to sign, so that might be enough for him. If not, no biggie, as he could go back for his senior year. If not, he could eat innings for San Jose or La Crosse, holding a spot until someone more interesting comes around. 23rd Round, 364th Overall: 1B Bill Bloom School: West Chester Golden Rams Commit School: Maryland State 1946: .430/.508/.590, 118 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 SB Career: .442/.519/.640, 236 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 56 RBI, 9 SB The only first basemen in the class, Bill Bloom hit just .430 as a senior, which is not enough for a first basemen. Sometimes the ball goes far when he connects, but the frequency of those connections vary. He's always watching better hitters in a way to improve his own game, but he's starting very far from the finish line. He's extremely hard to sign, so I'm going to give him just $50 to see how he takes it. College should treat him well, and Maryland State has a real good team. 24th Round, 380th Overall: 3B Ron Cooper School: Waverly Knights Commit School: Oklahoma Bible College 1946: .416/.491/.589, 108 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 6 SB Career: .416/.494/.589, 470 PA, 37 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 98 RBI, 23 SB A four year starter at Waverly, Ron Cooper didn't hit too much, with just one season hitting above .420. That was his sophomore year, where he slashed .426/.500/.532 with 7 doubles, a homer, and 24 RBIs. That's not much of a best year, but he's not really that exciting. He could end up with a good eye, but that's not going to be enough. I'm offering him $25, and chances are that offer won't improve much. 25th Round, 396th Overall: CF Aanand Adani School: Spokane Commit School: Fremont State 1946: .404/.454/.523, 122 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 23 RBI, 14 SB Career: .415/.481/.563, 489 PA, 41 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 99 RBI, 29 SB Would you believe me if I told you that Aanand Adani is not the first Aanand Adani to try to reach the FABL. The former Kings trainer also shares that name, and he spent there seasons in college before retiring without appearing in a minor league game. This Adani won't appear for us, as he hit just .388 last year and has no discernable skillset. In fact, his whole scouting report is "Originally drafted out of Spokane in 1946, Aanand Adani is a 6-foor-0, 165-pound center fielder. Adani will struggle to ever improve his below average hitting and fielding skills." Yep, feels like a 25th Round Pick! I slipped him a $5 bill post draft, but odds are the 17-year-old will spend his next three years at Fremont State. As the weeks go by, I'll give updates on which guys sign, and which decide to hit the books instead. With all my current offers, we have $20,000 to spread between at least 18 other players. That means all the guys wanting $1,500 aren't going to get it, and about $7,000 will have to go to Frank Reece alone. Bob Allen is going to milk every penny out of us, but I think we'll be able to survive our little financial woe. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-30-2023, 08:07 PM	#1054
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 12: July 1st-July 7th Weekly Record: 5-3 Seasonal Record: 44-37 (3rd, 4 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 32 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .344 AVG, 1.025 OPS Harry Sharp : 12 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.533 OPS Pete Papenfus : 2 Wins, 18.0 IP, 5 BB, 11 K, 1.50 ERA Schedule 7-1: Win vs Stars (0-11) 7-2: Loss vs Stars (8-3) 7-4: Loss at Saints (3-6) 7-4: Win at Saints (5-4) 7-5: Loss at Saints (0-6) 7-6: Win at Kings (8-0) 7-7: Win at Kings (10-4) 7-7: Win at Kings (7-3) Recap This week went about as I expected, as we split with the Stars, lost two of three in Montreal, and then swept the Kings. There were also no one-run losses, and with some improved play, we're now a more respectable, albeit still awful, 10-16 in games decided by a single run. While still a let down, finishing 44-37 in the first half isn't too bad, and four games is far from an insurmountable deficit. Our +88 run differential is tops in either association, 18 runs better then the first place Stars. We're underperforming our expected record by seven, but at least we're starting to make strides in the win column. With 73 games remaining on the schedule, there is plenty of time for normalization, and I still feel very good about our pennant chances. We'll have six players representing us at the All-Star game, including four of the six starting pitchers on the roster. Donnie Jones was named the starter for the CA, but after beating the Kings in game two of the double header, it's highly unlikely he'll pitch. Donnie is the only of the six in his first All-Star game, as the 26-year-old was snubbed as a rookie in 1942. This time around, he was on 9 of the 11 ballots, four more then any other pitcher in our league. His 14-game complete game streak was snapped, but Jones finished his first half 12-4 with a 2.50 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 40 walks, and 78 strikeouts. Him and Johnnie (6-6, 2.06, 44) make up the fourth brother combo at the All-Star game, with fellow starters Pete Papenfus (10-5, 2.47, 96) and Billy Riley (9-4, 2.47, 46) selected. It will be their second, as well as Johnnie's, which is surprising considering how good both veterans have been. We have two starters in the lineup, but Skipper's (.261, 1, 20, 4) 5-year streak of selection was snapped, and Hank Barnett (.256, 10, 33) will not make his 8th trip. Harry Sharp (.355, 10, 43) and his 165 WRC+ was a serious snub, and Clark Car (.297, 5, 32, 7) was more then deserving. Instead, vets Dick Walker (.276, 10, 33, 10) and Leo Mitchell (.348, 14, 51) will make their fifth and sixth trips respectively. Both are more then deserving, with Mitchell (180) producing the highest WRC+ and Walker (160) the third most. As mentioned, the second most, Harry Sharp's 165, will not be participating, in one of the many, many egregious snubs this time around. The gem of the draft Bob Allen showed up to Lions camp $27,000 richer. That wasn't the only moniker Allen wears now, as not only is the highest ranked draftee from 1946, but also the highest ranked minor league pitcher. He pushed Duke Bybee one spot down to 5th, ranking behind just the New York Ralph's Hanson (Stars) and Johnson (Kings), as well as recent Dynamo debutee Edwin Hackberry (.208, 1). His time at the top may be short, as #1 pick John Stallings has yet to sign, but at this point in time, we have the #1 farm system. The craziest thing is Allen ranks with even higher potential then All-Star starter Donnie Jones, with just good ol' Peter the Heater listed with higher potential. It will be a long time before he reaches that, as OSA thinks he'll be ready for the 1949 season. I'd be surprised if he debuts before 1950, and he may need 30-40 starts before moving on up. Allen leads a group of 8 top 100 prospects (Jimmy Hairston is at 101...), giving us one more point (191) then the first place Stars, who dropped a bit after graduating rookie All-Star Bill Barnett (.297, 12, 47) and slugging outfielder Jack Welch (.280, 9, 42). We could add a few points as well, as besides Allen, just 4th Rounder Kid Moore (365th) has inked their first contract. Not all the guys responded to my lowball offers, but of the ones that did, none have broken off negotiations. This should help me save a few bucks on my over slot guys, as we look to restock the lower levels. Looking back on the week, Joe Brown finally looked like Joe Brown, and while it was the Kings, it was nice to see him look like a pitcher again. He didn't get any strikeouts, but walked just one in a 5-hit shutout in a commanding 8-0 victory. With six games in five days each of the next two weeks, Brown will continue to get starts to help manage workload of our talented hurlers. His 3.56 FIP (103 FIP-) is almost average, and his 1.27 WHIP is just two points higher then Johnnie's and Harry Parker's. Those two pitched in losses, with Johnnie tagged with the loss. He struggled in Montreal, allowing 11 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The errors didn't matter, as Wally Doyle (9-6, 3.17, 79) was near flawless, tossing a 2-hit shutout with a single walk and three punchouts. Jones' ERA is back above two, but the 2.06 (166 ERA+) still paces the league. Parker faired a little better against the Saints, but left after just five innings of a tied game. He allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. After a rough start to the season, Parker is still 3-7 despite a 2.95 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP. He's struck out 40 and walked just 22 in 85.1 innings pitched split between 12 starts. He's on pace for just 162.1 innings, which would be the first full season of his since 1939 when he didn't throw 250 or more innings. The 31-year-old is a reliable middle rotation arm, but eventually Duke Bybee will be up, and his low stamina could find him moving to the pen. If he never hurt his elbow, this would have never been considered, but the years of 20+ complete games are behind him. With how good the pitching has been, it's easy to forget that Peter the Heater is really good. He made that clear this week, picking up a pair of complete game victories to end his first half. He neutralized the best offense in the lead, spinning a 2-hit shutout with no walks and 7 strikeouts in our 11-0 massacre of the Stars. The Kings managed to do more damage, hitting two of his six allowed homers in our 10-4 win. Pap allowed 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 5 walks, setting down 4 to end is second half 10-5. He's now four strikeouts away from 100, but his 6.1 K/9 remains to be significantly lower then any of his previous season. The good news is the 3.6 BB/9 would also be a low, as his 1.7 K/BB is still in line with his Allen winning season. Donnie Jones made two starts, but for the first time all season, they weren't complete games. He went 8+ against the Stars, charged with 4 hits, 8 runs (5 earned), and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The ninth was tough for him, as he allowed four runs off two walks and two hits. He then went just seven on short rest against the Kings, but came away with his 12th win of the season. Donnie allowed 9 hits and 3 runs with 5 strikeouts, finishing his second half with a 2.50 ERA (137 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP. With the All-Star game two days away, I doubt he'll get an appearance, but it's none-the-less a great accolade for an even greater pitcher. The two have been must watch baseball all season long, and they really deserve to be showcased on the brightest stage. Billy Hunter finally had a good week, but guess what? He got injured! He was 3-for-8 with a double, triple, run, and RBI before spraining his knee yet again. No IL stint needed, but we'll keep the 31-year-old utility man out of the lineup until healthy. Despite relative health, it's been a disastrous season for Hunter, who has hit just .218/.284/.324 (73 OPS+). If there's any consolation, his second base defense has been elite, and he does have 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 12 RBIs in 155 trips to the plate. Don Lee also had a much needed offensive explosion, going 4-for-11 with a homer, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 4 walks. With Hunter out, he may get a start or two in right, and after a .176/.263/.176 (27 OPS+) April, he's brought his season line up to .274/.405/.323 (109 OPS+) in 81 trips to the plate. Even when he wasn't producing, his leadership is huge in the clubhouse, and his speed and versatility have been crucial. For someone who produced a 137 WRC+ as a 23-year-old, it's weird that he has just 81 PAs this year, but he's proved everything in the minors already, and he's helped Carlos Montes stay healthy. Leo Mitchell may have lost his lead in the batting title, but it wasn't because he didn't hit. Mitchell went 11-for-32 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 2 walks, 6 runs, and 10 RBIs. He's hit pretty much everything all the time, slashing .348/.389/.542 (164 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 14 homers, and 51 RBIs. His home run total matches his output from 1944, and he's one away from tying his previous best set in 1940. If the season ended today, Mitchell would be a unanimous Whitney Winner, with the toughest competition coming from his teammates, Walker and Sharp. Sharp leapfrogged Mitchell in the batting race, hitting an even 6-for-12 with 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. Sharp's .355 average is 7 points higher then Mitchell's, and he hasn't really killed us with his defense. His insertion into the lineup has been huge, and while it's only half a season, that trade is looking really good for us. I think this will start the Hal Sharp revenge tour. I don't think he's just going for Mitchell's batting title, the arrogant and self-important masher wants the Whitney too. The third of the WRC+ trio, Dick Walker, had a good week himself, but 3-for-12 with a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 steals, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs seems ordinary compared to what Mitchell and Sharp posted. The 39-year-old finishes his second half with a .276/.387/.522 (158 OPS+) batting line, and is half way to a 20/20 season, something he hasn't accomplished since 1930. He's been everything we could have asked for at the top of the order, and he single handedly won us games when the rest of the team was still getting warmed up. Lastly, we had some transactional moves to make, starting with the recall of Harry MacRae from AAA to replace Rusty Petrick. MacRae has been nothing short of elite for the Blues, going 4-0 with 14 saves, a 0.70 ERA (563 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 9 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He's thrown 38.2 innings in 29 appearances, and has been worth a full win above replacement out of the pen. His 2.69 FIP (69 FIP-) is absolutely elite, and I think MacRae could be a lockdown stopper, even if we don't really need one. 25 in August, MacRae dominates with a fastball-curve mix, as he excels at both hitting the zone and keeping the ball on the ground. Even as a starter last season, MacRae had a 1.9 BB/9 last season, a bit better then his 2.1 this season. He ranks as our best reliever according to Tom Weinstock, and I expect him to put together a Ben Curtin like career in terms of longevity. I also went ahead and cut Rich Langton, which puts us at $1,821 in the green. Year 11 hasn't gone well, and since he's dealing with a fractured hand, it's not worth paying his salary. I did offer him a minor league deal, but he could catch on in the GWL instead. A career .291/.349/.434 (117 OPS+) hitter, Langton appeared in 1,240 games, accumulating 211 doubles, 83 triples, 76 homers, 64 steals, 620 runs, and 584 RBIs. Our 3rd Rounder back in 1932, Langton was one of the more productive big leaguers when he first came up, producing WRC+ above 100 in eight of his first nine seasons. Even if this marks the end of his FABL career, he was extremely successful, and worth 21.1 WAR. It was hard to let him go, but we have about $24k to distribute to our draftees, many of who are far more exciting and useful to our future. Looking Ahead Just a three day All-Star break this year, so we'll be right back in action on Thursday. We finished and will now start on the row, with a tough first series in Cincinnati. The Cannons sit two games above us and two behind the Stars, still in reach of a fourth consecutive pennant. They are where they are because of their offense, led by surprising WAR Lord (4.8) Denny Andrews. Andrews was an obvious unanimous selection for third base, now representing the Cannons in the past two games. He slumped a bit towards the end, but his .282/.398/.405 (125 OPS+) batting line is well above average. His 147 WRC+ is one of the best in the league, and he's provided 19 doubles, 6 homers, 40 RBIs, 58 walks, and a whopping 11.4 zone rating at the hot corner. He leads all third basemen in that and efficiency (1.084), and is having his best season at 30. He's not their only All-Star, although Adam Mullins (.303, 5, 32) is the only catcher. Mullins and Andrews are one of six representatives, equal to ours as the most sent by a Continental Association team. As expected, Rufus Barrell (10-4, 2.66, 66) will make his fifth trip, Chuck Adams (.278, 16, 59) is making his first trip, and Fred Galloway's (.283, 4, 39, 2) first since 1943. That may seem like a long time, but it really is six consecutive selections for Galloway, as 1943 was his last full season. Galloway has deserved every selection, as he's the class of the association. Since his first All-Star selection in 1939, he's produced a WRC+ of 120 or better to go with a positive defensive efficiency. Last season was the only season he didn't put up at least +5 ZR, but that's because he spent the first few months finishing his time with the Coast Guard. As good as their lineup is, I'm confident in our chances to start the second half with a series win. Don't get me wrong, Rufus Barrell (10-4, 2.66, 66) will be tough, but he's going to be facing Pete Papenfus in a highly anticipated ace-off. The thing is, Rufus doesn't have a Donnie, or a Johnnie, or even a Parker or Riley. Their #2 is Red Hampton, who is 9-5 with a 3.94 ERA (89 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP in his aged 39 season. Their projected third starter is Les Bradshaw (7-8, 3.35, 68), who they signed this offseason after was let loose by the Eagles. In the pen they have "All-Star" Art Edwards (3-2, 9, 2.39, 21) who has looked good in his just under 40 innings as the Cannons stopper. They're middle of the pack in runs allowed, and I think our lineup will do a very good job putting runners on base. Whether we can capitalize is the question, but a rested and healthy lineup will be ready to go. Sunday is one of the previously mentioned double headers, as we'll face a struggling Wolves team. They've lost seven of their last eight games, and are just 38-43. Walt Pack's production has absolutely cratered, as the reigning Whitney Winner is hitting just .220/.277/.296 (57 OPS+) with just 8 doubles, 4 homers, and 27 RBIs. Pack has produced a 110 WRC+ or higher in each of his last five seasons, and put up totals of 156 and 146, but he's at just 65 through 76 games. I have no idea why he's struggled so heavily, but in all honesty it's kept the Wolves out of a pennant race. Charlie Artuso (.266, 8, 44, 4) has started to cool off, but he's still putting up great numbers, while major snub Fred McCormick (.273, 9, 40, 3) has a 154 WRC+ in his first full season since 1940. The 36-year-old deserved an 8th selection, but perhaps the Wolves struggles contributed to it. Same goes for George Garrison (6-8, 2.61, 55), Joe Hancock (5-8, 3.11, 41), and Jimmy Gibbs (7-4, 3.10, 36). Juan Pomales' (.298, 1, 17, 2) strained oblique has healed up, but he's now dealing with a quadriceps soreness. When he's hurt they've really struggled, even with the production from first time All-Star Hank Giordano (.322, 4, 48, 13) and former Cougar farmhands Hal Wood (.332, 1, 22) and Chink Stickels (.258, 4, 33, 6). Don't count them out yet, this team has a ton of talent, but I hope we can extend their struggles a bit longer. We need to get off on the right foot if we want to catch the Stars, who we will deal with plenty in the final two months of the season. Minor League Report C Eddie Howard (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Knocking very loudly on the door is Eddie Howard, who was named the Century League Player of the Week. Howard went 15-for-23 with 5 doubles, 7 runs, 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and zero strikeouts. Despite just 7 games in A ball back in 1942, Howard has been up to the challenge in AAA, slashing .342/.398/.450 (128 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 31 runs, 24 RBIs, and 22 walks. His 136 WRC+ is impressive, even as Howard has yet to hit one out of the park. He's still yet to hit a minor league home run in over 200 games, but that hasn't taken away from his value. His hit tool is elite, and while he won't homer, he's got the chance to lead the league in doubles with regularity. He's decent behind the plate too, but if he just had a little pop, he could be the best catcher in the game. Recently turned 23, there is a slight chance he can pick it up, but its not easy to teach power. Prospect evaluators are unphased, as he ranks as the 37th best prospect and fourth best catcher. Howard is on the 40, so it's only a matter of time before he debuts, and he'll every chance to earn a roster spot next spring. He's ready for the big leagues, and with Harry Mead 32 and hitting just .237/.324/.343 (90 OPS+), it may not be much longer before he starts starting games with a Cougar uniform. LHP Ed Fisler (AA Mobile Commodores): The season didn't start all that great for Ed Fisler, who on June 14th allowed 9 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks, dropping to 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA. Since that misstep Fisler has been excellent, and topped off a three game complete game victory streak with a 6-hit shutout. He walked 3 and struck out 2 in a 2-0 win over the Memphis Excelsiors. This improved the southpaw to 8-3 on the season with a 3.27 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 37 walks, and 39 strikeouts. The 24-year-old is no longer on the 40-man roster, but we were able to keep him in the organization even after releasing him. He's going to keep starting this season, but he'll need to show us more if he wants to hold a rotation spot. These next three months will be huge for Fisler, who can think of it as an extended audition. He does have the stuff to start in the big leagues, but I think he's best suited for a pen role. He throws hard and could strike out plenty of hitters, but his command isn't good enough to take him deep into games. Fisler is currently the ace of the Commodores staffs, but that's because all the highly touted youngsters like Bybee and Thorpe are in Milwaukee. Still, he checks in at 391st in the league, and should remain in the top 500 even after all the new draftees sign. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-31-2023, 09:32 PM	#1055
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 13: July 8th-July 14th Weekly Record: 5-0 Seasonal Record: 49-37 (2nd, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.143 OPS Skipper Schneider : 19 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .526 AVG, 1.182 OPS Carlos Montes : 16 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.162 OPS Schedule 7-11: Win at Cannons (8-7) 7-12: Win at Cannons (5-2) 7-13: Win at Cannons (3-1) 7-14: Win at Wolves (8-2) 7-14: Win at Wolves (8-0) Recap Back. So back. Oh, so, so, so, so, SO! BACK!!!!!!!!! The Cougars came roaring out of the gates, winning five straight to up our win streak to eight, with all eight victories coming on the road. We followed up the sweep of the Kings with a sweep in Cincy, while capping it off with a double header sweep in Toronto. Surprisingly, we've been far more effective away from home, now 27-17 on the road compared to a middling 22-20. We added another one run win, increased our run differential over the century mark, and cut the Stars deficit in half to just two games. We also sport the top four pitchers in the CA in ERA, with Johnnie Jones (2.06) leading Donnie Jones (2.41), Pete Papenfus (2.44), and Billy Riley (2.47). Even Harry Parker (9th, 2.92) isn't too far back, cracking the top ten for our association. The All-Star game went well for the CA, escaping with a 2-1 victory to snap the Feds win streak. With Donnie unavailable, brother Johnnie got the start, twirling a pair of hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout. Billy Riley struggled a bit, allowing 3 hits, a walk, and the only run, but he still managed to hold the lead. No luck for Mitchell or Walker, with both finishing 0-for-3. Walker at least walked, but they at least saved their production for the week. We'll have to delay the Harry Sharp Revenge Tour a week, as his 2-for-20 was one of the few blemishes on the perfect week. Leo Mitchell went on a tear, an even 11-for-22 with 4 doubles, a homer, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. He reclaimed the batting title lead, now slashing .358/.394/.560 (170 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 15 homers, and 56 RBIs. He's still in the triple crown race, a homer and three RBIs behind Chuck Adams, while leading Harvey Brown (.336, 1, 34, 24) by 22 points. Walker also faired much better in our games, 6-for-16 with a triple, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Skipper Schneider continued to heat up, going an absurd 10-for-19 with 2 doubles, a walk, and 3 runs scored. He followed up a .258/.301/.340 (83 OPS+) June, which was actually better then May, with a .388/.423/.429 (143 OPS+) July. Carlos Montes was productive as well, 6-for-16 with a walk, pair of solo homers, and 3 runs. Harry Mead provided some pop too, 5-for-16 with a homer, double, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. The offensive explosion pushed us up to 3rd in runs with 378, just 19 away from the league leading Stars. Obviously, my excitement is through he roof right now, and for the first time since April, I'd put the odds above 50% of the Cougars topping the association. Despite pitching in the All-Star game, Billy Riley did not make a start this week, as I didn't know if things would be all wonky with at least four starting pitchers missing the All-Star game. With six games in five days, that meant either doubling him up with one of our other starters, but I took this as an opportunity to reset our rotation. Harry Parker was the only guy who wasn't at the All-Star game, and the only guy guaranteed to rested. That meant he pitched the opener, and I don't trust him on short rest. As our five, I could then start Pap game two, with Donnie following, Johnnie in game one, and Joe Brown in game two. Our captain was brilliant in our 8-0 crushing, throwing another 5-hit, 1-walk shutout, but this time it came with 5 strikeouts. He's now allowed just 2 runs in his last 26 innings, with just 14 hits, 7 walks, and 13 strikeouts. His 3.99 ERA (86 ERA+) still isn't great, but that 3.34 FIP (97 FIP-) is back above average. If we can get good innings from him, things will really start working in our favor. After one save in the first half, it took just one game for our second, after a very weird game in Cincinnati. Harry Parker made the start, tossing 7 excellent innings with 5 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. We were down 2-1 heading into the 8th, but piled on 7 runs (3 earned) to put Parker in line for the win. Rusty Watts threw a scoreless 8th, but he collapsed in the ninth. He allowed four hits and two walks, leaving with one out, bases loaded, and a two run lead. That made for a very tough debut for Harry MacRae, who threw a 0-1 curve in the dirt, advancing all runners and bringing the Cannons within one. Thankfully, he got Denny Andrews to send a weak pop to left for out two, and then got Chuck Adams to swing under a 3-1 curve to finish things off. Hopefully the first of many saves for MacRae, who is already just 11 saves away from Allen Purvis for 10th most in a Cougar uniform. In fact, the top five are the only pitchers with more then 20, and Bill Mendine's 137 the only Cougar with more then 60. The last three starts went to the All-Stars, with Pap and the Jones brothers all coming away with complete game victories. It started in Cincinnati with Pap, who allowed 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Donnie then followed that up with one of this best starts of his season, just 4 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 7 strikeouts for his league best 13th win. It's his 6th start already allowing one or fewer earned runs, as he looks to make a case for his first Allen Award. He may have to compete with his brother, who allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts in a win over the Wolves. His 7-6 record may lose him votes, but his league best 2.06 ERA (166 ERA+) is something to be proud of. Having Skipper at short has been huge for "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" and excellent defense from Clark Car and Billy Hunter have helped erase a lot of his 66 walks. The off day tomorrow means Pap will be fully rested to start the week, allowing us to give our best starters more starts. In draft news, none of our guys I offered contracts signed, as "Extremely Hard" does really mean extremely hard. None of the guys will take discounts at the increment I offered, and a second bad offer has caused our 23rd and 24th rounders to break off negotiations. The lowest pick to sign will be 22nd Rounder Matt Stinson, who is "Normal" and demanding slot. Even if we run out of money, we can always offer slot. He's likely to be one of the last guys to sign, but as a bullpen only guy who owns a 6.11 ERA, his time on the roster might be short. The more exciting Bob Allen had a scare, as he left his first pro start after seven batters. He allowed a hit and a walk, setting down two of his five outs with a strikeout. He was diagnosed with back stiffness, so we'll play it safe and IL him so it doesn't get worse. This gives Wally Eversole a chance to make what could be his only start of the season, as I'm hoping Bill Sweet (7th) and Harry Beardsley (10th) sign quickly, as I want them getting as many starts as possible this season. With all my offers out, we have a bit more then $4,000 remaining, so I sent Howie Sharp to the Gothams for $2,500. An 11th Rounder from 1944, Sharp was having a solid season in AA, 6-4 with a 2.97 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP in 12 starts. Through 88 innings, the 23-year-old struck out 48, exactly twice as many batters as he walked. We have a logjam of pitching in the minors, and with the cash brought in we can potentially sign two draft picks we wouldn't have been able to otherwise. There are still a few guys I could release to save some cash, but I prefer that as a last resort. We don't have many bad salaries, other then the salary retained of Rabbit Mudd. When that trade was made, I thought I had a lot more money, but minor league financials didn't kick in. It will be interesting if Mudd can make the difference in a tight pennant race, so it may be a deal I end up greatly regretting. Looking Ahead Can we make it nine? We'll have to beat Toronto, who could either go with Joe Hancock (5-9, 3.26, 43) on four days rest or rookie 28-year-old Red More (0-0, 3, 1.74, 7), their fully rested sixth starter who has yet to start a big league game. It won't be easy for either one of them to win, as they'll have to best Billy Riley, who went 9-4 with a 2.47 ERA (139 ERA+) and 1.03 WHIP in his 14 starts. Our lineup has now scored (378) more runs then their's (360) and we'll hold the advantage in either pitching matchup. Juan Pomales (.288, 1, 18, 3) is healthy again, and him and Hal Wood (.332, 1, 22) have hit well. Those two were part of the Donnie Jones trade, and were plenty productive during the war years, so it's interesting to see the perspective of the trade start to shift a bit. Some in the media think the Wolves window is closing (I don't, for whatever it's worth), and if it truly is, these two could be enticing trade candidates if they embark on a rebuild. There's always rumors once anyone passes 30, but the Wolves have some intriguing youngsters who could make a difference this year or next. Our momentum gives us a huge edge, and I think we'll continue commanding road trip with yet another complete game win. If we lose, the off day will be nice, but I'd hate to give the guys time to think before going for ten straight. We'll be facing the Foresters, who got swept in a double header against the Stars to start the week, and will host them for two more before we come to town. They'll have a big role in the pennant race, as skewed results can really benefit one of us. We're stuck getting Richie Hughes, the 23-year-old star who got the victory in the All-Star game. A top ten prospect entering the season, the Chicago kid will enter his start 12-7 with a 2.54 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 53 walks, and 91 strikeouts. He's gotten the decision in each of his starts, and has the lowest ERA of any non-Cougar pitcher in the Continental Association. We'll hope to raise that up plenty, and are expected to draw Hiram Steinberg (4-8, 3.38, 38) and Augie Hayes Jr. (4-9, 5.15, 45). With a double header, they could move Bill Martino (2-10, 5.77, 73) back into the rotation, but I like our chances against any of the non-Hughes options. The lineup has scored the fewest (291) runs in the association, and I like our odds in any sort of pitcher's duel. Jim Adams Jr. (.261, 2, 46, 3) has cooled down and Leon Blackridge (.263, 2, 24) and Hank Stratton (.292, 23) aren't too scary. The Foresters have bested us in six of our eleven meetings, but we'll still be considered the favorites to win. We finish our week in Philly, with three games over the weekend. The Sailors have also given us some trouble, as we've split our twelve contests. They sit tied for fourth with the Saints, six games behind the Stars. In what could be a cost saving move, the Sailors waived Doc Newell (2-8, 4.63, 36), the franchise leader in wins (194), strikeouts (1,312), starts (433), and innings pitched (3,441.1). The remainder of his nearly $40,000 salary will be paid by the Kings, who could either insert him in the rotation with former Cougars Rusty Petrick (1-3, 2.89, 16) and Leo Hayden (9-8, 3.34, 65). The Kings are a good environment for a struggling vet to get back on track pitching in low stress situations. His knowledge could be invaluable for the young staff, and I'd love guys like Hayden, Mel Haynes (1-6, 1, 6.75, 24), Harry Stewart (1-5, 5.23, 19), and Pinch Lenhart to learn a thing or two from the old vet. The Sailors felt comfortable letting him go, as the pitching factory in Philadelphia always has someone good ready to go. As they set their sights on the pennant, they've started using former 11th Rounder Frank Sartori. His success has been ridiculous, allowing just two earned runs in his first three starts. He followed that up with a 1-hitter in Toronto, walking four and striking out two. He followed it up with four hits, walks, and strikeouts in eight shutout innings. The hard throwing 23-year-old now owns a 1.37 ERA (260 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP in 59.1 innings split between the rotation and pen. His strikeout (32) numbers have been good, but he's walking (28) nearly as many batters. They've had to make up for Slick Wesolowski's absence (9-2, 2.69, 53), and Win Lewis (7-4, 3.91, 42) has not been himself. Part of it is bad luck, his 3.18 FIP (89 FIP-) is in line with his value from his excellent season last year. His 1.8 K/BB is impressive and he's actually walking a few less batters per inning. If he can turn things around and Wesolowski returns to form, they could be a tough team to beat in September. There's also the breakout of Harvey Brown, who's slashing .336/.413/.450 (136 OPS+) in 405 trips to the plate. The 30-year-old represented the Sailors at the All-Star game, and his 152 WRC+ ranks fourth in the CA. He leads the circuit with 24 steals, and has crushed 11 doubles and 13 triples with a homer, 40 walks, and 4.7 WAR. Ed Reyes (.336, 6, 46) is showing that last year was no fluke, posting a 139 WRC+ that is just two points lower then his mark in his breakout last season. 1944 Whitney Winner Marion Boismenu (.296, 1, 31, 7) has started to heat up, and rookies Cotton Dillon (.250, 3, 34) and Les Cunha (.296, 4, 45) look like legitimate long-term building blocks. Don's brother Rip Lee (.293, 5, 33, 4) even took home the recent Player of the Week, 9-for-19 with with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. These games will be tough, but without Slick we'll have each pitching advantage. Don't get me wrong, Charlie Gordon (8-6, 2.94, 56) is really good, but the way things line up, he shouldn't be rested for the series. This ends an 18 games road trip that we've started 9-2. A big week here and we might actually be in first place, as the Stars will be on the road against the Foresters, Wolves, and Cannons. They've also faired very well on the road (26-16), so movement may be minimal as we approach the trade deadline. Minor League Report LF Bill Rich (AAA Milwaukee Blues): One of the guys at risk of release, Bill Rich just had a great week, going 12-for-27 with a homer and ten RBIs. He was voted the Player of the Week in the Century League, but he's hit just .291/.352/.370 (94 OPS+) in the 74 games he's played. Since he debuted last season, Rich has a $7,000 salary, so if we release him it frees up the remaining balance. That would be a tough end for the 3rd Round Pick, who hit .312/.371/.391 (120 OPS+) in 70 trips to the plate last season. Now 27, he doesn't have much upside, and his only real role is as a bench bat. That makes him expendable, and we're going to have a lot of young outfielders joining the roster. As a corner bat who can help us sign more guys, Rich might be nearing the end of his time here. If I release him, I will try to get him back on a minor league deal, but a GWL offer may be more enticing. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

04-02-2023, 06:51 PM	#1056
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Trade News! Okay, I think we're finally done acquiring cash! We freed up about $6,000 by sending Mike Thorpe to the Kings for $3,000 and their 9th Round selection. Currently 31-57, that 9th Round selection could be the first pick, giving us back-to-back seasons with the first pick in the June draft. This wasn't my intention when acquiring the pick, but this deal should make it so we can sign all our draft picks that I want. This includes pricey 9th Rounder John Price, who I thought I'd be forced to let go to Alabama A&T. We should have plenty of guys signing tomorrow, but the rest will trickle in. Pretty much everyone from the 12th on will stay unsigned for awhile, and I bet many will break negotiations off in the coming weeks. Losing Thorpe hurts, but we have plenty of pitching depth and a few more talented arms coming in. Our 4th Rounder from 1944 debuted last season, going 1-4 with 2 saves, a 4.26 ERA (85 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP. He wasn't having the best luck in Milwaukee this season, just 4-5 with a 4.08 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP in 68.1 innings. He's walking an uncharacteristically high 36 hitters compared to 11 strikeouts. While never a big strikeout arm, his K/9 in AAA is a full point lower then in 38 innings in Chicago. Recently turned 24, Thorpe is already a decent back-end starter, and may join Rusty Petrick and Leo Hayden in the Kings rotation. If not, he's likely to get an audition in the Spring, as after recently moving Rats McGonigle (.242, 6, 23, 8) to the Eagles for righty Chet Reed and a pair of draft picks. With their eyes set on the future, former top 10 prospect and cousin of Cliff Moss, John Moss, will take over in center. At 24, he'll be the oldest member of the outfield, as Brooklyn already had 23-year-olds John Beaver (.270, 10) and Joe Rutherford (.188, 1, 8, 2) in the corners. More trades could be on the way, as Tim Hopkins (.255, 11, 30) could be a very enticing piece for a contender. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

04-05-2023, 12:05 AM	#1058
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 15: July 22nd-July 28th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 57-42 (2nd, 1 GB) Stars of the Week Harry Mead : 20 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.029 OPS Donnie Jones : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .286 AVG, .776 OPS Schedule 7-23: Win vs Cannons (2-4) 7-24: Win vs Cannons (0-3) 7-25: Win vs Cannons (2-3) 7-26: Loss vs Sailors (1-0) 7-27: Win vs Sailors (3-8) 7-28: Loss vs Sailors (3-2) Recap It was a great week for us, winning four of six, but the Stars were a bit better, winning their extra game to retake a one game lead. They did much better against the Sailors then we did, as both Henry Shaffer (8-9, 3.96, 63) and Vern Hubbard (14-7, 3.15, 56) tossed shutouts in their sweep. We had far less success, as the Sailors took two of three from us yet again as we played classic Cougar baseball. We outscored them 10-7 in the series, but dropped a pair of one run games, including a 3-hit, 8-strikeout shutout by one of my personal favorites Al Duster (8-8, 3.25, 83). The Stars then split with the Cannons while we swept them to start the week. I expected plenty of runs in the series, but the teams combined for just 14 runs. We capped off the sweep with yet another Harry Mead walk-off. He's been the guy to come up clutch, helping his pitchers a few times this season. The veteran backstop wasn't a one game wonder this week, going 9-for-20 with a homer, three runs, and six RBIs. This moved his batting line to an adjusted league average .253/.324/.372 (100 OPS+) for his first 87 games. Mead struggled last season, and has already passed his homer (5) total while he's approaching his double (16 to 18), RBI (42 to 50), and WAR (2.1 to 2.5) totals from last season. If Mead can heat up, we will be in excellent shape, as I know that bat can still put up a third WRC+ above 140 in the past five seasons. This season may be lost, as he would need to mash the final two months, to even get close to that. As expected, Dick Walker bounced back from his rough week, going 5-for-15 with a run, RBI, double, and pair of walks and triples. Leo Mitchell did the same, 6-for-21 with a homer, two walks, and two RBIs. Ed Reyes (.340, 7, 48) is just a point behind him in the batting race, as Reyes had a big three hit game against the Stars and finished 7-for-21. Hank Barnett didn't quite bounce back, just 5-for-18 with. He did walk twice and score five runs, so even without much production at the plate, he made the most of his time on base. With the low run total, we didn't score many runs. We faced some really good pitchers and won some close games. Donnie Jones proved exactly why he's one of the game's brightest talents, rebounding form a shelling in Cleveland with a 2-hit shutout of the Cannons. Jones walked three and struck out four to improve to 14-5 on the season. He's in a three way tie with Vern Hubbard and Richie Hughes for the most wins in the CA while his 1.01 WHIP is the association's best. His 2.63 ERA (128 ERA+) is fifth while ranking fourth in strikeouts (91) and sixth (5.0) in K/9. He's the two start starter of the week, drawing the team that traded him and the lineup that just bested him. It can be considered a revenge week for Jones, as he continues his quest to capture his first Allen Award. Brother Johnnie was the pitcher of record in Mead's walk-off, as he scattered 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks in the complete game victory. That kept his ERA at 2.00 (169 ERA+), but the best part was the season high seven strikeouts. Billy Riley was tagged with one of the most unfortunate losses all season, allowing just 6 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. He drew the shutout by the "Prince of the Prairie," which snapped a four start win streak. Peter the Heater split his starts, but both complete games were worthy of the win. He allowed just 3 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 10 strikeouts in our 4-2 win over the Cannons. The Sailors then bested him 3-2, getting 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks with 9 strikeouts. It's hard to get mad at Skipper for an error, as it was his that cost the run, with all the ones he makes that no one else can. Pap is now 13-6 in his 20 starts with a 2.33 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and a league high 126 strikeouts. Harry Parker managed to rebound against the Sailors, turning 12 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks into a complete game victory. He allowed 6 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts in one of his best starts on the season. It's his third complete game on the season, and he's now just one away from his total last year. Pitching with an extra day of rest has been very helpful for him to go deeper into games. If the race gets tight, his innings may shrink, but a tight race in September could instead turn to a Duke Bybee gambit. We didn't need the pen all week, so even if Parker moves their, he might not pitch much. More starts like this will keep his spot held and the veteran has earned the longer leash. Plenty of draftees signed, and we have some new entrants into the league's top 500 list. Harry Beardsley joined Bob Allen (3rd), Frank Reece (25th), and Phil Boyes (140th) in the top 200, checking in at 175. The 11th Rounder was one of the guys I targeted in the AI portion, and his bonus ($1,500) was paid out with a portion of the money freed up from our many deals for cash. As a college guy, he'll be sent straight to San Jose, but that's more because of a logjam in La Crosse Other new entrants include 4th Rounder Roxy Hilts (202nd), 6th Rounder Bob Stout (201st), 7th Rounders Bill Sweet (315th) and Ernie Frost (352nd), 9th Rounder Franklin Thomas (310th), and 11th Rounder Charlie Harvey (399th). With the offers out now, we've used up all but $694 of free space. Four more draftees will join the system, but I might sign a few more of the guys left over. Since you can always offer at least slot, 17th Rounder Joe Ament and 22nd Rounder Matt Stinson will join once we use up the rest of the money to try to convince one of the remaining guys to lower their demand. Money could also free up in another way, either through release or trade, but I think we'll have double digit guys enrolling at a university. Oh yeah, and I scouted Bob Allen again. "The talent is off the charts. Allen may be in the conversations for best pitcher in the game someday." Too bad he was shelled for 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), and 4 walks in his return to the mound. But someday... Looking Ahead With two more left in July we have the chance for a 20-win month, and our opponent will be the struggling Wolves. They'll limp into town after being swept in a two-game sweep in Brooklyn. It will be tough, as the Jones brothers will duel George Garrison (7-9, 3.00, 63) and Joe Hancock (6-10, 3.60, 44). Neither have looked like their authentic self, but you can blame plenty of that on the Wolves defense. Garrison has a 2.70 FIP (77 FIP-) while Hancock's is 2.80 (80 FIP-). Both are well above average, and in line with Riley (2.82, 83), and Pap and Donnie (2.77, 82). Now that Charlie Artuso (.258, 8, 51, 4) has cooled down, Walt Pack's (.219, 6, 38) struggles are really being amplified. The Wolves have even begun to shop a few players, taking offers on Hal Wood (.320, 1, 28) and potentially Pack or Tom Frederick (.253, 26, 7). I don't think a big move will come from Toronto, as this team is definitely better then they are playing, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason they could be right back to a pennant contender. The first game of August will also be against the Wolves, with our homestand finishing with three against the Foresters. Cleveland is just 45-55 on the season, but they're 8-6 against us. With arms like Richie Hughes (14-8, 2.84, 106) and Ducky Davis (10-6, 3.44, 50) they can temper even the best of lineups. It's looking like we'll face both, which makes things very difficult if we want to move into first place. The third is likely Hiram Steinberg (4-10, 3.51, 58), who shut us out for his first win of the season. The pitching matchups will be exciting for a neutral fan, but not for the offenses. Ours holds a large edge, but reigning Player of the Week Paul Porter (.291, 3, 38, 11) is heating up and Jim Adams Jr. (.274, 2, 51, 4) continues to be one of the more exciting youngsters in the game. The rest of the lineup doesn't offer much support, and with the deadline upon us, vets like Leon Blackridge (.258, 3, 31, 2), Hank Stratton (.286, 3, 35), and Bob Mullins (.289, 1, 16) may be on the move. With Glenn White (.279, 21) on the mend, Brooks Meeks (.179, 1, 13, 2) had a change to showcase himself, but it has not gone well. The Foresters have faced us well, but we really need these wins, and the #1 pitching staff should be able to beat the #8 offense three games at home. Right? Minor League Report 1B Lou Thomas (AAA Milwaukee Blues): After spending last season in the Army, Lou Thomas got the starting first basemen job in Milwaukee despite just 33 games in AA. Thomas has mashed all season long, and put up one of the best performances of the season against the Minneapolis Lumberjacks. The 24-year-old went 5-for-5 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. The former 9th Rounder has produced a 136 WRC+ in 84 games, slashing .312/.414/.413 (124 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 5 homers, and 45 RBIs. As a lefty swinger, there's no room for at bats while Dick Walker is playing at an All-Star level, so Thomas may stall out in Milwaukee for a bit. We don't have many first basemen prospects, but Otto Christian is in AA, and he could play every day at either corner. Thomas is still young, which will work to his advantage, but he doesn't have the upside that 19-year-old Cal Rice has shown. If Thomas keeps hitting, he could get some starts against righties over Ray Ford, but it's one thing to produce in the minors, and another to keep it up against the best of the best. LHP Bob Hobbs (AA Mobile Commodores): On the same day that Donnie Jones shutout the Cannons, Bob Hobbs twirled a 4-hit shutout against the first place Nashville Chieftains. Hobbs was recently sent down to AA after 62.1 innings with a bloated 5.92 ERA (66 ERA+). His three starts here have been better, 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA (172 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP. After more walks (42) then strike outs (40), he's punched out 14 with just 9 walks in his 27 innings. The former 8th Round Pick is Rule-5 eligible, but not doing much to help his cause for protection or selection. Ranked as the 348th prospect, Hobbs has always had great stuff, but AAA batters were really seeing him well. Sure, he was still getting the strikeouts, but he allowed more then a hit per inning with a personal high (0.6) in HR/9. Hobbs projects as no more then a spot starter, so he may have to find a job as a reliever where he can lean on his excellent fastball. RHP Dick Garcia (A Lincoln Legislators): After starting the season 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA, Dick Garcia has started to turn things around. He came an out away from a shutout against the Evansville Hawks, and then followed that up with two strong seven inning starts. His most recent start was the best, tossing a 4-hit shutout with 5 strikeouts to bring his record over .500 to 6-5. He dropped his ERA to a nice 3.08 (114 ERA+) with a 1.38 WHIP, 38 walks, and 43 strikeouts. A regional pick back in 1943, Garcia is repeating A ball, where he made seven starts as a 20-year-old last year. He's improved in nearly every category, and could potentially work his way into a late season promotion. He's second among current Legislators for ERA while leading in wins and strikeouts. Him or Babe Stinson (5-3, 2.82, 44) would be the next man up, as we moved up a few guys last week when the new draftees joined. More changes could be on the way, but I think it's best for both to finish the season here. Cougars in the GWL RHP Cy Sullivan (Oakland Grays): The Oakland Grays have moved to first place in the Great Western League, and they can thank the rubber arm of Cy Sullivan for it. The former Cougar 4th Rounder has thrown 9 or more innings in ten straight starts. The reason I say that, is he's gone 11 and 12 innings, topping 140 pitches five times. Sullivan's 2.30 ERA (144 ERA+) ranks third in the GWL, as he's gone 12-4 with a 1.13 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 172 innings pitched. He's not the only starter on the Grays to win double digit games, but he leads FABL vets Johnny Cook (11-6, 2.31, 67) and Bud Hastings (11-6, 3.04, 79). The Grays also have a 25-year-old Garland Zimmerman (10-4, 3.64, 50), but his 91 ERA+ and 121 FIP- suggest the record is due to the offense. Clyde Zimmerman (.297, 8, 52, 7) is a guy you might trade the farm for, and the 24-year-olds 152 WRC+ is fifth in the league. Former Montreal 9th Rounder Joe Loyd (.328, 4, 62) is another interesting bat, as the 26-year-old has produce a 148 WRC+ at the plate while providing a plus framing (0.5) rate. Add in vets like Frankie Cohen (.355, 2, 33), Larry Colaianni (.323, 4, 47), and Hank Grant (.288, 1, 25, 5), and it's not surprise the preseason favorites are leading the pack. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

04-05-2023, 10:52 PM	#1059
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,976	Week 16: July 29th-August 4th Weekly Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 59-46 (2nd, 5.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 23 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .435 AVG, 1.067 OPS Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA Carlos Montes : 21 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .381 AVG, .810 OPS Schedule 7-30: Loss vs Wolves (3-0) 7-31: Loss vs Wolves (7-0) 8-1: Loss vs Wolves (4-1) 8-2: Win vs Foresters (5-7) 8-3: Win vs Foresters (0-3) 8-4: Loss vs Foresters (6-4) Recap An absolute nightmare of a week, as not only did the Stars make huge acquisitions with Freddie Jones (.301, 1, 36) and Mack Sutton (.240, 20, 58), with the latter being someone I was looking to trade for but decided on it a bit late, but we got swept by the Wolves, who then let the Stars sweep them. We rebounded against the Foresters, but the Stars won all seven contests, to pull out to a huge 5.5 game lead that could be too tough to overcome. Is this another failed year for the Cougars? Let's hope not! We still continue to hold that -6 expected record, as 65-40 would give us a half game lead over the 65-41 Stars, who are outperforming their run differential by three games. There's still plenty of time, but my confidence level went from sky-high to barely-above-the-gutter in a heartbeat. Man, I really don't want to write about this week... Good thing we have Peter the Heater and Leo Mitchell! Can't keep those two down! The league awarded his excellence for July as, he netted the award for best pitcher. Pap went 5-1 with a 1.67 ERA (202 ERA+), 0.91 WHIP, 17 walks, and 41 strikeouts in six complete games. He celebrated that with a 4-hit shutout allowing just one walk with seven strikeouts to earn a share of the CA win lead with 14. His 2.21 ERA (152 ERA+) is now best in the league, as Johnnie Jones (more on those Jones' later...) was not good. Pap's brought his strikeouts up to 133 in 187 innings, upping the K/9 to 6.4. If he can separate from the pack in wins, Pap has a legit chance for the triple crown, and he has to be favorite for the Allen Award. Not only does he lead six pitching categories, but he ranks top three in five more. It absolutely kills me that we missed out on four seasons of an All-Time great, who should end up owning numerous records for the team and the league. Mitchell no longer leads the batting race, as Ed Reyes is slashing .362/.417/.474 (145 OPS+), but Mitchell was an impressive 10-for-23 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. He has a 178 WRC+ with 18 homers and 65 RBIs in 102 games, slashing .347/.384/.539 (163 OPS+) in 433 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, plenty went wrong, and I'm still stunned with some of what went on. The biggest stunner was Donnie Jones, who dropped both his starts. He didn't do bad against the Wolves, but 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts wasn't quite the dominant Jones we've seen. What was crazier was what the Foresters and their lineup of noodle bats did. They entered Jones' start with 26 home runs, one more then Keystones third basemen Hank Koblenz (.259, 25, 72) has in 375 trips to the plate. But somehow, someway, they took "Mole Killer" and his 54% groundball rate (third in the CA by the way) deep not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!!! THREE!!! Bob Mullins and Brooks Meeks both doubled their homer count for the season! Like... WHAT!?!?!?! HOWWWWWW!!!!!! And Johnnie wasn't any better, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched. This was easily his worst start of the season, and the first one where an offense put more then five runs up on him. His 2.28 ERA (148 ERA+) is now second in the CA, 7 points behind Pap and ten ahead of Billy Riley, and almost matched his earned run total from his previous four starts. Riley had a tough start too, allowing 11 hits, 4 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts as the Wolves finished off the sweep. We mustered one run against the Wolves staff, as Garrison (8-10, 3.00, 67) and Hancock (7-10, 3.66, 52) didn't allow a single one. All we got was a Dick Walker (.272, 10, 37, 12) RBI double off Cookie Myers (5-2, 2.31, 10), who didn't use a strikeout for any of his 27 outs on the night. Other then Mitchell, Clark Car was one of the few productive members of the lineup, going 5-for-15 with 3 doubles, a homer, a steal, 2 runs and 3 RBIs. Carlos Montes and Hal Sharp were solid as well, but most of that came against the Foresters. Montes was 8-for-21 with a double, steal, and two runs scored. With the struggles of Hank Barnett and another competent leadoff hitter in Dick Walker, the longtime leadoff man has been named Clyde Meyer's third hitter against righties. Montes hit the 100 game mark in the 6-4 loss against Cleveland, lowering his season line to .260/.339/.399 (111 OPS+). His 120 WRC+ would be a career best, and he's hit 20 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 16 steals, and 39 RBIs with almost equal walks (42) and strikeouts (46). While for some that may not be impressive, Montes has never walked more then he struck out, with his lowest differential the six extra strikeouts back in his rookie season. Sharp went 6-for-18 with a double and 2 RBIs, moving his average up to .327, good for third in the CA. I expected a big second half from Sharp, but his average has dropped 23 points since the break. The offense dropped to 5th in runs scored, but our park can be tough to score at, and the road trip may get more balls to fall. It has to get better, right? We did sign three more draftees, including another surprising addition to the top 200. 9th Rounder Zeke Johnson checks in at 176th, good for 15th in our system. He's just 18, so a trip to La Crosse will start his career, but he projects to compete for batting titles due to his excellent hit tool. Not quite Leo Mitchell level, but it's up there, although Zeke doesn't offer much else. I liked him enough to take him in the human portion, but I'm still shocked with how highly ranked he is. He'll play every day, and with four positions, it may be a bit of everywhere. 4th Rounder Tony Scuccinello checks in at 30 and 305th and fellow shortstop John Price, who was one of the three ninth rounders, is twelve spots lower. The only player in the first ten rounds yet to sign is Joe Austin, who I'm still waiting to hear back from. I sent the last $690 of our budget to Frankie Moore, who was demanding $800 to forego his senior season at Pittsburgh State. I like his versatility, and he's got one of the more reasonable demands. Looking Ahead It's annoying start to the road trip, as we have to make a one day stop in Brooklyn before making our way to Montreal. The Kings have been playing better ball with their youth movement, and we'll see a lot of guys we haven't faced much this season. One of the more interesting new faces is John Moss, who replaced Rats McGonigle out in center. At 24, he's the veteran of the outfield, and has hit .268/.325/.451 (114 OPS+) in 80 trips to the plate. "Johnny Reb" was the 4th Pick in 1940, and he was a top 10 prospect until he lost eligibility. He has plenty of pop, with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 14 RBIs, and his defense has been stellar. He's already accumulated a +6.9 zone rating after putting up a 10.3 (1.058 EFF) in 74 games. Him, John Beaver (.276, 2, 15), and Joe Rutherford (.194, 3, 14, 3) all need to make good impressions, as #4 prospect Ralph Johnson is in AAA and ready to start a potential star level career. They made a few moves at the deadline, shipping off Tiny Tim Hopkins (.278, 13, 39) to the crosstown Chiefs while adding Bunny Edwards (1-0, 3.38, 11) and Mule Monier (.266, 1, 14, 1) from the Gothams. Monier joins a lineup that includes Spud Bent (.225, 3, 16) and new first basemen Jim Lightbody (.292, 14, 3), with either potentially losing time with Monier's addition. That could affect shortstop Tom Landowski (.247, 27) as well, as Mule played some short before the war. With Edwards, it gives them another arm in a staff that already added vets Merritt Thomas (3-3, 3.43, 11), Doc Newell (6-8, 4.24, 45) and Rusty Petrick (3-4, 2.89, 26) to supplement their inexperienced arms. Leo Hayden (11-9, 3.23, 76) won't have to worry about his spot, but Bob Crowley (2-4, 5.61, 26) may join Clarence Barton (9-4, 3, 4.14, 65) and Jack Brown (0-1, 1, 4.14, 39) in the pen, or potentially even to AAA with almost Cougar Jim Kenney (0-1, 4.05, 4), or Cougar draftees Mel Haynes (1-6, 1, 6.75, 24), Pinch Lenhart, and Harry Stewart. From Wally Graves (2-12, 5.52, 66) to Larry Smith (0-0, 6.00, 5), if Bunny makes a start he'll be the 13th King to do so. With one game, there's no way to know what to expect, but if I was a betting man I'd say they'll get the best of us. Montreal will be tough too, as the Saints are 53-53 and Red Bond has turned the clock back to 1940. The 2-Time All Star is raking to the tune of .311/.382/.476 (138 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 10 homers, and 43 RBIs. He's never walked more often then he's struck out in a full season, but he's kept those (33 to 37) numbers really close, while producing an impressive 148 WRC+ in 94 games. Bert Lass (.305, 50) has upped his WRC+ to 122 with Bond's protection, as Bill Greene (.229, 14, 48, 12) and Gordie Perkins (.288, 1, 28) continue impressive seasons. The lineup could still use some help, but Bond's performance is really lengthening it, and a healthy Ernie McCoy (.315, 1, 12) could help them score some more. The staff is a bit inconsistent, but 23-year-old rookie Bert Cupid (11-5, 3.11, 93) has an elite 2.37 FIP (67 FIP-) and gives them a shot to win night in and night out. The struggles of Pat Weakly (9-11, 3.84, 100) have hut, instead getting elite outings from Wally Reif (6-3, 2.52, 48). And then there's Wally Doyle (10-9, 3.32, 93) who always shows flashes of greatness before walking the bases loaded. They're off, so can do plenty with their rotation, and the skeptic in me thinks that we'll be lucky to come away with a win. We're off on Thursday, and let me tell you, we'll need it. All day will be spent in the school library, finding any material on how to deal with the Big Bad from the Big Apple. After a perfect week, the New York Stars curb stomped us to the underworld, opening a gigantic and potentially insurmountable lead, all before adding some serious artillery. That comes in the form of "The Arkansas Artillerymen" Mack Sutton, who produced a 130 WRC+ in 97 games for the Dynamos. Mack's 20 homers would be the highest in the CA, and he's added 19 doubles, 36 walks, and 58 RBIs to compliment his .240/.310/.463 (117 OPS+) triple slash. The Stars already had the best lineup in the league, as all there rookies were more then up to the challenge. Bill Barnett (.274, 15, 56) represented the Stars at the All-Star game, and Jack Welch (.272, 10, 48) and Bob Riggins (.262, 7, 40, 10) would have been worthy options to join him. William the Conqueror (.233, 18, 66, 8) still goes out conquering, and Joe Rainbow (.266, 7, 41) is doing his best to keep the team that drafted him out of the playoffs. The pitching is beatable, but all five guys can keep them in the game, and it's a dice roll if we can force them out early. I said early on in the season that the Stars could surprise and compete, but they've even surprised me. The farm system is still deep, tied for third (136th) with the Saints after shipping out and graduating serious talent. This series is quite literally life and death, as if they sweep us or take three of four, I think you can mark the time of death of the 1946 Chicago Cougars' playoff aspirations. Minor League Report RF Bob Rogers (B San Jose Cougars): It hasn't been the greatest season for former 6th Rounder Bob Rogers, but most of the San Jose roster has struggled. Despite that Rogers, was a crucial part of their 15-9 win against Bakersfield, going 5-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. He then followed that up with 3-for-6s in each of his next two starts. This propelled him into Player of the Week, finishing 14-for-22. Rogers now owns a .285/.354/.357 (96 OPS+) line for the season with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs. Even with all the movement up, Rogers will likely finish his season in San Jose. Just 21, it's okay that he has dominated, as "Snoot" is far from a finished product. He's a bat first prospect who makes plenty of contact. The only downside is it doesn't always go that far, but that could come with age. He didn't hit a single home run as a 19-year-old in La Crosse, so 3 this season in 43 less games is a huge improvement. Another downside is his personality, as he's too cocky for someone that isn't a star yet. He loves the personal attention, but if he can end up backing it up, his antics can be tolerated. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe