Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 59

ayaghmour2 · 07-20-2023, 07:22 PM

It's not quite the deal I wanted, but I found a taker for Joe Brown. Like Lefty Allen and George Cleaves, he will be a Gotham, and in return we will receive their 3rd, 4th, and 5th Round Picks in the January draft. In a sense, Brown was the odd man out, as we have at least seven other internal candidates for the rotation, and Duke Bybee can replace him as the captain of the staff. It ends 11 seasons in the Cougars organization, as he was acquired from the Dynamos way back in 1936 for Hank Spencer. Brown debuted the next season and spent parts of three of the next four seasons in the stopper role. 1940 and 1941 were very strong seasons, as he had ERAs and WHIPs of 2.84 (141 ERA+) and 1.37 and 2.94 (135 ERA+) and 1.23.

We opened a rotation spot for him in 1942, and he quickly excelled. The durable righty went 15-14 with a 3.17 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He threw 238.1 innings in 30 starts, walking 43 while striking out 82. He was worth 4.3 WAR and posted a 2.98 FIP (90 FIP-), excellent numbers for a first year starter. He did a great job building off of that, improving to 18-11 with a 2.51 ERA (130 ERA+) in 33 starts and 273 innings. His 1.05 WHIP was one of the lowest in the association and he had 119 strikeouts to just 63 walks. His 2.87 FIP (87 FIP-) supported the dominance and he posted a 5 WAR (5.3) season at 29. Unfortunately for Brown, we were in conflict, and he was one of the first guys to go. He enlisted in the Army in the Fall of 1943, missing out on two years of his prime.

He came back last season, but he was clearly rusty. He had an awful start to the season before eventually straining his triceps tendon as he was starting to heat up. It interrupted what ended up being a nearly 30 inning scoreless streak, and he finished the season 6-7 with a 3.09 ERA (113 ERA+) in 16 starts after having an ERA above 6 earlier on. His 1.07 WHIP was second to just his breakout 1943 season, and he struck out 46 with 25 walks in 128.1 innings pitched. Brown was healthy in 1947, but like nearly every other Cougar, he had a down season. He was still average, going 13-13 with a 3.87 ERA (99 ERA+) and 3.75 FIP (97 FIP-) in 239.2 innings pitched. His 1.24 WHIP was four points higher then his career mark, and his 1.6 K/BB was his lowest since joining the rotation. That's not to say it was a bad season, as more-or-less 50% of the FABL pitchers were worse, and he was worth 3.5 WAR in his 30 starts.

This ended a 215 game career with us, Brown finishes 70-57 with 20 saves. He had an impressive 3.28 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP with 416 strikeouts and 265 walks in 1,086.1 innings pitched. The former Dynamo draftee was worth exactly 19 WAR, and was a very useful pitcher for us both on the mound and in the dugout. But we have a ton of young arms and I can't get rid of Pap, Bybee, or the Jones Brothers. That made the 33-year-old the odd-man out, as I'm ready to give George Oddo a shot at the rotation. He struggled in his two starts this year, but had a 3.02 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP in 131.1 innings as a rookie. Sure, it was a war year, but his 4.9 K/9 was very impressive. He struggled in AAA this season, but I think part of that is him wanting to be in Chicago. Both Dixie Marsh and OSA view him as a potential #2, and since he's no longer a prospect it's hard to trade him. He's still young and will be 25 on Opening Day, the same age Duke Bybee turned this season. I'm not expecting a Bybee-like season, but if Oddo can keep the ball in the park (32 HR in 188.1 innings), he'll have a ton of success with a strong defense behind him.

Even if Oddo isn't ready, there are plenty of internal options. Harry Parker and Ken Matson will both start in the pen, but both are more then capable of starting games. Even Mel Haynes or Charlie Kelsey could make a start or two, and while that's not ideal, we can skip the 5th spot on occasion if our scheduled isn't too tough. I have faith in Oddo, Parker, or Matson against most of the offenses in the league, but if things go south quick, a younger guy like Haynes, Kelsey, or even Harry Beardsley could get a shot. We now have plenty of draft assets to try to trade into the first, or add talent that has passed over earlier on. We now get extra picks in three rounds that produced top 200 prospects Dudley Sapp (3rd, 117th), Mike Emerson (4th, 183rd), and Buddy Jenkins (5th, 102nd). This class looks deep as well, and since our pick is already high, we will have some very quality picks in the middle rounds.

Plenty of additional housekeeping as the CWL is about to kick off as rosters were announced today. The affiliates remain the same, so us and the Washington Eagles sent ten players to the Santa Clara Stallions. This year there were not replacements, meaning Otto Christian, Johnny Peters, and Harry Beardsley will be staying stateside. Opening day is still eight days away, but once the season starts I'll again do updates on how our prospects are doing. The nine players representing us are:

RHP Dick Garcia
RHP Jack Maxwell
RHP Tommy Seymour
C Pat Brown Jr.
2B Bob Schmelz
SS Rupert Heinbaugh
LF Art Goins
LF Don Jeppsen
RF Jimmy Hairston

I also made a second, much smaller trade to free up a 40-man spot, as Homer Guthrie was sent to the Miner for a 5th Round Pick. Technically we could have ran with three catchers as Guthrie, Harry Mead, and Eddie Howard are all deserving of a roster spot, but there wouldn't be enough playing time to go around. I'm leaning on giving Eddie Howard the starting job, and with Bob Mundy in AAA and Mike Bordes in AA I didn't want to move anyone down. Garland Phelps will quickly make his ascent up and if Bordes is moved down to A ball he' stuck in San Jose all season. Instead, there's a spot open regardless of injury and we can keep all our more promising catchers getting a majority of starts behind the plate. Guthrie is too good to be in a part time role in the minors, as he's hit .252/.378/.333 (104 OPS+) in parts of two seasons with us. The Miners have a George Cleaves sized hole behind the plate, allowing Guthrie and part of the Cleaves return, Dino Robinson, a shot to compete for the starting role.

ayaghmour2 · 07-20-2023, 09:20 PM

RHP Jim Williams (321st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers

It was a rough season for Jim Williams, who did not find much success in his 9 starts with the Cougars. The 21-year-old went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA (72 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 24 walks, and 29 strikeouts. The poor results came after two excellent starts with the Lions, as he allowed 10 hits, 2 walks, and a run with 9 strikeouts in 15 innings. The 6'4'' righty hasn't gotten off the ground running, as this is his third season in our organization. The former 8th Rounder struggled with his command, which should be one of his stronger tools. He has a good sinker that can keep the ball on the dirt, and he leans heavily on it when in a jam. He doesn't get many whiffs and his off-speed stuff gets hit hard. That resulted in 8 homers in just 62.2 innings, after just 7 since he started high school. I'm hoping he can prove this year is an outlier, as he's a lanky 6'4'' righty that follows the "no pain, no gain" motto better then most. His velocity has been on a steady increase, and if he can sit in the 90s he could be a very useful sinker baller. The question is whether it would be as a starter or reliever.

LHP Dutch Yoak (329th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades

I know what the prospect rankings and the scouting reports say, but I believe in Dick Yoak. A high school standout who went 35-0 in his final three years of high school, Yoak was coming off a rough stint in San Jose where he finished 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA (53) in 38.1 innings pitched. Not used to losing, Yoak had a much better 6-7 record in 15 starts with a poor Cougars team. He had an above average 3.72 ERA (102 ERA+) in 106.1 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and a 1.55 WHIP. This performance earned him a late season promotion to Lincoln where the Legislators were in a pennant race. Yoak rose to the competition, going 4-1 in his 6 starts. The no decision? Just 5 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) through 7.1, but the Lincoln didn't put up much of a fight until a 5-run ninth. Yoak did walks (19) more hitters (17) then he struck out, but he finished with an impressive 2.64 ERA (160 ERA+). He doesn't turn 21 until May 1st, which really exemplifies how advanced he is for his age. A towering 6'4'' southpaw, Yoak allows too many flyballs now, and until his stuff develops he's going to allow a lot of home runs. His fastball needs more life, just hanging out in the high 80s instead of the 90s. I have faith that he'll add velocity, which should help him miss more bats. His curve isn't there yet, but it projects to be a wipeout pitch, and his change should be above average as well. It's a stretch to think he'll ever throw 95, but even in the low-to-mid 90s Yoak could be a big strikeout pitcher. He had a 4.1 K/9 in Class B this season and that curve is going to be very good. He may take time, but he'll put in the hours and I'm betting on him reaching or even exceeding his potential.

RHP Jim N Smith (341st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Georgia Baptist Gators

Despite turning 24 in August, "Noodles" didn't do too well with San Jose or Lincoln. The starts were spread almost equally, but he was 3-4 in 10 starts with San Jose and 4-2 in 11 starts with Lincoln. The other numbers weren't pretty, as he had a 4.10 (92 ERA+) and 5.07 (83 ERA+) ERA in San Jose and Lincoln respectively along with WHIPs of 1.47 and 1.62. On the plus side, he did strike out 82 hitters in 139 innings pitched, and it came with just 60 walks. If he can limit hard contact there's a good chance the run numbers will improve, but as a soft tosser the way to do this is command. He's a kitchen sink type five pitch pitcher who gets outs by deception as opposed to power. Nothing really stands out but his change could end up the best pitch. Working against him is his personality, is he's an outspoken fellow who won't hold back after a tough loss. If he causes trouble, he could end up cut or shipped out, as we don't want any malcontents in our clubhouse.

RHP Bill Ballantine (351st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 91st Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Fenger Titans

No debut for "The Windy City Whip" but Bill Ballantine will keep his 40-man spot and could be a dark horse candidate for the pen. This season he started all 22 appearances for the Blues, going 8-6 with a 4.84 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.70 WHIP. He had major control issues, walking 78 hitters while striking out just 36. This is a first for Ballantine, who has never walked more hitters then he struck out. In fact, in 68.1 inning with San Jose back in 1944, he had a 3.3 K/BB. My first instinct is that the competition got the best of him, and another go at things could turn things around. Otherwise, we can prep him for a pen role, as I think that's his future on the big league club. We don't really have any dominant stoppers, and a guy who can hit 95 is a nice tool late in a game. And in a smaller sample, he has less time for command lapses, and can instead go all out at the end of a game. He has two option years to earn a pen spot, but I find it hard to believe the Chicago native will ever be DFA'd. Next year may be too soon, but I could see him in camp the following season with his eye on the stopper role.

LF Bob Rogers (355th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 93rd Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Newman Norseman

Bob Rogers is running out of time, as the 22-year-old is now Rule-5 eligible and I have no intention of protecting him. I doubt anyone will take him, but he did hit .353/.425/.479 (141 OPS+) in 33 Single-A games. That's a 134 PA sample, but it came without a single home run. That's a death sentence for a corner bat, especially an egotistical one who isn't very fast. He's a contact oriented hitter who hits a lot of singles, and he walked (31) more then he struck out (28) in his time with the Cougars and Legislators. If Rogers was in the Winter League, he could have been showcased to one of the other teams, but I doubt he'd hit enough to warrant a selection. He could be the type of guy to thrive in the GWL, as power isn't much of a thing out west. Next season will be big, as if he doesn't hit, he could be relegated to a bench role in favor of one of our more exciting prospects.

ayaghmour2 · 07-21-2023, 09:28 PM

We upgraded to OOTP 24 today, which caused a lot of changes in scouting reports, the in-game reports, and of course, the prospect rankings. The best change is I finally get to use my updated views for OOTP 24 (I tend to adjust these every few versions) which have more and cooler stats then I had in OOTP 23. Say good bye to K/9 and BB/9, and hello to K% and BB%!

But, since the first 35 prospects all got their reports in 23, so will the last five, so I'll just pretend that I don't know Bob Rogers is a top 200 prospect and I will base some of what I write on Dixie Marsh's "old" reports and not the less fun (read: much harder on players) reports he has in 24.

This means all the CWL games, as well as both the Rule-5 and Amateur Draft will be taking place in OOTP 24. The CWL starts Monday, the Rule-5 Draft on Tuesday, and the Amateur Draft will begin no earlier then August 1st. We have a bunch of mid-round picks that should make up for the lack of a first, although I fully expect to attempt to package some of them for a 1st or additional 2nd. I fully expected our system to be thinned out by a monster George Cleaves package, but instead, we'll have another shot to add depth an maintain our top-5 farm ranking that we've held for more-or-less the past decade. Here's what was the bottom of our top 40:

SS Tom Brownleaf (361st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 125th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Durant Lions

After hitting .265/.353/.414 (104 OPS+) as a 22-year-old in A ball, I didn't expect much from Tom Brownleaf when he moved up to AA to fill an injury. Maybe I should have...

It's just a 184 PA sample, but Brownleaf was extremely productive, hitting .326/.364/.494 (120 OPS+) and accumulating 2.1 wins above replacement. He added 10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 24 RBIs, giving him 39, 14, 5, and 71 respectively in his 136 games between the Legislators and Commodores. The switch hitting shortstop spent most of his time at second, and he posted an 8.2 zone rating (1.134 efficiency) in AA and a 7.0 zone rating (1.101 efficiency) in A ball. These are excellent results, making up for subpar short play (-0.6, .968) down in Lincoln, but I think that was more due to the small sample (269.2 innings) then his talent. He should be a capable shortstop, but if he remains at the keystone he'll be well above average defensively. At the plate he's made great strides, which can be attributed to his hard work on and off the field. He's a strong kid who can put the ball in play, as he'll barrel the ball and can catch up to most pitches. He won't hit many home runs, but his gap power is impressive as he lines plenty of pitches to his pull side. On the surface, this all looks great, but Brownleaf doesn't have much upside and has likely already reached his potentials. The former 8th Rounder looks like a serviceable bench bat, but I don't see a situation where he plays everyday. That's not to say he doesn't deserve a chance, and he may get it in the Rule-5 draft, but I don't see him ever becoming anything more then an average big leaguer.

SS John Price (375th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Holy Cross Tigers

Despite being just 19, I started John Price in San Jose. Let's just say, it did not work...

Price hit just .190/.292/.206 (41 OPS+) in 22 games, and that was enough to know that he was not ready. He spent the next month plus waiting for the C ball season to start, but he didn't do much better after the layoff. The former 9th Rounder hit a better, but still not exciting, .248/.304/.359 (85 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs in his final 158 PAs. A natural shortstop, Price bounced around plenty, spending far more time at first (25), second (11), third (43) then short (4). As you can tell by the positional distribution, I view him more as a third basemen then a shortstop, but he may never be great defensively. The ideal situation for him would be to bulk up and move to third, but he's just 155 despite being six foot. He's not very fast either, so there's really no downside in him bulking up. He doesn't have a standout tool, and being able to hit homers will get you to the majors. Otherwise, he'll have to lean on his average hit tool, which makes it seem like he's more of a AAAA type who's really good in the minors, but not so great in the majors. There's plenty of time for that to change, but we need him to buy into a strong development plan.

RHP Babe Stinson (232nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 64th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Louisville Coyotes

I kept going back and forth on it, but in the end, one of our 38 filled 40-man roster spots went to Babe Stinson. A 23-year-old from Colorado, Stinson is a soft-tossing groundballer who despite just 6 below average starts in AA started the season in AAA. It wasn't always pretty, but 19 of his 23 starts came when he was 22, and he managed to finish 9-4 with a 4.46 ERA (104 ERA+), the lowest mark of any of our qualified starters. The 1.71 WHIP and 105 walks were far less encouraging, but it was his first BB/9 above 5 in a stint of more then 50 innings. He also had a respectable 56 strikeouts in his 127 innings, so if we can fix up the walk issues, there's a pretty solid pitcher hidden. He was also aided by two recent velocity boosts, as Stinson went from 83-85 to 84-86 over the offseason, before finishing the season at 85-87 with his cutter. As a kitchen sink type, the added velocity is huge, as his four off-speed pitches are starting to really take shape. In fact, his August was impressive, as he won all four of his decisions and held a 3.29 ERA (141 ERA+) in 5 starts. He didn't build off of that in September, but with another productive offseason he could take a big step forward next year. We have plenty of options for starts in the upper minors, but you can never have too much pitching, and if we end up needing a 40 spot, another team could be interested in adding a solid young depth option.

RHP Fred Terry (384th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 115th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Yellowhammer State Panthers

One of our 8th Round selections this season, Fred Terry made two quick starts at San Jose, where he allowed 11 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings. That was all I needed to realize he was playing too low, and his final 8 starts came for the Legislators. That might have even been too low, as Terry went 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA (142 ERA+) and 0.92 WHIP with 34 strikeouts to just 6 walks. This equated to an elite 2.83 FIP (66 FIP-) and 5.7 K/BB, helping Terry accumulate a tenth of a win short of 2 WAR. Between the two levels, he allowed just one homer in 71.1 innings pitched as its hard to hit his sinker out of the park. 23 in January, Terry is already penciled into the Commodores rotation, and there's a reasonable chance that he makes some starts for the Blues next season. A pitching needy team would even consider pushing him up to the majors, as he'd be a useful pen arm already and a potential back-end rotation arm by the end of the season. A four pitch pitcher, he coasts in the high 80s while dominating the bottom of the zone. He leans heavily on the sinker, but he has a fastball he can attack up. It's useful as his change and splitter are both best in the zone, so he can cover all areas of the plate. His command is stellar and he's one of the few pitchers in our system who will never have to worry about control. The only thing holding him back is his upside, as aside from his secondary pitches, I'm not sure he's going to get much better. If his change or splitter become a reliable out pitch, he'll pitch every five days in the big leagues, but likely in one of the back two spots in the rotation.

RHP Dick Garcia (385th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Geneva Vikings

Just as we did in so many other spots, we finish our top-40 with back-to-back prospects. A spot below Terry is a potential teammate of his next season, Dick Garcia. An East Chicago native (the city in Indiana, not a side of the city), Garcia went to school in Geneva, Illinois, and he's slowly worked his way up the system. This was his only season where all his appearances came in the same location, as he made 24 starts for the Commodores. He was extremely unlucky, 7-16 despite a 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+). What sabotaged him was the walks, as he allowed 71 free passes opposed to jut 48 strikeouts. Add in the 211 hits and his 1.44 WHIP was a bit on the high side. Recently turned 23, Garcia is now Rule-5 eligible, but I doubt he's at risk of being selected. That doesn't mean he's without upside, but along with the control, the stuff needs some work. He has a strong sinker that can hit 90, and his cutter is average, but his change doesn't fool many hitters. A two-fastball pitcher is almost destined for the pen, so if the change isn't a factor, it will be tough to start games. He's still young, but 1948 will be a huge season for him, as he looks to earn a big league callup.

ayaghmour2 · 07-24-2023, 11:56 AM

RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB
A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB
CWL: .500/.571/.750 (237 OPS+), 14 PA, HR, 4 RBI

Just three games in, the Santa Clara Stallions are 2-1, and you can thank some Cougar hitters. After an excellent showing in AA where he posted a 121 WRC+, Jimmy Hairston picked up right where he left off. He had a big opening week, going 6-for-12 with a homer, 4 RBIs, and two walks as the Stallions cleanup hitter. Recently added to the 40, Hairston got a big jump in the OOTP 24 rankings, up to 82nd on the top 100 prospect list. There's a lot to like about the youngster, who has strong plate discipline, a bit of pop, and a swing that consistently barrels up the ball. He's a decent defender too, and he will spend time out in right. I don't expect him to make the Opening Day roster, but if Hairston keeps this up, he seems likely to join the Blues in April. But as a righty, he could work his way into a platoon as we have Leo Mitchell and Hal Sharp in the corners, who both hit from the left side. I think Mitchell is still a star, but if 1947 Leo Mitchell is the real version, Hairston could have a role in Chicago sometime this season.

2B Bob Schmelz (#175 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945)
FABL: .333/.333/.333 (83 OPS+), 3 PA
AAA: .271/.390/.379 (96 OPS+), 651 PA, 23 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 58 RBI
CWL: .500/.571/.917 (277 OPS+), 14 PA, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI

Big week for the heart of the Stallions order, as #3 hitter Bob Schmelz was even better then Jimmy Hairston. Both hit .500, but Schmelz added a pair of doubles to go with his 2 walks, homer, and 4 RBIs. Another member of the 40, a big winter is huge for Schmelz, who may position himself in line for one of the many bench bats we'll bring into Opening Day. The now 23-year-old didn't have the greatest season with the Blues, hitting just .271/.390/.379 (96 OPS+) in 651 PAs. The Stallions have placed Schmelz at the keystone, but he's already committed a pair of errors. We don't expect much from his glove, but Schmelz is showcasing his excellent hit tool. He can put the ball in play and he has great discipline, which makes it likely he'll be an above average big league hitter. Any sort of power would be a plus, and 11 this year was pretty solid. With a little more muscle, he could hit double digits in the majors, which would make him an all-around good player. He's penciled into the Blues lineup for now, but we have plenty of roster spots up for grab.

ayaghmour2 · 07-25-2023, 01:07 PM

The Rule-5 Draft is upon us, and we made a few minor transactions ahead of time. The first was a trade, acquiring a player I tried to trade for a few deadlines ago, Jim Kenny. To bring him to Chicago, we sent 19-year-old Fred McHenry, an outfielder we took in the 20th Round of the most recent draft. Kenny, now 27, was a 2nd Round Pick of the Kings back in 1939, and he was a frequent member of the top 100 prospect lists before debuting in the 1943 season as a 22-year-old. He had an excellent season, going 12-10 with a 3.01 ERA (112 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP. It wasn't without it's faults, as Kenny walked 57 hitters and struck out just 16 in 26 starts.

The next season was his breakout, starting in a Continental Association high 37 games for the 1944 Kings. Kenny was an impressive 18-14 with a 2.99 ERA (121 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. He had similar walk numbers, with 88 in 268.1 innings, but he struck out a similar 74 hitters. His 3.18 FIP (88 FIP-) was close to his ERA, and the then 23-year-old was worth 5.2 WAR. He was in line to become an anchor of the Kings rebuilt rotation, but was enlisted into the Army and missed all of 1945. When he returned, there wasn't a spot for him under the new regime, as Kenny played sparingly between the minors and majors. He made 18 appearances (3 starts) in Brooklyn and 11 (8 starts) in Jersey City, but the overall numbers weren't great. He went 2-6 with an inflated 6.46 ERA (56 ERA+) and 1.82 WHIP in 39 innings pitched, while walking (23) twice as many hitters as he struck out (11). With that poor performance, it makes sense that Kenny spent all of this season in Jersey City, but he looked much better in a swingman/stopper role. Kenny finished 10-4 with 7 saves with a 2.93 ERA (137 ERA+) and 2.99 FIP (74 FIP-). He struck out 36 and walked 20 while sporting a 1.25 WHIP in 104.1 innings pitched.

The lefty is definitely intriguing, as he keeps the ball on the ground and can eat innings. None of his pitches are straight, and while none of his slider, cutter, or change are dominant, they all feature a ton of break. He has the stamina and pitch mix to start games and even if his best years came in the war, you can't completely luck your way into a two year stretch like his. I don't expect Kenny to start any games for us, but we have an open stopper role that Kenny, Harry Parker, and Ken Matson will all be competing for. Another member joining the mix is Frank Sartori, who we claimed off waivers from the Sailors. A 25-year-old southpaw, Sartori stands at 6'4''and debuted for the Sailors last season. The former 11th Round Pick surprised, going 9-5 with a 2.63 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP. He made 16 starts and 8 relief appearances, striking out 67 and walking 57 in 133.2 innings pitched.

Things didn't go too well for Sartori this season, as he was hit hard in 15 appearances (7 starts). He had an elevated 6.57 ERA (61 ERA+) and 1.95 WHIP with a 2-4 record. He struck out (34) an impressive 14.5% of the hitters he faced, but that came with 28 walks in just 49.1 innings pitched. FIP believes he was unlucky, as his 3.93 FIP was two points above average. The hard worker is a longshot to make the active roster as he can be optioned two more times, but we have some space on the 40 and there's really only one guy I'm interested in taking in the Rule-5 draft. Milwaukee's rotation was a bit weak this season, and I imagine Sartori will be one of the top performers.

C Pat Brown Jr. (Not Ranked)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 141st Overall (1941)
AA: .265/.339/.419 (95 OPS+), 389 PA, 24 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 56 RBI, SB
A: .267/.267/.267 (43 OPS+), 15 PA, 2 RBI
CWL: .280/.357/.480 (120 OPS+), 28 PA, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI

Unfortunately, the Cougar prospects on the Stallions are not doing all that well. Schmelz and Hairston cooled off after a blistering first week and despite winning one, Dick Garcia's two starts have not been any good (13 ER, 11.2 IP). Pat Brown Jr. is one of the few to do decent both weeks, as the catcher hit .231/.333/.538 (127 OPS+) this week and is hitting .280/.357/.480 (120 OPS+) in his seven games. Last week was about the contact, this week the power, as Brown hit his first homer of the winter in a 4-3 loss. It was the third loss of their five game losing streak, as the Stallions went from first to last in just one week. They'll need more from guys like Brown to reverse course, and this has worked as a minor audition for the young backstop as well. He's available for the Rule-5 draft now, and while he may not be selected, a strong Winter could encourage teams to go for him next season. We have plenty of catching depth, so I don't see him getting protected, but he's athletic and works the count well. He may be a bubble guy now, but he's just 24 and still has some time to develop.

ayaghmour2 · 07-26-2023, 12:27 PM

The Rule-5 Draft came and went without us taking a player, but the Kings selected Bob Rogers from us. I was a bit surprised, as they have a lot of outfield depth. The surprise faded quickly when Brooklyn's GM reached out for a trade, sending Rogers back for a 10th Round Pick. Considering I debated cutting the former 6th Rounder to pursue an opportunity in the GWL, I was happy to let him go, even with his increased prospect status post-conversion. Rogers ranks as the 177th best prospect, but I wouldn't get too excited over him. Sure, the bat is decent, but he's got Hal Sharp's personality without Hal Sharp's talent, so instead of just being the dude that wants to pad his stats, he's the one that isn't padding his stats, and let's you hear about it. Rogers missed a lot of time with injury as well, but when healthy he hit well. There's a chance he develops into a a decent long-term piece, but we have a lot more exciting center fielders I'd rather give at bats to.

RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB
A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB
CWL: .340/.392/.574 (140 OPS+), 51 PA, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Another week, another homer for Jimmy Hairston, who leads the 2-9 Stallions with 3 home runs. As the record would tell you, not much has gone right for Cuban affiliate, but the former 4th Rounder has been one of the few bright spots. 23 in January, Hairston leads the Stallions in most offensive categories, and is slashing .340/.392/.574 (140 OPS+) in 51 trips to the plate. To go with the homers, he has 2 doubles, 7 runs, 9 RBIs, and 3 walks, and he's yet to make an error out in right. One of our only "real" prospects in Cuba, Hairston is another reason we don't need Bob Rogers, as he's younger and a much better personality. He's 6'2'' and extremely athletic, and it shows at the plate and in the field. He consistently barrels the ball when he swings, and he combines the strong hit tool with excellent discipline and above average power. He doesn't strike out much either, and is inching closer to a season with more walks (55) then strike outs (63). As a member of the 40-man roster, he's in line for a big league debut this season, and there's a chance we see him start in Milwaukee. Especially if he continues to hit at such an impressive pace.

CF Art Goins (Not Ranked)
Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1942)
AA: .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+), 117 PA, 4 2B, 3 3B, 9 RBI, 2 SB
A: .280/.392/.376 (106 OPS+), 149 PA, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB
CWL: .289/.407/.400 (104 OPS+), 3B, HR, 5 RBI, SB

He may be the son of T.R. Goins, but there's no Hall of Fame in Art's future. But after a slow start, Art is starting to have himself a good winter. 24 on Christmas, the former 2nd Rounder went 8-for-17 with 5 runs, a triple, a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. That upped his season line up to .289/.407/.400 (104 OPS+) in 11 games as the lead off hitter. It's nice that Goins is getting every day time in Cuba, as he spent more time on the bench this year then in year's past. We tried to give him a shot in AA, but he hit just .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+) in 100 at bats. He did do a bit better with the Legislators, producing a 113 WRC+, but just 37 of his 67 appearances came with him in the starting lineup. As expected, no one took a flier on him in the Rule-5 Draft, but he can use the rest of the winter season to earn a starting role when baseball returns stateside. His glove will always keep him on a roster, but he doesn't offer much at the plate. Despite his struggles, it's never deterred him, as he's still one of the hardest workers out there. It's a long season, but I'm hoping Goins can keep some parts of this up.

ayaghmour2 · 07-27-2023, 06:47 PM

LF Don Jeppsen (Not Ranked)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 144th Overall (1942)
AAA: .214/.259/.291 (40 OPS+), 112 PA, 2B, 2 3B, HR, 13 RBI
AA: .292/.330/.392 (86 OPS+), 372 PA, 14 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 5 SB
CWL: .277/.404/.383 (99 OPS+), 59 PA, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI

One of the few repeat players from last year, Don Jeppsen went just 2-for-3 in six games last winter. This year, on a roster with far less talent, he's been the Stallions everyday player. It's good for the 23-year-old, as he struggled in AA and was abysmal in AAA, where he posted just a 38 WRC+ in 33 games. He's had far more success with the Stallions, posting a 105 in his first 15 games with more walks (9) then strike outs (8). His .277/.404/.383 (99 OPS+) triple slash is just barely below average in terms of OPS, and he has three extra base hits (2 doubles and a walk) in his 15 appearances. While not great, it's a noticeable improvement from his regular season, and a strong showing here can keep Jeppsen playing regularly next season. A former 9th Rounder, he's never been the highest touted prospect, but he's a good clubhouse guy and has some solid skills. He's quick, can handle all three outfield spots, and can take a walk, but he lacks an intimidating presence at the plate. Homers won't come too often, and even double and triple aren't common either. Jeppsen's age works in his favor, but he's running out of chances to establish himself as even a bench bat at the major league level.

ayaghmour2 · 07-28-2023, 02:28 PM

RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB
A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB
CWL: .304/.396/.519 (128 OPS+), 91 PA, 2 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI

Once again, about all that went well for Santa Clara is Jimmy Hairston. Sure, the Stallions are now 5-14 and tied with the Cienfuegos Crocodiles for last, but it's another great week for our young outfielder. Hairston went 4-for-13 with a homer, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, and 8 walks to up his season line to .304/.396/.519 (128 OPS+) in 19 games. The 22-year-old leads the Stallions in average, hits (24), homers, and RBIs, and if there was an MVP award for the team, him or the Eagles' Ralph Cobb (.293, 4, 11) would be the vote. And for our players, Bob Schmelz (.237, 3, 13) has really cooled off, Dick Garcia (1-2, 9.93, 10) has allowed more runs then innings, and Rupert Heinbaugh (.177, 2) is hitting like a pitcher. Art Goins' (.284, 2, 7, 1) 20-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio is keeping him in the running, and Don Jeppsen (.274, 2, 10) has been somewhat useful, but Hairston has been the only one of our guys to really show promise this winter. It would have been nice to have some other highly touted prospect joining him, but this is big for his development.

ayaghmour2 · 07-31-2023, 06:58 PM

Big news in the baseball world, as it was announced that the 1948 Draft would be the last draft where we can trade draft picks. This puts a huge wrench in the Cougars strategy, as we tend to accumulate extra draft picks that tend to pan out better then their expected value. Since 1925, the first human draft, we have produced more hitters (154), pitchers (66), and total WAR (791.6) then any other FABL teams. With 220 players to debut, we are the only team to produce more then 170 major leaguers. There is also no team to develop more then 125 hitters or 50 pitchers, so we have a very comfortable lead in terms of quantity. The quality is a bit closer, as the Saints (759.3) have also produced over 700 wins, making us the only two teams above that mark. What might be most interesting is that the hitters (396.5) and pitchers (395.1) have been almost equally valuable. That's the same for some, but the Wolves have have been far more successful with pitchers (420.7) then hitters (69.7), and are the only team to produce less then 150 WAR from position players. On the other end, the Saints (611.2) blow everyone out of the air for batters, but pitching? Not even close (148.1).

The lottery also took place today, and while we don't have a first, it still affects our 2nd Round selection. We'll definitely be picking below where we would if there was no lottery, but at least we get the 4th Pick in the 3rd and each subsequent round. In the 2nd, we will be selecting 10th, making our first pick the 26th selection of the draft. We lucked out in the first, as the pick we traded for Sal Pestilli was the last one selected. The Miners will be selecting 14th, as they acquired our 1st from the Gothams in the George Cleaves and Lefty Allen trade. This could not have gone much better for us, other then if we secured an early 2nd, as there's no one in this draft I'd want at 14 over Sal, or even with Carl Clark and Jim Mako. The extra mid-round picks should make up for the lack of a first, and we can always try to trade back in if teams aren't satisfied with what is available.

RHP Dick Garcia (#344 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943)
AA: 7-16, 196.1 IP, 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 71 BB, 48 K
CWL: 1-3, 25.2 IP, 11.22 ERA (47 ERA+), 2.34 WHIP, 16 BB, 11 K

It's time we talk about Dick Garcia... The poor regional pick has gotten his head beat in each and every start, allowing 6 or 7 earned runs in all five of his starts. Believe it or not, he has a win and no decision, allowing 44 hits, 32 earned runs, and 16 walks in just 25.2 innings. He's allowed 3 homers as well, matching his total in 196.1 innings with the Commodores. Granted, he actually did good there, as despite his 7-16 record, he had a strong 3.58 ERA in 24 starts. I was hoping for something somewhat resembling quality starts in Cuba, but even if he throws back-to-back-to-back shutouts, he'd still have a 5.47 ERA. And if he didn't allow any hits or walks? Still a WHIP above 1 (1.04)! Imagine that! It's going to be hard for Garcia to salvage this stint, but the 23-year-old will still have a rotation spot waiting for him when he returns.

ayaghmour2 · 08-01-2023, 07:21 PM

It's draft time! Our Commish accidentally simmed two weeks, which means draft today and no sim tomorrow. It's probably for the best for these writeups, as our prospects haven't been doing much, and most weeks there is very little to mention. This is no exception!

I'm hoping to make some sort of trade, but we're a few picks in and the odds of acquiring a 1st seem unlikely. If no moves are made, we'll be picking three times between 26 and 40, getting the edge picks along with the 36th pick. We then have five picks in the fourth (52 and 55) and fifth (65th, 68th, and 71st) before picking 4th in the 6th through 10th rounds. Our last pick in the Winter portion comes at 156, the pick we acquired for Bob Rogers from the Kings. On the whole, this class seems rather thin, so even with our first round pick (14th), I don't think we had a shot to add an impact player. There is one non first rounder I am really interested in who may be a reach at 26, so there's a legit chance we don't add any top 100 prospects. Still, we'll have plenty of chances to add to an already deep system, and nothing beats the excitement of the draft!

RHP Tommy Seymour (#358 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1943)
A: 6-1, 150.1 IP, 5.63 ERA (75 ERA+), 1.78 WHIP, 93 BB, 58 K
CWL: 1-0, 28.2 IP, 5.34 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.88 WHIP, 17 BB, 13 K

The Stallions continue to get their heads beat in, so relievers like Tommy Seymour have gotten plenty innings out of the pen. His 28.2 innings are just 4 fewer then Dick Garcia, who guess what? Got his head beat in again! 7 more runs! Off 13 hits! Luckily, just 1 walk, and it was 7 innings, but I would much rather have Seymour getting starts then Garcia. As a former 1st Rounder, Seymour was once one of our more highly touted prospects, but he hasn't gotten much love on or off the field. The conversion to 24 moved him out of the top 200 down to 358, which makes sense after a poor 5.63 ERA (75 ERA+) and 5.09 FIP (120 FIP-) in 24 A ball starts. He's faired a bit better in the Winter, as his 5.34 ERA (98 ERA+) is barely below average, and he's struck out 13 hitters. That comes with 17 walks and a whopping 6 homers, two fewer then he allowed all season in the Heartland League. As a groundballer who doesn't throw very hard, homers are usually a rarity, but the Stallions have an absurd 1.349 and 1.303 home run factor for lefties and righties respectively.

The homers have definitely hurt Seymour in Cuba, but what was supposed to be his best tool, his control, has been very poor since joining our system. His BB% has been double digits at each stop excluding 104 innings with San Jose in 1945, where it was a still elevated 9.2%. For comparison, that's higher then the 9.1% Pap had in his Allen Winning Year, and despite his dominance, we all know he walks too many hitters. And since Seymour doesn't throw triple digits, that's got to shrink. His 13.1% this season was in line with Pap's (13.3%) rough season this year, and he's the guy who led the CA in walks. Another thing working against Seymour is that his best pitch is his change up, and while it's very good, it's effectiveness is weakened by his fastball that tops out at 87. With poor control and velocity, Seymour may be one of the rare 1st Round misses of ours, and other teams seem to agree. Any of the 15 teams could have taken a chance on his upside in the Rule-5 draft, but Seymour was passed on each time. Dixie Marsh and OSA both believe he'll never fill a big league rotation, but I still have some hope. At 22, he could still get a velocity boost, and his change up is a lethal pitch. But without an increase in stuff or control, we he may be nothing more then a depth arm.

ayaghmour2 · 08-03-2023, 02:16 PM

2nd Round, 26th Overall: 3B Amos Peterson
School: Union City Golden Tornadoes
1947: .518/.598/1.000, 102 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .518/.598/1.000, 102 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB

All aboard the A-Train! Amos Peterson didn't play varsity baseball until he was a Junior, but the switch hitting third basemen broke onto the scene in a big way. It wasn't quite Jerry Smith numbers, but Peterson had a 1.000 slugging percentage to go with 7 homers, 24 extra base hits, and a .518 batting average as a junior. OSA isn't a fan, but they haven't looked at him since August and if you think a guy who hit .500 "struggles to make consistent contact" then I don't buy the rest of what you say! Dixie Marsh has a keener eye, and is a huge fan of Amos, believing he could become "an elite starting third basemen." And while that may be a bit too optimistic, he's a very exciting young player. He does a great job working the count and should be able to maintain a high on base percentage. Dixie also expects him to hit around .330, which would be huge for someone who has above average power.

All this should translate into an outstanding offensive player, and guess what? It doesn't matter that we have a top 50 prospect in Otto Christian who should be manning the hot corner when lefties on are on the mound. The A-Train can get you to plenty of stops! Sure, most of his time came at third, but he made appearances at first, left, right, and even second! This gives us the ability to put an excellent top-of-the-order hitter at many different positions. I'm hoping third or second is the final landing spot, but my best guess is Amos ends up in a corner. He has the bat to stick wherever he ends up, and I think we'll move him around a lot in the early years. He'll be in La Crosse come June, and it will be fun to see how well he does in his first taste of professional ball. I'm not used to having to wait this long for a pick, but considering the quality of the players available, we were able to snag a first round quality guy 26th picks in.

ayaghmour2 · 08-03-2023, 05:08 PM

CF Art Goins (Not Ranked)
Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1942)
AA: .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+), 117 PA, 4 2B, 3 3B, 9 RBI, 2 SB
A: .280/.392/.376 (106 OPS+), 149 PA, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB
CWL: .286/.419/.421 (104 OPS+), 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, SB

The Stallions are really bad, eliminated from the playoffs before even winning game #10, but Art Goins is having a really good January. The recently turned 24-year-old is slashing .333/.447/.538 (138 OPS+) in 10 January games, good for a 151 WRC+. What's interesting is he's actually striking our more, with 8 compared to just 7 walks in 47 trips to the plate, but hitting plenty of extra base hits. Half his homers and 2/3rds of his doubles have occurred since the calendar flipped to 1948. He's working on a nine game hit streak and has reached base in 22 of his last 23 games. That's helped him increase his season line to a strong .286/.419/.421 (104 OPS+) out of the leadoff spot, with a more impressive 116 WRC+ in 35 games. Goins has walked (31) a bit more then twice as frequently as he's struck out (14), and he's scored 30 times so far. A strong Winter from Goins has worked his way back into our future plans, as the Hall of Famer's son has reclaimed regular playing time. I'd like to see him play everyday for the Commodores, as at least one spot on the grass is open. Another could if teammate Jimmy Hairston starts in AAA, but I'd bet on Goins joining Rupert Abbott in Mobile chasing down almost every ball hit near them.

ayaghmour2 · 08-03-2023, 07:24 PM

3rd Round, 36th Overall: CF Bob Allie
School: Canarsie Chiefs
1947: .481/.556/.787, 129 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 16 SB
Career: .495/.559/.849, 378 PA, 46 2B, 12 3B, 14 HR, 101 RBI, 47 SB

Set to be a four year starter, Bob Allie's junior season was the first season he didn't hit .500, but a .481/.556/.787 line is still pretty solid, and it came with his best walk rate (12.4%) of his prep career. "Alley Cat" has also shown some pop so far, adding 4 more homers after 4 as a sophomore and 6 as a freshman. Some of that power may be due to his age, as he's already 18 and turns 19 next October. He's one of the older prep prospects, and almost half a year older then our 2nd Rounder Amos Peterson. But like Amos, OSA isn't a fan, with Dixie Marsh a far bigger fan. He's a plus contact hitter with above average power and tremendous ability on the basepath. Dixie doesn't mention the glove, but declares that he has the "potential to be an impact big leaguer." Just like with Amos, I think he's a little too optimistic, but the Alley Cat has all the tools to play regularly in FABL. I think he has the range to stick in center, but even if he doesn't, the bat will more then make up for it. He's got a good shot of walking more then he strikes out and he swings a quick bat through the zone. He elevates easy pitches and would really benefit from shallow walls at Cougars Park. Add in great work ethic and I think we have another talented outfielder joining the system. He's more Frank Reece then Jerry Smith, the chances of stardom are low, but Allie is a highly skilled player and with a little more meat on his bones, could be a legit 20/20 guy.

3rd Round, 40th Overall: CF Jeff King
School: Millville Middies
1947: .517/.598/.805, 109 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 17 SB
Career: .517/.598/.805, 109 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 17 SB

Another outfielder? Four picks later? Are you crazy?!?!?!

Yes -- crazy excited to get Jeff King!

This is a weird draft where I'd be happy to get like 20 or so guys with our pick. No, not because the draft is so deep, but because most of the guys don't do much to separate from the pack. The guys I'm excited about would be taken 4th Round or later in a normal pool, but all three of our picks rank in Dixie Marsh's top 20 for hitters. With how few quality pitchers there are, #20 may still be in the top 25, as most of the pitchers aren't anything more then lottery tickets.

King is definitely within my top 20, and knowing guys like the Millers and Joe Kleman wouldn't be available at 26, King was in my realistic top ten. A former basketball player for the Middies, the 6'3'' King made the transition to baseball last season, and hit .517/.598/.805 with 12 doubles, 5 triples, and 25 RBIs. What's somewhat baffling is that the young outfielder hit just one home run and hits more groundballs then line drives. He is on the skinny side, just 180 pounds at 17, which means he has plenty of opportunities to bulk up and add power. Whether he can hit home runs or not may be irrelevant, as he puts the ball in play like none other. Both OSA and Dixie expect "a batting average around .350", something Leo Mitchell has only been able to do twice.

The pick is a win if King ever does that once, let alone with frequency, but he does have a good approach at the plate. He walked (16) more then he struck out (6) and I expect him to do the exact same as a senior. His speed makes him an issue whenever he's on the base, but he may never be a very effective base stealer. His speed is most effective when the ball is in play, keeping the opposing defense on their toes. He's a capable defender himself, and for those worried about him being an outfielder, he's played some middle infield. He could stick in center, but with all the young outfielders in the lower minors he will spend plenty of time in the infield. His height makes him ideal for first, but I'd like to see what he can do at the other three spots first. Depending who joins him in La Crosse, he could either bounce position to position when injuries happen in the system or give lesser players at multiple position days off, allowing them to compete for shared time. He won't have to worry about at bats, as King has the potential to be an above average big leaguer. And if he develops the strength of even the average 6'3'' baseball player? Who knows what is possible.

And yes, I know I've complained more then enough about the Cougars 1947 season, butut it just still blows my mind that our two best players, Pap and Mitchell, decide to have the worst seasons of their career. And our new best player, Sal Pestilli, decided to do the exact same thing. Wouldn't it be cool if they all decided to be themselves again?

What helps is the Packers and Panthers have been excellent in their respective sports, so getting to the draft wasn't as painful this year. Draft fever makes me so excited for the Spring as I'm spending more time browsing in game. I know we'll score more then 604 runs. Our offense basically performed like they played our staff (607 runs allowed) all year. And I don't think three's another 4th starter like Johnnie Jones. Our best case is a pennant and worst case some good lottery balls. We're not finishing below .500 again. I just won't allow it. Everyone is allowed a bad year. But two? If we can't win 80 games it's going to be a 1934 nightmare type year.

I still miss Tommy Wilcox...

He's only... 40! Dick Lyons had an ERA+ above 100 for 9 years after 35. Wilcox didn't throw an FABL pitch in his 30s. Oh what could have been...

ayaghmour2 · 08-03-2023, 11:41 PM

4th Round, 52nd Overall: SS Elmer Grace
School: St. Dominick's Padres
1947: .309/.392/.441, 218 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .309/.392/.441, 218 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 15 SB

After three prep picks to start our draft, I used both of our 4th to select college players. The first was an old reliable type pick, grabbing a hardworking shortstop who can always fall back on a utility role. Add in the fact that he's a switch hitter and faired well in his first season against "Good" competition, and you have a solid supplemental piece pretty much right out of the box. That's not to say Grace's only value comes in a reserve role, as the infielder gives good at bats from both sides of the plate. There's no splits in the game generated amateur stats, so I don't know if he has a better side yet, so until otherwise proven we're going to assume he's pretty consistent both ways. Grace does a good job barreling the ball frequently, as his compact swing allows him to spray the ball when he makes contact. He's not going to be a home run threat, but Grace works the count well and will learn to punish mistakes. He's got decent speed which should allow him to take the extra base, allowing him to replace home run production with extra walks and doubles. On the dirt he handles short well, but I don't think he'll ever be anything more then a plus defender. There's plenty of open lineup spots in San Jose and Lincoln, so he may get to spend his first season at short. I'm hoping he does well in year two for the Padres, and if he comes near to his .833 OPS with more walks (25) then strikeouts (18), he could work his way up our system quickly.

4th Round, 55th Overall: LHP Dixie Gaines
School: Capital University Catamounts
1947: 11-3, 134.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 31 BB, 129 K
Career: 11-3, 134.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 31 BB, 129 K

The lack of pitching available in this pool was well documented, so even though I would have rather waited until the 5th Round, the choices were running out quickly. Based on reaction to the selection, I didn't reach too far, as Starkville native Dixie Grimes was highly sought after by other GMs. It's not hard to see why, as the 20-year-old southpaw burst onto the scene last season at Capital University. Gaines started 20 games and finished an impressive 11-3 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He struck out 129 and walked just 31 in 134.1 innings pitched, which was third most last season for draft eligible players. He led all eligible collegiate hurler in ERA by keeping runners off bases. He had an excellent 4.2 K/BB rate and allowed just 3 home runs. His success doesn't come from dominating batters, instead keeping them on their toes as he commands five different pitches. His sinker is his go to pitch, and it allows him to keep the ball in the park and erase runners that reach base. For strikeouts he goes to his change up, which has tremendous downward movement. While all that is well and good, Gaines tops out at just 86 and his secondary offerings are more effective due to the unpredictability then their quality. Those are two hurdles our minor league staff will have to work out, as the young southpaw feels more like a high school arm then a college one. There's plenty of risk, but I think we have a chance to mold him into a effective big league pitcher. Not only is he intelligent, but hardworking, and I think him and Garland Phelps would be a very interesting battery. I'm rooting for the young lefty, even if his name buddy Marsh doesn't think he'd fit well in the majors.

ayaghmour2 · 08-04-2023, 02:12 PM

5th Round, 65th Overall: 1B John Kerr
School: Chicopee Pacers
1947: .477/.529/.693, 105 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .477/.529/.693, 105 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB

We kicked off the fifth round with our first of three picks, selecting 6'4'' first basemen John Kerr out of a high school in Massachusetts. While not a typical slugging first basemen, I expect that's something that will come later for the 18-year-old. He has a strong bat, covering all quadrants of the strike zone, allowing him to drive the ball to the opposite field. He's got average pop now, even if it hasn't quite shown up in the home run department, but even some of the better sluggers didn't hit many homers when they were in their teens. As a first basemen, he's really going to need to hit to keep playing regularly. We're at an interesting time for the system as we have a few talented first basemen prospects, with both Cal Rice (113th) and Dudley Sapp (132nd) sitting in the top 150. I'm not sure Kerr will join them, but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't rank at all. He has a lot of natural talent and the build to develop into a 25+ home run hitter. Dixie thinks he'll be an above average hitter, OSA views him more as a bench bat, and I'd split the difference on those projections. His value will come from his bat, so there's plenty of risk, but I can see him being an average everyday player.

5th Round, 68th Overall: CF Doc Zimmerman
School: Bryan Rams
1947: .478/.520/.829, 127 PA, 15 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 12 SB
Career: .458/.532/.764, 257 PA, 28 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 65 RBI, 42 SB

I... Can't get enough! Can't get enough! Can't get enough offfffffffff these center fielders!!!

That's now three in five rounds as our middle fifth rounder went to Doc Zimmerman, who doesn't turn 17 until the 2nd of February. A Houston native, Doc spent the past two seasons patrolling center for the Bryan Rams. They have been quite different, as his first season came with a .467 average, 2 homers, and 30 steals. Year two saw him sacrifice speed for power, with just a .448 average and 12 steals while he launched 5 homers. It's more then just that, as he hit more doubles (13 to 15) and triples (3 to 5) as well while cutting his strikeout rate (4.6 to 2.4) almost in half. Dixie is a big fan of his overall game, postulating him as a "regular starter," one that I hope he means in the big leagues. He's supposed to have blazing speed as well, but the drop in stolen bases is somewhat concerning. Granted, amateur stolen base stats aren't perfect, but speed is part of what makes him so exciting. I don't expect the power to hold up against tougher competition, but he has a nice hit tool and can hit around .300. His best tool is his eye, as he should be able to walk much more then he strikes out, and every ball in play can help him reach base. With his age, he may have a slow start, but I have faith the tools are in place for Zimmerman to work his way onto a big league roster.

5th Round, 71st Overall: SS Cecil Burr
School: Anacortes Seahawks
1947: .489/.548/.728, 107 PA, 11 2B, 4 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 34 SB
Career: .489/.548/.728, 107 PA, 11 2B, 4 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 34 SB

We made it three-for-three with prep picks, finishing things off with shortstop Cecil Burr. Burr didn't join varsity until his junior season, but he hit .489 with 16 extra base hits, 37 runs scored, and 25 RBIs to go with his 1.276 OPS. These are excellent numbers from Burr, who just turned 18 on January 16th. An athletic, 6'2'' youngster, he may not stick at shortstop, and even the Seahawks gave him time at second, third, and right to keep his bat in the lineup. That's not to say Burr can't handle short, as he does have good range, but if he fills out and adds muscle he may be better suited for third or right instead. And since he hits a lot of line drives, that could coordinate to a lot of extra base hits. He has the bat to play at either spot, especially if he's also providing plus defense, as he has a good swing, makes good contact, and his speed puts pressure on the defense. Burr is the type of player I like to target, young, athletic, and high upside with the fallback of a utility player. The bat could burn out and keep him from getting past AA, but with more refinement there's a chance for this block of marble to develop into a marvelous work of art.

ayaghmour2 · 08-04-2023, 08:23 PM

6th Round, 84th Overall: RHP Hal Carter
School: Loyola Knights
1947: 8-2, 102.2 IP, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 44 BB, 134 K
Career: 21-8, 305.1 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 95 BB, 397 K

The first of many sons of big leaguers, we grabbed Kings starter Harry Carter's son Hal. As you might expect, Hal was born in New York, as Harry spent 1934 to 1947 with the Stars, Gothams, and Kings. The younger Carter is gearing up for his fourth season at Loyola, looking to bounce back from a career high 2.28 ERA and 1.21 WHIP as a junior. Carter's first two seasons were far more impressive, as he kept his ERA and WHIP below 1.65 and 1.00, while striking out 263 batters with just 51 walks. That's why it was so surprising when his K/BB dropped to 3 and he walked 44 hitters. It's comparable too since he started 13 games with near identical innings (101, 101.2, 102.2), so this is a huge jump from those first two years. I'm hoping it's a fluke, as Carter has excellent stuff and a lot of things you look for in a big league starter. Just like his father, he has a deep repertoire, and both feature a sinker and a changeup.

Despite featuring the sinker, "Harry Jr." allows a lot of flyballs, and that may be a problem in Chicago. In the mid-80, his sinker doesn't get many whiffs, so he'll have to rely heavily on his changeup. It's the best of his five pitches, and right now the only one that projects to be above average. Luckily it's a good one, and it's only going to get better as he gets older. Harry turns 18 in April, and he's been in the gym all winter in preparation for his senior year. If he can add a mile or two to the hard stuff, he could have a bounce-back season if he finds his way back in the zone. Based on his consistency in terms of innings and his dad's career it's safe to say he can eat innings, and if he keeps striking guys out he'll pitch his way to the big leagues. It'll be interesting what I say of him in the Summer, as the young righty has plenty to prove and the talent to impress.

7th Round, 100th Overall: 2B Dick Cunningham
School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1947: .283/.353/.383, 268 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 37 SB
Career: .283/.353/.383, 268 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 37 SB

A switch hitting shortstop from South Carolina, Dick Cunningham debuted as a sophomore for Carolina Poly and hit .283 with 5 homers and 46 RBIs and was a big reason the Cardinals made it to the CWCS finals. The switch hitting second basemen teamed up with his twin Archie (.280, 1, 34, 34) and freshman hurler Johnny Young (11-4, 2.45, 160) to take out lower seeded CCLA, Mississippi A&M, and Georgia Baptist. They eventually fell to Wolves 4th Rounder Ralphie Speirs (10-4, 3.12, 97) and Grange College. The Cardinals will have another shot with their current core, as they have draft prospect all across the diamond. I think Dick is the best of the bunch, as the switch hitting second basemen hit for a high average with some pop, and can play all around the diamond. A natural second basemen, he's also played short, third, left, and right and meets all the criteria to be a perfect utility guy. Add in elite speed which should translate to steals, extra bases, and quality defense. He'll need to do more then draw walks to stick in a big league lineup, but there's always room for guys like him at the back of a big league roster.

8th Round, 116th Overall: SS Archie Cunningham
School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1947: .280/.341/.366, 211 PA, 5 2B, 4 3B, HR, 34 RBI, 34 SB
Career: .280/.341/.366, 211 PA, 5 2B, 4 3B, HR, 34 RBI, 34 SB

Obviously I couldn't resist, as after selecting "D.C." I had to follow up with "A.C.". If at any point in the draft I would have had back-to-back picks, I probably would have done it, but instead the twins will have to settle to both be taken with the 4th pick in back-to-back rounds. Dick is clearly the better player, which is why he came first, but can you really have too many versatile switch hitting shortstops?

I think not!

Archie will have to stop trying to be the center of attention, but when you're the shortstop of a twin double play duo, it's easy to think you're the most important guy on campus. He's your traditional shortstop, good speed, good glove, little pop. "A.C." doesn't have the best bat or glove, but he's the type of player that can make things happen. His speed is a factor on the bases and in the field, but he's spent far less time off short then Dick has off second. And make sure your corner infielders are on their toes as he's not afraid to drop a bunt down. And if a tough pitcher doesn't look confident throwing to first, he won't hesitate taking advantage of it. He's crafty and a competitor who may need some containment, as if unmanaged his personality may become an issue. I'd love to field an A.C./D.C. double play duo in the minors, but if Archie can't keep up he may need to find a spot with another organization.

8th Round, 116th Overall: 2B Johnnie Love
School: Bluegrass State Mustangs
1947: .264/.331/.402, 266 PA, 12 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 36 SB
Career: .276/.342/.407, 519 PA, 22 2B, 12 3B, 5 HR, 71 RBI, 74 SB

I made a trade after my 8th Round selection, picking up the Gothams 8th, 9th, and 10th Round picks for Israel Holmes, Bill Cook, and Ray Warren. This may end up being our last ever draft pick trade, meaning Johnnie Love could be one of our last players drafted with a pick that isn't our own. Set to be a three year starter at Bluegrass State, Love has played 103 games at the Keystone, hitting .276 with 22 doubles, 12 triples, 15 homers, and 74 steals. He scored 89 runs and drove in 71 more, and has been a key fixture of the Mustangs lineup. Love plays quality defense as well, but his combination of bat speed and barrel control allow him to maintain a high batting average with limited whiffs. He can draw a few walks as well, and has plenty of value on the base paths. Another switch hitter, Love is the type of guy you want when the game is on the line, but he'll have to work at it to get there. He doesn't have the flashiest raw tools and hits the ball on the ground too much. The Milwaukee native could be an interesting project, and I like his value as a bench piece.

ayaghmour2 · 08-05-2023, 08:45 PM

9th Round, 132nd Overall: LHP Joe Oates
School: Narragansett Navigators
1947: 8-5, 123.2 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 64 BB, 95 K
Career: 8-5, 123.2 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 64 BB, 95 K

Narragansett is a small city in Rhode Island on the Atlantic where lefty Joe Oates spent his past summer pitching for the Navigators. Once officially selected with our first of two ninth rounders, the New Jersey native will be the first Navigator selected since one Sal Pestilli went #1 back in 1936. Oates had a decent sophomore season, going 8-5 in his 18 stats with a 3.93 ERA. He struck out 95 in 123.2 innings, which is impressive considering his fastball tops out at 85. I'm hoping that's not his top, as the hard worker has spent all offseason in the gym prepping for his senior year. Oates has a deep five pitch arsenal, including a sinker, which could end up countering his home run issues. The harder he throws that, the more effective it will be, and the same can be said of his changeup. That headlines the arsenal, and is currently the only plus pitch he offers. That's not to say he's not an interesting pitcher, as if he can solve his command issues or add speed to his arsenal, he could pitch his way into a big league role.

9th Round, 135th Overall: C Sam Bird
School: Northwest Knights
1947: .419/.475/.600, 120 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .409/.470/.588, 353 PA, 22 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 85 RBI, 12 SB

I was a bit shocked to see Sam Bird still available in the 9th, and since I was looking for a catcher I quickly stopped the search when I saw the Naperville native still available. Perhaps its due to his lack of success in high school, but Dixie Marsh is very intrigued by the son of future Hall of Famer Tom Bird. He expects the young catcher to hit for average power with a good feel for the zone. There is some swing and miss in his game, but that's something his dad once struggled with when he was young. If he can make more contact he could become a pretty solid hitter, and there's always a shortage of catchers who can hit. We're lucky we have two potential catchers of the future in Eddie Howard and Garland Phelps, but there's nothing wrong with a quality backup. A good defensive catcher with power is a nice option off the bench, but there's no guarantee he becomes anything better then a career minor leaguer. We don't really have anyone getting regular at bats in La Crosse, and with Phelps ticketed to Lincoln there may be room in San Jose too. If Bird can hit, he'll play, and having a big league father is a good way to get a roster spot.

10th Round, 148th Overall: RF Gene Dibblee
School: Canton State Bulldogs
1947: .269/.316/.328, 274 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 40 SB
Career: .282/.346/.351, 490 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 70 RBI, 71 SB

As you might expect, I just couldn't pass up a chance to select the son of the great number 19 himself; John Dibblee. Dibblee has nearly every Cougar record, and while Gene isn't even a quarter of the player his dad his, it would feel weird if he got drafted by any other team. Already 22, Gene is hoping to have a strong junior year, as after hitting .301 as a freshman he hit just .269 last year. Even worse, he went from walking (25) more then he struck out (19) to striking out (28) more then he walked (16). He also doesn't have the glove of the elite center fielder John was, and unless it's an emergency I don't think he'll ever start in center. He spends most of his time in right, although he's gotten some time at first and in left. Don't expect much here, he's a no-hit, no-field outfielder, but it would be cool if he got at least one big league at bat with the team his father stared for.

10th Round, 151st Overall: RHP Nick Tomlinson
School: Mobile Leopards
1947: 7-4, 122.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 35 BB, 150 K
Career: 27-6, 366 IP, 1.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 111 BB, 444 K

The pickings were slim at this point, so when there's a 6'4'' righty who keeps the ball on the ground, the lottery ticket might actually be worth the money. While not the hardest thrower, Tomlinson's cutter hits 87 and his curveball has a lot of break. Both are solid options, but his third pitch is a fastball that doesn't fool many hitters. That could prevent him from starting, and the odds that he adds a fourth pitch are pretty low. He reminds me a lot of Charlie Kelsey, who ended up having his third pitch (a sinker) turn into a good one. Tomlinson needs to harness his command as well, and like some of these other late round picks, he needs to get one of his two weaknesses fixed just for a shot. You can never have too much pitching depth, and with his height it wouldn't be too hard for him to hit the 90s.

10th Round, 156th Overall: LF Johnnie Cloud
School: Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers
1947: .262/.359/.446, 303 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 26 SB
Career: .273/.369/.451, 582 PA, 19 2B, 2 3B, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 48 SB

Rounding things out is slugging outfielder Johnnie Cloud, who hit 22 homer and drove in 103 runs in his two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma. At just 5'9'', it's pretty impressive he can hit so many out. Dixie doesn't think it will translate, but he is impressed with how hard he can hit the ball. He has a quick bat and can hit most pitches. He's also a pretty capable defender in left, and he's even gotten work in center and right. He's not the most exciting prospect, but he look to be pretty well developed, and could quickly work his way up our system. It's a stretch to expect him to play regularly, but he could be a useful righty bat off the bench. If the power he's shown in school is legit, we could have a real steal here, but right now it looks like the deck is stacked against him.

ayaghmour2 · 08-07-2023, 06:52 PM

RHP Dick Garcia (#322 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943)
AA: 7-16, 196.1 IP, 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 71 BB, 48 K
CWL: 1-6, 46 IP, 11.15 ERA (48 ERA+), 2.33 WHIP, 25 BB, 21 K

Thankfully, the Santa Clara Stallions' season has come to its merciful end, as the Eagles/Cougars squad won just 10 of their 42 games this Winter. That also means Dick Garcia's nightmare is over, and the only thing that saved him from another 6+ run start is a near hour rain delay that forced him out after just 4 innings. Granted, they were his best three starts, as Garcia struck out 5 and allowed only 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs (2 earned). All told, Garcia made 9 starts for the Stallions and finished just 1-6 with an 11.15 ERA (48 ERA+) and 2.33 WHIP. Luckily for the 23-year-old, FIP thinks the Stallions overall awfulness may have contributed to Garcia's struggles. His 5.89 FIP is just 9 percent below average, as his defense did him no favors in the field. This contributed plenty to the 82 hits and 57 earned run, and he may have allowed less then homers. Garcia has never had issues like this, as his 1.4 HR/9 was his first above 1. I'm hoping this embarrassing showing pushes Garcia to respond in a big way, and with his work ethic he may kick it to another level. He seems likely to return to Mobile, where he went 7-16 with a respectable 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+). As someone who is Rule-5 eligible, the young righty is always auditioning, as if he rebounds another team could take interest.

RF Jimmy Hairston (#97 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB
A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB
CWL: .312/.385/.497 (112 OPS+), 195 PA, 8 2B, 8 HR, 29 RBI

Last year we had some of the best performers in the CWL, from Otto Christian (.264, 14, 39) to Duke Bybee (3-6, 3.58, 46) and the two-way sensation Eddie Howard (.287, 2, 14; 5-4, 3.86, 34). This year, we had Jimmy Hairston. He wasn't great, but a 119 WRC+ and 8 homers is a bit better then what Bob Schmelz (.261, 7, 24), Pat Brown Jr. (.239, 8, 55), and Art Goins (.263, 6, 19) did. The former 4th Rounder started all 42 of the Stallions games out in right, slashing .312/.385/.497 (112 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 20 walks, and 29 RBIs. This was somewhat similar to what he did with the Commodores this season, hitting .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 55 walks, and 63 RBIs. The only real difference is the power production, but it feels like power as a whole was way up on the island. He hasn't hit more then 8 homers in a stint since he hit 10 with the Lions his draft year. Despite that, Dixie Marsh believes Harrison can produce 15 homers in a season, which would be a nice plus for someone with as good of an eye as his. The outfield is crowded in Chicago, but the recently turned 23-year-old has age and development progress on his side. I'm hoping he can make his debut this season, which will be the first of his three option years. By then he could hit his way into a roster spot, as the big righty has the tools to play everyday.

ayaghmour2 · 08-11-2023, 07:45 PM

You know how sometimes you make a trade you don't really want to, but sometimes you feel you have to? Like a certain player just doesn't quite fit? Or you know there's a good chance you might regret it long-term but it feels so right in the short-term? Or maybe that one player you always wanted is finally available, but you're already deep at that spot?

I could go on, but that's how I feel about this one. We're approaching Spring Training, and a few sims ago I felt like I knew exactly how our staff was going to fill out for the new season. And then I realized Charlie Kelsey didn't have any options... So that meant at least one of him, George Oddo, Ken Matson, or Mel Haynes would be off the roster. In Oddo and Matson's case, it would be an option, but I really want to see what Oddo an give us and Matson is 30 and has been an important member of our staff for the past five years. So to alleviate our minor logjam, I shopped Haynes, Kelsey, and Matson. But the only one to get any interest was the one I wanted to trade the least: Mel Haynes.

It was the Chiefs who came calling, as they were looking to add to a rotation that didn't have much set in stone behind the top three of Al Miller, Gus Goulding, and John Stallings. With draft picks eligible for trade, this would have been easier, but that's in the past and we have to adjust our strategy. The Chiefs system is one of the thinner ones, so while I found a two player package that wasn't awful, it wasn't quite enough to move the needle. I was content waiting it out until closer to the season where rosters were starting to finalize and teams realized they needed a Ken Matson or Charlie Kelsey type pitcher to fill out the staff.

But then, luck struck twice for us. The first strike, was the overall lack of available pitching. The second? The surprise retirement of Gus Goulding. The Chiefs firmly have their eyes set on a 1948 pennant, as they have a very strong team, but any team would take a hit losing a pitcher like Goulding. This necessitated a move even moreso then before, and they came with an offer I almost couldn't refuse: Haynes for center fielder Henry Norman.

Now, I know what you're saying. Another center fielder?!?!? But remember! I can't get enough!

Not only do we already have top 50 prospects in Jerry Smith (11th) and Johnny Peters (41st), but we have Frank Reece (165th) and Harley Dollar (180th) in the bottom of the top 200 and plenty of talented big leaguers in Don Lee, Sal Pestilli, and Carlos Montes. Add in 3rd Rounders Bob Allie and Jeff King, who now rank 8th and 15th on Dixie's draft list for batters (unfortunately, way ahead of the A-Train), and there is no shortage of talented center fielders. But I just could not pass up an offer that both made future me's life easier while picking up a quality prospect for the low minors we could either develop or move for a more pressing need.

Norman, 19, was the Chiefs 3rd Rounder last season, and was one of the many talented players on my draft list, but with Jerry Smith going in the 1st Round, he wasn't one of my top targets. Granted, Norman was selected before Dudley Sapp in the 3rd and I had no interest in passing up Garland Phelps, so I'm not sure we would have been able to get the New York native anyways. It proved to be a good selection for the Chiefs, as Norman currently ranks four spots below Johnny Peters in the top prospects list. It's a pretty high ranking, as while Norman was excellent in Class B, he hit a wall in A ball. He went from hitting .304/.357/.392 (105 OPS+) in 29 games to .207/.273/.289 (49 OPS+) in 33 games. His strikeout rate rose from 13.2 to 20, and his WRC was halved from 112 to 51. While not overly concerning for a high schooler, that may lead him to start his Cougar career in San Jose. It's tough as we have a lot of young outfielders, with Jerry Smith, Harley Dollar, and Clyde Parker currently penciled into the lineup, with Frank Reece currently sporting a down arrow in A ball. Smith was in La Crosse, so I expect him to stay in San Jose, but Parker and Dollar could be on the way up. Regardless, all of these guys will be getting time, as each has plenty of potential.

Norman may hit the ball on the ground too often, but that might be something he corrects as he matures as a hitter. He has a great stroke at the plate and should end up hitting for a high average, and with his speed he could survive not elevating the ball. Even though he's not much of a base stealer, any slow roller he has a chance to beat out, and he's comfortable taking the extra base. He had 7 doubles and 3 triples in 249 trips to the plate, but I expect that to improve with experience. He has a nice eye too, and while he may never excel at drawing walks, he's not going to strike out much. He'll put the ball in play early and often, and while home runs are not expected, he did hit one at both levels. His defense in center could use some work, but there's no reason to think he won't be at least adequate on the grass. He's not a superstar by any means, and he has a long development path ahead of him, but there's plenty of upside and he was the class of a depleted Chiefs system that has in the last year and a half been used to acquire Artie D'Alessandro, Tim Hopkins, Pete Casstevens, Joe Rutherford, and Hank Stratton.

Parting with Haynes hurts, as he was a former 1st Rounder of ours who I've always thought was good enough to start. He was lightly penciled into the five spot in our rotation, but with the Chiefs he has a much clearer spot to the rotation. He's coming off a nice year, going 1-2 with a 2.62 ERA (143 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP in 34.1 innings. Haynes walked 13 while striking out 22, and his 2.37 FIP (63 FIP-) backed up the overall work. And at just 26, he's far from a finished product. The issue is, even as our fifth starter, he probably would've split time between the rotation and pen, as I expect to lean heavily on our front four. There's not a team in the league that can hold a candle to Pap, Duke, and the Jones Brothers (these guys really need to start a barbershop quartet or something), and we will take advantage of every off day there is. In place of Haynes, I may decide to go to a revolving door of Oddo, Parker, Matson, and Kelsey, playing based on matchup, location, and rest status in an effort to win as many games as possible. It's looking like those four and Jim Kenny will make up the 1948 staff, giving us nine pitchers capable of starting games. Losing someone as good as Haynes may hurt, but I'm confident in our depth and we will be rooting for our former 1st Rounder to find success on the other side of town.

ayaghmour2 · 08-14-2023, 07:04 PM

It's about time! Spring Training is here! Sure, it's fun seeing the Packers and Panthers run away with their respective divisions, but nothing is as exciting as Cougars baseball! The vibe in camp is different this year, and I think it's for the better. Generally it's calm, and almost care-free, as year after year we come into camp off an 80+ win season with plenty of talent and a common team to pick for the season. That can allow a team to get complacent, which could be partially to blame for our collapse last season.

This year everything is different. There's finally a sense of urgency. 1947 was simply put an embarrassment, something these guys have never really had to deal with. Skipper was never on a team that didn't finish 10 games over .500. Leo Mitchell never finished below .500 as an everyday player. Pap, the Jones Brothers, Carlos Montes, Billy Hunter, and Harry Mead have only played on Cougars teams who won more games then they lost. Simply put, these guys aren't used to losing much, as aside from the embarrassment in the 1941 World Series and the tiebreaker to the Stars, our season usually ended with meaningless games post elimination. And who's better at winning meaningless games then us!

With not many battles in camp, the big focus is getting everyone ready for the start of the season. Considering we can't finish seasons strong, a hot start is a must, and with a new manager at the helm it can be easy to overreact. All I ask for in the spring is to stay healthy, as losing a key piece could really complicate things. The association is wide open, and all eight teams could conceivably make a run with no clearcut favorite. We just saw the Pioneers go worst to first last year, so who's to say Montreal can't? Or do the Foresters, with a healthy Jim Adams and a few well timed breakouts from their youngsters, hang around in the race until July before making a big move at the deadline?

The only sure thing right now is our opening roster for the Spring, as the 56 players below will be competing to secure one of the final 24 spots. As always, guys denoted with a * have their roster spot guaranteed, so long as they can stay healthy:

RHP Bill Ballantine
RHP Jimmy Ballard
RHP George K. Brooks
RHP Roscoe Brown
LHP Duke Bybee*
LHP Ed Fisler
RHP Jack Hale
LHP Bob Hobbs
RHP Donnie Jones*
LHP Johnnie Jones*
RHP Art Keeter
RHP Zane Kelley
RHP Charlie Kelsey
LHP Jim Kenny*
RHP Harry MacRae
RHP Ken Matson*
RHP George Oddo
RHP Pete Papenfus*
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Paul Richardson
LHP Frank Sartori
RHP Babe Stinson
RHP Chet Williams
C Eddie Howard*
C Harry Mead*
C Bob Mundy
C Lee Tiede
1B Red Bond*
1B Ray Ford*
1B Bill Payne
1B Lou Thomas
2B Clark Car*
2B Vince D'Alessandro
2B Billy Hunter*
2B Bob Schmelz
2B Bob Smith
3B Leon Blackridge
3B Johnny Carlisle
3B Otto Christian*
3B Walt Pack*
SS Al Clement
SS Joe Dackett
SS Skipper Schneider*
SS George Sutterfield*
LF Don Jeppsen
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Dick Pace
CF Don Lee*
CF Sal Pestilli*
CF Johnny Peters
CF Ray Struble
RF Ducky Cole
RF Jimmy Hairston
RF Carlos Montes*
RF Hal Sharp*
RF Reginald Westfall

The bullpen and bench are always up for grabs, but the only real interesting roster battle is for the 5th spot in the rotation. I'd love for that to be George Oddo, but Max Wilder would prefer Ken Matson or Harry Parker. Oddo does have an option year left, but he's 25 and an optional assignment in AAA didn't do much good last year. The towering righty hasn't quite lived up to his ace level billing, but I always expected a slower development path. The thinned out rosters from the war years made it look like Oddo was further along then he was, but I think this is his year. He's firmly a back-end pitcher now, but that's how Bybee was a year ago. Granted, Oddo's potential is now more of a #2, so don't get too excited, but if he can solve his home run issues, he could keep us in most games.

Even if Oddo secures the job like I want, that's not to say Matson and Parker won't start games this season. We have a lot more double headers this year, meaning there will be times a spot start will be needed. If Oddo is in AAA, that would guarantee starts for both guys. What's nice for us is both pitchers are different, as Matson keeps the ball on the ground and Parker generates easier to play flyballs. We can base it on the park or the lineup we're facing, something that we could do if all three guys have solid performances in the spring. With starters only going four, we can almost start two guys a game, as its common for the second pitcher of the game to pitch more then just an inning. That means even Charlie Kelsey, Paul Richardson, Frank Sartori, or even Zane Kelley could pitch their way into the mix. It will be interesting to see how the pitching holds up behind the front four, as we tend to struggle in close games.

07-20-2023, 07:22 PM	#1161
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Trade News! It's not quite the deal I wanted, but I found a taker for Joe Brown. Like Lefty Allen and George Cleaves, he will be a Gotham, and in return we will receive their 3rd, 4th, and 5th Round Picks in the January draft. In a sense, Brown was the odd man out, as we have at least seven other internal candidates for the rotation, and Duke Bybee can replace him as the captain of the staff. It ends 11 seasons in the Cougars organization, as he was acquired from the Dynamos way back in 1936 for Hank Spencer. Brown debuted the next season and spent parts of three of the next four seasons in the stopper role. 1940 and 1941 were very strong seasons, as he had ERAs and WHIPs of 2.84 (141 ERA+) and 1.37 and 2.94 (135 ERA+) and 1.23. We opened a rotation spot for him in 1942, and he quickly excelled. The durable righty went 15-14 with a 3.17 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He threw 238.1 innings in 30 starts, walking 43 while striking out 82. He was worth 4.3 WAR and posted a 2.98 FIP (90 FIP-), excellent numbers for a first year starter. He did a great job building off of that, improving to 18-11 with a 2.51 ERA (130 ERA+) in 33 starts and 273 innings. His 1.05 WHIP was one of the lowest in the association and he had 119 strikeouts to just 63 walks. His 2.87 FIP (87 FIP-) supported the dominance and he posted a 5 WAR (5.3) season at 29. Unfortunately for Brown, we were in conflict, and he was one of the first guys to go. He enlisted in the Army in the Fall of 1943, missing out on two years of his prime. He came back last season, but he was clearly rusty. He had an awful start to the season before eventually straining his triceps tendon as he was starting to heat up. It interrupted what ended up being a nearly 30 inning scoreless streak, and he finished the season 6-7 with a 3.09 ERA (113 ERA+) in 16 starts after having an ERA above 6 earlier on. His 1.07 WHIP was second to just his breakout 1943 season, and he struck out 46 with 25 walks in 128.1 innings pitched. Brown was healthy in 1947, but like nearly every other Cougar, he had a down season. He was still average, going 13-13 with a 3.87 ERA (99 ERA+) and 3.75 FIP (97 FIP-) in 239.2 innings pitched. His 1.24 WHIP was four points higher then his career mark, and his 1.6 K/BB was his lowest since joining the rotation. That's not to say it was a bad season, as more-or-less 50% of the FABL pitchers were worse, and he was worth 3.5 WAR in his 30 starts. This ended a 215 game career with us, Brown finishes 70-57 with 20 saves. He had an impressive 3.28 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP with 416 strikeouts and 265 walks in 1,086.1 innings pitched. The former Dynamo draftee was worth exactly 19 WAR, and was a very useful pitcher for us both on the mound and in the dugout. But we have a ton of young arms and I can't get rid of Pap, Bybee, or the Jones Brothers. That made the 33-year-old the odd-man out, as I'm ready to give George Oddo a shot at the rotation. He struggled in his two starts this year, but had a 3.02 ERA (120 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP in 131.1 innings as a rookie. Sure, it was a war year, but his 4.9 K/9 was very impressive. He struggled in AAA this season, but I think part of that is him wanting to be in Chicago. Both Dixie Marsh and OSA view him as a potential #2, and since he's no longer a prospect it's hard to trade him. He's still young and will be 25 on Opening Day, the same age Duke Bybee turned this season. I'm not expecting a Bybee-like season, but if Oddo can keep the ball in the park (32 HR in 188.1 innings), he'll have a ton of success with a strong defense behind him. Even if Oddo isn't ready, there are plenty of internal options. Harry Parker and Ken Matson will both start in the pen, but both are more then capable of starting games. Even Mel Haynes or Charlie Kelsey could make a start or two, and while that's not ideal, we can skip the 5th spot on occasion if our scheduled isn't too tough. I have faith in Oddo, Parker, or Matson against most of the offenses in the league, but if things go south quick, a younger guy like Haynes, Kelsey, or even Harry Beardsley could get a shot. We now have plenty of draft assets to try to trade into the first, or add talent that has passed over earlier on. We now get extra picks in three rounds that produced top 200 prospects Dudley Sapp (3rd, 117th), Mike Emerson (4th, 183rd), and Buddy Jenkins (5th, 102nd). This class looks deep as well, and since our pick is already high, we will have some very quality picks in the middle rounds. Plenty of additional housekeeping as the CWL is about to kick off as rosters were announced today. The affiliates remain the same, so us and the Washington Eagles sent ten players to the Santa Clara Stallions. This year there were not replacements, meaning Otto Christian, Johnny Peters, and Harry Beardsley will be staying stateside. Opening day is still eight days away, but once the season starts I'll again do updates on how our prospects are doing. The nine players representing us are: RHP Dick Garcia RHP Jack Maxwell RHP Tommy Seymour C Pat Brown Jr. 2B Bob Schmelz SS Rupert Heinbaugh LF Art Goins LF Don Jeppsen RF Jimmy Hairston I also made a second, much smaller trade to free up a 40-man spot, as Homer Guthrie was sent to the Miner for a 5th Round Pick. Technically we could have ran with three catchers as Guthrie, Harry Mead, and Eddie Howard are all deserving of a roster spot, but there wouldn't be enough playing time to go around. I'm leaning on giving Eddie Howard the starting job, and with Bob Mundy in AAA and Mike Bordes in AA I didn't want to move anyone down. Garland Phelps will quickly make his ascent up and if Bordes is moved down to A ball he' stuck in San Jose all season. Instead, there's a spot open regardless of injury and we can keep all our more promising catchers getting a majority of starts behind the plate. Guthrie is too good to be in a part time role in the minors, as he's hit .252/.378/.333 (104 OPS+) in parts of two seasons with us. The Miners have a George Cleaves sized hole behind the plate, allowing Guthrie and part of the Cleaves return, Dino Robinson, a shot to compete for the starting role.

07-20-2023, 09:20 PM	#1162
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 31-35 RHP Jim Williams (321st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers It was a rough season for Jim Williams, who did not find much success in his 9 starts with the Cougars. The 21-year-old went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA (72 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 24 walks, and 29 strikeouts. The poor results came after two excellent starts with the Lions, as he allowed 10 hits, 2 walks, and a run with 9 strikeouts in 15 innings. The 6'4'' righty hasn't gotten off the ground running, as this is his third season in our organization. The former 8th Rounder struggled with his command, which should be one of his stronger tools. He has a good sinker that can keep the ball on the dirt, and he leans heavily on it when in a jam. He doesn't get many whiffs and his off-speed stuff gets hit hard. That resulted in 8 homers in just 62.2 innings, after just 7 since he started high school. I'm hoping he can prove this year is an outlier, as he's a lanky 6'4'' righty that follows the "no pain, no gain" motto better then most. His velocity has been on a steady increase, and if he can sit in the 90s he could be a very useful sinker baller. The question is whether it would be as a starter or reliever. LHP Dutch Yoak (329th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades I know what the prospect rankings and the scouting reports say, but I believe in Dick Yoak. A high school standout who went 35-0 in his final three years of high school, Yoak was coming off a rough stint in San Jose where he finished 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA (53) in 38.1 innings pitched. Not used to losing, Yoak had a much better 6-7 record in 15 starts with a poor Cougars team. He had an above average 3.72 ERA (102 ERA+) in 106.1 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and a 1.55 WHIP. This performance earned him a late season promotion to Lincoln where the Legislators were in a pennant race. Yoak rose to the competition, going 4-1 in his 6 starts. The no decision? Just 5 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) through 7.1, but the Lincoln didn't put up much of a fight until a 5-run ninth. Yoak did walks (19) more hitters (17) then he struck out, but he finished with an impressive 2.64 ERA (160 ERA+). He doesn't turn 21 until May 1st, which really exemplifies how advanced he is for his age. A towering 6'4'' southpaw, Yoak allows too many flyballs now, and until his stuff develops he's going to allow a lot of home runs. His fastball needs more life, just hanging out in the high 80s instead of the 90s. I have faith that he'll add velocity, which should help him miss more bats. His curve isn't there yet, but it projects to be a wipeout pitch, and his change should be above average as well. It's a stretch to think he'll ever throw 95, but even in the low-to-mid 90s Yoak could be a big strikeout pitcher. He had a 4.1 K/9 in Class B this season and that curve is going to be very good. He may take time, but he'll put in the hours and I'm betting on him reaching or even exceeding his potential. RHP Jim N Smith (341st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Georgia Baptist Gators Despite turning 24 in August, "Noodles" didn't do too well with San Jose or Lincoln. The starts were spread almost equally, but he was 3-4 in 10 starts with San Jose and 4-2 in 11 starts with Lincoln. The other numbers weren't pretty, as he had a 4.10 (92 ERA+) and 5.07 (83 ERA+) ERA in San Jose and Lincoln respectively along with WHIPs of 1.47 and 1.62. On the plus side, he did strike out 82 hitters in 139 innings pitched, and it came with just 60 walks. If he can limit hard contact there's a good chance the run numbers will improve, but as a soft tosser the way to do this is command. He's a kitchen sink type five pitch pitcher who gets outs by deception as opposed to power. Nothing really stands out but his change could end up the best pitch. Working against him is his personality, is he's an outspoken fellow who won't hold back after a tough loss. If he causes trouble, he could end up cut or shipped out, as we don't want any malcontents in our clubhouse. RHP Bill Ballantine (351st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 91st Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Fenger Titans No debut for "The Windy City Whip" but Bill Ballantine will keep his 40-man spot and could be a dark horse candidate for the pen. This season he started all 22 appearances for the Blues, going 8-6 with a 4.84 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.70 WHIP. He had major control issues, walking 78 hitters while striking out just 36. This is a first for Ballantine, who has never walked more hitters then he struck out. In fact, in 68.1 inning with San Jose back in 1944, he had a 3.3 K/BB. My first instinct is that the competition got the best of him, and another go at things could turn things around. Otherwise, we can prep him for a pen role, as I think that's his future on the big league club. We don't really have any dominant stoppers, and a guy who can hit 95 is a nice tool late in a game. And in a smaller sample, he has less time for command lapses, and can instead go all out at the end of a game. He has two option years to earn a pen spot, but I find it hard to believe the Chicago native will ever be DFA'd. Next year may be too soon, but I could see him in camp the following season with his eye on the stopper role. LF Bob Rogers (355th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 93rd Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Newman Norseman Bob Rogers is running out of time, as the 22-year-old is now Rule-5 eligible and I have no intention of protecting him. I doubt anyone will take him, but he did hit .353/.425/.479 (141 OPS+) in 33 Single-A games. That's a 134 PA sample, but it came without a single home run. That's a death sentence for a corner bat, especially an egotistical one who isn't very fast. He's a contact oriented hitter who hits a lot of singles, and he walked (31) more then he struck out (28) in his time with the Cougars and Legislators. If Rogers was in the Winter League, he could have been showcased to one of the other teams, but I doubt he'd hit enough to warrant a selection. He could be the type of guy to thrive in the GWL, as power isn't much of a thing out west. Next season will be big, as if he doesn't hit, he could be relegated to a bench role in favor of one of our more exciting prospects.

07-21-2023, 09:28 PM	#1163
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 36-40 We upgraded to OOTP 24 today, which caused a lot of changes in scouting reports, the in-game reports, and of course, the prospect rankings. The best change is I finally get to use my updated views for OOTP 24 (I tend to adjust these every few versions) which have more and cooler stats then I had in OOTP 23. Say good bye to K/9 and BB/9, and hello to K% and BB%! But, since the first 35 prospects all got their reports in 23, so will the last five, so I'll just pretend that I don't know Bob Rogers is a top 200 prospect and I will base some of what I write on Dixie Marsh's "old" reports and not the less fun (read: much harder on players) reports he has in 24. This means all the CWL games, as well as both the Rule-5 and Amateur Draft will be taking place in OOTP 24. The CWL starts Monday, the Rule-5 Draft on Tuesday, and the Amateur Draft will begin no earlier then August 1st. We have a bunch of mid-round picks that should make up for the lack of a first, although I fully expect to attempt to package some of them for a 1st or additional 2nd. I fully expected our system to be thinned out by a monster George Cleaves package, but instead, we'll have another shot to add depth an maintain our top-5 farm ranking that we've held for more-or-less the past decade. Here's what was the bottom of our top 40: SS Tom Brownleaf (361st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 125th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Durant Lions After hitting .265/.353/.414 (104 OPS+) as a 22-year-old in A ball, I didn't expect much from Tom Brownleaf when he moved up to AA to fill an injury. Maybe I should have... It's just a 184 PA sample, but Brownleaf was extremely productive, hitting .326/.364/.494 (120 OPS+) and accumulating 2.1 wins above replacement. He added 10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 24 RBIs, giving him 39, 14, 5, and 71 respectively in his 136 games between the Legislators and Commodores. The switch hitting shortstop spent most of his time at second, and he posted an 8.2 zone rating (1.134 efficiency) in AA and a 7.0 zone rating (1.101 efficiency) in A ball. These are excellent results, making up for subpar short play (-0.6, .968) down in Lincoln, but I think that was more due to the small sample (269.2 innings) then his talent. He should be a capable shortstop, but if he remains at the keystone he'll be well above average defensively. At the plate he's made great strides, which can be attributed to his hard work on and off the field. He's a strong kid who can put the ball in play, as he'll barrel the ball and can catch up to most pitches. He won't hit many home runs, but his gap power is impressive as he lines plenty of pitches to his pull side. On the surface, this all looks great, but Brownleaf doesn't have much upside and has likely already reached his potentials. The former 8th Rounder looks like a serviceable bench bat, but I don't see a situation where he plays everyday. That's not to say he doesn't deserve a chance, and he may get it in the Rule-5 draft, but I don't see him ever becoming anything more then an average big leaguer. SS John Price (375th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1946) Alma Mater: Holy Cross Tigers Despite being just 19, I started John Price in San Jose. Let's just say, it did not work... Price hit just .190/.292/.206 (41 OPS+) in 22 games, and that was enough to know that he was not ready. He spent the next month plus waiting for the C ball season to start, but he didn't do much better after the layoff. The former 9th Rounder hit a better, but still not exciting, .248/.304/.359 (85 OPS+) with 5 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 2 steals, and 13 RBIs in his final 158 PAs. A natural shortstop, Price bounced around plenty, spending far more time at first (25), second (11), third (43) then short (4). As you can tell by the positional distribution, I view him more as a third basemen then a shortstop, but he may never be great defensively. The ideal situation for him would be to bulk up and move to third, but he's just 155 despite being six foot. He's not very fast either, so there's really no downside in him bulking up. He doesn't have a standout tool, and being able to hit homers will get you to the majors. Otherwise, he'll have to lean on his average hit tool, which makes it seem like he's more of a AAAA type who's really good in the minors, but not so great in the majors. There's plenty of time for that to change, but we need him to buy into a strong development plan. RHP Babe Stinson (232nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 64th Overall (1942) Alma Mater: Louisville Coyotes I kept going back and forth on it, but in the end, one of our 38 filled 40-man roster spots went to Babe Stinson. A 23-year-old from Colorado, Stinson is a soft-tossing groundballer who despite just 6 below average starts in AA started the season in AAA. It wasn't always pretty, but 19 of his 23 starts came when he was 22, and he managed to finish 9-4 with a 4.46 ERA (104 ERA+), the lowest mark of any of our qualified starters. The 1.71 WHIP and 105 walks were far less encouraging, but it was his first BB/9 above 5 in a stint of more then 50 innings. He also had a respectable 56 strikeouts in his 127 innings, so if we can fix up the walk issues, there's a pretty solid pitcher hidden. He was also aided by two recent velocity boosts, as Stinson went from 83-85 to 84-86 over the offseason, before finishing the season at 85-87 with his cutter. As a kitchen sink type, the added velocity is huge, as his four off-speed pitches are starting to really take shape. In fact, his August was impressive, as he won all four of his decisions and held a 3.29 ERA (141 ERA+) in 5 starts. He didn't build off of that in September, but with another productive offseason he could take a big step forward next year. We have plenty of options for starts in the upper minors, but you can never have too much pitching, and if we end up needing a 40 spot, another team could be interested in adding a solid young depth option. RHP Fred Terry (384th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 115th Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Yellowhammer State Panthers One of our 8th Round selections this season, Fred Terry made two quick starts at San Jose, where he allowed 11 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings. That was all I needed to realize he was playing too low, and his final 8 starts came for the Legislators. That might have even been too low, as Terry went 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA (142 ERA+) and 0.92 WHIP with 34 strikeouts to just 6 walks. This equated to an elite 2.83 FIP (66 FIP-) and 5.7 K/BB, helping Terry accumulate a tenth of a win short of 2 WAR. Between the two levels, he allowed just one homer in 71.1 innings pitched as its hard to hit his sinker out of the park. 23 in January, Terry is already penciled into the Commodores rotation, and there's a reasonable chance that he makes some starts for the Blues next season. A pitching needy team would even consider pushing him up to the majors, as he'd be a useful pen arm already and a potential back-end rotation arm by the end of the season. A four pitch pitcher, he coasts in the high 80s while dominating the bottom of the zone. He leans heavily on the sinker, but he has a fastball he can attack up. It's useful as his change and splitter are both best in the zone, so he can cover all areas of the plate. His command is stellar and he's one of the few pitchers in our system who will never have to worry about control. The only thing holding him back is his upside, as aside from his secondary pitches, I'm not sure he's going to get much better. If his change or splitter become a reliable out pitch, he'll pitch every five days in the big leagues, but likely in one of the back two spots in the rotation. RHP Dick Garcia (385th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Geneva Vikings Just as we did in so many other spots, we finish our top-40 with back-to-back prospects. A spot below Terry is a potential teammate of his next season, Dick Garcia. An East Chicago native (the city in Indiana, not a side of the city), Garcia went to school in Geneva, Illinois, and he's slowly worked his way up the system. This was his only season where all his appearances came in the same location, as he made 24 starts for the Commodores. He was extremely unlucky, 7-16 despite a 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+). What sabotaged him was the walks, as he allowed 71 free passes opposed to jut 48 strikeouts. Add in the 211 hits and his 1.44 WHIP was a bit on the high side. Recently turned 23, Garcia is now Rule-5 eligible, but I doubt he's at risk of being selected. That doesn't mean he's without upside, but along with the control, the stuff needs some work. He has a strong sinker that can hit 90, and his cutter is average, but his change doesn't fool many hitters. A two-fastball pitcher is almost destined for the pen, so if the change isn't a factor, it will be tough to start games. He's still young, but 1948 will be a huge season for him, as he looks to earn a big league callup.

07-24-2023, 11:56 AM	#1164
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 1 RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB CWL: .500/.571/.750 (237 OPS+), 14 PA, HR, 4 RBI Just three games in, the Santa Clara Stallions are 2-1, and you can thank some Cougar hitters. After an excellent showing in AA where he posted a 121 WRC+, Jimmy Hairston picked up right where he left off. He had a big opening week, going 6-for-12 with a homer, 4 RBIs, and two walks as the Stallions cleanup hitter. Recently added to the 40, Hairston got a big jump in the OOTP 24 rankings, up to 82nd on the top 100 prospect list. There's a lot to like about the youngster, who has strong plate discipline, a bit of pop, and a swing that consistently barrels up the ball. He's a decent defender too, and he will spend time out in right. I don't expect him to make the Opening Day roster, but if Hairston keeps this up, he seems likely to join the Blues in April. But as a righty, he could work his way into a platoon as we have Leo Mitchell and Hal Sharp in the corners, who both hit from the left side. I think Mitchell is still a star, but if 1947 Leo Mitchell is the real version, Hairston could have a role in Chicago sometime this season. 2B Bob Schmelz (#175 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945) FABL: .333/.333/.333 (83 OPS+), 3 PA AAA: .271/.390/.379 (96 OPS+), 651 PA, 23 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 58 RBI CWL: .500/.571/.917 (277 OPS+), 14 PA, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI Big week for the heart of the Stallions order, as #3 hitter Bob Schmelz was even better then Jimmy Hairston. Both hit .500, but Schmelz added a pair of doubles to go with his 2 walks, homer, and 4 RBIs. Another member of the 40, a big winter is huge for Schmelz, who may position himself in line for one of the many bench bats we'll bring into Opening Day. The now 23-year-old didn't have the greatest season with the Blues, hitting just .271/.390/.379 (96 OPS+) in 651 PAs. The Stallions have placed Schmelz at the keystone, but he's already committed a pair of errors. We don't expect much from his glove, but Schmelz is showcasing his excellent hit tool. He can put the ball in play and he has great discipline, which makes it likely he'll be an above average big league hitter. Any sort of power would be a plus, and 11 this year was pretty solid. With a little more muscle, he could hit double digits in the majors, which would make him an all-around good player. He's penciled into the Blues lineup for now, but we have plenty of roster spots up for grab.

07-25-2023, 01:07 PM	#1165
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 2 The Rule-5 Draft is upon us, and we made a few minor transactions ahead of time. The first was a trade, acquiring a player I tried to trade for a few deadlines ago, Jim Kenny. To bring him to Chicago, we sent 19-year-old Fred McHenry, an outfielder we took in the 20th Round of the most recent draft. Kenny, now 27, was a 2nd Round Pick of the Kings back in 1939, and he was a frequent member of the top 100 prospect lists before debuting in the 1943 season as a 22-year-old. He had an excellent season, going 12-10 with a 3.01 ERA (112 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP. It wasn't without it's faults, as Kenny walked 57 hitters and struck out just 16 in 26 starts. The next season was his breakout, starting in a Continental Association high 37 games for the 1944 Kings. Kenny was an impressive 18-14 with a 2.99 ERA (121 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. He had similar walk numbers, with 88 in 268.1 innings, but he struck out a similar 74 hitters. His 3.18 FIP (88 FIP-) was close to his ERA, and the then 23-year-old was worth 5.2 WAR. He was in line to become an anchor of the Kings rebuilt rotation, but was enlisted into the Army and missed all of 1945. When he returned, there wasn't a spot for him under the new regime, as Kenny played sparingly between the minors and majors. He made 18 appearances (3 starts) in Brooklyn and 11 (8 starts) in Jersey City, but the overall numbers weren't great. He went 2-6 with an inflated 6.46 ERA (56 ERA+) and 1.82 WHIP in 39 innings pitched, while walking (23) twice as many hitters as he struck out (11). With that poor performance, it makes sense that Kenny spent all of this season in Jersey City, but he looked much better in a swingman/stopper role. Kenny finished 10-4 with 7 saves with a 2.93 ERA (137 ERA+) and 2.99 FIP (74 FIP-). He struck out 36 and walked 20 while sporting a 1.25 WHIP in 104.1 innings pitched. The lefty is definitely intriguing, as he keeps the ball on the ground and can eat innings. None of his pitches are straight, and while none of his slider, cutter, or change are dominant, they all feature a ton of break. He has the stamina and pitch mix to start games and even if his best years came in the war, you can't completely luck your way into a two year stretch like his. I don't expect Kenny to start any games for us, but we have an open stopper role that Kenny, Harry Parker, and Ken Matson will all be competing for. Another member joining the mix is Frank Sartori, who we claimed off waivers from the Sailors. A 25-year-old southpaw, Sartori stands at 6'4''and debuted for the Sailors last season. The former 11th Round Pick surprised, going 9-5 with a 2.63 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP. He made 16 starts and 8 relief appearances, striking out 67 and walking 57 in 133.2 innings pitched. Things didn't go too well for Sartori this season, as he was hit hard in 15 appearances (7 starts). He had an elevated 6.57 ERA (61 ERA+) and 1.95 WHIP with a 2-4 record. He struck out (34) an impressive 14.5% of the hitters he faced, but that came with 28 walks in just 49.1 innings pitched. FIP believes he was unlucky, as his 3.93 FIP was two points above average. The hard worker is a longshot to make the active roster as he can be optioned two more times, but we have some space on the 40 and there's really only one guy I'm interested in taking in the Rule-5 draft. Milwaukee's rotation was a bit weak this season, and I imagine Sartori will be one of the top performers. C Pat Brown Jr. (Not Ranked) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 141st Overall (1941) AA: .265/.339/.419 (95 OPS+), 389 PA, 24 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 56 RBI, SB A: .267/.267/.267 (43 OPS+), 15 PA, 2 RBI CWL: .280/.357/.480 (120 OPS+), 28 PA, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI Unfortunately, the Cougar prospects on the Stallions are not doing all that well. Schmelz and Hairston cooled off after a blistering first week and despite winning one, Dick Garcia's two starts have not been any good (13 ER, 11.2 IP). Pat Brown Jr. is one of the few to do decent both weeks, as the catcher hit .231/.333/.538 (127 OPS+) this week and is hitting .280/.357/.480 (120 OPS+) in his seven games. Last week was about the contact, this week the power, as Brown hit his first homer of the winter in a 4-3 loss. It was the third loss of their five game losing streak, as the Stallions went from first to last in just one week. They'll need more from guys like Brown to reverse course, and this has worked as a minor audition for the young backstop as well. He's available for the Rule-5 draft now, and while he may not be selected, a strong Winter could encourage teams to go for him next season. We have plenty of catching depth, so I don't see him getting protected, but he's athletic and works the count well. He may be a bubble guy now, but he's just 24 and still has some time to develop.

07-26-2023, 12:27 PM	#1166
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 3 The Rule-5 Draft came and went without us taking a player, but the Kings selected Bob Rogers from us. I was a bit surprised, as they have a lot of outfield depth. The surprise faded quickly when Brooklyn's GM reached out for a trade, sending Rogers back for a 10th Round Pick. Considering I debated cutting the former 6th Rounder to pursue an opportunity in the GWL, I was happy to let him go, even with his increased prospect status post-conversion. Rogers ranks as the 177th best prospect, but I wouldn't get too excited over him. Sure, the bat is decent, but he's got Hal Sharp's personality without Hal Sharp's talent, so instead of just being the dude that wants to pad his stats, he's the one that isn't padding his stats, and let's you hear about it. Rogers missed a lot of time with injury as well, but when healthy he hit well. There's a chance he develops into a a decent long-term piece, but we have a lot more exciting center fielders I'd rather give at bats to. RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB CWL: .340/.392/.574 (140 OPS+), 51 PA, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI Another week, another homer for Jimmy Hairston, who leads the 2-9 Stallions with 3 home runs. As the record would tell you, not much has gone right for Cuban affiliate, but the former 4th Rounder has been one of the few bright spots. 23 in January, Hairston leads the Stallions in most offensive categories, and is slashing .340/.392/.574 (140 OPS+) in 51 trips to the plate. To go with the homers, he has 2 doubles, 7 runs, 9 RBIs, and 3 walks, and he's yet to make an error out in right. One of our only "real" prospects in Cuba, Hairston is another reason we don't need Bob Rogers, as he's younger and a much better personality. He's 6'2'' and extremely athletic, and it shows at the plate and in the field. He consistently barrels the ball when he swings, and he combines the strong hit tool with excellent discipline and above average power. He doesn't strike out much either, and is inching closer to a season with more walks (55) then strike outs (63). As a member of the 40-man roster, he's in line for a big league debut this season, and there's a chance we see him start in Milwaukee. Especially if he continues to hit at such an impressive pace. CF Art Goins (Not Ranked) Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1942) AA: .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+), 117 PA, 4 2B, 3 3B, 9 RBI, 2 SB A: .280/.392/.376 (106 OPS+), 149 PA, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB CWL: .289/.407/.400 (104 OPS+), 3B, HR, 5 RBI, SB He may be the son of T.R. Goins, but there's no Hall of Fame in Art's future. But after a slow start, Art is starting to have himself a good winter. 24 on Christmas, the former 2nd Rounder went 8-for-17 with 5 runs, a triple, a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. That upped his season line up to .289/.407/.400 (104 OPS+) in 11 games as the lead off hitter. It's nice that Goins is getting every day time in Cuba, as he spent more time on the bench this year then in year's past. We tried to give him a shot in AA, but he hit just .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+) in 100 at bats. He did do a bit better with the Legislators, producing a 113 WRC+, but just 37 of his 67 appearances came with him in the starting lineup. As expected, no one took a flier on him in the Rule-5 Draft, but he can use the rest of the winter season to earn a starting role when baseball returns stateside. His glove will always keep him on a roster, but he doesn't offer much at the plate. Despite his struggles, it's never deterred him, as he's still one of the hardest workers out there. It's a long season, but I'm hoping Goins can keep some parts of this up.

07-27-2023, 06:47 PM	#1167
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 4 LF Don Jeppsen (Not Ranked) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 144th Overall (1942) AAA: .214/.259/.291 (40 OPS+), 112 PA, 2B, 2 3B, HR, 13 RBI AA: .292/.330/.392 (86 OPS+), 372 PA, 14 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 5 SB CWL: .277/.404/.383 (99 OPS+), 59 PA, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI One of the few repeat players from last year, Don Jeppsen went just 2-for-3 in six games last winter. This year, on a roster with far less talent, he's been the Stallions everyday player. It's good for the 23-year-old, as he struggled in AA and was abysmal in AAA, where he posted just a 38 WRC+ in 33 games. He's had far more success with the Stallions, posting a 105 in his first 15 games with more walks (9) then strike outs (8). His .277/.404/.383 (99 OPS+) triple slash is just barely below average in terms of OPS, and he has three extra base hits (2 doubles and a walk) in his 15 appearances. While not great, it's a noticeable improvement from his regular season, and a strong showing here can keep Jeppsen playing regularly next season. A former 9th Rounder, he's never been the highest touted prospect, but he's a good clubhouse guy and has some solid skills. He's quick, can handle all three outfield spots, and can take a walk, but he lacks an intimidating presence at the plate. Homers won't come too often, and even double and triple aren't common either. Jeppsen's age works in his favor, but he's running out of chances to establish himself as even a bench bat at the major league level.

07-28-2023, 02:28 PM	#1168
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 5 RF Jimmy Hairston (#82 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB CWL: .304/.396/.519 (128 OPS+), 91 PA, 2 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI Once again, about all that went well for Santa Clara is Jimmy Hairston. Sure, the Stallions are now 5-14 and tied with the Cienfuegos Crocodiles for last, but it's another great week for our young outfielder. Hairston went 4-for-13 with a homer, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, and 8 walks to up his season line to .304/.396/.519 (128 OPS+) in 19 games. The 22-year-old leads the Stallions in average, hits (24), homers, and RBIs, and if there was an MVP award for the team, him or the Eagles' Ralph Cobb (.293, 4, 11) would be the vote. And for our players, Bob Schmelz (.237, 3, 13) has really cooled off, Dick Garcia (1-2, 9.93, 10) has allowed more runs then innings, and Rupert Heinbaugh (.177, 2) is hitting like a pitcher. Art Goins' (.284, 2, 7, 1) 20-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio is keeping him in the running, and Don Jeppsen (.274, 2, 10) has been somewhat useful, but Hairston has been the only one of our guys to really show promise this winter. It would have been nice to have some other highly touted prospect joining him, but this is big for his development.

07-31-2023, 06:58 PM	#1169
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 6 Big news in the baseball world, as it was announced that the 1948 Draft would be the last draft where we can trade draft picks. This puts a huge wrench in the Cougars strategy, as we tend to accumulate extra draft picks that tend to pan out better then their expected value. Since 1925, the first human draft, we have produced more hitters (154), pitchers (66), and total WAR (791.6) then any other FABL teams. With 220 players to debut, we are the only team to produce more then 170 major leaguers. There is also no team to develop more then 125 hitters or 50 pitchers, so we have a very comfortable lead in terms of quantity. The quality is a bit closer, as the Saints (759.3) have also produced over 700 wins, making us the only two teams above that mark. What might be most interesting is that the hitters (396.5) and pitchers (395.1) have been almost equally valuable. That's the same for some, but the Wolves have have been far more successful with pitchers (420.7) then hitters (69.7), and are the only team to produce less then 150 WAR from position players. On the other end, the Saints (611.2) blow everyone out of the air for batters, but pitching? Not even close (148.1). The lottery also took place today, and while we don't have a first, it still affects our 2nd Round selection. We'll definitely be picking below where we would if there was no lottery, but at least we get the 4th Pick in the 3rd and each subsequent round. In the 2nd, we will be selecting 10th, making our first pick the 26th selection of the draft. We lucked out in the first, as the pick we traded for Sal Pestilli was the last one selected. The Miners will be selecting 14th, as they acquired our 1st from the Gothams in the George Cleaves and Lefty Allen trade. This could not have gone much better for us, other then if we secured an early 2nd, as there's no one in this draft I'd want at 14 over Sal, or even with Carl Clark and Jim Mako. The extra mid-round picks should make up for the lack of a first, and we can always try to trade back in if teams aren't satisfied with what is available. RHP Dick Garcia (#344 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943) AA: 7-16, 196.1 IP, 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 71 BB, 48 K CWL: 1-3, 25.2 IP, 11.22 ERA (47 ERA+), 2.34 WHIP, 16 BB, 11 K It's time we talk about Dick Garcia... The poor regional pick has gotten his head beat in each and every start, allowing 6 or 7 earned runs in all five of his starts. Believe it or not, he has a win and no decision, allowing 44 hits, 32 earned runs, and 16 walks in just 25.2 innings. He's allowed 3 homers as well, matching his total in 196.1 innings with the Commodores. Granted, he actually did good there, as despite his 7-16 record, he had a strong 3.58 ERA in 24 starts. I was hoping for something somewhat resembling quality starts in Cuba, but even if he throws back-to-back-to-back shutouts, he'd still have a 5.47 ERA. And if he didn't allow any hits or walks? Still a WHIP above 1 (1.04)! Imagine that! It's going to be hard for Garcia to salvage this stint, but the 23-year-old will still have a rotation spot waiting for him when he returns.

08-01-2023, 07:21 PM	#1170
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Weeks 7 and 8 It's draft time! Our Commish accidentally simmed two weeks, which means draft today and no sim tomorrow. It's probably for the best for these writeups, as our prospects haven't been doing much, and most weeks there is very little to mention. This is no exception! I'm hoping to make some sort of trade, but we're a few picks in and the odds of acquiring a 1st seem unlikely. If no moves are made, we'll be picking three times between 26 and 40, getting the edge picks along with the 36th pick. We then have five picks in the fourth (52 and 55) and fifth (65th, 68th, and 71st) before picking 4th in the 6th through 10th rounds. Our last pick in the Winter portion comes at 156, the pick we acquired for Bob Rogers from the Kings. On the whole, this class seems rather thin, so even with our first round pick (14th), I don't think we had a shot to add an impact player. There is one non first rounder I am really interested in who may be a reach at 26, so there's a legit chance we don't add any top 100 prospects. Still, we'll have plenty of chances to add to an already deep system, and nothing beats the excitement of the draft! RHP Tommy Seymour (#358 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1943) A: 6-1, 150.1 IP, 5.63 ERA (75 ERA+), 1.78 WHIP, 93 BB, 58 K CWL: 1-0, 28.2 IP, 5.34 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.88 WHIP, 17 BB, 13 K The Stallions continue to get their heads beat in, so relievers like Tommy Seymour have gotten plenty innings out of the pen. His 28.2 innings are just 4 fewer then Dick Garcia, who guess what? Got his head beat in again! 7 more runs! Off 13 hits! Luckily, just 1 walk, and it was 7 innings, but I would much rather have Seymour getting starts then Garcia. As a former 1st Rounder, Seymour was once one of our more highly touted prospects, but he hasn't gotten much love on or off the field. The conversion to 24 moved him out of the top 200 down to 358, which makes sense after a poor 5.63 ERA (75 ERA+) and 5.09 FIP (120 FIP-) in 24 A ball starts. He's faired a bit better in the Winter, as his 5.34 ERA (98 ERA+) is barely below average, and he's struck out 13 hitters. That comes with 17 walks and a whopping 6 homers, two fewer then he allowed all season in the Heartland League. As a groundballer who doesn't throw very hard, homers are usually a rarity, but the Stallions have an absurd 1.349 and 1.303 home run factor for lefties and righties respectively. The homers have definitely hurt Seymour in Cuba, but what was supposed to be his best tool, his control, has been very poor since joining our system. His BB% has been double digits at each stop excluding 104 innings with San Jose in 1945, where it was a still elevated 9.2%. For comparison, that's higher then the 9.1% Pap had in his Allen Winning Year, and despite his dominance, we all know he walks too many hitters. And since Seymour doesn't throw triple digits, that's got to shrink. His 13.1% this season was in line with Pap's (13.3%) rough season this year, and he's the guy who led the CA in walks. Another thing working against Seymour is that his best pitch is his change up, and while it's very good, it's effectiveness is weakened by his fastball that tops out at 87. With poor control and velocity, Seymour may be one of the rare 1st Round misses of ours, and other teams seem to agree. Any of the 15 teams could have taken a chance on his upside in the Rule-5 draft, but Seymour was passed on each time. Dixie Marsh and OSA both believe he'll never fill a big league rotation, but I still have some hope. At 22, he could still get a velocity boost, and his change up is a lethal pitch. But without an increase in stuff or control, we he may be nothing more then a depth arm.

08-03-2023, 02:16 PM	#1171
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 26th Overall: 3B Amos Peterson School: Union City Golden Tornadoes 1947: .518/.598/1.000, 102 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB Career: .518/.598/1.000, 102 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB All aboard the A-Train! Amos Peterson didn't play varsity baseball until he was a Junior, but the switch hitting third basemen broke onto the scene in a big way. It wasn't quite Jerry Smith numbers, but Peterson had a 1.000 slugging percentage to go with 7 homers, 24 extra base hits, and a .518 batting average as a junior. OSA isn't a fan, but they haven't looked at him since August and if you think a guy who hit .500 "struggles to make consistent contact" then I don't buy the rest of what you say! Dixie Marsh has a keener eye, and is a huge fan of Amos, believing he could become "an elite starting third basemen." And while that may be a bit too optimistic, he's a very exciting young player. He does a great job working the count and should be able to maintain a high on base percentage. Dixie also expects him to hit around .330, which would be huge for someone who has above average power. All this should translate into an outstanding offensive player, and guess what? It doesn't matter that we have a top 50 prospect in Otto Christian who should be manning the hot corner when lefties on are on the mound. The A-Train can get you to plenty of stops! Sure, most of his time came at third, but he made appearances at first, left, right, and even second! This gives us the ability to put an excellent top-of-the-order hitter at many different positions. I'm hoping third or second is the final landing spot, but my best guess is Amos ends up in a corner. He has the bat to stick wherever he ends up, and I think we'll move him around a lot in the early years. He'll be in La Crosse come June, and it will be fun to see how well he does in his first taste of professional ball. I'm not used to having to wait this long for a pick, but considering the quality of the players available, we were able to snag a first round quality guy 26th picks in. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 08-03-2023 at 07:32 PM.

08-03-2023, 05:08 PM	#1172
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Week 9 CF Art Goins (Not Ranked) Acquired: Via Trade with New York (1942) AA: .240/.330/.340 (73 OPS+), 117 PA, 4 2B, 3 3B, 9 RBI, 2 SB A: .280/.392/.376 (106 OPS+), 149 PA, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB CWL: .286/.419/.421 (104 OPS+), 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, SB The Stallions are really bad, eliminated from the playoffs before even winning game #10, but Art Goins is having a really good January. The recently turned 24-year-old is slashing .333/.447/.538 (138 OPS+) in 10 January games, good for a 151 WRC+. What's interesting is he's actually striking our more, with 8 compared to just 7 walks in 47 trips to the plate, but hitting plenty of extra base hits. Half his homers and 2/3rds of his doubles have occurred since the calendar flipped to 1948. He's working on a nine game hit streak and has reached base in 22 of his last 23 games. That's helped him increase his season line to a strong .286/.419/.421 (104 OPS+) out of the leadoff spot, with a more impressive 116 WRC+ in 35 games. Goins has walked (31) a bit more then twice as frequently as he's struck out (14), and he's scored 30 times so far. A strong Winter from Goins has worked his way back into our future plans, as the Hall of Famer's son has reclaimed regular playing time. I'd like to see him play everyday for the Commodores, as at least one spot on the grass is open. Another could if teammate Jimmy Hairston starts in AAA, but I'd bet on Goins joining Rupert Abbott in Mobile chasing down almost every ball hit near them.

08-03-2023, 07:24 PM	#1173
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Round 3 3rd Round, 36th Overall: CF Bob Allie School: Canarsie Chiefs 1947: .481/.556/.787, 129 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 16 SB Career: .495/.559/.849, 378 PA, 46 2B, 12 3B, 14 HR, 101 RBI, 47 SB Set to be a four year starter, Bob Allie's junior season was the first season he didn't hit .500, but a .481/.556/.787 line is still pretty solid, and it came with his best walk rate (12.4%) of his prep career. "Alley Cat" has also shown some pop so far, adding 4 more homers after 4 as a sophomore and 6 as a freshman. Some of that power may be due to his age, as he's already 18 and turns 19 next October. He's one of the older prep prospects, and almost half a year older then our 2nd Rounder Amos Peterson. But like Amos, OSA isn't a fan, with Dixie Marsh a far bigger fan. He's a plus contact hitter with above average power and tremendous ability on the basepath. Dixie doesn't mention the glove, but declares that he has the "potential to be an impact big leaguer." Just like with Amos, I think he's a little too optimistic, but the Alley Cat has all the tools to play regularly in FABL. I think he has the range to stick in center, but even if he doesn't, the bat will more then make up for it. He's got a good shot of walking more then he strikes out and he swings a quick bat through the zone. He elevates easy pitches and would really benefit from shallow walls at Cougars Park. Add in great work ethic and I think we have another talented outfielder joining the system. He's more Frank Reece then Jerry Smith, the chances of stardom are low, but Allie is a highly skilled player and with a little more meat on his bones, could be a legit 20/20 guy. 3rd Round, 40th Overall: CF Jeff King School: Millville Middies 1947: .517/.598/.805, 109 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 17 SB Career: .517/.598/.805, 109 PA, 12 2B, 5 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 17 SB Another outfielder? Four picks later? Are you crazy?!?!?! Yes -- crazy excited to get Jeff King! This is a weird draft where I'd be happy to get like 20 or so guys with our pick. No, not because the draft is so deep, but because most of the guys don't do much to separate from the pack. The guys I'm excited about would be taken 4th Round or later in a normal pool, but all three of our picks rank in Dixie Marsh's top 20 for hitters. With how few quality pitchers there are, #20 may still be in the top 25, as most of the pitchers aren't anything more then lottery tickets. King is definitely within my top 20, and knowing guys like the Millers and Joe Kleman wouldn't be available at 26, King was in my realistic top ten. A former basketball player for the Middies, the 6'3'' King made the transition to baseball last season, and hit .517/.598/.805 with 12 doubles, 5 triples, and 25 RBIs. What's somewhat baffling is that the young outfielder hit just one home run and hits more groundballs then line drives. He is on the skinny side, just 180 pounds at 17, which means he has plenty of opportunities to bulk up and add power. Whether he can hit home runs or not may be irrelevant, as he puts the ball in play like none other. Both OSA and Dixie expect "a batting average around .350", something Leo Mitchell has only been able to do twice. The pick is a win if King ever does that once, let alone with frequency, but he does have a good approach at the plate. He walked (16) more then he struck out (6) and I expect him to do the exact same as a senior. His speed makes him an issue whenever he's on the base, but he may never be a very effective base stealer. His speed is most effective when the ball is in play, keeping the opposing defense on their toes. He's a capable defender himself, and for those worried about him being an outfielder, he's played some middle infield. He could stick in center, but with all the young outfielders in the lower minors he will spend plenty of time in the infield. His height makes him ideal for first, but I'd like to see what he can do at the other three spots first. Depending who joins him in La Crosse, he could either bounce position to position when injuries happen in the system or give lesser players at multiple position days off, allowing them to compete for shared time. He won't have to worry about at bats, as King has the potential to be an above average big leaguer. And if he develops the strength of even the average 6'3'' baseball player? Who knows what is possible. And yes, I know I've complained more then enough about the Cougars 1947 season, butut it just still blows my mind that our two best players, Pap and Mitchell, decide to have the worst seasons of their career. And our new best player, Sal Pestilli, decided to do the exact same thing. Wouldn't it be cool if they all decided to be themselves again? What helps is the Packers and Panthers have been excellent in their respective sports, so getting to the draft wasn't as painful this year. Draft fever makes me so excited for the Spring as I'm spending more time browsing in game. I know we'll score more then 604 runs. Our offense basically performed like they played our staff (607 runs allowed) all year. And I don't think three's another 4th starter like Johnnie Jones. Our best case is a pennant and worst case some good lottery balls. We're not finishing below .500 again. I just won't allow it. Everyone is allowed a bad year. But two? If we can't win 80 games it's going to be a 1934 nightmare type year. I still miss Tommy Wilcox... He's only... 40! Dick Lyons had an ERA+ above 100 for 9 years after 35. Wilcox didn't throw an FABL pitch in his 30s. Oh what could have been... Last edited by ayaghmour2; 08-03-2023 at 11:10 PM.

08-03-2023, 11:41 PM	#1174
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Round 4 4th Round, 52nd Overall: SS Elmer Grace School: St. Dominick's Padres 1947: .309/.392/.441, 218 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 15 SB Career: .309/.392/.441, 218 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 15 SB After three prep picks to start our draft, I used both of our 4th to select college players. The first was an old reliable type pick, grabbing a hardworking shortstop who can always fall back on a utility role. Add in the fact that he's a switch hitter and faired well in his first season against "Good" competition, and you have a solid supplemental piece pretty much right out of the box. That's not to say Grace's only value comes in a reserve role, as the infielder gives good at bats from both sides of the plate. There's no splits in the game generated amateur stats, so I don't know if he has a better side yet, so until otherwise proven we're going to assume he's pretty consistent both ways. Grace does a good job barreling the ball frequently, as his compact swing allows him to spray the ball when he makes contact. He's not going to be a home run threat, but Grace works the count well and will learn to punish mistakes. He's got decent speed which should allow him to take the extra base, allowing him to replace home run production with extra walks and doubles. On the dirt he handles short well, but I don't think he'll ever be anything more then a plus defender. There's plenty of open lineup spots in San Jose and Lincoln, so he may get to spend his first season at short. I'm hoping he does well in year two for the Padres, and if he comes near to his .833 OPS with more walks (25) then strikeouts (18), he could work his way up our system quickly. 4th Round, 55th Overall: LHP Dixie Gaines School: Capital University Catamounts 1947: 11-3, 134.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 31 BB, 129 K Career: 11-3, 134.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 31 BB, 129 K The lack of pitching available in this pool was well documented, so even though I would have rather waited until the 5th Round, the choices were running out quickly. Based on reaction to the selection, I didn't reach too far, as Starkville native Dixie Grimes was highly sought after by other GMs. It's not hard to see why, as the 20-year-old southpaw burst onto the scene last season at Capital University. Gaines started 20 games and finished an impressive 11-3 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He struck out 129 and walked just 31 in 134.1 innings pitched, which was third most last season for draft eligible players. He led all eligible collegiate hurler in ERA by keeping runners off bases. He had an excellent 4.2 K/BB rate and allowed just 3 home runs. His success doesn't come from dominating batters, instead keeping them on their toes as he commands five different pitches. His sinker is his go to pitch, and it allows him to keep the ball in the park and erase runners that reach base. For strikeouts he goes to his change up, which has tremendous downward movement. While all that is well and good, Gaines tops out at just 86 and his secondary offerings are more effective due to the unpredictability then their quality. Those are two hurdles our minor league staff will have to work out, as the young southpaw feels more like a high school arm then a college one. There's plenty of risk, but I think we have a chance to mold him into a effective big league pitcher. Not only is he intelligent, but hardworking, and I think him and Garland Phelps would be a very interesting battery. I'm rooting for the young lefty, even if his name buddy Marsh doesn't think he'd fit well in the majors. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 09-02-2023 at 04:40 PM.

08-04-2023, 02:12 PM	#1175
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Round 5 5th Round, 65th Overall: 1B John Kerr School: Chicopee Pacers 1947: .477/.529/.693, 105 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB Career: .477/.529/.693, 105 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB We kicked off the fifth round with our first of three picks, selecting 6'4'' first basemen John Kerr out of a high school in Massachusetts. While not a typical slugging first basemen, I expect that's something that will come later for the 18-year-old. He has a strong bat, covering all quadrants of the strike zone, allowing him to drive the ball to the opposite field. He's got average pop now, even if it hasn't quite shown up in the home run department, but even some of the better sluggers didn't hit many homers when they were in their teens. As a first basemen, he's really going to need to hit to keep playing regularly. We're at an interesting time for the system as we have a few talented first basemen prospects, with both Cal Rice (113th) and Dudley Sapp (132nd) sitting in the top 150. I'm not sure Kerr will join them, but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't rank at all. He has a lot of natural talent and the build to develop into a 25+ home run hitter. Dixie thinks he'll be an above average hitter, OSA views him more as a bench bat, and I'd split the difference on those projections. His value will come from his bat, so there's plenty of risk, but I can see him being an average everyday player. 5th Round, 68th Overall: CF Doc Zimmerman School: Bryan Rams 1947: .478/.520/.829, 127 PA, 15 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 12 SB Career: .458/.532/.764, 257 PA, 28 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 65 RBI, 42 SB I... Can't get enough! Can't get enough! Can't get enough offfffffffff these center fielders!!! That's now three in five rounds as our middle fifth rounder went to Doc Zimmerman, who doesn't turn 17 until the 2nd of February. A Houston native, Doc spent the past two seasons patrolling center for the Bryan Rams. They have been quite different, as his first season came with a .467 average, 2 homers, and 30 steals. Year two saw him sacrifice speed for power, with just a .448 average and 12 steals while he launched 5 homers. It's more then just that, as he hit more doubles (13 to 15) and triples (3 to 5) as well while cutting his strikeout rate (4.6 to 2.4) almost in half. Dixie is a big fan of his overall game, postulating him as a "regular starter," one that I hope he means in the big leagues. He's supposed to have blazing speed as well, but the drop in stolen bases is somewhat concerning. Granted, amateur stolen base stats aren't perfect, but speed is part of what makes him so exciting. I don't expect the power to hold up against tougher competition, but he has a nice hit tool and can hit around .300. His best tool is his eye, as he should be able to walk much more then he strikes out, and every ball in play can help him reach base. With his age, he may have a slow start, but I have faith the tools are in place for Zimmerman to work his way onto a big league roster. 5th Round, 71st Overall: SS Cecil Burr School: Anacortes Seahawks 1947: .489/.548/.728, 107 PA, 11 2B, 4 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 34 SB Career: .489/.548/.728, 107 PA, 11 2B, 4 3B, HR, 25 RBI, 34 SB We made it three-for-three with prep picks, finishing things off with shortstop Cecil Burr. Burr didn't join varsity until his junior season, but he hit .489 with 16 extra base hits, 37 runs scored, and 25 RBIs to go with his 1.276 OPS. These are excellent numbers from Burr, who just turned 18 on January 16th. An athletic, 6'2'' youngster, he may not stick at shortstop, and even the Seahawks gave him time at second, third, and right to keep his bat in the lineup. That's not to say Burr can't handle short, as he does have good range, but if he fills out and adds muscle he may be better suited for third or right instead. And since he hits a lot of line drives, that could coordinate to a lot of extra base hits. He has the bat to play at either spot, especially if he's also providing plus defense, as he has a good swing, makes good contact, and his speed puts pressure on the defense. Burr is the type of player I like to target, young, athletic, and high upside with the fallback of a utility player. The bat could burn out and keep him from getting past AA, but with more refinement there's a chance for this block of marble to develop into a marvelous work of art.

08-04-2023, 08:23 PM	#1176
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Rounds 6-8 6th Round, 84th Overall: RHP Hal Carter School: Loyola Knights 1947: 8-2, 102.2 IP, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 44 BB, 134 K Career: 21-8, 305.1 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 95 BB, 397 K The first of many sons of big leaguers, we grabbed Kings starter Harry Carter's son Hal. As you might expect, Hal was born in New York, as Harry spent 1934 to 1947 with the Stars, Gothams, and Kings. The younger Carter is gearing up for his fourth season at Loyola, looking to bounce back from a career high 2.28 ERA and 1.21 WHIP as a junior. Carter's first two seasons were far more impressive, as he kept his ERA and WHIP below 1.65 and 1.00, while striking out 263 batters with just 51 walks. That's why it was so surprising when his K/BB dropped to 3 and he walked 44 hitters. It's comparable too since he started 13 games with near identical innings (101, 101.2, 102.2), so this is a huge jump from those first two years. I'm hoping it's a fluke, as Carter has excellent stuff and a lot of things you look for in a big league starter. Just like his father, he has a deep repertoire, and both feature a sinker and a changeup. Despite featuring the sinker, "Harry Jr." allows a lot of flyballs, and that may be a problem in Chicago. In the mid-80, his sinker doesn't get many whiffs, so he'll have to rely heavily on his changeup. It's the best of his five pitches, and right now the only one that projects to be above average. Luckily it's a good one, and it's only going to get better as he gets older. Harry turns 18 in April, and he's been in the gym all winter in preparation for his senior year. If he can add a mile or two to the hard stuff, he could have a bounce-back season if he finds his way back in the zone. Based on his consistency in terms of innings and his dad's career it's safe to say he can eat innings, and if he keeps striking guys out he'll pitch his way to the big leagues. It'll be interesting what I say of him in the Summer, as the young righty has plenty to prove and the talent to impress. 7th Round, 100th Overall: 2B Dick Cunningham School: Carolina Poly Cardinals 1947: .283/.353/.383, 268 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 37 SB Career: .283/.353/.383, 268 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 37 SB A switch hitting shortstop from South Carolina, Dick Cunningham debuted as a sophomore for Carolina Poly and hit .283 with 5 homers and 46 RBIs and was a big reason the Cardinals made it to the CWCS finals. The switch hitting second basemen teamed up with his twin Archie (.280, 1, 34, 34) and freshman hurler Johnny Young (11-4, 2.45, 160) to take out lower seeded CCLA, Mississippi A&M, and Georgia Baptist. They eventually fell to Wolves 4th Rounder Ralphie Speirs (10-4, 3.12, 97) and Grange College. The Cardinals will have another shot with their current core, as they have draft prospect all across the diamond. I think Dick is the best of the bunch, as the switch hitting second basemen hit for a high average with some pop, and can play all around the diamond. A natural second basemen, he's also played short, third, left, and right and meets all the criteria to be a perfect utility guy. Add in elite speed which should translate to steals, extra bases, and quality defense. He'll need to do more then draw walks to stick in a big league lineup, but there's always room for guys like him at the back of a big league roster. 8th Round, 116th Overall: SS Archie Cunningham School: Carolina Poly Cardinals 1947: .280/.341/.366, 211 PA, 5 2B, 4 3B, HR, 34 RBI, 34 SB Career: .280/.341/.366, 211 PA, 5 2B, 4 3B, HR, 34 RBI, 34 SB Obviously I couldn't resist, as after selecting "D.C." I had to follow up with "A.C.". If at any point in the draft I would have had back-to-back picks, I probably would have done it, but instead the twins will have to settle to both be taken with the 4th pick in back-to-back rounds. Dick is clearly the better player, which is why he came first, but can you really have too many versatile switch hitting shortstops? I think not! Archie will have to stop trying to be the center of attention, but when you're the shortstop of a twin double play duo, it's easy to think you're the most important guy on campus. He's your traditional shortstop, good speed, good glove, little pop. "A.C." doesn't have the best bat or glove, but he's the type of player that can make things happen. His speed is a factor on the bases and in the field, but he's spent far less time off short then Dick has off second. And make sure your corner infielders are on their toes as he's not afraid to drop a bunt down. And if a tough pitcher doesn't look confident throwing to first, he won't hesitate taking advantage of it. He's crafty and a competitor who may need some containment, as if unmanaged his personality may become an issue. I'd love to field an A.C./D.C. double play duo in the minors, but if Archie can't keep up he may need to find a spot with another organization. 8th Round, 116th Overall: 2B Johnnie Love School: Bluegrass State Mustangs 1947: .264/.331/.402, 266 PA, 12 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 36 SB Career: .276/.342/.407, 519 PA, 22 2B, 12 3B, 5 HR, 71 RBI, 74 SB I made a trade after my 8th Round selection, picking up the Gothams 8th, 9th, and 10th Round picks for Israel Holmes, Bill Cook, and Ray Warren. This may end up being our last ever draft pick trade, meaning Johnnie Love could be one of our last players drafted with a pick that isn't our own. Set to be a three year starter at Bluegrass State, Love has played 103 games at the Keystone, hitting .276 with 22 doubles, 12 triples, 15 homers, and 74 steals. He scored 89 runs and drove in 71 more, and has been a key fixture of the Mustangs lineup. Love plays quality defense as well, but his combination of bat speed and barrel control allow him to maintain a high batting average with limited whiffs. He can draw a few walks as well, and has plenty of value on the base paths. Another switch hitter, Love is the type of guy you want when the game is on the line, but he'll have to work at it to get there. He doesn't have the flashiest raw tools and hits the ball on the ground too much. The Milwaukee native could be an interesting project, and I like his value as a bench piece.

08-05-2023, 08:45 PM	#1177
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1948 Draft: Rounds 9 and 10 9th Round, 132nd Overall: LHP Joe Oates School: Narragansett Navigators 1947: 8-5, 123.2 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 64 BB, 95 K Career: 8-5, 123.2 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 64 BB, 95 K Narragansett is a small city in Rhode Island on the Atlantic where lefty Joe Oates spent his past summer pitching for the Navigators. Once officially selected with our first of two ninth rounders, the New Jersey native will be the first Navigator selected since one Sal Pestilli went #1 back in 1936. Oates had a decent sophomore season, going 8-5 in his 18 stats with a 3.93 ERA. He struck out 95 in 123.2 innings, which is impressive considering his fastball tops out at 85. I'm hoping that's not his top, as the hard worker has spent all offseason in the gym prepping for his senior year. Oates has a deep five pitch arsenal, including a sinker, which could end up countering his home run issues. The harder he throws that, the more effective it will be, and the same can be said of his changeup. That headlines the arsenal, and is currently the only plus pitch he offers. That's not to say he's not an interesting pitcher, as if he can solve his command issues or add speed to his arsenal, he could pitch his way into a big league role. 9th Round, 135th Overall: C Sam Bird School: Northwest Knights 1947: .419/.475/.600, 120 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 8 SB Career: .409/.470/.588, 353 PA, 22 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 85 RBI, 12 SB I was a bit shocked to see Sam Bird still available in the 9th, and since I was looking for a catcher I quickly stopped the search when I saw the Naperville native still available. Perhaps its due to his lack of success in high school, but Dixie Marsh is very intrigued by the son of future Hall of Famer Tom Bird. He expects the young catcher to hit for average power with a good feel for the zone. There is some swing and miss in his game, but that's something his dad once struggled with when he was young. If he can make more contact he could become a pretty solid hitter, and there's always a shortage of catchers who can hit. We're lucky we have two potential catchers of the future in Eddie Howard and Garland Phelps, but there's nothing wrong with a quality backup. A good defensive catcher with power is a nice option off the bench, but there's no guarantee he becomes anything better then a career minor leaguer. We don't really have anyone getting regular at bats in La Crosse, and with Phelps ticketed to Lincoln there may be room in San Jose too. If Bird can hit, he'll play, and having a big league father is a good way to get a roster spot. 10th Round, 148th Overall: RF Gene Dibblee School: Canton State Bulldogs 1947: .269/.316/.328, 274 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 40 SB Career: .282/.346/.351, 490 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 70 RBI, 71 SB As you might expect, I just couldn't pass up a chance to select the son of the great number 19 himself; John Dibblee. Dibblee has nearly every Cougar record, and while Gene isn't even a quarter of the player his dad his, it would feel weird if he got drafted by any other team. Already 22, Gene is hoping to have a strong junior year, as after hitting .301 as a freshman he hit just .269 last year. Even worse, he went from walking (25) more then he struck out (19) to striking out (28) more then he walked (16). He also doesn't have the glove of the elite center fielder John was, and unless it's an emergency I don't think he'll ever start in center. He spends most of his time in right, although he's gotten some time at first and in left. Don't expect much here, he's a no-hit, no-field outfielder, but it would be cool if he got at least one big league at bat with the team his father stared for. 10th Round, 151st Overall: RHP Nick Tomlinson School: Mobile Leopards 1947: 7-4, 122.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 35 BB, 150 K Career: 27-6, 366 IP, 1.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 111 BB, 444 K The pickings were slim at this point, so when there's a 6'4'' righty who keeps the ball on the ground, the lottery ticket might actually be worth the money. While not the hardest thrower, Tomlinson's cutter hits 87 and his curveball has a lot of break. Both are solid options, but his third pitch is a fastball that doesn't fool many hitters. That could prevent him from starting, and the odds that he adds a fourth pitch are pretty low. He reminds me a lot of Charlie Kelsey, who ended up having his third pitch (a sinker) turn into a good one. Tomlinson needs to harness his command as well, and like some of these other late round picks, he needs to get one of his two weaknesses fixed just for a shot. You can never have too much pitching depth, and with his height it wouldn't be too hard for him to hit the 90s. 10th Round, 156th Overall: LF Johnnie Cloud School: Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers 1947: .262/.359/.446, 303 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 26 SB Career: .273/.369/.451, 582 PA, 19 2B, 2 3B, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 48 SB Rounding things out is slugging outfielder Johnnie Cloud, who hit 22 homer and drove in 103 runs in his two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma. At just 5'9'', it's pretty impressive he can hit so many out. Dixie doesn't think it will translate, but he is impressed with how hard he can hit the ball. He has a quick bat and can hit most pitches. He's also a pretty capable defender in left, and he's even gotten work in center and right. He's not the most exciting prospect, but he look to be pretty well developed, and could quickly work his way up our system. It's a stretch to expect him to play regularly, but he could be a useful righty bat off the bench. If the power he's shown in school is legit, we could have a real steal here, but right now it looks like the deck is stacked against him.

08-07-2023, 06:52 PM	#1178
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Cuban Winter League: Weeks 9 and 10 RHP Dick Garcia (#322 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1943) AA: 7-16, 196.1 IP, 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 71 BB, 48 K CWL: 1-6, 46 IP, 11.15 ERA (48 ERA+), 2.33 WHIP, 25 BB, 21 K Thankfully, the Santa Clara Stallions' season has come to its merciful end, as the Eagles/Cougars squad won just 10 of their 42 games this Winter. That also means Dick Garcia's nightmare is over, and the only thing that saved him from another 6+ run start is a near hour rain delay that forced him out after just 4 innings. Granted, they were his best three starts, as Garcia struck out 5 and allowed only 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs (2 earned). All told, Garcia made 9 starts for the Stallions and finished just 1-6 with an 11.15 ERA (48 ERA+) and 2.33 WHIP. Luckily for the 23-year-old, FIP thinks the Stallions overall awfulness may have contributed to Garcia's struggles. His 5.89 FIP is just 9 percent below average, as his defense did him no favors in the field. This contributed plenty to the 82 hits and 57 earned run, and he may have allowed less then homers. Garcia has never had issues like this, as his 1.4 HR/9 was his first above 1. I'm hoping this embarrassing showing pushes Garcia to respond in a big way, and with his work ethic he may kick it to another level. He seems likely to return to Mobile, where he went 7-16 with a respectable 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+). As someone who is Rule-5 eligible, the young righty is always auditioning, as if he rebounds another team could take interest. RF Jimmy Hairston (#97 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) AA: .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+), 539 PA, 32 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 63 RBI, SB A: .357/.378/.629 (166 OPS+), 74 PA, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 81 RBI, SB CWL: .312/.385/.497 (112 OPS+), 195 PA, 8 2B, 8 HR, 29 RBI Last year we had some of the best performers in the CWL, from Otto Christian (.264, 14, 39) to Duke Bybee (3-6, 3.58, 46) and the two-way sensation Eddie Howard (.287, 2, 14; 5-4, 3.86, 34). This year, we had Jimmy Hairston. He wasn't great, but a 119 WRC+ and 8 homers is a bit better then what Bob Schmelz (.261, 7, 24), Pat Brown Jr. (.239, 8, 55), and Art Goins (.263, 6, 19) did. The former 4th Rounder started all 42 of the Stallions games out in right, slashing .312/.385/.497 (112 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 20 walks, and 29 RBIs. This was somewhat similar to what he did with the Commodores this season, hitting .318/.386/.441 (113 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 55 walks, and 63 RBIs. The only real difference is the power production, but it feels like power as a whole was way up on the island. He hasn't hit more then 8 homers in a stint since he hit 10 with the Lions his draft year. Despite that, Dixie Marsh believes Harrison can produce 15 homers in a season, which would be a nice plus for someone with as good of an eye as his. The outfield is crowded in Chicago, but the recently turned 23-year-old has age and development progress on his side. I'm hoping he can make his debut this season, which will be the first of his three option years. By then he could hit his way into a roster spot, as the big righty has the tools to play everyday.

08-11-2023, 07:45 PM	#1179
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Trade News! You know how sometimes you make a trade you don't really want to, but sometimes you feel you have to? Like a certain player just doesn't quite fit? Or you know there's a good chance you might regret it long-term but it feels so right in the short-term? Or maybe that one player you always wanted is finally available, but you're already deep at that spot? I could go on, but that's how I feel about this one. We're approaching Spring Training, and a few sims ago I felt like I knew exactly how our staff was going to fill out for the new season. And then I realized Charlie Kelsey didn't have any options... So that meant at least one of him, George Oddo, Ken Matson, or Mel Haynes would be off the roster. In Oddo and Matson's case, it would be an option, but I really want to see what Oddo an give us and Matson is 30 and has been an important member of our staff for the past five years. So to alleviate our minor logjam, I shopped Haynes, Kelsey, and Matson. But the only one to get any interest was the one I wanted to trade the least: Mel Haynes. It was the Chiefs who came calling, as they were looking to add to a rotation that didn't have much set in stone behind the top three of Al Miller, Gus Goulding, and John Stallings. With draft picks eligible for trade, this would have been easier, but that's in the past and we have to adjust our strategy. The Chiefs system is one of the thinner ones, so while I found a two player package that wasn't awful, it wasn't quite enough to move the needle. I was content waiting it out until closer to the season where rosters were starting to finalize and teams realized they needed a Ken Matson or Charlie Kelsey type pitcher to fill out the staff. But then, luck struck twice for us. The first strike, was the overall lack of available pitching. The second? The surprise retirement of Gus Goulding. The Chiefs firmly have their eyes set on a 1948 pennant, as they have a very strong team, but any team would take a hit losing a pitcher like Goulding. This necessitated a move even moreso then before, and they came with an offer I almost couldn't refuse: Haynes for center fielder Henry Norman. Now, I know what you're saying. Another center fielder?!?!? But remember! I can't get enough! Not only do we already have top 50 prospects in Jerry Smith (11th) and Johnny Peters (41st), but we have Frank Reece (165th) and Harley Dollar (180th) in the bottom of the top 200 and plenty of talented big leaguers in Don Lee, Sal Pestilli, and Carlos Montes. Add in 3rd Rounders Bob Allie and Jeff King, who now rank 8th and 15th on Dixie's draft list for batters (unfortunately, way ahead of the A-Train), and there is no shortage of talented center fielders. But I just could not pass up an offer that both made future me's life easier while picking up a quality prospect for the low minors we could either develop or move for a more pressing need. Norman, 19, was the Chiefs 3rd Rounder last season, and was one of the many talented players on my draft list, but with Jerry Smith going in the 1st Round, he wasn't one of my top targets. Granted, Norman was selected before Dudley Sapp in the 3rd and I had no interest in passing up Garland Phelps, so I'm not sure we would have been able to get the New York native anyways. It proved to be a good selection for the Chiefs, as Norman currently ranks four spots below Johnny Peters in the top prospects list. It's a pretty high ranking, as while Norman was excellent in Class B, he hit a wall in A ball. He went from hitting .304/.357/.392 (105 OPS+) in 29 games to .207/.273/.289 (49 OPS+) in 33 games. His strikeout rate rose from 13.2 to 20, and his WRC was halved from 112 to 51. While not overly concerning for a high schooler, that may lead him to start his Cougar career in San Jose. It's tough as we have a lot of young outfielders, with Jerry Smith, Harley Dollar, and Clyde Parker currently penciled into the lineup, with Frank Reece currently sporting a down arrow in A ball. Smith was in La Crosse, so I expect him to stay in San Jose, but Parker and Dollar could be on the way up. Regardless, all of these guys will be getting time, as each has plenty of potential. Norman may hit the ball on the ground too often, but that might be something he corrects as he matures as a hitter. He has a great stroke at the plate and should end up hitting for a high average, and with his speed he could survive not elevating the ball. Even though he's not much of a base stealer, any slow roller he has a chance to beat out, and he's comfortable taking the extra base. He had 7 doubles and 3 triples in 249 trips to the plate, but I expect that to improve with experience. He has a nice eye too, and while he may never excel at drawing walks, he's not going to strike out much. He'll put the ball in play early and often, and while home runs are not expected, he did hit one at both levels. His defense in center could use some work, but there's no reason to think he won't be at least adequate on the grass. He's not a superstar by any means, and he has a long development path ahead of him, but there's plenty of upside and he was the class of a depleted Chiefs system that has in the last year and a half been used to acquire Artie D'Alessandro, Tim Hopkins, Pete Casstevens, Joe Rutherford, and Hank Stratton. Parting with Haynes hurts, as he was a former 1st Rounder of ours who I've always thought was good enough to start. He was lightly penciled into the five spot in our rotation, but with the Chiefs he has a much clearer spot to the rotation. He's coming off a nice year, going 1-2 with a 2.62 ERA (143 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP in 34.1 innings. Haynes walked 13 while striking out 22, and his 2.37 FIP (63 FIP-) backed up the overall work. And at just 26, he's far from a finished product. The issue is, even as our fifth starter, he probably would've split time between the rotation and pen, as I expect to lean heavily on our front four. There's not a team in the league that can hold a candle to Pap, Duke, and the Jones Brothers (these guys really need to start a barbershop quartet or something), and we will take advantage of every off day there is. In place of Haynes, I may decide to go to a revolving door of Oddo, Parker, Matson, and Kelsey, playing based on matchup, location, and rest status in an effort to win as many games as possible. It's looking like those four and Jim Kenny will make up the 1948 staff, giving us nine pitchers capable of starting games. Losing someone as good as Haynes may hurt, but I'm confident in our depth and we will be rooting for our former 1st Rounder to find success on the other side of town.

08-14-2023, 07:04 PM	#1180
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Start of Spring Training! It's about time! Spring Training is here! Sure, it's fun seeing the Packers and Panthers run away with their respective divisions, but nothing is as exciting as Cougars baseball! The vibe in camp is different this year, and I think it's for the better. Generally it's calm, and almost care-free, as year after year we come into camp off an 80+ win season with plenty of talent and a common team to pick for the season. That can allow a team to get complacent, which could be partially to blame for our collapse last season. This year everything is different. There's finally a sense of urgency. 1947 was simply put an embarrassment, something these guys have never really had to deal with. Skipper was never on a team that didn't finish 10 games over .500. Leo Mitchell never finished below .500 as an everyday player. Pap, the Jones Brothers, Carlos Montes, Billy Hunter, and Harry Mead have only played on Cougars teams who won more games then they lost. Simply put, these guys aren't used to losing much, as aside from the embarrassment in the 1941 World Series and the tiebreaker to the Stars, our season usually ended with meaningless games post elimination. And who's better at winning meaningless games then us! With not many battles in camp, the big focus is getting everyone ready for the start of the season. Considering we can't finish seasons strong, a hot start is a must, and with a new manager at the helm it can be easy to overreact. All I ask for in the spring is to stay healthy, as losing a key piece could really complicate things. The association is wide open, and all eight teams could conceivably make a run with no clearcut favorite. We just saw the Pioneers go worst to first last year, so who's to say Montreal can't? Or do the Foresters, with a healthy Jim Adams and a few well timed breakouts from their youngsters, hang around in the race until July before making a big move at the deadline? The only sure thing right now is our opening roster for the Spring, as the 56 players below will be competing to secure one of the final 24 spots. As always, guys denoted with a * have their roster spot guaranteed, so long as they can stay healthy: RHP Bill Ballantine RHP Jimmy Ballard RHP George K. Brooks RHP Roscoe Brown LHP Duke Bybee* LHP Ed Fisler RHP Jack Hale LHP Bob Hobbs RHP Donnie Jones* LHP Johnnie Jones* RHP Art Keeter RHP Zane Kelley RHP Charlie Kelsey LHP Jim Kenny* RHP Harry MacRae RHP Ken Matson* RHP George Oddo RHP Pete Papenfus* RHP Harry Parker* RHP Paul Richardson LHP Frank Sartori RHP Babe Stinson RHP Chet Williams C Eddie Howard* C Harry Mead* C Bob Mundy C Lee Tiede 1B Red Bond* 1B Ray Ford* 1B Bill Payne 1B Lou Thomas 2B Clark Car* 2B Vince D'Alessandro 2B Billy Hunter* 2B Bob Schmelz 2B Bob Smith 3B Leon Blackridge 3B Johnny Carlisle 3B Otto Christian* 3B Walt Pack* SS Al Clement SS Joe Dackett SS Skipper Schneider* SS George Sutterfield* LF Don Jeppsen LF Leo Mitchell* LF Dick Pace CF Don Lee* CF Sal Pestilli* CF Johnny Peters CF Ray Struble RF Ducky Cole RF Jimmy Hairston RF Carlos Montes* RF Hal Sharp* RF Reginald Westfall The bullpen and bench are always up for grabs, but the only real interesting roster battle is for the 5th spot in the rotation. I'd love for that to be George Oddo, but Max Wilder would prefer Ken Matson or Harry Parker. Oddo does have an option year left, but he's 25 and an optional assignment in AAA didn't do much good last year. The towering righty hasn't quite lived up to his ace level billing, but I always expected a slower development path. The thinned out rosters from the war years made it look like Oddo was further along then he was, but I think this is his year. He's firmly a back-end pitcher now, but that's how Bybee was a year ago. Granted, Oddo's potential is now more of a #2, so don't get too excited, but if he can solve his home run issues, he could keep us in most games. Even if Oddo secures the job like I want, that's not to say Matson and Parker won't start games this season. We have a lot more double headers this year, meaning there will be times a spot start will be needed. If Oddo is in AAA, that would guarantee starts for both guys. What's nice for us is both pitchers are different, as Matson keeps the ball on the ground and Parker generates easier to play flyballs. We can base it on the park or the lineup we're facing, something that we could do if all three guys have solid performances in the spring. With starters only going four, we can almost start two guys a game, as its common for the second pitcher of the game to pitch more then just an inning. That means even Charlie Kelsey, Paul Richardson, Frank Sartori, or even Zane Kelley could pitch their way into the mix. It will be interesting to see how the pitching holds up behind the front four, as we tend to struggle in close games.