Chicago Cougars (FABL)

[ayaghmour2]

AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 81-59, 2nd, 1 GB: It was another second place finish for the Blues, this time finishing two out instead of one, as the win total dropped four points. Milwaukee could never quite erase their 11-19 May, as even thought they finished the season winning 18 of the last 22, the Indianapolis Hoosiers (83-57) proved too difficult to overcome. Milwaukee's offense was the strength, leading in OPS and WAR, two things star shortstop Elmer Grace (.289, 20, 69) was a crucial part of. In 133 games has worth 7.3 WAR, second to only the 19th ranked Marshall Thomas (7.6) of the Boston Minutemen. He did pretty much everything right, producing a 149 WRC+ and 17.8 zone rating (1.083 EFF), hitting .289/.375/.476 (135 OPS+) in 582 trips to the plate. Thing is, he was one of the few players that spent the full season in AAA, as plenty of useful contributors moved up and down. Clyde Zimmerman (.267, 10, 54, 11) and Al Clement (.280, 17, 58, 9) spent time during the regular seasons as pieces on the big league team, while Mike Bordes (.246, 13, 52) and Jimmy Hairston (.265, 12, 56) got September callups. I'm not sure what the lineup is going to like next season, but there will be plenty of talented hitters ready to snap the three game second place streak.

There are a lot of question marks on the pitching side, but one certainty is that the Blues are not going to get seven starts of George Oddo (6-0, 1.42, 46) again. He was the most effective pitcher, but Frank Sartori (13-6, 3.09, 110) did an excellent job as the staff ace. He won the team triple crown, and had the lowest ERA among pitchers with ten or more starts. Before the deadline deal with the Wolves, Zane Kelley (5-4, 3.83, 54) was a reliable two, and they got good starts from Frank Terry (8-7, 3.62, 59) and Bob Hobbs (12-5, 3.44, 102) while Ken Matson (7-7, 19, 3.12, 58) did well in his stopper/swingman role. Jack Hale (5-0, 1, 2.67, 60) and Mark Eichner (5-0, 2.67, 60) were lethal out of the bullpen. The biggest thing to look forward to, however, is that top prospect Bob Allen will be here at some point next season, giving them the biggest attraction of the league. It's funny how even our minor league teams get close but not enough, and will have plenty of firepower coming back for another pennant attempt.

AA Little Rock Governors (AA Dixie League): 93-47, 1st, 13 GA): If the Blues are the minor league equivalent of us, the Little Rock Governors are our foils, as in their first ever Dixie League campaign they sequestered the competition and ran away with the league in June and never looked back. There's less categories the Governors didn't lead in then they led, and they had superstars on both sides of the field. There's the five shutouts from Jim Williams (16-6, 2.33, 75), who led the Dixie League in ERA, while leadoff extraordinaire Archie Cunningham (.283, 5, 60, 44) was the Dixie League WARlord for 1950. If there were All-Stars in the minor leagues, you could make legitimate cases for Frank Reece (.285, 14, 65, 25), Cliff Wallace (17-7, 2.57, 114), Roxy Hilts (.316, 4, 65, 11), Tommy Seymour (15-8, 3.03, 121), and Bill Nash (.315, 8, 58). They had plenty of guys moving in and out as well, finishing the season with eight elite Bob Allen (7-1, 1.68, 41) starts, while Jerry Smith (.277, 3, 30, 6), Harry Austin (.340, 9, 45), and George Carter (10-4, 3.24, 82) impressed while they were here. The Governors are returning a lot of regulars, and should go into 1951 as the odds on favorite for the title. Our AA affiliate has now won two fo the last three pennants, as the Commodores were the '48 champs.

A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League) 92-48, 1st, 11 GB: The Legislators actually had a way better season this year as opposed to last, when they won the Heartland League, finishing an impressive 92-48. That's their best mark since 1942, but since the Terre Haute Brewers won 103 games, Lincoln was 11 out of first, and had to settle for a high win total second place finish. They allowed the fewest runs and scored the second most, using a balanced attack to beat the six sub. 500 teams in the Heartland League. Lonnie Sis was the star of the league's top staff, and despite being the #6 starter, he went 15-4 with a 2.95 ERA (130 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP. All season long I was waiting for him to slip up, but the son of former FABL great Charlie Sis was a stabilizing force in a rotation that saw seven pitchers make ten or more starts. The only guy who made more then Sis' 23 starts was former top 100 prospect Dixie Gaines (10-9, 4.22, 127), who has taken a shocking tumble down the prospect rankings despite his wipe out stuff. The highly touted Bob Allen (6-7, 3.38, 62) gave Lincoln a little over 2 WAR (2.1) in 15 starts, though lesser prospects Al Robison (7-1, 2.21, 51), Barney Gunnels (8-2, 2.62, 56), and Howard Miller Jr. (6-1, 1.65, 57) were more effective. In single digit starts, Joe Oates (3-2, 2.44, 31), Steve Davis (5-2, 3.04, 47), and Lee Parker (2-4, 3.60, 18) were effective, and with such a large group of arms they're going to be retaining a great rotation.

The lineup was anchored by Henry Norman, who missed the last month of the season with shoulder inflammation. The 45th ranked prospect got into 94 games, hitting .330/.418/.476 (145 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 60 RBIs, 56 walks, and 8 steals. He spent about two thirds of his time in right, most of the rest in center, and was worth 5.0 WAR with a 150 WRC+. He's not going to be back next year, and if he stayed healthy I probably would've given him a late callup to Little Rock, where key contributors Charlie Everitt (.325, 14, 78) and Jerry Smith (.302, 10, 61) ended up. Charlie Harvey (.300, 11, 54) deserves a spot in AA, but our logjam could get him stuck down here. That's a good sign for Legislator fans, as what's left of the lineup isn't threatening. John Price (.403, 5, 22) did well in limited time, but in larger samples Bob Allie (.269, 2, 24) and Buddy Jenkins (.241, 5, 46) struggled. Johnnie Love (.275, 1, 51), Johnny Hadley (.285, 8, 67), and Lou Jackson (.247, 3, 54, 4) had average seasons at the plate, but they're the ones most likely to get called up. There aren't many reinforcements in San Jose, so I'm sure Manager Tex Cortes is hoping our logjam leaves ready to advanced guys at his disposal.

B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 80-60, 2nd, 3 GB: Just like the Chicago Cougars, the San Jose Cougars were in it until the last week, coming up just short of the Fresno Grizzlies (80-60) of the New York Gothams system. They suffered from similar issues as us, as the pitching was great but the offense inconsistent. Pat Burnett (7-9, 2.80, 144) opened up the season as the ace, but he was later passed up by midseason additions. Mack Lyons didn't pitch until the 26th of June, but Dick's son was simply marvelous in his first year in the organization. Mack went 8-3 with a 1.79 ERA (246 ERA+) and 1.51 WHIP. The other was 2nd Round Pick Ernie Tisdale, who went 6-2 in 10 starts with a 3.32 ERA (133 ERA+) and 55 strikeouts. That made up for promotions of Steve Davis (8-1, 2.11, 80), Joe Oates (5-6, 3.92, 91), Lee Parker (5-5, 3.66, 66), and Al Robison (5-3, 3.84, 45). The lineup struggled at times, but catcher Ernie Frost (.315, 5, 48) was a consistent presence. They missed Lou Jackson (.283, 4, 49, 5) then Harley Dollar (.301, 5, 42, 5) before promotions to Lincoln, and the revolving door of lineup members didn't produce many threats. Offense is an area of improvement for next season, allowing the opportunity for one of the remaining players seizing a lock in the lineup.

C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 32-30, 4th, 12 GB: The least successful member of our organization, the Lions finished with the lowest win percentage and most games out of first, and they struggled to end the season with a 3-6 September record. 1st Round Pick Andy Robinson (.246, 6, 22, 3) didn't have the best go at it post-draft, and the same can be said for Ike Soeur (.227, 5, 11), Bill Owens (2-4, 3, 8.85, 53), and Gene Meeker (.132, 1, 5, 2). One of the few draftees to succeed was Hal Lewis (4-3, 2.54, 81), but he's 21 and will start next season in San Jose. There are a lot of spots up for grabs and plenty of inexperience, and our rotation had some serious struggles. The biggest issue was Walt Cooper (2-0, 4.20, 24) tearing an elbow ligament in his second start, as in this high scoring environment his 4.20 ERA was equivalent to a 133 ERA+. 7 pitchers with 15 or more innings had ERAs above 5.50, as even the pen was hit hard. Morty Smith (1-0, 2.73, 46) was one of the few to keep his ERA down, but he walked 30 in 33 innings and that type of command is not desirable. Offensively they didn't have much support, though Biff Tiner (.323, 2, 17, 3) and Frank Hernandez (.296, 5, 16) did well in limited time. Another plus was a power surge from Clyde Skinner (.260, 8, 32), though he struggled heartily in 18 games in San Jose. Our youth might work against the record, as we have a lot of talented, raw prospects, and with two few at bats or innings to go around, it may be effecting some of the guys play.

[ayaghmour2]

After coming blowing a 3-0 lead last season and losing game six, the Cleveland Foresters called on Adrian Czerwinski for the third time of the season. The winner of game two and five threw another complete game victory, allowing the Foresters to come home with a title that seemed improbable just over a month ago. Now normally the offseason would start next, but we might be converting from OOTP 24 to 25, so no sim at least for tomorrow. Once we're back in business, I'll have our top prospects published, which should take us close to the drafts and the CWL.

Time for 1951! It's going to be our year! I just know it!

[ayaghmour2]

Now normally this is where I announce the top prospects, but instead of upgrading before starting the offseason, our commish upgraded after, so the current in-game list was what 24 thought, not 25. Considering we are continuing on 25, and the prospect lists are vastly different after recalculating (2nd/190 to 5th/135), I'm going to wait until our first official sim which could be as early as tomorrow.

Surprisingly, our first day was rather busy, as there were a number of surprising retirements. I have to search for a handful of new coaches, most notably a new Pitching Coach and First Base Coach. Both are huge losses as Jake Chamberlain was a "Legendary" Pitching Coach and Dick Anderson had excellent ratings. The available candidates aren't any where near these two studs, and I'm going to have to overpay for a lesser coach. The other retirement was quite bittersweet, as long-time Cougar Harry Parker called it quits. As much as it hurts to see the pitcher I was intrigued on since the moment we drafted him, Parker was a modicum of consistency towards the top of our rotation, and before his annoying injuries, a complete game machine.

A former 7th Rounder, Parker debuted in the 1938 season, and he offered average production (99 ERA+, 98 FIP-) in 16 starts and one relief appearance. That was enough to secure him a spot in the rotation for 1939, where he made 30 starts and surpassed 200 innings (234) for the first of six times in his career. Despite a league high 36 homers, he was effective on the mound, 14-11 with a 4.19 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP with 103 strikeouts and 68 walks as a 24-year-old. He put up another solid start at 25, but then broke out in the 1941 season. Parker was selected to represent the CA at the All-Star game, and came a win away from 20. He had a career best 3.19 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP, while striking out 117 in a then high 262.1 innings pitched.

By some metrics, Parker took a step forward in 1942, going 21-10 in his first (and only) twenty win season. No All-Star nod and his ERA+ dropped from 124 to 113, but he set personal bests in raw ERA (2.92), FIP (3.13), FIP- (95), WHIP (1.13), WAR (4.1), K/BB (2.6), and BB% (3.8), but he was not an All-Star selection. In 1943, he continued to make his seasonal improvements, as through 12 starts he was 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.01 FIP (92 FIP-), 1.14 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts. The only problem was in that twelfth start he tore his flexor tendon, his second injury of more then five days during the season after none in his previous nine seasons of professional ball.

I was quite worried Parker would show signs of decline after the injury, but the only downside of his 1944 season was the fact that he was robbed of the Allen. (Okay Butch Smith was pretty good too). Earning the second of his two All-Stars, Parker finished out 16-10 with a 2.19 ERA (159 ERA+), leading the CA in strikeouts (128), WHIP (0.99), K/BB (2.9), FIP- (74), and WAR (6.7). He wasn't throwing as many innings per start, but he still got to 250 for the fourth time in five years, even if he only had an out to spare. With the war now over, he went from ace to back of the rotation, as his innings dropped to 157.2 and he actually made four of his twenty five outings out of the pen. The results were fine, as the 31-year-old finished 12-9 with a 3.20 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP with a 1.9 K/BB.

As crazy as it sounds, he went from four relief outings to four more starts, as a partially torn labrum effective ended his career as a big league starter. He came back a shell of himself, as his 4.41 ERA (85 ERA+) actually makes his 5.37 FIP (143 FIP-) look good, and he allowed 7 homers in 34.2 innings. He followed that up with 7 more in 24.1 innings the next season, with an inflated 6.29 ERA (60 ERA+) and 6.65 FIP (175 FIP-). He threw just 12 innings over the past two seasons, and thankfully, our former highly touted arm saved me the mental anguish and despair of selecting "Waive and Designated Assignment" before the 1951 season. He will always be remembered fondly for his time, finishing his FABL career 128-86 with a 3.27 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 901 strikeouts. Among Cougars pitchers, he ranks fifth in wins, 10th in WAR (27.3), 9th in games (284), 6th in starts (247), 9th in complete games (126), tied for 6th in shutouts (17), 7th in innings (1,989.1), 7th in strikeouts (901), 9th in K/9 (4.1), 2nd in K/BB (2.1), 6th in WHIP (1.17), and 6th in rWAR (43). He should rank much higher on some of those, but we were lucky to get eight quality seasons out of him.

[ayaghmour2]

Before we get to the prospects, I was able to fill one of our big league coaching needs and all of our minor league vacanices. The spot we filled was Pitching Coach, adding Alex Modglin on a 2-year, $13,735 per-year deal. The Gothams pitching coach in 1948 and 1949, he also coached for their Class-A affiliate before (1945-1947) and after (1950). He's "Excellent" at teaching pitching and "Outstanding" at preventing aging, so I'm hoping he helps keep our staff young and well. He won't have too much work to do, as most of our guys already pitch well, so Modglin's first real test might be his handling of FABL's top pitching prospect Bob Allen.

Speaking of Allen, he's no longer our top prospect, as 25 has decided to list just two pitchers in the top twenty five. Jerry Smith (8th) basically replaced him, as Allen actually fell out of the top ten. At 11th he's one of just 17 pitching prospects in the top 100 (he was actually 7th when I recalculated), and we're one of the lucky teams to have two of them. I actually expected to drop farther from two then we did, but only the Foresters (184) and Minutemen (206) have more points then us (146). As things stand, we have 10 prospects in the top 100, 23 in the top 250, and 42 of the top 500. You can see the top 40 below, but I don't think the reports will start coming until tomorrow:

1. CF Jerry Smith (8th Overall): 2nd/12th
2. RHP Bob Allen (11th Overall): 1st/7th
3. C Garland Phelps (29th Overall): 4th/38th
4. RF Bob Allie (55th Overall): 14th/126th
5. CF Frank Reece (56th Overall): 16th/150th
6. CF Henry Norman (70th Overall): 6th/52nd
7. 2B Biff Tiner (71st Overall): 5th/40th
8. SS Elmer Grace (77th Overall): 8th/71st
9. CF Ike Soeur (92nd Overall): 62nd Overall Pick
10. RHP Ernie Tisdale (97th Overall): 20th Overall Pick
11. CF Jeff King (117th Overall): 10th/106th
12. 2B Andy Robinson (137th Overall): 12th Overall Pick
13. 1B Dudley Sapp (145th Overall): 24th/206th
14. LHP Dixie Gaines (160th Overall): 9th/91st
15. SS Cecil Burr (165th Overall): 20th/157th
16. LF Clyde Parker (186th Overall): 15th/146th
17. LF Charlie Harvey (200th Overall): 15th/146th
18. LHP Buster Clark (208th Overall): 12th/122nd
19. CF Harley Dollar (209th Overall): 22nd/179th
20. 1B John Kerr (219th Overall): 26th/220th
21. SS Joe Marshall (233rd Overall): Acquired from Kings
22. RHP Wilson McKinney (236th Overall): 21st/169th
23. CF Clyde Skinner (247th Overall): 19th/156th
24. LHP Mack Lyons (299th Overall): 39th/370th
25. C Ernie Frost (302nd Overall): Not Ranked
26. SS Buddy Jenkins (314th Overall): 18th/155th
27. C Mike Bordes (318th Overall): Not Ranked
28. RHP Tommy Seymour (325th Overall): 31st/268th
29. 3B John Price (354th Overall): 34th/317th
30. RHP Bill Davis (362nd Overall): Acquired from Miners
31. LHP Ray Paulson (366th Overall): Not Ranked
32. RHP Hal Lewis (388th Overall): 78th Overall Pick
33. RHP Walt Cooper (399th Overall): Acquired from Chiefs
34. LF Doc Zimmerman (404th Overall): 33rd/309th
35. RHP Jim Williams (415th Overall): Not Ranked
36. RHP Fred Terry (418th Overall): Not Ranked
37. RF Frank Hernandez (432nd Overall): 110th Overall Pick
38. LHP Bert Rogers (439th Overall): Not Ranked
39. 1B Charlie Everitt (445th Overall): 38th/364th
40. SS Archie Cunningham (462nd Overall): 35th/320th

[ayaghmour2]

CF Jerry Smith (8th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 5th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Jackson Generals

Guess what? Today Bob Allen is back to our top prospect! And back to #7! Talk about annoying... Oh well, he's "technically" still our #2 prospect (#1 in our hearts), and that means leading the way is former 5th Overall Pick Jerry Smith. Don't get me wrong, he's quite worthy of being a teams top prospect. And I don't just mean literally, as he was ranked 8th and would lead no fewer then nine systems, but because this kid is absolutely loaded to the brim with talent, and one of the few legitimate five tool players not only in the league, but that we've ever had.

A guy who has the mold of a superstar, he was commonly described at having "it" (which he totally does), and now those in the league rave about how approachable and generous he is. Whether he was in Lincoln or Little Rock, fans swarmed to the tiny minor league parks to get a glimpse of him, and being the awesome guy he is, Smith was out there early signing autographs for all the early birds. As if that wasn't enough, you then got to see him put on a show at the plate, on the bases, and in the field, as he spent 140 games with the Legislators and Governors, tallying 32 doubles, 11 triples, 13 homers, 91 RBIs, 9 steals, and 4.8 WAR. Excellent overall numbers, but if he did have one flaw, its the propensity to strike out, as Smith was set down in 17.6% of his Lincoln PAs and 15.4% of the ones in Little Rock. Simply put, that's really high, as even Leo Mitchell struck out 15.3% of the time this season, and his 14.9 K% is a bit lower.

The question then is, will the strikeouts stay when he finishes developing? Just 22 in September, he's far from a FABL hitters, so there's no need to panic about the strike outs. He walks at a healthy clip (9.1 in A, 12.0 in AA), generally hits around .300, and has a ton of extra base pop, with the ability to clear the fences with all the line drives he hits. The speed is a threat when he doesn't have his best swings, though when he's on he pulls liner after liner into the left-center gap. His athleticism is off the charts, he's played a strong center field, and has all the skills that scouts are looking for when trying to fill that position. Earlier this year, I thought he'd be stuck in a corner when he comes up, but with John Moss forgetting how to hit the ball, center could be Smith's sooner then expected. I'll continue to play him in the corners at time, especially considering at least one of Henry Norman and Frank Reece, both center fielders and top 100 prospects, will be patrolling the outfield with him in Little Rock. They all have the glove for center, and I'm really hoping Smith's is the best, but he blows them out of the water at the plate, and should continue to do that with any outfielder that he spends time with. Because this kid is going to be really good. And we even might see him next season! Though my best guess is a debut doesn't come until 1952, as we have plenty of outfield talent ahead of him.

At least for now. He's going to pass every. Single. One of them.

Jot that down.

RHP Bob Allen (11th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Sonora Wildcats

It should have been back-to-back 1st/7th offseason for Bob Allen, but he's technically 2nd and 11th ono the official record, but who cares about official prospect rankings!?!?! All I care about is that Bob Allen is the best pitching prospect in baseball!

If you're not satisfied with my word for it, Dixie Marsh ranks him as the pitcher with the most potential in our organization, ahead of even FABL's #3 ranked pitcher Donnie Jones, who in six seasons has 4-All Star nods, an Allen Award, and a 95-71 record. He's led the association in WHIP back-to-back seasons (1.19 and 1.13), and he's coming off a season where he went 16-12 with a 2.97 ERA (133 ERA+) and 141 strikeouts in 270 innings pitched.

And Allen is supposed to be even better!

What makes Allen so good is that his stuff is just downright nasty, as despite almost never touching 90, he will make you look absolutely silly at the plate. The curve may be the sharpest of any pitcher, and Dixie loves it so much that he spends a lot of words describing even the break of this wicked offering. Even with an incomplete repertoire, he was striking out around 14% of the batters he faced, totaling 108 in 184.1 innings pitched. It's scary to think about how many guys he'll strike out with another year of development, and a velocity boost like last offseason would climb him another rung above the pitchers looking up to him. At his peak, he doesn't project for a single below average category, and that applies to the pitches as well. His fastball sits at 87-89 and is located well, but if it wasn't for hitters fear of the curve, it wouldn't get as many whiffs as it does. The slider and change both have plus potential, and with how consistent and clean his delivery is, it's tough to distinguish his pitches. When he's working at the corners and not over the heart of the plate, he's untouchable, but his command has gotten him into some trouble.

Sure, that didn't surface in Little Rock, where he made his last eight starts of the season. He did walk 32 hitters in 75 innings (10.3%), a little on the high side, but not a single Dixie League hitter he faced was able to get the ball out of the park. He excels at generating groundballs, as it's only natural to swing over his filthy pitches, and it allowed him to finish 7-1 with a pristine 1.68 ERA (238 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP. His 3.03 FIP (75 FIP-) was still 25% above average, so even though the sample size was small, it's hard to find much to knock here. It's even better then when he was in Lincoln, where our prized arm made 15 starts across 101.1 innings. He was unlucky 6-7, as his 3.38 ERA (114 ERA+), 3.27 FIP (85 FIP-), 1.34 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts were quite impressive.

I'll be honest, it's great he pitched so well this season, but there's nothing really that would have been able to shake my confidence in him. What's interesting now is how it appears that pitchers as a whole will be ranked lower moving forward. Allen is one of just two pitchers in the top 25, with six in the top 50 and 16 in the top 100. That's a minuscule portion, and those prospects are split between ten teams. Looking lower, there are a lot in the 200s, so perhaps it could just be a lack of top level talent. It's another thing that will be interesting to follow as we continue with 25, and I think it really emphasizes one thing:

There's only one Bob Allen -- and no one else comes close

And to think I was so upset when I "had" to take him....

I say the craziest things sometimes, huh?

C Garland Phelps (29th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 21st Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Sheffield Fightin' Irish

Eddie Howard is one unlucky guy, as he went from stuck behind Harry Mead, to having to hold off the games top catching prospect Garland Phelps. A 21-year-old Pennsylvanian, Phelps is one of the smartest guys on the diamond, and he's out there constantly letting you know it. Lucky for Eddie, "Einstein" didn't hit too well in his first go at AA, but considering he was 20 for most of it it's hard to be upset. After hitting .316/.370/.387 (106 OPS+) in A-ball last year, it slumped to .279/.341/.346 (83 OPS+). I'm not too worried about that, it was time to move him out of Class A, and he'll be back in Little Rock to at least start the season. Phelps collected 14 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 61 RBIs, 54 runs, and 42 walks in a career high 511 plate appearances. This amount of experience is great, and I think I have Phelps to thank for the dominance of Jim Williams (16-6, 2.33, 75) and Cliff Wallace (17-7, 2.57, 114). Bob Allen's (7-1, 1.68, 41) best starts came here and Phelps helped former first rounder Tommy Seymour (15-8, 3.03, 121) work his way on our 40-man roster. Once the bat comes along, Phelps is going to quickly find himself in Chicago, as a catcher that can hit is tough to come by.

CF Bob Allie (55th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 36th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Millville Middies

Each of the next two guys got huge boosts in the upgrade, with Bob Allie checking in at 55th on the prospect list. Our 3rd Rounder almost three years ago, Allie split his season between San Jose and Lincoln, with a majority of the time (76 of 133 appearances) in San Jose. It's where he hit better, batting .310/.381/.420 (113 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 33 RBIs, and 9 steals. This is far better the his time, in Lincoln, where he hit just .269/.344/.317 (82 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 24 RBIs. Don't think that sample is so much smaller, it was still 209 trips to the plate, about two thirds of the time he spent before the promotion. Making matters worse, he was 1-for-6 on stolen base attempts, but on the bright side he played good defense with the Legislators. Another guy who recently turned 21, Allie has been challenged early on, and for the most part he's held his own compared to his peers. One thing that hasn't shown yet is the power, but that comes with more age and experience. Dixie sees 15 home run potential in his future, and while he doesn't have the greatest swing, he should hit for a nice average. The "Alley Cat" has always looked like a solid FABL outfielder, but his elevated prospect status may improve his value.

CF Frank Reece (56th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Villisca Bluejays

A jump of almost 100 points, Frank Reece has finally regained the recognition he deserves as a top 100 prospect, and an after an impressive 5.5 WAR and 119 WRC+ season in Little Rock, he might have gotten it without the version trade. An excellent all-around outfielder, Reece hit .285/.346/.460 (113 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 11 triples, 14 homers, 65 RBIs, and 25 steals. Combined with excellent defense (16.0, 1.061), it's no surprise he was worth so much WAR, as aside from striking out a bit too much (83, 13.5), He's doing just about everything right, and if it wasn't for a logjam in Milwaukee, he'd be a lock to start the season there. I think he's going to get there some way, as he's one of four top 100 center fielders likely to spend time in Mobile, and I can't leave everyone at the same level. He would be the first one up, but it might be best to keep him down here, before I decide which of our older outfielders to take time away from.

[ayaghmour2]

CF Henry Norman (70th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1948)
Drafted: 3rd Round, 36th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Cleveland Tigers

If Henry Norman could ever stay healthy, he'd probably be ahead of Jerry Smith and Frank Reece, but instead he found himself finishing out his season in Lincoln. That's where he spent his 94 games in 1950, but there's a better chance he ends up in Milwaukee, then Lincoln again. 22 as of September, Norman has green arrows to Milwaukee, and if it wasn't for a crowded Little Rock outfield that was winning a pennant, he'd probably have received a promotion at some point. Instead, the former 3rd Rounder hit .330/.418/.476 (145 OPS+) in 443 trips to the plate, recording 14 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 60 RBIs, 71 runs, and 8 steals. As awesome as the 56-to-24 walk-to-strikeout ratio, the absolute best part of Norman's season was the homers. Ten doesn't seem like a lot, but considering he had five last season (including Cuba) and three total in the two previous seasons, this jump in power was a huge positive for our young outfielder. More of a contact/line drive/never whiff kind of hitter, power was never expected from him, as most of his offensive value comes from his elite hit tool. OSA talks about how he excels with hitting it where they ain't, and with his speed and discipline he's able to work at bats, leg out hits, and take the extra base when he finds a gap. Unlike Reece and Smith, defense isn't quite Norman's strong suit, so anything more then average defense in center would be a stretch. He did get a lot of reps in right this season, and he looked really good, which makes a Smith-Reece-Norman outfield something Little Rock fans may be treated as they look to defend their title.

2B Biff Tiner (71st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Elkin Elks

After hitting .367/.429/.516 (144 OPS+) in 54 games for the Lions last year, I thought Biff Tiner would be more then ready for San Jose. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong...

Last year's first rounder played 58 games before I finally had enough, as Tiner was hitting just .223/.317/.280 (58 OPS+) with an awful -7.0 zone rating and .855 efficiency at the keystone. 8 doubles, 8 steals, a triple, 22 walks, and 20 RBIs wasn't enough to counteract all the bad, so the 19-year-old was worth a poor -1.6 WAR. He then moved down to La Crosse to finish the season, where he hit a much more respectable .323/.457/.462 (120 OPS+) in a smaller 81 PA sample. He even homered, twice to be exact, adding a double, triple, 3 steals, 17 RBIs, and 15 walks. He spent some time at second, but with Andy Robinson getting most of the reps, we started giving him some time in left. It didn't look very good, but having a second position in our organization is huge, and if him and Robinson are moving up together, he'll need somewhere else he can get reps. With his work ethic, I expect him to figure out left quickly, but without seeing his outfield ratings, there's no way to know how competent a fully experienced Tiner is in left. Defense seems to be a weak point of his game, but I'm not sure it's weak enough where he's going to be relegated to left and first. At 6'2'', first would be an easy transition, but he's far more useful at second. With and excellent contact tool and good discipline, he should keep walks up, hits up, and strikeouts down, and he's got decent pop for his age. Dixie thinks he'll grow into above average power, which would be huge if he's relegated to a corner. I'm not betting on the power, more the contact/eye mix, but he's got a lot of developing ahead of him, and with an excellent middle infield in Chicago it'll be okay for us to take our time.

SS Elmer Grace (77th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 52nd Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: St. Dominic's Padres

Speaking of quality middle infielders, Elmer Grace probably should have made a FABL Opening Day roster, but in only his second full pro season, we had no incentive to rush him to the majors. Instead, the elite glovemen put up a tremendous campaign with the Blues, appearing in 133 games and accumulating 7.2 WAR with 25 doubles, 20 homers, and 69 RBIs. He hit an excellent .289/.375/.476 (135 OPS+) with a 146 WRC+, and his 18.6 zone rating and 1.083 efficiency are the step above elite and the step below Skipper Schneider. He's about as good as it gets defensively, and while I'm sure there's someone else at or above his level in the minors, I don't think any of those guys can come close to his bat. Grace could hit big league pitching today, and in the Century League he walked (69) more then he struck out (56). He could be a very useful .300/.400/.500 hitter, though I'm guessing closer to .275/.350/.425, which
is basically Red Bond without the 30+ home runs. Grace seems destined for the 10-20 range, with my best guess closer to 15 then 20. With his glove, even 10 is enough, but unfortunately 1951 doesn't seem any more likely for a significant FABL callup. I'd love to find a home for him, particularly in the Fed, but without obvious needs I'm not sure we'll find a fit that makes success. You can really never have too much talent, and if we lost Sutterfield or Skipper for a significant stretch, Grace should be able to match or come close to the production they were providing.

CF Ike Soeur (92nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 62nd Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Walla Walla Warriors

Many of our new draftees were completely overmatched in La Crosse, and Ike Soeur was no exception. A gifted Canadian outfielder, Ike Soeur just graduated from Otto Christian's high school, where he hit .505 with 3 homers, 23 steals, and 33 RBIs as a senior. In affiliated ball, his slugging was lower then that, batting just .227/.359/.381 (77 OPS+). Interestingly, he had no doubles or triples, but Soeur cleared the fence five times, driving in 11 and scoring 15 times, while drawing 20 walks. That made his OBP respectable despite hitting below .230, and he actually had just two more hits then walks. While not quite what I expected, Soeur is starting to look more like a modern day prospect, low average, strong power, and an excellent eye, even if he'll strike out a lot. Dixie thinks there's hope for the contact, projecting an above average hit tool. OSA thinks even more, saying he could be "an above average contact hitter" with the "potential to be a .310 hitter." .310 would be nice, leading all non-Leo Mitchell Cougars (technically Hal Wood too as he hit .312 overall, but just .273 with us). I'm more intrigued by the power, as power/defense combos are still rare. If he can be average out in center and hit for average power, the eye will make up for the low contact. Conversely, if he can improve the contact, even at the expense of power, he could be a useful table setter. With someone as young as him, there's plenty of twists and turns ahead, but I'm curious to see how he responds to his poor debut year in his first full season.

RHP Ernie Tisdale (97th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Oklahoma Bible College Dusters

Part of me regrets passing on Rod Shearer, who currently ranks 3rd in the league, but do we really need a 6th top 100 center fielder? I mean, we have a 6th right outside the top 100 in Jeff King too. How much more would Shearer help?

Lucky for us, it's easier to get over that considering Ernie Tisdale is one of just sixteen pitchers in the top 100 prospects, and "Big E" has the perfect build to start in the majors. An intimidating and muscular 6'4'' righty, Tisdale has a deep and FABL quality five pitch arsenal, headlined by one of the best splitters you'd ever see. OSA and Dixie both call it "off the charts" and considering he went from College to Class B and struck out 16.7% of the batters he faced, I think C-O-W hitters would back that declaration up. He's not a one-trick pony either, as his changeup is advanced for his age and projected to be a plus pitch. Then there's the sinker, which while not overpowering, is located well and generates weak contact. If anything, the velocity is the early knock, as he sits in the 85-87 range despite his size. I'm hoping for a velo boost this offesason, as even 87-89 would cement his future as a FABL starter. He's got a fastball too, which is more of an afterthought at this point, and he's still working on locating his slider. If he's throwing a few ticks harder, the quality of those pitches matters far less. They're good enough now, as he was quite effective with San Jose, finishing 6-2 in 10 starts while averaging just over 7.5 innings per start. Factor in the outstanding 3.32 ERA (133 ERA+) and 3.48 WHIP (78 FIP-) with a 1.36 WHIP, 55 strikeouts, and a 1.4 K/BB and it's hard to ask for a much better debut season. I think he's ready for Lincoln, whether he starts there or not is dependent on the rest of our arms, but "Big-E" is well on his way to becoming the next in a very long and expansive list of successful prospects to come through the Cougars pitching lab.

[ayaghmour2]

CF Jeff King (117th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 40th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Millville Middies

This marks two seasons in a row where Jeff King is are highest ranked non-top 100 prospect, as he drops from 10th to 11th in our system. A former third rounder, King spent his second full pro season in La Crosse, but saw his batting line drop from .285/.336/.372 (83 OPS+) to just .236/.368/.319 (65 OPS+) as he appeared in nine less games and made almost fifty fewer PAs. The versatile King spent most of his time in left, but along with his natural center, he appeared at first, second, third, and right. King can play all over, even short in a pinch, and I expect him to continue to move all around the diamond to fill in where best needed. Just 20, it may be too soon to push him up to San Jose, and with how little he hit, I think he's best served at least starting the season once more in La Crosse. That would be his fourth season, but he got into just 9 games his draft year due to elbow inflammation, so he's already somewhat behind. Despite the poor triple slash, he did rack up the counting stats (including 67 strikeouts), recording 6 doubles, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, 10 steals, 26 walks, and 29 runs in 174 trips to the plate. With decent defense and great base running he finished with a positive WAR, a personal first for him. With any young prospect, it's easy to get discouraged over poor results, but it's always smart to stay patient. The tools are there: he's got a smooth swing, knows the zone well, and has excellent speed, but he's still trying to figure out pro pitching. Once he gets that figured, he'll be able to progress up our system, and with his versatility he's sure to get every chance he can before we decide to move on.

2B Andy Robinson (137th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Fredericksburg Chargers

No one had a swifter prospect decline post-conversion then Andy Robinson, who went from a top-20 prospect to 137th, as whatever new formula the fine folks at OSA use does not like him as much. I think part of that has to do with hitting .246/.371/.401 (85 OPS+), though with how bad he started, it's almost impressive he got his line up that high. What helped was a huge power jolt, as Robinson hit six homers in 170 trips to the plate, adding 4 doubles, 22 RBIs, and 24 runs. That's great run production even with 48 strikeouts, which were somewhat offset by his 26 walks. This mix of eye and power helped keep his overall production respectable, and considering he's still not 18 (that will happen two in game weeks from now), perhaps I should be happy with his performance. Sure, he looked poor defensively in the middle infield, but he's a developing player who's still growing into his talent. A gifted hitter, he's a line drive hitter who sprays the ball to all fields, and his raw power is probably equivalent to a prime Leo Mitchell. A good comp might be Billy Woytek, the Keystones consistent 15-20 homer second basemen, though Woytek almost never strikes out and Robinson may. Otherwise they seem quite similar, decent glove, solid eye, enticing pop. The type of guy you have no trouble slotting into your lineup knowing he's going to help you win games, even if he's not the best guy on the field.

1B Dudley Sapp (145th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 45th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Union City Bulldogs

After a disappointing 1949 season that held him to just 52 games, Dudley Sapp spent his entire season in San Jose, where he hit a bit below average .282/.377/.346 (92 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 5 homers, and 64 RBIs. While an improvement on previous seasons, just five homers is discouraging, as Sapp is a buff 6'4'' slugger who should be absolutely pounding the ball every time he makes good contact. Instead of punishing mistakes, he's getting under them, but scouts still project for him to hit for above average power. That's the goal for a first basemen like him, and with his discipline, 20+ homers is going to be huge. This season he even walked (63) a few more times then he struck out (61), and since he's displaying above average bat speed, there's all the tools for an above average hitter. He may be stuck in San Jose to start the season, but I really want him to end up in Lincoln. He just turned 22, but he can't get past San Jose, and I really want to see double digit homers this coming season.

LHP Dixie Gaines (160th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Capital University Catamounts

The prospect people don't like pitchers very much, so despite being our 14th ranked prospect, he's actually third among pitchers. Now 23, Dixie spent his entire season in Lincoln, going 10-9 with a 4.22 ERA (91 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP. He had a much better 3.32 FIP, with his 86 FIP- even lower then his ERA+, as he struck out 127 hitters in 145 innings. Sure, it came with 93 walks and a 14.4 BB%, which could be a cause for concern, but he's an extreme groundballer who's adept at fixing his own mistakes. Double plays seem to happen every time he gets into a jam, and he allowed just five balls to reach the seats. A short southpaw, he's got a deep five pitch mix, headlined by a dominant change. When he's on, he's unhittable, as he disguises the pitch with his fastball well. The issue is his command can cause some problems, as aside from his sinker, which he wants low and out of the zone, his other offerings could use some work. The split and curve are nice, when he has a feel for them, and when he doesn't they're at risk of being hit hard. OSA is way higher on him then Dixie, as they think at "his peak Gaines can occupy a spot in the middle of a rotation." Dixie thinks spot starter, which is crazy considering how much he used to love his name buddy, and I think his future lies firmly in a rotation. Even without the command, his stuff is amazing, and I can see him striking out 100+ batters a season. I'm really excited for his future, and even though we don't need another quality arm, he seems to fit the mold of a quality Cougar starter.

SS Cecil Burr (165th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Anacortes Seahawks

It was a tale of two stints for Cecil Burr, who impressed in La Crosse and depressed in San Jose. With the Lions, Burr hit a decent .315/.425/.416 (101 OPS+) with a 112 WRC+ and 1.6 zone rating (1.081 efficiency). Not many extra base hits, just a double, triple, and two homers in 106 trips to the plate, but he drew 17 walks, stole 9 bases, scored 12 runs, and drove in 15. This earned him a promotion to San Jose, where he hit just .192/.231/.274 (34 OPS+). If there is a plus, it came in just 78 trips to the plate, and his walk rate plummeted from 16 to 3.8. Interestingly, he had four extra base hits again, this time a homer and three doubles, and his strikeout rate improved from an elevated 35.8 to 12.8. Looking at his tools, the young infielder has shown the skills to stick at short, and his speed is a big part of his game. Paired with an above average contact tool, he should be able to make the most of balls in play, and Dixie thinks he can hit around .270. Middle infield is a strength of ours, so someone like Burr could be an intriguing trade candidate. He may not be a first division starter, but half the league could use a guy like he's projected to become, and slick fielding shortstops will always be in demand.

[ayaghmour2]

We've now reached Opening Day for the Cuban Winter League, and for the first time since it's founding, we are not sending players to the Santa Clara Stallions. Instead, us and the crosstown Chiefs will be sending a robust group of top 100 prospects to the Cienfuegos Crocodiles. When announced, there were ten between the two teams, but now that Ernie Tisdale dropped to 101, that number dropped ever-so-slightly. I'm a bit behind on my top prospect reports, so those will continue to come up, with potentially two posts later today. I'll keep working on those until I finish our 40th ranked prospect, but each sim day we'll get a CWL update as well.

The big league team finally filled the vacancy at first base coach, as a few export issues prevented us from landing the guy we wanted. We are now stuck with 57-year-old Danny Clark, who while "Excellent" at teaching catching defense, is pretty mediocre at all things running. The issue is, that's how everyone else left is, and none of them are as useful off the field as Clark. Most recently the Cannons bench coach in 1947 and 1948, he's coached in parts of fourteen seasons, and was the San Diego Conquistadores manager for the first 80 games of the inaugural GWL season. I don't remember Clark from his time as a player, but he spent parts of eleven seasons with the Foresters, including the first two years of the human era. In total, he made 1,182 appearances and accumulated 30.7 WAR, hitting a strong .308/.362/.446 (121 OPS+) with 236 doubles, 170 triples, 19 homers, 254 steals, and 568 RBIs. His best season was his first full year as a starter in 1920, where he hit .350/.399/.422 (155 OPS+) with 108 runs, 31 doubles, 34 triples, a homer, 88 RBIs, and 34 steals. Clark led the CA in slugging, WRC+ (153), wOBA (.419), and WAR (7.9), and was rightfully named the Whitney winner as Cleveland's everyday right fielder. He had some pretty solid seasons after that, but the only other leads he had were PAs (1922, 719), at bats (1922, 644; 1923, 666), and steals (1924, 45).

Shifting focus back to the CWL, we are sending ten players who currently hold nine starting spots. The obvious headliner is top pitching prospect Bob Allen, who is set to make his CWL debut on the 23rd against the Camaguey Coyotes, who are lucky enough to have most of the Minutemen's elite prospects. Another storyline to watch is the Croc's outfield, as despite boasting 3rd ranked prospect and personal favorite of mine Rod Shearer, manager George Stone is going with an all Cougar top 100 outfield. From left to right it's Frank Reece, Jerry Smith, and Henry Norman, which may be Little Rock's eventual outfield. I can't wait to see how that goes, and while a lot of CWL teams have deep rosters, I really like how we are represented, and I think the Crocs have a chance for their second division title in three years. Here's who we'll be providing to help them get there:

RHP Bob Allen (#11 Prospect)
RHP Tommy Seymour (#310 Prospect)
RHP Ernie Tisdale (#101 Prospect)
RHP Jim Williams (#397 Prospect)
C Garland Phelps (#29 Prospect)
2B Rupert Heinbaugh (1-2, R in 4 FABL appearances)
SS Elmer Grace (#78 Prospect)
CF Henry Norman (#69 Prospect)
CF Frank Reece (#57 Prospect)
CF Jerry Smith (#8 Prospect)

[ayaghmour2]

LF Clyde Parker (186th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 103rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Liberty Bluejays

Despite making it on the 40-man roster, Clyde Parker didn't get a call to the big league roster, but he'll be in camp to defy the odds and earn a bench spot. More likely then not, his second option will be used, and he'll return to the place where he made 140 appearances in 1950. They went well, as he hit a solid .279/.356/.406 (111 OPS+) in his aged 23 season. He came a homer short of double digits, clubbing 28 doubles with 68 runs, 56 RBIs, and 54 walks. As a corner bat, he's going to have to hit a bit more then that, but at least as a lefty he'll generally have the platoon advantage. Leo Mitchell and Red Bond aren't getting any younger, and while I don't want it to happen, one or both of those guys could decline quickly. This would allow Parker to sneak in, and replacing Mitchell would be somewhat ironic as I always viewed Parker as a Mitchell-lite. He's got a good hit tool but scouts have soured a bit on him, seeing him drop from a potential .330 hitter to even under .300. What helped Mitchell succeed was the later development in power, something Parker is now around the age to start building. 15-20 homers from Parker in Milwaukee next season would be a nice sign for his future, but if the bat doesn't get much better, a role on a FABL team may be tough to claw out.

LF Charlie Harvey (200th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 172nd Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: LaSalle Cavaliers

Another corner bat, Charlie Harvey is a few levels down, coming off an excellent season with the Legislators that found him a tenth of a win short of 4 WAR in 123 games. Harvey it a pretty .300/.408/.461 (138 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers, 64 RBIs, 65 runs, and 75 walks. This came in a 515 plate appearances, the same he had last season in San Jose, where he had a 144 WRC+ as opposed to the 145 from this season. It's nice to see him do so well against tougher competition, but he may be stuck in Lincoln. It's looking very likely that we'll have a Reece-Smith-Norman outfield in Little Rock, at least to start, leaving Harvey here to keep mashing. As a Chicagoan, a big league debut seems almost automatic, but I'm really happy with the discipline he's been showing. The power is nice too, and should be above average in the future, but Harvey has generally come with warnings on his strikeout tendencies. If he can stay in the zone, his hit tool is good enough to make an impact, but it's yet to be seem if he'll be able to keep up with tougher pitchers.

LHP Buster Clark (208th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Santa Cruz Pirates

I think if we were still in 24, Buster Clark would be ranked in the 100-125 range instead of just outside the top 200. A soon-to-be 20-year-old southpaw with another five pitch mix, Clark was our 4th Round pick last season, and he had a decent 10 start season in the wonky UMVA. His 5.90 ERA (95 ERA+) is just five percent below average, and I think a 2.00 WHIP isn't too bad. What's nice is Clark struck out 71 hitters in 61 innings, and as an extreme groundballer he's not going to give up 8 homers in 10 starts very often. That's all thanks to his sinker, which grazes 90 but sits more comfortably in the high 80s. It's his most advanced pitch now, though its on the back end of an arsenal of average or better pitches. The change is expected to be the best pitch, and when he has a feel for it, it is a lethal weapon. Though I think the best of his pitches will be his sweeping curve, which can get knee-buckling swings when located well. Until he locates these second offerings, he's going to have to rely more on his fastball and sinker, both of which are hittable pitches. The improvement of his secondaries are crucial to his success as a big league starter, and it may be worth giving him early starts in San Jose. There's always a logjam in La Crosse, and as one of our higher priority prospects, I'm willing to get him out of the mess early, even if it means he spends more time in San Jose.

CF Harley Dollar (209th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 131st Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Nutley Maroon Raiders

One of our many center field prospects, Harley Dollar had an excellent season, starting with his 91 games with San Jose. Dollar made 387 trips to the plate, hitting .301/.452/.384 (122 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 5 homers, 5 steals, and 42 RBIs with an absurd 83-to-35 walk-to-strikeout rate. The 83 walks corresponds to a 21.4 BB%, which sits almost equidistant between Bill Barrett's 1946 (20.6) and 1942 (22.4) season. Now in no way am I comparing the two, but I just have to point out how impressive a BB% above 20 is. What he did next impresses as well, as in his 39 games with the Legislators he hit an even better .320/.448/.456 (148 OPS+), increasing his WRC+ from 131 to 151. His walk percentage dipped to 18.8, but considering he cut his strikeout rate almost in half to 5.2, leading to a superb 29-to-8 ratio. Dollar's always drawn his share of walks, but he's never had a K% below 10 in any of his minor league stints. This is a huge development for Dollar, who may not be the best best defensive outfielder out there. He's starting to remind be a lot of Don Lee, and as we've seen, when he's hot he's really good. A top notch fourth outfielder who can fill in anywhere and hit average or better is great value out of a 7th Rounder, but unfortunately for him he doesn't have anywhere near the leadership abilities as Lee. His personality will work against him, so continued discipline and hard hit balls will be what leads him to the big leagues.

1B John Kerr (219th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 65th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers

So what do you do with a first basemen who has WRC+ of 34, 21, and 42 in C ball?

I have no idea...

In 371 trips to the plate, John Kerr has hit just .190/.278/.284 (40 OPS+) in the past two and a half seasons. Is he a pitcher?

In real life, I can't imagine a guy like this ever being a ranked prospect, let alone inside the top 250, but that's where we are today. The former 5th Rounder looks like a slugging first basemen, so maybe the projectable scouts would bump him up their lists. Along with a good eye, he's got a nice hit tool and of course major power, but so far he's slugged just 8 homers in what's basically a full season equivalent. To make matters worse, the UMVA is extremely hitter friendly, so recent 5th Rounder Hal Lewis, a pitcher, and son of Harry Carter, Hal, another pitcher, had WRC+ of 71 and 48. Higher then Kerr. Lucky for him, he gets one more chance in La Crosse, but if we add enough intriguing corner bats there's a chance he gets pushed out of the lineup. Quite a drop for such a highly touted prospects.

[ayaghmour2]

CF Frank Reece (#57 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
AA: .285/.346/.460 (113 OPS+), 615 PA, 33 2B, 11 3B, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 25 SB
CWL: .222/.462/.667 (161 OPS+), 13 PA, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SB

Don't let that low batting average fool you. Frank Reece has been one of our most productive hitters in the Opening Week. Part of that is due to the Crocs lack of overall success, just 1-2, but Reece found himself on base early and often during the week. He homered in the 8-6 loss where Bob Allen was tagged for 6 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks in 4.2 innings, and reached base four times in the Crocs 11-7 win over the Manzanillo Palms. Reece was 1-for-3 with a double and run scored, and he drew three walks and swiped a base for good measure. In his 13 trips to the plate he has four walks and two extra base hits, and he's struck out just once as Cienfuegos' every day left fielder. Of the three great outfielders we sent to Cuba, he's the closest to making his debut, and if he continues to hit well here and in the spring, it may be worth slotting him in the Blues outfield to allow Charlie Harvey to join Henry Norman and Jerry Smith in Little Rock.

RHP Ernie Tisdale (#84 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1950)
B: 6-2, 76 IP, 3.32 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 40 BB, 55 K
CWL: Missing (typed wrong numbers and can't go back)

Hey, would you look at that? Ernie Tisdale and Frank Reece were taken with the same pick in the draft! I promise I didn't plan that!

I'll admit, I was a little sad when I saw Big E listed in the Crocs pen instead of the rotation, but if they keep using him like they did this week I'm completely okay with it. Tisdale threw two innings in each of his two outings, though he was much better in the loss then the win. There he threw two shutout innings, while in the win he allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, and a walk, though he did strike out two. With only three or four games a week, 4 innings a week isn't too bad, and he's already well past Ben Clough's "stint" in Cuba where he did a lot of clapping and cheering and not a lot of ball throwing. Tisdale is young and straight out of the draft, so he might not even be ready for long outings against quality hitters. Don't get me wrong, I think Tisdale's stuff is good and he's not your average college pitcher, but if the choice is between him and Jim Williams getting the fourth spot in the rotation, I much rather see what our lower upside shutout machine can do, opposed to our hopefully future middle-of-the-rotation 6'4' righty.

[ayaghmour2]

SS Joe Marshall (233rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1950)
Drafted: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Pascagoula Bluejays

Acquired in February from Brooklyn for Bob Mundy and Willie Watson, Joe Marshall spent his first season as a Cougar almost entirely with our Class C affiliate. Unfortunately for us, it was just as bad as he was in Class B last year in the Kings system, as he hit just .219/.310/.343 (56 OPS+) in 155 trips to the plate. What's nice is it came with five homers, and 17 runs, walks, and RBIs. He didn't do too well in the field either, putting up below average marks at third and short, but at just 20 it is far too early to start worrying. And unlike John Kerr, he's not a first basemen only type, having played everywhere but pitcher, catcher, and right. Dixie thinks he can stick at short, but we'll continue to move him around as he looks to find his best position. What's most interesting, however, is that he may hit for some power, something rare from a shortstop. I'm not sure if its more 15 or 25 homers a season, but with someone this young it's way too early to guess. He has shown power early in his pro career, so he should never be just a light hitter. This will make his offensive development interesting to follow, as I'm hoping he'll get up to at least an 80 WRC+ next season.

RHP Wilson McKinney (236th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Colonel White Cougars

I really hate the offensive environment in the UMVA. Runs are so easy and often to come by, that last year's 2nd Rounder Wilson McKinney allowed 43 runs in 41.2 innings pitched. That's what happens when you walk 41 guys and allow 11 of your 52 hits to find the seats. This is the same guy with a near 3 K/BB to go with his 4.28 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP, while allowing 5 fewer homers in 13 more innings. Lucky for him, I'm just going to forget about this season, as you can't really get any good data out of the run scoring attributes. Besides, he just turned 20 in September, and one of the hardest workers we have. I really want to help boost his command, as OSA says his "explosive stuff has scouts dreaming" which is music to any farm director's ears. Like a lot of our top pitching prospects, McKinney has a deep five pitch mix, and when he's on he dominates. He throws a lot of cutters, currently sitting at 87-89, with four off-speed pitches to trick batters with. If he has a feel for them, he's been able to dominating, striking out 25.5% of the batters he faced. I truly can't imagine how high his ERA would have been if he hadn't been able to strike out so many guys, but if things normalize next season, expect McKinney to regain the form of his 1949 season.\

CF Clyde Skinner (247th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 164th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: San Bernadino Falcons

One of our many center field prospects, Clyde Skinner split his season between San Jose and La Crosse. It didn't go the normal way, as Skinner actually started in San Jose, but after hitting .163/.368/.186 (46 OPS+) in 57 trips to the plate, I had to send him down. It took a full month until the UMVA season started, but it didn't seem to impact his play. He hit a solid .260/.388/.473 (105 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs in 52 games. His 112 WRC+ was boosted by his 27 walks, just seven shy of his hit total. That discipline will do him well, and right now it is his best tool. I was encouraged by the homers, as power would be a nice plus. He's not the greatest defender, probably shifting to right at some point, so hitting the ball out of the park would me a major plus. I don't see him hitting for a high average, so this one way to allow him to separate from the pack.

LHP Mack Lyons (299th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949)
Drafted: 7th Round, 100th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Big Bend Miners

Mack technically started the season in La Crosse, but before the UMVA season started, he got himself a promotion to San Jose. He proved that decision wise, going 8-3 in 13 starts with a pristine 1.79 ERA (246 ERA+) and 52 strikeouts. The only thing is that the underlying numbers aren't as inspiring, as while still above average, his 4.02 FIP (91 FIP-) is more then twice as high, he walked (60) more guys then he struck out, and his 1.51 WHIP was eighth among the nine pitchers who threw 75 or more innings pitched. A three pitch pitcher, Dixie is now more convinced of his future as a starter, as his sinker started hitting 91 in the summer. Unlike his short and crafty father, OSA calls him "a towering presence" while Dixie feels a little more timid, calling the potential second generation big leaguer "an intimidating presence on the mound." I'm really liking the sounds of that, considering aside from Pap we have guys standing 6'2'' or taller filling out the rest of the rotation. Mack would fit right in, but he's going to need to do more then just rely on his sinker, and learn to master his command just like his father once did. I don't think he's ever going to be good enough to crack my rotation, but there's just a part of me that really wants to pitch him, just to increase the Lyons' family win total. 63 would get them to 300, but even 16 would give them a share of the Cougar win lead.

C Ernie Frost (302nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy

Catchers can be ranked again! It's beautiful!

Ernie Frost had a great go of it in San Jose, hitting .315/.453/.399 (126 OPS+) with a 130 WRC+ and 89-to-45 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It came in 439 trips to the plate, leading to an elite 20.3 BB%. That, along with a lot of singles, made him very productive, as he was able to work around limited power. He had just 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 homers, so maintaining a high walk rate is crucial to his success at the plate. An okay defender, he's really going to need to hit, and five homers is not going to cut it. He'll need ten or more if he ever wants a chance of starting, and even then it would likely have to come with another organization. Lucky for us, it's still a weak position, and as of 11/27, he's the 13th ranked catching prospect. I'm not convinced on his viability of an every day guy, but one thing we've done well is develop catchers, and even a bench level guy can get hot for a few weeks and put up a nice season. He's not the most exciting prospect out there, but the bat is nice, and I may move him up into a time share with defensive specialist Johnny Hadley in Lincoln.

[ayaghmour2]

RHP Bob Allen (#7 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
AA: 7-1, 75 IP, 1.68 ERA (238 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 32 BB, 41 K
A: 6-7, 101.1 IP, 3.38 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 52 BB, 62 K
B: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA (391 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 4 BB, 5 K
CWL: 0-2, 11 IP, 4.91 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 6 BB, 8 K

The highly anticipated CWL debut of baseball's consensus top pitching prospect Bob Allen did not go as planned, as arguably our most exciting pitching prospect to date (though I'd accept Pete Papenfus or Donnie Jones too) allowed 6 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The encore was far better.

Unluckily tagged with the loss, the hopefully lock for a future Allen winner pitched 6.1 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. The unearned run proved to be the difference, as our former affiliate the Santa Clara Stallions escaped with a 2-1 victory. This lowered Allen's winter ERA to an shockingly average 4.91 (99 ERA+) in 11 innings, highlighting the high run scoring environment we made be treated to this season. For Allen, that may be his first real challenge of the season, as after pitching quite effectively in Lincoln, he was flat out dominant in Mobile. Just like his stateside time, he's missing a lot of bats, but he's already matched his home run total (3) in just two starts. Smaller stadiums will do that, and the Crocs' home park is one of the tightest, with the right field line less then 300 feet from home plate. Right now it seems like the only way to score on him, but for someone who's going to be pitching half his games at Cougars Park, he's got to learn how to limit the damage of the home run. It's exciting to see him compete, even getting to 118 pitches in his latest outing, and I'm surely going to be watching each and every one of his starts closely until he returns home to finish his offseason.

RHP Jim Williams (#401 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945)
AA: 16-6, 209 IP, 2.33 ERA (172 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 97 BB, 75 K
CWL: 1-0, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA (323 ERA+), 1.67 WHIP, 4 BB, 2 K

Picking up right where he left off in Little Rock, Jim Williams was Cienfuegos' first starter to earn a win, throwing 6 solid innings in an 8-3 win over the Havana Sharks. Williams allowed just a single run, scattering 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 2. Obviously, the high walk count isn't ideal, but this is a guy who had a 2.33 ERA (172 ERA+) despite a 0.8 K/BB ratio in 209 innings, so it's not all too surprising. The key for a guy like Williams, who doesn't miss many bats, is to work around the trouble, something he did quite well this week. The only blemish was a solo homer to Wolves prospect Bob Mills, who already has three on the season. You can always live with solo shots, so if he can tighten up with runners on base, he may carve out a nice career for himself. Williams is scheduled to start the week at home against the Matanzas Buccaneers, who sit a game behind the 4-3 division leading Crocs, and he might be the team's best choice to win a game this year.

[ayaghmour2]

SS Buddy Jenkins (314th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Whitman Panthers

The conversion was not too kind to Buddy Jenkins, who fell out of the top 200 to 314th, now 26th in our system. It's honestly a bit surprising, but after hitting .241/.332/.318 (78 OPS+) in 494 trips to the plate with Lincoln, it does make some sense. Known more for the glove then the bat, Jenkins appeared at every position, but catcher, first, and pitcher, though he spent a super majority of his time at short. It went about as good as you'd expect, as Jenkins had a 8.4 zone rating and 1.084 efficiency in 675 innings, approaching twice as good as the average Heartland League shortstop. His glove and athleticism are his best tools, so anything he can offer at the plate would be helpful. He hit almost .300 in San Jose last year, with an almost average .299/.359/.385 (96 OPS+) line, and with that level of production and his glove he'd be a competent starter. Of course, Class B stats don't have any impact on future success, but it gives us somewhat of an idea of what a successful Buddy might look like. Lucky for him, his utility raises his floor quite high, and since Skipper isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so I'll be more then happy if Jenkins gives us an excellent glove all around the diamond.

C Mike Bordes (318th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Eagles (1946)
Drafted: 11th Round, 169th Overall (1944)
Alma Mater: Newburgh Knights

Currently our #3 catcher, Mike Bordes has appeared in a game in each of the last two seasons, though he was just 1-for-6 with a double last season, and he came off the bench in the 9th inning of a 7-5 loss to the Cannons this season. Most of his time this year was spent in Milwaukee, where he hit a productive .246/.390/.403 (120 OPS+), and since he drew 94 walks, he had an excellent 134 WRC+ in his 497 trips to the plate. He provided some pop too, 20 doubles and 13 homers with 58 runs and 52 RBIs. This is great offense from a catcher, and since his defense was decent enough too, he was worth an impressive 4.6 WAR in 118 games. Only three FABL catchers were worth more then that, as Bordes even outworthed Kellogg winner Larry McClure (4.4), who took the CA by storm when he helped fuel the Foresters offense since they inserted him into the lineup. Now I am in no way comparing the two, but Bordes has been walking at a near 20% clip the past two seasons. Even if that drops to 10 or 11 percent, that's where Sal, Red Bond, and John Moss are, and all are excellent at drawing walks. Bordes has one option left, which is good for Harry Mead, but I'm pretty sure Bordes is going to be the backup in 1952. He'll get some time before Garland Phelps is ready, though if we can get something decent for him, he could be a capable FABL starter for a team without much depth behind the plate.

RHP Tommy Seymour (325th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Olathe Pioneers

Officially added to the 40-man roster this offseason, a FABL debut may be in the cards for former 1st Rounder Tommy Seymour, who spent his regular season in Little Rock before heading to Cuba this winter. After going 1-7 with a 5.33 ERA (75 ERA+) and 1.73 WHIP in AA last season, the uniform change did him well. In 24 starts, Seymour was 15-8 with a 3.03 ERA (132 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP. After walking and striking out 43 in 77.2 innings this year, he improved both rates drastically, striking out 121 and walking 77 in 193 innings pitched. This saw his walk rate drop from 12.1 to 9.6, while the strikeout rate rose from 12.1 to 15.1. Not only that, the underlying numbers respect his body of work, as his 3.43 FIP (85 FIP-) is quite impressive. Unfortunately, he's been hit hard with Cienfuegos, allowing 15 hits and 8 runs in his 12 innings. Even worse, it's come with 10 walks to just 6 strikeouts, as his control has eluded him early on. That, combined with never gaining much velocity, has prevented him from reaching his ace level potential, but the stuff is now good enough to warrant a start in the majors, and he should be at least an option out of the pen in September as long as he looks good in 1951.

3B John Price (354th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Holy Cross Tigers

It was another solid season at the plate for John Price, who spent 103 of his 122 games with San Jose. There he played 200+ innings at first, second, and third, something he may continue to do in future seasons. Back to the bat, he hit a nice .327/.398/.437 (122 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, 54 runs, 62 RBIs, and 46 walks. This got him a late season call up to Lincoln, but instead of playing around the diamond, he was brought up strictly because they needed a first basemen. Price decided to hit like one, mashing .403/.462/.701 (218 OPS+) with 5 homers and 22 RBIs in just 78 trips to the plate. I'm not sure where the power came from, maybe he just hits more home runs when playing first (I don't think OOTP tracks this), I don't know, but his aggressive approach has really worked out for him. Even though he does draw walks, he swings as hard as he can when he has a strike to work with, and he did a great job punishing mistakes. What's nice is that Dixie's starting to take note of the pop, stating that Price has been "developing raw power [that] will rival that of an everyday player." This is definitely getting me excited, as big power from second or third is quite nice as well. He's not a star or top prospect, but power is a coveted asset, and anyone hitting 20+ homers in a season is going to get a chance to stick.

RHP Bill Davis (362nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Miners (1950)
Drafted: 13th Round, 193rd Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Benton Harbor Indians

Acquired with glove first backstop Johnny Hadley from the Miners for Harry Beardsley (3-6, 8.64, 36), who had quite a rough go at it in Pittsburgh, Bill Davis spent his season in the La Crosse pen. The Chicago native struggled, allowing 27 hits, 23 runs, and 24 walks with 36 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched. As concerning as that is, there's a lot to be excited about, and I actually want him pitching out of the rotation next year. A 6'4'' righty, he was initially the 7th man in the rotation, but since he kept pitching so bad out of the pen, I just went with other guys who were either just drafted or having some success in the pen. With a fresh offseason for him to work on things, he'll be given at least a few starts, and I'm confident in him holding on. A three pitch pitcher, he has a fastball, sinker, and change, which puts a lot of pressure on the change being a useful offering. He doesn't throw too hard, still almost exclusively in the 80s, so a change up that can get chases is huge. He won't be able to dominate batters, at least not yet, so locating his pitches well is a factor. I do have some hope for him throwing in the 90s, he is just 20 and he's got the build for it, and if he can boost his velocity Davis might be a name to keep an eye on.

[ayaghmour2]

LHP Ray Paulson (366th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 70th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Forest Park Foresters

An on again, off again top 500 prospect, Ray Paulson is up to 366 after the 1950 season, though I'm not too sure why. He threw just 23.1 innings, his second lowest total so far, and his 9.64 ERA (58 ERA+) gave him his third consecutive season with an ERA+ of 75 or lower. This was also the first season he didn't pitch strictly out of the rotation, as only 4 of his 9 appearances came out of the rotation. He allowed 33 hits, 25 runs, and 18 walks, striking out 29. Lucky for him, he has great leadership traits, and his teammates really respect him. This should keep him at least in a pen role, though I think his future is still in the rotation. The issue is that his stuff isn't too great right now, so he's really getting hit hard. He can't blow people away, sitting in the 84-86 range, so when he makes a mistake, you can crush it. It may be tough for "Half-Pint" to find a rotation spot, at least at the start, but I'm not ready to give up on the young southpaw just yet.

RHP Hal Lewis (366th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 78th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Tallmadge State Terriers

Pretty much every pitcher in the UMVA struggled this season. Hal Lewis was not one of them.

Taken out of Tallmadge State in the 5th Round of the most recent draft, I needed someone to give the Lions good starts, and I was hoping as a college kid Lewis would be the one. Despite the 4-3 record, his numbers were nothing short of elite, working to a 2.54 ERA (220 ERA+) and 3.26 FIP (58 FIP-) in 63.2 innings. He had a 1.12 WHIP, 30 walks, and 81 strikeouts, leading the Lions in pretty much every pitching category you want to be ahead in. A five pitch pitcher, Lewis really worked on polishing his stuff in La Crosse, and he's already upped his velo to 87-89 in the offseason. That's going to make his effective change even better, as it's probably his best pitch both now and in the future. The rest of the pitches are harder, with a slider and three fastballs (sinker, fastball, cutter), so the velocity is big for him. He just turned 22 (Happy Birthday!), so there could be a few bumps left. If he's more comfortable in the 90s, it won't matter how his control looks. It's the one thing that can hold him back, but we'll test him to start next season in San Jose. He could be a quicker riser, but with a lot of arms ahead of him, a more gradual approach seems likely.

RHP Walt Cooper (399th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949)
Drafted: 2nd Round, 17th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Grand Rapids Raiders

If it wasn't for a torn elbow ligament, Walt Cooper would be a top 150 prospect. Maybe even 100, as he opened the season at 82. Instead, now we'll be lucky if he can start in AA one day.

It happened in just his second start with the Lions, and the 19-year-old righty still has five full months of rehab ahead of him. It's a crushing injury that has seemingly already derailed such a promising FABL career. A fastball, sinker, slider pitcher formerly known for his pinpoint command, Dixie now thinks he's going to develop issues there, as well as eventual home run issues. This is a recipe for disaster, but I'm hoping with his sinker being a decent pitch it'll keep the ball in the park. It tops out at 87, and with the major injury I don't think that will go any higher, which really limits his eventual effectiveness. Plus his stuff was pretty solid before hand too, striking out 24 in just 15 innings. I really want to hope that he's going to be okay, but unfortunately it's looking like the Walt Pack trade will be a loss for us.

LF Doc Zimmerman (404th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 68th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Bryan Rams

Doc Zimmerman found out quickly that Class B pitching is quite different from Class C pitching. See, in 248 PAs, including 35 this season, he's hit almost .400 -- .399/.452/.547 (172 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 10 steals, and 37 RBIs. But in 179 PAs with San Jose this season? That line drooped to .261/.352/.268 (64 OPS+), as he had just one extra base hit. It was nice that he drew 19 walks, but just one extra base hit?!?!?! How is he supposed to provide for his family like that!?!?!?

Great defense would be the answer, but he struggled both in center and left. He is just 19, 20 in February, but he never quite projected as much of an asset with the glove. I think his time is done in center, likely sticking him in left most of the time, so one extra base hit is the way to get yourself on the bench. Unless it's just a sample of one game .Lucky for him, Dixie thinks this is a fluke, as he projects average power and a good swing that allows him to drive the ball. He hits a lot of line drives, a big plus for someone with speed, so perhaps the lack of extra base hits was bad luck. San Jose has awful metrics for doubles (.892) and triples (.850), which could contribute to it as well, so I'd say hold your horses on giving up on the doctor. Perhaps the Cougars clubhouse provided him with too many apples, keeping the power away. He's a useful enough fourth outfielder, with starting potential if the extra base hits come, so with another go there he could show noticeable improvements.

RHP Jim Williams (415th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers

If the prospect pickers cared more about stats, Jim Williams would be at least in the top half of the prospect list. Instead, the now 24-year-old sits closer to being unranked, then 250. I'm not sure what more he can do, because if 16-6 with a 2.33 ERA (172 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts isn't enough to impress you, then I'm not sure what is. Sure, 97 walks and a 11.1 BB% is an area of improvement, but this is the type of pitcher who generates soft contact and has a knack for getting out of trouble. It's really hard to clear the fences with him on the mound, as he allowed just 23 homers since his La Crosse debut in 1945, and he's allowed four or fewer in five of his six seasons of domestic ball. With the CWL this year, he's allowed one, giving him five in 215 innings, but I'm not going to count the elevated home run environment against him. He's going to get to showcase his skills the rest of the winter, and if there was more activity on the trade market, I imagine he'd be a common interest for a team who's not quite there that needs young arms. I'm more then happy keeping him, you can never have too much pitching depth, but it's a shame that he has little to no chance of making a FABL start next season.

[ayaghmour2]

Busy day today so final five prospects may not come until tomorrow, we'll see!

RHP Bob Allen (#7 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
AA: 7-1, 75 IP, 1.68 ERA (238 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 32 BB, 41 K
A: 6-7, 101.1 IP, 3.38 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, 52 BB, 62 K
B: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA (391 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 4 BB, 5 K
CWL: 1-2, 20 IP, 3.60 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 8 BB, 15 K

Oh yeah, he's arrived!

It took him a start to get acclimated to the CWL, but in start three Bob Allen demonstrated exactly why there is no pitching prospect quite like him. The exciting hurler threw a 114-pitch complete game victory, as the Crocodiles cruised to a 7-2 win over the Havana Sharks. Simply put, Allen was dominant, setting ten hitters down on strikes while allowing just two hits, walks, and runs. He's the first CWL pitcher to record double digit strikeouts in a game, and his 18 on the season rank third among all pitchers this Winter. Paired with his 3.60 ERA (132 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP, much improved since his poor first start, he's been doing everything we want him to do, and his 2.2 K/BB is a almost a full strikeout higher then his AA and A numbers. I'll be honest, it's going to be tough to not just give Bob Allen updates every week, but if he keeps dominating like this, that's exactly what you're going to get!

And you're going to like it too! This guy is just so awesome!

I feel like I'm talking about a young Zac Gallen every time I write up an Allen report now adays. I'm just so excited for him to be a Cougar! He's our precious, and perhaps exactly what we need to finally get over the hump. None of the current guys want to leave him out of the title celebrations!

How kind of them, am I right?!?!?

CF Henry Norman (#71 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1948)
A: .330/.418/.476 (145 OPS+), 443 PA, 14 2B, 6 3B, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 8 SB
CWL: .362/.423/.532 (134 OPS+), 52 PA, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 SB

His hit streak may have ended at 21 games because of a stupid pinch hitting appearance, but that should not diminish how great it's been for the Crocs having Henry Norman atop the batting order. When healthy, Norman has been excellent, and he's continued that trend in the winter. I'm glad he's getting extra PAs, as well as some good reps in right, as he's getting closer to being big league ready. It may be just 52 plate appearances, but Norman is hitting an impressive .362/.423/.532 (134 OPS+) with a 144 WRC+. He hit his second homer in Allen's complete game win, and is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. He's been the best of our guys by a wide margin at the plate, and perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised. Even though he was behind Reece and Smith, he's showing that perhaps he should be the one leading the way, and unless he completely tails off, Norman has earned a spot on the Little Rock roster.

RHP Ernie Tisdale (#84 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1950)
B: 6-2, 76 IP, 3.32 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 40 BB, 55 K
CWL: 1-0, SV, 13.2 IP, 1.32 ERA (362 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 7 BB, 6 K

See, pitching out of the pen in Cuba isn't all that bad?

Ernie Tisdale has been lights out so far, and with his regular usage, he's qualified for the ERA race and currently ranks third with an excellent 1.32 ERA (362 ERA+) in an out shy of 14 innings. He had his first short inning outing this week, picking up his first save by getting the last two outs for Bill Kline. Including that, he's recorded six or more outs in six of his seven appearances, so we're still getting a good sample when he's on the mound. 22 in February, Tisdale currently ranks as the 100th best prospect in FABL, jumping to 16th when looking at only pitchers. What I've really liked so far is that he's limited damage when guys are hitting his pitches, so once he can get the command in check he'll be golden. He's walked one more guy (7) then he's struck out (6), and walk issues are really all Dixie and OSA have against him. Even with them, he's looked good (yes, small sample and all that), and his 3.17 FIP (66 FIP-) is well above average. I'll be keeping a close eye on him now, as more outings like this could see him pushed to Lincoln for 1951, with the chance to finish in Little Rock.

[ayaghmour2]

Sox game got postponed today, so we will finish the Cougar prospects tonight after all!

RHP Fred Terry (418th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 115th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Yellowhammer State Panthers

An 8th Round pick in 1947, Fred Terry is the rare senior to be selected in the human portion of the draft, moving up a few rounds from when he was a 14th Round selection of the Eagles. Since then he's made his way from San Jose to Milwaukee, where he made 23 starts for us this season. They went pretty well, as he was 8-7 with a 3.62 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP, walking 52 and striking out 59. Even with all that, I went against protecting him from the Rule-5 draft that will happen tomorrow, and I think there's a chance he gets selected. Probably ready for a shot in a FABL rotation, Terry has had green arrows as long as I remember, but we only have two open 40 spots and we have at least six durable pitchers in front of him, before even considering some of our pen guys, other AAA depth, and of course, the guy who will probably pass Dick Lyons for most mentions on this forum, Bob Allen. That makes it so I almost want him to be taken, just because he's probably as good as he'll get right now and he'll only improve with regular starts. He's going to get that if he stays in Milwaukee, but I see plenty of teams who could use someone like Terry in their fifth spot or in a swingman role. He eats a ton of innings, has a nice splitter, and sits in the 89-91 range. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to keep him as depth, but unfortunately guys like this get stuck in the minors now that we can't trade draft picks.

RF Frank Hernandez (432nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 110th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Houma Barons

Our 7th Round pick in the most recent draft, Frank Hernandez was one of the last guys to sign, but he did not let that limit his play. The 18-year-old hit an impressive .296/.397/.611 (140 OPS+), slugging 5 homers in just 63 trips to the plate. He had a near matching 141 WRC+, adding in 2 doubles, 8 walks, 15 runs, 16 RBIs, and a steal. That's about as good as it gets in such a small sample, as the young outfielder got instant results from his hard work. Even with the late start, he didn't let it phase him, continuing to show up early and put in extra hours as he fought to get whatever at bats he could. He'll be rewarded for that effort, penciled in as the starting right fielder for the Lions 1951 season. As a bat first guy, more at bats means more chances to hit your way up, and it's a lot harder to get a spot, then to keep it when you're a decently touted prospect. He's still going to have to keep hitting, but he's done enough to earn a full season unless something crazy happens.

LHP Bert Rogers (439th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 14th Round, 212th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Cowpens State Fighting Green

Bert Rogers? You mean former 1st Round pick Bert Rogers? He's a ranked prospect again?

The last time he was on a top 500 prospect list, it was when he was 76th in 1947, as since that high ranking he's completely fallen apart, now not even listed as a borderline starter. The guy Tom Weinstock once called a front of the rotation starter with his health, stuff, and effectiveness, Rogers has only managed to be healthy, as the stuff is bad, the effectiveness isn't there, and I don't even think he topped rotations in A ball, let alone FABL. Funny enough, he was actually decent enough last season, where he went 13-6 with a 3.32 ERA (121 ERA+) in 20 starts. Of course, the 4.23 FIP (105 FIP-) cast some doubt on that success, so I shouldn't be surprised that against tougher competition, he was hit hard. His ERA jumped to 4.45 (80 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.62, as he walked 90 with just 76 strikeouts. His FIP-, however, was identical, so after getting all the luck in his favor, it went reverse this go about. Perhaps that means Rogers will be an average enough AAA pitcher next season, but at 24, he's running out of time to be an average FABL arm. Despite a lot of velo bumps, he never really had the drive to make himself a better pitcher. What's helped him stick around is the high pick and the ability to generate grounders, as there's still a chance he can be a Jim Kenny type lefty out of the pen. That's obviously not what you want out of first round pick, and he's the biggest risk of our run of what could be 18 consecutive first round picks to make a FABL debut. It may be a stretch to consider Biff Tiner and Andy Robinson locks, but there's no way Bob Allen and Jerry Smith aren't making it to Chicago, and I'm pretty sure Tommy Seymour will get a callup next season. Every other Cougar first round draftee from 1931 to now, and without patting my own back too hard, we've had just two first rounders retire on us without debuting [Can you guess who? Answer in the edit!], something I don't think many other teams can say. Rogers has to earn the call, I'm not giving it him just to have some cool fun fact, and honestly I think the deck is stacked against him. He's more likely to lose his rotation spot then pitch in Chicago this season, so he'll have to hope his name is called in one of the Rule-5 drafts. Since usually once you're released, you don't get another change.

1B Charlie Everitt (445th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 14th Round, 212th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Cowpens State Fighting Green

Despite a productive season at the plate, Charlie Everitt took a plunge on the prospect list, almost completely falling out of the top 500. Done about 100 spots to 445, he almost should be replaced with John Kerr, as hitting .324/.455/.494 (160 OPS+) in A ball, followed by .346/.528/.484 (169 OPS+) in AA. Most of his time came with Lincoln, with 117 of his 125 games at the lower level. He had more counting stats then you can count, accumulating 79 runs, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 14 homers, 78 RBIs, and 98 walks. Sure, he didn't have any steals, but he was worth 4.6 WAR as a first basemen, and his BB% (19.4) was almost twice as high as his K% (10.5). In AA, he improved on that, with a 20-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio which makes me think of a prime Ray Ford. This kid has great discipline and hits the ball hard, the two biggest things you look for in a first basemen, so it makes no sense why he's ranked so low. The former 14th Rounder deserves some respect, more then I can give him, but he should have a nice season in Little Rock as looks to move earn a promotion.

SS Archie Cunningham (462nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 116th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Carolina Poly Cardinals

And the biggest reason I have beef with the prospect lists. Generally speaking, when a shortstop puts up a 6.7 WAR season, they find themself moving up the prospect list. Instead, "A.C" almost fell out.

Our 8th Round selection in 1948, Archie Cunningham had an amazing season, hitting .283/.369/.390 (102 OPS+) with 91 runs, 23 triples, 10 doubles, 5 homers, 60 RBIs, 73 walks, and 44 steals. Combined with the 18.9 zone rating and 1.076 efficiency at short, it's hard to find a fault with the job Cunningham did, as he was the most valuable player on a team that ran away with their league. And even after all the good stats and extra stuff I added in, he's got exciting tools: athleticism, great defense, and the ability to hit from both sides of the plate. There are fewer guys better at stealing bases and he seems to have a knack for hitting the ball where guys aren't, and then running the bases until they can find the ball. I don't ever want to let him go, which may make it hard for him to start as a shortstop, as he's the best pinch runner/late game shortstop there is. Yes, Skipper never needs defensive help, but there will always be slow guys, and he can move to second, third, or even right if we need him to. Despite his low rank, he's one of the prospects in our system I like the most. And believe it or not, if I had to choose between trading A.C. and Cecil Burr -- I'd probably trade Burr. Or Marshall. Or Jenkins. Or- you get the point.

[ayaghmour2]

We added two and subtracted one in the Rule-5 draft, though I really wanted to add just one guy and I was rather shocked on the guy we lost. That would be Frank Sartori, who spent the past three seasons in the Blues rotation. He made a total of 69 starts, going 30-21 since we picked him off waivers form the Sailors. He never pitched in Chicago, but is coming off a strong season where he was 13-6 with a 3.09 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 53 walks, and 110 strikeouts. Sartori went first overall to the Wolves, who are in need of pitching, and since he's out of waivers anyways, the additional Rule-5 stipulation doesn't really effect him in the way it would a young player who has future options. Both guys we got have those, as we picked up lefty Buzz Turner from the Foresters, and righty Dizzy Danforth from the Cannons.

Turner, 23, spent his season in AA Youngstown, going 7-7 with a 3.65 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 45 walks, and 70 strikeouts. His 3.24 FIP (82 FIP-) was even better, and guess how many pitches he has? Five! Currently ranked 35th in our system and 393rd overall, Turner is a groundballer who Dixie Marsh thinks could end up in the back of a rotation. His sinker is solid, but his two best pitches are his change and forkball. He has decent control and locates his pitches well, so he should avoid the big innings. I like him as a starter, even if the big league club only has openings in the pen, and if we can stash him in the pen this year, we can work him back out as a starter next year.

Danforth, 26, ranks two spots lower in our rankings, checking in at 37th while 405th overall. A guy I've had my eye on for a while, Dizzy was a 7th Round pick of the Cannons back in 1942, but he then missed three seasons serving in the war. Since returning he's had a slow climb up, and was now stuck in AAA for two and a half seasons. His best work there came this year, where he was 14-7 with an average 3.51 ERA (100 ERA+) and 3.47 FIP (99 FIP-). Dizzy made 29 starts and threw 164.1 innings, walking 75 and striking out 88. Another groundballer, Danforth does it to more of an extreme, as he has a harder and tougher sinker. It's the best of his four pitches, though the change is decent. Him and Turner are somewhat opposites, Dizzy is more advanced with the lower ceiling, so if I have to pick between them it will be choosing ceiling versus upside. There's no guarantee either secures a pen spot, just two open spots, but both are intriguing young arms who should fit our park well.

[ayaghmour2]

CF Frank Reece (#58 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
AA: .285/.346/.460 (113 OPS+), 615 PA, 33 2B, 11 3B, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 25 SB
CWL: .321/.451/.464 (127 OPS+), 71 PA, 2 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB

It was a tough week for the Crocs, ceding first to our old friends at the Santa Clara Stallions, but that didn't stop Frank Reece from continuing to get on base. He's now hit safely if five consecutive games, though he's reached base in each of his fifteen appearances as the every day left fielder this winter. In 71 trips to the plate, Reece has hit a strong .321/.451/.464 (127 OPS+) with 2 steals, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 9 runs, 11 RBIs, and 14 walks. By walking twice as often as he's struck out (7), his 139 WRC+ is nearly 40 times better then league average, and good for second among Cougars this winter. There's still plenty of season left, but if Cienfuegos wants to win the division I think Reece's play will need to stay consistent. Batting fifth, he's behind guys who draw a lot of walks, so we'll need the former 2nd Rounder to come up big with runners on base.

[ayaghmour2]

We have a little trade news, as I made a minor trade with the Stars, sending catcher Ernie Frost their way for right handed pitcher Ollie Norris. Just 20, Norris spent his season with the now Class C Mobile Commodores, pitching okay in his eleven starts. He went 3-5 with a bit above average 5.08 ERA (107 ERA+) and a bit below average 5.67 FIP (104 FIP-). His 1.80 WHIP is on the high side, though the Gulf States League also has an elevated offensive environment like the UMVA, and he struck out 68 with 50 walks in 67.1 innings pitched. His 21.5 K% is quite impressive, though with his three pitch mix doesn't really scream big strikeout arm. He tops out at 88 with his fastball and cutter, though the best of his three pitches might be the curve. It's a good out pitch, even in its underdeveloped state, and with more polish it could be a quality weapon. He's still far off from being considered a legit pitching prospect, but he's ranked 285th overall coming into the week. The Stars were looking for a catching prospect, we had one to spare, and Norris seems like a lottery ticket worth taking, even if he wasn't my first choice.

2B Rupert Heinbaugh (Not Ranked)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945)
FABL: .500/.500/.500 (169 OPS+), 2 PA
AAA: .293/.369/.417 (118 OPS+), 501 PA, 24 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB
CWL: .303/.397/.515 (122 OPS+), 78 PA, 2 2B, 4 HR, 16 RBI

Despite being the least touted of our prospects in Cuba this winter, Rupert Heinbaugh has been one of the Crocs best players so far. Fresh off his debut as a Cougar where he was 1-for-2 in four games, Heinbaugh has upped his hit streak to ten games after a nice 3-for-5 with a run scored and driven in against the Camaguey Coyotes. This made it four straight wins for the Crocs, now a game ahead of the Stallions in the West. Heinbaugh is now hitting .303/.397/.515 (122 OPS+) with 4 homers, 16 RBIs, and a solid 11-to-7 walk-to-strikeout rate. A solid defensive infielder, Heinbaugh's best tool may actually be his arm, and I might have to start using him more at the hot corner. He has about 1,000 innings there in his minor league career, but over 2,000 at each of the middle infield spots. All 19 of his starts here have came at second, but he's actually had some struggles. I'm not too worried there, as he's done well in the minors, and with continued production he could position himself in a bench role.

Lastly, to keep my promise of not dedicating a writeup for Bob Allen every week, just want to mention he got another complete game win! Sure, this time he allowed two homers, which accounts for all three of his runs. He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5 to improve to 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA (133 ERA+).

[ayaghmour2]

The draft lottery took place today, and guess what, no luck for the Cougs! Lucky for us, the only pick I'd really care about is first, though a high second would have been nice. Instead, we pick 11th in the first two rounds, four picks lower then in the 3rd and all subsequent rounds. At least maybe if we win a lot of games next year, we'll get more lottery balls when we inevitably miss the playoffs! Granted, this is a very interesting pool, and aside from #1 pick Charlie Barrell, there really isn't much difference between the top guys. A lot of top level talent will be left whenever we pick, and I have faith we'll be able to add another top level talent. And there's a lot of great pitchers! Just have to make sure I don't reach with 11...

That's going to be tough!

CF Frank Reece (#57 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
AA: .285/.346/.460 (113 OPS+), 615 PA, 33 2B, 11 3B, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 25 SB
CWL: .337/.445/.596 (149 OPS+), 110 PA, 3 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 4 SB

Continuing to get on base early and often, Frank Reece had another great week, drawing a walk in four straight while reaching twice or more in each of those four games. Through 23 appearances he's hit an impressive .337/.445/.596 (149 OPS+), drawing 19 walks with 19 runs, 21 RBIs, and 10 extra base hits. He was extra effective in the Crocs 11-2 crushing of Havana, as Reece was 3-for-4 with a double, homer, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, and a walk. Reece has been one of our top players, leading the way in the outfield for the Cougs, and making his case for a promotion furing the 1951 season.

SS Elmer Grace (#79 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 52nd Overall (1948)
AAA: .289/.375/.476 (135 OPS+), 579 PA, 25 2B, 5 3B, 20 HR, 69 RBI
CWL: .314/.464/.674 (171 OPS+), 110 PA, 4 2B, 9 HR, 20 RBI

No one is swinging the bat better then Elmer Grace, who has homered in four of his last five games, giving him nine in 23 games for Cienfuegos so far. That's helped fuel an outstanding .314/.464/.674 (171 OPS+), and combined with a 4.2 zone rating and 1.099 efficiency, Grace has been worth almost two full wins above replacement (1.8). I shouldn't be too surprised, he was amazing in the Century League this year and led the CWL with 13 homers last season, but Grace continues to show why he deserves to be a FABL regular. The power is quite impressive, especially from a shortstop, and I expect him to finish top five in various categories once the winter season is over. He's making me really want to promote him to Chicago, but I still think we're going to be without much Grace on the roster in the near future.