Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 78

ayaghmour2 · 12-06-2024, 10:59 AM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 5-1 (1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .448 AVG, 1.346 OPS
Tom Halliday : 29 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .379 AVG, .971 OPS
Henry Watson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .360 AVG, .957 OPS

Schedule
4-17: Win vs Imperials (3-5)
4-18: Win vs Imperials (6-7)
4-19: Win at Cannons (9-3)
4-20: Loss at Cannons (6-7)
4-21: Win at Cannons (11-9)
4-22: Win at Wranglers (6-1)

Recap
Don't look now, but the Chicago Cougars are still tied for first place!
As expected, our bats were able to take advantage of the poor pitching, though that didn't stop in Cincinnati. They did give us our only loss, but in all six of our games we scored 5 or more runs. Jerry McMillan in particular handle the Cannons well, homering off both Jack Meeks and Bill Barnard. For the week, McMillan hit an impressive .448/.484/.862 (231 OPS+), adding 3 triples, 2 walks, 2 steals, and 9 runs scored. Recently turned 25, the British Columbia native is the undisputed star of the team, and he's starting to take a larger role as a leader in the clubhouse. As the leadoff hitter, he was able to set up success for Tom Halliday (11-29, 2B, 2 3B, 6 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB, SB), Gene Case (9-25, HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB), and Henry Watson (9-25, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI, BB, SB). Even Jim Barton (7-20, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB) has gotten into the fun, as our young core has gotten off to a tremendous start.

Our reliable ace has benefitted from it twice, though in both starts 1961 All-Star Andy Logue impressed. Sure, he allowed homers in both, but he held the Imperials to 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk, striking out 2 across 6 in their first FABL game. He followed that up with a complete game win in Dallas, allowing just 8 hits, a run, and a walk with 3 more strikeouts. A perfect 2-0, Logue sports a 2.40 ERA (203 ERA+) and 1.13 WHIP, and is expected to open our weekend series in LA with the co-leading Saints. The rest of the rotation didn't have much success, but John Mitchell was crucial in our 9-3 win in Cincinnati. The now 25-year-old allowed just 4 hits, a run, and 3 walks, striking out 2 in 8 impressive innings. A quality innings eater, he helped recover the pen with a long outing, as Roy Ellis (5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) struggled the day before, and Hank Walker (L, 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Luckily we have Pug White (2 SV, 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K) and Arch Wilson (1-0, HLD, 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K) in the pen to win the close games the first iteration of the Cougars struggled with. Seeing Pug pitch in four games was big, as even without a quality third pitch he can overpower once or maybe twice through the lineup.

Chappy Sanders had a mixed debut week, as while he was just 5-for-22, three of his hits were for extra bases. Our young catcher was held hitless in his debut, but he improved as the week went on. He got his first hit in game two, a triple in game there, and then homers in the fourth and fifth. He's starting to quickly make an impact on the team showing the power he displayed in the spring is legit. The young lefty also impressed in his one start in left, a position he's quite capable in. It's nice being able to give him a half day off there, potentially allowing him to play around 135 games a season. Chappy wasn't the only debut either, as 27-year-old reliever Phil Means struck out one in four perfect at bats of our 11 inning sweep capping off win. He got a win in his third appearance, ironically the worst of his starts. He surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs, aided by his second and third homer allowed. Means is lucky none of the pitchers I wanted came to me, so he'll hang out for at least another full week. Other debuts include catchers Bill Plunkett (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) and Milt Payne (1-5, R), both who got starts behind the plate.

We did make a new acquisition, but I'm not going to assign the recently claimed William Buttry. A former 6th Round Pick of the Kings, I was interested in the drafting the infielder in 1949, and on many occasions inquired on him in trades. The 30-year-old version isn't quite what I envisioned, but he's still a solid defender. An option for shortstop, he'll give us some more versatility on the bench, and give us a quality baserunner who works the count and frustrates pitchers. The former Star and King owns a .272/.304/.407 (93 OPS+) FABL line, picking up 61 doubles, 12 triples, 34 homers, 156 runs, and 167 RBIs. Best at third, he can cover second, short, and first, and depending on other claims, he'll replace one of the catchers or first basemen.

Looking Ahead
One more with the Dallas Wranglers, who are actually 3-2 in games that aren't against us. They took two-of-three from the Saints and one from the Cannons, but since we don't face Butch Abrams (1-0, 8 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 BB, 4 K) I'm not too worried. Instead, we'll get former Cougar Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72), who made 39 appearances (10 starts) for the 1953 Cougars. The then 31-year-old was 7-5 with 3 saves, but his 5.48 ERA (76 ERA+) left a lot to be desired. He walked and struck out 49 in 110 innings, sporting a 1.45 WHIP and 4.59 FIP (110 FIP-) that gave some cause for optimism. Granted, the Cougs shipped him away for a minor league infielder, and he spent the next six years with the Miners. Moulton went 58-62 with a 4.12 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP, but was one of many pitchers left unprotected by Pittsburgh. He's not likely to get much run support, but another former Miner Bill Harbin (.259, 5, 19, 3) has gotten off to a great start (.368, 2, 2, 1). Ray Hughes (.182, 1, 10, 1) is the only other guy doing much on offense, and he's just 7-for-19 with a double and three walks. Roy Ellis is in need of a bounce back, and he should have no trouble with this lineup.

We return for a quick homestand, hosting the San Francisco Sailors for three. 2nd place last year, they're just 2-4, but it's not because of their pitching. New acquisitions Hank Lacey (6.2, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and Zane Kelley (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) picked up wins in their first games with their new team, matching the two wins Wolf Zeke Blake picked up for Toronto. They've allowed tied for the second fewest runs as a team, but the offense just hasn't been scoring any runs. Some guys aren't effected, as Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) and Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) are doing as expected, but John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) hasn't done much aside from his two homers. The Sailors were one of many teams to debut a top 10 prospect as well, as the 6th ranked Ernie Carter went 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Just 21, he's a great infielder and good outfielder, and while his bat has some developing, he's already a top third basemen. Paired with Spitler and Jaramillo, this infield should get a ton of outs, as aside from Spitler's range (3), all the defensive ratings are 4 and over. The outfield defense is good too, hence the low run totals, so we will have to make the most of our opportunities.
That or taking advantage of the longball!

Back on the road after that, but at least it will end our 13-game streak to start the season. It's a series that could be for first place, as we'll be in LA for three with the Stars. Another team that can hit a lot of home runs, Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) already has three, and leadoff man and 1960 Kellogg winner Don Hall (.271, 25, 80) is one of three hitters with two homers. The Stars also have former Chicago Panther Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), who has committed to playing baseball full time. It's a tough pitching staff to compliment the lineup too, and we're in line to have our best face their best. I'm nervous about facing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87), and 22-year-old Sy Dunn (16-5, 3.34, 136) was excellent in his first y ear as a starter. #3 Floyd Warner (13-12, 4.74, 122) isn't as scary, but we'll need to score a lot of runs to keep up. It's still way too early to think about the playoffs, but when you're in first place, series like this are huge, and wins against contenders are big regardless of the situation.

ayaghmour2 · 12-07-2024, 06:34 PM

Weekly Record: 1-5
Seasonal Record: 7-6 (t-5th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jim Barton : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .346 AVG, .947 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .985 OPS
Gene Case : 22 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, .619 OPS

Schedule
4-23: Loss at Wranglers (1-5)
4-24: Win vs Sailors (1-4): 10 innings
4-25: Win vs Sailors (4-5)
4-26: Loss vs Sailors (6-2)
4-27: Loss at Stars (1-2): 10 innings
4-28: Loss at Stars (2-5)
4-29: Loss at Stars (3-5)

Recap
As expected, the wheels fell off very quickly, as our 5-win week was quickly followed up by a 5-loss one. As disappointing as it may feel, 7-6 is really exactly where I expected to be as we approach May, so we're right on track as I return to control in 1962. Losing to Dallas sucked, and getting swept by the Stars sucked even more, but we were on the road for both. In Chicago, we took two of three from the Sailors, winning a pair of one-run games, so really the only thing I'm disappointed in is the 2-1 loss to the Stars. Andy Logue was brilliant, allowing just 5 hits and a run with 5 strikeouts, completing 6 strong innings before giving way to Pug White. White gave us 2 scoreless with 2 strikeouts and Arch Wilson got a scoreless ninth. That should have been enough for a win, but we couldn't solve the Stars pitching. The trend continued in the 10th, but backup catcher Ron Johnston led off the bottom half with a bomb off Wilson, giving them momentum they'd use to start the sweep.

Logue was easily our most effective pitcher, but John Mitchell was excellent in our 4-1 win over the Sailors. Unfortunately, he almost had a shutout, but instead ended with a no decision. Pitching into the 9th, Mitchell allowed young backstop Larry McLaren to start the inning with a double. He got to third on a passed ball, though thankfully there was on scoring on a flyout to Watson in right. With the infield in, Tom Halliday gunned McLaren out at home, though instead of Mitchell getting to get the last out, Buck Cuppett went to Arch Wilson. It didn't work, he walked Edwin Hackberry on four pitches, and then allowed John Kingsbury to break the tie with an RBI single. With runners on second and third, Wilson walked Heinie Spitler to load the bases, and got a quick flyout to end the inning. We didn't score in the bottom half, so despite 8.2 innings of 7 hits, 1 run, and 3 walk, ball (with 4 strikeouts), Mitchell did not receive a win. Arch managed to poach it, as an 0-for-4 Jerry McMillan sent the fans home happy with a 2-out, 3-run homer.

It was McMillan's third homer of the season, and he hit his fourth in our 6-2 loss to finish the series. Off to an excellent start, he went 8-for-24 this week, slashing an incredible .396/.429/.755 (198 OPS+) with a double, 3 triples, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 13 runs, and 3 steals. As good, if not better, then advertised, McMillan has done his best to spark the lineup, leading to strong performances from some of our best players. That includes Jim Barton, who joined his outfielder counterpart with a 2-homer week. Barton was 9-for-26, now hitting a strong .348/.375/.565 (139 OPS+) with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. This week, the duo didn't have as much support, but both Gene Case (.319, 1, 7, 3) and Tom Halliday (.321, 9, 1) are off to nice starts at the plate. Despite that, the rest of the lineup has really struggled, as we've been held to the 7th most runs in the CA. Chappy Sanders saw a quick drop-off, just 1-for-23, but guess what? That one was a homer! In fact, half of his six hits have left the park, but he's got 11 strikeouts to just a single walk, with a .133/.152/.378 (31 OPS+) line that looks like a member of his staff.

Unlike most Cougar teams I've had, the strength of the pitching has been the pen, as three of our rotation members have ERAs over 7 while all four pen members are under. The highest is Phil Means' 3.60 (127 ERA+), and that metric is still over 25% then average. Arch Wilson (2-1, 1.42, 3) has just one earned run, Pug White (1-0, 2, 1.93, 12) three, and even 34-year-old Bob Burdick (0-0, 3.18, 4) has looked good in a small sample. I was not able to claim any of the many players I tried to add, so for now it looks like this four man group is here to stay. Part of me wants to claim "Half-Pint" Ray Paulson, my former 5th Rounder, who they recently DFA'd. Paulson got all four batters he faced out, including a strikeout, and he's pitched in parts of four seasons for the Gothams. The results have been uninspiring, 28 hits, 15 runs, and 9 walks with 13 strikeouts in 31 innings. I love his leadership abilities and I love bringing old Cougars home, but with how good Means has been, I'm not sure it's worth disrupting that. His stuff is worse then Means and his stamina lower then Burdick, so aside from sentimentality it doesn't seem worth it. Luckily, I have until Monday night to decide!

I did have to make a roster move, as I had to find someone to send down for William Buttry. Buttry, who was claimed off waivers from the Stars last week, gives us another warm body for shortstop. A skilled situational player, he's a quality third basemen due to his plus-plus arm, and he's one of the toughest guys to strikeout. Late in game he gives us defensive flexibility, a quality baserunner, and a guy who can put the ball in play. He won't hit for a high average or much power, but if you need someone to move a batter over, he'll do his best to accomplish that. He'll now take the spot of the 34-year-old Moe Holt, who graciously accepted an optional assignment to Milwaukee. Another former Star, Holt was a regular for four seasons , two in New York, two in LA, and joined the Cougars in a 1955 offseason deal. He got two seasons as a starter too, but the four following seasons saw his playing time decrease, and if he finishes with 3 PAs (0-3) this year he'll keep that trend up. The optional assignment may not be too long, Billy Thompson (1-9, BB) hasn't hit much and is taking away time from Byron Burnett, but for now I want to stick with him and his glove, as I get Bobby Martinez more comfortable in center. Thompson is the superior defender, so sending him down would move Martinez back to right. I want him getting at least a month here, so Thompson has some time to get his bat back on track.

Looking Ahead
We're off on the final day of April, meaning we'll enter May 7-6 with a quick homestand. It's a tough one too, as we'll host the three time pennant winning Foresters, who are 8-5 and a game ahead of us and a game behind the first place tie. Regardless of how the first few months go, I'd still bet on the Foresters winning the CA, as they have a great lineup and staff, with very few weaknesses on the roster. With an off-day of their own, they'll likely skip their 5th starter too, leaving us with #4 Sonny Stoyer (1-0, 6.23, 10) in the opener, before facing the co-aces Jake Pearson (2-0, 2.35, 23) and Adrian Czerwinski (1-1, 5.56, 16). Czerwinski is still the elite pitcher he was when we left him, and they've gotten a decade of quality from Rufus Barrell (3-0, 2.62, 9) behind him. That alone would be enough to compete, but the offense is great. Former Whitney winner Sherry Doyal (.333, 3, 8, 1) now bats seventh, as past winners Earl Howe (.224, 1, 7), Tom Carr (.250, 7), and last year's winner John Low (.400, 3, 14) bat ahead of him. Paul Williams (.286, 7) is good enough to have won one in the past, and Hal Kennedy (.422, 3, 14) is the best catcher in the game. If you line us up player-for-player, our only edge is in the pen, as Pug White is far better then Johnny Ogden (0-3, 3, 4.15, 12), and former Forester Arch Wilson probably has the edge. But since baseball isn't determined by soley your top two relievers, expect most if not all the wins between these two teams to go to the team without a pennant drought.

In terms of competition, it gets easier, as while we will have to hit the road, our destination will be Montreal. At 4-9, the Saints are in 9th place, ahead of just the 2-11 New York Imperials. If you thought our rotation had ugly ERAs, there's are even worse, as 27-year-old Jerry Duncan's (2-1, 5.40, 9) 5.40 ERA (85 ERA+) is best among pitchers with 9 innings pitched. You can thank Bob Nelson (0-0, 2.08, 6) and Cliff Dinger (0-0, SV, 2.16, 9) have more then 8 but fewer then 9 innings, providing a quick haven from the runs in the pen. They have been scoring a bunch, surprisingly 4th in runs scored, as former Cougar 6th Rounder Art Robbins, who I totally forgot I drafted in the 6th Round. Aside from one of the AI GMs sending him to Montreal for Bert Cupid, it was a great pick, as Robbins was an All-Star in 1957, and is hitting an outstanding .422/.490/.711 (203 OPS+) in his first 51 PAs. Obviously, this isn't sustainable, but Art is a quality defender and career .266/.318/.411 (99 OPS+) hitter in 861 FABL games. If they decide to sell, he could be a heavily targeted piece, with other options outfielder Jim Johnston (.306, 2 4), former Cougar Garland Phelps (.306, 1, 6), and desperate change-of-scenery candidate Jim Montgomery (1-2, 7.41, 13). On paper, we should be winning this one easily, and while it's not a brand new stadium, it will be my first trip with the team to the Stade Memorial. Long gone are the days of the spacious Parc Cartier, as we'll look to hit plenty of poor pitches over the outfield fences.

Minor League Report
LF Dode Caudill (AA Little Rock Governors): It almost never happens this way, but our first Player of the Week happens to be our first ranked prospect! Up to 21st in the league after making a jump due to defensive improvements, it was the bat of Dode Caudill that caught the eye of the Dixie League voters. Named Player of the Week on his 23rd birthday, Caudill hit .438/.571/.1.000 (318 OPS+) with 3 homers, 7 RBIs, 5 walks, and 2 steals. Our first rounder in 1960, he made huge strides defensively in the offseason, and while I still don't trust him in center, he could play that well. With his arm, he might be best in right, but the more obvious spot in our outfield is left. Barton is technically the weakest link, and both Watson and McMillan have stronger arms then Caudill. Caudill might have the most power potential, as it's already evident now and still has room to improve. It's probably at the level of Barton and McMillan right now, with just Watson showing more now. Add in pitch recognition skills, discipline, and a strong contract tool, and you've got a potential middle-of-the-rotation hitter. Dixie thinks he'll be better then any of our non-McMillan outfielders, and part of that is likely due to our Canadians defensive prowess. I have extremely high hopes for our top prospect, who's probably FABL ready today, and it would take a legit superstar for me to part with him. Though as big league ready as he is, don't expect him in Chicago this season, as this week was his first five games in AA, and there's no need to rush him up to a bench role.

3B Bob Brown (B San Jose Cougars): The other Player of the Week for the organization, it came from an extremely unlikely source. Taken in the 16th Round last season, Bob Brown got into just 18 games, half in La Crosse, half in San Jose, and the now 19-year-old made just a single start in his first half-season. This year, he's been given the starting third base job for the baby Cougars, and he's already been better then he was last year. Brown went 6-for-16, providing San Jose with 6 runs, 6 RBIs, and 4 walks. Only one of his hits wasn't for extra bases, as he has a double, triple, and three home runs. This all equates to a highly unusual .375/.524/1.125 (331 OPS+) batting line that even a superstar like Dallas Berry or Buddy Miller might not be able to match. An unheralded prospect, I didn't even know who he was before today, but perhaps he deserves a second look. A quality second and third basemen, he's got an advanced eye, great speed, and a cannon of an arm, but there's not much to suggest his recent success will lead to a FABL career. Still, there's something to be said about performance, and this 5-game sample may do him wonders whenever it's time to trim the edges of the organization.

ayaghmour2 · 12-10-2024, 05:05 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 11-8 (t-4th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Tom Halliday : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .409 AVG, .955 OPS
Mooney Vetter : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .409 AVG, .889 OPS
Archie Wilson : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-1: Win vs Foresters (6-9)
5-2: Loss vs Foresters (4-1): 11 innings
5-3: Loss vs Foresters (1-0): 10 innings
5-4: Win at Saints (5-3)
5-5: Win at Saints (6-3)
5-6: Win at Saints (6-4)

Recap
As expected, we struggled against the Foresters and succeeded against the Saints, but I was very impressed with how competitive we were hosting the Foresters. We took care of business, getting nine off Les Hanauer (0-2, 6.02, 16) and Lynn Horn (0-0, 1, 5.68, 6), and in both of our losses the defending pennant winners needed extra innings to dispatch of us. We just had the misfortune of facing Adrian Czerwinski (1-1, 4.50, 21) and Jake Pearson (3-0, 1.64, 25), the latter of which fashioned a 5-hit shutout. He struck out and walked two in ten impressive innings, as Henry Watson (2-4) and Jim Barton (3-4, 2B) were just too far apart in the lineup to make a difference. Andy Logue (6.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 6 BB, 3 K) and Roy Ellis (6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K) both pitched well enough to win, and it's a shame that they didn't get wins to go with them. It would have been nice to see these guys pitch deeper into their starts, but long gone are the days where Peter the Heater, Duke Bybee, and the Jones Brothers could all throw complete game victories despite allowing a run or two.

Against lesser competition, the offense had better luck, getting 5 or more runs in each game of our sweep. A lot of our success can be attributed to the top ranked pitching staff, as believe it our not our aceless rotation has allowed the fewest runs in baseball. Only Hank Walker had poor starts, as the outspoken 29-year-old allowed 4 runs in both of his starts. We managed to win both, with Walker himself picking up the victory in Montreal. He allowed 9 hits and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings, pitching well enough to get it to the pen. Surprisingly, Bob Burdick got the call, but the veteran righty managed to pick up his second save. Pitching the 8th and 9th, he avoided runs despite two hits and walks, capping off our sweep. The first win came in the opener, following an outstanding John Mitchell start. The 25-year-old went 8 innings with 8 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 7 before ceding control to Burdick in the 9th. With a 5-3 lead, he walked just one in a scoreless 9th, pushing our record back over .500. The middle game was Bob Allen's best start of the season, as my former 1st Rounder allowed 7 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 6 innings. He didn't get a decision, as he left down 1-0. Pug White then made it 3-0, allowing 2 in the 8th, a rare misstep for our solid stopper. He allowed 4 hits and a walk, striking out 2 in 2 innings of work.

Obviously we won, but the 9th inning is still worth retelling, as our offense showed fight I didn't expect. Down 3-0 against the starter who stifled them all game, backup catcher Bill Plunkett drew his second walk of the game, and thankfully he was quickly replaced by Buddy Byrd, who grounded into a fielder's choice. It was a huge upgrade, as we took our catcher off the bases and added one of the top baserunners in the league. His skills weren't needed, as Chuck Droste (0-4, 5.52, 15) walked both Chappy Sanders and Jerry McMillan to load the bases. Even with the walk being on four pitches, Montreal skipper Lynn Gray stuck with his starter, setting up a duel with Tom Halliday. It was a quick one, as Halliday pounced on the first pitch and singled over the second basemen.

At this point, Gray went to the pen, bringing in Chicagoan Bob Nelson (0-0, 1, 3.68, 10) for the save. The 22-year-old righty had to deal with the lefty Gene Case, who brought us within one with a single over the third basemen. Bases still loaded, 23-year-old All-Star Henry Watson had a chance to break the tie, and he roped one the fly to right. With three great baserunners, everyone was able to score, and Watson slid in easily with a base clearing triple. Jim Barton worked a 3-2 count before getting called looking, but third basemen Mooney Vetter picked him up with an RBI single. Up 6-0, Bill Plunkett got to finish what he started, flying out to shallow center to end the inning. Instead of Pug, Arch Wilson got the 9th, and it started poor when Fred Jones singled on the first pitch. Lucky for us, Arch works best with runners on, as his groundball often end in double plays. Over excited, Al Bennett fell victim to one, quickly quashing the Montreal rally. Bill Elkins offered little resistance with two gone, hitting one to Case at first to go down easy. An impressive win, we'll need to use that energy to keep us going, with tougher games scheduled ahead.

Looking Ahead
The Canadian roadtrip continues and finishes with Toronto, where we'll play three at Dominion Stadium with the 3rd Place Wolves. At 12-7, they're just a game back of the Kings, but dropping two of three to us would allow us to pass them. A sweep of us, however, could do well to put them on top, as Toronto will look to throw George Hoxworth (3-0, 3.09, 24) in the opener to get a head start. After that, we won't have to deal with a top arm, instead getting former Cougar draftee Mike Emerson (2-2, 7.33, 9) and top 100 prospect Bill Medley (0-4, 5.04, 18). Medley is an exciting prospect, and could be a quality rotation arm soon, but I think the 21-year-old righty may need more experience in the minors. He threw just 7 innings in AAA last season, which was also the first year he pitched above A-ball. But with the way Tom Reed (.453, 4, 14, 1) has been hitting so far, it doesn't really matter who's pitched, and he's supported well in the outfield with Jim Allen (.324, 3, 7) and Sid Cullen (.324, 4, 11). Another hero from him is an old friend, as our former 11th Rounder Charlie Harvey has hit ..373/.449/.458 (131 OPS+) in 69 trips to the plate. Obviously, it's a small sample, but Harvey did have a 109 WRC+ last season, and despite his defensive flaws he's been helping the Wolves score a lot of runs. Despite all the runs, I'm not too scared of this lineup, and since we get the top of our rotation I'm confident in getting the results we need.

It won't get easier after that, as we'll have to deal with the first place Kings before our Sunday offday. Homefield advantage may not be a good thing, as I don't want Hank Williams (.371, 7, 16) taking advantage of our short fences. With guys like him, Al Farmer (.325, 5, 16), and Ken Newman (.311, 2, 17, 3) the back of our rotation could be in trouble, as they can all go deep. Newman is dealing with an elbow injury, which could limit his effectiveness, but this lineup is deep enough to survive that and the struggles of Illinois native Charlie Rogers (.221, 1, 3, 3). Bob Burge (.310, 1, 13) looks comfortable in the starting catcher role, and if reigning Kellogg winner Pat Davis (.342, 12, 6) is still homerless when we meet, he'll certainly get one against us. The 24-year-old hit 19 of them last season, but more impressively he provided the Kings with 33 doubles, 33 steals, and a Continental high 17 triples. Even without a homer, he has a 127 WRC+ and .507 slugging, legging out 5 triples with a pair of doubles, 6 walks, and 13 runs scored. Even if the staff has question marks, they're having results better then pretty much everyone but us, and our lineup doesn't come anywhere close to theirs. It will be a tough series for sure, and I would not be surprised if we lost more of these then we won.

Minor League Report
RHP Ken Stone (AAA Milwaukee Blues): If he was still a prospect, Ken Stone would be the clear #1 in our system, as the 22-year-old righty has the most upside of any pitcher in our system, and Dixie Marsh basically says he's our best starter now and forever. A 2nd Rounder in 1957, Stone could be a throwback ace, able to pitch effectively deep into games. Of course, he can also get you out quickly, as he managed a 1-hit, 3-strikeout shutout with just 76 pitches. 76! The Blues have been awful this year, so that 1-0 shutout led to win #4 on the year, as Stone himself improved to 1-2 despite allowing just 2 runs or fewer in three of his four starts. Ranked as high as 14th on the prospect list, Stone's got a lethal curve that's among the best in the league, and with an excellent mid-to-high 90s fastball that pairs perfectly with a nifty change. Add in two more fastballs for fun and Stone can really overpower, but what makes him a perfect fit for Chicago is his ability to keep the ball on the ground. From a sidearm slot, he's tough to elevate, and he may be one of the few pitchers to keep homers low in Chicago. The last thing he's working out now is the command, as in his first two seasons in Chicago he gave hitters too many punishable pitches. While not wild, there was too much middle/middle, and aside from his first AAA start, he's done well to limit that down in Milwaukee. If all goes well, 1962 will be his first and only year of optional assignment, and he can play a key part in our future rotations for seasons to come.

CF Wayne Wilson (AA Little Rock Governors): We've done well with Player of the Week awards, as Wayne Wilson took home another in the Dixie League. The 22-year-old outfielder hit a strong 10-for-26 with a double, triple, 5 homers, and 12 RBIs. The most impressive part is that he twisted his ankle on the first, and all five homers came after the incident. This included a three game streak and two in a 9-3 win over the Reliables to end the week, upping his season line to a spectacular .295/.354/.795 (201 OPS+) in 12 games. He entered the week with a home run, and now has 9 extra base hits in 48 plate appearances. The former Stars 11th Rounder is striking out a fair bit, already 8 on the year, but he's countered it with four walks, and obviously, the power. A big 6'4'' lefty, he's the type of guy you expect to hit a lot of homers, but what makes him exciting is his athleticism. He's got outstanding range in the outfield, even if he isn't the fastest guy out there. Sure, we have more exciting outfield options ahead of him, but he could already fill a 5th outfielder role, and his presence allows us to feel comfortable trading more desirable prospects if we choose.

CF Orlando Benitez (B San Jose Cougars): Regardless of how the week went, I was going to cover Orlando Benitez, but to force my hand the 19-year-old went out and won himself a Player of the Week. One of my favorite prospects, the Cuban born outfielder was the Cougars first rounder last year, and ranks 55th on the prospect list. He'd hit as you'd expect a highly regarded youngster to hit, 12-for-21 with 2 doubles, triples, homers, and steals. The award winner added on 4 walks, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs, and is now hitting .436/.500/.744 (232 OPS+) in a near perfect start to his first pro season. A toolsy prospect with work ethic questions, there is no denying the natural talent, as despite his size he's a prospect evaluators dream. He's got top line speed which should lead to lop line defense, and he's got a plus-plus arm at third to go with the outfield. I don't expect him to get much time on the dirt, but he'd be capable at the hot corner, and his raw power would play there. He's got an enticing hit tool too, capable of maintaining high averages with more then just singles. The only question left now is how much he wants to be a star, as there will always be questions about the aforementioned work ethic. You don't have to be the hardest worker in the world to succeed, but if at some point the competition catches up to him, he'll be faced with the dilemma of working for improvement.

RHP Art Ozbun (B San Jose Cougars): One thing the AI loved doing is releasing guys right after they were drafted, and in the case of former 10th Rounder Art Ozburn, we were the one that eventually profited. To be fair, we released him once too, but after bringing him back the day after he was cut by the Eagles (for the third time) we snapped him up. I don't plan on cutting him any time soon, as the 21-year-old has a five rated fastball and slider with a four change for fun. There's a middling cutter too, but in the high 90s almost anything is tough to hit. I mean, tell the Vancouver Mounties that it's only a "three" after he sliced through their lineup in San Jose's 2-0 win. The young righty allowed just 4 hits, striking out 12 in a thorough domination. Most impressively, he didn't walk a single batter, with just one in his first 15.1 innings. With his stuff I'm already salivating about his future, as if he can just make any progress with his movement or control he's going to be legit.

Obviously Pug White has filthy stuff, but I honestly don't see another guy with better stuff then Oz. Sure the other eight guys are at least twice the pitcher he is, but that just shows you how lucky we are to have a guy like him. At his absolute worst, he's got FABL stuff you can stash in the pen, as I'd like to see Jim Barton, Mooney Vetter, and Buddy Byrd to try to start a rally against this guy. He's really tough to put bat to ball against, and with his "always loose as a goose" personality, the fireballing Oz has elite fireman written all over him. That's a great fallback plan, and a areal knock on the overall prospect rankings. He just finally entered the top 500, ranked 494th and 29th in our system. Aside from Ken Stone and maybe Henry Henderson, there's not another guy in this farm I'd trade Oz for, and since I actually have a chance to develop him, he may feel like my first real prospect. It's definitely going to take sometime for the team to feal truly like mine, but as evident with Oz here, it's pretty easy for these 1s and 0s to act and feel like real life ballplayers.

ayaghmour2 · 12-11-2024, 06:44 PM

Taking a break until next Monday as our commish will be out of town. Might be a few more missed sims sprinkled in with the holiday. Maybe I'll have time to get some of those yearly recaps done.

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 16-9 (t-1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Jim Barton : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.082 OPS
Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .360 AVG, .945 OPS
Mooney Vetter : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .348 AVG, .739 OPS

Schedule
5-7: Win at Wolves (6-2)
5-8: Win at Wolves (4-2)
5-9: Win at Wolves (9-6): 16 innings
5-10: Win vs Kings (6-9)
5-11: Win vs Kings (2-3)
5-12: Loss vs Kings (7-1)

Recap
Well would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place!

Sure, it's just a tie for the lead, but we won eight straight before Elmer Sullivan (9 IP, 8 H, 3 RR, BBM 2 K) and the Kings finally stopped our streak in the finale of our home series. Of course it's those same Kings we are tied with, so we actually took over first place for a day. It was a strange game, from the fact that Sullivan pitched so well to Andy Logue's (5.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, K) first bad start of 1962, and with both teams off on Sunday we opened the week in an even split. In most cases it was the pen that got the job done, with most of the best results coming there. Pug White was a big part of four wins, picking up 3 saves and a hold. In 6.2 scoreless innings he allowed 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Arch Wilson (IP, H, BB, 2 K) wasn't needed much, but Phil Means (6.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) and Bob Burdick (W, 6.2, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K) pitched well in what almost amounts to a start. Eight of our nine pitchers threw at least six innings, as it was really a team effort to take advantage of our opponents.

Traditional starters had success too, as both Roy Ellis and Hank Walker pitched as advertised. Ellis got the Wolves, going 6.2 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts, leaving with exactly 100 pitches. After a rough start the day after Opening Day, he's now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. We'll get him for two starts this week, and our ability to stay atop the standing will rely on him. Walker is in line for just one start, and it might be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Easily his best start of the season, Walker held the tough Kings lineup to just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. He struck out 6 in 6 innings, picking up the tight 3-2 win to secure the series. Despite his 5.72 ERA (76 ERA+), the 29-year-old vet is 2-1, striking out 17 with 11 walks in 28.1 innings. He's been hurt by the base hit often this season, allowing more hits then innings in all five of his starts. If it's only a few more, you can live with it, but he's lived reckless with runners on, and it's not the strategy for success.

Jim Barton gave another strong showing, including a 3-for-3 with a double and RBI in our 9-6 win over the Kings. On the week he was 8-for-19, hitting his 4th homer of the season. The recently turned 26-year-old has hit .337/.359/.517 (126 OPS+) in the first month of the season, trying to prove he's not the weak link in our stacked outfield. Another guy who had quality at bats was Gene Case, who was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, a walk, a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Chappy Sanders continued to hit extra base hits, as while he was just 4-for-17 he had a double and homer. I wish our potential catcher of the future wasn't hitting just .130, but he has a 12.5 BB% and six extra base hits in 88 trips to the plate. His problem is he's striking out too much, a poor 23.9 K% so far, but while the good times keep rolling there's no read to tamper with the formula. For one reason or another, we're 16-9, and until the Foresters (15-10, 1 GB) eventually catch us it will be fun to try to compete for a pennant in the return year. We were not competitive in the beginning back in 1926, so it's almost like getting a do over on the first FABL year.

Oh yeah... And Pat Davis' first homer of the season??? It came against us! Told ya!

Looking Ahead
Refreshed and relaxed, we'll make a quick trip to New York, to play the tied for last place Imperials for three. 6-19 like the Saints, The Imps have been active making acquisitions, and one of their best acquisitions has been that of Marv Rafalko. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Cannons, and and in the three starts since he's looked like a potential long-term piece. A former 2nd Round selection of the Miners, Fafalko has a 1.48 ERA (298 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts with just 8 walks in 24.1 innings pitched. With the off day we may miss him, but the former 97th ranked prospect could end the season towards the top of their rotation. Guys like Hank Short (0-3, 3.78, 17) and former Cougar 2nd Rounder Ernie Tisdale (1-2, 3.69, 17) could be shipped away for prospects, while Illinois native Willie Dieter (.315, 4, 9) has displayed value in the corner outfield. One guy I don't want them to trade is team home run leader Turk Ramsey (.272, 6, 12), who gave himself an early 27th birthday gift with a solo homer off the Cannons Jimmy Block (1-2, 5.23, 19). Turk has some of the best power in the league, and it would be really cool for someone from the inaugural team to hold longstanding career records for the franchise.

After the quick trip we're back in Chicago for six, four of which we'll play this week. The last one will be the start of a series with the Wranglers, while we host the Cincinnati Cannons for three games from Thursday to Saturday. One of the top offenses in the league, I'm worried about Dallas Berry (.329, 8, 23, 5), who already has a 216 WRC+ in just over 100 PAs. One of the most dangerous players in the league, he's on pace for a whopping 49 homers, 148 walks, and 31 steals, all of which should be among the league's high. The young trio ahead of him is allowing him a shot at an RBI title, as Milt Senecal (.313, 4, 8, 3), Bonnie Chpain (.281, 3, 12), and Babe Booth (.284, 9) have been on base for him. Behind him, Art McKinney (.286, 5, 18) and Charlie Ham (.294, 5, 10, 1) can really mash, so no matter who is pitching, we'll have our share of troubles. The guy who is doing the best is Chicagoan Charlie Warren (4-1, 2.29, 23), who we are looking lucky enough to miss. I do expect ace Jim York (2-2, 4.67, 19) in the finale, and he will give our lineup some fits. He's a bit wild, and if we punish his mistakes at our park, we could get some nice short homers.

We only have one with Dallas this week, but since we're taking a little break I might as well touch on them now. 13-12, they've been competitive for an expansion team, with quality outings rom their pitching. Four of their starters have an above average ERA+, including former Cougar Sid Moulton (3-2, 2.87, 16), one of the many Miner pitchers that were lost. More interesting is Butch Abrams (3-1, 3.41, 9), as the former Pioneer threw back-to-back shutouts of the Wolves and Sailors. They don't do much hitting, and as of their most recent game a 38-year-old hitting below .050 bats leadoff, so at our park expect us to keep their run totals low. One guy to look out for is catcher Tom Leisher, who has hit .304/.360/.468 (112 OPS+) in 86 trips to the plate. Playing in parts of six seasons for the Chiefs and Sailors, Leisher never did much hitting, though he never got more then 200 PAs to show what he could do. This year he has a chance to surpass the 190 from his 1960 season with the Sailor, and without sparse catching talent can be, he could be an intriguing trade candidate.

ayaghmour2 · 12-11-2024, 11:06 PM

Taking a break until next Monday as our commish will be out of town. Might be a few more missed sims sprinkled in with the holiday. Maybe I'll have time to get some of those yearly recaps done.

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 16-9 (t-1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Jim Barton : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.082 OPS
Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .360 AVG, .945 OPS
Mooney Vetter : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .348 AVG, .739 OPS

Schedule
5-7: Win at Wolves (6-2)
5-8: Win at Wolves (4-2)
5-9: Win at Wolves (9-6): 16 innings
5-10: Win vs Kings (6-9)
5-11: Win vs Kings (2-3)
5-12: Loss vs Kings (7-1)

Recap
Well would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place!

Sure, it's just a tie for the lead, but we won eight straight before Elmer Sullivan (9 IP, 8 H, 3 RR, BBM 2 K) and the Kings finally stopped our streak in the finale of our home series. Of course it's those same Kings we are tied with, so we actually took over first place for a day. It was a strange game, from the fact that Sullivan pitched so well to Andy Logue's (5.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, K) first bad start of 1962, and with both teams off on Sunday we opened the week in an even split. In most cases it was the pen that got the job done, with most of the best results coming there. Pug White was a big part of four wins, picking up 3 saves and a hold. In 6.2 scoreless innings he allowed 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Arch Wilson (IP, H, BB, 2 K) wasn't needed much, but Phil Means (6.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) and Bob Burdick (W, 6.2, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K) pitched well in what almost amounts to a start. Eight of our nine pitchers threw at least six innings, as it was really a team effort to take advantage of our opponents.

Traditional starters had success too, as both Roy Ellis and Hank Walker pitched as advertised. Ellis got the Wolves, going 6.2 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts, leaving with exactly 100 pitches. After a rough start the day after Opening Day, he's now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. We'll get him for two starts this week, and our ability to stay atop the standing will rely on him. Walker is in line for just one start, and it might be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Easily his best start of the season, Walker held the tough Kings lineup to just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. He struck out 6 in 6 innings, picking up the tight 3-2 win to secure the series. Despite his 5.72 ERA (76 ERA+), the 29-year-old vet is 2-1, striking out 17 with 11 walks in 28.1 innings. He's been hurt by the base hit often this season, allowing more hits then innings in all five of his starts. If it's only a few more, you can live with it, but he's lived reckless with runners on, and it's not the strategy for success.

Jim Barton gave another strong showing, including a 3-for-3 with a double and RBI in our 9-6 win over the Kings. On the week he was 8-for-19, hitting his 4th homer of the season. The recently turned 26-year-old has hit .337/.359/.517 (126 OPS+) in the first month of the season, trying to prove he's not the weak link in our stacked outfield. Another guy who had quality at bats was Gene Case, who was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, a walk, a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Chappy Sanders continued to hit extra base hits, as while he was just 4-for-17 he had a double and homer. I wish our potential catcher of the future wasn't hitting just .130, but he has a 12.5 BB% and six extra base hits in 88 trips to the plate. His problem is he's striking out too much, a poor 23.9 K% so far, but while the good times keep rolling there's no read to tamper with the formula. For one reason or another, we're 16-9, and until the Foresters (15-10, 1 GB) eventually catch us it will be fun to try to compete for a pennant in the return year. We were not competitive in the beginning back in 1926, so it's almost like getting a do over on the first FABL year.

Oh yeah... And Pat Davis' first homer of the season??? It came against us! Told ya!

Looking Ahead
Refreshed and relaxed, we'll make a quick trip to New York, to play the tied for last place Imperials for three. 6-19 like the Saints, The Imps have been active making acquisitions, and one of their best acquisitions has been that of Marv Rafalko. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Cannons, and and in the three starts since he's looked like a potential long-term piece. A former 2nd Round selection of the Miners, Fafalko has a 1.48 ERA (298 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts with just 8 walks in 24.1 innings pitched. With the off day we may miss him, but the former 97th ranked prospect could end the season towards the top of their rotation. Guys like Hank Short (0-3, 3.78, 17) and former Cougar 2nd Rounder Ernie Tisdale (1-2, 3.69, 17) could be shipped away for prospects, while Illinois native Willie Dieter (.315, 4, 9) has displayed value in the corner outfield. One guy I don't want them to trade is team home run leader Turk Ramsey (.272, 6, 12), who gave himself an early 27th birthday gift with a solo homer off the Cannons Jimmy Block (1-2, 5.23, 19). Turk has some of the best power in the league, and it would be really cool for someone from the inaugural team to hold longstanding career records for the franchise.

After the quick trip we're back in Chicago for six, four of which we'll play this week. The last one will be the start of a series with the Wranglers, while we host the Cincinnati Cannons for three games from Thursday to Saturday. One of the top offenses in the league, I'm worried about Dallas Berry (.329, 8, 23, 5), who already has a 216 WRC+ in just over 100 PAs. One of the most dangerous players in the league, he's on pace for a whopping 49 homers, 148 walks, and 31 steals, all of which should be among the league's high. The young trio ahead of him is allowing him a shot at an RBI title, as Milt Senecal (.313, 4, 8, 3), Bonnie Chpain (.281, 3, 12), and Babe Booth (.284, 9) have been on base for him. Behind him, Art McKinney (.286, 5, 18) and Charlie Ham (.294, 5, 10, 1) can really mash, so no matter who is pitching, we'll have our share of troubles. The guy who is doing the best is Chicagoan Charlie Warren (4-1, 2.29, 23), who we are looking lucky enough to miss. I do expect ace Jim York (2-2, 4.67, 19) in the finale, and he will give our lineup some fits. He's a bit wild, and if we punish his mistakes at our park, we could get some nice short homers.

We only have one with Dallas this week, but since we're taking a little break I might as well touch on them now. 13-12, they've been competitive for an expansion team, with quality outings rom their pitching. Four of their starters have an above average ERA+, including former Cougar Sid Moulton (3-2, 2.87, 16), one of the many Miner pitchers that were lost. More interesting is Butch Abrams (3-1, 3.41, 9), as the former Pioneer threw back-to-back shutouts of the Wolves and Sailors. They don't do much hitting, and as of their most recent game a 38-year-old hitting below .050 bats leadoff, so at our park expect us to keep their run totals low. One guy to look out for is catcher Tom Leisher, who has hit .304/.360/.468 (112 OPS+) in 86 trips to the plate. Playing in parts of six seasons for the Chiefs and Sailors, Leisher never did much hitting, though he never got more then 200 PAs to show what he could do. This year he has a chance to surpass the 190 from his 1960 season with the Sailor, and without sparse catching talent can be, he could be an intriguing trade candidate.

StLee · 12-13-2024, 02:14 PM

Love the start and hope there are way more of those one-loss weeks rather than one-win weeks. Hopefully this iteration of the Cougars is a consistent team that knows how to pull out the tough games.

DD Martin · 12-13-2024, 04:34 PM

Hoping that the Kings and Cougars can have a great battle this season. I wonder which one of us will make the first move (as far as acquiring a player)

ayaghmour2 · 12-13-2024, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StLee

Love the start and hope there are way more of those one-loss weeks rather than one-win weeks. Hopefully this iteration of the Cougars is a consistent team that knows how to pull out the tough games.

Really surprising start. I'd love for us to keep it up but I don't think we have the talent for a sustained run. Crazier things have happened but I'm hoping it's a competitive season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DD Martin

Hoping that the Kings and Cougars can have a great battle this season. I wonder which one of us will make the first move (as far as acquiring a player)

Would be nice for us to compete. I'm ready to make a deal, but not quite the right time. Though we really could use some offense... Just not use to having a farm system without many valuable prospects.

ayaghmour2 · 12-18-2024, 02:25 AM

We actually got back simming yesterday but I was busy so I'm a little behind. Next post may have a two-part minor league report. Or I'll just cover more guys. Also, I actually did get to the 1953 recap, but there is a lot to write about so I didn't come close to finishing. Will be nice to have these to go to when I'm free and we don't have sims

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 22-10 (1st, 3 GA)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 28 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .393 AVG, 1.242 OPS
Gene Case : 25 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.156 OPS
Henry Watson : 32 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .281 AVG, .783 OPS

Schedule
5-14: Win at Imperials (5-4)
5-15: Win at Imperials (5-2): 12 innings
5-16: Win at Imperials (5-4): 10 innings
5-17: Loss vs Cannons (8-2)
5-18: Win vs Cannons (5-8)
5-19: Win vs Cannons (3-9)
5-20: Win at Wranglers (7-2)

Recap
With a second 6-1 1week we opened up a surprise three game lead in the Conti as everything is going our way so far. A lot of the thanks goes to super stopper Pug White, who despite allowing a run against the Cannons in his last outing leads all qualified Continental Association pitchers with a 1.60 ERA (276 ERA+). The 31-year-old southpaw is doing what I always knew David Molina could do (and later did), and has thrown 33.2 innings in 18 appearances. He's picked up 6 saves and a hold, working to a perfect 3-0 record. His 2.80 FIP (63 FIP-) supports the overall body of work, and Pug boats an excellent 0.92 WHIP and 2.8 K/BB. When the game is on the line he always comes up and delivers, and he delivered shutout innings in both of our extra inning victories. The clear best pitcher of our staff, it's a shame his changeup isn't good, or he could have been a surefire ace that delivers every five games. Instead, Buck Cuppett can deploy him late in games. With a staff full of guys who need help finishing games, Pug's almost more valuable in the role he's playing now, but there's still a part of me that wants to use one of my dev slots on improving that two rated change into a three.

In the lineup, our best position player is also delivering, as Jerry McMillan continued his quest for a 30/30 season. The Canadian was 11-for-28 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, a steal, 9 runs, and 8 walks, increasing his season line to .341/.411/.566 (151 OPS+). McMillan has gathered 14 extra base hits, scored 30 runs, and drove in 18 more, adding 16 walks, 6 steals, and a 1.7 WAR. He's appeared in all 32 of the team's game, and the clubhouse leader is making a real push for his third straight All-Star appearance. Gene Case provided him with All-Star production too, as our first basemen was 10-for-25 with a double, triple, homer, steal, 5 runs, 6 RBIs, and 6 walks. The Diamond Defense winner isn't deserving of the nod yet, but he has a nice .322/.407/.463 (126 OPS+) batting line. He's mashed four homers and swiped four bases, and could challenge for a 20/20 season in year two. These two are a nice duo, and have done the offense well during our hot streak.

Pitching continues to be the strength as we remain the team with the fewest runs allowed. John Mitchell has been a big part of it, delivering two 2-run outings. The first came in New York, where he allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. Both runs came in his final frame, the first a Red Ellis (.184, 2, 11) triple that ended his night, and the second Ellis scoring on pinch hitter Vern Reynolds' (.138, 1, 6) 3-2 single off Put White. Unphased, Mitchell delivered another gem to finish the week, besting the Wranglers 7-2 with 7 solid frames. This time it was 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts, as Mitchell improved to 3-1 in 7 starts. He also lowered his ERA to a rotation best 3.08 (144 ERA+), as Andy Logue was hit hard (5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, 3 K) in the lone loss of the week. He's allowed just 4 homers in 52.2 innings, walking 19 while striking out 27. A hard throwing pitcher and capable rotation member, he's benefited from our defense, and helped himself by not making too many mistake pitches.

Looking Ahead
Two more at home against the Wranglers, which saw eight of our nine starters get hits in a 7-2 win. That included the starter Mitchell, he was 1-for-2 with a walk, run, and pair of RBIs, as well as the first 3-for-4 of Chappy Sanders' career. Known for a lot more 0'fers, he also hit his 5th homer of the season, upping his season line to a miniscule .153/.252/.347 (54 OPS+). At risk of losing his job, he'll be sharing time with Bill Plunkett (.417, 3), who's been a welcomed surprise. They each get a game with Dallas, who will send out Butch Abrams (3-2, 3.11, 15) and Steve Miller (1-1, 4.22, 18) to avoid the sweep. At 16-16, they've been the respectable expansion team, as like these two starters they've gotten good innings from the back of the rotation. Abrams has been the gem, but Miller and Rex Conner (2-2, 4.08, 15) both have an above average ERA+. The offense doesn't have a single hitter with a WRC+ above 120, but Ray Hughes (.311, 1, 5) and Tom Leisher (.310, 2, 9) are right there. I do expect it to be a long season for Dallas, but they've more then held their own, and have uncovered a few early gems.

Our stretch of games ends in San Francisco, where we'll face the Sailors for three. At 18-14, they're four back of us, still easily in the mix. They've been running with a four man rotation, with the fourth member former Cougar Zane Kelley (4-1, 2.95, 20). I expect him to be in the series, and the Spring Training acquisition has looked really good for his former team. Now 36, the former Kings 7th Rounder has now thrown 1,512 FABL innings. The first 43.2 came in Chicago, but we sent him to Toronto for my former 1st Rounder Hal Wood. He was there until this spring, going 67-105 with a 4.71 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 473 walks, and 685 strikeouts. He hasn't been good in recent seasons, so this six start stretch could quickly sour, but I've loved seeing him make a resurgence out here. They've gotten even better results from trademate Hank Lacey (2-1, 2.30, 30), while 23-year-olds Charlie Lawson (3-1, 3.91, 31) and George Fuller (2-4, 3.47, 27) are looking like seasoned vets. Their weakness lies in the pen, so we could take advantage of them late in game. We've scored more runs then them, but they still have plenty of serious threats in the lineup. Carlos Jaramillo (.336, 13, 9) is not only the best defender in baseball, but the 25-year-old from Colombia is one of the best leadoff hitters, and they've gotten quality performances from John Kingsbury (.326, 6, 23), Heinie Spitler (.350, 2, 16, 6), and Ray Rogan (.315, 3, 16, 2). Still, their are holes for our staff to exploit, and I like our chances here.

Off on Saturday, but we'll be back in Chicago on Sunday for the first of three with the Stars. Tied with the Foresters at 19-13, they're going to be a third in our side all season, as they can hit homers better then anyone else out there. Ralph Barrell (.258, 11, 23) is trying to do what his dad Bobby did and win a home run title, and right behind him Lou Allen (.309, 8, 18) has mashed 8 of his own. Charlie Barrell (.298, 6, 10), Virgil Ewing (.324, 5, 29), Joe Cook (.212, 5, 17), and Mike Forst (.264, 5, 22) have all hit five or more, as nearly every member of the lineup is a threat to go deep. Even the struggling Don Hall (.171, 3, 5), who's coming off back-to-back 25 home run seasons. This is a tough team who can outslug anyone, all while boasting three pen members with a sub-2 ERA. Hank Myer (3-3, 3, 1.57, 14) has emerged as an elite stopper, and innings eater Earl Wright (0-0, 2, 2.61, 8) has absorbed 20.2 innings in just 8 appearances. I'm expecting a lot of scoring in this one, and tomorrow's report will cover exactly who we'll face in the final two games of the series.

ayaghmour2 · 12-19-2024, 12:52 AM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 26-12 (1st, 2 GA)
Stars of the Week
Arch Wilson : 2 Wins, 4.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Henry Watson : 21 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.143 OPS
Hank Walker : 1 Win, 8.1 IP, 3 BB, 10 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
5-21: Win vs Wranglers (0-4)
5-22: Loss vs Wranglers (4-2)
5-23: Loss at Sailors (1-5)
5-24: Win at Sailors (4-2): 12 innings
5-25: Win at Sailors (6-3): 11 innings
5-27: Win vs Stars (0-1)

Recap
A mini two game losing streak made it look like our winning ways were going to come to an end, but we bounced back with three straight wins to push our quickly dropping lead over the foresters back up to two. Cleveland is red hot, winning six of their last seven and will get two more with the Cannons before our big series with them. With their equally impressive play, that barring two Cougar wins paired with Forester losses, this series will determine first place. We're the only two teams fewer then five games away from first. I don't want to get ahead of myself, again, there are two very important games that come before it, and we'll have to deal with tough games first anyways.

More important then all of that is me thinking to myself "please be Andy Logue to Pug White" when I saw the 1-0 scored in the opener with the Stars, and that's exactly how we beat the Stars to the finish the week. Set to face Cleveland in the midweek finale, Logue snapped his three game losing streak with a scoreless 114 pitch effort. He left with one out in the eighth, leaving Pug a runner on third. Some pitchers might stumble, but the veteran southpaw locked in, getting defensive replacement Tom Clement (.159, 2, 2) to pop out, keeping the runner at third. Charlie Barrell (.333, 7, 13) then was given the chance to get his team on the board, but after two foul balls, he got the 7-Time All-Star looking to end the inning. Pinch hitter Byron Burnett (.233, 4, 1) drew a walk to start our half of the inning, but the top of the order couldn't score him. It was no matter for Pug, as after beaming home run leader Ralph Barrell (.270, 12, 28) he got a strikeout and a flyout. Things got dicey after walking Virgil Ewing (.301, 5, 31), but pitch hitter Parson Allen tried to be a hero and lofted a little pop up to the recently inserted second basemen Bob Decker.

That win was huge, allowing Logue to improve to 4-3 and for Pug to lower his Continental best ERA to 1.74 (257 ERA+). He did blow two, allowing runs in his each of those, but in both cases we managed to win in extras. Most of the time he's a big part of it, as our stopper is 3-0 with 7 saves and a hold. The secret weapon is the unqualified one, as over qualified Arch Wilson has that late inning magic that allowed him to win three consecutive association save titles from '57 to '59. He won two more games this week, now 6-1 with 2 saves and a hold. The 36-year-old vet has been outstanding, allowing just a single earned run in 19 innings. The only blemish was a solo home run, as he seems to tight rope out of trouble night in and night out. His 0.47 ERA (944 ERA+) comes with a 4.62 FIP (103 FIP-) and 1.63 WHIP, and he's also walked (14) more guys then he struck out (10). The rubbered arm righty can always step in if Pug's overworked or not his sharpest self, bailing him out both times this week. Funny enough, the second time saw Bob Burdick pick up save #4, as he struck out one in a perfect 12th. Believe it or not, the cast off guy I considered DFA'ing had better options presented themselves is now a viable pen member! His 2.81 ERA (159 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP are both well above average, but as a flyball pitcher out park can be unforgiving.

The offense was not good this week as not only was Gene Case (1-23, HR, 3 BB) ice cold, but Jerry McMillan didn't pick up a walk, homer, or steal. He was just 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Everyone is entitled to their own off week, and at least in his off week he still got some hits. His outfield partners stepped up, with Henry Watson 7-for-21 with a double, 3 homers, 3 runs, and 7 RBIs and Jim Barton 6-for-18 with a pair of walks, a run, and an RBI. Barton got two days off for Byron Burnett, who was 2-for-8 with a two-bagger, two walks, and two RBIs. He's got himself a solid 103 WRC+ in 39 PAs, walking at a 20.5% clip. All these guys do their things, and they're very functional as a unit. Aside from Case, who was invisible this week, we aren't used to getting much support from the rest of the lineup, and it makes me so sad that Jack Gibson is not healthy because he'd be exactly what we'd need. I'd love to test the trade market, but this early into the season it's hard to tell if there would be any sellers willing to part with guys that can really make an impact.

Finishing this off is a nod to Hank Walker, who came oh-so-close to a complete game shutout. After a shaky start the outspoken All-Star has put together some impressive starts, and offered 126 pitches of scoreless baseball. He struck out 10 Wranglers, allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks in the win. Now 3-1, he lowered his ERA to a now above average 4.09 (109 ERA+), and the Corpus Christi native is set to leadoff this coming week. He's now allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last three starts, and in 44 innings on the year he's put together a 3.98 FIP (88 FIP-) with 15, walks, 35 strikeouts, and a 1.36 WHIP..

Looking Ahead
The week that determines if we're contenders or not begins now, as we need to win just one of the next two to earn a series win over the Stars. At 21-17, they are five games back, but playing well enough that it would be foolish to think they couldn't stay relevant. I expect to see Cal Johnston (1-3, 3.86, 25) and Dewey Allcock (3-1, 3.51, 28) in the showdown at Cougars Park. Neither are easy to solve, and that lineup will certainly be tough for us to deal with. Charlie Barrell (.333, 7, 13) has moved down in the lineup, but him, Ralph (.270, 12, 28), Lou Allen (.313, 8, 21), Virgil Ewing (.301, 5, 31) and Ed Moore (.328, 4, 15, 3) can all do damage. We were lucky to hold that group to just two hits on Sunday, as Ralph and Ewing both doubled. Stopping them again will be tough, but we have all the momentum now.

Next it's three in Cleveland with the Foresters, who have a very good chance to claim first place for themselves. They do pretty much everything well, with a great lineup, rotation, and stopper. The stopper in particular is a bright spot, as the towering 6'6'' Johnny Ogden is quickly being recognized for his fastball/change up mix. Don't let the 0-3 record fool you, as he's picked up 10 saves in his 20 appearances. That's lasted 26 innings, and the former minor league signing has a stellar 2.42 ERA (190 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 15 walks and 33 strikeouts. We know how useful a weapon like that is, but we don't have a Jake Pearson (6-0, 2.47, 30) who can dominate every five days. The gap in the lineup is bigger, as even if Hal Kennedy (.409, 7, 25) comes back to earth they have high level weapons in Sherry Doyal (.331, 8, 29), John Low (.321, 4, 25), and Paul Williams (.301, 3, 15). These three games will test our grit, and we'll have a chance to get revenge from them taking two of three from us in Chicago.

Our weekend is back home in Chicago, where we should get a soft reprieve with the Saints. At 11-27, only the New York Imperials (9-29) have a lesser record, and they're way closer to them (2 GA) then they are to 8th (8 GB). The best thing going for them could be a swap with the Cougars, as very little has gone well for Lynn Gray's team. In what could be a win-win deal, the Cougars sent their 1956 2nd Rounder Ham Flanders to Montreal for current ace Andy Logue. It was a little after his 22nd birthday, and the almost 24-year-old got a cup of coffee last season. Flanders hit .322/.402/.489 (136 OPS+) -- surprisingly lower then what he's hit in more PAs this year. A potential Kellogg candidate, Flanders has hit .374/.429/.565 (154 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, 24 RBIs, 24 runs, and 15 walks. Playing first for Montreal, we could have used his bat at second with Gibson hurt, but our pitching would not be nearly as good as it is without Logue. It's a shame we couldn't have moved one of our outfield prospects, as Harry Swain (.273, 2, 14) is their only outfielder likely in the future plans, and we have too many good young players to choose from. Regardless, we'll have our hands full stopping him, but he's one of the few things we have to worry about after what could be an embarrassing Cleveland showing.

Minor League Report
RHP Bobby McGough (AA Little Rock Governors): We don't have much for pitching prospects, so I've been stretching out hard throwing righty Bobby McGough this season. A 3rd Rounder from Chicago, a lot of his minor league appearances have come out of the pen, as he doesn't quite have the stamina for long starts. Or at least that's what I thought, until he started putting together multiple complete games. The first was in Nashville, where he spun a 3-hit shutout with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts, improving to 2-2 in 5 starts. He followed that up with an equally impressive start, as while the Excelsiors got one on him in Memphis, he didn't allow a walk in a second complete game. He struck out seven and allowed just six hits, throwing 134 and 109 pitches in these two wins. It's encouraging to see him stay effective late into games, as he now owns a 3.61 ERA (114 ERA+), 2.77 FIP (67 FIP-), and 1.18 WHIP. With an overpowering fastball and hard biting slider, he's been able to strike out 38 in 42.1 innings, quickly emerging as a potential big league arm. The stuff alone makes him worth a try in the rotation, but his curve and change aren't bad either. Home runs could give him trouble, but if he keeps the ball in the park he'll have a nice career as a FABL pitcher.

StLee · 12-19-2024, 09:40 AM

Love that the winning keeps happening, including pulling out of the losses with two-straight extra-inning thrillers.

ayaghmour2 · 12-23-2024, 12:10 AM

Weekly Record: 0-7
Seasonal Record: 26-19 (t-3rd, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 28 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .393 AVG, .951 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 27 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .792 OPS
Tom Halliday : 27 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .259 AVG, .681 OPS

Schedule
5-28: Loss vs Stars (9-4)
5-29: Loss vs Stars (3-1)
5-30: Loss at Foresters (0-2)
5-31: Loss at Foresters (5-7)
6-1: Loss at Foresters (0-5)
6-2: Loss vs Saints (10-1)
6-3: Loss vs Saints (3-2)

Recap
Yep...

It all fell apart...

Classic Cougars!

I wouldn't be all that mad if it was just losses to the Stars and Foresters, but the Saints!?!?!?! The lowly, pathetic, barely better then an expansion team and worse then the other Saints!?!?!!? Come on guys...

From two up to four out, we pretty much fell to where we should be, and now we can focus soley on the draft (already made my first pick and I think it's a good one!) and trying to finish above .500. Though really I'm not sure what was worse, losing both against the Saints, or getting shut out twice against the Foresters. But when you lose all seven games, it's not like there was much that went right anyways.

I guess Gene Case went well, our young first basemen had an excellent week, and was the only hitter that was better then average. The young lefty was 11-for-28, adding 3 doubles, a triple, a steal, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. He's had an up-and-down start, but he had a huge game in our finale of May. Obviously we lost, but 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, runs, and RBIs is impressive regardless of result. Jerry McMillan added another homer and steal, but the outfielder was just 7-for-27. Despite the low average, he made it count, providing us with a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. It's nice these two didn't take the week off, but McMillian in particular needs to pick it up, as a lot of success has to do with how he leads the lineup.

Pitching was better then you'd think, though Pug White and Phil Means got blown up multiple times. Pug allowed 8 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks, striking out 5 while taking two losses in three appearances. Means only lost one of his three, throwing 9.1 innings with 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts. His kryptonite was the longball, allowing 4 of them including a pair in our 10-1 loss to the Saints. We did get two solid starts from Roy Ellis, but of course, no win for the control artist. Both were deserved, but at least he didn't get a loss. Against the Stars, he went 7 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He had more issues against the Saints, walking 5 and allowing 4 hits in 6.1 innings. Again, he allowed a run with 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.55 (126 ERA+) with a 1.26 WHIP, 19 walks, and 38 strikeouts. His 2 K/BB is best in the rotation, but he's just 2-2 in 10 starts. We got another great start from John Mitchell, who despite zero strikeouts, went 8 with 8 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks. It's his first start without a punchout, dropping his K% to 10.3, but his ERA is now below 3 at 2.97 (151 ERA+) with a 1.27 WHIP and 29 strikeouts. More starts like this are big, as he's starting to come into his own at 25.

On the bright side, we had one of the most surprising Pitcher of the Month selections, as high leverage arm Arch Wilson took home the award for May. He didn't pitch too much, just 12.2 innings in 10 appearances, but Wilson was a perfect 4-0 with 2 saves and didn't allow a single run. A lot of it was luck, he allowed 12 hits and 8 walks with just 7 strikeouts, but hey! No runs! And four wins! That's what I call a Pitcher of the Month! Arch didn't allow any runs in his two June innings either, and he's now 6-1 on the season with a 0.43 ERA (1045 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts. Don't look too far past that, he has 14 walks and a 4.37 FIP (97 FIP-) that is more average then good, but the long-time stopper seems much more comfortable in his current role.

Looking Ahead
If we get swept by the Saints at home??? Well... Let's just pretend it's not going to happen!

Even after beating us twice, they still have twice as many losses (30) then wins (15), and only the lowly Imperials (10-35) are five or fewer games away from them. In an absolute must win game, the red-hot John Mitchell (3-2, 2.97, 29) will look to snap our losing streak against rookie Duke Edin (2-2, 3.41, 18). Edin started his season with a pair of AAA starts, but he replaced the injured Phil Murry (0-1, 5.29, 13) and really impressed. Picked up by the Saints about a year after the Minutemen took him in the 12th Round, Edin is an innings eater with a deep arsenal and a nice fastball, but we should be able to score off them. They'll score runs too, in fact, they're 5th in runs scored, as Andy Gilman (.298, 10, 37) is on pace for a 30-homer season and former Cougar draftee Ham Flanders (.376, 5, 30, 2) is looking like a contender for the batting title. Another former Cougar draftee, Garland Phelps (.293, 4, 29), has a 124 WRC+, while a third former Cougar draftee Art Robbins (.286, 6, 29, 3) is having a solid season at short. Their lineup is deep, and probably better then ours, so you know what? Maybe we are going to get swept...

We remain home after the Saints leave, ending a long run of game with three with the Wolves. Toronto is now 24-21, just two games back of us and the Kings for third. Toronto just lost talented young starter George Hoxworth (5-2, 4.11, 41) for the season with a partially torn UCL, and they're already without another one of their top pitchers Phil Colantuono due to forearm inflammation suffered in the spring. This is huge for our lineup, as while we will face ace and former Allen winner Arnie Smith (4-1, 3.61, 67), the other two games shouldn't be too tough. My best guess is we get Jimmy Pepper (1-2, 5.40, 26), Smith, and whoever they call up to replace Hoxworth/move from the pen, which means the bigger goal is limiting their offense. That won't be easy, their offense is better then Montreal's, as they sport a potential .400 hitter in Tom Reed. The 4-Time All-Star selection and former Kellogg winner has slashed an impressive .409/.482/.673 (187 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 2 steals, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. On track for over 9 WAR, it's a big season from their best player, and has helped elevate the production of Jim Allen (.327, 4, 20), Sid Cullen (.309, 8, 22), and yet another former Cougar draftee, Charlie Harvey (.324, 20). Lower in the lineup, rookie catcher Ty Rusconi (.321, 5, 27, 2) and rookie Rule-5 pick third basemen Clyde Fisher (.338, 4, 17, 2) have exceeded expectations, as the Wolves look for their first winning season since 1948.

After the off day we'll hit the road for the first two of three with the Kings, currently tied with us for third. Kansas City is the better team, evidenced by their top offense, and there are a lot of things I'd do to get a superstar like Hank Williams (.337, 15, 39). Probably the best hitter in baseball, the 2-Time Whitney winner is hitting .337/.428/.681 (178 OPS+) which is arguably worse then his career .353/.442/.618 (184 OPS+) line. Williams is also on pace for 51 homers and 133 RBIs, both of which would be career bests, and he continues to walk (27) more then he strikes out (23). Aside from BABIP, he has 4s or higher in the other offensive categories, and I think that's just because he hits so many home runs that there aren't any balls in play. Of course, he's not nearly the only threat in the lineup, as he's one of seven lineup members hitting above .280. Al Farmer (.302, 9, 30, 3) has really improved the lineup, while Ken Newman (.323, 8, 37, 6), Pat Davis (.311, 5, 26, 11), and even Bob Burge (.308, 3, 28) have been dangerous at the plate. The pitching matchups may favor us, Elmer Sullivan (4-1, 3.74, 39) is the only pitcher with a sub-4 ERA, but with how many runs they score, it might not matter who they start the game with.

Minor League Report
RHP George Chism (AA Little Rock Governors): With how pitching prospects we have, a 25-year-old like George Chism is considered a legit pitching prospect. Even if he hasn't really started much in the past few seasons. This year, despite his lower stamina, we've been running him out every fifth day, and he did something I never would have expected to finish his May. Chism put together an absurd 126-pitch, 4-hit, 10-inning shutout as the Governors survived the New Orleans Showboats 1-0. It was only his second win and he managed to lower his ERA below 5, but it was really nice to see him keep runners off the base and strike out 6 in an all-out team effort. New Orleans got him the next time out, chasing him out before six, but through eight starts he's 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA (92 ERA+). That's not great, but what is great is the 1.13 WHIP and 2.9 K/BB that goes with it. A four pitch pitcher, he has a really nice fastball, and he uses his sinker when he needs a double play. He's got average stuff, movement, and control, and while I don't love the stamina he's one of our highest priority replacement SPs. Since he's Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, I'm leaning on promoting him by the end of the season, and he'll be in the thick of it for a staff role in 1963 if he doesn't push his way in first.

CF Bob Starr (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy who keeps climbing up the prospect ladder, defensive specialist Bob Starr is up to 55th after taking home the Heartland Player of the Month. A former 10th Rounder, the Chicago native has been off to a sizzling start, and in his first full month he hit an exponential .375/.538/.688 (221 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, 25 runs, 30 RBIs, 34 walks, and 3 steals. Paired with elite center field defense, he was worth 2.3 WAR for the month, and is currently on an absurd 12.8 pace in 136 games. Obviously, he won't get there, but through 37 games he's been hitting an equally elite .361/.538/.656 (213 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 10 homers, 38 runs, 43 RBIs, 48 walks, and 3 steals. A stellar total performance, Starr has showcased his already elite eye, that might already be the best in our system. Walking at an absurd 28.1% clip, he's already rated as a 5 there, tied for first with reserve outfielder Bill Irvin and AAA bat Andy Conklin. He does strike out a ton, something that you wouldn't expect from a guy with his eye, but that's in some part due to his big swing. He loves power, aiming for the fences in most cases, and the combo of eye, power, and range make him one of the most exciting young players in the system. He has all the tools to be a starting center fielder, and if all goes well, the 21-year-old could push McMillan to a corner, or make up an elite outfield with him and Henry Watson.

RHP Roy Weinberger (B San Jose Cougars): Another level lower, we took home a Pitcher of the Month, as the San Jose righty has been elite to get things going. He allowed just a single run in a 7-inning April win, and finished May 4-1 with a 0.97 ERA (348 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 2 walks, and 25 strikeouts. That makes the 20-year-old 5-1 with a mini 1.01 ERA (334 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP, striking out 31 with just 3 walks in 53.1 innings pitched. At any level, that's amazing for a 15th Rounder, especially one that was taken just under two years ago. I can't get over his 1.4 BB%, especially since Dixie thinks he'll have control issues. I guess that means he's capped at the 2 he's at now, but something tells me that's hard to believe. I like the stuff too, it's already FABL ready, and he's got tremendous stamina. The issue is the stuff isn't really starter good, more good enough, but there's plenty of time for that to improve. At 6'4'', he's a towering righty who could end up throwing harder then the 92-94 he's at now. Despite his youth, he's penciled himself in as the next man up in case of a pitching injury, and I'd bet that if he stays healthy he won't finish his season in San Jose.

ayaghmour2 · 12-24-2024, 09:06 PM

1st Round, 10th Overall: SS Bill Grimm
School: Alton
1962: .436/.522/.843, 203 PA, 17 2B, 7 3B, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .452/.518/.775, 542 PA, 50 2B, 18 RB, 22 HR, 140 RBI, 54 SB

This draft class was very top heavy, so top heavy in fact that if we picked 8th instead of 10th we would have ended up with two elite players (two pitchers I really wanted went 8th and 9th in the 2nd), but instead, I'll have to settle for just one. Sure, Bill Grimm isn't exactly who I wanted, that would be 7th overall pick Skipper Atkins, but I had zero expectation of him (or I guess Skipper for that matter) falling as much as he did. Ranked 5th on Dixie's list, Grimm will probably slot in right behind the now 12th ranked Dode Caudill in our system, but most importantly, he gives us our first real legit middle infield prospect. Sure, I have Richard Castillo and George McKee playing shortstop and they're both towards the bottom of the top 100 list, but Castillo is more of an outfielder and McKee hasn't played short until this season. Grimm, on the other hand, has decent enough range to stick with a strong arm and double play ability, and is a natural shortstop with a chance to stick there.

A three year starter at Alton High School in Illinois, Grimm was their everyday shortstop, hitting an impressive .452/.518/.843 with 50 doubles, 18 triples, 22 homers, 140 RBIs, 172 runs, 59 walks, and 54 steals. 13 of his 22 homers came as a senior, and if that power is to be believed, the Mexico (Missouri) native could be an elite player whether it's at a premium position or not. OSA and Dixie give him plus power potential, which is pretty decent, as a start, but what's better is his eye and athleticism. He's got the chance to walk at a double digit clip with 10-15 steals, 20 homers, and a respectable average. I am a little worried his contact tool may never fully develop, and he may be more of a feast-or-famine type hitter, but it's just hard to ignore his upside. Turning 19 in November, he's not the typical super raw prep pick that will take five years before reaching AA, and he's already got a 3 rated gap power. The rest of his offensive tools are 2s, though his only other sub 3 rating is his 1 for sac-bunting. With his power, that's never going to happen, and he's actually excellent (4) at bunting for a hit. If there is a knock, it's that he doesn't have the range I love for shortstops, but with the arm he could shift over to third and be a plus defender. He might be better in the outfield, with range similar to McMillan and Watson.. Both have better arms and make fewer errors, but it's useful that he can play so many different positions at a 3 rating or better. If all goes well, in one of the next few seasons we get lucky and he gets a defense boost at short, but hey! Can't be too greedy. This dude is not what's usually available with the tenth pick, and we could have a star in the making.

ayaghmour2 · 12-26-2024, 03:20 PM

2nd Round, 30th Overall: LHP Jim Place
School: Holden
1962: 7-2, 92.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 16 BB, 121 K
Career: 36-2, 390 IP, 0.95 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 70 BB, 606 K

So I totally forgot that the draft started officially today with stupid short timers, so Jim Place, who I selected last week was the last guy I got to pick this year. Honestly, I'm scared to look at the rest...

In hindsight, that makes reaching for a pitcher feel worse, as I wasn't able to snag one of the good bats that slipped. I do still like Place, and I doubt we'd be able to get a solid pitcher in the 3rd anyways, but he had the wrong career trend at Holden. The four year starter was best as an underclassmen, 9-0 with a 0.66 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts as a freshman, before an impressive 10-0 as a sophomore. He lowered his ERA and WHIP to 0.60 and 0.68 striking out 179 while going from 17 to 14 walks in ten extra innings. Those 105 innings were his most, and everything went down from here. He wasn't bad as a junior, again 10-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, but his ERA ballooned to 1.55. On the bright side, his BB% was back below 4, but that doesn't help with a huge drop to his first sub-30 K%.

Enough stats though, baseball is far more complicated then that, and the natural talent, not his poor decision making, is what makes the young lefty so exciting. The 18-year-old has excellent stuff, already near some of our FABL guys, and he has a deep seven pitch arsenal. Four of his pitches are already rated a 3, including his low 90s sinker that drew me to him, as it allows him to keep the ball on the ground. Homers are always something to worry about in the Windy City, and knowing he can keep the ball in the park is huge. His movement and stuff are both underdeveloped, but his command is expected to be above average. Solid control could push him into a mid-rotation spot, but he may develop his stuff well enough he can still overpower. OSA and Dixie think he's going to have an outstanding sinker/screwball mix, which is something most hitters have never dealt with. On top of that, he's able to work around baserunners, as not only will he get double plays, but he holds runners close and can throw a ton of pitches. Those three skills raise his floor, something crucial for a risky young pitcher like himself.

Edit: The rest of the guys we drafted sucked... I don't know if there will be writeups...

ayaghmour2 · 12-27-2024, 04:34 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 29-22 (t-2nd, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 23 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .348 AVG, .984 OPS
Buddy Byrd : 18 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .868 OPS
Bob Allen : 1 Win, 8.1 IP, 4 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-4: Loss vs Saints (7-5)
6-5: Win vs Wolves (0-2)
6-6: Loss vs Wolves (1-0)
6-7: Win vs Wolves (5-6): 10 innings
6-9: Win at Kings (6-3)
6-10: Loss at Kings (2-14)

Recap
As the Foresters run away with the Conti, I can at least take solace in knowing that it was us who held first for a little bit of time, as pretty much everyone else won't have a chance to reach them. That leaves us in the fight for second, as we are tied with the Stars and Cannons. The Kings are a game back and the Sailors two, but us second place teams are already seven out and I don't see that getting much smaller.

Embarrassingly, we got swept by the 18-33 Saints, who's only other series wins are against the even worst Imperials, but we finally broke our stupid losing streak with what was almost a Bob Allen shutout. My former 1st Rounder came two outs away from the shutout, leaving after walking former Cougar draftee Carl Clark on four pitches. Allen left with 6 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts, making way for the rookie Phil Means. Brought in for his ground ball tendencies, Means got the double play he needed to finish off the win, stopping the losing streak at eight. Unlucky for Means, he's been hit hard recently, as in his last five appearances, its the only one he didn't allow a run in. The worst came in our blowout against the Kings, where he failed to record an out and allowed 2 hits 2 walks and 4 runs. He's allowed 11 runs in his last 10 innings, watching his ERA jump from 2.70 to 4.86 (92 ERA+). More concerning is the 6.16 FIP (137 FIP-), and with a few more rough outings the former 17th rounder may be sent down to Milwaukee.

We had a few other good starts, starting with Roy Ellis' complete game win over the Kings. Ellis improved to 3-2 on the season, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in the victory. This dropped his ERA down to 3.48 (128 ERA+) in 11 starts, and he's walked two or fewer hitters in all but one of his starts this season. Andy Logue got due to an undeserved loss due to Arnie Smith's shutout (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K), as Carl Clark's RBI double was the only blemish on Logue's record. He finished 7.1 innings with 7 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts, dropping to 4-5 on the season. The clubhouse leader returned to be a stabilizing force at the top of the rotation, maintaining a 3.68 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with 20 walks and 40 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched. Including this start, he has lost five of his last six, but he's allowed one or fewer runs in two of his last three. The pen struggled this week, with Means, Pug (3.2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 4 K), and Bob Burdick (5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) all getting hit hard. Of course, Arch Wilson (1.2 IP, H, BB) continued to not allow runs, dropping his ERA to 0.40 (1126 ERA+), now making 14 consecutive appearances without allowing a run.

We continue to struggle scoring runs, but at least Henry Watson had himself a nice week. The young outfield was 8-for-23 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs, putting him on a 21/115 pace. His .264/.294/.448 (90 OPS+) batting line is still below average, but he's been elite in right (3.6, 1.084) and has 20 extra base hits in 214 PAs. I'm hoping this is the spark he needs to return to form, but I have way less confidence in the offense then I did when the season started. Gene Case had himself a funky week, as while he was just 3-for-21, he was an impactful player. All three hits were homers, as he drove in 6, walked 5 times, and picked up his 6th steal in as many attempts. His third homer of the week was a late birthday gift too, as while we were off when he turned 24 on the 8th, he hit a huge two-run shot the next day to give us a 4-1 lead we'd hold. Buddy Byrd had himself a rare good week, 6-for-18 with a double, triple, walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Hitting just .225/.247/.341 (51 OPS+), he's one of the many guys I'd move on from if we had a better option, but considering he's just a one-year filler for Jack Gibson, he might get to hang out here the rest of the season.

Looking Ahead
We have a chance to start our week off with a huge series win, as Andy Logue (4-5, 3.68, 40) will be on the mound to take on the struggling Fred Washington (3-6, 5.23, 40). On paper, this is a great matchup for us, but Washington's FIP (4.14, 91) is actually lower then Logue's (4.65, 104), which might mean that Washington should be pitching much better then he is. Granted, Cougar pitchers always get killed by FIP because of our park being so much more homer friendly then the rest of the CA, so I'll still give Logue the advantage here. Of course, their offense continues to score the most runs (317), so I'd be very surprised if we come away with the victory. Hank Williams (.360, 17, 44) was a crucial part of their blowout win against us, a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and his 17th homer, and I'm sure he'll have no issues solving Logue in the finale. Kansas City has also made a lineup change, with Bill Denney (.247, 1, 6, 3) taking short, Cal Randall (.294, 5, 31), who homered in both games so far, moving to third, and the still day-to-day Ken Newman (.333, 9, 39, 6) moving to first. Denney improves the defense, and even though he can't hit, the rest of the lineup can, and he should improve their 9th rank for both efficiency and zone rating. As talented as this team is, they should be much closer to first then they are, and I still can't believe we have the better record.

At least until they beat us here, of course...

We'll the return home for three with the Los Angeles Stars, who could still be in a tie with us for second come the series. Bud Henderson (0-1, 10.24, 3) is back and healthy, but with how poor he's looked in his first two starts, perhaps the Stars would have been better off sending him on a rehab assignment. I would have loved to face him, he'll instead get the Saints, while I expect Cal Johnston (3-4, 3.68, 40), Floyd Warner (2-6, 5.95, 41), and Dewey Allcock (5-1, 3.45, 39). Allcock has really impressed since his injury, as the All-Star has a better ERA, WHIP, and K/BB compared to his 1961 season. His 3.64 FIP (80 FIP-) is almost identical to this 3.45 ERA (131 ERA+), and his command has not been impacted by his torn rotator cuff. I don't expect to beat him, and with quality bats like Ralph Barrell (.261, 14, 35), Lou Allen (.330, 13, 32), and Charlie Barrell (.293, 9, 19) all slugging a ton of homers, the fans in attendance at Cougars Park may end with plenty of souvenirs to help counteract the feeling of getting embarrassed at home!

Don't worry, it gets even harder after that, as we're stuck facing the red hot Cannons for three in Cincy. They're fresh off a perfect 7-0 week, and they've won 10 of their last 11 to enter the tie in second with us and the Stars. The secret to their success has been Dallas Berry, who's slashed a remarkable .370/.495/.818 (227 OPS+) as he looks to capture his third Whitney. "The Can-Do Kid" has added 12 doubles, 20 homers, 42 runs, 51 RBIs, 39 walks, and even 8 steals, on track for almost 12 WAR in 142 games. The RBI leader has a lot of help, as the 1-2-3 of Milt Senecal (.284, 5, 16, 3), Bonnie Chapin (.303, 10, 31), and Babe Booth (.303, 1, 27) is on base often. The top of their rotation has struggled, with Jim York (4-4, 5.48, 45) and Jack Meeks (6-4, 5.02, 43) allowing more runs then they should, but the 21-year-old Charlie Warren has given them ace-like performances. The Chicago native is 7-2 with a 2.72 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in his first full season as a starter. He's set to start the week, meaning we're going to have to face him, and I'm extremely worried for this coming week.

There might be another 0-7 on the way...

Minor League Report
LHP Mario Saucedo (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Woah! We haven't seen one of these in a while!

On the 8th of June, young lefty Mario Saucedo was a bit more lucky then good, as he faced 32 batters and did not allow a single one of them to reach on a base hit. Sure, he walked 6, but Saucedo struck out 5 to pick up his first win of the season. Regardless of the walks, it was impressive start from Saucedo, who missed a few weeks with shoulder inflammation. This was his second start since, and it was much better then his 3 inning start where he allowed 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, all while failing to strikeout a single hitter. A hard throwing innings eater, Saucedo is one of our few actual pitching prospects, and injury aside he's off to a nice start in AAA. Through 38 innings he has a 3.55 ERA (103 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP, but he's had some issues with his command. He has more walks (22) then strikeouts (19), but the stuff is really good. His fastball is elite, sitting in the 96-98 range, and it's one of the best heaters in our system. His change is wicked, easy to miss when sitting fastball, and it has significant downward drop. A useful spot starter, he seems to be at or near his peak, and he could be in line for his FABL debut this season.

LF Doug Lang (B San Jose Cougars): Taken in the 2nd Round of last year's draft, Doug Lang looks like a big miss by the prior regime, though maybe I shouldn't judge considering how I myself absolutely botched the most recent draft. Ranked 14th in our system and 266th overall, Lang has spent his season in San Jose, and it has gone well so far. The 23-year-old had a huge game this week in the Cougars 9-5 win over Fresno, a perfect 5-for-5 with a triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Lang is now riding a six game hit streak, upping his season line to a solid .290/.333/.496 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 13 runs, and 14 RBIs. This is a huge improvement on the .203/.368/.305 (61 OPS+) line he had in La Crosse last year, as the lefty is finally showing some of the offensive potential that got him selected early. A poor defender, he'll have to hit if he wants to make it to Chicago, and with a decent contact tool he has a chance. Putting the ball in play will be big, as he's quick and can make a difference on the bases. He has a good eye too, so he won't be swinging at bad pitches, but as a corner bat he doesn't hit nearly enough homers. Still, he's a hard worker who can improve on his skills, but I just don't see more then a bench role at this time.

ayaghmour2 · 12-28-2024, 07:18 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 33-25 (4th, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 27 AB, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .519 AVG, 1.404 OPS
Gene Case : 26 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.222 OPS
Mooney Vetter : 25 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .280 AVG, .773 OPS

Schedule
6-11: Loss at Kings (4-6)
6-12: Win vs Imperials (1-9)
6-13: Win vs Imperials (5-9)
6-14: Win vs Imperials (3-12)
6-15: Win at Cannons (10-4)
6-16: Loss at Cannons (5-6)
6-17: Loss at Cannons (0-6)

Recap
On the bright side, we didn't play the Los Angeles Stars, it was actually the New York Imperials, and the pitiful 11-47 expansion team accounted for three of our four wins this week. We couldn't beat the Kings, and the red hot Cannons took two of three from us, so our barely winning week allowed us to remain seven back of the Foresters. Both the Sailors and Cannons are now within six, but at least the winless weeks seem to be a thing of the past.

We can thank Henry Watson for most of our wins this week, as the scalding outfielder took home the Continental Player of the Week. It was an outstanding week, as Watson was 14-for-27 with a double, triple, 2 homers, 5 runs, and 11 RBIs. Funny enough, his only hitless game was against the Imperials, but he had an excellent 3-for-5 with 2 homers, a triple, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. He then followed that up with a perfect 4-for-4 in our lone win against the Cannons, adding a walk, double, and 4 RBIs. Even in the shutout, Watson picked up a pair of singles, and he's finally got his OPS+ (109) and WRC+ (113). The OPS+ corresponds with a decent .294/.325/.496 line, but he's making a serious case for Batter of the Month. Watson's monthly slash is a robust .373/.413/.627 (165 OPS+) with a double, triple, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. The voters love those RBI numbers and he's got an elite 175 WRC+, but we have a few more weeks before a winner needs to be crowned.

Another hot hitter is Gene Case, who could have had the weekly award had Watson not hit so well. Case was 11-for-26 with a double, 2 homers, 7 walks, 7 RBIs, 13 runs scored, and a pair of steals. Case doesn't have the high average of Watson, but with the walks his .293/.408/.569 (150 OPS+) June line isn't too far away. With 10 homers on the season, he's the first of our players to reach double digits for bombs, and his .297/.384/.484 (123 OPS+) line is getting close to the .288/.399/.506 (139 OPS+) he hit as a rookie last year. Case and Watson did most of the work this week, but they got some help from Chappy Sanders (8-21, 2B, RBI, 3 R) and Mooney Vetter (7-25, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, BB), while reserves like Bill Plunkett (3-7, RBI, R, BB) and William Buttry (3-4, R) made the most of limited time. Buttry has impressed since joining on waivers, hitting .467/.500/.567 (176 OPS+) in 32 PAs, and he may now get a start a week instead of Buddy Byrd. He shouldn't be hitting this well, but he's putting the ball in play and showing he's always ready to help the team out.

Bob Allen had another good start this week, going 8 against the Imps with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, picking up his 4th win of the season. Errors contributed to his third loss, as half of his six runs were unearned, causing him to leave after 5 with 7 hits, no walks, and 6 strikeouts. Through 10 starts, the former top ranked pitching prospect has a 5.01 ERA (90 ERA+), but as you can see that's only 10 percent worse then average. He's been allowing 5+ runs too often this season, but he's got a nice 14.7 K% and he's keeping the ball on the ground. Roy Ellis kept up his hot streak, improving to 4-2 with a strong 8 inning start. He allowed 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts, putting together six straight starts with three or fewer runs. This has dropped his ERA to an impressive 3.36 (134 ERA+) in 80.1 innings, adding in 22 walks, 51 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. John Mitchell picked up a complete game win, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts in our 10-4 win in Cincinnati. Three homers did the damage, and he became our fourth starter with four wins. Arch Wilson threw four more shutout innings, allowing a hit and walk with three strikeouts to lower his ERA to a minuscule 0.34 (1339 ERA+) in 26.2 innings. Eventually, the luck will run out, but for now I'm just going to enjoy this incredible stretch!

Last little note on the draft, which will be inputed during Monday's sim. I still hate our draft class, but I have decided that if any of the scrubs crack the top 500, I'll do a regular writeup on them. But in all honesty, I doubt any of these guys will, and I'm still kicking myself for not making a makeshift list, but at least this class was on the weaker side and Bill Grimm is elite. Elite I tell you!

Please rank inside the top 25...

Looking Ahead
Our road trip continues with the other expansion team, as we'll face the 24-34 Wranglers in Dallas. They started the season okay, but they've fallen to eighth and the Saints are just a game behind them. Not much has gone right for them, but they may have uncovered a long-term piece in third basemen Ken Hudson. Just 26, Hudson was a 16th Round pick of the Eagles who worked his way up to FABL in 1959. He had a few games his first two seasons, and then hit an impressive .327/.417/.545 (160 OPS+) with 7 homers and 25 RBIs in 127 PAs last year, but with Tom Lorang (.365, 12, 47) firmly entrenched at the hot corner, they left Hudson unprotected. Their loss is Dallas' game, as he's hitting an excellent .302/.373/.595 (142 OPS+) with 11 homers and 26 RBIs. The power is legit, but there is some swing and miss in his game. It'll be interesting to see how he finishes this season off, but for an expansion team, getting guys like this are what these early seasons are about.

Turning towards the series itself, we'll have to take on 38-year-old Gene Amico (0-5, 8, 4.96, 31), who's transitioned from the pen to the rotation, talented young pitcher Butch Abrams (5-6, 3.74, 33), and former Minutemen and Gotham southpaw Steve Miller (2-3, 3.60, 33). Despite Miller's decent stats, the only guy I'm worried about is Abrams, but if we can get him out early, the pen is very vulnerable. On offense Hudson is the main threat, but Ray Hughes (.303, 7, 21) has led the order off well and Bill Harbin (.288, 6, 24, 3) isn't the worst center fielder out there. Lucky for us, there's a lot of bad bats in that lineup, and we really should leave town with the victory.

We're off after the Wranglers series, and will head home to host the red-hot Sailors for three. They've won nine straight, and have overtaken us as the #1 pitching staff in the Conti. They are running a four man rotation, and despite the back-end being scrubs they picked up from the Wolves, it's been working like a charm. One of the said scrubs is old friend Zane Kelley (6-2, 3.64, 44), who's having his best season to date at 36. Trademate Hank Lacey (4-2, 3.25, 47) has been even better, while their two talented young 23-year-olds are putting the league on notice. Chicagoan Charlie Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07) last season, and he's trying to do the same this year. He's 6-3 with a 3.08 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 26 walks, and 62 strikeouts, and should be selected to his second All-Star game in two seasons. His 3.51 FIP (77 FIP-) might be the most impressive part, though he's also been worth 2.4 WAR already. George Fuller (5-5, 3.07, 45) is right on his trail in ERA and WHIP, a bit ahead in ERA and behind in WHIP, and because of their rotation, we're stuck facing one if not both of them. The off day makes both more likely, and then we'll also have to deal with a lineup of Edwin Hackberry (.273, 8, 36, 10), John Kingsbury (.333, 8, 40, 3), Heinie Spitler (.349, 4, 30, 9), Ernie Carter (.338, 3, 30), and Ray Rogan (.313, 4, 27). Add in the speedy Carlos Jaramillo (.265, 2, 23, 14) who can handle short like 'ole Skipper Schneider, and we are in a world of trouble.

At least if they sweep us, the Foresters will have a challenger!

Yeah... I'm going with that!

Minor League Report
RHP Humberto Fonseca (B San Jose Cougars): He may not be the most exciting pitcher in our system, but Humberto Fonseca can throw a lot of pitches in a game, and most of the time, they're pretty decent at the end! He was firing on all cylinders against Salem, twirling a 5-hit, no-walk, 4-strikeout shutout. After starting the season 0-3, he's now won each of his last four starts, dropping his ERA and WHIP to 3.38 (99 ERA+) and 1.07 in 69.1 innings pitched. Most impressive has been the command, as he's struck out 45 with just 5 walks, an elite 9 K/BB. A hard thrower too, he sits in the 94-96 range with his fastball, one of five average or better pitches. Dixie doesn't love his control, which is ironic considering his K/BB, but OSA thinks he can pitch his way into the back of a FABL rotation. They also like his control more, and rank him 22nd in our system and 422nd overall. With so few quality pitching prospects, he'll continue to make starts, and I'd love for the command he's showing now to stick with him as he develops.

ayaghmour2 · 12-31-2024, 10:42 PM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 38-26 (2nd, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 26 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.462 OPS
Gene Case : 21 AB, 10 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .476 AVG, 1.595 OPS
Henry Watson : 19 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.318 OPS

Schedule
6-18: Loss at Wranglers (3-6)
6-19: Win at Wranglers (3-2)
6-20: Win at Wranglers (13-6)
6-22: Win vs Sailors (4-7)
6-23: Win vs Sailors (5-7)
6-24: Win vs Sailors (7-9)

Recap
This has got to be the most inconsistent team I have ever seen...

So many 1s and 0s in the win/loss column, and against all odds, this week the 1 was in the loss column. Ironically, we lost the opener to the Wranglers, but then absolutely throttled what was the staff that allowed the fewest runs in the CA. They're now 3rd! We absolutely throttled Charlie Lawson and George Fuller, the opposite of what I expected, as the bats were firing on all cylinders. It all started with Jerry McMillan leading off the opener with a solo shot off Charlie Lawson to start the game. Gene Case added #13 in the 3rd, and we pushed Lawson out with two outs in the 4th. He allowed 10 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks, so even with 5 strikeouts the outing was spoiled. Zane Kelley did a little better in the middle game, 7 hits, 4 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 7.2 innings, but three of those runs came in the 8th, and we got one more on Eddie Chapman before the inning ended. That tied it at 5, and when he was back for the 9th, Bill Irvin finally did what his entire purpose on the roster was: a pinch-hit, walk-off home run! The finale was chaotic, including us almost blowing it with 3 in the 9th, but there were more homers! Henry Watson hit 11, Gene Case 14, and Fuller left in the 7th with 8 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks.

Is this offense back!?!?!?!

Jerry McMillan sure is, as our star center fielder captured the Player of the Week award. The third CA award of his young career, McMillan did more then just spark our sweep against the Sailors, as he had a pair of homers against the Wranglers and hit .462/.500/.962 (270 OPS+) on the week. If three homers wasn't enough, he had a pair of triples too, and being the speedy outfielder he is McMillan swiped three bases as well. Add in 7 RBIs and 9 runs scored, and well, it's pretty obvious why he won! After a tough couple of weeks, he's been turning the corner, and his season line is in line where it is most years, an impressive .324/.374/.521 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 13 steals, 34 RBIs, and 54 runs scored. He's a little below average in center (-2.6, .977), but I think part of that is from him spending most of his previous time in right. It's gotten better as the season has gone on, as the more familiar he gets there, the more his already sky-high value will rise. Somehow, he's still not a top-20 player, but I do believe he's one of the most valuable guys in FABL.

McMillan was not alone this week, and in all honesty, he didn't even deserve the Player of the Week award. Well, didn't deserve isn't the right word, he certainly was superb, but Gene Case continued his assault on baseballs with a 301 OPS+ week. Case had a better triple slash, .476/.500/1.095, as our first basemen was 10-for-21 with a double, 4 homers, 7 RBIs, 8 runs, and a pair of walks. Sure, he didn't have the triples or steals, but Case started five games this week and homered in four of them! Surely that counts for something!?!?!

Of course, it does, baseball loves those statistics, so the "10th best first basemen" has the team lead with 14 homers, batting .312/.394/.537 (139 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 8 steals, and 42 RBIs. Recently 24, he walks (35) more then he strikes out (29) and has scored 53 times, doing everything he can to help us win games. The reigning Diamond Defense winner is stealing outs with his patented stretches at first, as his wingspan is far greater the his 6'3'' height. We rank 1st in zone rating (31.4) and 2nd in efficiency (.709) for a reason, and it all starts with the guy at first base.

Henry Watson stayed hot too, as the young outfielder was 8-for-19 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 runs, and 9 RBIs. He's had one of the best June's of anyone, batting .385/.429/.679 (183 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 6 homers, 13 runs, and 26 RBIs. Watson now owns a .304/.337/.522 (120 OPS+) line in 264 trips to the plate this season, and his 58 RBIs not only lead the team, but are second to just Dallas Berry (.357, 24, 70, 10) in the Continental. That could be All-Star worthy, as we're about a month away from the game. He got his first last year, and as expected he's handled the move to right field perfectly (4.5, 1.067). I really want to buy something, as we're close enough to actually maybe make this a pennant race, so the 24-year-old could even move to left is the opportunity arises. Jim Barton (.293, 5, 34) has been decent, but if I can get a rental type bopper in the outfield I am going to pounce on the opportunity.

Plenty of other guys deserve shoutouts, as exciting young shortstop Tom Halliday was 9-for-22 with a double, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He hasn't hit this good in awhile, but the defense continues to be elite (10.0, 1.125) and he always puts the ball in play. Whether its a bloop or even reaching on an error, he can make things happen, and the quick infielder is a quality base runner and stealer. Chappy Sanders even hit well despite no homers, 5-for-15 with a double, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. I've been desperately looking for a catcher, as while the defense is great he's just not getting any hits. He's back over .200, slashing .209/.275/.342 (59 OPS+) in a tough rookie season. Chappy has lost some playing time to Bill Plunkett, who was 2-for-7 week and has a 109 WRC+ in 68 PAs on the season. If he was any good defensively I'd consider giving him a chance in the lineup, but he's the perfect two-ish starts a week guy that frustrates opposing pitchers since he knows them so well.

Andy Logue shook off his rough stretch with 7 scoreless against the Sailors, allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. That snapped his 4 game losing streak, improving to 5-7 with a 3.97 ERA (113 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP in 14 starts. Him, Roy Ellis, and John Mitchell have been a reliable 1-2-3, though Mitchell had a rough hiccough with the Wranglers. The expansion team rallied for 7 hits and 5 runs, striking out twice in 4.2 innings. It ended up not mattering, as while he left down 4-3 in the 5th, we finished that game 13-6 winners. Phil Means became the pitcher of record, throwing an inning and a third with a Carl Matthews homer scoring the batter Mitchell left on base. Arch Wilson continued his scoreless streak with a strikeout in a perfect seventh to pick up his second hold. He then got the save on Sunday, bailing out Pug White in the ninth. He was going for a three inning save, but he allowed three runs in the final inning. He was the pitcher of record, as we broke the 4-4 tie after he entered the game.

Pug won the walk-off a day earlier too, and picked up two saves. In those three appearance he didn't allow a run or walk, and his 3.29 ERA (137 ERA+) is best among qualified Cougars. Him and Roy Ellis have been an interesting combo, as in both of Ellis' starts Buck Cuppett wanted our stopper to take his start to the finish line. Their efforts against the Wranglers proved to be the difference, as Ellis started with six excellent frames, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts before Pug delivered three scoreless. He allowed just 2 hits and struck out 3, allowing Ellis to earn his fifth win. Him and Logue are one shy of Arch for the team lead, and despite not having the most talented pitchers we are not letting teams score on us.

I made a roster move this sim, sending defensive star Billy Thompson on outright assignment to AAA. The 25-year-old is one of the best defenders in our organization, but he hit just .205/.244/.205 (18 OPS+) in 41 trips to the plate. He hasn't played regular enough to get into a groove, and we finally have someone in AAA I sort of want to call up. He isn't a world beater and hit just .167/.318/.222 (47 OPS+) in 22 PAs for the Foresters last season, but Larry Curtis was good in the 50s for the Wolves and hit .299/.432/.727 (225 OPS+) in 23 games with the Blues. Since we signed him as a minor league free agent almost exactly a month ago, he's pounded 9 doubles and 8 homers, driving in 20 with 22 runs and 10 walks. A disciplined hitter with plenty of power, Curtis once looked like a future All-Star, bursting onto the scene in 1954. The former 2nd Rounder and Top 50 prospect hit .340/.441/.571 (177 OPS+) in 413 PAs, adding 27 doubles, 4 triples, 15 homers, 51 walks, 70 RBIs, and 75 runs. That was an outstanding rookie season, and for the next three seasons he was an above average hitter in terms of both OPS+ and WRC+.

That stopped in '58, but he followed his average year (100 OPS+, 96 WRC+) with a great one. Curtis hit .283/.339/.527 (134 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 28 homers, and 75 RBIs. This improve his career line to .266/.330/.474 (122 OPS+), and in their pursuit of outfielders, the Cleveland Foresters picked him up for a minor league outfielder. With their stars, even a guy with 130 career homers doesn't have room to play everyday, and he played sparingly the next two seasons. Because of that, he was left unprotected in the expansion draft, going to the Minneapolis Millers in the 14th Round. Despite being taken early, he was cut after being DFA'd, and sat there for about a month until he took my $2,100 minor league contract offer.

It proved to be a wise move, as he's earned himself another chance in FABL, with his next appearance being #859. He won't start much, but he's a useful slugger with a cannon in the outfield, and despite not being that fast he's an amazing baserunner. As good as Thompson's defense is, we need him to get back on track, and Curtis is worth a flier until something better comes along. Our 40 had six open spots and Curtis can be optioned, so even if I'm able to grab a big bat in the outfield, I don't have to worry about losing him as depth. Granted, I could choose to keep him and cut bait with Bill Irvin, who's clutch pinch hit homer was his first hit of the season.

Last piece of note is the draft, and as expected, none of the auto-scrubs crack the top 500. Luckily, the two guys I took are in the top 100, as Bill Grimm checks in at 44 and Jim Place at 91. Grimm is behind just Dode Caudill in our system, as the talented young outfielder is 12th, while Place is 6th in the system and the clear best pitcher. To make matters worse, picks auto sign now, so I can't just let the guys with eligibility go back to school. Instead, my Class C roster as 52 players, and I have two sims to get that down to 35.

All those poor released late round picks...

Looking Ahead
I'm a little behind so I'll make this short and sweat. Three in LA, three hosting the Foresters, one in Montreal. You'd think we'd lose all but the games in Montreal. You'll find out soon! Probably tomorrow. Night sims really throw me off. Need to get in to the routine!

Minor League Report
CF Orlando Benitez (A Rockford Wildcats): Last week I promoted Orlando Benitez to Rockford. This week, he won Player of the Week.

Last year's first round pick, Orlando Benitez was hitting .351/.390/.597 (177 OPS+) in San Jose, looking more then ready for a new challenge. In 205 PAs he hit 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 11 home runs, driving in 28 with 27 runs scored, 13 walks, and 6 steals. He won a Player of the Week there too, going 12-for-21 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs, production similar to his first week in Rockford. The 19-year-old was 10-for-22 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs, adding 8 runs, a double, a steal, and 7 walks, proving he was more then ready for the Heartland League. The Wildcats new everyday center fielder, he currently ranks as FABL's 64th best prospect and one spot behind our 3rd ranked prospect Bobby Martinez. I think Benitez will be even better, as he's got a nice swing and the athletic mold of a ballplayer. He's strong and athletic, more then capable of sticking in center, and his power potential is legit. He could mash plenty of home runs when he's older, and he's got a great arm in the outfield and at third. His versatility, speed, and overall raw talent will work in his favor, but I really need him to put in the requisite effort to be a star.

StLee · 01-01-2025, 09:24 AM

That Week 7 disaster definitely affected the season. Still, the Cougars have looked pretty good throughout the season. You need the Foresters to start struggling because 44-20 (?) is a hella lot of wins and even 5-1 weeks have put just a slight dent in their lead.

ayaghmour2 · 01-01-2025, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StLee

That Week 7 disaster definitely affected the season. Still, the Cougars have looked pretty good throughout the season. You need the Foresters to start struggling because 44-20 (?) is a hella lot of wins and even 5-1 weeks have put just a slight dent in their lead.

Yeah the Cougs have been outperforming my expectations that's for sure! We are inconsistent, but when the young guys are hitting we can keep up with the mortal teams

Cleveland will be tough. I really want to add to the roster but not many sellers out there yet. We need a big back and a middle-rotation starter, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Still, happy to have a lot to be excited about for the future. '62 will be tough, but '63 is looking very exciting. We may have three talented internal options coming up to play large roles

ayaghmour2 · 01-01-2025, 10:56 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 41-30 (t-2nd, 6 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 28 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.305 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .517 AVG, 1.138 OPS
Gene Case : 25 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.198 OPS

Schedule
6-25: Win at Stars (8-3)
6-26: Loss at Stars (1-2)
6-27: Loss at Stars (4-8)
6-28: Win vs Foresters (7-14)
6-29: Win vs Foresters (4-7)
6-30: Loss vs Foresters (8-7)
7-1: Loss at Saints (2-9)

Recap
Well would you look at that!? We were actually better against the Foresters (2-1) then everyone else this week (1-3)!

You're welcome Continental!

Yeah, believe it or not, we took two-of-three from the Foresters, and even hit Jake Pearson (3.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 2 BB,K) hard in the process. As expected, the Stars had their way with us, and for some reason, we just refuse to beat the Saints. We can beat some of the best pitchers in the league, but no, Duke Edin (7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) is too hard to solve and Hank Walker (5.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) completely imploded.

3-4 against a 30-41 team...

But hey! We're the only team that hasn't lost to the Imperials!

The offense is absolutely rolling, with Henry Watson (12-28, 2 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB), Gene Case (8-25, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, SB), and Jerry McMillan (15-29, HR, 4 RBI, 10 R, 2 SB) continued to hit everything in sight. The only other struggle came in LA, where Sy Dunn (9 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 5 K) outdueled Hank Walker (8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, BB, K) in an unexpected pitcher's duel. The top of our order had produced when called upon, and if we can keep it up maybe we can catch this Pioneers team. Walker and Bob Allen (7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K) could definitely be upgraded on, but even with them our rotation has the third lowest ERA in the Conti. July tends to be the month where trading ramps up, and now that the draft has passed, teams may be more willing to part with their prospects as the system got a healthy boost.

Looking Ahead
Two more with the Saints, who battered us in the opener and send Chicagoans Bob Nelson (5-2, 1, 3.10, 56) and Eddie Bowman (2-2, 4.78, 27) to the mound against former Saint Andy Logue (5-8, 4.20m, 53) and Bob Allen (5-3, 5.10, 50). Logue is the reason Ham Flanders (.381, 10, 57, 5) is leading the batting race in Montreal. Those two were traded for each other almost two years ago, and right now that deal's looking very good in their favor. HIs 176 WRC+ is best on the team, and after winning the first two Rookie of the Months he's the odds on favorite for the Kellogg award. If he was a Cougar he might be at second, and his bat would be a huge upgrade over the light hitting Buddy Byrd (.237, 2, 12, 10). That would greatly weaken the lineup, though Andy Gilman (.291, 16, 54), Harry Swain (.276, 3, 25), and former Cougar draftees Art Robbins (.290, 7, 51, 4) and Garland Phelps (.289, 5, 41) hit well. We need these two wins badly, but at this point I'd be happy with a split before our off day.

We'll use that to travel to Toronto, with three with the Wolves to end the road trip. Toronto is back below .500, 33-38 as they're without two of their best pitchers. Arnie Smith (7-3, 2.97, 99) is still there and dominating, a spiritual successor to the George Garrison and Joe Hancock's of old time, but the rest of the staff is easier to manage. Zeke Blake is not among them, as the 25-year-old has a 2.27 ERA (203 ERA+) and 2.53 FIP (54 FIP-) in 39.2 innings. Most of them high leverage, he's 5-4 with 5 saves and 4 holds, working to a 1.16 WHIP with 15 walks and 38 strikeouts. I'm sure they wish they still had Hank Lacey (6-3, 3.58, 63), and even Zane Kelley (6-3, 4.24, 51), but Blake has been their Arch Wilson (6-1, 4, 0.88, 15), who unfortunately allowed 2 runs off 3 hits and a walk in an eventful 8th inning. This snapped his scoreless streak at 21.2 innings, and considering we were already losing that game when the streak broke, I guess its as good a time as any. He was perfect his next time out, picking up a five out save against his former team. I expect Blake and Wilson to duel in this series, as the two pen specialists are often called upon with the game on the line.

Our toughest match comes on Sunday, as we start a three game series with the Kings in Chicago. They've hit the second most home runs, so at Cougars Park, expect to have a field day with Hank Walker (3-6, 5.33, 62). Hank Williams (.373, 24, 61) accounts for most of the homers, as the Batter of the Month hit 10 in June. That went with a .455/.544/.869 (255 OPS+) triple slash as the 2-Time Whitney Winner is making a case for a third. He's well protected, with Al Farmer (.290, 12, 39, 4), Charlie Rogers (.284, 8, 31, 5), and Ken Newman (.322, 11, 50, 7) around him, and we'll need our guys at their best to win the opener.

Minor League Reports
RHP Roy Weinberger (B San Jose Cougars): Notable minor leaguers are few and far between, so when Roy Weinberger struck out 7 in a 2-0 shutout win, he was front and center. Performances like this are no surprise, as the former 15th Rounder is 7-2 with a 1.27 ERA (258 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP in 12 starts. The 20-year-old has 57 strikeouts to just 6 walks, never walking more then a single batter in a start. Unfortunately, we didn't get many pitchers in the draft, so guys like Weinberger had to stay here instead of receiving a draft day promotion. May's Pitcher of the Month is ready for tougher competition, but unless there's an injury there is no one to cut or demote ahead of him. John Roberts (6-2, 2.07, 33) and Art Ozbun (4-5, 2.15, 73) have had similar success, helping San Jose lead the C-O-W in rotation ERA.

Amateur Report
3rd Round, 50th Overall: 2B Dick Habeson
School: Shenandoah Valley State
1962: .282/.321/.370, 280 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 11 SB
Career: .282/.321/.370, 280 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 11 SB

So even though he isn't very good, I decided to give our 3rd Round pick Dick Harbeson the benefit of the doubt, promoting the first of our auto picks to Class A Rockford. The Shenandoah Valley State alum hit .282/.321/.370 as a junior, but nothing he did t here really stood out. The benefit now is that he's good enough to skip the early levels, so he could at least contribute to some of our minor league teams. With a weak arm second is his home, but he could be okay there with a little work. We have plenty of infield spots up for grabs, and he'll get to hit 7th on a 41-23 Wildcats team that ranks 1st in Runs (400) on quest for pennant twelve.

12-06-2024, 10:59 AM	#1541
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 1: April 17th-April 22nd Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 5-1 (1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 13 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .448 AVG, 1.346 OPS Tom Halliday : 29 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .379 AVG, .971 OPS Henry Watson : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .360 AVG, .957 OPS Schedule 4-17: Win vs Imperials (3-5) 4-18: Win vs Imperials (6-7) 4-19: Win at Cannons (9-3) 4-20: Loss at Cannons (6-7) 4-21: Win at Cannons (11-9) 4-22: Win at Wranglers (6-1) Recap Don't look now, but the Chicago Cougars are still tied for first place! As expected, our bats were able to take advantage of the poor pitching, though that didn't stop in Cincinnati. They did give us our only loss, but in all six of our games we scored 5 or more runs. Jerry McMillan in particular handle the Cannons well, homering off both Jack Meeks and Bill Barnard. For the week, McMillan hit an impressive .448/.484/.862 (231 OPS+), adding 3 triples, 2 walks, 2 steals, and 9 runs scored. Recently turned 25, the British Columbia native is the undisputed star of the team, and he's starting to take a larger role as a leader in the clubhouse. As the leadoff hitter, he was able to set up success for Tom Halliday (11-29, 2B, 2 3B, 6 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB, SB), Gene Case (9-25, HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB), and Henry Watson (9-25, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI, BB, SB). Even Jim Barton (7-20, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB) has gotten into the fun, as our young core has gotten off to a tremendous start. Our reliable ace has benefitted from it twice, though in both starts 1961 All-Star Andy Logue impressed. Sure, he allowed homers in both, but he held the Imperials to 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk, striking out 2 across 6 in their first FABL game. He followed that up with a complete game win in Dallas, allowing just 8 hits, a run, and a walk with 3 more strikeouts. A perfect 2-0, Logue sports a 2.40 ERA (203 ERA+) and 1.13 WHIP, and is expected to open our weekend series in LA with the co-leading Saints. The rest of the rotation didn't have much success, but John Mitchell was crucial in our 9-3 win in Cincinnati. The now 25-year-old allowed just 4 hits, a run, and 3 walks, striking out 2 in 8 impressive innings. A quality innings eater, he helped recover the pen with a long outing, as Roy Ellis (5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) struggled the day before, and Hank Walker (L, 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Luckily we have Pug White (2 SV, 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K) and Arch Wilson (1-0, HLD, 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K) in the pen to win the close games the first iteration of the Cougars struggled with. Seeing Pug pitch in four games was big, as even without a quality third pitch he can overpower once or maybe twice through the lineup. Chappy Sanders had a mixed debut week, as while he was just 5-for-22, three of his hits were for extra bases. Our young catcher was held hitless in his debut, but he improved as the week went on. He got his first hit in game two, a triple in game there, and then homers in the fourth and fifth. He's starting to quickly make an impact on the team showing the power he displayed in the spring is legit. The young lefty also impressed in his one start in left, a position he's quite capable in. It's nice being able to give him a half day off there, potentially allowing him to play around 135 games a season. Chappy wasn't the only debut either, as 27-year-old reliever Phil Means struck out one in four perfect at bats of our 11 inning sweep capping off win. He got a win in his third appearance, ironically the worst of his starts. He surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs, aided by his second and third homer allowed. Means is lucky none of the pitchers I wanted came to me, so he'll hang out for at least another full week. Other debuts include catchers Bill Plunkett (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) and Milt Payne (1-5, R), both who got starts behind the plate. We did make a new acquisition, but I'm not going to assign the recently claimed William Buttry. A former 6th Round Pick of the Kings, I was interested in the drafting the infielder in 1949, and on many occasions inquired on him in trades. The 30-year-old version isn't quite what I envisioned, but he's still a solid defender. An option for shortstop, he'll give us some more versatility on the bench, and give us a quality baserunner who works the count and frustrates pitchers. The former Star and King owns a .272/.304/.407 (93 OPS+) FABL line, picking up 61 doubles, 12 triples, 34 homers, 156 runs, and 167 RBIs. Best at third, he can cover second, short, and first, and depending on other claims, he'll replace one of the catchers or first basemen. Looking Ahead One more with the Dallas Wranglers, who are actually 3-2 in games that aren't against us. They took two-of-three from the Saints and one from the Cannons, but since we don't face Butch Abrams (1-0, 8 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 BB, 4 K) I'm not too worried. Instead, we'll get former Cougar Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72), who made 39 appearances (10 starts) for the 1953 Cougars. The then 31-year-old was 7-5 with 3 saves, but his 5.48 ERA (76 ERA+) left a lot to be desired. He walked and struck out 49 in 110 innings, sporting a 1.45 WHIP and 4.59 FIP (110 FIP-) that gave some cause for optimism. Granted, the Cougs shipped him away for a minor league infielder, and he spent the next six years with the Miners. Moulton went 58-62 with a 4.12 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP, but was one of many pitchers left unprotected by Pittsburgh. He's not likely to get much run support, but another former Miner Bill Harbin (.259, 5, 19, 3) has gotten off to a great start (.368, 2, 2, 1). Ray Hughes (.182, 1, 10, 1) is the only other guy doing much on offense, and he's just 7-for-19 with a double and three walks. Roy Ellis is in need of a bounce back, and he should have no trouble with this lineup. We return for a quick homestand, hosting the San Francisco Sailors for three. 2nd place last year, they're just 2-4, but it's not because of their pitching. New acquisitions Hank Lacey (6.2, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and Zane Kelley (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) picked up wins in their first games with their new team, matching the two wins Wolf Zeke Blake picked up for Toronto. They've allowed tied for the second fewest runs as a team, but the offense just hasn't been scoring any runs. Some guys aren't effected, as Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) and Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) are doing as expected, but John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) hasn't done much aside from his two homers. The Sailors were one of many teams to debut a top 10 prospect as well, as the 6th ranked Ernie Carter went 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, 3 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Just 21, he's a great infielder and good outfielder, and while his bat has some developing, he's already a top third basemen. Paired with Spitler and Jaramillo, this infield should get a ton of outs, as aside from Spitler's range (3), all the defensive ratings are 4 and over. The outfield defense is good too, hence the low run totals, so we will have to make the most of our opportunities. That or taking advantage of the longball! Back on the road after that, but at least it will end our 13-game streak to start the season. It's a series that could be for first place, as we'll be in LA for three with the Stars. Another team that can hit a lot of home runs, Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) already has three, and leadoff man and 1960 Kellogg winner Don Hall (.271, 25, 80) is one of three hitters with two homers. The Stars also have former Chicago Panther Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), who has committed to playing baseball full time. It's a tough pitching staff to compliment the lineup too, and we're in line to have our best face their best. I'm nervous about facing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87), and 22-year-old Sy Dunn (16-5, 3.34, 136) was excellent in his first y ear as a starter. #3 Floyd Warner (13-12, 4.74, 122) isn't as scary, but we'll need to score a lot of runs to keep up. It's still way too early to think about the playoffs, but when you're in first place, series like this are huge, and wins against contenders are big regardless of the situation. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-07-2024 at 05:21 PM.

12-07-2024, 06:34 PM	#1542
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 2: April 23rd-April 29th Weekly Record: 1-5 Seasonal Record: 7-6 (t-5th, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Jim Barton : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .346 AVG, .947 OPS Jerry McMillan : 24 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, .985 OPS Gene Case : 22 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, .619 OPS Schedule 4-23: Loss at Wranglers (1-5) 4-24: Win vs Sailors (1-4): 10 innings 4-25: Win vs Sailors (4-5) 4-26: Loss vs Sailors (6-2) 4-27: Loss at Stars (1-2): 10 innings 4-28: Loss at Stars (2-5) 4-29: Loss at Stars (3-5) Recap As expected, the wheels fell off very quickly, as our 5-win week was quickly followed up by a 5-loss one. As disappointing as it may feel, 7-6 is really exactly where I expected to be as we approach May, so we're right on track as I return to control in 1962. Losing to Dallas sucked, and getting swept by the Stars sucked even more, but we were on the road for both. In Chicago, we took two of three from the Sailors, winning a pair of one-run games, so really the only thing I'm disappointed in is the 2-1 loss to the Stars. Andy Logue was brilliant, allowing just 5 hits and a run with 5 strikeouts, completing 6 strong innings before giving way to Pug White. White gave us 2 scoreless with 2 strikeouts and Arch Wilson got a scoreless ninth. That should have been enough for a win, but we couldn't solve the Stars pitching. The trend continued in the 10th, but backup catcher Ron Johnston led off the bottom half with a bomb off Wilson, giving them momentum they'd use to start the sweep. Logue was easily our most effective pitcher, but John Mitchell was excellent in our 4-1 win over the Sailors. Unfortunately, he almost had a shutout, but instead ended with a no decision. Pitching into the 9th, Mitchell allowed young backstop Larry McLaren to start the inning with a double. He got to third on a passed ball, though thankfully there was on scoring on a flyout to Watson in right. With the infield in, Tom Halliday gunned McLaren out at home, though instead of Mitchell getting to get the last out, Buck Cuppett went to Arch Wilson. It didn't work, he walked Edwin Hackberry on four pitches, and then allowed John Kingsbury to break the tie with an RBI single. With runners on second and third, Wilson walked Heinie Spitler to load the bases, and got a quick flyout to end the inning. We didn't score in the bottom half, so despite 8.2 innings of 7 hits, 1 run, and 3 walk, ball (with 4 strikeouts), Mitchell did not receive a win. Arch managed to poach it, as an 0-for-4 Jerry McMillan sent the fans home happy with a 2-out, 3-run homer. It was McMillan's third homer of the season, and he hit his fourth in our 6-2 loss to finish the series. Off to an excellent start, he went 8-for-24 this week, slashing an incredible .396/.429/.755 (198 OPS+) with a double, 3 triples, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 13 runs, and 3 steals. As good, if not better, then advertised, McMillan has done his best to spark the lineup, leading to strong performances from some of our best players. That includes Jim Barton, who joined his outfielder counterpart with a 2-homer week. Barton was 9-for-26, now hitting a strong .348/.375/.565 (139 OPS+) with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. This week, the duo didn't have as much support, but both Gene Case (.319, 1, 7, 3) and Tom Halliday (.321, 9, 1) are off to nice starts at the plate. Despite that, the rest of the lineup has really struggled, as we've been held to the 7th most runs in the CA. Chappy Sanders saw a quick drop-off, just 1-for-23, but guess what? That one was a homer! In fact, half of his six hits have left the park, but he's got 11 strikeouts to just a single walk, with a .133/.152/.378 (31 OPS+) line that looks like a member of his staff. Unlike most Cougar teams I've had, the strength of the pitching has been the pen, as three of our rotation members have ERAs over 7 while all four pen members are under. The highest is Phil Means' 3.60 (127 ERA+), and that metric is still over 25% then average. Arch Wilson (2-1, 1.42, 3) has just one earned run, Pug White (1-0, 2, 1.93, 12) three, and even 34-year-old Bob Burdick (0-0, 3.18, 4) has looked good in a small sample. I was not able to claim any of the many players I tried to add, so for now it looks like this four man group is here to stay. Part of me wants to claim "Half-Pint" Ray Paulson, my former 5th Rounder, who they recently DFA'd. Paulson got all four batters he faced out, including a strikeout, and he's pitched in parts of four seasons for the Gothams. The results have been uninspiring, 28 hits, 15 runs, and 9 walks with 13 strikeouts in 31 innings. I love his leadership abilities and I love bringing old Cougars home, but with how good Means has been, I'm not sure it's worth disrupting that. His stuff is worse then Means and his stamina lower then Burdick, so aside from sentimentality it doesn't seem worth it. Luckily, I have until Monday night to decide! I did have to make a roster move, as I had to find someone to send down for William Buttry. Buttry, who was claimed off waivers from the Stars last week, gives us another warm body for shortstop. A skilled situational player, he's a quality third basemen due to his plus-plus arm, and he's one of the toughest guys to strikeout. Late in game he gives us defensive flexibility, a quality baserunner, and a guy who can put the ball in play. He won't hit for a high average or much power, but if you need someone to move a batter over, he'll do his best to accomplish that. He'll now take the spot of the 34-year-old Moe Holt, who graciously accepted an optional assignment to Milwaukee. Another former Star, Holt was a regular for four seasons , two in New York, two in LA, and joined the Cougars in a 1955 offseason deal. He got two seasons as a starter too, but the four following seasons saw his playing time decrease, and if he finishes with 3 PAs (0-3) this year he'll keep that trend up. The optional assignment may not be too long, Billy Thompson (1-9, BB) hasn't hit much and is taking away time from Byron Burnett, but for now I want to stick with him and his glove, as I get Bobby Martinez more comfortable in center. Thompson is the superior defender, so sending him down would move Martinez back to right. I want him getting at least a month here, so Thompson has some time to get his bat back on track. Looking Ahead We're off on the final day of April, meaning we'll enter May 7-6 with a quick homestand. It's a tough one too, as we'll host the three time pennant winning Foresters, who are 8-5 and a game ahead of us and a game behind the first place tie. Regardless of how the first few months go, I'd still bet on the Foresters winning the CA, as they have a great lineup and staff, with very few weaknesses on the roster. With an off-day of their own, they'll likely skip their 5th starter too, leaving us with #4 Sonny Stoyer (1-0, 6.23, 10) in the opener, before facing the co-aces Jake Pearson (2-0, 2.35, 23) and Adrian Czerwinski (1-1, 5.56, 16). Czerwinski is still the elite pitcher he was when we left him, and they've gotten a decade of quality from Rufus Barrell (3-0, 2.62, 9) behind him. That alone would be enough to compete, but the offense is great. Former Whitney winner Sherry Doyal (.333, 3, 8, 1) now bats seventh, as past winners Earl Howe (.224, 1, 7), Tom Carr (.250, 7), and last year's winner John Low (.400, 3, 14) bat ahead of him. Paul Williams (.286, 7) is good enough to have won one in the past, and Hal Kennedy (.422, 3, 14) is the best catcher in the game. If you line us up player-for-player, our only edge is in the pen, as Pug White is far better then Johnny Ogden (0-3, 3, 4.15, 12), and former Forester Arch Wilson probably has the edge. But since baseball isn't determined by soley your top two relievers, expect most if not all the wins between these two teams to go to the team without a pennant drought. In terms of competition, it gets easier, as while we will have to hit the road, our destination will be Montreal. At 4-9, the Saints are in 9th place, ahead of just the 2-11 New York Imperials. If you thought our rotation had ugly ERAs, there's are even worse, as 27-year-old Jerry Duncan's (2-1, 5.40, 9) 5.40 ERA (85 ERA+) is best among pitchers with 9 innings pitched. You can thank Bob Nelson (0-0, 2.08, 6) and Cliff Dinger (0-0, SV, 2.16, 9) have more then 8 but fewer then 9 innings, providing a quick haven from the runs in the pen. They have been scoring a bunch, surprisingly 4th in runs scored, as former Cougar 6th Rounder Art Robbins, who I totally forgot I drafted in the 6th Round. Aside from one of the AI GMs sending him to Montreal for Bert Cupid, it was a great pick, as Robbins was an All-Star in 1957, and is hitting an outstanding .422/.490/.711 (203 OPS+) in his first 51 PAs. Obviously, this isn't sustainable, but Art is a quality defender and career .266/.318/.411 (99 OPS+) hitter in 861 FABL games. If they decide to sell, he could be a heavily targeted piece, with other options outfielder Jim Johnston (.306, 2 4), former Cougar Garland Phelps (.306, 1, 6), and desperate change-of-scenery candidate Jim Montgomery (1-2, 7.41, 13). On paper, we should be winning this one easily, and while it's not a brand new stadium, it will be my first trip with the team to the Stade Memorial. Long gone are the days of the spacious Parc Cartier, as we'll look to hit plenty of poor pitches over the outfield fences. Minor League Report LF Dode Caudill (AA Little Rock Governors): It almost never happens this way, but our first Player of the Week happens to be our first ranked prospect! Up to 21st in the league after making a jump due to defensive improvements, it was the bat of Dode Caudill that caught the eye of the Dixie League voters. Named Player of the Week on his 23rd birthday, Caudill hit .438/.571/.1.000 (318 OPS+) with 3 homers, 7 RBIs, 5 walks, and 2 steals. Our first rounder in 1960, he made huge strides defensively in the offseason, and while I still don't trust him in center, he could play that well. With his arm, he might be best in right, but the more obvious spot in our outfield is left. Barton is technically the weakest link, and both Watson and McMillan have stronger arms then Caudill. Caudill might have the most power potential, as it's already evident now and still has room to improve. It's probably at the level of Barton and McMillan right now, with just Watson showing more now. Add in pitch recognition skills, discipline, and a strong contract tool, and you've got a potential middle-of-the-rotation hitter. Dixie thinks he'll be better then any of our non-McMillan outfielders, and part of that is likely due to our Canadians defensive prowess. I have extremely high hopes for our top prospect, who's probably FABL ready today, and it would take a legit superstar for me to part with him. Though as big league ready as he is, don't expect him in Chicago this season, as this week was his first five games in AA, and there's no need to rush him up to a bench role. 3B Bob Brown (B San Jose Cougars): The other Player of the Week for the organization, it came from an extremely unlikely source. Taken in the 16th Round last season, Bob Brown got into just 18 games, half in La Crosse, half in San Jose, and the now 19-year-old made just a single start in his first half-season. This year, he's been given the starting third base job for the baby Cougars, and he's already been better then he was last year. Brown went 6-for-16, providing San Jose with 6 runs, 6 RBIs, and 4 walks. Only one of his hits wasn't for extra bases, as he has a double, triple, and three home runs. This all equates to a highly unusual .375/.524/1.125 (331 OPS+) batting line that even a superstar like Dallas Berry or Buddy Miller might not be able to match. An unheralded prospect, I didn't even know who he was before today, but perhaps he deserves a second look. A quality second and third basemen, he's got an advanced eye, great speed, and a cannon of an arm, but there's not much to suggest his recent success will lead to a FABL career. Still, there's something to be said about performance, and this 5-game sample may do him wonders whenever it's time to trim the edges of the organization.

12-10-2024, 05:05 PM	#1543
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 3: April 30th-May 6th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 11-8 (t-4th, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Tom Halliday : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .409 AVG, .955 OPS Mooney Vetter : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .409 AVG, .889 OPS Archie Wilson : 1 Win, 1 Saves, 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 5-1: Win vs Foresters (6-9) 5-2: Loss vs Foresters (4-1): 11 innings 5-3: Loss vs Foresters (1-0): 10 innings 5-4: Win at Saints (5-3) 5-5: Win at Saints (6-3) 5-6: Win at Saints (6-4) Recap As expected, we struggled against the Foresters and succeeded against the Saints, but I was very impressed with how competitive we were hosting the Foresters. We took care of business, getting nine off Les Hanauer (0-2, 6.02, 16) and Lynn Horn (0-0, 1, 5.68, 6), and in both of our losses the defending pennant winners needed extra innings to dispatch of us. We just had the misfortune of facing Adrian Czerwinski (1-1, 4.50, 21) and Jake Pearson (3-0, 1.64, 25), the latter of which fashioned a 5-hit shutout. He struck out and walked two in ten impressive innings, as Henry Watson (2-4) and Jim Barton (3-4, 2B) were just too far apart in the lineup to make a difference. Andy Logue (6.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 6 BB, 3 K) and Roy Ellis (6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K) both pitched well enough to win, and it's a shame that they didn't get wins to go with them. It would have been nice to see these guys pitch deeper into their starts, but long gone are the days where Peter the Heater, Duke Bybee, and the Jones Brothers could all throw complete game victories despite allowing a run or two. Against lesser competition, the offense had better luck, getting 5 or more runs in each game of our sweep. A lot of our success can be attributed to the top ranked pitching staff, as believe it our not our aceless rotation has allowed the fewest runs in baseball. Only Hank Walker had poor starts, as the outspoken 29-year-old allowed 4 runs in both of his starts. We managed to win both, with Walker himself picking up the victory in Montreal. He allowed 9 hits and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings, pitching well enough to get it to the pen. Surprisingly, Bob Burdick got the call, but the veteran righty managed to pick up his second save. Pitching the 8th and 9th, he avoided runs despite two hits and walks, capping off our sweep. The first win came in the opener, following an outstanding John Mitchell start. The 25-year-old went 8 innings with 8 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 7 before ceding control to Burdick in the 9th. With a 5-3 lead, he walked just one in a scoreless 9th, pushing our record back over .500. The middle game was Bob Allen's best start of the season, as my former 1st Rounder allowed 7 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 6 innings. He didn't get a decision, as he left down 1-0. Pug White then made it 3-0, allowing 2 in the 8th, a rare misstep for our solid stopper. He allowed 4 hits and a walk, striking out 2 in 2 innings of work. Obviously we won, but the 9th inning is still worth retelling, as our offense showed fight I didn't expect. Down 3-0 against the starter who stifled them all game, backup catcher Bill Plunkett drew his second walk of the game, and thankfully he was quickly replaced by Buddy Byrd, who grounded into a fielder's choice. It was a huge upgrade, as we took our catcher off the bases and added one of the top baserunners in the league. His skills weren't needed, as Chuck Droste (0-4, 5.52, 15) walked both Chappy Sanders and Jerry McMillan to load the bases. Even with the walk being on four pitches, Montreal skipper Lynn Gray stuck with his starter, setting up a duel with Tom Halliday. It was a quick one, as Halliday pounced on the first pitch and singled over the second basemen. At this point, Gray went to the pen, bringing in Chicagoan Bob Nelson (0-0, 1, 3.68, 10) for the save. The 22-year-old righty had to deal with the lefty Gene Case, who brought us within one with a single over the third basemen. Bases still loaded, 23-year-old All-Star Henry Watson had a chance to break the tie, and he roped one the fly to right. With three great baserunners, everyone was able to score, and Watson slid in easily with a base clearing triple. Jim Barton worked a 3-2 count before getting called looking, but third basemen Mooney Vetter picked him up with an RBI single. Up 6-0, Bill Plunkett got to finish what he started, flying out to shallow center to end the inning. Instead of Pug, Arch Wilson got the 9th, and it started poor when Fred Jones singled on the first pitch. Lucky for us, Arch works best with runners on, as his groundball often end in double plays. Over excited, Al Bennett fell victim to one, quickly quashing the Montreal rally. Bill Elkins offered little resistance with two gone, hitting one to Case at first to go down easy. An impressive win, we'll need to use that energy to keep us going, with tougher games scheduled ahead. Looking Ahead The Canadian roadtrip continues and finishes with Toronto, where we'll play three at Dominion Stadium with the 3rd Place Wolves. At 12-7, they're just a game back of the Kings, but dropping two of three to us would allow us to pass them. A sweep of us, however, could do well to put them on top, as Toronto will look to throw George Hoxworth (3-0, 3.09, 24) in the opener to get a head start. After that, we won't have to deal with a top arm, instead getting former Cougar draftee Mike Emerson (2-2, 7.33, 9) and top 100 prospect Bill Medley (0-4, 5.04, 18). Medley is an exciting prospect, and could be a quality rotation arm soon, but I think the 21-year-old righty may need more experience in the minors. He threw just 7 innings in AAA last season, which was also the first year he pitched above A-ball. But with the way Tom Reed (.453, 4, 14, 1) has been hitting so far, it doesn't really matter who's pitched, and he's supported well in the outfield with Jim Allen (.324, 3, 7) and Sid Cullen (.324, 4, 11). Another hero from him is an old friend, as our former 11th Rounder Charlie Harvey has hit ..373/.449/.458 (131 OPS+) in 69 trips to the plate. Obviously, it's a small sample, but Harvey did have a 109 WRC+ last season, and despite his defensive flaws he's been helping the Wolves score a lot of runs. Despite all the runs, I'm not too scared of this lineup, and since we get the top of our rotation I'm confident in getting the results we need. It won't get easier after that, as we'll have to deal with the first place Kings before our Sunday offday. Homefield advantage may not be a good thing, as I don't want Hank Williams (.371, 7, 16) taking advantage of our short fences. With guys like him, Al Farmer (.325, 5, 16), and Ken Newman (.311, 2, 17, 3) the back of our rotation could be in trouble, as they can all go deep. Newman is dealing with an elbow injury, which could limit his effectiveness, but this lineup is deep enough to survive that and the struggles of Illinois native Charlie Rogers (.221, 1, 3, 3). Bob Burge (.310, 1, 13) looks comfortable in the starting catcher role, and if reigning Kellogg winner Pat Davis (.342, 12, 6) is still homerless when we meet, he'll certainly get one against us. The 24-year-old hit 19 of them last season, but more impressively he provided the Kings with 33 doubles, 33 steals, and a Continental high 17 triples. Even without a homer, he has a 127 WRC+ and .507 slugging, legging out 5 triples with a pair of doubles, 6 walks, and 13 runs scored. Even if the staff has question marks, they're having results better then pretty much everyone but us, and our lineup doesn't come anywhere close to theirs. It will be a tough series for sure, and I would not be surprised if we lost more of these then we won. Minor League Report RHP Ken Stone (AAA Milwaukee Blues): If he was still a prospect, Ken Stone would be the clear #1 in our system, as the 22-year-old righty has the most upside of any pitcher in our system, and Dixie Marsh basically says he's our best starter now and forever. A 2nd Rounder in 1957, Stone could be a throwback ace, able to pitch effectively deep into games. Of course, he can also get you out quickly, as he managed a 1-hit, 3-strikeout shutout with just 76 pitches. 76! The Blues have been awful this year, so that 1-0 shutout led to win #4 on the year, as Stone himself improved to 1-2 despite allowing just 2 runs or fewer in three of his four starts. Ranked as high as 14th on the prospect list, Stone's got a lethal curve that's among the best in the league, and with an excellent mid-to-high 90s fastball that pairs perfectly with a nifty change. Add in two more fastballs for fun and Stone can really overpower, but what makes him a perfect fit for Chicago is his ability to keep the ball on the ground. From a sidearm slot, he's tough to elevate, and he may be one of the few pitchers to keep homers low in Chicago. The last thing he's working out now is the command, as in his first two seasons in Chicago he gave hitters too many punishable pitches. While not wild, there was too much middle/middle, and aside from his first AAA start, he's done well to limit that down in Milwaukee. If all goes well, 1962 will be his first and only year of optional assignment, and he can play a key part in our future rotations for seasons to come. CF Wayne Wilson (AA Little Rock Governors): We've done well with Player of the Week awards, as Wayne Wilson took home another in the Dixie League. The 22-year-old outfielder hit a strong 10-for-26 with a double, triple, 5 homers, and 12 RBIs. The most impressive part is that he twisted his ankle on the first, and all five homers came after the incident. This included a three game streak and two in a 9-3 win over the Reliables to end the week, upping his season line to a spectacular .295/.354/.795 (201 OPS+) in 12 games. He entered the week with a home run, and now has 9 extra base hits in 48 plate appearances. The former Stars 11th Rounder is striking out a fair bit, already 8 on the year, but he's countered it with four walks, and obviously, the power. A big 6'4'' lefty, he's the type of guy you expect to hit a lot of homers, but what makes him exciting is his athleticism. He's got outstanding range in the outfield, even if he isn't the fastest guy out there. Sure, we have more exciting outfield options ahead of him, but he could already fill a 5th outfielder role, and his presence allows us to feel comfortable trading more desirable prospects if we choose. CF Orlando Benitez (B San Jose Cougars): Regardless of how the week went, I was going to cover Orlando Benitez, but to force my hand the 19-year-old went out and won himself a Player of the Week. One of my favorite prospects, the Cuban born outfielder was the Cougars first rounder last year, and ranks 55th on the prospect list. He'd hit as you'd expect a highly regarded youngster to hit, 12-for-21 with 2 doubles, triples, homers, and steals. The award winner added on 4 walks, 7 runs, and 9 RBIs, and is now hitting .436/.500/.744 (232 OPS+) in a near perfect start to his first pro season. A toolsy prospect with work ethic questions, there is no denying the natural talent, as despite his size he's a prospect evaluators dream. He's got top line speed which should lead to lop line defense, and he's got a plus-plus arm at third to go with the outfield. I don't expect him to get much time on the dirt, but he'd be capable at the hot corner, and his raw power would play there. He's got an enticing hit tool too, capable of maintaining high averages with more then just singles. The only question left now is how much he wants to be a star, as there will always be questions about the aforementioned work ethic. You don't have to be the hardest worker in the world to succeed, but if at some point the competition catches up to him, he'll be faced with the dilemma of working for improvement. RHP Art Ozbun (B San Jose Cougars): One thing the AI loved doing is releasing guys right after they were drafted, and in the case of former 10th Rounder Art Ozburn, we were the one that eventually profited. To be fair, we released him once too, but after bringing him back the day after he was cut by the Eagles (for the third time) we snapped him up. I don't plan on cutting him any time soon, as the 21-year-old has a five rated fastball and slider with a four change for fun. There's a middling cutter too, but in the high 90s almost anything is tough to hit. I mean, tell the Vancouver Mounties that it's only a "three" after he sliced through their lineup in San Jose's 2-0 win. The young righty allowed just 4 hits, striking out 12 in a thorough domination. Most impressively, he didn't walk a single batter, with just one in his first 15.1 innings. With his stuff I'm already salivating about his future, as if he can just make any progress with his movement or control he's going to be legit. Obviously Pug White has filthy stuff, but I honestly don't see another guy with better stuff then Oz. Sure the other eight guys are at least twice the pitcher he is, but that just shows you how lucky we are to have a guy like him. At his absolute worst, he's got FABL stuff you can stash in the pen, as I'd like to see Jim Barton, Mooney Vetter, and Buddy Byrd to try to start a rally against this guy. He's really tough to put bat to ball against, and with his "always loose as a goose" personality, the fireballing Oz has elite fireman written all over him. That's a great fallback plan, and a areal knock on the overall prospect rankings. He just finally entered the top 500, ranked 494th and 29th in our system. Aside from Ken Stone and maybe Henry Henderson, there's not another guy in this farm I'd trade Oz for, and since I actually have a chance to develop him, he may feel like my first real prospect. It's definitely going to take sometime for the team to feal truly like mine, but as evident with Oz here, it's pretty easy for these 1s and 0s to act and feel like real life ballplayers. Attached Images

12-11-2024, 11:06 PM	#1545
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 4: May 7th-May 13th Taking a break until next Monday as our commish will be out of town. Might be a few more missed sims sprinkled in with the holiday. Maybe I'll have time to get some of those yearly recaps done. Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 16-9 (t-1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week Jim Barton : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.082 OPS Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .360 AVG, .945 OPS Mooney Vetter : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .348 AVG, .739 OPS Schedule 5-7: Win at Wolves (6-2) 5-8: Win at Wolves (4-2) 5-9: Win at Wolves (9-6): 16 innings 5-10: Win vs Kings (6-9) 5-11: Win vs Kings (2-3) 5-12: Loss vs Kings (7-1) Recap Well would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place! Sure, it's just a tie for the lead, but we won eight straight before Elmer Sullivan (9 IP, 8 H, 3 RR, BBM 2 K) and the Kings finally stopped our streak in the finale of our home series. Of course it's those same Kings we are tied with, so we actually took over first place for a day. It was a strange game, from the fact that Sullivan pitched so well to Andy Logue's (5.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, K) first bad start of 1962, and with both teams off on Sunday we opened the week in an even split. In most cases it was the pen that got the job done, with most of the best results coming there. Pug White was a big part of four wins, picking up 3 saves and a hold. In 6.2 scoreless innings he allowed 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Arch Wilson (IP, H, BB, 2 K) wasn't needed much, but Phil Means (6.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) and Bob Burdick (W, 6.2, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K) pitched well in what almost amounts to a start. Eight of our nine pitchers threw at least six innings, as it was really a team effort to take advantage of our opponents. Traditional starters had success too, as both Roy Ellis and Hank Walker pitched as advertised. Ellis got the Wolves, going 6.2 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts, leaving with exactly 100 pitches. After a rough start the day after Opening Day, he's now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. We'll get him for two starts this week, and our ability to stay atop the standing will rely on him. Walker is in line for just one start, and it might be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Easily his best start of the season, Walker held the tough Kings lineup to just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. He struck out 6 in 6 innings, picking up the tight 3-2 win to secure the series. Despite his 5.72 ERA (76 ERA+), the 29-year-old vet is 2-1, striking out 17 with 11 walks in 28.1 innings. He's been hurt by the base hit often this season, allowing more hits then innings in all five of his starts. If it's only a few more, you can live with it, but he's lived reckless with runners on, and it's not the strategy for success. Jim Barton gave another strong showing, including a 3-for-3 with a double and RBI in our 9-6 win over the Kings. On the week he was 8-for-19, hitting his 4th homer of the season. The recently turned 26-year-old has hit .337/.359/.517 (126 OPS+) in the first month of the season, trying to prove he's not the weak link in our stacked outfield. Another guy who had quality at bats was Gene Case, who was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, a walk, a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Chappy Sanders continued to hit extra base hits, as while he was just 4-for-17 he had a double and homer. I wish our potential catcher of the future wasn't hitting just .130, but he has a 12.5 BB% and six extra base hits in 88 trips to the plate. His problem is he's striking out too much, a poor 23.9 K% so far, but while the good times keep rolling there's no read to tamper with the formula. For one reason or another, we're 16-9, and until the Foresters (15-10, 1 GB) eventually catch us it will be fun to try to compete for a pennant in the return year. We were not competitive in the beginning back in 1926, so it's almost like getting a do over on the first FABL year. Oh yeah... And Pat Davis' first homer of the season??? It came against us! Told ya! Looking Ahead Refreshed and relaxed, we'll make a quick trip to New York, to play the tied for last place Imperials for three. 6-19 like the Saints, The Imps have been active making acquisitions, and one of their best acquisitions has been that of Marv Rafalko. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Cannons, and and in the three starts since he's looked like a potential long-term piece. A former 2nd Round selection of the Miners, Fafalko has a 1.48 ERA (298 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts with just 8 walks in 24.1 innings pitched. With the off day we may miss him, but the former 97th ranked prospect could end the season towards the top of their rotation. Guys like Hank Short (0-3, 3.78, 17) and former Cougar 2nd Rounder Ernie Tisdale (1-2, 3.69, 17) could be shipped away for prospects, while Illinois native Willie Dieter (.315, 4, 9) has displayed value in the corner outfield. One guy I don't want them to trade is team home run leader Turk Ramsey (.272, 6, 12), who gave himself an early 27th birthday gift with a solo homer off the Cannons Jimmy Block (1-2, 5.23, 19). Turk has some of the best power in the league, and it would be really cool for someone from the inaugural team to hold longstanding career records for the franchise. After the quick trip we're back in Chicago for six, four of which we'll play this week. The last one will be the start of a series with the Wranglers, while we host the Cincinnati Cannons for three games from Thursday to Saturday. One of the top offenses in the league, I'm worried about Dallas Berry (.329, 8, 23, 5), who already has a 216 WRC+ in just over 100 PAs. One of the most dangerous players in the league, he's on pace for a whopping 49 homers, 148 walks, and 31 steals, all of which should be among the league's high. The young trio ahead of him is allowing him a shot at an RBI title, as Milt Senecal (.313, 4, 8, 3), Bonnie Chpain (.281, 3, 12), and Babe Booth (.284, 9) have been on base for him. Behind him, Art McKinney (.286, 5, 18) and Charlie Ham (.294, 5, 10, 1) can really mash, so no matter who is pitching, we'll have our share of troubles. The guy who is doing the best is Chicagoan Charlie Warren (4-1, 2.29, 23), who we are looking lucky enough to miss. I do expect ace Jim York (2-2, 4.67, 19) in the finale, and he will give our lineup some fits. He's a bit wild, and if we punish his mistakes at our park, we could get some nice short homers. We only have one with Dallas this week, but since we're taking a little break I might as well touch on them now. 13-12, they've been competitive for an expansion team, with quality outings rom their pitching. Four of their starters have an above average ERA+, including former Cougar Sid Moulton (3-2, 2.87, 16), one of the many Miner pitchers that were lost. More interesting is Butch Abrams (3-1, 3.41, 9), as the former Pioneer threw back-to-back shutouts of the Wolves and Sailors. They don't do much hitting, and as of their most recent game a 38-year-old hitting below .050 bats leadoff, so at our park expect us to keep their run totals low. One guy to look out for is catcher Tom Leisher, who has hit .304/.360/.468 (112 OPS+) in 86 trips to the plate. Playing in parts of six seasons for the Chiefs and Sailors, Leisher never did much hitting, though he never got more then 200 PAs to show what he could do. This year he has a chance to surpass the 190 from his 1960 season with the Sailor, and without sparse catching talent can be, he could be an intriguing trade candidate. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-18-2024 at 01:24 AM.

12-13-2024, 02:14 PM	#1546
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,971	Love the start and hope there are way more of those one-loss weeks rather than one-win weeks. Hopefully this iteration of the Cougars is a consistent team that knows how to pull out the tough games. __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

12-11-2024, 06:44 PM	#1544
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Taking a break until next Monday as our commish will be out of town. Might be a few more missed sims sprinkled in with the holiday. Maybe I'll have time to get some of those yearly recaps done. Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 16-9 (t-1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week Jim Barton : 19 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.082 OPS Gene Case : 25 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .360 AVG, .945 OPS Mooney Vetter : 23 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .348 AVG, .739 OPS Schedule 5-7: Win at Wolves (6-2) 5-8: Win at Wolves (4-2) 5-9: Win at Wolves (9-6): 16 innings 5-10: Win vs Kings (6-9) 5-11: Win vs Kings (2-3) 5-12: Loss vs Kings (7-1) Recap Well would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place! Sure, it's just a tie for the lead, but we won eight straight before Elmer Sullivan (9 IP, 8 H, 3 RR, BBM 2 K) and the Kings finally stopped our streak in the finale of our home series. Of course it's those same Kings we are tied with, so we actually took over first place for a day. It was a strange game, from the fact that Sullivan pitched so well to Andy Logue's (5.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, K) first bad start of 1962, and with both teams off on Sunday we opened the week in an even split. In most cases it was the pen that got the job done, with most of the best results coming there. Pug White was a big part of four wins, picking up 3 saves and a hold. In 6.2 scoreless innings he allowed 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Arch Wilson (IP, H, BB, 2 K) wasn't needed much, but Phil Means (6.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) and Bob Burdick (W, 6.2, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K) pitched well in what almost amounts to a start. Eight of our nine pitchers threw at least six innings, as it was really a team effort to take advantage of our opponents. Traditional starters had success too, as both Roy Ellis and Hank Walker pitched as advertised. Ellis got the Wolves, going 6.2 innings with 8 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts, leaving with exactly 100 pitches. After a rough start the day after Opening Day, he's now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. We'll get him for two starts this week, and our ability to stay atop the standing will rely on him. Walker is in line for just one start, and it might be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Easily his best start of the season, Walker held the tough Kings lineup to just 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks. He struck out 6 in 6 innings, picking up the tight 3-2 win to secure the series. Despite his 5.72 ERA (76 ERA+), the 29-year-old vet is 2-1, striking out 17 with 11 walks in 28.1 innings. He's been hurt by the base hit often this season, allowing more hits then innings in all five of his starts. If it's only a few more, you can live with it, but he's lived reckless with runners on, and it's not the strategy for success. Jim Barton gave another strong showing, including a 3-for-3 with a double and RBI in our 9-6 win over the Kings. On the week he was 8-for-19, hitting his 4th homer of the season. The recently turned 26-year-old has hit .337/.359/.517 (126 OPS+) in the first month of the season, trying to prove he's not the weak link in our stacked outfield. Another guy who had quality at bats was Gene Case, who was 9-for-25 with 2 doubles, a walk, a homer, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs. Chappy Sanders continued to hit extra base hits, as while he was just 4-for-17 he had a double and homer. I wish our potential catcher of the future wasn't hitting just .130, but he has a 12.5 BB% and six extra base hits in 88 trips to the plate. His problem is he's striking out too much, a poor 23.9 K% so far, but while the good times keep rolling there's no read to tamper with the formula. For one reason or another, we're 16-9, and until the Foresters (15-10, 1 GB) eventually catch us it will be fun to try to compete for a pennant in the return year. We were not competitive in the beginning back in 1926, so it's almost like getting a do over on the first FABL year. Oh yeah... And Pat Davis' first homer of the season??? It came against us! Told ya! Looking Ahead Refreshed and relaxed, we'll make a quick trip to New York, to play the tied for last place Imperials for three. 6-19 like the Saints, The Imps have been active making acquisitions, and one of their best acquisitions has been that of Marv Rafalko. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Cannons, and and in the three starts since he's looked like a potential long-term piece. A former 2nd Round selection of the Miners, Fafalko has a 1.48 ERA (298 ERA+), 0.86 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts with just 8 walks in 24.1 innings pitched. With the off day we may miss him, but the former 97th ranked prospect could end the season towards the top of their rotation. Guys like Hank Short (0-3, 3.78, 17) and former Cougar 2nd Rounder Ernie Tisdale (1-2, 3.69, 17) could be shipped away for prospects, while Illinois native Willie Dieter (.315, 4, 9) has displayed value in the corner outfield. One guy I don't want them to trade is team home run leader Turk Ramsey (.272, 6, 12), who gave himself an early 27th birthday gift with a solo homer off the Cannons Jimmy Block (1-2, 5.23, 19). Turk has some of the best power in the league, and it would be really cool for someone from the inaugural team to hold longstanding career records for the franchise. After the quick trip we're back in Chicago for six, four of which we'll play this week. The last one will be the start of a series with the Wranglers, while we host the Cincinnati Cannons for three games from Thursday to Saturday. One of the top offenses in the league, I'm worried about Dallas Berry (.329, 8, 23, 5), who already has a 216 WRC+ in just over 100 PAs. One of the most dangerous players in the league, he's on pace for a whopping 49 homers, 148 walks, and 31 steals, all of which should be among the league's high. The young trio ahead of him is allowing him a shot at an RBI title, as Milt Senecal (.313, 4, 8, 3), Bonnie Chpain (.281, 3, 12), and Babe Booth (.284, 9) have been on base for him. Behind him, Art McKinney (.286, 5, 18) and Charlie Ham (.294, 5, 10, 1) can really mash, so no matter who is pitching, we'll have our share of troubles. The guy who is doing the best is Chicagoan Charlie Warren (4-1, 2.29, 23), who we are looking lucky enough to miss. I do expect ace Jim York (2-2, 4.67, 19) in the finale, and he will give our lineup some fits. He's a bit wild, and if we punish his mistakes at our park, we could get some nice short homers. We only have one with Dallas this week, but since we're taking a little break I might as well touch on them now. 13-12, they've been competitive for an expansion team, with quality outings rom their pitching. Four of their starters have an above average ERA+, including former Cougar Sid Moulton (3-2, 2.87, 16), one of the many Miner pitchers that were lost. More interesting is Butch Abrams (3-1, 3.41, 9), as the former Pioneer threw back-to-back shutouts of the Wolves and Sailors. They don't do much hitting, and as of their most recent game a 38-year-old hitting below .050 bats leadoff, so at our park expect us to keep their run totals low. One guy to look out for is catcher Tom Leisher, who has hit .304/.360/.468 (112 OPS+) in 86 trips to the plate. Playing in parts of six seasons for the Chiefs and Sailors, Leisher never did much hitting, though he never got more then 200 PAs to show what he could do. This year he has a chance to surpass the 190 from his 1960 season with the Sailor, and without sparse catching talent can be, he could be an intriguing trade candidate.

12-13-2024, 04:34 PM	#1547
DD Martin All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Seattle area Posts: 943	Hoping that the Kings and Cougars can have a great battle this season. I wonder which one of us will make the first move (as far as acquiring a player)

12-18-2024, 02:25 AM	#1549
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 5: May 14th-May 20th We actually got back simming yesterday but I was busy so I'm a little behind. Next post may have a two-part minor league report. Or I'll just cover more guys. Also, I actually did get to the 1953 recap, but there is a lot to write about so I didn't come close to finishing. Will be nice to have these to go to when I'm free and we don't have sims Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 22-10 (1st, 3 GA) Stars of the Week Jerry McMillan : 28 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .393 AVG, 1.242 OPS Gene Case : 25 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.156 OPS Henry Watson : 32 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .281 AVG, .783 OPS Schedule 5-14: Win at Imperials (5-4) 5-15: Win at Imperials (5-2): 12 innings 5-16: Win at Imperials (5-4): 10 innings 5-17: Loss vs Cannons (8-2) 5-18: Win vs Cannons (5-8) 5-19: Win vs Cannons (3-9) 5-20: Win at Wranglers (7-2) Recap With a second 6-1 1week we opened up a surprise three game lead in the Conti as everything is going our way so far. A lot of the thanks goes to super stopper Pug White, who despite allowing a run against the Cannons in his last outing leads all qualified Continental Association pitchers with a 1.60 ERA (276 ERA+). The 31-year-old southpaw is doing what I always knew David Molina could do (and later did), and has thrown 33.2 innings in 18 appearances. He's picked up 6 saves and a hold, working to a perfect 3-0 record. His 2.80 FIP (63 FIP-) supports the overall body of work, and Pug boats an excellent 0.92 WHIP and 2.8 K/BB. When the game is on the line he always comes up and delivers, and he delivered shutout innings in both of our extra inning victories. The clear best pitcher of our staff, it's a shame his changeup isn't good, or he could have been a surefire ace that delivers every five games. Instead, Buck Cuppett can deploy him late in games. With a staff full of guys who need help finishing games, Pug's almost more valuable in the role he's playing now, but there's still a part of me that wants to use one of my dev slots on improving that two rated change into a three. In the lineup, our best position player is also delivering, as Jerry McMillan continued his quest for a 30/30 season. The Canadian was 11-for-28 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, a steal, 9 runs, and 8 walks, increasing his season line to .341/.411/.566 (151 OPS+). McMillan has gathered 14 extra base hits, scored 30 runs, and drove in 18 more, adding 16 walks, 6 steals, and a 1.7 WAR. He's appeared in all 32 of the team's game, and the clubhouse leader is making a real push for his third straight All-Star appearance. Gene Case provided him with All-Star production too, as our first basemen was 10-for-25 with a double, triple, homer, steal, 5 runs, 6 RBIs, and 6 walks. The Diamond Defense winner isn't deserving of the nod yet, but he has a nice .322/.407/.463 (126 OPS+) batting line. He's mashed four homers and swiped four bases, and could challenge for a 20/20 season in year two. These two are a nice duo, and have done the offense well during our hot streak. Pitching continues to be the strength as we remain the team with the fewest runs allowed. John Mitchell has been a big part of it, delivering two 2-run outings. The first came in New York, where he allowed 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. Both runs came in his final frame, the first a Red Ellis (.184, 2, 11) triple that ended his night, and the second Ellis scoring on pinch hitter Vern Reynolds' (.138, 1, 6) 3-2 single off Put White. Unphased, Mitchell delivered another gem to finish the week, besting the Wranglers 7-2 with 7 solid frames. This time it was 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts, as Mitchell improved to 3-1 in 7 starts. He also lowered his ERA to a rotation best 3.08 (144 ERA+), as Andy Logue was hit hard (5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, 3 K) in the lone loss of the week. He's allowed just 4 homers in 52.2 innings, walking 19 while striking out 27. A hard throwing pitcher and capable rotation member, he's benefited from our defense, and helped himself by not making too many mistake pitches. Looking Ahead Two more at home against the Wranglers, which saw eight of our nine starters get hits in a 7-2 win. That included the starter Mitchell, he was 1-for-2 with a walk, run, and pair of RBIs, as well as the first 3-for-4 of Chappy Sanders' career. Known for a lot more 0'fers, he also hit his 5th homer of the season, upping his season line to a miniscule .153/.252/.347 (54 OPS+). At risk of losing his job, he'll be sharing time with Bill Plunkett (.417, 3), who's been a welcomed surprise. They each get a game with Dallas, who will send out Butch Abrams (3-2, 3.11, 15) and Steve Miller (1-1, 4.22, 18) to avoid the sweep. At 16-16, they've been the respectable expansion team, as like these two starters they've gotten good innings from the back of the rotation. Abrams has been the gem, but Miller and Rex Conner (2-2, 4.08, 15) both have an above average ERA+. The offense doesn't have a single hitter with a WRC+ above 120, but Ray Hughes (.311, 1, 5) and Tom Leisher (.310, 2, 9) are right there. I do expect it to be a long season for Dallas, but they've more then held their own, and have uncovered a few early gems. Our stretch of games ends in San Francisco, where we'll face the Sailors for three. At 18-14, they're four back of us, still easily in the mix. They've been running with a four man rotation, with the fourth member former Cougar Zane Kelley (4-1, 2.95, 20). I expect him to be in the series, and the Spring Training acquisition has looked really good for his former team. Now 36, the former Kings 7th Rounder has now thrown 1,512 FABL innings. The first 43.2 came in Chicago, but we sent him to Toronto for my former 1st Rounder Hal Wood. He was there until this spring, going 67-105 with a 4.71 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 473 walks, and 685 strikeouts. He hasn't been good in recent seasons, so this six start stretch could quickly sour, but I've loved seeing him make a resurgence out here. They've gotten even better results from trademate Hank Lacey (2-1, 2.30, 30), while 23-year-olds Charlie Lawson (3-1, 3.91, 31) and George Fuller (2-4, 3.47, 27) are looking like seasoned vets. Their weakness lies in the pen, so we could take advantage of them late in game. We've scored more runs then them, but they still have plenty of serious threats in the lineup. Carlos Jaramillo (.336, 13, 9) is not only the best defender in baseball, but the 25-year-old from Colombia is one of the best leadoff hitters, and they've gotten quality performances from John Kingsbury (.326, 6, 23), Heinie Spitler (.350, 2, 16, 6), and Ray Rogan (.315, 3, 16, 2). Still, their are holes for our staff to exploit, and I like our chances here. Off on Saturday, but we'll be back in Chicago on Sunday for the first of three with the Stars. Tied with the Foresters at 19-13, they're going to be a third in our side all season, as they can hit homers better then anyone else out there. Ralph Barrell (.258, 11, 23) is trying to do what his dad Bobby did and win a home run title, and right behind him Lou Allen (.309, 8, 18) has mashed 8 of his own. Charlie Barrell (.298, 6, 10), Virgil Ewing (.324, 5, 29), Joe Cook (.212, 5, 17), and Mike Forst (.264, 5, 22) have all hit five or more, as nearly every member of the lineup is a threat to go deep. Even the struggling Don Hall (.171, 3, 5), who's coming off back-to-back 25 home run seasons. This is a tough team who can outslug anyone, all while boasting three pen members with a sub-2 ERA. Hank Myer (3-3, 3, 1.57, 14) has emerged as an elite stopper, and innings eater Earl Wright (0-0, 2, 2.61, 8) has absorbed 20.2 innings in just 8 appearances. I'm expecting a lot of scoring in this one, and tomorrow's report will cover exactly who we'll face in the final two games of the series. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-18-2024 at 05:25 PM.

12-19-2024, 12:52 AM	#1550
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 6: May 21st-May 27th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 26-12 (1st, 2 GA) Stars of the Week Arch Wilson : 2 Wins, 4.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA Henry Watson : 21 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.143 OPS Hank Walker : 1 Win, 8.1 IP, 3 BB, 10 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 5-21: Win vs Wranglers (0-4) 5-22: Loss vs Wranglers (4-2) 5-23: Loss at Sailors (1-5) 5-24: Win at Sailors (4-2): 12 innings 5-25: Win at Sailors (6-3): 11 innings 5-27: Win vs Stars (0-1) Recap A mini two game losing streak made it look like our winning ways were going to come to an end, but we bounced back with three straight wins to push our quickly dropping lead over the foresters back up to two. Cleveland is red hot, winning six of their last seven and will get two more with the Cannons before our big series with them. With their equally impressive play, that barring two Cougar wins paired with Forester losses, this series will determine first place. We're the only two teams fewer then five games away from first. I don't want to get ahead of myself, again, there are two very important games that come before it, and we'll have to deal with tough games first anyways. More important then all of that is me thinking to myself "please be Andy Logue to Pug White" when I saw the 1-0 scored in the opener with the Stars, and that's exactly how we beat the Stars to the finish the week. Set to face Cleveland in the midweek finale, Logue snapped his three game losing streak with a scoreless 114 pitch effort. He left with one out in the eighth, leaving Pug a runner on third. Some pitchers might stumble, but the veteran southpaw locked in, getting defensive replacement Tom Clement (.159, 2, 2) to pop out, keeping the runner at third. Charlie Barrell (.333, 7, 13) then was given the chance to get his team on the board, but after two foul balls, he got the 7-Time All-Star looking to end the inning. Pinch hitter Byron Burnett (.233, 4, 1) drew a walk to start our half of the inning, but the top of the order couldn't score him. It was no matter for Pug, as after beaming home run leader Ralph Barrell (.270, 12, 28) he got a strikeout and a flyout. Things got dicey after walking Virgil Ewing (.301, 5, 31), but pitch hitter Parson Allen tried to be a hero and lofted a little pop up to the recently inserted second basemen Bob Decker. That win was huge, allowing Logue to improve to 4-3 and for Pug to lower his Continental best ERA to 1.74 (257 ERA+). He did blow two, allowing runs in his each of those, but in both cases we managed to win in extras. Most of the time he's a big part of it, as our stopper is 3-0 with 7 saves and a hold. The secret weapon is the unqualified one, as over qualified Arch Wilson has that late inning magic that allowed him to win three consecutive association save titles from '57 to '59. He won two more games this week, now 6-1 with 2 saves and a hold. The 36-year-old vet has been outstanding, allowing just a single earned run in 19 innings. The only blemish was a solo home run, as he seems to tight rope out of trouble night in and night out. His 0.47 ERA (944 ERA+) comes with a 4.62 FIP (103 FIP-) and 1.63 WHIP, and he's also walked (14) more guys then he struck out (10). The rubbered arm righty can always step in if Pug's overworked or not his sharpest self, bailing him out both times this week. Funny enough, the second time saw Bob Burdick pick up save #4, as he struck out one in a perfect 12th. Believe it or not, the cast off guy I considered DFA'ing had better options presented themselves is now a viable pen member! His 2.81 ERA (159 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP are both well above average, but as a flyball pitcher out park can be unforgiving. The offense was not good this week as not only was Gene Case (1-23, HR, 3 BB) ice cold, but Jerry McMillan didn't pick up a walk, homer, or steal. He was just 7-for-24 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Everyone is entitled to their own off week, and at least in his off week he still got some hits. His outfield partners stepped up, with Henry Watson 7-for-21 with a double, 3 homers, 3 runs, and 7 RBIs and Jim Barton 6-for-18 with a pair of walks, a run, and an RBI. Barton got two days off for Byron Burnett, who was 2-for-8 with a two-bagger, two walks, and two RBIs. He's got himself a solid 103 WRC+ in 39 PAs, walking at a 20.5% clip. All these guys do their things, and they're very functional as a unit. Aside from Case, who was invisible this week, we aren't used to getting much support from the rest of the lineup, and it makes me so sad that Jack Gibson is not healthy because he'd be exactly what we'd need. I'd love to test the trade market, but this early into the season it's hard to tell if there would be any sellers willing to part with guys that can really make an impact. Finishing this off is a nod to Hank Walker, who came oh-so-close to a complete game shutout. After a shaky start the outspoken All-Star has put together some impressive starts, and offered 126 pitches of scoreless baseball. He struck out 10 Wranglers, allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks in the win. Now 3-1, he lowered his ERA to a now above average 4.09 (109 ERA+), and the Corpus Christi native is set to leadoff this coming week. He's now allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last three starts, and in 44 innings on the year he's put together a 3.98 FIP (88 FIP-) with 15, walks, 35 strikeouts, and a 1.36 WHIP.. Looking Ahead The week that determines if we're contenders or not begins now, as we need to win just one of the next two to earn a series win over the Stars. At 21-17, they are five games back, but playing well enough that it would be foolish to think they couldn't stay relevant. I expect to see Cal Johnston (1-3, 3.86, 25) and Dewey Allcock (3-1, 3.51, 28) in the showdown at Cougars Park. Neither are easy to solve, and that lineup will certainly be tough for us to deal with. Charlie Barrell (.333, 7, 13) has moved down in the lineup, but him, Ralph (.270, 12, 28), Lou Allen (.313, 8, 21), Virgil Ewing (.301, 5, 31) and Ed Moore (.328, 4, 15, 3) can all do damage. We were lucky to hold that group to just two hits on Sunday, as Ralph and Ewing both doubled. Stopping them again will be tough, but we have all the momentum now. Next it's three in Cleveland with the Foresters, who have a very good chance to claim first place for themselves. They do pretty much everything well, with a great lineup, rotation, and stopper. The stopper in particular is a bright spot, as the towering 6'6'' Johnny Ogden is quickly being recognized for his fastball/change up mix. Don't let the 0-3 record fool you, as he's picked up 10 saves in his 20 appearances. That's lasted 26 innings, and the former minor league signing has a stellar 2.42 ERA (190 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 15 walks and 33 strikeouts. We know how useful a weapon like that is, but we don't have a Jake Pearson (6-0, 2.47, 30) who can dominate every five days. The gap in the lineup is bigger, as even if Hal Kennedy (.409, 7, 25) comes back to earth they have high level weapons in Sherry Doyal (.331, 8, 29), John Low (.321, 4, 25), and Paul Williams (.301, 3, 15). These three games will test our grit, and we'll have a chance to get revenge from them taking two of three from us in Chicago. Our weekend is back home in Chicago, where we should get a soft reprieve with the Saints. At 11-27, only the New York Imperials (9-29) have a lesser record, and they're way closer to them (2 GA) then they are to 8th (8 GB). The best thing going for them could be a swap with the Cougars, as very little has gone well for Lynn Gray's team. In what could be a win-win deal, the Cougars sent their 1956 2nd Rounder Ham Flanders to Montreal for current ace Andy Logue. It was a little after his 22nd birthday, and the almost 24-year-old got a cup of coffee last season. Flanders hit .322/.402/.489 (136 OPS+) -- surprisingly lower then what he's hit in more PAs this year. A potential Kellogg candidate, Flanders has hit .374/.429/.565 (154 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, 24 RBIs, 24 runs, and 15 walks. Playing first for Montreal, we could have used his bat at second with Gibson hurt, but our pitching would not be nearly as good as it is without Logue. It's a shame we couldn't have moved one of our outfield prospects, as Harry Swain (.273, 2, 14) is their only outfielder likely in the future plans, and we have too many good young players to choose from. Regardless, we'll have our hands full stopping him, but he's one of the few things we have to worry about after what could be an embarrassing Cleveland showing. Minor League Report RHP Bobby McGough (AA Little Rock Governors): We don't have much for pitching prospects, so I've been stretching out hard throwing righty Bobby McGough this season. A 3rd Rounder from Chicago, a lot of his minor league appearances have come out of the pen, as he doesn't quite have the stamina for long starts. Or at least that's what I thought, until he started putting together multiple complete games. The first was in Nashville, where he spun a 3-hit shutout with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts, improving to 2-2 in 5 starts. He followed that up with an equally impressive start, as while the Excelsiors got one on him in Memphis, he didn't allow a walk in a second complete game. He struck out seven and allowed just six hits, throwing 134 and 109 pitches in these two wins. It's encouraging to see him stay effective late into games, as he now owns a 3.61 ERA (114 ERA+), 2.77 FIP (67 FIP-), and 1.18 WHIP. With an overpowering fastball and hard biting slider, he's been able to strike out 38 in 42.1 innings, quickly emerging as a potential big league arm. The stuff alone makes him worth a try in the rotation, but his curve and change aren't bad either. Home runs could give him trouble, but if he keeps the ball in the park he'll have a nice career as a FABL pitcher.

12-19-2024, 09:40 AM	#1551
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,971	Love that the winning keeps happening, including pulling out of the losses with two-straight extra-inning thrillers. __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

12-23-2024, 12:10 AM	#1552
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 7: May 28th-June 3rd Weekly Record: 0-7 Seasonal Record: 26-19 (t-3rd, 4 GB) Stars of the Week Gene Case : 28 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .393 AVG, .951 OPS Jerry McMillan : 27 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .792 OPS Tom Halliday : 27 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .259 AVG, .681 OPS Schedule 5-28: Loss vs Stars (9-4) 5-29: Loss vs Stars (3-1) 5-30: Loss at Foresters (0-2) 5-31: Loss at Foresters (5-7) 6-1: Loss at Foresters (0-5) 6-2: Loss vs Saints (10-1) 6-3: Loss vs Saints (3-2) Recap Yep... It all fell apart... Classic Cougars! I wouldn't be all that mad if it was just losses to the Stars and Foresters, but the Saints!?!?!?! The lowly, pathetic, barely better then an expansion team and worse then the other Saints!?!?!!? Come on guys... From two up to four out, we pretty much fell to where we should be, and now we can focus soley on the draft (already made my first pick and I think it's a good one!) and trying to finish above .500. Though really I'm not sure what was worse, losing both against the Saints, or getting shut out twice against the Foresters. But when you lose all seven games, it's not like there was much that went right anyways. I guess Gene Case went well, our young first basemen had an excellent week, and was the only hitter that was better then average. The young lefty was 11-for-28, adding 3 doubles, a triple, a steal, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. He's had an up-and-down start, but he had a huge game in our finale of May. Obviously we lost, but 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, runs, and RBIs is impressive regardless of result. Jerry McMillan added another homer and steal, but the outfielder was just 7-for-27. Despite the low average, he made it count, providing us with a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. It's nice these two didn't take the week off, but McMillian in particular needs to pick it up, as a lot of success has to do with how he leads the lineup. Pitching was better then you'd think, though Pug White and Phil Means got blown up multiple times. Pug allowed 8 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks, striking out 5 while taking two losses in three appearances. Means only lost one of his three, throwing 9.1 innings with 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts. His kryptonite was the longball, allowing 4 of them including a pair in our 10-1 loss to the Saints. We did get two solid starts from Roy Ellis, but of course, no win for the control artist. Both were deserved, but at least he didn't get a loss. Against the Stars, he went 7 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He had more issues against the Saints, walking 5 and allowing 4 hits in 6.1 innings. Again, he allowed a run with 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.55 (126 ERA+) with a 1.26 WHIP, 19 walks, and 38 strikeouts. His 2 K/BB is best in the rotation, but he's just 2-2 in 10 starts. We got another great start from John Mitchell, who despite zero strikeouts, went 8 with 8 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks. It's his first start without a punchout, dropping his K% to 10.3, but his ERA is now below 3 at 2.97 (151 ERA+) with a 1.27 WHIP and 29 strikeouts. More starts like this are big, as he's starting to come into his own at 25. On the bright side, we had one of the most surprising Pitcher of the Month selections, as high leverage arm Arch Wilson took home the award for May. He didn't pitch too much, just 12.2 innings in 10 appearances, but Wilson was a perfect 4-0 with 2 saves and didn't allow a single run. A lot of it was luck, he allowed 12 hits and 8 walks with just 7 strikeouts, but hey! No runs! And four wins! That's what I call a Pitcher of the Month! Arch didn't allow any runs in his two June innings either, and he's now 6-1 on the season with a 0.43 ERA (1045 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts. Don't look too far past that, he has 14 walks and a 4.37 FIP (97 FIP-) that is more average then good, but the long-time stopper seems much more comfortable in his current role. Looking Ahead If we get swept by the Saints at home??? Well... Let's just pretend it's not going to happen! Even after beating us twice, they still have twice as many losses (30) then wins (15), and only the lowly Imperials (10-35) are five or fewer games away from them. In an absolute must win game, the red-hot John Mitchell (3-2, 2.97, 29) will look to snap our losing streak against rookie Duke Edin (2-2, 3.41, 18). Edin started his season with a pair of AAA starts, but he replaced the injured Phil Murry (0-1, 5.29, 13) and really impressed. Picked up by the Saints about a year after the Minutemen took him in the 12th Round, Edin is an innings eater with a deep arsenal and a nice fastball, but we should be able to score off them. They'll score runs too, in fact, they're 5th in runs scored, as Andy Gilman (.298, 10, 37) is on pace for a 30-homer season and former Cougar draftee Ham Flanders (.376, 5, 30, 2) is looking like a contender for the batting title. Another former Cougar draftee, Garland Phelps (.293, 4, 29), has a 124 WRC+, while a third former Cougar draftee Art Robbins (.286, 6, 29, 3) is having a solid season at short. Their lineup is deep, and probably better then ours, so you know what? Maybe we are going to get swept... We remain home after the Saints leave, ending a long run of game with three with the Wolves. Toronto is now 24-21, just two games back of us and the Kings for third. Toronto just lost talented young starter George Hoxworth (5-2, 4.11, 41) for the season with a partially torn UCL, and they're already without another one of their top pitchers Phil Colantuono due to forearm inflammation suffered in the spring. This is huge for our lineup, as while we will face ace and former Allen winner Arnie Smith (4-1, 3.61, 67), the other two games shouldn't be too tough. My best guess is we get Jimmy Pepper (1-2, 5.40, 26), Smith, and whoever they call up to replace Hoxworth/move from the pen, which means the bigger goal is limiting their offense. That won't be easy, their offense is better then Montreal's, as they sport a potential .400 hitter in Tom Reed. The 4-Time All-Star selection and former Kellogg winner has slashed an impressive .409/.482/.673 (187 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 2 steals, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. On track for over 9 WAR, it's a big season from their best player, and has helped elevate the production of Jim Allen (.327, 4, 20), Sid Cullen (.309, 8, 22), and yet another former Cougar draftee, Charlie Harvey (.324, 20). Lower in the lineup, rookie catcher Ty Rusconi (.321, 5, 27, 2) and rookie Rule-5 pick third basemen Clyde Fisher (.338, 4, 17, 2) have exceeded expectations, as the Wolves look for their first winning season since 1948. After the off day we'll hit the road for the first two of three with the Kings, currently tied with us for third. Kansas City is the better team, evidenced by their top offense, and there are a lot of things I'd do to get a superstar like Hank Williams (.337, 15, 39). Probably the best hitter in baseball, the 2-Time Whitney winner is hitting .337/.428/.681 (178 OPS+) which is arguably worse then his career .353/.442/.618 (184 OPS+) line. Williams is also on pace for 51 homers and 133 RBIs, both of which would be career bests, and he continues to walk (27) more then he strikes out (23). Aside from BABIP, he has 4s or higher in the other offensive categories, and I think that's just because he hits so many home runs that there aren't any balls in play. Of course, he's not nearly the only threat in the lineup, as he's one of seven lineup members hitting above .280. Al Farmer (.302, 9, 30, 3) has really improved the lineup, while Ken Newman (.323, 8, 37, 6), Pat Davis (.311, 5, 26, 11), and even Bob Burge (.308, 3, 28) have been dangerous at the plate. The pitching matchups may favor us, Elmer Sullivan (4-1, 3.74, 39) is the only pitcher with a sub-4 ERA, but with how many runs they score, it might not matter who they start the game with. Minor League Report RHP George Chism (AA Little Rock Governors): With how pitching prospects we have, a 25-year-old like George Chism is considered a legit pitching prospect. Even if he hasn't really started much in the past few seasons. This year, despite his lower stamina, we've been running him out every fifth day, and he did something I never would have expected to finish his May. Chism put together an absurd 126-pitch, 4-hit, 10-inning shutout as the Governors survived the New Orleans Showboats 1-0. It was only his second win and he managed to lower his ERA below 5, but it was really nice to see him keep runners off the base and strike out 6 in an all-out team effort. New Orleans got him the next time out, chasing him out before six, but through eight starts he's 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA (92 ERA+). That's not great, but what is great is the 1.13 WHIP and 2.9 K/BB that goes with it. A four pitch pitcher, he has a really nice fastball, and he uses his sinker when he needs a double play. He's got average stuff, movement, and control, and while I don't love the stamina he's one of our highest priority replacement SPs. Since he's Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, I'm leaning on promoting him by the end of the season, and he'll be in the thick of it for a staff role in 1963 if he doesn't push his way in first. CF Bob Starr (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy who keeps climbing up the prospect ladder, defensive specialist Bob Starr is up to 55th after taking home the Heartland Player of the Month. A former 10th Rounder, the Chicago native has been off to a sizzling start, and in his first full month he hit an exponential .375/.538/.688 (221 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, 25 runs, 30 RBIs, 34 walks, and 3 steals. Paired with elite center field defense, he was worth 2.3 WAR for the month, and is currently on an absurd 12.8 pace in 136 games. Obviously, he won't get there, but through 37 games he's been hitting an equally elite .361/.538/.656 (213 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 10 homers, 38 runs, 43 RBIs, 48 walks, and 3 steals. A stellar total performance, Starr has showcased his already elite eye, that might already be the best in our system. Walking at an absurd 28.1% clip, he's already rated as a 5 there, tied for first with reserve outfielder Bill Irvin and AAA bat Andy Conklin. He does strike out a ton, something that you wouldn't expect from a guy with his eye, but that's in some part due to his big swing. He loves power, aiming for the fences in most cases, and the combo of eye, power, and range make him one of the most exciting young players in the system. He has all the tools to be a starting center fielder, and if all goes well, the 21-year-old could push McMillan to a corner, or make up an elite outfield with him and Henry Watson. RHP Roy Weinberger (B San Jose Cougars): Another level lower, we took home a Pitcher of the Month, as the San Jose righty has been elite to get things going. He allowed just a single run in a 7-inning April win, and finished May 4-1 with a 0.97 ERA (348 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 2 walks, and 25 strikeouts. That makes the 20-year-old 5-1 with a mini 1.01 ERA (334 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP, striking out 31 with just 3 walks in 53.1 innings pitched. At any level, that's amazing for a 15th Rounder, especially one that was taken just under two years ago. I can't get over his 1.4 BB%, especially since Dixie thinks he'll have control issues. I guess that means he's capped at the 2 he's at now, but something tells me that's hard to believe. I like the stuff too, it's already FABL ready, and he's got tremendous stamina. The issue is the stuff isn't really starter good, more good enough, but there's plenty of time for that to improve. At 6'4'', he's a towering righty who could end up throwing harder then the 92-94 he's at now. Despite his youth, he's penciled himself in as the next man up in case of a pitching injury, and I'd bet that if he stays healthy he won't finish his season in San Jose. Attached Images

12-24-2024, 09:06 PM	#1553
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	1962 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 10th Overall: SS Bill Grimm School: Alton 1962: .436/.522/.843, 203 PA, 17 2B, 7 3B, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 18 SB Career: .452/.518/.775, 542 PA, 50 2B, 18 RB, 22 HR, 140 RBI, 54 SB This draft class was very top heavy, so top heavy in fact that if we picked 8th instead of 10th we would have ended up with two elite players (two pitchers I really wanted went 8th and 9th in the 2nd), but instead, I'll have to settle for just one. Sure, Bill Grimm isn't exactly who I wanted, that would be 7th overall pick Skipper Atkins, but I had zero expectation of him (or I guess Skipper for that matter) falling as much as he did. Ranked 5th on Dixie's list, Grimm will probably slot in right behind the now 12th ranked Dode Caudill in our system, but most importantly, he gives us our first real legit middle infield prospect. Sure, I have Richard Castillo and George McKee playing shortstop and they're both towards the bottom of the top 100 list, but Castillo is more of an outfielder and McKee hasn't played short until this season. Grimm, on the other hand, has decent enough range to stick with a strong arm and double play ability, and is a natural shortstop with a chance to stick there. A three year starter at Alton High School in Illinois, Grimm was their everyday shortstop, hitting an impressive .452/.518/.843 with 50 doubles, 18 triples, 22 homers, 140 RBIs, 172 runs, 59 walks, and 54 steals. 13 of his 22 homers came as a senior, and if that power is to be believed, the Mexico (Missouri) native could be an elite player whether it's at a premium position or not. OSA and Dixie give him plus power potential, which is pretty decent, as a start, but what's better is his eye and athleticism. He's got the chance to walk at a double digit clip with 10-15 steals, 20 homers, and a respectable average. I am a little worried his contact tool may never fully develop, and he may be more of a feast-or-famine type hitter, but it's just hard to ignore his upside. Turning 19 in November, he's not the typical super raw prep pick that will take five years before reaching AA, and he's already got a 3 rated gap power. The rest of his offensive tools are 2s, though his only other sub 3 rating is his 1 for sac-bunting. With his power, that's never going to happen, and he's actually excellent (4) at bunting for a hit. If there is a knock, it's that he doesn't have the range I love for shortstops, but with the arm he could shift over to third and be a plus defender. He might be better in the outfield, with range similar to McMillan and Watson.. Both have better arms and make fewer errors, but it's useful that he can play so many different positions at a 3 rating or better. If all goes well, in one of the next few seasons we get lucky and he gets a defense boost at short, but hey! Can't be too greedy. This dude is not what's usually available with the tenth pick, and we could have a star in the making.

12-26-2024, 03:20 PM	#1554
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	1962 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 30th Overall: LHP Jim Place School: Holden 1962: 7-2, 92.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 16 BB, 121 K Career: 36-2, 390 IP, 0.95 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 70 BB, 606 K So I totally forgot that the draft started officially today with stupid short timers, so Jim Place, who I selected last week was the last guy I got to pick this year. Honestly, I'm scared to look at the rest... In hindsight, that makes reaching for a pitcher feel worse, as I wasn't able to snag one of the good bats that slipped. I do still like Place, and I doubt we'd be able to get a solid pitcher in the 3rd anyways, but he had the wrong career trend at Holden. The four year starter was best as an underclassmen, 9-0 with a 0.66 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts as a freshman, before an impressive 10-0 as a sophomore. He lowered his ERA and WHIP to 0.60 and 0.68 striking out 179 while going from 17 to 14 walks in ten extra innings. Those 105 innings were his most, and everything went down from here. He wasn't bad as a junior, again 10-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, but his ERA ballooned to 1.55. On the bright side, his BB% was back below 4, but that doesn't help with a huge drop to his first sub-30 K%. Enough stats though, baseball is far more complicated then that, and the natural talent, not his poor decision making, is what makes the young lefty so exciting. The 18-year-old has excellent stuff, already near some of our FABL guys, and he has a deep seven pitch arsenal. Four of his pitches are already rated a 3, including his low 90s sinker that drew me to him, as it allows him to keep the ball on the ground. Homers are always something to worry about in the Windy City, and knowing he can keep the ball in the park is huge. His movement and stuff are both underdeveloped, but his command is expected to be above average. Solid control could push him into a mid-rotation spot, but he may develop his stuff well enough he can still overpower. OSA and Dixie think he's going to have an outstanding sinker/screwball mix, which is something most hitters have never dealt with. On top of that, he's able to work around baserunners, as not only will he get double plays, but he holds runners close and can throw a ton of pitches. Those three skills raise his floor, something crucial for a risky young pitcher like himself. Edit: The rest of the guys we drafted sucked... I don't know if there will be writeups... Last edited by ayaghmour2; 12-26-2024 at 03:22 PM.

12-27-2024, 04:34 PM	#1555
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 8: June 4th-June 10th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 29-22 (t-2nd, 7 GB) Stars of the Week Henry Watson : 23 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .348 AVG, .984 OPS Buddy Byrd : 18 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .333 AVG, .868 OPS Bob Allen : 1 Win, 8.1 IP, 4 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 6-4: Loss vs Saints (7-5) 6-5: Win vs Wolves (0-2) 6-6: Loss vs Wolves (1-0) 6-7: Win vs Wolves (5-6): 10 innings 6-9: Win at Kings (6-3) 6-10: Loss at Kings (2-14) Recap As the Foresters run away with the Conti, I can at least take solace in knowing that it was us who held first for a little bit of time, as pretty much everyone else won't have a chance to reach them. That leaves us in the fight for second, as we are tied with the Stars and Cannons. The Kings are a game back and the Sailors two, but us second place teams are already seven out and I don't see that getting much smaller. Embarrassingly, we got swept by the 18-33 Saints, who's only other series wins are against the even worst Imperials, but we finally broke our stupid losing streak with what was almost a Bob Allen shutout. My former 1st Rounder came two outs away from the shutout, leaving after walking former Cougar draftee Carl Clark on four pitches. Allen left with 6 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts, making way for the rookie Phil Means. Brought in for his ground ball tendencies, Means got the double play he needed to finish off the win, stopping the losing streak at eight. Unlucky for Means, he's been hit hard recently, as in his last five appearances, its the only one he didn't allow a run in. The worst came in our blowout against the Kings, where he failed to record an out and allowed 2 hits 2 walks and 4 runs. He's allowed 11 runs in his last 10 innings, watching his ERA jump from 2.70 to 4.86 (92 ERA+). More concerning is the 6.16 FIP (137 FIP-), and with a few more rough outings the former 17th rounder may be sent down to Milwaukee. We had a few other good starts, starting with Roy Ellis' complete game win over the Kings. Ellis improved to 3-2 on the season, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in the victory. This dropped his ERA down to 3.48 (128 ERA+) in 11 starts, and he's walked two or fewer hitters in all but one of his starts this season. Andy Logue got due to an undeserved loss due to Arnie Smith's shutout (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K), as Carl Clark's RBI double was the only blemish on Logue's record. He finished 7.1 innings with 7 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts, dropping to 4-5 on the season. The clubhouse leader returned to be a stabilizing force at the top of the rotation, maintaining a 3.68 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with 20 walks and 40 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched. Including this start, he has lost five of his last six, but he's allowed one or fewer runs in two of his last three. The pen struggled this week, with Means, Pug (3.2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 4 K), and Bob Burdick (5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) all getting hit hard. Of course, Arch Wilson (1.2 IP, H, BB) continued to not allow runs, dropping his ERA to 0.40 (1126 ERA+), now making 14 consecutive appearances without allowing a run. We continue to struggle scoring runs, but at least Henry Watson had himself a nice week. The young outfield was 8-for-23 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs, putting him on a 21/115 pace. His .264/.294/.448 (90 OPS+) batting line is still below average, but he's been elite in right (3.6, 1.084) and has 20 extra base hits in 214 PAs. I'm hoping this is the spark he needs to return to form, but I have way less confidence in the offense then I did when the season started. Gene Case had himself a funky week, as while he was just 3-for-21, he was an impactful player. All three hits were homers, as he drove in 6, walked 5 times, and picked up his 6th steal in as many attempts. His third homer of the week was a late birthday gift too, as while we were off when he turned 24 on the 8th, he hit a huge two-run shot the next day to give us a 4-1 lead we'd hold. Buddy Byrd had himself a rare good week, 6-for-18 with a double, triple, walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Hitting just .225/.247/.341 (51 OPS+), he's one of the many guys I'd move on from if we had a better option, but considering he's just a one-year filler for Jack Gibson, he might get to hang out here the rest of the season. Looking Ahead We have a chance to start our week off with a huge series win, as Andy Logue (4-5, 3.68, 40) will be on the mound to take on the struggling Fred Washington (3-6, 5.23, 40). On paper, this is a great matchup for us, but Washington's FIP (4.14, 91) is actually lower then Logue's (4.65, 104), which might mean that Washington should be pitching much better then he is. Granted, Cougar pitchers always get killed by FIP because of our park being so much more homer friendly then the rest of the CA, so I'll still give Logue the advantage here. Of course, their offense continues to score the most runs (317), so I'd be very surprised if we come away with the victory. Hank Williams (.360, 17, 44) was a crucial part of their blowout win against us, a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, and his 17th homer, and I'm sure he'll have no issues solving Logue in the finale. Kansas City has also made a lineup change, with Bill Denney (.247, 1, 6, 3) taking short, Cal Randall (.294, 5, 31), who homered in both games so far, moving to third, and the still day-to-day Ken Newman (.333, 9, 39, 6) moving to first. Denney improves the defense, and even though he can't hit, the rest of the lineup can, and he should improve their 9th rank for both efficiency and zone rating. As talented as this team is, they should be much closer to first then they are, and I still can't believe we have the better record. At least until they beat us here, of course... We'll the return home for three with the Los Angeles Stars, who could still be in a tie with us for second come the series. Bud Henderson (0-1, 10.24, 3) is back and healthy, but with how poor he's looked in his first two starts, perhaps the Stars would have been better off sending him on a rehab assignment. I would have loved to face him, he'll instead get the Saints, while I expect Cal Johnston (3-4, 3.68, 40), Floyd Warner (2-6, 5.95, 41), and Dewey Allcock (5-1, 3.45, 39). Allcock has really impressed since his injury, as the All-Star has a better ERA, WHIP, and K/BB compared to his 1961 season. His 3.64 FIP (80 FIP-) is almost identical to this 3.45 ERA (131 ERA+), and his command has not been impacted by his torn rotator cuff. I don't expect to beat him, and with quality bats like Ralph Barrell (.261, 14, 35), Lou Allen (.330, 13, 32), and Charlie Barrell (.293, 9, 19) all slugging a ton of homers, the fans in attendance at Cougars Park may end with plenty of souvenirs to help counteract the feeling of getting embarrassed at home! Don't worry, it gets even harder after that, as we're stuck facing the red hot Cannons for three in Cincy. They're fresh off a perfect 7-0 week, and they've won 10 of their last 11 to enter the tie in second with us and the Stars. The secret to their success has been Dallas Berry, who's slashed a remarkable .370/.495/.818 (227 OPS+) as he looks to capture his third Whitney. "The Can-Do Kid" has added 12 doubles, 20 homers, 42 runs, 51 RBIs, 39 walks, and even 8 steals, on track for almost 12 WAR in 142 games. The RBI leader has a lot of help, as the 1-2-3 of Milt Senecal (.284, 5, 16, 3), Bonnie Chapin (.303, 10, 31), and Babe Booth (.303, 1, 27) is on base often. The top of their rotation has struggled, with Jim York (4-4, 5.48, 45) and Jack Meeks (6-4, 5.02, 43) allowing more runs then they should, but the 21-year-old Charlie Warren has given them ace-like performances. The Chicago native is 7-2 with a 2.72 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in his first full season as a starter. He's set to start the week, meaning we're going to have to face him, and I'm extremely worried for this coming week. There might be another 0-7 on the way... Minor League Report LHP Mario Saucedo (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Woah! We haven't seen one of these in a while! On the 8th of June, young lefty Mario Saucedo was a bit more lucky then good, as he faced 32 batters and did not allow a single one of them to reach on a base hit. Sure, he walked 6, but Saucedo struck out 5 to pick up his first win of the season. Regardless of the walks, it was impressive start from Saucedo, who missed a few weeks with shoulder inflammation. This was his second start since, and it was much better then his 3 inning start where he allowed 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, all while failing to strikeout a single hitter. A hard throwing innings eater, Saucedo is one of our few actual pitching prospects, and injury aside he's off to a nice start in AAA. Through 38 innings he has a 3.55 ERA (103 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP, but he's had some issues with his command. He has more walks (22) then strikeouts (19), but the stuff is really good. His fastball is elite, sitting in the 96-98 range, and it's one of the best heaters in our system. His change is wicked, easy to miss when sitting fastball, and it has significant downward drop. A useful spot starter, he seems to be at or near his peak, and he could be in line for his FABL debut this season. LF Doug Lang (B San Jose Cougars): Taken in the 2nd Round of last year's draft, Doug Lang looks like a big miss by the prior regime, though maybe I shouldn't judge considering how I myself absolutely botched the most recent draft. Ranked 14th in our system and 266th overall, Lang has spent his season in San Jose, and it has gone well so far. The 23-year-old had a huge game this week in the Cougars 9-5 win over Fresno, a perfect 5-for-5 with a triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Lang is now riding a six game hit streak, upping his season line to a solid .290/.333/.496 (130 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 13 runs, and 14 RBIs. This is a huge improvement on the .203/.368/.305 (61 OPS+) line he had in La Crosse last year, as the lefty is finally showing some of the offensive potential that got him selected early. A poor defender, he'll have to hit if he wants to make it to Chicago, and with a decent contact tool he has a chance. Putting the ball in play will be big, as he's quick and can make a difference on the bases. He has a good eye too, so he won't be swinging at bad pitches, but as a corner bat he doesn't hit nearly enough homers. Still, he's a hard worker who can improve on his skills, but I just don't see more then a bench role at this time.

12-28-2024, 07:18 PM	#1556
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 9: June 11th-June 17th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 33-25 (4th, 7 GB) Stars of the Week Henry Watson : 27 AB, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .519 AVG, 1.404 OPS Gene Case : 26 AB, 11 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.222 OPS Mooney Vetter : 25 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .280 AVG, .773 OPS Schedule 6-11: Loss at Kings (4-6) 6-12: Win vs Imperials (1-9) 6-13: Win vs Imperials (5-9) 6-14: Win vs Imperials (3-12) 6-15: Win at Cannons (10-4) 6-16: Loss at Cannons (5-6) 6-17: Loss at Cannons (0-6) Recap On the bright side, we didn't play the Los Angeles Stars, it was actually the New York Imperials, and the pitiful 11-47 expansion team accounted for three of our four wins this week. We couldn't beat the Kings, and the red hot Cannons took two of three from us, so our barely winning week allowed us to remain seven back of the Foresters. Both the Sailors and Cannons are now within six, but at least the winless weeks seem to be a thing of the past. We can thank Henry Watson for most of our wins this week, as the scalding outfielder took home the Continental Player of the Week. It was an outstanding week, as Watson was 14-for-27 with a double, triple, 2 homers, 5 runs, and 11 RBIs. Funny enough, his only hitless game was against the Imperials, but he had an excellent 3-for-5 with 2 homers, a triple, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. He then followed that up with a perfect 4-for-4 in our lone win against the Cannons, adding a walk, double, and 4 RBIs. Even in the shutout, Watson picked up a pair of singles, and he's finally got his OPS+ (109) and WRC+ (113). The OPS+ corresponds with a decent .294/.325/.496 line, but he's making a serious case for Batter of the Month. Watson's monthly slash is a robust .373/.413/.627 (165 OPS+) with a double, triple, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. The voters love those RBI numbers and he's got an elite 175 WRC+, but we have a few more weeks before a winner needs to be crowned. Another hot hitter is Gene Case, who could have had the weekly award had Watson not hit so well. Case was 11-for-26 with a double, 2 homers, 7 walks, 7 RBIs, 13 runs scored, and a pair of steals. Case doesn't have the high average of Watson, but with the walks his .293/.408/.569 (150 OPS+) June line isn't too far away. With 10 homers on the season, he's the first of our players to reach double digits for bombs, and his .297/.384/.484 (123 OPS+) line is getting close to the .288/.399/.506 (139 OPS+) he hit as a rookie last year. Case and Watson did most of the work this week, but they got some help from Chappy Sanders (8-21, 2B, RBI, 3 R) and Mooney Vetter (7-25, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, BB), while reserves like Bill Plunkett (3-7, RBI, R, BB) and William Buttry (3-4, R) made the most of limited time. Buttry has impressed since joining on waivers, hitting .467/.500/.567 (176 OPS+) in 32 PAs, and he may now get a start a week instead of Buddy Byrd. He shouldn't be hitting this well, but he's putting the ball in play and showing he's always ready to help the team out. Bob Allen had another good start this week, going 8 against the Imps with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, picking up his 4th win of the season. Errors contributed to his third loss, as half of his six runs were unearned, causing him to leave after 5 with 7 hits, no walks, and 6 strikeouts. Through 10 starts, the former top ranked pitching prospect has a 5.01 ERA (90 ERA+), but as you can see that's only 10 percent worse then average. He's been allowing 5+ runs too often this season, but he's got a nice 14.7 K% and he's keeping the ball on the ground. Roy Ellis kept up his hot streak, improving to 4-2 with a strong 8 inning start. He allowed 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts, putting together six straight starts with three or fewer runs. This has dropped his ERA to an impressive 3.36 (134 ERA+) in 80.1 innings, adding in 22 walks, 51 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. John Mitchell picked up a complete game win, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts in our 10-4 win in Cincinnati. Three homers did the damage, and he became our fourth starter with four wins. Arch Wilson threw four more shutout innings, allowing a hit and walk with three strikeouts to lower his ERA to a minuscule 0.34 (1339 ERA+) in 26.2 innings. Eventually, the luck will run out, but for now I'm just going to enjoy this incredible stretch! Last little note on the draft, which will be inputed during Monday's sim. I still hate our draft class, but I have decided that if any of the scrubs crack the top 500, I'll do a regular writeup on them. But in all honesty, I doubt any of these guys will, and I'm still kicking myself for not making a makeshift list, but at least this class was on the weaker side and Bill Grimm is elite. Elite I tell you! Please rank inside the top 25... Looking Ahead Our road trip continues with the other expansion team, as we'll face the 24-34 Wranglers in Dallas. They started the season okay, but they've fallen to eighth and the Saints are just a game behind them. Not much has gone right for them, but they may have uncovered a long-term piece in third basemen Ken Hudson. Just 26, Hudson was a 16th Round pick of the Eagles who worked his way up to FABL in 1959. He had a few games his first two seasons, and then hit an impressive .327/.417/.545 (160 OPS+) with 7 homers and 25 RBIs in 127 PAs last year, but with Tom Lorang (.365, 12, 47) firmly entrenched at the hot corner, they left Hudson unprotected. Their loss is Dallas' game, as he's hitting an excellent .302/.373/.595 (142 OPS+) with 11 homers and 26 RBIs. The power is legit, but there is some swing and miss in his game. It'll be interesting to see how he finishes this season off, but for an expansion team, getting guys like this are what these early seasons are about. Turning towards the series itself, we'll have to take on 38-year-old Gene Amico (0-5, 8, 4.96, 31), who's transitioned from the pen to the rotation, talented young pitcher Butch Abrams (5-6, 3.74, 33), and former Minutemen and Gotham southpaw Steve Miller (2-3, 3.60, 33). Despite Miller's decent stats, the only guy I'm worried about is Abrams, but if we can get him out early, the pen is very vulnerable. On offense Hudson is the main threat, but Ray Hughes (.303, 7, 21) has led the order off well and Bill Harbin (.288, 6, 24, 3) isn't the worst center fielder out there. Lucky for us, there's a lot of bad bats in that lineup, and we really should leave town with the victory. We're off after the Wranglers series, and will head home to host the red-hot Sailors for three. They've won nine straight, and have overtaken us as the #1 pitching staff in the Conti. They are running a four man rotation, and despite the back-end being scrubs they picked up from the Wolves, it's been working like a charm. One of the said scrubs is old friend Zane Kelley (6-2, 3.64, 44), who's having his best season to date at 36. Trademate Hank Lacey (4-2, 3.25, 47) has been even better, while their two talented young 23-year-olds are putting the league on notice. Chicagoan Charlie Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07) last season, and he's trying to do the same this year. He's 6-3 with a 3.08 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 26 walks, and 62 strikeouts, and should be selected to his second All-Star game in two seasons. His 3.51 FIP (77 FIP-) might be the most impressive part, though he's also been worth 2.4 WAR already. George Fuller (5-5, 3.07, 45) is right on his trail in ERA and WHIP, a bit ahead in ERA and behind in WHIP, and because of their rotation, we're stuck facing one if not both of them. The off day makes both more likely, and then we'll also have to deal with a lineup of Edwin Hackberry (.273, 8, 36, 10), John Kingsbury (.333, 8, 40, 3), Heinie Spitler (.349, 4, 30, 9), Ernie Carter (.338, 3, 30), and Ray Rogan (.313, 4, 27). Add in the speedy Carlos Jaramillo (.265, 2, 23, 14) who can handle short like 'ole Skipper Schneider, and we are in a world of trouble. At least if they sweep us, the Foresters will have a challenger! Yeah... I'm going with that! Minor League Report RHP Humberto Fonseca (B San Jose Cougars): He may not be the most exciting pitcher in our system, but Humberto Fonseca can throw a lot of pitches in a game, and most of the time, they're pretty decent at the end! He was firing on all cylinders against Salem, twirling a 5-hit, no-walk, 4-strikeout shutout. After starting the season 0-3, he's now won each of his last four starts, dropping his ERA and WHIP to 3.38 (99 ERA+) and 1.07 in 69.1 innings pitched. Most impressive has been the command, as he's struck out 45 with just 5 walks, an elite 9 K/BB. A hard thrower too, he sits in the 94-96 range with his fastball, one of five average or better pitches. Dixie doesn't love his control, which is ironic considering his K/BB, but OSA thinks he can pitch his way into the back of a FABL rotation. They also like his control more, and rank him 22nd in our system and 422nd overall. With so few quality pitching prospects, he'll continue to make starts, and I'd love for the command he's showing now to stick with him as he develops.

12-31-2024, 10:42 PM	#1557
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 10: June 18th-June 24th Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 38-26 (2nd, 6 GB) Stars of the Week Jerry McMillan : 26 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.462 OPS Gene Case : 21 AB, 10 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .476 AVG, 1.595 OPS Henry Watson : 19 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.318 OPS Schedule 6-18: Loss at Wranglers (3-6) 6-19: Win at Wranglers (3-2) 6-20: Win at Wranglers (13-6) 6-22: Win vs Sailors (4-7) 6-23: Win vs Sailors (5-7) 6-24: Win vs Sailors (7-9) Recap This has got to be the most inconsistent team I have ever seen... So many 1s and 0s in the win/loss column, and against all odds, this week the 1 was in the loss column. Ironically, we lost the opener to the Wranglers, but then absolutely throttled what was the staff that allowed the fewest runs in the CA. They're now 3rd! We absolutely throttled Charlie Lawson and George Fuller, the opposite of what I expected, as the bats were firing on all cylinders. It all started with Jerry McMillan leading off the opener with a solo shot off Charlie Lawson to start the game. Gene Case added #13 in the 3rd, and we pushed Lawson out with two outs in the 4th. He allowed 10 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks, so even with 5 strikeouts the outing was spoiled. Zane Kelley did a little better in the middle game, 7 hits, 4 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 7.2 innings, but three of those runs came in the 8th, and we got one more on Eddie Chapman before the inning ended. That tied it at 5, and when he was back for the 9th, Bill Irvin finally did what his entire purpose on the roster was: a pinch-hit, walk-off home run! The finale was chaotic, including us almost blowing it with 3 in the 9th, but there were more homers! Henry Watson hit 11, Gene Case 14, and Fuller left in the 7th with 8 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks. Is this offense back!?!?!?! Jerry McMillan sure is, as our star center fielder captured the Player of the Week award. The third CA award of his young career, McMillan did more then just spark our sweep against the Sailors, as he had a pair of homers against the Wranglers and hit .462/.500/.962 (270 OPS+) on the week. If three homers wasn't enough, he had a pair of triples too, and being the speedy outfielder he is McMillan swiped three bases as well. Add in 7 RBIs and 9 runs scored, and well, it's pretty obvious why he won! After a tough couple of weeks, he's been turning the corner, and his season line is in line where it is most years, an impressive .324/.374/.521 (130 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 13 steals, 34 RBIs, and 54 runs scored. He's a little below average in center (-2.6, .977), but I think part of that is from him spending most of his previous time in right. It's gotten better as the season has gone on, as the more familiar he gets there, the more his already sky-high value will rise. Somehow, he's still not a top-20 player, but I do believe he's one of the most valuable guys in FABL. McMillan was not alone this week, and in all honesty, he didn't even deserve the Player of the Week award. Well, didn't deserve isn't the right word, he certainly was superb, but Gene Case continued his assault on baseballs with a 301 OPS+ week. Case had a better triple slash, .476/.500/1.095, as our first basemen was 10-for-21 with a double, 4 homers, 7 RBIs, 8 runs, and a pair of walks. Sure, he didn't have the triples or steals, but Case started five games this week and homered in four of them! Surely that counts for something!?!?! Of course, it does, baseball loves those statistics, so the "10th best first basemen" has the team lead with 14 homers, batting .312/.394/.537 (139 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 8 steals, and 42 RBIs. Recently 24, he walks (35) more then he strikes out (29) and has scored 53 times, doing everything he can to help us win games. The reigning Diamond Defense winner is stealing outs with his patented stretches at first, as his wingspan is far greater the his 6'3'' height. We rank 1st in zone rating (31.4) and 2nd in efficiency (.709) for a reason, and it all starts with the guy at first base. Henry Watson stayed hot too, as the young outfielder was 8-for-19 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 runs, and 9 RBIs. He's had one of the best June's of anyone, batting .385/.429/.679 (183 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 6 homers, 13 runs, and 26 RBIs. Watson now owns a .304/.337/.522 (120 OPS+) line in 264 trips to the plate this season, and his 58 RBIs not only lead the team, but are second to just Dallas Berry (.357, 24, 70, 10) in the Continental. That could be All-Star worthy, as we're about a month away from the game. He got his first last year, and as expected he's handled the move to right field perfectly (4.5, 1.067). I really want to buy something, as we're close enough to actually maybe make this a pennant race, so the 24-year-old could even move to left is the opportunity arises. Jim Barton (.293, 5, 34) has been decent, but if I can get a rental type bopper in the outfield I am going to pounce on the opportunity. Plenty of other guys deserve shoutouts, as exciting young shortstop Tom Halliday was 9-for-22 with a double, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He hasn't hit this good in awhile, but the defense continues to be elite (10.0, 1.125) and he always puts the ball in play. Whether its a bloop or even reaching on an error, he can make things happen, and the quick infielder is a quality base runner and stealer. Chappy Sanders even hit well despite no homers, 5-for-15 with a double, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. I've been desperately looking for a catcher, as while the defense is great he's just not getting any hits. He's back over .200, slashing .209/.275/.342 (59 OPS+) in a tough rookie season. Chappy has lost some playing time to Bill Plunkett, who was 2-for-7 week and has a 109 WRC+ in 68 PAs on the season. If he was any good defensively I'd consider giving him a chance in the lineup, but he's the perfect two-ish starts a week guy that frustrates opposing pitchers since he knows them so well. Andy Logue shook off his rough stretch with 7 scoreless against the Sailors, allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. That snapped his 4 game losing streak, improving to 5-7 with a 3.97 ERA (113 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP in 14 starts. Him, Roy Ellis, and John Mitchell have been a reliable 1-2-3, though Mitchell had a rough hiccough with the Wranglers. The expansion team rallied for 7 hits and 5 runs, striking out twice in 4.2 innings. It ended up not mattering, as while he left down 4-3 in the 5th, we finished that game 13-6 winners. Phil Means became the pitcher of record, throwing an inning and a third with a Carl Matthews homer scoring the batter Mitchell left on base. Arch Wilson continued his scoreless streak with a strikeout in a perfect seventh to pick up his second hold. He then got the save on Sunday, bailing out Pug White in the ninth. He was going for a three inning save, but he allowed three runs in the final inning. He was the pitcher of record, as we broke the 4-4 tie after he entered the game. Pug won the walk-off a day earlier too, and picked up two saves. In those three appearance he didn't allow a run or walk, and his 3.29 ERA (137 ERA+) is best among qualified Cougars. Him and Roy Ellis have been an interesting combo, as in both of Ellis' starts Buck Cuppett wanted our stopper to take his start to the finish line. Their efforts against the Wranglers proved to be the difference, as Ellis started with six excellent frames, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts before Pug delivered three scoreless. He allowed just 2 hits and struck out 3, allowing Ellis to earn his fifth win. Him and Logue are one shy of Arch for the team lead, and despite not having the most talented pitchers we are not letting teams score on us. I made a roster move this sim, sending defensive star Billy Thompson on outright assignment to AAA. The 25-year-old is one of the best defenders in our organization, but he hit just .205/.244/.205 (18 OPS+) in 41 trips to the plate. He hasn't played regular enough to get into a groove, and we finally have someone in AAA I sort of want to call up. He isn't a world beater and hit just .167/.318/.222 (47 OPS+) in 22 PAs for the Foresters last season, but Larry Curtis was good in the 50s for the Wolves and hit .299/.432/.727 (225 OPS+) in 23 games with the Blues. Since we signed him as a minor league free agent almost exactly a month ago, he's pounded 9 doubles and 8 homers, driving in 20 with 22 runs and 10 walks. A disciplined hitter with plenty of power, Curtis once looked like a future All-Star, bursting onto the scene in 1954. The former 2nd Rounder and Top 50 prospect hit .340/.441/.571 (177 OPS+) in 413 PAs, adding 27 doubles, 4 triples, 15 homers, 51 walks, 70 RBIs, and 75 runs. That was an outstanding rookie season, and for the next three seasons he was an above average hitter in terms of both OPS+ and WRC+. That stopped in '58, but he followed his average year (100 OPS+, 96 WRC+) with a great one. Curtis hit .283/.339/.527 (134 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 28 homers, and 75 RBIs. This improve his career line to .266/.330/.474 (122 OPS+), and in their pursuit of outfielders, the Cleveland Foresters picked him up for a minor league outfielder. With their stars, even a guy with 130 career homers doesn't have room to play everyday, and he played sparingly the next two seasons. Because of that, he was left unprotected in the expansion draft, going to the Minneapolis Millers in the 14th Round. Despite being taken early, he was cut after being DFA'd, and sat there for about a month until he took my $2,100 minor league contract offer. It proved to be a wise move, as he's earned himself another chance in FABL, with his next appearance being #859. He won't start much, but he's a useful slugger with a cannon in the outfield, and despite not being that fast he's an amazing baserunner. As good as Thompson's defense is, we need him to get back on track, and Curtis is worth a flier until something better comes along. Our 40 had six open spots and Curtis can be optioned, so even if I'm able to grab a big bat in the outfield, I don't have to worry about losing him as depth. Granted, I could choose to keep him and cut bait with Bill Irvin, who's clutch pinch hit homer was his first hit of the season. Last piece of note is the draft, and as expected, none of the auto-scrubs crack the top 500. Luckily, the two guys I took are in the top 100, as Bill Grimm checks in at 44 and Jim Place at 91. Grimm is behind just Dode Caudill in our system, as the talented young outfielder is 12th, while Place is 6th in the system and the clear best pitcher. To make matters worse, picks auto sign now, so I can't just let the guys with eligibility go back to school. Instead, my Class C roster as 52 players, and I have two sims to get that down to 35. All those poor released late round picks... Looking Ahead I'm a little behind so I'll make this short and sweat. Three in LA, three hosting the Foresters, one in Montreal. You'd think we'd lose all but the games in Montreal. You'll find out soon! Probably tomorrow. Night sims really throw me off. Need to get in to the routine! Minor League Report CF Orlando Benitez (A Rockford Wildcats): Last week I promoted Orlando Benitez to Rockford. This week, he won Player of the Week. Last year's first round pick, Orlando Benitez was hitting .351/.390/.597 (177 OPS+) in San Jose, looking more then ready for a new challenge. In 205 PAs he hit 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 11 home runs, driving in 28 with 27 runs scored, 13 walks, and 6 steals. He won a Player of the Week there too, going 12-for-21 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs, production similar to his first week in Rockford. The 19-year-old was 10-for-22 with 2 homers and 9 RBIs, adding 8 runs, a double, a steal, and 7 walks, proving he was more then ready for the Heartland League. The Wildcats new everyday center fielder, he currently ranks as FABL's 64th best prospect and one spot behind our 3rd ranked prospect Bobby Martinez. I think Benitez will be even better, as he's got a nice swing and the athletic mold of a ballplayer. He's strong and athletic, more then capable of sticking in center, and his power potential is legit. He could mash plenty of home runs when he's older, and he's got a great arm in the outfield and at third. His versatility, speed, and overall raw talent will work in his favor, but I really need him to put in the requisite effort to be a star.

01-01-2025, 09:24 AM	#1558
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,971	That Week 7 disaster definitely affected the season. Still, the Cougars have looked pretty good throughout the season. You need the Foresters to start struggling because 44-20 (?) is a hella lot of wins and even 5-1 weeks have put just a slight dent in their lead. __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

01-01-2025, 10:56 PM	#1560
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 11: June 25th-July 1st Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 41-30 (t-2nd, 6 GB) Stars of the Week Henry Watson : 28 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.305 OPS Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 15 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .517 AVG, 1.138 OPS Gene Case : 25 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.198 OPS Schedule 6-25: Win at Stars (8-3) 6-26: Loss at Stars (1-2) 6-27: Loss at Stars (4-8) 6-28: Win vs Foresters (7-14) 6-29: Win vs Foresters (4-7) 6-30: Loss vs Foresters (8-7) 7-1: Loss at Saints (2-9) Recap Well would you look at that!? We were actually better against the Foresters (2-1) then everyone else this week (1-3)! You're welcome Continental! Yeah, believe it or not, we took two-of-three from the Foresters, and even hit Jake Pearson (3.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 2 BB,K) hard in the process. As expected, the Stars had their way with us, and for some reason, we just refuse to beat the Saints. We can beat some of the best pitchers in the league, but no, Duke Edin (7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) is too hard to solve and Hank Walker (5.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) completely imploded. 3-4 against a 30-41 team... But hey! We're the only team that hasn't lost to the Imperials! The offense is absolutely rolling, with Henry Watson (12-28, 2 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB), Gene Case (8-25, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, SB), and Jerry McMillan (15-29, HR, 4 RBI, 10 R, 2 SB) continued to hit everything in sight. The only other struggle came in LA, where Sy Dunn (9 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 5 K) outdueled Hank Walker (8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, BB, K) in an unexpected pitcher's duel. The top of our order had produced when called upon, and if we can keep it up maybe we can catch this Pioneers team. Walker and Bob Allen (7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K) could definitely be upgraded on, but even with them our rotation has the third lowest ERA in the Conti. July tends to be the month where trading ramps up, and now that the draft has passed, teams may be more willing to part with their prospects as the system got a healthy boost. Looking Ahead Two more with the Saints, who battered us in the opener and send Chicagoans Bob Nelson (5-2, 1, 3.10, 56) and Eddie Bowman (2-2, 4.78, 27) to the mound against former Saint Andy Logue (5-8, 4.20m, 53) and Bob Allen (5-3, 5.10, 50). Logue is the reason Ham Flanders (.381, 10, 57, 5) is leading the batting race in Montreal. Those two were traded for each other almost two years ago, and right now that deal's looking very good in their favor. HIs 176 WRC+ is best on the team, and after winning the first two Rookie of the Months he's the odds on favorite for the Kellogg award. If he was a Cougar he might be at second, and his bat would be a huge upgrade over the light hitting Buddy Byrd (.237, 2, 12, 10). That would greatly weaken the lineup, though Andy Gilman (.291, 16, 54), Harry Swain (.276, 3, 25), and former Cougar draftees Art Robbins (.290, 7, 51, 4) and Garland Phelps (.289, 5, 41) hit well. We need these two wins badly, but at this point I'd be happy with a split before our off day. We'll use that to travel to Toronto, with three with the Wolves to end the road trip. Toronto is back below .500, 33-38 as they're without two of their best pitchers. Arnie Smith (7-3, 2.97, 99) is still there and dominating, a spiritual successor to the George Garrison and Joe Hancock's of old time, but the rest of the staff is easier to manage. Zeke Blake is not among them, as the 25-year-old has a 2.27 ERA (203 ERA+) and 2.53 FIP (54 FIP-) in 39.2 innings. Most of them high leverage, he's 5-4 with 5 saves and 4 holds, working to a 1.16 WHIP with 15 walks and 38 strikeouts. I'm sure they wish they still had Hank Lacey (6-3, 3.58, 63), and even Zane Kelley (6-3, 4.24, 51), but Blake has been their Arch Wilson (6-1, 4, 0.88, 15), who unfortunately allowed 2 runs off 3 hits and a walk in an eventful 8th inning. This snapped his scoreless streak at 21.2 innings, and considering we were already losing that game when the streak broke, I guess its as good a time as any. He was perfect his next time out, picking up a five out save against his former team. I expect Blake and Wilson to duel in this series, as the two pen specialists are often called upon with the game on the line. Our toughest match comes on Sunday, as we start a three game series with the Kings in Chicago. They've hit the second most home runs, so at Cougars Park, expect to have a field day with Hank Walker (3-6, 5.33, 62). Hank Williams (.373, 24, 61) accounts for most of the homers, as the Batter of the Month hit 10 in June. That went with a .455/.544/.869 (255 OPS+) triple slash as the 2-Time Whitney Winner is making a case for a third. He's well protected, with Al Farmer (.290, 12, 39, 4), Charlie Rogers (.284, 8, 31, 5), and Ken Newman (.322, 11, 50, 7) around him, and we'll need our guys at their best to win the opener. Minor League Reports RHP Roy Weinberger (B San Jose Cougars): Notable minor leaguers are few and far between, so when Roy Weinberger struck out 7 in a 2-0 shutout win, he was front and center. Performances like this are no surprise, as the former 15th Rounder is 7-2 with a 1.27 ERA (258 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP in 12 starts. The 20-year-old has 57 strikeouts to just 6 walks, never walking more then a single batter in a start. Unfortunately, we didn't get many pitchers in the draft, so guys like Weinberger had to stay here instead of receiving a draft day promotion. May's Pitcher of the Month is ready for tougher competition, but unless there's an injury there is no one to cut or demote ahead of him. John Roberts (6-2, 2.07, 33) and Art Ozbun (4-5, 2.15, 73) have had similar success, helping San Jose lead the C-O-W in rotation ERA. Amateur Report 3rd Round, 50th Overall: 2B Dick Habeson School: Shenandoah Valley State 1962: .282/.321/.370, 280 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 11 SB Career: .282/.321/.370, 280 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 11 SB So even though he isn't very good, I decided to give our 3rd Round pick Dick Harbeson the benefit of the doubt, promoting the first of our auto picks to Class A Rockford. The Shenandoah Valley State alum hit .282/.321/.370 as a junior, but nothing he did t here really stood out. The benefit now is that he's good enough to skip the early levels, so he could at least contribute to some of our minor league teams. With a weak arm second is his home, but he could be okay there with a little work. We have plenty of infield spots up for grabs, and he'll get to hit 7th on a 41-23 Wildcats team that ranks 1st in Runs (400) on quest for pennant twelve. Attached Images